A five hour meeting at a hotel in downtown Atlanta, featuring the NFL’s commissioner Roger Goodell, along with the owners of the NFL’s franchises has given us some key news to report. For the last couple of seasons, talks have really heated up in regards to extending the NFL regular season from 16 to 18 games. While the issue had been discussed, but no formal decision had ever been made, it appears as if Goodell and the owners now have a target date in mind. NFL betting fans are certainly excited about the news.

While the owners seem to be all for an extension of the NFL’s regular season, it seems to be another issue for the players. While the majority of them are not fans of the four game preseason, it does not appear as if that necessarily means that they are looking to extend the season for two more games, either. Many players around the NFL questioned the owners motives of extending what is already a grueling season longer. Of course, if that is to be the case, the players are absolutely looking for more money, changes in the rules around injured players, and an additional bye week.

With all of those details needing to be worked out, the owners held off on voting for a specific proposal to present to the players union. Along with the aforementioned, other issues at hand involve a start date for the season, possible roster expansion, and ways to still evaluate the younger talent with less preseason games to do so in. Regardless of that, the message is clear, the owners want to get it done.

And who’s to blame them? The fans are the ones who put money in their pockets, and adding two extra regular season games is going to do a whole lot of that. Comparing the attendance of a preseason game to a regular season game would increase revenue. Not to mention, their television deal should also get sweeter. As well, with additional games, advertising revenue would go up as well. Sports betting enthusiasts will also get more opportunity to bet on the NFL.

So while there is a big piece of the pie for the owners, the deal is going to hinge on what they are able to kick back for the players. Without them, there would be no stars to market, no jerseys to sell, and no games to be played. The players already think the owners are greedy. What they propose to them in regards to the season extension could only prove that notion even further.