First Call: Russell Wilson wants to play at least 5 more years; framework disclosed for NFL's 18-game schedule
Friday's "First Call" has Russell Wilson's projection for how much longer he wants to play in the NFL. There's a road map for how — and when — the NFL plans to get to an 18-game season.
We examine the basketball version of the Backyard Brawl as well as the rest of the local college basketball slate.
Also, in hockey, the Pittsburgh Penguins are desperate for wins, while Robert Morris' men's team looks to stay hot.
Happening sooner than later
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is laying out plans for an 18-game season, and he is tethering them to the staging of international games.
Via ProFootballTalk.com , the commissioner wants to play 16 international games per year. He has tied that international expansion to the creation of an 18-game regular-season schedule.
"We hope to be (at) 16 within five years," Goodell said, according to Sports Business Journal .
Goodell made the comments Thursday at Liberty Media's investor day.
"We're looking at a change from the 17 (regular season) and three (preseason) format to maybe 18 regular season games and two preseason games," Goodell said. "That will open up more inventory to allow us to play more globally."
The irony of that statement is that the NFL doesn't need the international expansion as any sort of catalyst or excuse to build out the schedule by another week.
As PFT points out, there are already 16 games that could become international events. Every team plays 17 games per year. Each club could play eight home games, eight road games, and one neutral-site game.
The moral of the story is the NFL doesn't need a reason to expand the schedule. It is just going to expand the schedule. The only hang-up is how quickly and smoothly they can reconfigure the collective bargaining agreement to make an 18-game season a reality.
The current CBA expires in 2031, but it can be revised early if both sides agree to undertake that exercise.
Five-year plan
Russell Wilson has plans to play another five to seven years. That's what the Steelers quarterback said in an interview with Hannah Storm that ESPN posted Thursday.
Wilson turns 36 later this month. So that means he'd have to play until he was at least 41.
"I definitely want to play another five to seven more years," Wilson told Storm. "I think that's always been my goal. I've been very clear about that since the beginning. I think that's always been my mindset — the longevity of the game."
Now that Wilson is beyond the calf injury that nagged him early this season, he feels positive about his physical state.
"I feel great, I feel young," Wilson continued. "I feel like I can move around out there and make all the decisions and all the throws and throw the ball where I need to throw it."
Wilson didn't commit to playing in Pittsburgh beyond this year, though. He is only on a one-year contract.
"I've never really thought past the years (of a contract) most of the time when I'm playing," Wilson said. "I'm so engulfed in the moment. It's so critical to be that way. It's too hard to think about what's ahead or what's behind. It's about being right here."
Wilson has played 191 regular-season games in his career and 16 more in the postseason.
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On center stage
The highlight of the local men's college basketball weekend will be the renewal of the Backyard Brawl between Pitt (3-0) and West Virginia (2-0). The Panthers and Mountaineers will meet up at the Petersen Events Center at 8 p.m. Friday.
Pitt is a 6.5-point favorite, according to ESPNBet. The over/under is set at 149.5. Pitt won this matchup 80-63 in Morgantown last year. That snapped a six-game losing streak that spanned 10 years .
The schools have met 30 times since 2000, with Pitt winning 18 of those matchups and WVU winning 12.
As for Duquesne, the Dukes are in Chicago to tangle with DePaul at 9 p.m. The Blue Demons won their first three games under first-year coach Chris Holtman, while the Dukes lost both of their games to Princeton and Lipscomb.
DePaul finished 3-29 overall a season ago and went 0-20 in the Big East. The Dukes won the last meeting between the teams in Pittsburgh 66-55 in 2022.
Meanwhile, Robert Morris is hoping to improve to 3-2 against Lindenwood at 7 pm on Friday after beating Stonehill 63-51 on Thursday .
On the women's side of things, Duquesne hosts Niagara at 7 p.m. Saturday, and Pitt plays Binghamton at 1:30 on Sunday. RMU is idle until Wednesday at home against St. Francis.
Time to take advantage
There aren't too many teams in the Eastern Conference worse than the Penguins these days. But on Friday night, the Pens get to play one of them.
The Penguins visit Columbus to play the Blue Jackets at 7 p.m. The Penguins have just six wins in 18 games. The Blue Jackets and Montreal Canadiens are the only two teams in the East with fewer at five apiece.
At least the Jackets can boast a decent home record. They are 4-3-0 so far at Nationwide Arena. But right now, the club is mired in a six-game losing streak overall.
Columbus' last win was a 2-0 victory over the New York Islanders. Since then, the Blue Jackets have scored just 11 goals over that six-game skid. In fact, Dean Evason's team hasn't scored more than two goals in a game since a 6-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers on Oct. 28.
That's good for the Penguins because, at 3.83 goals allowed per game, they are 31st in the NHL. Only Montreal is worse at 4.06.
On Saturday, the Penguins return home to play the San Jose Sharks. They stink too. They also have just five wins and 13 points in 17 games. The Anaheim Ducks are the only team with fewer points (12).
San Jose can't score right now, either. At 2.33 goals per game, they are 31st in the league.
Ramp it up
The Robert Morris men's hockey team is hoping that a bye weekend didn't quell some early season momentum.
Coach Derek Schooley's team is heading out to Connecticut to play Sacred Heart in Fairfield for a two-game Atlantic Hockey series. Game 1 is Friday at 7 p.m., with the second game Saturday at 4 p.m.
RMU has just one regulation loss in its first seven games. The team is 4-1-2 overall and 1-1-1 in AHA play. The Pioneers are at 4-5-1 (3-3-0 in the Atlantic). The Colonials received votes in this week's USCHO Men's Hockey National Poll. It's the second time this season that the Colonials have garnered such national attention.
As for the women's team, they are 5-6-1 (0-1-1 AHA). They play Mercyhurst at home this weekend. Faceoff is at 7 p.m. Friday at the RMU Island Sports Center and at 3 p.m. Saturday.
