Wikipedia talk:WikiProject National Football League

TV / streaming networks in schedule tables

WP:NOTTVGUIDE has been presented as a reason to omit TV/streaming networks from schedule tables a few times in the past (1, 2, 3), but it probably needs more discussion to be considered consensus. They end up getting removed after the season is over anyway so it's clearly not seen as vital. The networks are still retained in the game summary templates if readers care that much. ~ Dissident93 ^(talk) 23:34, 19 May 2025 (UTC)

WP:NOTTVGUIDE only explicitly discourages such information from an article on a broadcaster, which in this context would be listing a schedule of games on articles like NFL on NBC and NBC Sunday Night Football, so it doesn't really apply, at least not in letter. However, past consensus and editorial discretion can determine whether it should be included in team season articles. Left guide (talk) 00:28, 20 May 2025 (UTC)

In that case, what's the reason for removing them after the season? ~ Dissident93 ^(talk) 03:32, 20 May 2025 (UTC)

My guess is because it's of no interest or use to readers by then lol. Kinda flies in the face of WP:RECENTISM tbh. Left guide (talk) 03:43, 20 May 2025 (UTC)

Depends how it's viewed. If it's only to be used in current seasons then it's nothing more than a TV guide; it at least maintains some historic value if kept. We should either keep it permanently or omit it entirely. ~ Dissident93 ^(talk) 03:56, 20 May 2025 (UTC)

Agree on the last sentence per WP:ENDURE. How are these aspects treated in secondary sources though? Do reflective sources 10 years after the fact make note of the TV network a particular game was broadcasted on? Left guide (talk) 03:59, 20 May 2025 (UTC)

I doubt any general sources get into this historically at a per team, per game level. There was a time when MNF was a big deal, but that could be noted as a Monday game, without the specific network. And there's NFL Sunday Ticket (and one can only hope more flexible options to come). —Bagumba (talk) 05:55, 20 May 2025 (UTC)

Ok. Assuming it's true, Dissident93's point about these getting routinely purged at season's end seems rather telling about the general long-term significance. Left guide (talk) 06:02, 20 May 2025 (UTC)

I could understand the compromise. In-season, drive-by editors will probably just add it back. So unless a few editors are willing to step it up and police it in-season ... Alternatively, create a template for a standard schedule header that doesn't include TV, and use it universally. Editors will be less inclined to use their own header, or will try to change the template, but people can watchlist it and monitor in once central place.—Bagumba (talk) 06:33, 20 May 2025 (UTC)

{{CFB schedule}} exists so I'm surprised an NFL one doesn't. But even if one is created, the issue like you said is trying to keep it enforced as drive-by editors will try to replace it to match older pages, which tend to have plenty of other practices that go against more recently established guidelines and consensus. I can whip one up if there's support for it. ~ Dissident93 ^(talk) 17:14, 20 May 2025 (UTC)

@Dissident93: There's already a family of NFL schedule templates. Please see Category:Sports schedule templates letter "N" and just use those. I mentioned this in a thread on this project page last month lol. These templates have been around since at least '08. Left guide (talk) 18:48, 20 May 2025 (UTC)

Oh, it's one of those templates that need two or three others to actually function. I've never seen any of these actually in use, but it's nice to know it exists. ~ Dissident93 ^(talk) 18:52, 20 May 2025 (UTC)

Many other sports use "game log" templates, especially those with more annual games like NBA and MLB, but it's in use on college basketball which has a similar family of "schedule" templates. An example would be 2007–08 Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball team#Schedule. NFL would presumably look something like that. Left guide (talk) 19:01, 20 May 2025 (UTC)

I just prefer standalone templates if possible. They are easier to maintain and more understandable to use for less experienced editors. Imagine if we had to use separate modules for sections within player infoboxes. ~ Dissident93 ^(talk) 19:17, 20 May 2025 (UTC)

Yes, there's no usage yet. —Bagumba (talk) 19:23, 20 May 2025 (UTC)

They're hardly listed at all. Teams will often list the network their games are on on their website, but after the fact, it's almost impossible to find a valid source for the broadcaster, let alone the announcers, which for some reason we list in {{Americanfootballbox}}. I'd delete the |TV= and |TVAnnouncers= parameters if I had the choice. – PeeJay 09:34, 21 May 2025 (UTC)

@PeeJay: Shall we start a proposal to seek consensus on removing those parameters? If so, it would be fair to notify the college football project since the template is also used on many college football articles. Left guide (talk) 09:44, 21 May 2025 (UTC)

Support deletion (right up there with all those random announcer quotes in championship game pages). Some editors just love cramming anything true into a box or table to avoid writing prose. Any notable game whose broadcast info might be notable can be placed in a sourced page section e.g. Super Bowl LVIII § Broadcasting. —Bagumba (talk) 10:14, 21 May 2025 (UTC)

Please note that the alternative {{AFB game box start}} is also used on some NFL and college football season articles, and have such TV parameters. I also was looking through the box score templates used by the other sports on how they treat the issue. {{Linescore}} that is used on the MLB articles does not include the TV info. {{NHLPlayoffs}} on the NHL articles only includes the TV info temporarily, then the parameters become disabled once the reference/recap link is added. However {{Basketballbox}} used on the NBA articles currently keeps the TV parameter permanently. Zzyzx11 (talk) 03:19, 27 May 2025 (UTC)

Retro Team Colors

We have had an editor who has pushed hard at rivalry pages to use the color scheme for the team that was used in that season. However, consensus at these pages is that the point of colors for teams in general is to help associate data with that team, or to differentiate between two teams. So having a bunch of different colors is confusing to readers and doesn't reinforce the team's current identity. Within that thinking though, I wonder if navboxes should also be standardized to the team's current color scheme. As an example, templates like {{Green Bay Packers 1950 NFL draft picks}} and {{1919 Green Bay Packers}}, which get transcluded to players' articles, are different from the Packers current color scheme. Take Johnny "Blood" McNally, who has four championship team templates, but also has {{Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame}}. The color scheme of these templates conflict, possibly confusing the reader and implying different teams. I'm not going to die on a hill, but wondering if maybe we should consider all NFL team templates reflect the current color scheme of the team, or for defunct teams, the last color scheme used. Thoughts? « Gonzo fan2007 (talk) @ 21:46, 21 May 2025 (UTC)

I think they should use the colors and logos they used at the time, if possible. Take for example, Snow Bowl. That's not the 80s Bucs wordmark. I'm not necessarily sure how to find the old wordmark but the team's primary color was orange, not red. ~WikiOriginal-9~ (talk) 22:09, 21 May 2025 (UTC)

WikiOriginal-9, sorry, I was only referencing navbox templates that get transcluded to player articles. I don't have any issues with historic team pages or games using the historic colors/logos (nor would I have any issue with only using current ones). « Gonzo fan2007 (talk) @ 22:18, 21 May 2025 (UTC)

I think the navbox templates should use old colors too. ~WikiOriginal-9~ (talk) 22:20, 21 May 2025 (UTC)

I see what Gonzo is saying, but going with modern colors for a 1919 team navbox doesn't make sense either. Being included in a team Hall of Fame is panoramic and not tied to any specific era with differing team names or colors. ~ Dissident93 ^(talk) 01:07, 22 May 2025 (UTC)

For content that pertains to a specific point in time, the colors used should reflect the usage that occurred at said point in time. Anachronism should not be applied on Wikipedia, as it is a form of original research that distorts history. For example, we do not go back and rename all of the past Washington Redskins team season articles to "Washington Commanders". Left guide (talk) 03:08, 24 May 2025 (UTC)

You are comparing apples and oranges. Colors on Wikipedia generally serve a purpose, helping readers more quickly associate data or text with a specific topic. As most casual readers (and even serious fans) aren't familiar with every teams' historic colors, my feeling was that keeping all of these navbox templates consistent would better assist the reader in associating one specific team with their current color scheme. « Gonzo fan2007 (talk) @ 03:38, 24 May 2025 (UTC)

Being historically accurate is more important than an arbitrary standard of consistency. WP:OR is policy, "consistency between Packers navboxes" is not. Left guide (talk) 03:58, 24 May 2025 (UTC)

Do you have a few examples of the rivalry pages in question? —Bagumba (talk) 04:20, 24 May 2025 (UTC)

• It's also not clear why reinforcing the team's current identity is of any relevance. If anything, this appears contrary to WP:NOTPROMO:

  Wikipedia articles about a person, company, or organization are not an extension of their website, press releases, or other social media marketing efforts.

  Left guide (talk) 04:43, 24 May 2025 (UTC)

Football Cardinals Redirect listed at RFD

The redirect Football Cardinals has been listed at redirects for discussion to determine whether its use and function meets the redirect guidelines. It may be to the interest of members of this project. Everyone is welcome to comment on this redirect at Wikipedia:Redirects for discussion/Log/2025 May 23 § Football Cardinals until a consensus is reached. Servite et contribuere (talk) 15:49, 23 May 2025 (UTC)

WP:GAN Request for Ed Policy

Anyone feel like doing me a real solid and reviewing Ed Policy at WP:GAN? He is taking over the presidency of the Packers in early July, and I would love to run his article on DYK the day he assumes the presidency. The GA would also contribute to the Packers president good topic! Cheers, « Gonzo fan2007 (talk) @ 18:17, 30 May 2025 (UTC)

"2030 NFL season" listed at Redirects for discussion

The redirect 2030 NFL season has been listed at redirects for discussion to determine whether its use and function meets the redirect guidelines. Readers of this page are welcome to comment on this redirect at Wikipedia:Redirects for discussion/Log/2025 June 1 § 2030 NFL season until a consensus is reached. Left guide (talk) 22:33, 1 June 2025 (UTC)

Jayden Daniels feature article nomination

My feature article nomination for Jayden Daniels is at risk for archival after receiving no comments since starting it in May, so I'm posting here for awareness. Ideally it would be reviewed by editors from outside the NFL space, but it's received some compliments from a few project members and I'd hate to see it stuck in nomination hell simply from being missed/ignored. ~ Dissident93 ^(talk) 18:30, 8 June 2025 (UTC)

I left a comment there about some potentially questionable sources I spotted. Left guide (talk) 00:12, 9 June 2025 (UTC)

When those sources are addressed, whatever they are, then it should go forward, not archived. You did a great job! Bringingthewood (talk) 00:16, 9 June 2025 (UTC)

Keep it going, D93, I believe this accomplishment could be reached! Bringingthewood (talk) 21:29, 9 June 2025 (UTC)

{{Infobox NFL single game}}

Right now, {{Infobox NFL single game}} has two parameters that build out the location of the game: |stadium= and |city=. For example, in Instant Replay Game, |stadium=Lambeau Field and |city=Green Bay, Wisconsin, U.S. creates the continuous string:

Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin, U.S.

I wonder if it would be better to force a break in between the two, so that the string comes out as:

Lambeau Field
Green Bay, Wisconsin, U.S.

This has two key benefits: (1) it likely prevents weird line breaks in the infobox, and (2) it prevents WP:SEAOFBLUE concerns, which I had an editor bring up recently on a DYK I had on the Main Page. Honestly, I also think it reads nice and cleaner. I have seen users jerry rig this by adding their own break after the |stadium= parameter, but then this has the weird affect of keeping the comma after the stadium. Thoughts? « Gonzo fan2007 (talk) @ 19:45, 13 June 2025 (UTC)