First NFL games of 2006 announced

[ZapRowsdower8]

The first game of the season will be the Steelers hosting the Dolphins on Sep. 7th.

The third game of the new Thanksgiving Day triple header will have the Broncos traveling to Kansas City. I couldn't think of a better place to host a Thanksgiving Day game. That should be great!

[yh]

I also note with interest that ESPN is going to have a doubleheader to open their Monday Night Football tenure. The first game features Minnesota at Washington (I assumed the opening night MNF game would feature either the Skins or a NY team seeing as how it's the 5 year anniversary of 9/11) and the second game is San Diego at Oakland. The Washington game kicks off at 7 p.m. EST and the late game at 10:15 EST. I really have to question the wisdom of starting an NFL contest so late. Is a weeknight NFL doubleheader really adviseable? Isn't that simply writing off most of the audience east of the Rockies?

[OMMF]

The Washington game kicks off at 7 p.m. EST and the late game at 10:15 EST.  I really have to question the wisdom of starting an NFL contest so late.  Is a weeknight NFL doubleheader really adviseable?  Isn't that simply writing off most of the audience east of the Rockies?

No more so than NHL games starting at 7 PT or playoff baseball games starting at 7/8 PT. If anything, they'll get more viewers on the west coast since it gives people time to get home from work and watch the whole game. Also, because it's ESPN, they don't have to worry about running over into the late local news or ABC programming.

[yh]

The Washington game kicks off at 7 p.m. EST and the late game at 10:15 EST.  I really have to question the wisdom of starting an NFL contest so late.  Is a weeknight NFL doubleheader really adviseable?  Isn't that simply writing off most of the audience east of the Rockies?

No more so than NHL games starting at 7 PT or playoff baseball games starting at 7/8 PT. If anything, they'll get more viewers on the west coast since it gives people time to get home from work and watch the whole game.

Well, I think the distinction here is that MLB and NHL broadcasts tend to be region-centric and for lack of a better term, more commonplace, whereas there tends to be more national interest in prime time NFL contests. I will concede, however, that most of the interest in this particular game (SD at OAK) will be centered in the AFC West markets the easternmost of which is Kansas City where the game will start at 9:15 (and that's late by midwestern standards - I can vouch for that). Nonetheless, since the outcome of each NFL game has substantially more weight on playoff implications than a single MLB or NHL game, you could say that every market in the AFC should have some interest in this game, and thus the NFL is really imposing on a large number of its Eastern Time Zone fans.

[OMMF]

The Washington game kicks off at 7 p.m. EST and the late game at 10:15 EST.  I really have to question the wisdom of starting an NFL contest so late.  Is a weeknight NFL doubleheader really adviseable?  Isn't that simply writing off most of the audience east of the Rockies?

No more so than NHL games starting at 7 PT or playoff baseball games starting at 7/8 PT. If anything, they'll get more viewers on the west coast since it gives people time to get home from work and watch the whole game.

Well, I think the distinction here is that MLB and NHL broadcasts tend to be region-centric and for lack of a better term, more commonplace, whereas there tends to be more national interest in prime time NFL contests. I will concede, however, that most of the interest in this particular game (SD at OAK) will be centered in the AFC West markets the easternmost of which is Kansas City where the game will start at 9:15 (and that's late by midwestern standards - I can vouch for that). Nonetheless, since the outcome of each NFL game has substantially more weight on playoff implications than a single MLB or NHL game, you could say that every market in the AFC should have some interest in this game, and thus the NFL is really imposing on a large number of its Eastern Time Zone fans.

But at the same time, moving the early game up to 4pm Pacific negates almost any west coast viewership until halftime. I would wager that the highest ratings will come in the 2nd half of the first game and the 1st half of the second game.

[rainmaker17]

Tampa @ Dallas for Thanksgiving. Wouldn't it be sick if Tampa broke out the Bucco Bruce unis versus the Cowboys throwbacks?

[yh]

But at the same time, moving the early game up to 4pm Pacific negates almost any west coast viewership until halftime. I would wager that the highest ratings will come in the 2nd half of the first game and the 1st half of the second game.

Agreed on both counts. That's why I feel that a MNF doubleheader is bad business.

[leopard88]

The Washington game kicks off at 7 p.m. EST and the late game at 10:15 EST.  I really have to question the wisdom of starting an NFL contest so late.  Is a weeknight NFL doubleheader really adviseable?  Isn't that simply writing off most of the audience east of the Rockies?

The 9:00ish MNF start time is already late enough to write off the 2nd Half for most people in the Eastern time zone who have jobs that start before 10:00. Halftime already falls at around 10:30-10:45, with the game ending at 12:30ish (if not later). The fact that one game is on at a respectable hour in this scenario is actually a plus.

Late ET start times are a big pet peeve of mine (and I'm hardly alone). One of MLB's biggest mistakes has been starting every World Series game at 8:00-8:30 for the past two decades. There is an entire generation of kids in the Eastern time zone that have probably never seen more than 4-5 World Series games in their entirety unless they involved their hometown team and they were allowed to stay up late.

I know the later start times let the West Coast people get home to watch games, but I really think you lose far more viewers by having East Coast fans fall asleep before the end of a game than you would if West Coast viewers missed the first 1-2 innings. At the very least, weekend games could be started at a more convenient hour, since the Californians aren't stuck on the freeway trying to get home from work at the tofu factory .

[Avenger]

I for one am glad the Broncos will be playing in KC in November, as opposed to December where they can't seem to beat the Cheifs. That's one of the most vocal rivalries in the NFL... should be good viewing.

[WSU151]

I would wager that the highest ratings will come in the 2nd half of the first game and the 1st half of the second game.

Interesting - that time frame that you say is likely to get the highest ratings is pretty much the normal time slot for one regular MNF game.

[OMMF]

I would wager that the highest ratings will come in the 2nd half of the first game and the 1st half of the second game.

Interesting - that time frame that you say is likely to get the highest ratings is pretty much the normal time slot for one regular MNF game.

That point was not lost on me.

I guess I should have made it clearer that I wasn't saying YH was wrong, just that it's nice for myself to have a football game start at a more convenient Pacific time.

[LetsGoRangers.]

First Sunday night game on NBC - Giants versus Colts.

[Cujo]

First Sunday night game on NBC - Giants versus Colts.

a.k.a. Manning Bowl I

[Chief.]

I for one am glad the Broncos will be playing in KC in November, as opposed to December where they can't seem to beat the Cheifs. That's one of the most vocal rivalries in the NFL... should be good viewing.

And I just found out I'm going to be there! I can't wait, I love going to night games, especially against the Broncos or Raiders.

[NJTank]

Week 1 looks like a hell of a great start.

[HedleyLamarr]

The 9:00ish MNF start time is already late enough to write off the 2nd Half for most people in the Eastern time zone who have jobs that start before 10:00. Halftime already falls at around 10:30-10:45, with the game ending at 12:30ish (if not later). The fact that one game is on at a respectable hour in this scenario is actually a plus.

And with the way MNF games went last year, that game won't be ending until around 2am....

I'll still be watching it, though...

[TBGKon]

Tampa @ Dallas for Thanksgiving. Wouldn't it be sick if Tampa broke out the Bucco Bruce unis versus the Cowboys throwbacks?

not gonna happen bro, on two counts:

1. The NFL has discontinued the throwback craze on Thanksgiving. The only reason why Dallas wears throwbacks is because those are their alternate unis and they as a team chose to wear em.

2. The Glazer family (from what rumors I have heard) despise the Creamsicle jerseys and the Bucco Bruce logo.

[NJTank]

Thats too bad the throwback Thanksgiving wa s agreat tradition

[buzzcut]

Just in case anyone is wondering, here are the 2006 national tv preseason games:

2006 NFL PRESEASON NATIONAL TELEVISION SCHEDULE (All times Eastern)

DATE GAME NETWORK (TIME)

Sun., Aug. 6 Hall of Fame Game -- Canton, Ohio

Oakland vs. Philadelphia NBC (8 p.m.)

Preseason Week 1 (Aug. 10-14)

Thu., Aug. 10 Indianapolis at St. Louis FOX (8 p.m.)

Fri., Aug. 11 New England at Atlanta CBS (8 p.m.)

Sun., Aug. 13 Washington at Cincinnati NBC (8 p.m.)

Mon., Aug. 14 Oakland at Minnesota ESPN (8 p.m.)

Preseason Week 2 (Aug. 17-21)

Thu., Aug. 17 Kansas City at New York Giants FOX (8 p.m.)

Fri., Aug. 18 San Diego at Chicago CBS (8 p.m.)

Sat., Aug. 19 Arizona at New England NFLN (8 p.m.)

Sun., Aug. 20 Seattle at Indianapolis NBC (8 p.m.)

Mon., Aug. 21 Dallas at New Orleans, Shreveport, La. ESPN (8 p.m.)

Preseason Week 3 (Aug. 24-28)

Thu., Aug. 24 Miami at Carolina FOX (8 p.m.)

Fri., Aug. 25 Pittsburgh at Philadelphia ESPN (8 p.m.)

Sat., Aug. 26 Tampa Bay at Jacksonville CBS (8 p.m.)

Sun., Aug. 27 Houston at Denver NFLN (8 p.m.)

Mon., Aug. 28 Green Bay at Cincinnati ESPN (8 p.m.)

The rest of the schedule is also available:

2006 NFL preseason schedule

[leopard88]

Just in case anyone is wondering, here are the 2006 national tv preseason games:

Does anyone else remember the days when a nationally televised exhibition (I'm sorry -- preseason) game was a rare thing?