First Flexible Schedule

[whitedawg22]

According to you they dont but what about fans of the Browns they might care? A perfect example is Arizona Cardinals the only reason they were on MNF was because they have a new stadium to show off.

The NFL is a PROFESSIONAL sports leage. Wake up, Pollyanna, the primary focus of the TV contracts is making money.

[DG_YouKnowWhatThatMeans]

As for "kudos to NBC," come on. It's Chicago versus New York. How are they not going to pick that?

Kudos to NBC for getting those rights, something ABC had wanted for years and years. Of course picking that game is obvious, but the point is that until this year, the primetime game (very often the only one I watch) may very well have been something terrible and instead we get something good. That's a bonus to all of us.

[OB33]

I seem to recall the Rams playing the Browns on MNF a couple of years ago.

That was the year after the Browns made it to the playoffs in that thriller between Kelly Holcomb and Tommy Maddox (did I just say that?). But anyway, I agree that primetime games should be saved for premiere teams, it gives the teams incentive to put together winning teams, or in Arizona's case, build a new stadium every year.

[DrBear]

It's still better than college, where you don't know until two weeks before the game what time it will start or even what network will carry it.

What I really found funny was that in their promotions before the season started, all of the NBC ads for the series (as opposed to individual games) had shots of Brett Favre. Now, count the number of times the Packers appear on SNF. You can on the finger of one ear.

[B-Rich]

Strictly speaking the flexible schedule was along time coming and long overdue for prime-time NFL games. And here is why...

For those youngsters out there, let me take you back to the days before ESPN... when the only prime time game was "Monday Night Football" With the schedule made before the season, you knew in late August who would play on prime time Monday Night Football on the first week in December. And it was the usual suspects--- the perenially good teams (Raiders, Cowboys, Vikings, Dolphins, Steelers, Rams, etc.) and thrown into the mix, teams who had a near-even record or better THE PREVIOUS SEASON. What you wound up with was, for example, a late season game in 1981, between the 1 win Saints (who had gone 8-8 and narrowly missed the playoffs the previous season) and the Los Angeles Rams on Monday Night Football. Talk about a bad matchup and low ratings. Meanwhile, teams that "came out of nowhere" (the 1999 St. Louis Rams, the 1979 Buccaneers, etc. that are hell-bent for the playoffs) are locked out of primetime, and THOSE are the teams the public wants to see.

Dr. Bear gets it right, advertise fan favorites (Favre) early, then gear towards the "hot" teams as the season rolls along.

[harperdc]

I like the flex scheduling. The argument about "the fans being affected" is bulls--t because you're going to the game on the same day, and unless you're flying in and out on the same day then it shouldn't effect travel or when you get to the game. Game gets moved later? Sweet! Buy two thirty packs for the tailgater instead of one, we got a few more hours to kill until game time.

College games get moved mid-season, why can't the pro's, especially when it affects the NFL the most - getting more people interested in the games and getting the league more money. Money talks, and I'm surprised it took changing the TV deal for the NFL to make the move.

[Cyclopsis Joe]

These need to appeal to more than two mid-sized cities, and a Carolina-Houston blowout does not do that.

I dunno.. I sure would like to watch Houston beat Carolina by 30 points or more. I'd tune in.

Second.

[Luigi74]

According to you they dont but what about fans of the Browns they might care? A perfect example is Arizona Cardinals the only reason they were on MNF was because they have a new stadium to show off.

Monday Night Football now gets what would be the old sunday night game and vice versa, your going to see alot of teams like Arizona and Cleveland on MNF in the years to come.

[sacker12]

I can see why they went to the new scheduling format since they wanted to avoid one of the reasons that led to the decline of MNF on ABC, which was that season a few years back that had a lot of bad teams playing (Denver, Dallas, etc.).

[jkrdevil]

I can see why they went to the new scheduling format since they wanted to avoid one of the reasons that led to the decline of MNF on ABC, which was that season a few years back that had a lot of bad teams playing (Denver, Dallas, etc.).

Denver?? What season was that? Outside of the season after their second Super Bowl with Brian Griese as QB as a rookie the Broncos have pretty much been in the playoff hunt each year.

[WJMorris3]

You know, I've always wanted to see every team get at least one primetime appearance, but also say to put a team on primetime no more than five times.

The way I see it, there are now 41 prime-time football games, given the 17 NBC games, 16 ESPN games, and 8 NFL Network games. I would not be opposed to the idea of each team getting one appearance on prime-time. That still figures there to be 50 places to give other teams additional prime time games.

[Guest]

You know, I've always wanted to see every team get at least one primetime appearance, but also say to put a team on primetime no more than five times.

The way I see it, there are now 41 prime-time football games, given the 17 NBC games, 16 ESPN games, and 8 NFL Network games. I would not be opposed to the idea of each team getting one appearance on prime-time. That still figures there to be 50 places to give other teams additional prime time games.

Don't you get it? Why do the Browns deserve a national game more than the Bears, or Patriots, or other teams that are contenders?

[WJMorris3]

Don't you get it? Why do the Browns deserve a national game more than the Bears, or Patriots, or other teams that are contenders?

That's why the contenders would be appearing 3, 4, maybe even 5 times whereas teams like the Browns, Texans, or Lions would only get 1. I figure that having a team like the Browns on just once a year is not necessarily a bad thing. Like I said, there are still 50 spots to give a team multiples from.

In any case, can I point out that Denver should not be going five weeks between non-primetime appearances? They had Sunday night, then a bye, then Monday night, then Sunday night. That's a bit of overkill.

[Guest]

The primetime games are supposed to showcase the best teams in the league, or failing that, a really popular team that America will watch. Stop trying to be fair.

[VandyDelphia Mike]

Is it too early to speculate that Eagles at Colts the Sunday after Turkey Day will get moved to the Sunday night slot?

P.Manning versus McNabb - how can you pass that up?

A losing record for the Eagles would be one way.

NBC has decided to go with Eagles @ Colts on 11/26.

[rainmaker17]

Colts @ Cowboys has moved from noon to 3:15. As someone who's going to the game I'm pleased. The afternoon games are much more enjoyable to me, more time to park, tailgate etc.

[Nick 1733]

Don't you get it? Why do the Browns deserve a national game more than the Bears, or Patriots, or other teams that are contenders?

That's why the contenders would be appearing 3, 4, maybe even 5 times whereas teams like the Browns, Texans, or Lions would only get 1. I figure that having a team like the Browns on just once a year is not necessarily a bad thing. Like I said, there are still 50 spots to give a team multiples from.

In any case, can I point out that Denver should not be going five weeks between non-primetime appearances? They had Sunday night, then a bye, then Monday night, then Sunday night. That's a bit of overkill.

Well, Denver has two more primetime games (vs San Diego, @ Kansas City), with a possibility of three more being moved to primetime (vs Seattle, vs Cincinnati, @ San Diego). So this really could get interesting.

[Avenger]

Say what you want, but Denver is in an exciting race in the AFC West, has a rabid fanbase that watches games religiously, is involved in two of the more storied NFL rivalries, and represents an entire timezone. I promise that it'll get solid ratings everytime they're on. Not that I think the Broncos deserve more primetime games than any other team, but I do understand the business sense behind featuring them on a lot of primetime games. They draw well.

[whitedawg22]

Primetime games should involve only top teams. Most of the fans bitching that the Browns, Texans, or whoever else aren't on primetime TV live in the local viewing areas for those teams. They see them every week no matter what. But since I don't care about either of those teams, I would much rather watch a Bears-Giants team that features two GOOD teams that I don't care about rather than a Browns game featuring two bad teams that I don't care about.

Hosting a primetime game isn't so much a badge of honor as it is a chance for the NFL to nationally televise a good game. Why would the NFL want to nationally televise a bad game over a good game?