Week 1 NFL running thread

For Fox and CBS, 4 p.m. Sunday IS prime time as far as the NFL goes. That slot is their national game broadcast slot. They pay the big bucks, too. I like the Week One front loading. Gets the year off to a flying start. Hell on survivor pools, though.

 

Home field advantage is a myth at the UFO formerly known as Cowboys Stadium. Dallas is barely above .500 at home since the place opened.

 

Just for sake of discussion, CBS doesn't and never has doubleheader for Week 1 because of the U.S. Open.

 

I've never understood this. You're assuming most of the fan base is as dedicated as you are, but that's not true. Their lifeblood is the casual fan who gets interested. And the first week of September is not the time those folks are typically going to be that interested; you need big games especially in those afternoon slots. When the weather turns cold and everybody is still alive in the playoff race, that's when you have the captive audience.

 

I don't know... I know the Packer and 49ers are playing for the second year in a row and third time in five years (not counting the playoffs), but there are a handful of non-division games that you know are going to be huge. I get your point, but I don't want to see this game in Week 1. I want to see it in week 10 when both teams appear headed for the playoffs.

 

What if one team shits the bed the first few weeks and/or its star (Rodgers/Kaepernick) is injured?

There are no guarantees on intriguing matchups in Week 10 and beyond ... thus, we have flex scheduling. I don't have an issue with giving away a great matchup to open the season.

 

Mizzou, Packers-49ers (and in Week 2, 49ers-Seahawks) have benefited from months of anticipation, which has meant people actually planning where they are going to be for that game. If it's 49ers-Titans, I bet you'd see a local ratings drop of at least 25 percent.

It's all about getting people back in the Sunday habit. The quicker the better.

 

I have less of a problem with the second game being Seahawaks-49ers, because there is another one...

Oh well... I'm just glad the regular season is starting...

 

The other half of the scheduling equation: Divisional games in last week of season.

 

I would even go as far as to say each team's last three games should be against divisional opponents.

 

Saints vs. Dirty Birds, Section 623, Row 21. I'm there, baby. Win or lose, it's off to the French Quarter restaurant where my cousin is a bartender and we'll likely meet my sister and her husband. Sweet!