Lori Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 Anyone catch this? Of course, the Bills are probably a longshot to play their way into primetime next season. (Then again, based on their recent night-game history, that's not necessarily a bad thing...) NFL TO IMPLEMENT “FLEXIBLE SCHEDULING” DURING SEVEN OF FINAL EIGHT SUNDAYS OF 2006 SEASON; ALLOWS TEAMS TO PLAY THEIR WAY ONTO NBC SUNDAY NIGHT SCHEDULE The NFL this season will implement for the first time in its history a primetime “flexible scheduling” element on Sundays in Weeks 10-15 and in Week 17. Flexible scheduling will ensure quality matchups on Sunday night in those weeks and give surprise teams a chance to play their way onto primetime. The 2006 NFL schedule will list start times for all Sunday games during the “flex” weeks as 1:00 PM ET, except for games played in the Mountain or Pacific Time zones, which will be listed at 4:05 PM ET or 4:15 PM ET. The NBC Sunday night time slot for “flex” weeks will list teams as “TBD.” Only Sunday afternoon games are eligible to be moved. Flexible scheduling will not be applied to games airing on Thursday, Saturday or Monday nights. Just as the six major college football conferences have done for many years, the NFL now will have additional flexibility to move the start times of games on Sundays, using a 12-day notice format. For example, a game scheduled for Sunday, November 26 could move from a 1:00 PM ET kickoff to an 8:15 PM start, but the change would be made and announced no later than Tuesday, November 14. The NFL has commonly moved games between 1:00 PM ET and 4:15 PM ET (eight times last season) on Sunday afternoons. The new practice allows the NFL to employ flexible scheduling to include one of its primetime package of games – on Sunday evenings. Sunday afternoon games, as in the past, can still be moved between 1:00 and 4:05 or 4:15 PM ET. In Week 17, in order to ensure a Sunday night game with playoff implications, the decision to move the start time may be made on six days notice. CBS and FOX will each be able to protect a total of five games in the seven weeks of flexible scheduling, but not more than one game in any week. During the 2005 regular season, the NFL conducted a study with mock flexible scheduling. An eight-person task force consisting of team executives, one from each division, was consulted on a weekly basis. In addition, television network partners and the NFL’s broadcasting department participated weekly in the process. “NFL Flexible Scheduling 101” • Begins Sunday, November 12, 2006 (Week 10) • In effect Weeks 10-15 and Week 17. • Not in effect Week 16 due to holiday weekend. • Only Sunday afternoon games in Weeks 10-15 and 17 are subject to being moved into the Sunday night window. • The majority of games on Sundays will be listed at 1:00 PM ET during flex weeks except for games played in Pacific or Mountain Time zones which will be listed at 4:05 or 4:15 PM ET. • No impact on Thursday, Saturday or Monday night games. • The NFL will decide (after consultation with CBS, FOX, NBC) and announce on 12 days notice the game being moved to 8:15 p.m. ET and may also announce games moving to 4:15 p.m. ET. • Week 17 start time changes could be decided on 6 days notice to ensure a game with playoff implications. • The NBC Sunday night time slot in “flex” weeks will list teams as “TBD.” • Fans and ticket holders must be aware that NFL games in flex weeks are subject to change 12 days in advance (6 days in Week 17) and should plan accordingly. • NFL schedules all games. • CBS and FOX each get to protect a total of 5 games in the 7 weeks of flexible scheduling, but not more than one game in any week. • Teams will be informed as soon as they are no longer under consideration or eligible for a move to Sunday night. (Edit: added link to the NFL.com story...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IDBillzFan Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 Absolutely a terrific move on behalf of the NFL. Personally, I don't care who's playing on primetime because I'll watch it anyway, but this is a very good move to increase viewers and exposure of the game and really let the surprise teams get some airtime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cantankerous Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 Finally! No more games that aren't even worth watching. Thank you NFL for waking up and smelling the beans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori Posted April 6, 2006 Author Share Posted April 6, 2006 Absolutely a terrific move on behalf of the NFL. Personally, I don't care who's playing on primetime because I'll watch it anyway, but this is a very good move to increase viewers and exposure of the game and really let the surprise teams get some airtime. 653580[/snapback] Valid point. But I'd hate to be the one trying to change travel plans on 12 - or 6, in week 17 - days' notice, especially during the holiday season... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AKC Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 Talk about taking the long road to the obvious destination... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rubes Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 At least we'll finally get some national airtime at the end of the season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IDBillzFan Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 Valid point. But I'd hate to be the one trying to change travel plans on 12 - or 6, in week 17 - days' notice, especially during the holiday season... 653583[/snapback] Good point. But unless I'm reading this wrong, they're sticking to the schedule...they're just changing the time of the day they would play. So if you're scheduled to be in Miami Wednesday for the 4 p.m. a.m. game on Sunday, and they decide to make you the 8:30 p.m. game, you're already there. The only people scrambling would be the TV crews, and they'll figure it out. Unless I'm reading it wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori Posted April 6, 2006 Author Share Posted April 6, 2006 Good point. But unless I'm reading this wrong, they're sticking to the schedule...they're just changing the time of the day they would play. So if you're scheduled to be in Miami Wednesday for the 4 p.m. game on Sunday, and they decide to make you the 8:30 p.m. game, you're already there. The only people scrambling would be the TV crews, and they'll figure it out. Unless I'm reading it wrong. 653659[/snapback] I'm thinking of the people who don't stay overnight after a typical Sunday 1:00 game, whether it's due to a long drive home or an evening flight. If the game moves to Sunday night two weeks before kickoff, some of them might be S.O.L. finding a hotel room or rebooking a flight. Overall, though, I agree the idea is long overdue... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UConn James Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 I'm thinking of the people who don't stay overnight after a typical Sunday 1:00 game, whether it's due to a long drive home or an evening flight. If the game moves to Sunday night two weeks before kickoff, some of them might be S.O.L. finding a hotel room or rebooking a flight. Overall, though, I agree the idea is long overdue... 653722[/snapback] Maybe they'll hire George Costanza as Assistant to the Traveling Secretary. I'm sure they have people who take care of that, and many teams charter their flights and book hotels. Might be a logistical problem but it's the NFL and I'd think they'll come up with some kind of strategem. Not exactly a 'Bob and Sons' enterprise, don't you know.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori Posted April 6, 2006 Author Share Posted April 6, 2006 Maybe they'll hire George Costanza as Assistant to the Traveling Secretary. I'm sure they have people who take care of that, and many teams charter their flights and book hotels. Might be a logistical problem but it's the NFL and I'd think they'll come up with some kind of strategem. Not exactly a 'Bob and Sons' enterprise, don't you know.... 653726[/snapback] What the $&!* made you think I'm talking about the teams involved? I'm talking about the FANS. You know, the ones who plan road trips to watch their favorite teams months in advance? And no, they don't have "people who take care of that." Thanks for your input anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UConn James Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 What the $&!* made you think I'm talking about the teams involved? I'm talking about the FANS. You know, the ones who plan road trips to watch their favorite teams months in advance? And no, they don't have "people who take care of that." Thanks for your input anyway. 653739[/snapback] That'll teach me not to post while drinking.... Mea culpa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfladave Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 Finally! No more games that aren't even worth watching. Thank you NFL for waking up and smelling the beans. 653581[/snapback] This will help alleviate that problem, but it will not cure the networks infatuation with large market or favorite teams. Regardless of how well teams are doing we will still have a schedule loaded with Dallas, NYG, NE, GB etc... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori Posted April 6, 2006 Author Share Posted April 6, 2006 That'll teach me not to post while drinking.... Mea culpa. 653742[/snapback] Yeah, well, in the light of morning, I could've been less snarky as well. Toss me one of those culpas while you're at it, and Go Bills. Striving to bring peace and love to TSW (or creating chaos, depending on my mood at the time), Lori Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UConn James Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 Yeah, well, in the light of morning, I could've been less snarky as well. Toss me one of those culpas while you're at it, and Go Bills. Striving to bring peace and love to TSW (or creating chaos, depending on my mood at the time), Lori 653800[/snapback] No need to apologize, the snarking was deserved. The St. Pauli Girl said so too. In the clearness of sobriety, I'll agree that the changing of the gametimes do create quite a burden on fans from out of town. If it's originally a 1 p.m. game and gets changed to 8:15 p.m., that puts the kibosh on someone being able to get to work on Monday morning, not to mention lodging and plane tickets --- 12 days is kind of short notice for either changing accomodations or selling the tickets. Another case of the NFL getting more and more geared toward the white-collar fan and not thinking about people who actually have to budget their time and money. An extension of the ethos behind the CBA. I guess they rationalize that the plebians are just watching on teevee anyway --- but, for those of us who do, it will be good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuckincincy Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 Are the teams originally scheduled for the night game, more or less getting official notice from the NFL that "You guys stink!"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Realist Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 Are the teams originally scheduled for the night game, more or less getting official notice from the NFL that "You guys stink!"? 653900[/snapback] That's what I was thinking at first, but it looks like they are not even scheduling teams for the primetime game. The teams will be 'TBD'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuckincincy Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 That's what I was thinking at first, but it looks like they are not even scheduling teams for the primetime game. The teams will be 'TBD'. 653938[/snapback] Ah, I see. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apuszczalowski Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 So what they are saying is we aree going be watching alot of Patriots or Cowboys games on primetime during the last couple weeks of the season. They probably weren't getting enough love and respect before so they need the extra exposure Atleast you know you won't have to sit through any Cardinals vs. 49ers Sunday night games, or see Buffalo in any of those spots (which is good cause for some reason we can never look good in primetime games Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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