Pats/Bills moved to 4:25

[Kdo5]

I love this idea by the NFL. Wk 17 used to be when teams sat their QBs/starters if they were heading to the playoffs. Now the NFL is trying to make stuff like that that more difficult on coaches. No free rides.

For example, they moved it so that NE and Den both play at the same time. Neither team will know the who is getting the #1 seed; so they both need to go out and play tough for it, just in case.

Interesting, I didn't really think about it like that. I think it is a great idea though.

 

[SVN]

is ravens/bengals game a 1 ?

 

[102 Pat]

I love the 5:30pm kickoff (I'm in the Atlantic time zone) as I find that there are always more games on at 2pm so I can watch them which doesn't happen when the Pats are on at 2pm.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Oh, they care about HFA.

I would note that they will now be almost forced to have Manning play and add to his stat totals and further tire his arm.

You forgot the most important part, from the Patriots' perspective.

 

[everlong]

They should have moved the Chargers game to early as well. I know a west coast 10AM game sucks a bit but to be fair to the Fins (especially), Ravens, Chargers and Steelers they should all play at the same time. If Baltimore and Miami win the Chargers have nothing to play for. They lose and the Ravens are in and Miami gets screwed. Hopefully the Bengals take knocking out their division rivals seriously. I'd love the rat-birds to miss the playoffs.

 

[upstater1]

They should have moved the Chargers game to early as well. I know a west coast 10AM game sucks a bit but to be fair to the Fins (especially), Ravens, Chargers and Steelers they should all play at the same time. If Baltimore and Miami win the Chargers have nothing to play for. They lose and the Ravens are in and Miami gets screwed. Hopefully the Bengals take knocking out their division rivals seriously. I'd love the rat-birds to miss the playoffs.

You're automatically assuming the Patriots beat the Bills here, no? Cincy wins and that has bye implications for the Patriots.

 

[everlong]

You're automatically assuming the Patriots beat the Bills here, no? Cincy wins and that has bye implications for the Patriots.

The Bengals certainly have the bye to play for but I think they probably have to feel it's unlikely which may affect them. I still think the Chargers should play at the same time as the others.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

I love the 5:30pm kickoff (I'm in the Atlantic time zone) as I find that there are always more games on at 2pm so I can watch them which doesn't happen when the Pats are on at 2pm.

Stay away from this Forum and the game thread because we EST zoners get the results an hour before you do

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

This, potentially, is an advantage for the Patriots. It's not likely to happen but if it does it actually could be a big deal for such an injured team. Consider:
1) Ravens beating the Bengals? Definitely possible.
2) Jaguars have been playing better lately, chance of beating Indy? Possible
3) Denver walloping the Raiders by halftime? Likely.

All 3 of those happen and the Patriots game becomes meaningless in the third quarter. This game then becomes one where some starters play only half way into the third -- then get the rest of day off.
I'll pray for a power outage and some other type dead clock eating delays because IF the first two factors happen (assuming a win over the Bills), it is an advantage to find as early in the Bills' game as possible that the Broncos are destroying the Raiders/going to win.

 

[Patsrock]

We're talking hundreds of dollars if you're traveling to the game, and there are some things that you just can't change.

My point is when buying tickets for last week, you should plan for it to possibly be moved to 8:25pm. That is all I am saying.

 

[Kjmass1]

Wasn't it Cassel's season where we needed the Jets to beat Miami on the last Sunday but because they played after us in the day they mailed it in?

 

[Va_Pats_Fan]

I love the 5:30pm kickoff (I'm in the Atlantic time zone) as I find that there are always more games on at 2pm so I can watch them which doesn't happen when the Pats are on at 2pm.

Move to NFLD, you can get the game even later

Winter's starting early there I hear. My father is staying with me in VA for the winter (His home is in Hampton NB). He likes getting FB updates from my sis, its -20, and we got 30 cm of snow..he responds, it 10 here!!

(thats all metric for you non canucks )

 

[jmt57]

The official reason that the NFL uses for shifting week 17 games is "in order to ensure a Sunday night game with playoff implications, (with) the decision to move the start time may be made on six days notice".

Technically the league can say that the games they decided to move impact not only the number one and two seeds, but also Cincinnati and Indianapolis (who will be Buffalo fans for one day) for the number three and four seed.


For the real reason for the selection of which games play when can be found in the way the networks and the league markets games. It's not "Team X takes on Team Y", it is always "(name of star player) and the (name of team) face (name of opposing star player) and (name of opponent)" in a battle of division/conference/geographic region (adjective) clubs", or something similar.

Who are the conference, if not leagues two most marketable players?

Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.

Guess which teams are playing late?


One other reason why CBS wants to hype these two games: as it looks right now, neither the Broncos nor Patriots will be playing in the first round of the playoffs. CBS knows this, so they're going to go to the well one more time while they have an opportunity to do so, since they (presumably) won't get that chance to do so the following week.

 

[Zeus]

The NFL says it is concerned that fans will increasingly choose to say home and watch games on their big screen TVs. In response, the league is looking for ways to "enhance the game day experience of the ticket holders."

Note to NFL owners: This is not an enhancement. It is an imposition. It is disrepectful. It is a lousy way to treat the paying customers you claim to care so much about.

As Deus pointed out above, the real priority is the television networks. This is about ratings and money, that's all.

Yeah, I know there's a possibility it may happen. That doesn't mean I have to like it.

 

[VrabelJr]

The NFL says it is concerned that fans will increasingly choose to say home and watch games on their big screen TVs. In response, the league is looking for ways to "enhance the game day experience of the ticket holders."

Note to NFL owners: This is not an enhancement. It is an imposition. It is disrepectful. It is a lousy way to treat the paying customers you claim to care so much about.

As Deus pointed out above, the real priority is the television networks. This is about ratings and money, that's all.

Yeah, I know there's a possibility it may happen. That doesn't mean I have to like it.

I fail to see the massive inconvenience. Is your bed time before 8pm?

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

Game 16 became in all cases division rival matchups to give each game a greater change of being meaningful,

thus helping to avoid, as much as possible, Colt-like disgraceful tank jobs.

Game times started getting moved to make it as likely as possible that teams were not assured of a certain playoff slot even before the game begins,

thus helping to avoid, as much as possible, Colt-like disgraceful tank jobs.

Lots of other fans talk about how camera-in-the-wrong-place-gate must have been trouble for the league to deal with.

The truth is, the Colts tanking games that put other teams into or out of the playoffs, and then tanking a whole season, has been the biggest threat to the integrity of the NFL in the modern era.

 

[Deus Irae]

My point is when buying tickets for last week, you should plan for it to possibly be moved to 8:25pm. That is all I am saying.

My point was that it screws the attendees and can cost them hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars in the process because not everything (i.e. plane tickets for fans flying in) is easily adjustable or without penalty. Your point is basically the same as the league's, which is "Yeah, we know. Tough ****.".

 

[pats4life12]

The NFL doing what ever they can just to make an extra buck.

 

[Zeus]

I fail to see the massive inconvenience. Is your bed time before 8pm?

Well, for one thing, it means that my son who is flying back to Chicago Sunday night can't go.

But thanks for being so dismissive of my opinion.

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

I feel bad for those inconvenienced, though it is not new and not secret knowledge that games, especially in the last week of the season, are regularly moved around.

We have both the almighty dollar and the tanking Colts to thank for this recent but well-known phenomenon.