Schefter: League considers more Sunday night playoff games

[deroc5050]

for us in Europe it is simply a disaster...

i love 1 pm games...

Yeah I never really took other countries into consideration. That must suck but you can always DVR it.

 

[jmt57]

It actually makes sense, on the Sunday before MLK day.

Hmm, I don't know if that's a valid reason. Government entities and financial markets are closed, but most businesses are open. The majority of the nation's employees still have to get up and go to work on Monday.

 

[Uncle Rico]

Well, maybe now that it worked out in the Patriots' favor — and Saint Tomlin's objections have been well publicized — they'll say "never mind."

 

[Crononaut]

A bit OT but regarding the advantage/disadvantage teams get from playing on different days, why not just have Saturday be AFC day and Sunday be NFC day (or vice versa)?

The only time someone would have a full day advantage would be for the Super Bowl, but they'd have two weeks so it's not nearly as important.

And you could always have the championship games on the same day, but that would definitely go against the ratings-hungry league.

 

[fightingirish595]

They are doing it to help viewership. They didn't need to in the past because they didn't have a ratings problem.

 

[Sfpat]

I don't think people understand how dangerous ice is.. we are not talking about 4-6 inches of snow. ICE. With that said if this draws huge ratings why wouldn't the NFL move the time slot. Its really not much of an issue. They lose 6-8 hours of healing time. They don't implement the game plan until Wednesday, I don't think its a big issue. Especially considering and suprisingly the AFC C is the night game on Sunday.

So they schedule the game at night when people have to drive to/from the game in the dark on icy roads. Makes sense

 

[AzorianPats]

They are doing it to help viewership. They didn't need to in the past because they didn't have a ratings problem.

This 10000 x.

Older I get, more I hate these 8PM games. 1 and 4pm games for me.

 

[fightingirish595]

This 10000 x.

Older I get, more I hate these 8PM games. 1 and 4pm games for me.

I eat big Sunday dinners. I was about to pass out at halftime. 8pm Saturday days are okay. But Sunday night game in the playoffs don't feel right, unless they are starting at 630. The idea of waiting till about 5 on wildcard and divisional week just doesn't sit well with me. But if doing it is what's best for ratings, I can't blame the nfl

 

[AzorianPats]

I eat big Sunday dinners. I was about to pass out at halftime. 8pm Saturday days are okay. But Sunday night game in the playoffs don't feel right, unless they are starting at 630. The idea of waiting till about 5 on wildcard and divisional week just doesn't sit well with me. But if doing it is what's best for ratings, I can't blame the nfl

If anything. They should put the game on at 7. I can live with that. 830 start times are brutal.

 

[fightingirish595]

If anything. They should put the game on at 7. I can live with that. 830 start times are brutal.

Yeah something like the starting times for championship Sunday aren't bad

 

[PScottman]

I don't think people understand how dangerous ice is

Is anyone here bemoaning the decision based on the ice or the follow-up message that indicates ice wasn't the entire reason the NFL made the swap?? We make a lot of jokes about the "player safety" meme the league touts in their propaganda, but in this case I think if the decision was made on the weather - it was the absolute right one.

However, if it was, even tangentially, about ratings and payola, then the league is wearing their typical two-faced asshat headwear for the entire world to see.

And they wonder why ratings were down this year.

 

[wizwor]

Four reasons for the apparent ratings success of the Sunday's game...

1. It was a good match up -- lots of stories, very competitive
2. It was a good game -- FGs topping TDs and a failed conversion
3. It followed a good game -- 50 YO rematch that lived up to expectations
4. Monday was a holiday

If the Dallas/GB match up did not hold viewers until the start of this game, if this game was decided by half time, if people had to work Monday, this game would not have been a success. I was not waiting to see who the Pats would play.

If the NFL wants to have meaningful games all day long -- especially if they want games in Europe -- they need to arrange the teams by time zone: a western conference, an eastern conference, and a European conference. This would have most games played when most people want to see them -- Prime Time.

I think there would be resistance to this -- no more Washington vs Dallas, for instance -- but a Northeast Division that included the Giants and Jets would be OK with me.

 

[Username]

Hell no.

If they truly want to go global they can't have the games on so late. Staying awake till 4.30am damn near killed me on Saturday/Sunday.

 

[deroc5050]

So they schedule the game at night when people have to drive to/from the game in the dark on icy roads. Makes sense

According to the weather it warmed up even as the sun went down.

 

[fourhour]

Waiting all day for our Saturday night game was no joy either. I wake early and retire early now, but I made the entire game. Not so last night!

 

[aluminum seats]

Considering the fact that the ratings were strong last night, "league considers more Sunday night playoff games" actually means "you will never see a 1 pm EST kickoff in the playoffs again for the rest of your lives."

 

[Jackson 2]

Considering the fact that the ratings were strong last night, "league considers more Sunday night playoff games" actually means "you will never see a 1 pm EST kickoff in the playoffs again for the rest of your lives."

It won't be long before you never see another regular season game kicking off at 1:00 pm.

 

[Kontradiction]

This reeks of desperation.