Are you ready for some Football?!? (NFL)

[kenobi65]

Even if the teams had turned out to be playoff bound, that doesn't mean the game will always be interesting.

Indeed...but, too, often, the MNF game winds up being:
a) a game between two bad teams, and no one tunes in at all, or
b) a blowout, and they lose their audience in the second half.

 

[Gunslinger]

Well, at the beginning of the year, it probably looked like a good matchup. Most prognosticators had at least one of these two teams in the playoffs, and a lot of people picked Carolina to go to the Super Bowl.

I realize that, but it still doesn't excuse ESPN for giving the Raiders and Packers two Monday night appearances each. I don't think any sane prognosticator would expect either of those teams would provide a good matchup.

 

[kenobi65]

I realize that, but it still doesn't excuse ESPN for giving the Raiders and Packers two Monday night appearances each. I don't think any sane prognosticator would expect either of those teams would provide a good matchup.

Probably a couple of factors in there:

1) Each team is limited to, I think, three or five "national" appearances (Sunday night, Monday night, Thanksgiving, etc.)...given that, there's just no way you can get New England or the Giants on every single week. Even with their best efforts, not every Monday or Sunday night game is going to be between two good teams.

2) Oakland and Green Bay have among the more avid fan bases of NFL teams, and probably get a certain draw when they're on, regardless of how well or poorly they're doing. In the case of the Packers, they're probably also banking on a certain amount of interest in watching what may be Favre's final season (though they've been saying that for a couple of years now...)

(And this is coming from a diehard Packer fan.)

 

[Crothian]

Indeed...but, too, often, the MNF game winds up being:
a) a game between two bad teams, and no one tunes in at all, or
b) a blowout, and they lose their audience in the second half.

Well, the only solution is to play all the games on Saturday and just let the most exciting one be broadcast Monday Night. Otherwise, all people can do is schedule and hope.

 

[kenobi65]

Well, the only solution is to play all the games on Saturday and just let the most exciting one be broadcast Monday Night. Otherwise, all people can do is schedule and hope.

ABC, when they had MNF, had really wanted to be able to do what NBC is now being allowed to do with Sunday Night Football -- be able to swap out a late-season dog game for something more interesting. The NFL never bit on that idea (I suspect because moving a game by a full day is a bigger deal, and has a bigger impact on fans' and teams' travel plans), and that's a big reason why MNF is now on cable; while MNF used to be ratings gold for ABC, in recent seasons, they routinely got thrashed in the ratings.

Anyway, Sunday night, I was listening to the Packers post-game radio show on WTMJ out of Milwaukee...and the eternal optimism of some of my fellow Packer fans just astonishes me. One guy called in (keep in mind, this was before the Bears beat the Giants on Sunday night), and seriously wanted the host to evaluate the Pack's chances of catching the Bears in the NFC North.

 

[sydbar]

You also have to remember, Favre is the most entertaining player to watch in the NFL.

 

[Darth K'Trava]

I haven't read this thread at all, but a friend of mine (who is a Steelers fan) sent me this and I wanted to share the joy (I'm an Eagles fan):

Pittsburgh Steelers Practice Delayed

Pittsburgh (Pa) - Pittsburgh Steelers football practice was delayed nearly two hours today after a player reported finding an unknown white powdery substance on the practice field. Head Coach Bill Cowher immediately suspended practice while police and federal investigators were called to investigate. After a complete analysis, FBI forensic experts determined that the white substance unknown to the players was the goal line. Practice was resumed after special agents decided the team was unlikely to encounter the substance again.

And the player who discovered this? Ben Rothlesberger.

 

[Darth K'Trava]

This is such a boring game; ESPN picked some real stinkers for their monday night lineup.

It'd have been more interesting had the teams (yes, I'm REALLy looking at you, Carolina!!) had actually shown up to PLAY. Not just show up and fake it. I may be a Panthers fan but I think they shoulda lost that game. They were playing VERY STINKY!! Keep playing like that and the playoffs will be nothing but a wet dream to them. They've gotta play better than that. I'm sure high schoolers can play better than their offense played.

But I do thank God (and several other deities) that they didn't get TO like Dallas stupidly got. He may be a good player but he's gotta GROW THE EFF UP!!! And act like he should belong with a team rather than a "IT'S ALL ABOUT ME!!!" and be more about what he should do for the TEAM.

 

[Crothian]

Steelers are just taking this 2006 season off. They earned it.

 

[Aurora]

Steelers are just taking this 2006 season off. They earned it.

Hmmmmm.........sure, we'll go with that.