"The NFL announced Monday that [the} second game [for the New Orleans Saints] - which was supposed to be their home opener against the New York Giants - will be on Monday, Sept. 19, at Giants Stadium.
"The game will begin at 7:30 EDT on ABC, then be switched to ESPN at 9 p.m., when ABC goes to the regularly scheduled game between Washington and Dallas in Irving, Texas. In New York and Louisiana, as well as other parts of the Gulf Coast, ABC will continue to carry the Giants-Saints game, switching to Redskins-Cowboys when the Saints game ends."
Yeah, I know it's only football, but this is dumb on SO many levels:
1) The Saints are practicing in San Antonio. Couldn't they play at a college stadium in Texas, northern Alabama, northern Mississippi, Tennessee, or Florida? If there was concern about beating up the field, they could play when the college team was on the road. At least some of the Saints' fans might be able to attend the event if the game were in the region. Not to mention that the team will have to otherwise offer refunds to those unable or unwilling to attend.
2) The time suits almost no one. I figure they picked 7:30 because it’s the time when World News Tonight is over in New York City. The schedule will mean that those people without cable will see only the first part of the Saints-Giants game, that those people who live in New York and Louisiana who are Washington or Dallas fans will miss the first half of that game, and that I’m going to miss JEOPARDY! (unless the local affiliate pushes back the shows a day and show the Friday show on Saturday).
***
Oh, I just read in TV Guide that former NFL quarterback Gary Hogeboom - love that name - will be one of the participants on the CBS show Survivor: Guatemala starting on September 15. If I were watching the show, I’d be torn. On one hand, at 47, he’s the second-oldest player, and I have an affinity for the aging participants. On the other hand, he played six years for the @#$%&*! Dallas Cowboys, the team I love to hate. Maybe I’ll just root for Lydia, the 42-year old fishmonger, the oldest woman in the competition. My sign is Pisces, so I can relate. Strange thing is that I actually WATCH Survivor only sporadically, but I have managed to develop rooting interests most seasons nevertheless.
5 comments:
Just came across your site today. And not much of a football fan, but I have to say that schedule looks whacky to me, too.
I really feel sorry for those players. Not only do they have to deal with the loss of their home and possessions, now they have to play a game for their job that they probably don't have the heart to play right now.
And I also sympathize with the Jeopardy plight. I hate missing!
They wanted to play it in Baton Rouge, but the stadium there is being used. Why they can't play it on the Saturday I don't know - the actual Monday Night game will be watched by no one outside of Washington and Dallas, since the Saints are now America's sentimental favorites. I just hope the Saints win that game because of the Giants getting an extra home game this season.
Greg- I believe they can't play on Saturday because of MLS (soccer). The Giants practice in Albany for weeks during the summer; don't know if the Saints will beat them, but they are definitely beatable.
So, are they going to build a new dome for a city that, I think, will lose 20-30% of its population permanently, and will have more immediate needs?
Tom Benson has been threatening to move the team for a few years. I know he'd look like a total jerk if he did it now, but this appears to be a perfect opportunity. Can anyone say Los Angeles Saints? They could even keep the name, what with the whole City of Angels thing.
Well, it IS the City of Angels, so Angels to Saints isn't such a stretch. It's better than the Utah Jazz or the LA Lakers.
And it IS strange that the second largest city in the country lacks an NFL team.
But moving the Saints out of NOLA could be a PR nightmare.
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