DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Regular Season Schedule will not be announced until week of April 12

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/category/rumor-mill/

League decides not to give sneak peek of regular-season schedule

Posted by Mike Florio on April 1, 2010 12:52 PM ET

Well, it's official. There will be no partial lifting of the sheet on the 2010 regular-season schedule.

According to Gary Myers of the New York Daily News (via SportsBusiness Daily), the league has decided to announce all of the games at once.

Per Myers, the announcement is expected to come the week of April 12. (Ryan Cardinal of Vikings.com recently noticed that ESPN2 is scheduled to televised an NFL schedule-release special on April 13 at 7:00 p.m. ET.) But if the schedule isn't finalized, Myers says it will be released in the days preceding the April 22 draft.

It's still unclear why the league wasn't able to announce the schedule in conjunction with last week's league meetings. Some have speculated that the uncertain status of Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb prompted the league to fiddle with the final slate of games.

Yeah, lets make their schedule as favorable as possible.


Probably more in line with those teams possibly having early MNF match-ups and the network asked if they could get a better match since some of the key players may be missing.


I think all owners are given a tentative schedule which they can appeal to the league.

If they have legit reasons why a change should be made, the league looks in to the matter to see what can be done.

Sounds like more than a couple of owners brought up some scheduling conflicts or perceived inequities.


But then again, I don't recall schedules being released much before the dates mentioned.

I doubt its the owners. It is more than likely the Networks and the almighty dollar.

I hope we don't open at home since I believe this to be the curse of our poor records since our return. Think about it, we've lost almost every one, and we've sucked since we've come back.

I think it has something to do with the Commish wanting to schedule more divisional games the final 2 weeks of the season to keep folks from resting starters going into the playoffs.

That was something he brought up at the meetings and it wasn't really announced or talked about prior to that, so it may have messed with the scheduling.

Does it come out today?

want to decide on a road trip to either miami (the keys on dec?) tampa, jacksonville (dump) or new orleans (butt kicked)

its killing me, i sure hope it comes out soon

The NFL is such a juggernaut, I'm surprised they don't wait til halfway between the draft and opening day to release it. Or at least halfway between the draft and opeing of camp.

And, of course, have a huge primetime special to announce it and point out the highlight games.

I am hoping for week back to back home games to start the season ... Cleveland here I come

I'm hoping the opener is AWAY . . .

^ +1

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/04/12/regular-season-schedule-coming-later-this-week/

Regular-season schedule coming later this week

Posted by Mike Florio
April 12, 2010 11:19 AM ET

With the various Steelers items that have popped onto the radar screen of late, we've forgotten that the 2010 regular-season schedule has yet to be announced.

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello tells us that it's possibly coming later this week or early next week.

A source with knowledge of the situation tells us that it'll be coming later this week.

So there you have it. Spend the day or two finishing up your tax forms and then get ready to read over something much more interesting -- the official 2010 regular-season slate of games.

I saw it was to be tonight at 7PM.....so where is it???

I agree with you Peen, something smells rotten in Denmark...

the topic on local sports talk is Ben's suspension:
I think it's gonna be 4 games..3&4 of preseason & 1st two weeks of season.
Was just thinking of schedule coming home from buddies house a little while ago.
remembering that the Sun/Mon nite games were announced like Monday nite or Tues. morning & rest was like on Wed orThursday.
Bet they had Steelers on prime time 1st two weeks...and now are redoing schedule.
I know the Jets or Giants have 1st Monday nite, the other gets Sunday day game if I remember right....new stadium.
maybe they had jets/steelers

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/04/14/source-schedule-coming-tuesday-at-700-pm-et/

Source: Schedule coming Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. ET

Posted by Mike Florio
April 14, 2010 1:24 PM ET

Earlier this week, NFL spokesman Greg Aiello told us on Monday that the 2010 regular-season schedule will be released later this week or early next week. At the time, we were separately told that the sheet would be removed later this week.

But here's the apparent problem. If it's released on Friday, the schedule disappears into the weekend news cycle. And even if it's released on Thursday night, it still doesn't get as much notice as it would if released earlier in the work week.

Apparently, then, the league decided to bump it by a few days. We're now told that the schedule will be released on Tuesday, April 20, at 7:00 p.m. ET.

The problem with this approach is that the schedule release will interfere with the pre-draft buildup. So at a time when the league should be hyping the first prime time draft in NFL history, we'll all be paying attention to the details of specifically when the 256 regular-season games will be played.

How would it interfere with the pre-draft buildup? It's a schedule. We already know each team we're playing, just not the order. Make no mistake, the draft the is main event next week. Even on a slow news week, the NFL regular season schedule announcement would garner next to nothing.

I know, I know...people are geeked to find out when the games are to start planning trips. But that's only for people wanting to travel. Your average NFL fan will watch on TV or go to their local stadium. Ho hum.

I still think that they are waiting to see if Ben will be suspended the first few games; they probably had the Steelers penciled in to play a primetime game (possibly even against New Orleans on opening night)

So...in your conspriacy theory, the league is postponing their own annoucement to wait for itself to decide how long to suspend their star QB. Wouldn't they know already?

If they were trying to get Ben and the Steelers in primetime, just schedule them after week 4 to be safe.

Man.....conspiracy after conspiracy.

i don't buy many conspiracy theories, but this one might have some legs because of the legit nature of it.

Pitt @ NO was the leader in the clubhouse for the Opening TH night game.

Goodell might not have decided if he is going to suspend Ben and that opening night game has become a big deal to the NFL. Plus, the Rooney's may be pleading behind closed doors for him to at least meet with Ben and consider all arguments before suspending him (they have as much pull as any ownership group in the league afterall).

still a conspiracy theory and probably not true, but I can at least see the rationale behind it.

--------------------------------------------------

why Pitt is the likely opponent for NO in the 1st game?

http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5...mp;confirm=true
here is a list of their home opponents:
Atlanta, Carolina, Tampa Bay, St. Louis, Seattle, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Minnesota

NFL likes to keep divisional rivalries separate. Also, the Vikings and Saints will likely both be top NFC contenders and that would warrant a later season meeting (in November most likely as the NE v. Indy games have been fixtures in).

That only leaves CLE, SEA, and STL. Not exactly primetime material for the opening game.

As if we needed further proof that the NFL is all about $$$$$.

I mean, are there that many people who WILL pay attention to the schedule release just because it's released on a Tuesday and not interfering with the weekend news cycle? Are there that many casual fans that will now start spending bucks on the NFL just because the release of the schedule is on a slow news night?

C'mon. The people who care right now about the schedule are the diehards and/or people who would care no matter what day it came out.

I'm not a conspiracy guy either, but looking at the matchups of the possible opening game, I had to believe that Pitt was the only "real" option. So, I have to argue that the league is buying itself a little more time to figure something out here.

Mostly J/C... (using you as my starting point)

Not calling it a conspiracy, but I think you are right about the NFL having to rework the schedule for Bad Ben's suspension. And from the NFL's perspective, it makes perfect sense.

Of the home opponents for New Orleans, Pittsburgh, Minnesota, then a huge drop-off to Carolina/Atlanta seem like the best marquee matchups (and PIT @NOR week 1 should be something we Browns are hoping for). But if Ben is suspended, the game is no longer top choice because of the last 2 SB champs facing off storyline. Ben's conspicuous absence and the reasons for said absence become a top 2 storyline (after defending champ New Orleans! post-Katrina).

So the last thing the shield-protecting NFL wants is to have Ben's misbehavior being a major storyline in week 1, primetime, opening night, blah, blah, blah. And I can't say I blame them.

So that means PIT @NO moves to sometime later in the season (even if it's week 2, that shuffles the deck for the NFL). So the schedule needs revised and once the revision is done, the networks get their say in the tweaking. And teams can challenge any newly created anti-competitive situations.

So long ramble short. The NFL is not worried about putting PIT at a disadvantage (although we know they generally bend over backwards for the Rooney's ), it is worried about Ben's suspension leaving a pall over the premier game of the year. And at the end of the day, New Orleans will open against Minnesota as that is the most appealing remaining matchup (at least we don't have to worry about being that lamb). And this may make the odds of us getting a matchup with Pitt sans Ben even better..

If a division team doesn't play Pitt during suspension time, then release your conspiracy theories... I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin'.

Here is my 100% uninformed prediction of our 2010 schedule.

Week 1 - at Buccaneers
Week 2 - vs Chiefs
Week 3 - at Bengals
Week 4 - at Dolphins
Week 5 - vs Ravens
Week 6 - bye
Week 7 - at Saints
Week 8 - vs Steelers
Week 9 - vs Jets
Week 10 - at Jaguars
Week 11 - vs Falcons
Week 12 - vs Patriots
Week 13 - at Bills
Week 14 - vs Bengals
Week 15 - at Ravens
Week 16 - vs Panthers
Week 17 - at Steelers

No prime time games.

Ben gets 2 game suspension and here is their schedule for weeks 1 and 2

Week 1: Oakland
Week 2: @ Tampa Bay

you said it better than I did, so thank you.

i still don't think the NFL wants Minn vs. NO on opening night though. that is too predestined to be one of their "sweeps" games in November. (contract $$$ the NFL gets from the networks is in large part based on the November sweeps month. that is why they try to preserve a few big games for that month and why NE v. Indy is in November seemingly every year).

maybe they are forced to do it, but I think they throw Atlanta out there (and pump up Matt Ryan and such) before they put Minny there. we'll find out soon enough though.

I don't know the answer to this,, but traditionally, when does the league announce the upcoming schedule?

I only ask because if they generally don't announce the schedule until the week of the draft, then I fail to see the conspiracy factor...

Just asking

They normally announce this time of the year.

the conspiracy factor just came in because they were going to announce this past Tuesday, then all of a sudden when the Big Ben / Santonio stuff hit the fan, they pushed the date out until next Tuesday.

could just be a coincidence, but what fun would it be if we just left it at that.

Just from my recollection (and I may be dead wrong) but I tend to think the schedule comes out two weeks (at least) before the draft. I've never recalled the schedule coming out the SAME week as the draft.

Even if they were going to move around the schedule for the Steelers benefit, which I doubt they would, it would take minutes to move a game or two....not an entire weeks worth of work.

Now, if they had the Steelers and Saints opening the season on Thursday night I can see why they'd want to move that. It's their showcase game to open the season. They wouldn't want to have all the talk being about Ben's offseason with him playing OR Ben's offseason with him being suspended. So ya, I could see them wanting to open the season without the talk of sexual misconduct in a bathroom with a drunk coed for one of the teams star players.

And I don't see why anyone would think the NFL would change the schedule to give the Steelers the weakest schedule to open the season knowing he might be gone 2 games. Why would they care if the Steelers win or lose? The league is a juggernaut. They'll get awesome ratings with or without the Steelers being 2-0 or 0-2.

And anyway, the Raiders beat the Steelers last year WITH Ben under center. So giving them the Raiders early without Ben won't be a guaranteed win.

If the Raiders had any sort of positive QB play last year they could have won 7 to 9 games.

well, if they normally announce it this time of year, I'd say there isn't a chance in hell that they are doing anything wrong here..

Could they manipulate the schedule, I suppose, but I doubt that they could do it that fast.. there has got to be a lot of thought that goes into the schedule in the first place. to completely revamp it in a week, just doesn't sound credible to me..

If anything I bet they are adjusting it so that the Eagles versus Redskins is on Sunday or Monday Night Football.

They already announced that one of the Redskins/Eagles games is on MNF