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WOOHOO!! NFL 'MIGHT' change Monday Night Football

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element

Member
when the TV contract runs out in two years with the NFL with ABC and ESPN, they might change the way Monday Night Football works.

The possible plan would have ESPN start doing Monday Night Football and ABC doing Sunday Night Football.
The reason would be the leauge could PICK the game they want to air on Sunday night. Instead of having the possiblity of having a national televised game no one cares about.

The last couple years there have been some pretty awful games on Monday Night, mostly because they have to guess on what will be a good match in November and December.

I think it is a great idea :D
 

Mrbob

Member
Yes but have they figured out a compensation method for FOX/CBS? Assuming, of course, they retain their NFC/AFC rights.

Unless ABC grabs one of the conferences for games (Which I hope doesn't happen. ABC sports coverage with their anchors sucks) I don't see how Fox or CBS will give up a hot televised game -like the Bears versus anyone- for a couple no namers like the 49ers vs the Cardinals.
 
Mrbob said:
Yes but have they figured out a compensation method for FOX/CBS? Assuming, of course, they retain their NFC/AFC rights.

Unless ABC grabs one of the conferences for games (Which I hope doesn't happen. ABC sports coverage with their anchors sucks) I don't see how Fox or CBS will give up a hot televised game -like the Bears versus anyone- for a couple no namers like the 49ers vs the Cardinals.

They wouldn't be taking anything away from Fox or CBS. ESPN already televises games every Sunday Night, regardless of conference. ESPN is owned by ABC, so basically, i think they'd basically just put the best matchup on ABC to get the most viewers, and leave the weaker matchup to ESPN. I really hope they don't plan on switching ABC to sunday nights though.
 

Archaix

Drunky McMurder
Whoa, wait wait wait. Does this mean they'd be scheduling multiple Sunday Night games and just airing one? I'd hate that idea, especially if a team I wanted to watch ended up being one they didn't air. I much prefer having two games a week that get national coverage, whether the teams turn out to perform well or not.
 

Odoul

Member
Mybe I'm slow but what's the point? Is all that happens is ABC shows Sunday night and ESPN gets Monday? The schedule still gets picked months in advance. Could you even switch teams to Monday nights during the season. Wouldn't it produce venue scheduling conflicts?
 

element

Member
Does this mean they'd be scheduling multiple Sunday Night games and just airing one?
no. Just one Sunday Night game a week now. It is much like the system ESPN and the NFL have now for Sunday Night games. If there is a WAY better matchup, the NFL can push that game to the Sunday Night game, and then move the other to a 1pm or 4pm start time.

There is a possiblity of confusion when a game gets moved to a later start. But I'm willing to deal.

Is all that happens is ABC shows Sunday night and ESPN gets Monday?
The Monday Night game would be LOCKED, ESPN could not change who plays on the Monday Night games. But ABC and the NFL can select a more pleasing Sunday Night game, since Sunday is when most NFL games are played.
 

Archaix

Drunky McMurder
I truly doubt that would fly. Not only would it piss off CBS and Fox, since they'd be losing the higher profile games, but I'm certain that owners wouldn't like the idea of being pushed out of the national spotlight because their opponent didn't do as well as they were supposed to this season.
 
All I'll say is that over the last few years, I'd definitely rather watch ESPN Primetime followed by ESPN Sunday Night Football (with the color commentary that entails) than anything of the baggage that is Monday Night football.
 

SyNapSe

Member
Archaix said:
I truly doubt that would fly. Not only would it piss off CBS and Fox, since they'd be losing the higher profile games, but I'm certain that owners wouldn't like the idea of being pushed out of the national spotlight because their opponent didn't do as well as they were supposed to this season.

Well, it already happens. They bump around the Sunday night game pretty frequently.
 

Archaix

Drunky McMurder
firex said:
CBS and FOX wouldn't lose anything. They only show Sunday afternoon games.


Yes, and he's saying the plan is to bump a game that was originally scheduled for Sunday afternoon into Sunday night if the Sunday night game ends up being less important. Fox or CBS would therefore lose the big game with playoff implications and wind up with a game like San Fran vs Pittsburgh from last season.
 
Would ABC be willing to give up their Monday Night timeslot? As bad as the games might be everyonce in a while, MNF has become an institution. ABC can basically build their lineup around that. Now they would have to move Alias, probably their only other top show ratings wise, out of the Sunday slot?
 

firex

Member
Archaix said:
Yes, and he's saying the plan is to bump a game that was originally scheduled for Sunday afternoon into Sunday night if the Sunday night game ends up being less important. Fox or CBS would therefore lose the big game with playoff implications and wind up with a game like San Fran vs Pittsburgh from last season.

And that happens already, it's just that the Sunday night game would be on ABC instead of ESPN.
 

element

Member
firex said:
CBS and FOX wouldn't lose anything. They only show Sunday afternoon games.
NFL already has this ability for Sunday Night games. The only thing that would change would be the start time for fans and the game airs on ABC instead of ESPN.

And the way the NFL already screws fans out of watching more pleasing matches later in the season due to black outs or local television rights.
 

Archaix

Drunky McMurder
That happens? The Sunday night games are all scheduled, I'd never heard of one being moved during the season (And there have been some pretty lame Sunday night matchups, I would expect them to do it more often if they had that ability :p)

edit: well, there goes my argument. I have never seen a Sunday night game change like that.

edit 2: Wait, how does this help the average fan? If they have already been doing this with Sunday Night Games, I don't get it. Aside from people who don't have cable, it seems as though there is no difference at all. Why would this be a good idea from the point of view of anybody other than ABC?
 

element

Member
Wait, how does this help the average fan?
Give them the strongest possible matchup on a network station.

Why would this be a good idea from the point of view of anybody other than ABC?
again strongest matchup nationally without fear of blackout.
 

Dilbert

Member
Since when do scheduled Sunday night games change? I've never heard of that happening.

Quite frankly, as a fan, if I bought tickets to a game and then the league changed the start time based on TV expediency, I'd go absolutely nuts. There is a world of difference between a Sunday afternoon game and a Sunday night game when you consider weather/temperature, needing to work early the next morning, bringing kids to the game, and so on. You can't just move things around arbitrarily.

If the league is REALLY interested in getting the most interesting games to the fan, then they should get rid of their utterly stupid blackout and local viewship rules. I live in Los Angeles and happen to be a displaced New York Giants fan. If I have to watch one more shitty fucking Raiders game because the NFL powers-that-be decided that my city is still a Raiders "home area" (well, Raiders AND Chargers), I'm going to throw up.
 

Archaix

Drunky McMurder
Oh like the average NFL fan doesn't have access to ESPN :p

Fine, fine. How does this help *me*? Why should I, or anybody else with basic cable, care?

And I'm still not entirely convinced that the NFL/ESPN have (or have excersized) this power in the past.
 

element

Member
If the league is REALLY interested in getting the most interesting games to the fan, then they should get rid of their utterly stupid blackout and local viewship rules. I live in Los Angeles and happen to be a displaced New York Giants fan. If I have to watch one more shitty fucking Raiders game because the NFL powers-that-be decided that my city is still a Raiders "home area" (well, Raiders AND Chargers), I'm going to throw up.
Well I agree with that. They do need to lighten up the 'home team' rules when it comes down the stretch. I remember Seattle fans flipping out because games that would have decided if they were in the playoffs or not, were not being aired because of 'localized matchups'. I don't care about the Chargers or Cardinals!!

But at the same time, if a game were to be 'pushed back', I'm sure that it wouldn't be a week before thing. I'd say a three week window if the game should be changed.
 

andthebeatgoeson

Junior Member
Can they do something about that debacle which is Sunday Ticket? I won't be happy until all major cable networks can show Sunday Ticket. Direct TV is useless w/o it. It's like having Zelda only on Nintendo...uh...
 

element

Member
skinnyrattler said:
Can they do something about that debacle which is Sunday Ticket? I won't be happy until all major cable networks can show Sunday Ticket. Direct TV is useless w/o it. It's like having Zelda only on Nintendo...uh...
DirecTV is willing to fork over whatever they need to keep Sunday Ticket to themselves.
 

Mrbob

Member
I'd also like to know when Sunday Night games have changed. I don't remember an example. There may be one or two but it isn't the norm. I can go to NFL.com and tell you the Sunday Night games for every week this season. They aren't changing.

Sometimes Fox and CBS flip flop starts of their early and late games if they have a hot game to show the country. But I haven't seen an afternoon game pulled to the night. Hell the NFL already tried to do this the past year and FOX and CBS basically said bugger off.
 

andthebeatgoeson

Junior Member
element said:
DirecTV is willing to fork over whatever they need to keep Sunday Ticket to themselves.

They surely couldn't come up with enough money to overpower the cable industry. Maybe cable doesn't give a damn.

Fuck you DirectTv, Cable and/or the NFL.
 

DMczaf

Member
Marty Chinn said:
I was out shopping tonight and stumbled upon these:

brian-anna_1799_3550072

brian-anna_1799_3663051

brian-anna_1799_3782067

brian-anna_1799_3893520

brian-anna_1799_4002567

.......

ok.
 
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