NFL And NBC Agree To Move Kickoff Of Opener Up In Response To Republican Convention Conflict
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Damn Republicans......always messing stuff up (I kid, I kid). Apparently John McCain was to be accepting the Republican Party's nomination the same day and time that NBC was kicking off next year's NFL Season. Well according to Reuters that's no longer the case.....
The National Football League and NBC will likely move up the time of the league's September season opener so it won't conflict with presidential nominee John McCain's acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention.I've maintained for years that they should start games at 7pm regardless of what's going on out West, and hopefully something will get in the way of the NBA Playoffs this summmer because games ending at 2 AM are just ridiculous. Anyone know if the Democratic Convention is in Oakland this year?
Since 2002, the NFL has held its season opener on the first Thursday night after Labor Day. This year, the game runs smack into the final night of the convention, when McCain will officially accept the nomination and give a nationally televised speech from Minneapolis.
So, the NFL and NBC have agreed in principle to have the kickoff at 7 p.m. ET instead of the traditional 8:30 p.m. That would mean, except in the event of an overtime, that the game would end before NBC's expected one hour of convention coverage for the night.
The move comes with several risks, including a loss of audience since the game would start so early on the West Coast. Also, it could impact any pregame special or entertainment that the NFL or NBC could schedule. It would, though, give NBC News a strong lead-in to its convention coverage.
NFL season opener yields to McCain speech (Reuters)
10 Comments:
Com'on lets admit it. We all know the game will be Cowboys at Giants
AA, aren't you just fed up with ESPN's highlight reel of Bob Knight? And then at the end it says when he'll be back.. I'm sick of that!!!
Football is more important than the government.
Why should they start games at 4pm on the West Coast? We're all at work and the networks would lose a ton of viewers. There are sports fans out on the West Coast, ya know.
Why should games run past midnight in the East? We're all asleep and the networks do lose a ton of viewers. There are far more sports fans (and media markets) in the East.
Not to mention the ending of a game is always more vital to watch than the beginning. So you miss the "starting lineups" graphic, so what.
Better Idea IMHO?
First, move this Kickoff game to ESPN. Second, ask them (at least for 2008) to drop the Monday Night First Week twinbill to allow ESPN to do the Giants game. Third, in compinsation for allowing ESPN to get the Giants kickoff, give NBC a Christmas night contest in lieu of losing the Kickoff Game at East Rutherford, New Jersey.
if the games start too late for you, move to hawaii
-dan
Redskins Insider on washingtonpost.com is saying opener will be Washington / Giants.
Starting lineups graphic -- oh man i can't miss that.
i love when they say their HS or when they get a Hollywood weenie to say the starterzzzzzzzzzzzzzz and think i'm going to go see their movie because of that.
disney/abc snyergy - gotta laugh at the network execs who think it works.
hey! when's the rock going to be on again? it's been 9 months since he's had a movie.
DNC convention is in Denver.