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An NFL Mismatch That Will Likely Be Seen Across Much Of The Country

J

Joseph_Gallant

Guest
The Arizona Cardinals are pretty pathetic. Entering this weekend's (December 17th-19th) play, the Cardinals are 4 and 9. The team has not been able to sell-out any of it's home games so far this season. Cardinals' games are usually seen only in the home region of the visiting team (and if an away game, in Phoenix and Tucson as well).

But the Cardinals' final regular-season game on Sunday, January 1st, may get televised to much of the country by Fox. The game is currently scheduled for a 1:05 P.M. EST kick-off.

Why??

They're on the road at Indianapolis, and the Colts could be entering that game seeking to be the first NFL team to have an perfect regular-season since the regular-season was expanded to 16 games.

Assuming the game remains a 1:05 kick-off (see the next two paragraphs for why I think it will get moved to 4:15 P.M. EST), it will likely go to most of the Fox network, apart from stations in cities whose local NFL teams are playing in other Fox regional telecasts that day.

Additionally, Fox has the doubelheader that week. According to the NFL league schedule, Fox has only one game in the 4:15 P.M. EST window that day---Washington at Philadelphia.

Should the Colts be in a position to end the regular-season a perfect 16-0, I fully expect the game with Arizona on January 1st will be moved to 4:15, and the Washington/Philadelphia game moved back to 1:05. This would allow the Arizona/Indianapolis game to be broadcast on all but two Fox affiliates (the Fox stations in Jacksonville and San Francisco would not be able to carry it because the NFL teams in those cities have home games on CBS at 4:05 P.M. EST).

The only really "tough" game Indianapolis has left is next Saturday (December 24th) when they travel to Seattle, which should be CBS' "lead" NFL regional telecast that day. Some in Indiana and the Pacific Northwest already are seeing it as a Super Bowl preview.
 
> Should the Colts be in a position to end the regular-season
> a perfect 16-0, I fully expect the game with Arizona on
> January 1st will be moved to 4:15, and the
> Washington/Philadelphia game moved back to 1:05. This would
> allow the Arizona/Indianapolis game to be broadcast on all
> but two Fox affiliates (the Fox stations in Jacksonville and
> San Francisco would not be able to carry it because the NFL
> teams in those cities have home games on CBS at 4:05 P.M.
> EST).

Personally I'm kind of surprised they haven't already moved that game to 4:15, considering that the Eagles' season is already toast and the Redskins are nearly finished as well. Maybe they're just awaiting the outcome of the Colts-Seahawks game before making a decision, since if the Colts lose that game this game will have NO drama whatsoever.
 
> The Arizona Cardinals are pretty pathetic. Entering this
> weekend's (December 17th-19th) play, the Cardinals are 4 and
> 9. The team has not been able to sell-out any of it's home
> games so far this season. Cardinals' games are usually seen
> only in the home region of the visiting team (and if an away
> game, in Phoenix and Tucson as well).

Sunday's Cardinals/Texans game is only being seen in four markets; Houston, Beaumont-Port Arthur, Phoenix and Tucson.
 
> The Arizona Cardinals are pretty pathetic. Entering this
> weekend's (December 17th-19th) play, the Cardinals are 4 and
> 9. The team has not been able to sell-out any of it's home
> games so far this season. Cardinals' games are usually seen
> only in the home region of the visiting team (and if an away
> game, in Phoenix and Tucson as well).
>
> But the Cardinals' final regular-season game on Sunday,
> January 1st, may get televised to much of the country by
> Fox. The game is currently scheduled for a 1:05 P.M. EST
> kick-off.
>
> Why??
>
> They're on the road at Indianapolis, and the Colts could be
> entering that game seeking to be the first NFL team to have
> an perfect regular-season since the regular-season was
> expanded to 16 games.
>
> Assuming the game remains a 1:05 kick-off (see the next two
> paragraphs for why I think it will get moved to 4:15 P.M.
> EST), it will likely go to most of the Fox network, apart
> from stations in cities whose local NFL teams are playing in
> other Fox regional telecasts that day.
>
> Additionally, Fox has the doubelheader that week. According
> to the NFL league schedule, Fox has only one game in the
> 4:15 P.M. EST window that day---Washington at Philadelphia.
>
> Should the Colts be in a position to end the regular-season
> a perfect 16-0, I fully expect the game with Arizona on
> January 1st will be moved to 4:15, and the
> Washington/Philadelphia game moved back to 1:05. This would
> allow the Arizona/Indianapolis game to be broadcast on all
> but two Fox affiliates (the Fox stations in Jacksonville and
> San Francisco would not be able to carry it because the NFL
> teams in those cities have home games on CBS at 4:05 P.M.
> EST).
>
> The only really "tough" game Indianapolis has left is next
> Saturday (December 24th) when they travel to Seattle, which
> should be CBS' "lead" NFL regional telecast that day. Some
> in Indiana and the Pacific Northwest already are seeing it
> as a Super Bowl preview.
>
At least here in Wichita, I found out that the final game they will show before the playoffs at 1 ET will be the Chicago-Minnesota game (winner will win the NFC North). And this is usually a Cowboy Primary/Rams secondary on FOX, but they play each other that evening on ESPN.
 
> Sunday's Cardinals/Texans game is only being seen in four
> markets; Houston, Beaumont-Port Arthur, Phoenix and Tucson.

And those of us in Houston will be holding our noses the entire game. Pretty unusual when the Cardinals can actually look down their noses at some other team.

It would only be on the two stations in Arizona if the game wasn't a technical sellout--in reality half of Reliant Stadium will be empty.

Probably should point out that the Beaumont Fox station is a low power operation that usually rebroadcasts the Fox out of Lake Charles, but has the ability to split away for a different football game than the mother ship (usually to run Cowboys instead of Saints.)

During the Oilers most awful days, I recall one of their games against the Colts (who were then going through a miserable stretch of their own) was only seen in Indianapolis, Terre Haute, and Victoria (blacked out in Houston.)
 
>
> Sunday's Cardinals/Texans game is only being seen in four
> markets; Houston, Beaumont-Port Arthur, Phoenix and Tucson.
>

That really sucks. I don't care how bad the Texans are, they're still the home team and should be shown in their home territory (Texas). The home team's record shouldn't come into account. When the Cowboys were 1-15 in 1989, South Texas got every single one of their games. Every Houston Texans game up until this season has been on local TV here in the Rio Grande Valley, but now since they only have one win, the networks decide what the fans get to see. I should have known this was gonna happen since a few weeks ago, when they played the Rams, Fox gave the RGV a different game instead.

I'm sure I'm in the minority on this one, but the Texans DO have fans outside the city of Houston and we should be able to get to see our team play!
 
Well, Indianapolis won't be going for a 16-0 perfect regular season in 2005 (the Colts were beaten earlier today, December 18th, by San Diego 26-17).

For Fox, the question now is whether the Colts being the top seed in the AFC (which Indianapolis long ago clinched) and the best record in the NFL against a weak Arizona Cardinals' team (and likely being a one-sided blowout) would be worth spotlighting to most of the network.
 
> Well, Indianapolis won't be going for a 16-0 perfect regular
> season in 2005 (the Colts were beaten earlier today,
> December 18th, by San Diego 26-17).
>
> For Fox, the question now is whether the Colts being the top
> seed in the AFC (which Indianapolis long ago clinched) and
> the best record in the NFL against a weak Arizona Cardinals'
> team (and likely being a one-sided blowout) would be worth
> spotlighting to most of the network.
>

Even if Dungy rests Manning and the rest of the first string?

ixnay
 
> Well, Indianapolis won't be going for a 16-0 perfect regular
> season in 2005 (the Colts were beaten earlier today,
> December 18th, by San Diego 26-17).
>
> For Fox, the question now is whether the Colts being the top
> seed in the AFC (which Indianapolis long ago clinched) and
> the best record in the NFL against a weak Arizona Cardinals'
> team (and likely being a one-sided blowout) would be worth
> spotlighting to most of the network.

Apparently not, since the NFL has now moved that day's Chicago Bears-Minnesota Vikings game to a 4:15 EST start. Now they better hope Minnesota doesn't get upset by Baltimore next Sunday night and knocked out of playoff contention (though Chicago will still probably have a first round bye/seeding at stake).
 
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