The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of RCN or any other agency, organization, employer or company.
I don’t know how you felt about it, but I absolutely loved watching NFL football in the morning. The Eagles’ game on Sunday started at 9:30 AM. I ate breakfast before the game and was ready for lunch after the game. And… there was still the rest of the day.
It also made me think how nice it would have been to actually watch Game Three of the World Series on Friday which ended at 2:30 AM. It was a great game no one saw. If they would have started the game at 4:00 EST, we might have lasted until the end.
I remember when I vacationed in Hawaii and was able to watch golf tournaments to the very end and it was not time for “60 Minutes” like it is back here. Heck, it was only 1:00 PM in the afternoon. The weekend was not yet over. The beach was waiting, there were still two meals on the horizon, and I had a happy wife. What could be better?
So, here is what I am proposing for the NFL – play the 1:00 PM games at 9:00 AM; the 4:00 PM games at noon; and the 8:00 PM games at 4:00 PM. I am guessing that anyone who lives in Hawaii or California or nearby Pacific Standard Time states, for that matter, would rather be outside during the day anyway and they can DVR the games and watch them whenever the weather turns bad. You have it all already – a beautiful climate, nearby ocean and beaches, al fresco dining, etc. (AND YOU HAVE IT ALL YEAR ROUND). Let those of us in the East get some benefit out of our location by allowing us to get our sports out of the way so we can enjoy life.
At least be willing to compromise during our winter months. Cabin fever is real here in the East – “extreme irritability and restlessness from living in isolation or a confined indoor area for a prolonged time”. That malady creeps into my house, for sure. At least we have football, but what about the wives? They are forced to suffer extreme cabin fever – at times, it’s almost epidemic – like when the Eagles are on a Super Bowl run!
Perhaps, the easiest thing to do is move all the NFL teams to England. Heck, the NFL wants to go global – do it! The crowd at Wembley yesterday seemed no different than the crowd at Lincoln Financial Field.
Okay, I have stopped making any sense at all! I could move, but I know the minute I did that, monsoons would hit Hawaii, wild fires would run rampant in California, and who knows what global warming is planning.
At least I had the good life for one Sunday morning. Thanks, NFL, for creating a “prime time” I could really enjoy.
ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)
- The Red Sox did it! What an unusual series, especially the pitching rotation. Boston did not hesitate to use starters as relievers and David Price, a starter, did not care when he pitched. Manager Alex Corda looked like a genius throughout the season and certainly he looked even more so in the playoffs. Hats off to the Bosox!
- If you happen to be the coach of the Cleveland Browns, be very wary of the second game of the season with the Steelers. The last five Browns’ head coaches – Romeo Crennel, Eric Mangini, Pat Shurmur, Rob Chudzinski, and Mike Pettine – were all fired after the second Steelers game of the season. And it happened again this week when Hue Jackson was fired after losing to the Steelers in the second game. The Steelers won this weekend 33-18. The Browns tied them earlier in the season. History, I guess, shows it’s time to change coaches.
- Penn State would be one of the best teams in the nation if they didn’t have to play the fourth quarter. They lost to both Ohio State and Michigan State when they had fourth-quarter leads. This week against Iowa, they barely hung on in the fourth and came away a winner. They have now played four straight games decided by six points or less. The last time that happened was in 1894 (No, I didn’t see those games). On to #5 Michigan.
- It’s time for District football. The AAAAAA bracket is wide open. #8 seed Liberty just beat the #1 seed Freedom this past Saturday. #2 seed Emmaus takes on a #7 Nazareth team who they beat on the last play of the game earlier in the season. RCN-TV Sports will have both those games on Friday night with the Freedom-Liberty game LIVE at 7:00 PM. On Saturday at 12:30 PM, we will see if Lafayette can win their third game in a row when they take on Holy Cross. The Bethlehem Catholic–Blue Mountain game will follow at 5:00 PM.
Gary’s Guesses: NFL Picks (Last week: 11-3) (Overall: 74-45-2 62% )
Week NINE
