NFL Schedule Screws Lurie, Again

Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t out to get you.

 

The NFL scheduling poobahs have once again screwed the Eagles with the season opening matchup. It was going to be bad enough to have the Giants get the Thursday night, but that’s understandable since they are, after all, Super Bowl champions. Ironically, in a league that prides itself on trying to provide as much parity as possible (weighted schedules, reverse draft order, etc.), giving the champs the benefit of the opening Thursday night game is a pretty big competitive advantage. Unlike the late season Thursday night games – seen (or rather, not seen) on the NFL Network which are short weeks for the teams involved due to the previous Sunday’s games, the Thursday night opener involves no such quick turnaround. And then the Giants get to sit back and have an extra three days off compared to their week 2 opponent who plays the following Sunday. It’s like getting to play a 15 game/week schedule, while everyone else is playing 16 games/weeks (I’m not counting the bye weeks).

 

But like I said, the Giants are the champs and the new tradition is for the defending champs to open on Thursday night. But to schedule a second division rival, in this case the Redskins, for the Thursday opener adds insult to injury. Now two NFC East teams will enjoy the opening day advantage.

 

Most savvy football fans were aware that the league had slim pickings for the Giants home opponent for Thursday, September 4. Aside from the division games, the Giants home games are against: San Francisco, Seattle, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Carolina. Given no obvious marquee matchup among that bunch (though a Seahawks game would have been intriguing and beneficial for a team making the transcontinental trip), many suspected it would be a division game, and Philly fans were hoping it would be the Eagles. I suppose the best that can be said about it is that at least it wasn’t the Giants playing the Cowboys.

 

The larger question is why Jeff Lurie doesn’t appear to have any juice with the league office and Commissioner. We’re only one year removed from the Eagles having to play THREE STRAIGHT DIVISION GAMES ON THE ROAD… in December no less. One would think that after the ritual scheduling screw job the league annually gives the Eagles and its fans (last year going a full month between home games) – and as one of the victims of the Patriots spying in a super bowl - it would have been inclined to throw Lurie a bone by tapping his team for the season opening matchup. Obviously, the league isn’t too concerned about what Lurie thinks.

 

I can’t wait to see how bad the Eagles 2008 schedule actually is when its released next month. Given that it will involve two west coast trips (San Fran and Seattle), here’s betting that they will be scheduled on back to back weeks.