There's been a great deal of scrutiny directed toward the 2017 NFL Schedule. ESPN wrote about it, and it's definitely causing some discussion. Some things that are brought up:
- The NFL was really smarting over the poor play of many teams featured on big night games
- The NFL is now showcasing teams that were good in 2016, going all-in with them
- Two teams that are perennial losers, Jacksonville and Cleveland, get no national games at all, not even Thursday Night Football.
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Eleven games with only 6 of the opponents having a winning record. Then comes five consecutive games vs powerhouses. |
There have been many years in recent history where the Raiders did not get a single nation-wide game. But now, the NFL is with the Raiders. The tide has turned, definitely!
Another gift to the Tennessee Titans' ownership, as well. With Raider Nation making Nashville a favorite destination (and buying-up otherwise unwanted tickets to Titans games), the NFL schedulers put that game in Nashville for the 3rd-consecutive year.
Raider Nation, take a bow! No doubt, you are a shot-in-the-arm to help cure the ticket sales problems of that team! The hotels and restaurants in Nashville, and the taxpayers who may be saddled with that stadium's construction debt in the face of unwanted PSL's collecting dust on the shelves, they all say in advance, "Thank you, Raider Nation!!" :-)
Anyway, the NFL's schedule makers have decided that the Raiders should bunch up all their tough opponents together. Check out the graphic; there will be a length of games, if the opponents' 2016 prowess holds up, that will present quite a challenge to the Raiders. Hopefully, the Raiders will show these perennial playoff teams that they, too, belong in that elite status and have every intention to stay there.
Our Road Trip Rally Party will be at the Raiders vs Dolphins game, the 9th game of the season. A bye week follows, and then this big five consecutive-game stretch of powerful opponents. We will have an enjoyable time in Miami at the Rally, recharged and re-energized to cheer on the Raiders when play resumes.
As you all know, we had considered going to Philadelphia for our 2017 Road Trip Rally Party. The schedule shows that this game is on Christmas Day, a big holiday certainly. We've done a Rally during the Thanksgiving weekend back in 2014, and there's no doubt all of you could make a "Raider Nation Christmas in Philly" work out really well. But for this year, we're onward to Miami!
(we will certainly call the Philadelphia Convention Bureau to thank them for all the work they done on our behalf)
As you all know, we had considered going to Philadelphia for our 2017 Road Trip Rally Party. The schedule shows that this game is on Christmas Day, a big holiday certainly. We've done a Rally during the Thanksgiving weekend back in 2014, and there's no doubt all of you could make a "Raider Nation Christmas in Philly" work out really well. But for this year, we're onward to Miami!
(we will certainly call the Philadelphia Convention Bureau to thank them for all the work they done on our behalf)
Finally, we should mention: the opponents, with the exception of 2 AFC teams who finished their division standings in the same position as the Raiders did, are all pre-selected years in advance. There was no conspiracy with this schedule...
"other than perhaps moving the Patriots game away from Oakland so that Tom Brady will not have to risk false starts and bad snaps and other personal mishaps caused by the intensity that only the Raider Nation can bring down on his head but Tom Brady got rescued from having to face all of that because his owner gets his way even when it hurts the integrity of this game like asking one of the Raiders to drop a pass on purpose" (but I digress) ...to pile onto the Raiders' schedule with all these teams who had winning records in 2016. It just works out that way sometimes that the other divisions are playing really good when the rotation happens to bring them your way.
"other than perhaps moving the Patriots game away from Oakland so that Tom Brady will not have to risk false starts and bad snaps and other personal mishaps caused by the intensity that only the Raider Nation can bring down on his head but Tom Brady got rescued from having to face all of that because his owner gets his way even when it hurts the integrity of this game like asking one of the Raiders to drop a pass on purpose" (but I digress) ...to pile onto the Raiders' schedule with all these teams who had winning records in 2016. It just works out that way sometimes that the other divisions are playing really good when the rotation happens to bring them your way.
Anyway, please be sure to read the ESPN article linked above. And thanks so much for your time here right now!
Yours,
Afro
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