| 20 April 2010
Apple can make the smallest tech announcement seem like the next coming, manipulating their fanboy user base, the tech media and bloggers to the point they're wrapped around Steve Jobs' little finger. But there is another entity even more influential and manipulative.
The NFL
Why would something as minor as the announcement of the 2010 schedule be covered like a presidential election by the assorted media? Because the NFL deemed it was IMPORTANT.
Who am I do defy the word of the powers that be at the NFL? So here's the Lions schedule for the coming year.
• Sept. 12 at Chicago, 1 p.m., Fox
• Sept. 19 vs. Philadelphia, 1 p.m., Fox
• Sept. 26 at Minnesota, 1 p.m., Fox
• Oct. 3 at Green Bay, 1 p.m., Fox
• Oct. 10 vs. St. Louis, 1 p.m., Fox
• Oct. 17 at New York Giants, 1 p.m., Fox
• Oct. 24 Bye week
• Oct. 31 vs. Washington, 1 p.m., Fox
• Nov. 7 vs. New York Jets, 1 p.m., CBS
• Nov. 14 at Buffalo, 1 p.m., Fox
• Nov. 21 at Dallas, 1 p.m., Fox
• Nov. 25 vs. New England, 12:30 p.m., CBS
• Dec. 5 vs. Chicago, 1 p.m., Fox
• Dec. 12 vs. Green Bay, 1 p.m., Fox
• Dec. 19 at Tampa Bay, 1 p.m., Fox
• Dec. 26 at Miami, 1 p.m., Fox
• Jan. 2 vs. Minnesota, 1 p.m., Fox
My initial impressions?
The season doesn't start till nearly 2 weeks into September? What the Hell?
The Lions open the season with 3 road games in the first 4 weeks. What did the Lions do to piss off the NFL?
The only nationally televised game will be Thanksgiving. I didn't expect anything different...but it sure would be nice to have a Sunday or Monday night game again in my lifetime. It's not too much to ask for, is it?
Not many cupcakes (if you can even say such a thing about the Lions) on the schedule. The Rams, Bills and Bucs are the closest thing to the Lions having baked goods on the schedule. I'm sure those 3 teams are saying the same thing about the Lions.
Ending the season with 2 Florida teams and the Vikes at Ford Field is giving the Lions a big break, weather-wise. Same for playing on the unfrozen tundra of Green Bay in October, instead of December or January. Shockingly, they're done playing other cold weather teams by the time the season is barely half over. Playing at Buffalo in mid-November is the Lions last cold weather game! The NFL is slowly, but inexorably, turning into an indoor sport.
My knee jerk reaction as to how many wins I see in the 2010 schedule? Maybe 5 victories.In order, the Rams, Redskins, Bills, Bears and Bucs.
The Lions could very easily start the season 0-4. In fact, I wouldn't bet against it. Yes, the Lions will be a better team in 2010. But they'll still have a 2nd year QB, an iffy offensive line, no running game to speak of and a defense, even if it's improved (which I believe it will, as it couldn't be worse), likely to remain in the bottom half of the league.
Think about it. The Lions could realistically win 3-4 more games. In most every NFL city, that means a team is moving from mediocre to playoff contention. In Detroit, it means the Lions are moving from God awful, to merely run-of-the-mill bad. That's how far back Matt Millen set this franchise.
Recovering from the Millen error is going to take time, and lots of it. This schedule isn't going to help.
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