Now that the three-day draft has dominated the American sports landscape (despite the three other major leagues still going strong with actual games), the NFL’s next opportunity to bigfoot the other big leagues is coming.
It’s the schedule release. Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports that the league is targeting May 11, a date that is consistent with recent practice.
We already know the participants and home/away designations for the 272 regular-season games. But it’s the when and on-which-network that becomes so damn compelling.
It’s even more compelling this year, given that for the first time ever the wall has been torn down between the AFC having a default network (CBS) and the NFC having its unofficial home (Fox).
Adding to the intrigue will be the sudden interest in the Jets, a team that hasn’t played on NBC since the buttfumble game of Thanksgiving 2012. Now, every network will want as many Jets games as it can get -- especially with so many great games on the schedule.
Six AFC East games. Chiefs, Eagles, Giants, Cowboys, Chargers. Even the so-so games against the Raiders, Broncos, Falcons, Browns, Commanders, and Texans become big deals.
The release of the schedule, on May 11, will be the biggest deal in American sports that day. To the ongoing chagrin of the sports that are actually playing sports in May.