As NFL owners look at implementing an 18-game schedule, Houston Texans owner Bob McNair feels the best way to sell the idea would be by scheduling regional rivals on an annual basis.
The McNair plan, which is picking up support from a large number of owners according to Fox NFL analyst Jay Glazer, would see the Redskins face the Ravens every season. Also on the list would be Cowboys-Texans, Eagles-Steelers, Giants-Jets, 49ers-Raiders, Rams-Chiefs and Dolphins-Bucs.
The idea is in part based on Major League Baseball’s interleague schedule, which promotes regional rivals. But the problem in the NFL is that each team already has built-in rivalries.
It is very unlikely that the Ravens would replace the Cowboys as the Redskins’ greatest rival, just like Washington is not going to replace Pittsburgh as Baltimore’s rival.
Then we have geographically isolated teams like Seattle and Buffalo. Their best regional “rivals” would be CFL teams. The Seahawks facing the B.C. Lions? The Bills taking on the Toronto Argonauts? I don’t think so.
Still, despite the lack of convenient regional rivalries league-wide, it is likely that NFL power brokers will get regional games as part of a new 18-game regular schedule. After all, most of cities who have regional rivalries already play them in the preseason.
Football rules the ratings
Thus far, it should come as no surprise that when the NFL goes head-to-head with Major League Baseball, football wins in most cases by almost a 2-to-1 margin. While baseball might well be our national pastime, pro football has become our national passion.
Both TBS and Fox have done an outstanding job covering the American League and National League Championship Series. Still, football has been dominant. That said, when football hasn’t been on, the ratings have been respectable. TBS has gotten all their games in the cable TV top 10. Fox has been equally competitive with the Phillies-Giants matchup in the NLCS. At the end of the day, for Fox, it’s all about the World Series, and with so many top-10 market teams still alive, they should be fine when the Fall Classic takes center stage next week.
Examiner columnist Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer. Check out his blog, Watch this!
