Monday night football

[Donnie Raines]

Anyone know how they decide who plays on Monday night football? I noticed that Indy plays some 3-4 times, New orleans plays a few, Atlants a few times and I even see a match up between the Vikes and Green Bay(borrrreing... ).

[John Branam]

Typicaly these games are picked based off of the teams record the prior year, along with that the network tries to decide what they think a good match up would be for that particular week. I also believe market size plays a role in this. Some of this will change next year with the new TV deal where Sunday and Monday night games can be changed to a more desiarble game that week, ie the Bengals and Steelers this weekend.

[Jeff Sudmeier]

Yep it is all based on the "game of the week". Trying to get more fans to watch the blockbuster game! They go by score, rivalry, etc...

The teams with the highest popularity (regardless of record, always get a game). Green Bay always seems to get one or two and back in the day when Dallas was so popular, they always got one, even when they started dropping off.

[Lee DeRaud]

I seem to remember a couple years back one of the announcers (probably Al Michaels) actually apologizing for the crummy game they were showing. The impression I got at the time was that the NFL picked the games when they laid out the schedule, not the network.

[Jim Young]

The important thing here is that Detroit keeps playing on Thanksgiving.

[Lee DeRaud]

The important thing here is that Detroit keeps playing on Thanksgiving.

The important thing here is that Detroit keeps losing on Thanksgiving.

Oops...did I say that out loud? Bad Lee! No biscuit!

[Jim Young]

The important thing here is that Detroit keeps losing on Thanksgiving.

T
I get the feeling the team is coached to loose. Maybe it's for a better tax write off.

[Dennis McDonaugh]

The important thing here is that Detroit keeps playing on Thanksgiving.

Well, you need a turkey on Thanksgiving don't you? Seriously, I look at Detroit from afar and can't figure out why they can win at least as many as they lose. They seem to have plenty of talent. We are actually going to see the Lions play the Saints on Christmas Eve here in SA. Our last shot at local pro football this year.