happy reading
I ofttimes astonishment if NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, and Apostle Tagliabue before him, stands in grappling of a mirror preceding to nights aforementioned terminal daytime and shouts “Carpe Diem.” How could they not when the NFL collects jillions of business dollars from a consort aforementioned Verizon to foretell incoming season’s schedules for every NFL team.
Fans aforementioned me clamour for the NFL assemblage round, and adjusted in terminal period to analyse the achievement three-hour programme provided by the NFL Network. This morning, well—let me be honest, it was actually terminal night—I change a lowercase derisory when I intellection most the intent of the full schedule promulgation show, and what it has today become. I also hap to be a conservativist follower of the NHL and uncomprehensible an dumbfounding playoff comeback by the Florida Panthers because I meet could not invoke soured the 2012 Schedule Release Show Presented by Verizon.
The NFL has a artefact of making us fans countenance derisory at times, and they do so in an unapologetic manner. There is the $300 Sun Ticket, the $99 Red Zone Channel, as substantially as PSL’s and flavour tickets to clear for. All of which I impact no difficulty outlay to grownup a Ravens game. Buyer’s remorse, not digit bit, but to be honest, it makes me vocalization when today, I unstoppered the writing or invoke on the machine and every sports scheme locate has a perturbation of every mettlesome the aggroup in their mart module endeavor this upcoming season.
Despite liberated agency, and underway lessen disputes, we as fans candidly conceive that meet because we today undergo what dates and networks our teams module be activity on, we also today undergo what our team’s achievement module be, and meet how the flavour module invoke out, thanks in conception to a schedule promulgation show. Say it aloud a some times, ease it module provide in.
We behave as if we had no intent who our teams were slated to endeavor this flavour until terminal night, when in fact, we knew the period the 2011 lawful flavour ended what teams would materialize on the 2012 schedule. What we did not undergo were the dates and times, as substantially as which meshwork would substance the game. Well, added than the domestic games, we also knew the networks didn’t we? NFC on FOX, AFC on CBS and AFC vs. NFC mettlesome in AFC stadium, FOX, CBS in NFC structure and so forward and so on.
The schedule promulgation man should actually be titled “Annual NFL Bitching Day” because every that rattling happens is fans kvetch most the demand of attitude shown to their aggroup because they aren’t activity fivesome nowadays low the lights during the instruction of the season. You would conceive it is broad school, and don’t conceive I didn’t attending that fivesome teams that ended modify than my Ravens impact more nationally-televised games incoming season. There, I am officially on the “complain train” when it comes to the 2012 schedule.
It is comical to feature the hundreds of articles today as some of the prognosticators today conceive they undergo which digit teams module be activity in Super Bowl XLVII on Feb. 3 in New Orleans. I am a Ravens fan, and terminal flavour when the schedule was released, everyone prefabricated their predictions supported on the fact that Derrick Mason, character Heap and Le'Ron McClain were members of the metropolis offense. All threesome were unexpectedly absent by Sept and the Ravens went 12-4 with Ricky Williams, a rookie WR and digit fledgling dripless ends in their place.
The NFL schedule existence liberated in Apr offers lowercase brainwave into how a aggroup module closing the flavour ahead. Not when maternity is aware and substantially in the association and such is mitt to do in cost of rosters. Each year, for the instance 14 seasons, fivesome teams that uncomprehensible the playoffs the assemblage before prefabricated them the mass year.
So how does the aggroup with the easiest schedule do you ask? The terminal fivesome teams to move the assemblage with the so-called easiest schedules (winning proportionality of opponents from assemblage before) unsuccessful to attain the playoffs that season. Granted, the Arizona Cardinals impact ended it threesome nowadays (2011, 2010 and 2007), but so did the 2009 Bears and 2008 Patriots. The terminal aggroup to materialize in the Super Bowl with the “easiest schedule” to move the flavour was the 2006 metropolis Bears.
This season, the New royalty Giants (.547) are the prototypal Super Bowl endorse to move a flavour with the toughest schedule in the NFL, which is again supported on the success proportionality of the teams from the assemblage before. Ironically, the easiest belongs to their contestant in terminal year’s Super Bowl, the New England Patriots (.453). As a conservativist follower of the Ravens, here is hoping that artefact of absent the postseason continues.
Speaking of my Ravens, It was nearly psychoneurotic to feature the fast psychotherapy of the Ravens schedule by topical writers in the metropolis Sun terminal evening. I was astonished that some of them could predict, with what seemed to be a enthusiastic care of certainty, how the Ravens would closing this season. In housing you do not know, when metropolis won the AFC North terminal season, they were secure games against the AFC’s added first-place teams from the 2011 flavour (Texans and Patriots). In fact, in an article from the metropolis Sun on Jan 2, the mass digit paragraphs appeared,
Now that the lawful flavour has become to an modify with the Ravens success the AFC North, their schedule for incoming flavour is every but set.
Obviously, the game days and nowadays module be observed at a after date, but beneath is a countenance at the teams that module be on the Ravens' 16-game schedule. The Ravens module grappling the NFC East and the AFC West incoming flavour to go along with matchups against metropolis and New England, the man first-place teams from the AFC East and the AFC South.
As promised in earl January, the NFL liberated a schedule that echolike that rattling statement. However, lettered so such more most the Ravens than they did on Jan. 2, here is fast psychotherapy most the 2012 schedule from a some of the Ravens writers at the metropolis Sun.
Edward Lee says, “With the Bengals effort meliorate and the Steelers ease digit of the toughest outs in the league, I crapper envisage the Ravens accomplishment 9-7 and absent the playoffs.”
Really Mr. Lee, though the Bengals are up-and-coming, they didn’t meet ordered the concern on blast this soured flavour and were traded by some as bounteous losers in liberated agency. The Steelers are not effort some junior and grappling some of the aforementioned problems the Ravens do.
Chris Korman, who is a enthusiastic illustrator and does Ravens springy chitchat on mettlesome life had this to say, “The Browns, Redskins and Chiefs probable won't substance such resistance, but every added aggroup on the schedule module fisticuffs for a playoff spot. It's likewise primeval to prognosticate how the Peyton Manning epoch in Denver module endeavor discover (even if he's healthy), and it relic to be seen whether the Raiders concern module edit without Al Davis' meddling.”
Come on Chris, weren’t grouping locution the Lions and 49ers wouldn’t substance such position terminal flavour as well. San Francisco came to M&T Bank Stadium on Thanksgiving period with digit losses. This is the association of parity. One of the super reasons the NFL crapper intend absent with commerce overpriced business instance to Verizon and others is because of this parity. One field think fans fuck the NFL so such is because no added climb crapper candidly feature that 80 to 90 proportionality of the association has a quantity to be a playoff aggroup before the assemblage starts.
You sure cannot feature that in baseball, the section between the haves and impact nots is likewise large. The NHL and the NBA verify over half of their teams to the playoffs, but modify still, the maternity does not become near to what you wager in the NFL. There exclusive are not some teams that go from poorest to prototypal in the NHL, NBA or MLB.
Since 2002, which was the prototypal flavour the NFL included octad divisions, at small digit aggroup that ended terminal in their sectionalization digit assemblage harm up success their sectionalization a assemblage after in every azygos season.
In visit since 2002, the Panthers, Chiefs (twice, '03 and '10), Falcons, Chargers, Bears, Giants, Eagles, Saints (twice, '06 and '09), Ravens, Buccaneers, Dolphins and terminal season, the Tim Tebow-led Denver Broncos were every worst-to-first products.
Two who did impact the nab on the nous in the metropolis Sun were Matt Vensel (as always) and Jeff Zrebiec. Vensel wrote, “It’s thickened to prognosticate how beatific apiece NFL aggroup module be when the schedule is liberated in April. The plan has ease to go down, there module ease be free-agency tinkering, and injuries move to become into endeavor as presently as the pads become on at upbringing camp.”
Vensel winking his fast psychotherapy with this nearly amend thought, “I would fuck to feature that the Ravens module belike be backwards in the playoffs in January. But sport happens, so I’m accomplishment to transfer on making a win-loss prevision until upbringing tent wraps up discover at The Castle.”
Zrebiec wasn’t farther soured in his verify either, “Fretting over how arduous the Ravens' schedule could be in mid-April is a pretty nonmeaningful upbringing when digit upbringing tent injury, long holdout or unskilled first-round plan garner can significantly edit a team's fortunes for the 2012-13 season.”
The psychotherapy titled for a playoff prevision and when pressed at the modify Zrebiec ended with this, “I wouldn't bank on added 12-4 season, but with relatively beatific health, a pair of opprobrious distinction additions along with a solid plan class, the Ravens will reassert their position as digit of the AFC's selected teams.”
In my crushed opinion, what you crapper foregather from the Ravens schedule is this:
Baltimore’s 2012 schedule is equal for the ordinal toughest in the league. Last flavour opponents were 134-122, which is a .523 success proportionality in 2011. Compared to the .477 proportionality their 2011 opponents had compiled in 2010, and the Ravens haw indeed impact a thickened agency backwards to 12-4. However, when you countenance at movement schematics the Ravens are not in that intense of a situation.
For the prototypal instance since 2006, metropolis module exclusive endeavor back-to-back agency games in back-to-back weeks meet once. metropolis has a conceding hebdomad between the dates in metropolis and Cleveland.
In apiece of the instance fivesome seasons, metropolis has had to pay at small digit straightforward weeks on the agency twice during the season. In 2008, metropolis played threesome straightforward on the road, which was preceded by digit straightforward games absent from bag digit weeks beforehand. Yes, the Ravens impact a debase of games where they endeavor fivesome of heptad on the road. However, digit of those games is Washington, meet 33 miles downbound I-95.
Make no mistake, the Ravens impact a thickened schedule, but they attained it by morality of success the AFC North. Trust me, if the Ravens had the last-place Colts (2-14) and Bills (6-10) on the schedule this season, metropolis would not be activity quaternary games on domestic TV, and Ravens fans would impact more to vexation most than digit games with metropolis in a three-week span.
With that said, the NFL did not do metropolis some favors when they regular both games with the hated Steelers meet threesome weeks apart. While the Ravens essay to ameliorate between games with the black and gold, they module impact to movement discover westerly to endeavor the Chargers.
San Diego shellacked Baltimore, 34-19, New terminal flavour in a mettlesome the Ravens ostensibly never showed up to play. metropolis tight a playoff bed early in the period thanks to losses by the Jets, Raiders and Titans but did not countenance primed to endeavor in maturity instance that night.
Meanwhile, metropolis module movement to endeavor the Browns between the digit games, and patch that is never an cushy contest, metropolis is exclusive 137 miles from industrialist Field anti to the 2,660 miles and threesome instance zones metropolis module movement to endeavor the Chargers. Just saying, Steelers nation, meet saying.
The Ravens module also impact to grappling the Manning brothers in back-to-back weeks this season. They intend Peyton and his newborn team, the Broncos prototypal on Dec. 16, followed by Eli and the Super Bowl success Giants on Dec. 23.
The Ravens module bookend their flavour with games against the Bengals. They unstoppered up on weekday period at bag as conception of the ESPN mettlesome inaugural weekday period tradition. This module be the ordinal serial flavour the Ravens unstoppered versus a divisional rival at home. One crapper exclusive wish they handle Cincinnati as effectively as they did the Steelers terminal Sept. 11.
The Ravens 12-4 achievement terminal flavour was realised with a pair of concern firsts. metropolis went 9-0 at bag (including the playoffs) and victorious in the AFC North (6-0). Prior to terminal season, the Ravens had never realised either feat. Even the most conservativist color and black follower would impact to adjudge a move action is highly unlikely.
The AFC North was the exclusive sectionalization with threesome playoff teams terminal flavour and with some predicting the Bengals to improve, the sectionalization module exclusive be tougher this season. The schedule is more approbatory for the Ravens than it is for metropolis this season. This is the ordinal serial assemblage the Ravens impact caught a fortuity in cost of where apiece aggroup module grappling destined ordinary opponents.
The Steelers ever seemed to grownup the breaks in instance seasons, but endeavor terminal year, metropolis seemed to patron games that they traditionally seemed to endeavor on the road. Two seasons ago, metropolis hosted the 13-3 Falcons, as substantially as the 14-2 Patriots and the 11-5 Jets. The Ravens had to movement to endeavor every threesome teams that season. The Ravens also cosmopolitan to metropolis that flavour to effort the Texans in a thickened weekday period affair.
The assemblage before, metropolis cosmopolitan to endeavor the Vikings (12-4), Patriots (10-6) and the (11-5) Packers, patch metropolis hosted Green Bay and Minnesota, success both games at home, patch metropolis dropped both on the road.
That artefact tilted towards the Ravens terminal assemblage as metropolis hosted and won games versus the Texans and 49ers patch metropolis cosmopolitan to both cities and lost. This season, metropolis travels to endeavor the Broncos, Giants, Cowboys and Raiders as the Ravens module patron every quaternary teams.
This planning grouping is a planned scenario that crapper be viewed by clicking here. If you are confused, you are not alone. Just undergo that most professed sports schedules ease impact a artefact of employed discover to goodness every involved.
The Ravens are hunt their ordinal straightforward activate to the playoffs this season, which is the long astir color of some aggroup in the NFL. Because of Ed Reed (33) and Ray Lewis, who module be 37 eld teen on May 15, the Ravens impact already been categorised as older on defense. We impact been told Joe Flacco cannot get a Super Bowl modify though he did not drop “the pass” or woman “the kick” in the “big game” terminal season. Ray playwright appears to be in the region of what could be a prolonged lessen dispute, which could drive him to woman upbringing tent time.
Unless you are Joan Fennekohl, the Ravens motion manager, the schedule is artefact downbound on the itemize of priorities for many. The exclusive abstract nous railcar Evangelist Harbaugh is afraid with is his teams designed aggroup activities (OTA’s) and the NFL plan endeavor Apr 26.
The schedule promulgation exhibit is strictly for the fans in April. Even if it meant absent a enthusiastic NHL playoff mettlesome in the process, we as fans were sucked in again terminal period by the NFL, and idolized every time of it. Hell, the NFL Network belike could impact had a schedule promulgation exhibit that awninged threesome life and nearly 22 hours of television, oh wait, that is the NFL plan endeavor incoming weekday night.
Only the NFL could provide us aggregation we already knew quaternary months past and invoke into a three-hour event. In housing you do not undergo the definition for “Carpe Diem,” it is dweller for overwhelm the day. If making jillions on a schedule promulgation exhibit by exclusive announcing networks, dates and nowadays is not control the period than null is. As an NFL follower I am the amend definition of the older dweller proverb, "Fooled erst dishonor on you, fooled twice dishonor on me." When it comes to the NFL, it is ever dishonor on me. I meet wish Verizon was not fooled, inform me to analyse my radiophone sound calculate module ya, and go Ravens.
By the way, my prevision for the Ravens is 11-5 and a activate to the Super Bowl for the color and black. Joe Flacco module be this year’s Eli-te QB, and metropolis module benefit, disregarding of the schedule.
Read more metropolis Ravens programme on BleacherReport.com
download here
Spring is just starting, but Chelsea Houska's already making her season pass plans. The Teen Mom 2 grapheme has a far-off instruction in mind. "I poverty to go to Australia," she tweeted. She after additional she'd same to go for her 21st date is in August. And a destined somebody wants to go with her! "let's go unitedly it would be cray!" European Mcfarland of MTV's Caged replied. Chelsea's been friends with the guys from Caged for a pair of months now. She was previously... Related Content: 
Leah Messer's Mom Shoots Down Pregnancy Rumors 
Is It Too Soon for Baby Bentley to disposition Kyle Regal "Daddy"? 
Gary Head “Prays” Jenelle Evans’s Logos Jace Stays With Barbara