<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>The NFL has arranged with broadcast television partners CBS and NBC for an unprecedented three-way national simulcast of the NFL Network telecast of Saturday night’s New England Patriots at New York Giants game when the Patriots will try to become the first NFL team to go 16-0 in a regular season, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced Wednesday. “We have taken this extraordinary step because it is in the best interest of our fans,” Commissioner Goodell said. “What we have seen for the past year is a very strong consumer demand for NFL Network. We appreciate CBS and NBC delivering the NFL Network telecast on Saturday night to the broad audience that deserves to see this potentially historic game. Our commitment to the NFL Network is stronger than ever.” CBS and NBC will carry the NFL Network feed of the game with Bryant Gumbel and Cris Collinsworth in the broadcast booth. The game also will be televised by WCVB-ABC (Channel 5) in Boston, WMUR-ABC in Manchester, New Hampshire (Channel 9) and WWOR (Channel 9) in New York. The telecast begins at 8 p.m. ET with kickoff set at 8:15 p.m. ET. This will be the first three-network simulcast in NFL history and the first simulcast of any kind of an NFL game since Super Bowl I in 1967 when CBS and NBC both televised the first meeting of the champions of the newly merged National Football League and American Football League. CBS was the network partner of the NFL at that time and NBC televised the AFL. In that first Super Bowl – in which the NFL Green Bay Packers beat the AFL Kansas City Chiefs 35-10 in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on January 15, 1967 – Ray Scott, Jack Whitaker and Frank Gifford called the game for CBS while Curt Gowdy and Paul Christman broadcast the game on NBC.</div> http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d8...mp;confirm=true
They did a simulcast of the Packers vs. Cowboys game here, I don't see how this is the first simulcast since 1967.....
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (BG7 Lavigne @ Dec 26 2007, 05:22 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>They did a simulcast of the Packers vs. Cowboys game here, I don't see how this is the first simulcast since 1967.....</div> There is a difference between a simulcast and a local station being given the rights to carry a game shown on the NFL Network
Where do you live? This simulcast is nationwide, they have always simulcasted NFL network games in the local markets.
Regardless, this is good news. Because now I won't have to watch it on sopcast. Bad news is, we'll be stuck listening to Bryant Gumbel either way.
This is no big deal for Patriots fans..we're gonna be getting the game on WCVB-5 anyway. I have a question for outsiders though..do you guys actually want to see this? Or is it just Patriots fans that wanna see the first 16-0 regular season in NFL history?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (playaofthegame @ Dec 27 2007, 12:22 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>This is no big deal for Patriots fans..we're gonna be getting the game on WCVB-5 anyway. I have a question for outsiders though..do you guys actually want to see this? Or is it just Patriots fans that wanna see the first 16-0 regular season in NFL history?</div> I can understand Pats fans not wanting to miss a minute, but I don't see this as being an accomplishment. I think it was Shula who said that if the 72 Dolphins had lost the Super Bowl then being undefeated would have meant nothing. In fact, I think it's worse than that. I would hate to see my team go undefeated and then lose in the playoffs. The real accomplishment is staying undefeated and winning the Super Bowl and they haven't done it yet and can't do it this weekend. I think there are several teams that could surprise the Pats and send them home before the big game. The Colts are a great team and the defending World Champs. The Colts have won their last two games in New England. The Jaguars beat a good Steelers team in it's own snow just a couple of weeks ago. The Chargers have really turned things around since their horrific start. I think the Cowboys are capable of beating the Patriots and have the good fortune of having played them once to know what they are up against. The Patriots have seemed to do a good job of avoiding pressure, but, if they beat the Giants, can they avoid the pressure of having a perfect regular season yet still needing to win three post-season games. I would be more interested in this game if I thought the Giants were going to show up with the intentions of actually playing.
I still see a Dallas vs New England SB, undefeated season notwithstanding. I think this will be the last time the cable big shots relent on this situation which<u> will</u> occur again in the future. If the '58 Championship game had only been seen on TV in Baltimore,pro football would still be a distant second to baseball in popularity. Possibly 3rd (College football).
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Old Bob @ Dec 27 2007, 12:48 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I still see a Dallas vs New England SB, undefeated season notwithstanding. I think this will be the last time the cable big shots relent on this situation which<u> will</u> occur again in the future. If the '58 Championship game had only been seen on TV in Baltimore,pro football would still be a distant second to baseball in popularity. Possibly 3rd (College football).</div> Don't blame the cable big shots. The NFL is solely responsible for the availability or lack thereof for this game. They were using this game as leverage against the two biggest cable companies in order to rile up fans against the companies and get them to give in to the NFL's outrageous demands. I just wonder what really caused the NFL to give in. I do know that a couple of senators suggested that congress revisit the NFL's antitrust exemption, but was that the reason or did the NFL reach an under the table deal with some politicians to get some help with their "negotiations" once the season is over.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (DolfanDale @ Dec 27 2007, 12:39 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (playaofthegame @ Dec 27 2007, 12:22 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>This is no big deal for Patriots fans..we're gonna be getting the game on WCVB-5 anyway. I have a question for outsiders though..do you guys actually want to see this? Or is it just Patriots fans that wanna see the first 16-0 regular season in NFL history?</div> I can understand Pats fans not wanting to miss a minute, but I don't see this as being an accomplishment. I think it was Shula who said that if the 72 Dolphins had lost the Super Bowl then being undefeated would have meant nothing. In fact, I think it's worse than that. I would hate to see my team go undefeated and then lose in the playoffs. The real accomplishment is staying undefeated and winning the Super Bowl and they haven't done it yet and can't do it this weekend. I think there are several teams that could surprise the Pats and send them home before the big game. The Colts are a great team and the defending World Champs. The Colts have won their last two games in New England. The Jaguars beat a good Steelers team in it's own snow just a couple of weeks ago. The Chargers have really turned things around since their horrific start. I think the Cowboys are capable of beating the Patriots and have the good fortune of having played them once to know what they are up against. The Patriots have seemed to do a good job of avoiding pressure, but, if they beat the Giants, can they avoid the pressure of having a perfect regular season yet still needing to win three post-season games. I would be more interested in this game if I thought the Giants were going to show up with the intentions of actually playing. </div> The Patriots only have to win two more games to equate what the '72 Dolphins did. It was an impressive feat sure but they played a 14-game regular season including division opponents twice, so they only had to beat 10 different teams. 1972 Dolphins Kansas City Houston Minnesota NY Jets x2 San Diego Buffalo x2 Baltimore x2 St Louis New England x2 NY Giants Chiefs: 8-6 Oilers: 1-13 Vikings: 7-7 Jets: 7-7 Chargers: 4-9-1 Bills: 4-9-1 Colts: 5-9 Cardinals: 4-9-1 Patriots: 3-11 Giants: 8-6 2 teams above .500 Total: 51-86-3 0.364 SOS 2007 Patriots NY Jets x2 Chargers Bills x2 Bengals Browns Cowboys Dolphins x2 Redskins Colts Eagles Ravens Steelers Jets: 3-12 Chargers: 10-5 Bills: 7-8 Bengals: 6-9 Browns: 9-6 Cowboys: 13-2 Dolphins: 1-14 Redskins: 8-7 Colts: 13-2 Eagles: 7-8 Ravens: 4-11 Steelers: 10-5 6 teams over .500 91-89 0.505 strength of schedule Add in the NY Giants for the Patriots in both situations and it's still better by a long shot...it puts them at 7 teams over .500 and a strength of schedule of 0.532. The Patriots going 16-0 would be a bigger accomplishment in the regular season than in the regular season the '72 Dolphins posting up a 14-0 record against all of the worst teams in the league.
As far as the records of the teams they played, the Dolphins played the schedule that they were given. That post-season schedule wasn't as favorable for the 72 Dolphins. It sent the Dolphins to Pittsburgh even though they were the number one seed. Tell me the Pats wouldn't be complaining if they had to go on the road in the Championship Game, should they make it. However, that was the rules in 72. Like it or not, the schedule has changed from 14 games to 16. Again, that's not a change of the Dolphins doing. Still, no one is going to talk about the Patriots past this year, if they don't win the Super Bowl and that's my point. It wouldn't have been a Perfect Season in 72 if the Dolphins hadn't won the World Championship and it won't be a Perfect Season in 07 if the Patriots don't win the World Championship. That's not my doing. You ask the Patriot players if beating the Giants will matter, if they lose in the post-season.
Oh absolutely I agree with that point I just want it to be made clear that what the Patriots did in the regular season is far more impressive than anything the Dolphins did. And if the Patriots do win the Super Bowl at 19-0 then their season historically is better than any season in NFL history. There is no 1a or 1b. The Patriots will be #1 and the 72 fins will be #2.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (playaofthegame @ Dec 27 2007, 09:56 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Oh absolutely I agree with that point I just want it to be made clear that what the Patriots did in the regular season is far more impressive than anything the Dolphins did. And if the Patriots do win the Super Bowl at 19-0 then their season historically is better than any season in NFL history. There is no 1a or 1b. The Patriots will be #1 and the 72 fins will be #2.</div> That's your opinion. Some may share. Others won't. Since the two teams can't play, I'm sure it will be a subject of debate for quite some time. Of course, this is assuming that the Patriots finish the season perfect and they haven't yet.
