On Tuesday the NFL released its preseason schedule, despite the fact that the lockout and litigation continue for the league and the players. The league is operating with its schedule as if it were business as usual, even though it is the league that is locking out its players. With the preseason schedule out, we at least have an idea as to when an agreement has to be in place to avoid losing football games.
What is no surprise is that the Cardinals will not be featured in any of the nationally televised games in the preseason.
Here is what the schedule looks like:
Week 1: Arizona Cardinals @ Oakland Raiders, Saturday, Aug 13
Week 2: Arizona Cardinals @ Green Bay Packers, Saturday, Aug 20
Week 3: San Diego Chargers @ Arizona Cardinals, Saturday, Aug 27
Week 4: Denver Broncos @ Arizona Cardinals, Thursday, Sept 1
The Good:
There are a couple of good things there are about the preseason schedule the way it is. First of all, if you wanted to take a road trip out to Green Bay to see the Cardinals play the Packers, August is a much better time of year than November or December.
Another plus is that, with the final two games being at home, it allows the team to work more in those last two weeks instead of worrying about travel time.
Lastly, the other good thing is for the fans. We will not have to deal with scary, crazy Raiders fans here in town.
The Bad:
August can be a miserable time of year for those of us who live in the Phoenix area and we all know that San Diego is everyone's favorite weekend getaway. The bad part of the schedule is that the Chargers come here to the desert to play. You can't use the game as an excuse to take a quick roadie out to San Diego and enjoy the beach and the weather along with a football game.
The Ugly:
Remember that good thing about the Raiders? Yeah, it turns ugly here. Instead of dealing with the obnoxious fans here in town, to witness the game in person, we have to risk life and limb to head over to the Raiders Nation. I'm staying home and watching it on the TV. How about you?
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With the schedule set for the preseason and the regular season set to be released in a week or so, all that is left is to make sure that games will happen then and that an agreement is in place to lift the lockout and bring back the sport we love.