Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE

Call me a hater. Label me a spoilsport. Whatever you prefer just know that I’m 100% correct in saying there is nothing more pointless than debating the NFL schedule in April. That doesn’t mean I’m not excited about today’s announcement. That doesn’t mean I won’t wonder how the Raiders will fare against their competition. It just means that there is no reason at all for ESPN to have a three hour special to discuss games that at this point have no meaning at all.

Every year we go through this same song and dance where the starved sports media beats to death a debate based on the same logic you’d apply to a game of Madden.

I’m pretty sure NBC was banking heavily on Drew Brees and Peyton manning dueling it out on Sunday Night last season. Instead they got the Colts getting crushed and Sean Peyton eating a hot dog. Made for some great returns on Monday’s ratings report, I’m sure. It also made for plenty of wasted breath in April when the talking heads saw this tantalizing matchup on the schedule.

As I recall there weren’t many circling the Packers-Lions’ Week 17 clash as the best game on the schedule for the NFL finale. No, most were selling us the fools gold of Cowboys-Giants instead. There was less drama in that game than a porn script.

Correct me if I’m wrong but wasn’t Kevin Kolb supposed to giftwrap the NFC West for Arizona. How’d that turn out? I’m guessing as well as the predictions of the Cowboys being Super Bowl contenders or the San Diego Chargers being a playoff team.

Every year it’s the same teams, same names and same games that are dissected before a single player is drafted and most mini camps have barely gotten under way. I’m all for excitement and anticipation but we all know what happens when you start counting those chickens before they hatch.

So yes, expect JBB to cover the schedule. But don’t expect any analysis other than planning the best weekends for this L.A. native to make his annual trips to the Bay. I do play fantasy football but I don’t exist in a fantasy football world. I’ll leave that to the paid professionals that clearly know much more than I do about analysis of teams that aren’t even down to their 53-man rosters yet.

Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE

We already knew who the Raiders would be playing in 2012 we’re just waiting on the when. Until today the only preseason game that had a set date and time was the Monday Night opener August 13^th against the Cowboys. Today Oakland unveiled the rest of the specifics for the preseason.

As of now the only preseason game without a set date/time is the second contest which will occur in Arizona. Other than the Monday Night affair, the Raiders welcome the Detroit Lions to The Bay on an afternoon game August 25^th then conclude the 2012 preseason in Seattle where a 7pm kickoff awaits August 30^th.

Of course that is just the appetizer. Tomorrow the NFL will present the grad feast that is the full regular season schedule. So get ready for your first football fix of 2012 in just under 24 hours.

Today the NFL released the potentially meaningless regular schedule and the Silver and Black have two primetime games. If you’ll recall, last season the Raiders were blacked out of primetime. Too bad because a lot of Raider haters out there missed out on the chance to see their favorite team run all over by Darren McFadden.

If we do have a season in 2011 then the nation will get early exposure to Hue’s crew as the Raiders travel to Donkey Land to open the season on Monday Night. Let’s not talk about the last time these two rivals clashed on a Monday Night opener. If you listen closely enough you can still hear Eddie Royal laughing at DeAngelo Hall.

For good measure the NFL has slated the first installment of the 2011 Raiders/Chargers clash as a Thursday Night game as well. Again…let’s not talk about what happened the last time these two met on a Thursday Night game. Having finally snapped the Charger streak in style things are going to be different this time around. Plus anytime you drop 300-pounds of dead weight from the QB position things stand to improve.

Time to face facts, Raider Haters, the Silver and Black still can move the needle and the proof is in the double dose of primetime love shown by the league office.
(more…)