You knew this was bound to happen. The NFL has announced it will release the 2009 regular season schedule next Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET. Here’s the press release that I never received from the NFL and I had to copy from the NFL Media website.
EXCLUSIVE ANNOUNCEMENT OF 2009 NFL SCHEDULE IN PRIMETIME ON NFL.COM AND NFL NETWORK
SCHEDULE ANNOUNCEMENT LIVE
TUESDAY, APRIL 14 AT 7:00 PM ET
NFL.com Unveils Team-by-Team and Week-by-Week Schedules and Live Chats
NFL Network Features Analysis, Interviews With Head Coaches, Fan Reactions & More
Which team will be the Cowboys’ first regular-season opponent in their new stadium? Who will Peyton Manning, Adrian Peterson, Donovan McNabb and Kurt Warner take on in their season openers with the Colts, Vikings, Eagles and Cardinals, respectively? How does the road look for the defending champion Pittsburgh Steelers as they try to return to the Super Bowl?
These questions and many more will be answered when the 2009 NFL schedule is released in prime time for the first time, exclusively on NFL.com and NFL Network, on Tuesday, April 14 at 7:00 PM ET. The entire 2009 schedule will be announced and analyzed on NFL.com and NFL Network during a two-hour primetime NFL Total Access: 2009 Schedule Release.
Just as the NFL Draft and NFL Scouting Combine have grown into highly popular off-season events, the NFL Total Access: 2009 Schedule Release is another opportunity for fans to connect with the NFL and to see for the first time where, when, and what time their favorite teams will play next season, as well as to analyze and debate the schedule.
For fans who want to see their team’s entire schedule right away to plan their football season, NFL.com is the place to visit on Tuesday at 7:00 PM ET. NFL.com will be the first site to have the complete team-by-team and weekly schedules of all 256 regular-season games, listing opponents, sites and times. NFL.com will feature interactive components by giving fans a voice through chats, fan forums and poll questions.
Other features on the website will include analysis by NFL.com reporters and breakdowns of the division schedules. NFL.com will include which games will be on CBS, ESPN, FOX, NBC and NFL Network. There will also be printer-friendly versions of the team-by-team and week-by-week schedules.
NFL Network’s NFL Total Access: 2009 Schedule Release will feature host Rich Eisen and in-studio analysts, Steve Mariucci, Marshall Faulk, Brian Billick, Jamie Dukes, Solomon Wilcots, and former Bucs general manager Bruce Allen, plus other special guests including former Chiefs general manager Carl Peterson.
Reporters will be spread across the country to get reaction. NFL Network reporters will be in Boston to get fan reaction on the Patriots’ schedule as Tom Brady returns from his injury, in Philadelphia for the announcement of the first regular season opponent McNabb will face without defensive leader Brian Dawkins, in Chicago for comments on Jay Cutler’s debut as he changes conferences, in Denver to talk about the new season under Josh McDaniels, and in San Diego, where the Chargers hope their impressive play to end the 2008 season translates to a fast start in 2009.
The special includes a look at the making of the schedule, plus interviews with head coaches and GM’s on how it affects their planning and preparation. Players also will also be interviewed and the top games will be debated.
Additional topics covered during the primetime special will include a look at the Steelers’ road back to the Super Bowl, which team will take on the Cowboys in their new stadium for the first time, who is playing in primetime and why, plus the most intriguing matchups of 2009.
As usual, I’ll have the schedule release here as well.
