The NFL Schedule Announcement Pre-Game Show

The NFL is creating a prime-time show to announce the 2009 schedule. The scheduling process in general has become less interesting, with the linear schedule model created in 2002.

The current model has conference teams guaranteed to play at home at least once every six years, and non-conference opponents at home once every eight years. This is year eight of the schedule, so some very interesting and unique match-ups will be scheduled for this year.

Houston, in year eight of their franchise, will finally host San Francisco and Seattle, and for the first time visit Arizona and St Louis.

Jacksonville, in year 14 of the franchise, will finally host St Louis, and visit San Francisco.

Tampa Bay is "hosting" New England this year, the last time they did that was 1997. Of course this year the game is in London, so it's not an actual home game. That means that New England will not visit Tampa until 2017, barring some schedule changes.

Tennessee is hosting Arizona this year, the first time they have since 1994. Of course, back in 1994, they were in Houston.

Two football titans will be having a rare showdown in Cincinnati, as the Lions will be visiting the Bengals. Boomer Esiason was the quarterback during the last match-up in Cincinnati, in 1992.

Peyton Manning is playing his 12th season in the NFL, and none of them have included a visit to Arizona. In fact, the last time the Colts played in Arizona, Ron Meyer was their coach, in 1990. Almost 20 years since visits.

It has been 20 years since Cleveland has hosted Minnesota. Of course Cleveland took a few years away, so it's more like 17 years. The last time the Vikings played in Cleveland was 1989.

A really strange and rare game will be taking place in Miami. The New Orleans Saints are visiting the Dolphins. The last time the Saints played in Miami, Dan Marino was a sophomore at the University of Pittsburgh. Archie Manning was the Saints QB, and the Saints went 1-15. September 28th, 1980. It will have been 29 years between visits.

The strangest of the games scheduled this year is something that has never happened. 33 years and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have never played in one city. Of course the only problem is that they still might not this year.

With the Bills having to move one of their home games to Toronto, and Miami probably not being one of them, there is a 1 in 7 chance that a game I've been waiting since I was 1-year-old to happen might move to Canada. I fear a Billy Bob Thornton rant coming on if it does. All I ask from this season is that Tampa plays in Buffalo, finally. As a Bills fan, what else do I have to look forward to?

Senile owner, suspended running back, safeties whose best hits happen in bars, TO, heartbreaking losses, bad coaching, inevitable move away from my old hometown. For the longest time, the Bucs had that streak, where they never won in a game over 40 degrees, yet somehow always played the Bills in Tampa, and always won also.

If the game is in Toronto, I might have to wait eight more years! Please give me a Sunday Ticket present NFL. One where TO catches a TD in Buffalo against Tampa and throws a snowball in the air. It will make up just a bit for 33 years of misery.