Biased NFL Scheduling

[Rynie]

Isn't the schedule decided by a computer program?

[FiveRings]

Originally Posted by ravidubey

I prefer not to ignore 5 out of 6 games being played on the road at divisional opponents. 5 of those 6 games had or will have playoff consequences (though the 2007 game ended up only important for Washington) and in each of the games already played the home team won. Every. One.

The scheduling of the divisional games at the end is absolutely intentional. That they force the Cowboys to visit in that situation over 80% of the time is the bias.

Any why would they do that Mr.Conspiracy?

[Chocolate Lab]

Five of our last seven at home and we're getting screwed?

We already played this team at home on Thanksgiving on a short week. If either team had a scheduling advantage this year, it was us.

[ravidubey]

Originally Posted by Rynie

Isn't the schedule decided by a computer program?

Partly. The NFL wants to place most of its marquee matchups at the end of the year and schedule as competitive a playoff-affecting a Sunday Night schedule as possible.

They also began scheduling divisional games at the end of every season, if not the last game then close to the end. Every division has a winner, and most divisions are contested. This creates drama and revenue.

It's not random, divisional games are intentionally scheduled to end the year if at all possible.

All good.

Originally Posted by FiveRings

Any why would they do that Mr.Conspiracy.

Holy crap that was a turd-like thing to post. There is no conspiracy, it's simple reality. 5 out of 6 heavily contested games with the playoffs on the line have been scheduled with Dallas as the visiting team.

They were scheduled to create drama and in Dallas' case for money. It needs to stop as it puts Dallas at a competitive disadvantage. Every road team in that situation lost.

If a team is on the road in a week 17 divisional game, to be fair they need to be at home the following season in the same or similar game or don't schedule divisional games in the final week.

Originally Posted by Chocolate Lab

Five of our last seven at home and we're getting screwed?

We already played this team at home on Thanksgiving on a short week. If either team had a scheduling advantage this year, it was us.

Dallas started with several games on the road, including the first two games. That had a lot to do with Dallas starting 3-5. There is no advantage within a single season overall. Every team will have hard years and every team will have easy years. That will even out.

But this particular scheduling disadvantage has a real impact-- in 3.5 of the 6 games the loser would miss the playoffs entirely (the .5 being Washington in 2007).

From 2007-2011 with playoff seeding on the line in the final game every NFC East road team lost. It's literally like a playoff road game. Except scheduled in advance, not randomly, and 80% of the time not in Dallas' favor.

Being on the road is bad enough. Being on the road against the team you are competing against definitively for a playoff spot is brutal.

If this game happens three weeks ago, it's not the same.

[Illini88228]

There is no league agenda against the Dallas Cowboys. The league wants to make money, and there is NOTHING on earth they would like better than for Dallas to be great again. Think of all the fair-weather fans who would suddenly gobble up merchandise. Dallas fans sound stupid when they whine about bias. It's like the Yankees complaining that MLB is out to get them. It's non-sensical. It's confirmation bias at work. You remember the evidence that supports your conspiracy theory, and forget the evidence that doesn't.

[RS12]

How bout winning more games as the season goes along so it doesnt come down to the last game.

[LongSnapper]

Stop your whining Big Girls dont cry

[ravidubey]

Originally Posted by RS12

How bout winning more games as the season goes along so it doesnt come down to the last game.

Love to, but that hasn't been reality. The NFC East has been hotly contested since Dallas and New York got good again in the mid-late 2000's. Now Washington is looking like another contender for the division title.

Originally Posted by Illini88228

There is no league agenda against the Dallas Cowboys. The league wants to make money, and there is NOTHING on earth they would like better than for Dallas to be great again.

Ye Gods this has nothing to do with conspiracy and everything to do with fairness. Erase that "C" word from the thread. It has to do with removing any bias from scheduling that last divisional game.

To make money, they schedule Dallas on the road. That's a bias and a competitive disadvantage with the playoffs at risk. It's not about conspiracy but fairness. Schedule Dallas, but rotate or find some other way to take better care when scheduling this final game.

Take the Steelers. They have a competitive division and as a marquee franchise they schedule them on the road to make money. But at least it breaks even regarding divisional games where the playoffs may be on the line.

Three division finals away, and three at home.

Pittsburgh
2007: @Ravens
2008: Cleveland
2009: Ravens Week 16, @Dolphins
2010: @Cleveland
2011: @Cleveland
2012: Cleveland

How about the Packers and Lions? About even, with a slight edge to GB. Maybe they want to stress the "frozen tundra".

Packers
2007: Detroit
2008: Detroit
2009: @Chicago Week 14, @Arizona
2010: Chicago
2011: Detroit
2012: @Minnesota

Detroit
2007: @Green Bay
2008: @Green Bay
2009: Chicago
2010: Minnesota
2011: @Green Bay
2012: Chicago

Chicago
2007: @Minnesota Week 15, New Orleans
2008: Green Bay Week 16, @Houston
2009: @Detroit
2010: @Green Bay
2011: @Minnesota
2012: Detroit

Minnesota
2007: Chicago Week 15, @Denver
2008: @Detroit Week 14, NYG
2009: @Chicago Week 16, NYG
2010: @Detroit
2011: Chicago
2012: @Green Bay

None of these teams is facing their final divisional game on the road 5 of 6 times.

I understand why they do it to Dallas. The point is it needs to stop.

[FiveRings]

Originally Posted by ravidubey

Holy crap that was a turd-like thing to post. There is no conspiracy, it's simple reality. 5 out of 6 heavily contested games with the playoffs on the line have been scheduled with Dallas as the visiting team.

They were scheduled to create drama and in Dallas' case for money. It needs to stop as it puts Dallas at a competitive disadvantage. Every road team in that situation lost.

If a team is on the road in a week 17 divisional game, to be fair they need to be at home the following season in the same or similar game or don't schedule divisional games in the final week.

I Agree that we've been in tough situations recently but to think there's any reasoning or bias is absurd. Nobody has it out for us and with our difficult skids we've had some breaks too.

[OklahomaCowboy88]

We play better on the road so whats the big deal?

[BigD5]

Of course it's ridiculous. The NFL clearly has a bias against the cowboys. When's the last time we played a home game to start the season? We rarely open in week one at home. And the last couple years we have went from one coast to the other in weeks one and two.

When's the last time you seen an analyst on espn or nfl network show any respect for Dallas or our players? Just look at how they all hate on romo and act like he's terrible and one of the worst in the league. It's completely absurd

Oh and when is the last time we were on the right side of a call that could go either way? Or had less penalties than the other team? Maybe we did Sunday but it is a VERY rare occasion. Usually what happens is something like the Pittsburgh game where we have 10 penalties or so and the other team has 1 or 2 or in Pitts case ZERO

[Doomsday]

You look at the Colts, with golden boy Mannning there, and they finish at home vs division opponents 4 of the last 6 seasons.

Or Brady, HOME 3 of last 4. Packers 4 of last 6 at home, it isnt a coincidence.

[jayhouston12]

it is what it is

stomp a mudhole in the team you're playing and walk it dry

earn your paychecks