NBC elects against “flex” for Buccaneers-Broncos game Dec. 2 in Denver

[michael89156]

Posted November 20, 2012, 9:34 am MT

NBC elects against “flex” for Buccaneers-Broncos game Dec. 2 in Denver

By Mike Klis

 The Denver Post




Buccaneers quarterback Josh Freeman (Getty Images file)
 
NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” was eyeballing the Buccaneers-Broncos game in two weeks as a potential matchup the network wanted to flex from its originally scheduled 2:05 p.m. MST kickoff to 6:30 p.m.
 
In the end, no changes were made. NBC prime time will be stuck with the dud game between the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles.
 
The Cowboys are 5-5 and the Eagles are a laughingstock. The Broncos are 7-3 with five consecutive wins and about to win the AFC West, while Tampa Bay has one of the more attractive, young, surprising teams in the NFL. The Bucs are 6-4 with four consecutive wins.
 


Josh Freeman, Doug Martin and Vincent Jackson at Sports Authority Field at Mile High would have been more attractive to a national audience than Nick Foles, Jeremy Macklin and the possibility of Bryce Brown at Cowboys Stadium.
 
But here was the Broncos’ problem with the flex: After their game Sunday against Tampa Bay, which now stays with its 2:05 p.m. MST kickoff, Denver plays four days later in a Thursday night game at Oakland. To take away 4 1/2 hours of recovery and preparation time would have put the Broncos further away from peak performance.
 
Apparently, NBC and the NFL agreed that the flex schedule cannot put one team at a competitive disadvantage. Besides, the Broncos have already played four prime-time games, and the Oakland game will be five. There’s a great chance they will be playing in prime time in January. And Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning isn’t exactly underexposed.
 
The national audience will get plenty of Broncos before this season is through.

[TBTrojan]

What a shocker.
I had to laugh at them finding a cover story for not changing the game.
Like they were ever going to flex the Cowboys out, there's more chance of Paris Hilton becoming the next president than there is of a Dallas game getting replaced in primetime.

[BerubesBucs]

Sickening. If flexing the game involved putting the Bucs at a competitive disadvantage for the following week, they wouldn't think twice.

Everybody wants to watch the Cowboys and Eagles fight for a higher draft pick. League pisses me off sometimes.

[Bucsfan x]

Good, would rather not see us creamed by Manning.

[GameTime]

Good, would rather not see us creamed by Manning.

love our fanbase.

[youngone]

Thats fine, they are going to miss when we drop Peyton and the broncos.

[TheChronicHotAir]

What a shocker.
I had to laugh at them finding a cover story for not changing the game.
Like they were ever going to flex the Cowboys out, there's more chance of Paris Hilton becoming the next president than there is of a Dallas game getting replaced in primetime.

Disagree.
If the Broncos had a Sunday game the following week, it WOULD have been flexed (imo)....

[chace1986]

Good, would rather not see us creamed by Manning.

Name a game that his Bucs team has been "creamed". They might lose, but they will be in the game up until the end. Has been the same in every game this year. I don't see any team getting an easy win against the Bucs. That is something I am proud of.

[ufojoe]

When I saw the title, I missed the "against" part and thought it was flexed. Thank God it's not moving to the late game. Already have my flights booked, weaseled my way out of work early on Friday and didn't want to miss work on Monday.

Now to find a good, lower level ticket! Tickets are pricey in Denver on Stub Hub.

[chace1986]

http://seatgeek.com/buccaneers-broncos-tickets/12-2-2012-denver-colorado-sports-authority-field-at-mile-high/nfl/849055/

[ufojoe]

http://seatgeek.com/buccaneers-broncos-tickets/12-2-2012-denver-colorado-sports-authority-field-at-mile-high/nfl/849055/

Thanks for that but I'm going to have to wait until the last minute to get good, lower level seats. There are A LOT of tickets between the 40-50 in the lower levels and I'm pretty sure the asking prices will drop on Stub Hub and other sites as game
day gets closer.