Are the Seahawks victims of
10 a.m. woes or are they just
the inferior team during the
losses? Look at last season's
opener. Which team was more
prepared for that?
NFC West fans let their frustrations out on Mike Sando's blog.
"I still don't get how they can make a rule change in the offseason to benefit East Coast teams traveling West then unload a schedule like this on the Hawks," Sean, another Facebook commenter, wrote.To understand why the Seahawks received six 10 a.m. starts, one simply needs to look at the facts. They'd likely discover that no matter what, the Seahawks, and any other NFC West team, will always have a less than ideal schedule.
To Continue...
Let's do the math.
There are 32 teams in the NFL.
Six teams play near the West cost (Cardinals, 49ers, Raiders, Chargers, Seahawks and Broncos.)
The rest are either in the central or Eastern time zones.
So, when the Seahawks, or any other West coast team plays a road game, the travel distance is bound to be longer than most, with the bulk of the NFL living on the East coast.
The Seahawks happen to live in the upper corner of the United States, amplifying their travel distance, especially when the team plays the Dolphins, Buccaneers or any other Southeast team.
Any NFL schedule is tough. The reason the Seahawks have lost so many 10 a.m. starts the past few years is that they've been the inferior team. Who can argue that for 2008?
The Chargers were given the kindest schedule of West coast teams because they've been a contender for years.
If a job calls for you to be alert and ready at 10 a.m. and you're not, then most likely you'd be fired.
The Seahawks, and the rest of the West coast, need to make the proper adjustments to do their job.
Nothing can be changed for the first half of the season, where the Seahawks can gain momentum with their six games (four being at home). Maybe they can prove that they deserve to be flexed out of at least one of their 10 a.m. starts to a primetime audience in the second half.
As long as the Seahawks keep pulling the short straw in scheduling, fans only need to blame their own team. At 4-12, did they deserve any better? It's time to put an end to the 10 a.m. complaints and prove they can win no matter what time zone they're in.
Reach Aaron Weinberg at nextseasonsports@gmail.com
