Will Seattle win the division in 2013?

[NinerLifer]

The problem I am seeing is the schedule. We don't just have to be better than the Niners, we need to be significantly better.

Once again the schedule makers have helped out the Niners limiting them to only two 10am starts and against non playoff opponents just like last year the NFL seen fit to remove all early starts against top caliber opponents and reflecting on their performance last year it was a good thing for the Niners they did. In the three games they did play at 10am they were against the Jets, Rams and Vikings. Two of those teams ended up better than expected at the time the schedule was being made and out of those three games the Niners were only able to beat the Jets.

Our schedule this year is stacked against 3 playoff teams and two other very good teams all at 10am starts including back to back 10am starts against Houston (had the best record in football until they fell apart at the end of the season) and then the Colts. To put that 10am start into perspective for those that think it doesn't matter. The Niners last year year went 5-3 on the road including winning games against NE and GB. The only losses on the road last year were to Seattle (who curb stomped them on their second week of travel) the Rams (a 10am start) and the Vikings (a 10am start). So they were able to beat teams like NE and GB on the road in a late or normal (for them) start time but couldn't get past the Vikings or Rams (both 10am starts). Normally which would you think would more difficult? Beating the Rams and Vikings or NE and GB? The only team able to beat them on the road and not a 10am start was the Seahawks and even that was week two of travel.

I would love to put on my homer goggles and say it doesn't matter but west coast teams have a 22% win percentage in 10am starts. You can't simply assume they just need to go to bed earlier.

It is very conceivable we sweep the Niners and still lose the division and if that happens the NFL should be ashamed of itself because you will be able to look at the 10am starts as the sole reason if that in fact happens. It seems pretty apparent for whatever reason the NFL wants the Niners to win the division. Maybe they are a more marketable team, I don't know but last year we ended up playing 5 10am starts including (what should be a complete travesty) a 10am start on the second week of travel in the friggen playoffs. There is no excuse for not adjusting the time and no way to ignore that it gave Atlanta a distinct advantage.

Hopefully we can overcome the odds and still win the division but if we do it should be acknowledged what task we would have accomplished in doing so.

I agree with alomst everything you said here. Nice to see a non homer take to it. :thirishdrinkers:

 

[BlueTalon]

I read through about 2/3 of this thread before leaping ahead. What can we do about this schedule? I'll tell you what I'd like to do, is strap Goodell and his schedule maker down on a couch and cattle-prod them right in the junk. They KNOW that travel imbalances are a significant disadvantage to the teams that have to travel longer. It's why we had to fly to Pissburgh two seasons ago, because having the rustbuckets fly out to Seattle would have meant a competitive disadvantage among teams in the AFCN.

Here's the shite-hole in which we find ourselves -- we know that flying east takes more of a toll on the body than flying west, but we have to pretend it makes no difference. The league could help offset the disadvantage by having later starts for west coast teams playing in eastern/central time zones, but they choose not to. And there's no damn good reason for it. Even with a worst case scenario, with all west coast teams flying east, and four east coast teams having a bye, and six east coast teams playing S/M/Th night games, they could still fill the schedule in both network time slots, with every one of the west coast teams playing at 4:00/1:00 rather than 1:00/10:00.

Instead, teams like the rustbuckets get preferential treatment, while teams like the Seahawks and the Digits take it in the shorts. The Digits shouldn't have had to play five early road games two years ago (and the fact that they did as well as they did in those games was remarkable -- literally, NFL commentators were remarking on how well they did.). The Seahawks shouldn't have to play five early road games this season. Not if the commish has any credibility left in those lying lips.

So yeah, we have to suck it up this year. If we win those games, the league can pretend there is no reason to change how they do things for west coast teams (while they continue to coddle the teams who consistently have the shortest distances to travel year after year.) And if anyone says something about it, we should just STFU because we won, right? What the hell are we complaining about if we won? And if we lose, tough. The problem must be whiney west coast fans, because it can't possibly be a real disadvantage due to physiological effects of flying east and playing early.

 

[MizzouHawkGal]

So in summation you are saying we are in a "damned if do or damned if we don't" situation. The only way I see this being rectified is to win something like 3 Superbowls in a row thereby building a national fanbase that the NFL has to respect and can't shunt off into the corner.

 

[BlueTalon]

So in summation you are saying we are in a "damned if do or damned if we don't" situation.

That, and I wish I had a good cattle prod.

But I like your idea of winning three Super Bowls. Even if it doesn't gain us any additional fans or respect.

 

[MizzouHawkGal]

So in summation you are saying we are in a "damned if do or damned if we don't" situation.

That, and I wish I had a good cattle prod.

But I like your idea of winning three Super Bowls. Even if it doesn't gain us any additional fans or respect.

Cattle prods are good where Goodell is concerned (what a lying POS) and respect is all in eye of the beholder I can take or leave it if we're respected or hated to be honest but it does go a long way in stopping ridiculous scheduling. I would like more fans because I am selfish and live in AFC country so having our team known and followed is helpful in passing the season and offseason.

 

[BlueTalon]

I would like more fans because I live in AFC country so having our team known and followed is helpful in passing the season and offseason.

Gotcha.