tk13
03-28-2006, 02:56 AM
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/sports/14201301.htm
Chiefs to play Thanksgiving
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star
ORLANDO, Fla. — For years, Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt tugged on Paul Tagliabue’s ear every chance he got, urging the NFL commissioner to let all the teams take a turn at playing host to a Thanksgiving game.
Hunt on Monday was given what he wanted — sort of. The NFL gave the Chiefs a Thanksgiving night home game against Denver. Tagliabue indicated the Thanksgiving night game would become a staple of the NFL schedule along with the longstanding afternoon games played in Detroit and Dallas.
The night games will rotate around the league. Detroit and Dallas will remain as the hosts for the earlier games.
“It’s still not exactly what we wanted,” Hunt said during a break in the NFL meetings. “We wanted to see all of these games rotated. But we’re happy to have this one. We’re not going to look down our noses at this. It’s another feather in the cap of Arrowhead Stadium.”
The Chiefs’ preseason schedule features coach Herm Edwards’ nationally televised return to New York. Edwards, who coached the Jets the last five years before being traded to the Chiefs in January, will take his new team into the Meadowlands for a game against the Giants.
The game is tentatively scheduled for Aug. 19 and will be shown nationally on Fox.
Edwards smiled broadly when the subject was raised.
“It’s ironic that it’s happening so soon,” he said.
The preseason schedule also includes home games against St. Louis on Aug. 26 and New Orleans on Aug. 31. Both dates are tentative.
The preseason opener will be a road game between Aug. 11 and Aug. 14 against an opponent to be announced.
The Thanksgiving game against the Broncos will begin at 7 p.m. The game will be the first in the regular season shown live on the NFL Network. The network will have a live pregame show from Arrowhead.
For those without cable or with systems that don’t carry the NFL Network, the game will also be shown in Kansas City on an over-the-air station to be decided.
“The game ought to have a terrific television audience,” Hunt said. “I’ve always felt Thanksgiving night is more attractive than the two day-game slots. People are looking for something to do by then.”
Arrowhead has become something of a haven for holiday football. The Chiefs were home for a Christmas game against the Raiders in 2004. Last season, they played the Chargers on Christmas Eve and the Bengals on New Year’s Day.
Kansas City has a Thanksgiving football tradition dating to the old AFL. The Chiefs had holiday games at old Municipal Stadium against the Raiders in 1967, the Oilers in 1968 and the Broncos in 1969.
The Chiefs lobbied for many years for the Thanksgiving games to rotate to every city. To Hunt, it’s a competitive issue. Teams that play on the holiday get the benefit of the long break afterward, he said.
“We’re not looking for an advantage in Kansas City because it is an advantage to be at home (on Thanksgiving) every year,” Hunt said. “I’m not for any franchise getting those games every year. I think they should be rotated to all the teams. We don’t think that should be just a privilege just for Dallas and Detroit, nor do we think it should be a privilege just for Kansas City.
“It’s something all 32 teams should have the opportunity to get.”
Since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, the Chiefs have played five times on Thanksgiving, including back-to-back games in 1995 and 1996. All five were in Detroit or Dallas.
“We played the game in Dallas in 1995 and Detroit in 1996 and I said to the commissioner, ‘Paul, you misunderstand what Lamar wants. He doesn’t want to play on Thanksgiving on the road. He wants to play at home,’ ” president/general manager Carl Peterson said. “It’s finally happened.”
Edwards liked the idea of being able to give the Chiefs an extended post-Thanksgiving break.
“That break gets put to use, especially in November,” Edwards said. “You want to win in November and December. That puts you in the playoffs.”
The rest of the schedule will be announced as soon as next week. The Chiefs are likely to open the regular season at Arrowhead. The Royals are on the road for the only Sunday of the month on Sept. 10, which is the NFL’s opening Sunday.
If the Chiefs open at home that weekend, possible opponents are Cincinnati, Baltimore, Seattle and San Francisco.
Chiefs to play Thanksgiving
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star
ORLANDO, Fla. — For years, Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt tugged on Paul Tagliabue’s ear every chance he got, urging the NFL commissioner to let all the teams take a turn at playing host to a Thanksgiving game.
Hunt on Monday was given what he wanted — sort of. The NFL gave the Chiefs a Thanksgiving night home game against Denver. Tagliabue indicated the Thanksgiving night game would become a staple of the NFL schedule along with the longstanding afternoon games played in Detroit and Dallas.
The night games will rotate around the league. Detroit and Dallas will remain as the hosts for the earlier games.
“It’s still not exactly what we wanted,” Hunt said during a break in the NFL meetings. “We wanted to see all of these games rotated. But we’re happy to have this one. We’re not going to look down our noses at this. It’s another feather in the cap of Arrowhead Stadium.”
The Chiefs’ preseason schedule features coach Herm Edwards’ nationally televised return to New York. Edwards, who coached the Jets the last five years before being traded to the Chiefs in January, will take his new team into the Meadowlands for a game against the Giants.
The game is tentatively scheduled for Aug. 19 and will be shown nationally on Fox.
Edwards smiled broadly when the subject was raised.
“It’s ironic that it’s happening so soon,” he said.
The preseason schedule also includes home games against St. Louis on Aug. 26 and New Orleans on Aug. 31. Both dates are tentative.
The preseason opener will be a road game between Aug. 11 and Aug. 14 against an opponent to be announced.
The Thanksgiving game against the Broncos will begin at 7 p.m. The game will be the first in the regular season shown live on the NFL Network. The network will have a live pregame show from Arrowhead.
For those without cable or with systems that don’t carry the NFL Network, the game will also be shown in Kansas City on an over-the-air station to be decided.
“The game ought to have a terrific television audience,” Hunt said. “I’ve always felt Thanksgiving night is more attractive than the two day-game slots. People are looking for something to do by then.”
Arrowhead has become something of a haven for holiday football. The Chiefs were home for a Christmas game against the Raiders in 2004. Last season, they played the Chargers on Christmas Eve and the Bengals on New Year’s Day.
Kansas City has a Thanksgiving football tradition dating to the old AFL. The Chiefs had holiday games at old Municipal Stadium against the Raiders in 1967, the Oilers in 1968 and the Broncos in 1969.
The Chiefs lobbied for many years for the Thanksgiving games to rotate to every city. To Hunt, it’s a competitive issue. Teams that play on the holiday get the benefit of the long break afterward, he said.
“We’re not looking for an advantage in Kansas City because it is an advantage to be at home (on Thanksgiving) every year,” Hunt said. “I’m not for any franchise getting those games every year. I think they should be rotated to all the teams. We don’t think that should be just a privilege just for Dallas and Detroit, nor do we think it should be a privilege just for Kansas City.
“It’s something all 32 teams should have the opportunity to get.”
Since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, the Chiefs have played five times on Thanksgiving, including back-to-back games in 1995 and 1996. All five were in Detroit or Dallas.
“We played the game in Dallas in 1995 and Detroit in 1996 and I said to the commissioner, ‘Paul, you misunderstand what Lamar wants. He doesn’t want to play on Thanksgiving on the road. He wants to play at home,’ ” president/general manager Carl Peterson said. “It’s finally happened.”
Edwards liked the idea of being able to give the Chiefs an extended post-Thanksgiving break.
“That break gets put to use, especially in November,” Edwards said. “You want to win in November and December. That puts you in the playoffs.”
The rest of the schedule will be announced as soon as next week. The Chiefs are likely to open the regular season at Arrowhead. The Royals are on the road for the only Sunday of the month on Sept. 10, which is the NFL’s opening Sunday.
If the Chiefs open at home that weekend, possible opponents are Cincinnati, Baltimore, Seattle and San Francisco.