Schedule Release?

[PurpleHaze]

If you call putting marquee matchups, good teams, and teams that draw the biggest ratings on national TV a bias, then sure. But what else are they supposed to do?

The Kings are not a good team, nor do they have anybody very interesting worth showcasing, so don't expect any exposure.

You took only one segment (TV) to comment on and my only retort there is: They could have at least thrown Kings one measly crumb for a nat'l TV game. As far as "showcasing" - what's so bottom of the barrel about Kevin Martin, 5th leading scorer in the NBA last season? The rest involves five straight years of obvious brutal road opening scheduling bias - indefensible!

 

[uolj]

You took only one segment (TV) to comment on and my only retort there is: They could have at least thrown Kings one measly crumb for a nat'l TV game. As far as "showcasing" - what's so bottom of the barrel about Kevin Martin, 5th leading scorer in the NBA last season? The rest involves five straight years of obvious brutal road opening scheduling bias - indefensible!

I wouldn't call it indefensible. It's not that big of a deal to go on a road trip and roughly half the teams have to start on the road, so why not start on a regular sized trip?

Have you looked at the scheduling peculiarities of other teams? I haven't but if you're going to scream bias then I hope you know whether these things happen elsewhere. For example, I don't think the Knicks have a national TV appearance this year either. And I don't know about opening the season on the road, but random chance means that one team will start with a road trip five consecutive years, so it shouldn't be that shocking.

 

[keflanag]

I'm pretty sure that it is mandatory for each team to have at least 1 nationally televised game. My guess is that the April 9 game vs. Houston will be on TNT. Either way, I'd wait until the TV schedule comes out before chastising the lack of one game with the Kings on National TV. You know they'll want to show the Ron Artest return to Arco.

You took only one segment (TV) to comment on and my only retort there is: They could have at least thrown Kings one measly crumb for a nat'l TV game. As far as "showcasing" - what's so bottom of the barrel about Kevin Martin, 5th leading scorer in the NBA last season? The rest involves five straight years of obvious brutal road opening scheduling bias - indefensible!

 

[NME]

For each of the last four years we've started out with three straight on the road. This year it's different. It's four straight.

That does seem a bit unfair.

This particular year, I wouldn't exactly mind a few extra schedule-driven losses. Let's hope for a cushier schedule in a couple of years when we're competing in earnest for playoff position.

 

[PurpleHaze]

I wouldn't call it indefensible. It's not that big of a deal to go on a road trip and roughly half the teams have to start on the road, so why not start on a regular sized trip?

Have you looked at the scheduling peculiarities of other teams? I haven't but if you're going to scream bias then I hope you know whether these things happen elsewhere. For example, I don't think the Knicks have a national TV appearance this year either. And I don't know about opening the season on the road, but random chance means that one team will start with a road trip five consecutive years, so it shouldn't be that shocking.

With all due respect, you must have been born on the east coast or lived there a lot. You don't know about obvious east coast bias? It's all over the national media, in NYC/Washington DC centered news coverage, east coast dominated sports news, even in Sac with pathetic Grant Napear going on endlessly about HIS NYC sports teams, etc.

Plus, you keep focusing on TV - that was only one small part of what I and others brought up. The more telling example is Kings condemned to the road for 3-4 opening games 5 STRAIGHT YEARS! Once again - totally indefensible!

 

[uolj]

With all due respect, you must have been born on the east coast or lived there a lot. You don't know about obvious east coast bias? It's all over the national media, in NYC/Washington DC centered news coverage, east coast dominated sports news, even in Sac with pathetic Grant Napear going on endlessly about HIS NYC sports teams, etc.

Plus, you keep focusing on TV - that was only one small part of what I and others brought up. The more telling example is Kings condemned to the road for 3-4 opening games 5 STRAIGHT YEARS! Once again - totally indefensible!

Born and raised in Sacramento, lived in Northern California my entire life.

I have of course heard of the so-called east coast bias, but that doesn't mean I believe it exists, and it certainly doesn't mean I think it is happening here.

I provided a defense for the "indefensible" opening on the road thing. If you randomly selected who starts on the road and who starts at home, then on average there is a 1 out of 32 chance that you will start on the road five years in a row. Since road trips are often 3-4 games long, then 5 straight years with 3-4 initial road games could happen just by chance.

Even if it wasn't by chance, there's no reason to think that it's because of anything other than the fact that the Kings aren't very good right now.

Seriously, look at some of the other schedules. I'm sure there are strange anomalies everywhere.

 

[SacBlaze]

YES! The Nov 29th against Dallas will work perfect, then on the 30th we can go see the Raiders play KC. Great Weekend. Thanks for the links!

 

[Dreadnought]

With all due respect, you must have been born on the east coast or lived there a lot. You don't know about obvious east coast bias? It's all over the national media, in NYC/Washington DC centered news coverage, east coast dominated sports news, even in Sac with pathetic Grant Napear going on endlessly about HIS NYC sports teams, etc.

Plus, you keep focusing on TV - that was only one small part of what I and others brought up. The more telling example is Kings condemned to the road for 3-4 opening games 5 STRAIGHT YEARS! Once again - totally indefensible!

No offense, but why does it matter? I could only see it being a problem if you really wanted to go to the opening game.

 

[Warhawk]

From Mark Stein:

April 9: Houston at Sacramento
If the reality of the Artest trade hasn't sunk in yet for the Kings' loyal subjects, it certainly will by the time Artest finally makes it back to Arco Arena, which won't happen until the 78th game on Sacramento's schedule.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=stein_marc&page=ScheduleHighlights-080806

 

[Section 101]

at least its only the first two games that are home openers.

I'm pissed the feb 1st game starts at 6 pm. that's superbowl sunday.

 

[JerN820]

For each of the last four years we've started out with three straight on the road. This year it's different. It's four straight.

That does seem a bit unfair.

True. Orlando is pretty good and Philly and Miami are looking to have a rebound year, as they made good off season moves to better their teams. Wade should be healthy for Miami too. The schedule makers werent good to us once again.

 

[kennadog]

I'm ticked that the Kings are opening on the road for the fifth straight year, too. It's probably opening night for those teams which makes it extra difficult for the visiting team.

It's not fair to Kings fans either. Yes, I would like to go to a season-opening game at Arco. They can make the rest by random (which I don't believe, anyway) selection, but I think every team should have to alternate opening games away and at home.

 

[Kings Faithful]

Were always gonna be ignored as a team. I felt like underdogs when we were the best in the league. Everyone will always hate on the Kings and we will always be called "softies" and the "queens". Everyone can screw off. When we finally win the Championship the world will probably implode because it can't criticize the Kings anymore. Thats probably why Stern is paying the refs to rig it so we don't win....Sterns trying to save the world! it all makes sense now!

 

[KingsCitizen]

Oh my! ZEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOO Kings games televised on ABC, TNT, and ESPN. This is gonna be a boring season for me here in overseas. Hope NBA TV shares a few. Oh my!

 

[king07]

shouldn't expect to be on national tv after two straight losing seasons

 

[Aenadin]

the sad truth of not having a poster boy or a guy who dunks over some ones head..........

most teams televised have people who can dunk over any one.. hell in here the NJ were occasionally put on even if they werent good just to see Carter do some of his acrobatic dunk over some ones head thing...

honestly dunks are so overrated...

hell if thats what the league wants lets get 10 guys with no skills but can jump pretty high and posterize every body...

 

[Kings Faithful]

I originally posted this on another forum, but this one is more active so i figure Id post this and see what you guys think.

In the last 20 years the Lakers have had two 2 game road trips starts, one 3 game road trip start, and one four game road trip start. Only one instance were they were consecutive and that is only if you count from Houston to Dallas a road "trip". So we'll be graceful and say they've had 1 consecutive road trip beginning compared to our 5 in a row....not to mention these road trips were all between 1988-1995....so in the last 13 years they have not had any road trips in the beginning...They have also started the season with a single road game only 3 times in the last 13 seasons....so 10 out of 13 seasons they had a home opener.

Now for the Kings side of things....Including this year, 7 of our last 10 seasons (as far as I could go back) have started with a road trip....of those 7 season 5 of them have been road trips of 3 games or more each season. Compared to the Lakers 2 road starts and 0 road trips in the last ten years.

I'm sorry. I think that's ridiculous.

 

[Bballkingsrock]

I am trying to play the devils advocate, but whats the opint of starting with a home game? I really dont see much starting away. This will hopefully be our last losing season so if we get a top 5 pick I will be really happy so the more losing the better.

 

[Kings Faithful]

I am trying to play the devils advocate, but whats the opint of starting with a home game? I really dont see much starting away. This will hopefully be our last losing season so if we get a top 5 pick I will be really happy so the more losing the better.

I'm just saying....alot of how well a team does has to do with momentum...when you get hard schedules right in the beginning like we seem to every single year it kills a little momentum and causes you to lose some games at certain stretches. I'm not blaming the schedule I'm just letting you guys know that when it comes to favorable schedules the Kings aren't exactly a role model.

 

[Bballkingsrock]

I'm just saying....alot of how well a team does has to do with momentum...when you get hard schedules right in the beginning like we seem to every single year it kills a little momentum and causes you to lose some games at certain stretches. I'm not blaming the schedule I'm just letting you guys know that when it comes to favorable schedules the Kings aren't exactly a role model.

Yeah I understand that, but might as well have unfavorable schedules now, bcause I'm sure once the Kings get better after this year, wewill have better schedules.

 

[Telemachus]

Yeah I understand that, but might as well have unfavorable schedules now, bcause I'm sure once the Kings get better after this year, wewill have better schedules.

When the Kings were one of the best teams in the league, they still were getting bad schedules. It really comes down to what the TV execs want. And I am sure they get better ratings when a team like the Lakers start at home than on the road.

 

[Kings Faithful]

When the Kings were one of the best teams in the league, they still were getting bad schedules. It really comes down to what the TV execs want. And I am sure they get better ratings when a team like the Lakers start at home than on the road.

Exactly...i would even venture to say we have had more bad schedules in the last 10 years than the Lakers have had in the last 35.....Theres somethin wrong there.

 

[kennadog]

When the Kings were one of the best teams in the league, they still were getting bad schedules. It really comes down to what the TV execs want. And I am sure they get better ratings when a team like the Lakers start at home than on the road.

Exactly why I don't believe the "random" selection crap. I don't knoiw if I can find it, but some time ago, I saw how many back-to-back games each team averaged over a number of years. No surprise the Lakers were on the loswer side of average and the Kings on the higher.

 

[gunks]

NBA is shady but I still love the game.


I wish Stern and his croneys would just get canned, they're really taking the integrity outta it.

 

[Yoda]

It sucks having a nationally irrelevant team. Hopefully we will see that change someday with these interesting youngsters.

 

[Entity]

I am sorry for you guys that depend on nationally televised games. BUT for me with league pass I love it. on league pass the games take about 2 1/2 to 3 hours. On National TV you will never be under the 3 hour mark and alot of time you fall between 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Living on the east coast i like when the game ends before midnight.

 

[GoSACtown]

i believe the last time the kings opened at home was lebron james' nba debut?

 

[tradepeja]

I am sorry for you guys that depend on nationally televised games. BUT for me with league pass I love it. on league pass the games take about 2 1/2 to 3 hours. On National TV you will never be under the 3 hour mark and alot of time you fall between 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Living on the east coast i like when the game ends before midnight.

Uh, what? You are getting fed live local TV airings of games out of your market when you are watching on NBA League Pass. There is no difference between them and a National TV airing in length barring overtimes. Unless you are counting pregames that Nat'l airings do.

TV timeouts are in every game now since basically every game is televised in some way. I think its a rule now anyway so even if they aren't on TV for some ungodly reason, they would still have the TV timeouts each quarter.

Are you watching repeats of games already ran where they cut out timeouts here and there and maybe take out entire quarters? Or are you just mistaken?

 

[Telemachus]

Uh, what? You are getting fed live local TV airings of games out of your market when you are watching on NBA League Pass. There is no difference between them and a National TV airing in length barring overtimes. Unless you are counting pregames that Nat'l airings do.

I don't know if all national TV games are the same, but TNT games have longer timeouts that regular broadcast TV games.