This is an interesting nugget from the Trib today:

"In Weeks 10 through 15 and in Week 17, the NFL will designate a Sunday afternoon game that can be switched to prime time for NBC, giving the teams and their fans a minimum of 12 days advance notice. Fox and CBS, the AFC outlet, have the right to protect five games during this period.

But the setup isn't as flexible as advertised.

Without announcing it, the NFL already has earmarked certain Sunday night games for NBC. Fox, for instance, didn't have a chance to protect the Bears-New York Giants game on Nov. 12--a huge ratings draw--because the league planned to move it to prime time.

NBC could have opted for another game if the matchup did not look promising, but there's no way that's going to happen; the Bears and Giants, currently 7-0 and 5-2, respectively, will deliver huge numbers.

Another potential complication--and no one saw this coming in fairly recent Bears seasons--is a league-imposed limit on prime-time appearances. Teams are allowed five.

The Giants game will be the Bears' third, and they're guaranteed a fourth with their Dec. 11 game at St. Louis, a Monday nighter on ESPN.

Because Sunday is the only day that has flexible scheduling, NBC is left with only one more chance to grab a Bears game. The Bears-New York Jets game on Nov. 19 is off limits because Fox protected it."
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Bears-Pats? That'd be my guess, especially if Bears beat the Giants...

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"Tubby? Oh yes, Tubby."

agreed coach...though it is nice to have a 3:15 game every so often

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I almost feel like I am watching a tape when a Bear game is on after sunset.

How great would it have been if the Bear-Packer New Year's Eve game was a Sunday nighter? It would have been a great source of revenue for the city of chicago as well.

I don't think NBC or the rest of the country cares.

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“Mmmm. Move over, eggs. Bacon just got a new best friend - fudge.”

That Bears/Packer game won't be a Sunday nighter. The Bears will have home field clinched by then and the Packers will be out of the playoffs. Starters will only play a half if that. There will be better games with the playoffs riding on it for the last game.

There isn't a Sunday night game that week.
The night game is being played on Saturday (giants-skins)

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“Mmmm. Move over, eggs. Bacon just got a new best friend - fudge.”

That's where alcohol comes in handy. Drink heavily in the morning before the noon games and then in the middle of other irrelevant afternoon NFL tilts, take a beer nap. Wake up at 6 pm and your body thinks it's morning again after sleeping off the buzz you got 8 hours earlier. You can then get your Bears buzz on.

That's dumb. Why would the NFL give up a Sunday night game to end the season. They stopped doing Monday nights to end the season and that makes sense because you could have a dog game and their is no flexibility to change it. Plus if a team is in the playoffs its a disadvantage if they have to play Monday before a playoff game.

They had to make room for Dick Clark's countdown???


Seriously - with all the parties ratings would suck.

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“Mmmm. Move over, eggs. Bacon just got a new best friend - fudge.”

No they wouldn't. People would watch if they put a game that had playoff implications. But you are probrally right. They eliminated it because of New Years.

Probably also involves network tradeoffs and concessions for the college football bowl games. ESPN has a new years eve (sunday night) bowl game between the #8 ACC team and the #4 Wac team live from the frigid blue rug in Boise. Who wouldn't rather watch that than Bears-Packers? And Fox has the Fiesta bowl game on Monday night.

I kept an eye on the Auburn-Miami game at a party last new year's eve even though it was a blowout. It's fun to watch miami lose.

Beardown,
From the simple fact that we are posting on this message board, I'll assume that we're not casual fans. Personally, I would watch anything sports related, including a cooking show if it was hosted by Ditka.

Prime time games are produced with the casual fan in mind, and on 12/31/06 casual fans will be looking for casual sex at a downtown hotel, leaving you and me to watch Eric & Kathy from the House of Blues.

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“Mmmm. Move over, eggs. Bacon just got a new best friend - fudge.”

Well they have been playing Bowl games in prime time on New Years Eve for years. They will this year too as Coast said. It might be a gentlemen's agreement by the NFL to let college have the night. I just think with the flex schedule they could have had a game that meant sudden death to the two participants on the last game of the year. So in essence it would have been a playoff game.

a new years eve game would get ratings if say it was a 6:00pm eastern kickoff

games over by 9 on the east, 8ish at home. people watch the game, then go out and party

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It matters how you define people. I assume the majority of my house will be asleep by midnight and I will be there pulling my pud watching Mark Giangreco make fun of Joan Davies.

"O.k. Gang, today on cooking with Ditka....we're going to prepare some pork chops and sweet potato. Sweet Potato....great for keeping your orangeness."

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@audioidkid

you just troe da chops on da grill and den suck down a half a beer. den you flip da chops and den go take your piss. if you're like me dat takes a while cause da prostate aint what it used to be ya know. den after you take a piss, da chops are done. pour da ditka steak sauce on da chops and der ya go......a meal fit for a coach.

Bearsss!

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"Tubby? Oh yes, Tubby."

According to the nfl.com Dec 31 schedule, "One of the Sunday games will move to 8:15 p.m. Sunday night"

See http://www.nfl.com/schedules#week17