Sarni's Scrolls: NFL flexes its TV muscles
By Jim Sarni
Football ceases to be just a weekend passion this month.
Beginning Wednesday, there will be at least one football game (college and/or pro) on TV for the next 50 days. The next pigskinless day... Nov. 22, the day before Thanksgiving.
Florida International is embracing Wednesdays with four consecutive midweek games, beginning tonight at New Mexico State (9 p.m., CBSSN).
It's great exposure for FIU (+6.5) and Conference-USA.
"I'd rather play on Saturdays, but this is a no-brainer," Panthers coach Mike MacIntyre said.
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The NFL flexed the Week 5 Oct. 15 Tampa Bay Bucs-Detroit Lions game to 4:25, replacing the Philadelphia Eagles-New York Jets game.
Looking ahead, there are several potentially lousy games -- three featuring the terrible Chicago Bears -- on the primetime schedule.
Week 8 -- Bears-Chargers, NBCWeek 10 -- Panthers-Bears, Amazon Week 10 -- Jets-Raiders, NBCWeek 11 -- Vikings- Broncos, NBCWeek 12 -- Bears-Vikings, ESPNWeek 16 -- Patriots-Broncos, NBC
Good news: The NFL expanded flexing this season to include select Monday and Thursday weeks.
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Taylor Swift Effect: Sunday Night's Chiefs-Jets game put up big numbers, drawing 27 million on NBC, including a spike in teen girl viewership.
***The USC-Colorado game was the most-watched college football telecast last Saturday with a 4.0 rating and 7.24 million viewers on Fox (noon).2. Georgia-Auburn (3.4, 6.40M) on CBS (3:30).3. Notre Dame-Duke (2.3, 5.32M) on ABC (7:30).
***Top CFB windows through Week 5Fox Big Noon -- 5.8MABC 3:30 -- 4.8MCBS 3:30 -- 4.8MESPN Prime -- 4.1MNBC Prime -- 3.5MABC Prime -- 3.3M
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Michael Jordan's net worth increased to $3 billion after he sold the NBA Charlotte Hornets. That qualifies the basketball great for the Forbes 400, the first time a pro athlete has cracked the list. There are three billionaire athletes -- Jordan, Tiger Woods, LeBron James.
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Apple TV+ released the trailer for “Messi Meets America,” its highly anticipated six-part documentary event.
The series is set to premiere globally on October 11 with the first three episodes. Additional episodes currently in production, to premiere later this season.
More Messi: Lionel and Hard Rock International unveiled "The Hard Rock Messi Kids Menu" on Monday in Fort Lauderdale.
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The 2026 World Cup Final is down to two stadiums: New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium and Texas’ AT&T Stadium...
FC Cincinnati clinched the MLS Supporters Shield (best record) for the first time...
Apple could offer up to two billion a year for exclusive Formula 1 rights across the globe...
The "New York Times" writes about Dave Portnoy, the founder of Barstool Sports, calling him "the most influential figure on America's pizza scene."...
Shohei Ohtani topped MLB's most popular uniform list for the first time...
Mattel unveiled a Stevie Nicks Barbie with an outfit inspired by her look on the cover of the Fleetwood Mac "Rumors" album...
Zaire Wade, son of Dwyane Wade is the subject of the latest Front Office Sports series "My Other Passion."...
Connecticut Fish and Wildlife officials caught and released a 400-pound stingray that measured over 6 feet long and 5 feet wide...
Chef Gordon Ramsay dreamed of becoming a pro soccer player...
Jamie Lynn Spears was eliminated on a "Dancing With The Stars" shocker Tuesday night...
Happy National Cinnamon Roll Day
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Quotes
"I said it. I take it back. I hope he stays for 10 years." --- Joe Namath, changing his mind on Zach Wilson.
"This is my emo state. This is me. This is how I'm feeling as of late." -- Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler, who showed up at Media Day with a strange new hairstyle, eye, lip and nose piercings, and black fingernails.
"The way I see it now we have a new streak going. We're 1-0 and that's the one we want to focus on now." -- Pablo Lopez, Minnesota's winning pitcher as the Twins defeated the Blue Jays 3-1 on Tuesday to end its 18-game postseason losing streak.
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Jim Sarni, BC Class of '69, is a former sportswriter for The Boston Globe and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He resides in Fort Lauderdale and watches a lot of television.