[When Daytrader and Rose decided they were moving to College Station, it was time for DT to figure out the details. No, not where they would live, or how he would finish his degree at a school in upstate New York from southeast Texas. The big question was: how would DT get to see the Giants play football on Sunday? With the release of the 2009 schedule, we decided to hash it out.]

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From: Jesse
To: Daytrader
Subject: To satellite or not to satellite?

The NFL has released the 2009 schedule.  Here's how I see it shaking out for you to get games over the air once you move to College Station.

From my experience last year, you can count on getting all nationally televised games and all games played against Dallas.  On top of those, if neither Houston or Dallas has a game during the day on Sunday, you have a reasonable chance of seeing the Giants, depending on the matchup.

In 2009, the Giants have 5 prime time games + 1 non-primetime game against Dallas = at least 6 games will be on the air here. So, if you decide to get Direct TV with the NFL package, you'll be paying for, at most, 10 games, possibly less if you get lucky on a random Sunday or if the Giants get flexed later in the season. So, the question is: how much would you pay to watch a single regular season game? -----

From: Daytrader
To: Jesse
Subject: Breaking it down

[Editor's note: to help decode Daytrader's nonsense below, you need to know that DH=double header, PT=prime time, and DP=double penetration.]

OK...let's talk schedule.

Week 1: Both Dallas and Houston have a 1 PM game (or I guess 12 in Texas) and the Giants play host to Washington at 4:15 on Fox.  CBS never has a late game the first weekend since that's when the US Open Men's Final is.  Looking at the other 4:15 games I'm sure that the Giants game is the marquee match-up so do you think that we would get that game?  I give it a maybe.

Week 2: Yes obviously we can see the Prime Time Giants-Cowboys game.  I kinda wish it wasn't Prime Time since I would be able to see it anyway.

Week 3: Giants have 1 PM FOX and Houston has 1 PM CBS.  Dallas has another PT game on Monday night.  Therefore there should be an open FOX spot, but probably not the early game.  CBS has the double-header so I say no game.

Week 4: Houston early on CBS...Dallas late on FOX...Giants early on FOX.  FOX has double-header, but even if we'd get an early FOX game Giants play at KC and that wouldn't be the early marquee match-up.  I say no game.

Week 5: Dallas early on FOX...Giants early on CBS...Houston late on CBS.  CBS has DH.   Giants host Oakland so probably not good for early marquee, but there seems to be no interesting early CBS games.  Still I say no game.

Week 6: Houston early on CBS...Giants early on FOX...Dallas has bye...CBS has DH.  Since Giants play at Saints and there is no Cowboys game I'd like their chances if they played late.  But since not I would say no game.

Week 7: Giants with PT against Arizona.  Will get that one.

Week 8: Both Dallas and Houston have early games.  FOX with DH.  Giants play late on FOX, but two GREAT match-ups late on FOX: Panthers-Cardinals and Giants-Eagles...both Divisional round rematches.  I don't know who would get the slot.  Tempted to say Giants-Eagles since that's the same division as Dallas.  I give this one a maybe.

Week 9: Houston early on CBS...Giants late on CBS...Dallas has PT...CBS with DH.  If they do what's usually done in New York with the Giants and Jets, then I would say we'll get this Giants game.  Giants host Chargers and it's CBS marquee late game.  I say yes on this one.

Week 10: SON OF A BITCH.  Giants have bye.  Houston also has bye.  No one else with bye.  Giants lose out on a chance to gain a showing since Houston is on a bye.  GAY.

Week 11: Dallas early on FOX...Giants early on FOX...Houston PT on Monday.  No game since it conflicts with Dallas.

Week 12: Both Dallas and Giants play on Thanksgiving.  PROBLEM: Giants PT on NFL Network.  Won't get the game unless one of us gets NFL Network.  Do you get it?  I'm assuming not so we won't be able to see this PT game.

Week 13: Dallas at Giants.  Will get this one obviously.

Week 14: Giants host Eagles on Sunday night.  Will get this one.  I think too soon for Flex Scheduling so no worries about this one being taken off.

Week 15: Giants host Washington on Monday night.  Will get this one.

Week 16: Houston early on CBS...Giants early on FOX...Dallas Sunday night...CBS with DH.  Bad news for Giants on this scheduling.  I say no.  Tough too since hosting Panthers.

Week 17: Dallas early on FOX...Houston early on CBS...Giants early on FOX...FOX with DH.  Gotta hope for Flex help on this one.  I say no.

Interesting that the Giants last 5 games are from Week 13-15 against each NFC East opponent then 16 hosting Carolina and 17 at Minnesota.  That's identical to last season's last 5 weeks.

OK..So here's my tally:

N: 8
M: 2
Y: 6

I see your point about paying for at most 10 games, but I can also watch other games that aren't Houston and Dallas.  Still unsure about what we'll do.  I mean I'm up for sports barring it.  Also for me at least, I'll be traveling to New York a few times.  I have a wedding week 3 so I'll get that one and Grad weekend is week 4 so I'll get that one too.  If I'm in NY for Thanksgiving then I'll get that NFL Network game and week 16 is around Christmas so if I'm home then I'll get that one against the Panthers.  So then I'll catch at least 10 games, and I might need to go back for research another time so maybe it will go up to 11.  We'll make it work.

So let me know what you think of my assessment of the games.  You know more than I do about how they handle the double-headers in Houston so maybe I'm off about some things.

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From: Jesse
To: Daytrader
Subject: Suck a dick, Comcast!

If the Giants-Eagles play at 4pm with no Dallas or Houston game at that time, I guarantee that Eagles-Giants would be the game here, so put that one as a yes.

Because I am in the Houston home market, when Houston has a game I do not get a second game. I don't know if that is true in College Station or not, so you could possibly get another game (although not necessarily the Giants) even if Houston or Dallas has a game at the same time, as long as they aren't both on at the same time. That could result in you getting an extra couple of games that I don't.

Flex schedule starts in the last 5 weeks, I think? Last year I got 2 extra Giants games because they got flexed. I do get NFL Network right this moment, but I won't by Thanksgiving because Comcast and NFL Network are having a pissing contest, and the current contract is up before then. Fucking Comcast sucks a dick. Although I'll probably be in Florida or somewhere for Thanksgiving so who knows if I'll get it or not. 

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From: Daytrader
To: Jesse
Subject: College Station = Albany?

OK...Good to hear about that Week 8 game.  I was a little cautious because the other game should be good and that it was listed ahead of the Giants-Eagles game on the schedule.  It seems to me that the first game listed is the marquee game.  But obviously that could change depending on what's going on in the league.

I looked at the cable providers in College Station and they have Comcast and Time Warner.  I know that Time Warner doesn't have the NFL network since I have them now in Troy.  There is also something called Suddenlink Cable, but it looks like it's run by some redneck in the middle of nowhere.  They don't get any of the professional sports channels and their website says that they are still in the process of getting Caller ID for digital phone service.  I think I'll pass on that one.

Rose and I were looking at DirecTV last night, but then we would have to go somewhere else for internet.  I don't know if they have Fios out there, but even still it would be slower internet, but I'm pretty sure that they have the NFL network.  That's not that big of a deal for me because I'll probably be back in NY and can get the game on the local channels.

I should ask Jim about how many Eagles games does he get living in NJ.  I would think it's the same set up as Houston.  In NY the Giants and the Jets NEVER play at the same time.  And if one isn't at  prime time then one is early and the other is late and there are no other games on.  It seems like that's the same situation as Houston.  The only other hope is that College Station is like Albany.  Albany shows the Giants and Jets games, but also will play another game against it, usually whatever is the marquee game on the network with the double header.