NFL Flexes Giant Muscles, Bullies NCAA

Apparently the NFL has caused a bit of a scheduling conflict with the NCAA and the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. They've scheduled the Packers @ Cardinals game one day prior to the Bowl game, where the NCAA reportedly has a contract in place with the stadium operator saying a game cannot be played less than two days before the event. The Cards deal apparently says the same thing.

So now the NFL front offices are leaving the Cards out to dry and let them apologize...for what, I'm not sure. But one way or the other, the NFL has said they have no intention of rescheduling the game.

"Oh, what, you have a game scheduled a day after ours? Oh, there's a contract saying our game isn't legal? Sorry, I don't know anything about that contract. If you'd like, I hear there's another stadium close by that you could play in..."

What's interesting to me about this is how the NFL has in the past always seemed to get out of the way when dealing with the NCAA. They never schedule games on Saturdays where there's NCAA action, just like they don't on Fridays for high school football. Classically they've seen it as protecting their own future. So why they're picking now to fire up such a confrontation, over something that's really so small as a regular season game, is beyond me. How tough is it really to just say "Oh man, sorry, we didn't realize it, we're taking actions immediately to rectify the situation?"

The NCAA "isn't threatening legal action" (not a direct quote) although they're pretty clearly threatening legal action, wink wink nudge nudge. Will be interesting to see who's got the muscle for this one.