Long time no blog, everyone! Richie Longshots is here and back ready to help us prepare for another football season this fall.
Now, I’m sure pretty much everyone reading this is probably aware that start times were released for all of our games this year and I for one and thrilled. No, not because I’m one of those wallpaper schedules guys, but because the date and time that Liberty plays sets the tone for everything. This is why I decided to break down and rank the best dates and times on Liberty’s football schedule this year from worst all the way to the best.
(I’m going by Eastern Standard Time so don’t come at me with any nonsense)
HIT IT CYNDI
6. Saturday at 1pm: ODU and UMass
It’s 11:55, some country music singer you’ve never heard of just made a bunch of picks on Gameday and Corso is about to do the headgear thing. You’re fired up ready to watch some football and try and cash a couple of tickets along the way. Then, you look down at your phone and you realize that Liberty doesn’t play for another hour. Disappointment like it’s Junior Prom night all over again (if you were homeschooled and don’t get the joke I’m sorry).
Do you know who schedules kickoffs in the middle of the early slate of games? Notre Dame. (Joke Pre-Redacted before Jon can take it out.) Everything gets thrown out of wack. I need routine when it comes to college football and the moment you throw a one pm game into the mix I’m a frazzled mess.
5. Saturday 6/6:30pm: FIU and NMST
This isn’t that bad. The rest of the times we have I either love or I tolerate; including this one. I just would much rather a half hour later. The 3:30 games are just coming down to the wire and it can get very difficult trying to sweat out some BIG12 over while the Liberty game is kicking off. It’s right in the middle of weekend dinner time too. Can’t eat at 5pm, that’s too early. That 6pm slot is the perfect time to sit down and enjoy a nice Saturday dinner; however it’s extremely difficult to enjoy a nice dinner when you’re worried about kick-off.
4. Thursday 7pm: SHSU
First things first, I love the idea of weeknight games. Feed them all to me on a silver platter. However, this is an interesting one because I live in the Northeast and we love the NFL. I have no idea who the Thursday night game is but I’m about to check. Stand by.
Bears-Commanders!
I would rather watch Chad’s twenty-eight snapchats he sends every week of him golfing than watch that debacle of a football game.
Just about every sports fan in America has a way to have two TVs set up in their living room. Even if someone has the TNF game on, they’re going to throw on whatever college football game is being played on the second TV. Plus the way the game normally works out is that as the 7pm game ends, the TNF game is at halftime. More eyes and more tweets on the game. Plus the game ending at around 10pm is perfect. Not too late at all. Sign me up.
3. Saturday at Noon: BGSU and Buffalo
Old reliable. Saturday at noon just feels right. College Gameday right into kick-off.
The only problem is this is a major risk-reward situation. You go in and take care of business the rest of the Saturday is golden. You can kick your feet up and relax knowing there’s another win in the column on the left. You can chirp opposing fans on Twitter when they lose. You can breathe knowing that it was a successful weekend for the Flames. Maybe crack a couple of beverages? Maybe even throw in a victory nap during the second quarter of the afternoon game? Who knows. The world is your oyster when you’ve already reached your goal by 3:30.
Now the flipside. Losing a noon game on a Saturday? Pack it in. Cancel the day. Your phone is blowing up, fans are arguing on Twitter, and the whole thing is a fiasco. No one wants to watch college football after your team loses and if you do, you do it as a cynical and angry fan. A Saturday noon loss is a vibe killer like nothing else. If a 1pm start is getting disappointed the night of Junior Prom, losing at noon is getting stood up before Junior Prom.
2. Saturday 3:30pm: UTEP
I love this time slot. It just feels right. The noon games are just about all done and it’s got you hyped to watch the second group of games and BAM – There’s Liberty getting ready to kick off. You’ve already enjoyed lunch, you’ve got some chips and dips ready to roll, and it’s game time. The game ends at a reasonable time so you can take your significant other out to dinner or hit an establishment to watch the late games. A true win-win for 3:30 pm.
Without further pause…
Number one…
Tuesday 7/7:30pm: WKU, MTSU, JSU
THREE GAMES? Do we have THREE games on a Tuesday night? SEND IT IN IAN MCCAW!
(click on the image for the gif to come alive)
Words can’t describe how excited I am about this. I did an entire blog about this when the news came out (Jon, link that here so we can get more clicks). All eyes are going to be on the CUSA those nights. People will start watching and rooting for teams and players and there’s a decent chance some of them will start to pull for Liberty as a secondary team or even a favorite team.
Think about it, we just got done three straight days of meaningful football. Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and then we close out the four-day run with some Liberty football. Think about the way weddings work these days. Cocktail hour, reception, dessert, after party.
Saturday College Football is the cocktail hour. A free-for-all choose-your-own-adventure with 60+ games all crammed together. You want to go for it and devour it all? You’re free to do so. Just like cocktail hour at a wedding, a good Saturday of CFB sets the tone for the rest of everything.
(Blog Within a Blog: Top Three Wedding Cocktail Foods)
3. Pigs in a blanket: Never misses. Waterboard that bad boy in some spicy ketchup like it committed a war crime in 2005 and don’t look back. My wife doesn’t eat meat so I make her grab one for me every time they come around.
2. Bacon Wrapped Anything: I’m allergic to seafood. Not like deathly allergic but it’ll cause some annoyance. I don’t care. Bacon-wrapped anything can’t go wrong.
1. Cheesesteak Egg Rolls: I’ve been to a ton of weddings over the last seven years. Why? Well, I’m 32 and I’m from New Jersey where we don’t get married at 19. The new hot dish during cocktail hour is cheesesteak egg rolls. I would eat them every day until I leave this earth.
(Blog Within a Blog OVER)
Sunday NFL is the reception. You have your formalities, there’s some fun, and dance with grandma during Runaround Sue. Nothing crazy. You know what you’re going to get.
Monday Night Football is dessert. The old people leave when it’s over and some people don’t care at all. If you’re on board great, if not, it’s not a big deal.
Tuesday night football, the after party. This is the time the real fans get the shine. You’re with like-minded people ready to live it up. Tuesday night. Liberty football. SEND IT IN IAN MCCAW
(click on the image for the gif to come alive)
