On paper, John McCain’s acceptance speech at the Republican Convention this year is scheduled to conflict with the opening game of the NFL season.
(The NFL for the past couple years has played the first game of the season — usually between two pretty good teams — on the Thursday before the opening weekend.)
This blog goes through some options, and this sportswriter says the NFL is aware of the conflict and is reviewing options.
One option not mentioned: play the opening game the Tuesday night of the convention. Parties usually put their biggest non-nominee names on Monday, the Vice Presidential nominee on Wednesday night, and the Presidential nominee closes the convention on Thursday night. Tuesday night is the red-headed step-child of the convention. Sometimes you get a surprisingly good speech from a rising star in the party (Arnold Schwarzenegger); sometimes you’re left with a blah speech (Teresa Heinz).
This fall, Monday will probably belong to the rising stars of the party (Bobby Jindal, Sarah Palin?). Wednesday will belong to the running mate, and Thursday will be McCain. (You can’t move McCain to Wednesday, otherwise there’s no point to everyone sticking around until Thursday night.) Let whoever is speaking on Tuesday (Huckabee or Romney?) go up against the football game.
You could even counter-program the football game by making Tuesday night be ladies’ night – Cindy McCain, Laura Bush, Condi Rice, Carly Fiorina… No, scratch that. Passionate football fan Condi would probably want to watch the game.