Getting Gameday Dates is a Big Deal | Daily Brew

Two weeks ago the NFL draft had higher TV numbers than the last NBA Finals and all but one game in the World Series.  

That's right, a league commissioner reading names from a podium and the players reacting to their names being called outshined those leagues' pinnacle moments on your living room screen. 

Look, I love basketball and baseball too. But there's something about the magnitude of these off-season NFL moments - and the hype around today's schedule release is another big one. 

The NFL Network schedule release special won't bring what the draft show does. But the day itself provides drama in showcasing the dates of the games that we love so much. 

I've said it for years - each Sunday in the NFL feels like the NCAA Tournament to me. So much is going on. Everything is important. September Sundays are packed with enough drama to eclipse any other sport's post season, perhaps unless your favorite team is up for the title. 

That's why today matters. We knew the opponents on the last day of the season. We just didn't know when and in what order the games would be played. Seeing the slate fleshes them out and gives us perspective for planning. 

That's right, holiday parties, Traveling Texans trips and other get-togethers are built around these dates. Every week brings another event, whether you're at NRG Stadium or on the road. No other sport is quite like this. 

Soccer has its mid and during-the-season leagues and tournaments. It's terrific for that sport. But NFL games carry meaning and memories unto themselves. 

Yes, the Texans have yet to win a Super Bowl. But I know the Traveling Texans will never forget the win in London, or even the loss in Mexico. They'll always reminisce about the victory against Peyton Manning and the Broncos in week 3, 2012.  

At home, we'll always cherish the O.T. thriller over Dallas in 2018, or the first triumph over the Colts in 2006 on Christmas Eve. Or the other huge Christmas Eve home win – the AFC South clincher in 2016. There are countless other unforgettable regular season days.  

Seeing the games scheduled on the screen gets the juices flowing, makes you plan and dares you to dream about all the possibilities that lie ahead.  

It's time to get out the calendar and get ready for 2021. Go Texans!