A very exciting announcement took place recently – the 2010 National Football League (NFL) schedule!  I always look forward to the day this day each year.  I guess it feels ‘official’ that football season will really be returning soon.  Non-football season lasts soooo long so I guess this gives me a little hope!

The 2010 Dallas Cowboys schedule is:

• Sun, Sept 12            7:20 pm            @ Washington Redskins
• Sun, Sept 19            12:00 pm            Chicago Bears
• Sun, Sep 26            12:00 pm            @ Houston Texans
• Sun, Oct 3                                    BYE
• Sun, Oct 10            3:15 pm            Tennessee Titans
• Sun, Oct 17            3:15 pm            @ Minnesota Vikings
• Mon, Oct 25            7:30 pm            New York Giants
• Sun, Oct 31            12:00 pm            Jacksonville Jaguars
• Sun, Nov 7            7:20 pm            @ Green Bay Packers
• Sun, Nov 14            3:15 pm            @ New York Giants
• Sun, Nov 21            12:00 pm            Detroit Lions
• Thu, Nov 25            3:15 pm            New Orleans Saints
• Sun, Dec 5            3:15 pm            @Indianapolis Colts
• Sun, Dec 12            7:20 pm            Philadelphia Eagles
• Sun, Dec 19            12:00 pm            Washington Redskins
• Sat, Dec 25            6:30 pm            @ Arizona Cardinals
• Sun, Jan 2            12:00 pm            @ Philadelphia Eagles

Ladies, here is some general information about NFL games, provided by Wikipedia:

• Each team plays 16 games during a 17-week period.
• The majority of each week's games are played on Sunday afternoon.
• One game each week is played on Sunday night
• One game each week is held on Monday, known as Monday Night Football.
• After the NCAA football regular season has concluded, the league schedules one or two additional nationally televised games on Saturday and/or Thursday evenings.
• The Dallas Cowboys and the Detroit Lions each host a game on Thanksgiving Day.
• Since 2006, a third game has been scheduled for Thanksgiving night.

Curious about how the actual schedule is set?  According to Wikipedia, the NFL schedule is set using a pre-determined formula:

• Each team plays the other 3 teams in their division twice: once at home and once on the road (6 games).
• Each team plays the 4 teams from another division within its own conference once on a rotating three-year cycle: 2 at home and 2 on the road (4 games).
• Each team plays the 4 teams from a division in the other conference once on a rotating four-year cycle: 2 at home, and 2 on the road (4 games).
• Each team plays once against the other teams in its conference that finished in the same place in their own divisions as themselves, not counting the division they were already scheduled to play: 1 at home, 1 on the road (2 games). 

So there you have it.  Why don’t you impress your man tonight by showing him how knowledgeable you are about NFL scheduling?!?