I know this doesn’t really qualify as news, or an “announcement” but, I figured I’d post it here anyway, along with some thoughts on the first officially scheduled Buffalo Bills games for 2008.
The Bills released their 2008 pre-season schedule, which includes of course the first of the eight-game series to be played in Toronto over the next five years. The team selected for the first game of the “Toronto Initiative” is the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Bills commented on how there is a “good rivalry” there. (Right! So why don’t we play in their division, along with Cleveland and Cincinnati??) And obviously Pittsburgh will be a nice draw as a well-known, well-liked NFL team nationally and internationally.
But really… this is just pre-season football. This game won’t matter much at all. The regular season game will be a different story, but they could have played any team for this pre-season Toronto game.
That said, there is some significance to it being the first of the eight-game series played north of the border.
The game will be played on August 14th at 7:30pm, and will be carried locally in Buffalo on channel seven.
The Bills also are featured on an NFL Network nationally televised game for week three of the pre-season against the Indianapolis Colts, playing in their new stadium. That game will take place on August 23rd at 8pm, and will also be broadcast locally in Buffalo on channel seven. This game might actually sort of interesting as the third week of pre-season is usually the game where starters play at least the first half, and sometimes into the third quarter.
The Bills open the pre-season at Washington (date TBD) and they close it at home (their real home, Orchard Park) with their annual game against the Detroit Lions. This is the kids’ night game as well. (Very cheap tickets for kids accompanied by an adult.)
It’s still just pre-season, and really doesn’t matter at all, but you can’t help but be excited when you can actually put Bills games on the calendar again!
The regular season schedule will be announced within the month! Stay tuned!
BILLS PRE-SEASON SCHEDULE
Aug. 7-10 @ Washington TBD WKBW-TV
Aug. 14 vs. Pittsburgh 7:30 pm WKBW-TV
Aug. 24 @ Indianapolis 8 pm NFL Network
Aug. 28 vs. Detroit 6:30 pm WKBW-TV
