“The Oakland Raiders are scared of the Chiefs” is my alternate headline here ... even if it is true only in an alternate reality. The Raiders, however, really don’t want to play at Arrowhead on Thursday nights. Local reports say Raiders coach Jack Del Rio requested two changes for the NFL’s schedule makers this year and one of those was no Thursday night games two time zones away ... like Arrowhead.
Del Rio offered requests to schedule makers: No Thurs. night games 2 time zones away, back-to-back East Coast games again so they can stay
— Vic Tafur (@VicTafur) March 28, 2017
As much as I want to rip the Raiders and say they’re scared of the Chiefs, this is understandable. The Chiefs are two time zones away. It’s tough traveling on a short week in the most violent game in the country as the Raiders found out when they lost to the Chiefs on Thursday night last season.
Not traveling to another time zone on Thursday nights is a reasonable request but in some cases might be very difficult for the NFL’s schedule makers to accommodate.
It’s not unusual for teams to request special accommodations, like the Chiefs who want to play more home games early in the season (because it’s harder to sell at the end of the cold season).