The Oakland Raiders played one of Week's 2 most exciting games against the Buffalo Bills in a contest that came down to the very final seconds. With 27 ticks left on the clock, the Bills drove down the field with a 35-31 deficit in hand and a chance to win the game. The Bills got ready to snap the ball, and then- well, you may not have seen the rest if you watched it in the L.A. area.
At this particularly climactic point, the NFL cut from what turned out to be a fantastic finish in order to bring viewers the start of the San Diego Chargers-New England Patriots game. In the words of the TV announcer: "Due to NFL contractual obligations, we now leave this game to bring you the start of your next scheduled game." Check out this video on Deadspin to see exactly how the situation played out on-camera.
You have to wonder how many Raiders fans were glued to their TV sets at this point, hoping and praying that their team would get a couple of timely stops to climb to 2-0. Better yet, you have to wonder how those ardent fans reacted when the TV cut away. Did they yell at their TV sets? Throw something across the room? Simply stare in utter disbelief?
The whole situation must certainly have been a shock to Raiders fans, but perhaps it was for the best. They didn't have to watch Fitzpatrick throw the game-winning pass to David Nelson with six seconds left that downed their team 38-35. Thank you, NFL.