Gene Frenette: Jaguars earned some much-needed respect from NFL with three prime-time games

Jaguars fans who have complained over the years about the NFL giving the franchise short shrift on television exposure, among other things, cannot accuse the league of not being fair regarding the 2023 TV schedule.

The AFC South champion Jaguars are getting a healthy amount of exposure with three prime-time games, including home contests Sunday night (Dec. 17 vs. Baltimore Ravens on NBC) and Monday night (Dec. 4 vs. Cincinnati Bengals on ESPN), as well as a Thursday night road matchup on October 10 against the New Orleans Saints (Amazon Prime).

When you factor in a pair of standalone 9:30 a.m. games in London against the Atlanta Falcons (ESPN+) on Oct. 1 and the Buffalo Bills (NFL Network) on Oct. 8, the Jaguars will be showcased almost as much as any time in their history. Only the four prime-time games, two apiece on ESPN and ABC, in both the 1999 and 2000 seasons garnered more exposure.

For the first time since 2011, the ascending Jaguars under Doug Pederson have three prime-time games instead of the one Thursday Night Football appearance for 10 of the past 11 years.

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Before the 2023 schedule release, there was much uncertainty about how much exposure the NFL would give the small-market Jaguars after they made a second-half push last season to win the division over the Tennessee Titans, then overcame a 27-point deficit to win a home AFC wild-card game against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Clearly, the league acknowledged the Jaguars’ progress, as well as the significant attraction for TV viewers in quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

While some might consider it a setback to have a home game against the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs being a 1 p.m. start in Week 2, that early kickoff could be offset by a potential mid-September heat advantage for the Jaguars.

Another plus is the Jaguars’ bye week comes ideally right in the middle of the schedule in Week 9, followed by a home matchup with the San Francisco 49ers. They also have ten days to prepare for a road game against the Pittsburgh Steelers prior to the bye.

Looking at the big picture schedule, the NFL treated the Jaguars quite well. After so many years of being dismissed as an afterthought, the Jaguars got some well-earned respect.

No threat to Florida-Georgia game

If the Jaguars and the city of Jacksonville come to an agreement on refurbishing TIAA Bank Field, and that renovation is a two-year project instead of four years, it’s a possibility the game would go to campus sites in 2026 and ‘27 -- though the city could shop it to other venues in Orlando, Tampa or Atlanta -- and likely return to the banks of the St. John’s River in 2028.

Contrary to what mayor Lenny Curry said on two Jacksonville radio stations Wednesday, that the Florida-Georgia game could send the game to the respective campuses in 2025-26, Jaguars’ president Mark Lamping told the Times-Union the projected timetable to move the game out of Jacksonville starts in ‘26 after the schools’ next two-year option (if accepted) expires.

If the Jaguars-city agreement stipulates the new stadium has a four-year waiting period, then the Florida-Georgia game will be played at TIAA Bank Field and not go anywhere. The bottom line is there’s little danger of Jacksonville permanently losing the game that has been played here continuously since 1933, except for 1994-95 when the Gator Bowl underwent renovation to accommodate the arrival of the NFL expansion Jaguars.

That’s because Florida and Georgia make significantly more money from playing the game in Jacksonville every year since it’s an annual payday, as opposed to a home-and-home series when schools would only reap the benefits once every two years.

“In the past, the city has stepped up to make it so attractive,” said Gator Bowl president and CEO Greg McGarity, a former administrator at Florida and Georgia. “The schools control ticket prices [on the Florida-Georgia game]. If they want to make more money, all they have to do is increase the prices. There’s a tremendous ceiling on what they can do to control revenue.”

Providing a refurbished TIAA Bank Field becomes reality, that money Florida and Georgia receive each year would take a big jump because there’ll be more premium seats and higher ticket prices in a new stadium. Both schools have been made aware of that revenue increase in conversations with the city and the Jaguars.

The Florida-Georgia game may go away for two years, but it’s a virtual certainty it will come right back to Jacksonville. The money’s simply too enticing.

Blue never received just due

The passing this week of six-time All-Star pitcher Vida Blue will hopefully serve as a reminder to the Veterans Committee of the Baseball Hall of Fame to take a harder look at his candidacy for enshrinement.

From 1971-87, Blue was one of the most dominant left-handers of any baseball era. He compiled a 209-161 record and 3.27 ERA over 17 seasons, most of it with the Oakland A’s that included their run of three consecutive World Series titles (1972-74). Blue became an overnight star in ‘72 when he captured the Cy Young and American League MVP with a phenomenal 24-8 mark and 1.82 ERA.

No doubt, Blue’s arrest for intent to purchase cocaine and serving 81 days in prison during the latter part of his career played a big part in derailing any chance of getting into Cooperstown. Still, it’s shocking to think he never got more than 10 percent approval from voters, way short of the required 75 percent.

Blue, one of five pitchers to start an All-Star game for both the American and National League, has a resume nearly identical to Jim Bunning (224-184, 3.27 ERA), who also pitched for 17 seasons and made the HOF at age 64 through the Veterans Committee.

It’s a shame Blue was excessively punished for his cocaine use, but that didn’t prevent a drug user like Tim Raines or others suspected of using PEDs (Ivan Rodriguez, Jeff Bagwell) from getting into the HOF.

In 2024, the Veterans Committee will once again have the opportunity to put Blue in Cooperstown. It feels like the right thing to do for the impact he had on the game, even if done posthumously.

Huggins lucky to survive

When West Virginia basketball coach Bob Huggins, 69, uttered an anti-gay slur Monday about Xavier basketball fans, calling them “Catholic f----” in an interview with a Cincinnati radio station, he unquestionably put himself on the firing line.

The winningest active Division I head coach (934 wins) and Basketball Hall of Fame member was lucky to survive that boneheaded utterance. He instead escaped with a ridiculously light penalty from WVU president E. Gordon Gee, who let a state icon get away with brutally offensive words that would have cost a lot of public figures their jobs.

Gee suspended Huggins for three games, reduced his salary by $1 million (to be donated to the school’s LGBTQ+ center) and required him to make a “substantial donation” to the Xavier University Center for Faith and Justice and its Center for Diversity and Inclusion.

His embarrassing public slur should have been a career-ender for one of college basketball’s most notable characters. The only reason Huggins remains employed is because WVU is his alma mater and a 343-203 record (.630) with 11 NCAA appearances in 16 seasons outweighed blatant stupidity.

Quick-hitting nuggets

Nobody for a second thought Tiger Woods would play in the PGA Championship, which was made official Wednesday, after just undergoing surgery to deal with post-traumatic arthritis from a previous fracture. At this point, it’d almost be shocking if Woods teed it up at any major this year. For the foreseeable future, his body needs rest more than competition. . . .

Former NFL defensive tackle Don Davey (1995-98), the biggest fitness freak among retired Jaguars, finished up a 700-mile Florida Recon Ride bike race last week at Jacksonville Wounded Warriors project headquarters.

Starting in Key West and going 150 miles per day, Davey was part of a 12-rider team (plus support crew of 15) that rode almost entirely up the east coast of Florida, an event that benefitted military veterans affected by Hurricane Ian.

The 55-year-old Davey, who owns 35 Firehouse Subs franchises in Wisconsin and Florida, has competed in 12 full-distance Ironman triathlons in retirement and also took part in a 3,070-mile TeamOneMile charity bike race across America in 2021. . . .

Among the 11 Jaguars’ undrafted free agents, the biggest name is probably LSU receiver Jaray Jenkins. However, the intriguing one might be BYU cornerback Kaleb Hayes, who ran the third-fastest 40 time among 200-plus players at his position with a 4.31.

Speed is always an enticing commodity for special teams. The 5-foot-11 Hayes, who quarterbacked his California high school program to its first state title, led BYU with 19 total passes defensed the last two years.

Gfrenette@jacksonville.com: (904) 359-4540

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars get NFL respect they deserve with three prime-time TV games