Sat  2 Jan  ROCHESTER
Sat  9 Jan  TORONTO
Sat 16 Jan  @ Buffalo
Sat 23 Jan  @ New York
Sat 30 Jan  PHILADELPHIA
Fri  5 Feb  @ Syracuse
Fri 12 Feb  NEW YORK
Sat 27 Feb  BUFFALO
Sat 13 Mar  @ Philadelphia 
Sat 27 Mar  @ Rochester
Fri  2 Apr  @ Toronto
Sat  3 Apr  SYRACUSE

The brutal part of this schedule is the late three-game road swing. It's not even so much that the Thunder have to play three of their last four away from Baltimore Arena, it's who they have to play. First, it's a trip to the unfriendly confines of Philadelphia, then up to face their 1998 semifinal nemeses, the Rochester Knighthawks. The game at Toronto does not project to be as challenging as the previous two, but the Rock may be quite potent by the end of the season. At least Baltimore gets to close out against the Smash, though they may be worn down from their trip to Maple Leaf Gardens the night before.

If there's a wide-open opportunity for the Bandits to ensure a top record in 1999, it comes in March, when all three games they play are at home. Buffalo's biggest bit of luck, though, is finishing the season series for both Philadelphia and Baltimore, the two 1998 Championship Series participants, by the end of February. On the other hand, starting the season with trips to the First Union Center and Maple Leaf Gardens, along with a tough home game against Baltimore, could leave this team in deep trouble very early. Buffalo should beware the trip to Long Island one night after hosting Syracuse -- it could be an upset that would be most upsetting to Bandit faithful.

Fri  8 Jan  @ Philadelphia 
Sat 16 Jan  BALTIMORE
Fri 22 Jan  @ Toronto
Fri 29 Jan  SYRACUSE
Sat 30 Jan  @ New York
Fri  5 Feb  PHILADELPHIA
Sat 27 Feb  @ Baltimore
Sat  6 Mar  NEW YORK
Sat 20 Mar  ROCHESTER
Sat 27 Mar  TORONTO
Sat  3 Apr  @ Rochester
Sat 10 Apr  @ Syracuse

Sat 26 Dec  @ Rochester
Sat 23 Jan  BALTIMORE
Sat 30 Jan  BUFFALO
Fri 12 Feb  @ Baltimore
Fri 26 Feb  @ Toronto
Sun 28 Feb  SYRACUSE
Sat  6 Mar  @ Buffalo
Sat 13 Mar  ROCHESTER
Fri 26 Mar  PHILADELPHIA
Sat 27 Mar  @ Syracuse
Sat  3 Apr  @ Philadelphia 
Fri  9 Apr  TORONTO

Just like last year, the Saints start the season slowly. New York was the last team to start their 1998 campaign, and while the Saints do play in the first game of the season, they don't play again for another four weeks. With a schedule like that, the Saints could fall irreversibly far behind in the race before they play a second game. It doesn't help that three of the next five come against Baltimore and Buffalo. The schedule is balanced well, with no road trip extending more than two games and only two bye weeks after January. If the Saints are to make the rise to a playoff berth, they'll have to overcome playing the Wings twice in sixteen days late in the season.

The Wings may in for a slow start and hot finish to 1999. They begin with four of their first six away from the First Union Center, including trips to Baltimore Arena and Marine Midland Arena. The upshot, of course, is that they play four of their last six on home turf. Yes, the Wings have been a road team of late, winning all seven road games in 1998 (including Game Two of the finals). However, because the only playoff team of the four is Baltimore, the home-heavy ending should prove beneficial to the Wings' perennial playoff ambitions. As was said in 1998, when the Wings started out with four of five on the road, if they can survive the start, they can cruise through the finish.

Fri  8 Jan  BUFFALO
Sat  9 Jan  @ Syracuse
Fri 22 Jan  ROCHESTER
Sat 30 Jan  @ Baltimore
Fri  5 Feb  @ Buffalo
Fri 19 Feb  @ Toronto
Sat 27 Feb  TORONTO
Sat  6 Mar  SYRACUSE
Sat 13 Mar  BALTIMORE     
Fri 26 Mar  @ New York
Sat  3 Apr  NEW YORK
Sat 10 Apr  @ Rochester

Sat 26 Dec  NEW YORK
Sat  2 Jan  @ Baltimore
Fri 22 Jan  @ Philadelphia 
Sat 23 Jan  SYRACUSE
Fri 29 Jan  @ Toronto
Sat  6 Feb  TORONTO
Fri 26 Feb  @ Syracuse
Sat 13 Mar  @ New York
Sat 20 Mar  @ Buffalo
Sat 27 Mar  BALTIMORE
Sat  3 Apr  BUFFALO
Sat 10 Apr  PHILADELPHIA

The schedule-makers must be out to get Rochester (Canadian customs officers getting one final shot at the club, maybe?). The Knighthawks become the first team in the league to play twice (before four teams even play once), then sit for twenty days. They play three games in eight days, then sit for three weeks before embarking on a three-game road swing. At least the combined 1998 record of those three was a dismal 13-23. Rochester ends with three home games, though, but they come against the three other defending playoff teams. 27 March is when the real test begins -- can the Knighthawks use that great home-field advantage to catapult into the postseason, or will there be another last-season callapse?

If the Smash were a playoff team, this schedule would be a concern. Balance is good -- no extended road trips or homestands -- but there's this little business of opening with five playoff teams and of taking on Baltimore and Buffalo to end the season. This is no playoff team, though. This is a team that's fighting for its very existence. The Syracuse schedule should be frightening to Smash backers. A team that needs to be competitive on the field to be a financial success is in deep trouble if it starts 1-4 or even 0-5, and that's what could happen if the club's fate thus far doesn't quickly reverse. On the positive side, there are several instances where the Smash will play teams in the back end of playing on consecutive nights, which will help.

Sat  9 Jan  PHILADELPHIA
Sat 23 Jan  @ Rochester
Fri 29 Jan  @ Buffalo
Fri  5 Feb  BALTIMORE
Fri 26 Feb  ROCHESTER
Sun 28 Feb  @ New York
Sat  6 Mar  @ Philadelphia 
Sat 13 Mar  TORONTO
Fri 26 Mar  @ Toronto
Sat 27 Mar  NEW YORK
Sat  3 Apr  @ Baltimore
Sat 10 Apr  BUFFALO

Sat  9 Jan  @ Baltimore
Fri 22 Jan  BUFFALO
Fri 29 Jan  ROCHESTER
Sat  6 Feb  @ Rochester
Fri 19 Feb  PHILADELPHIA
Fri 26 Feb  NEW YORK
Sat 27 Feb  @ Philadelphia 
Sat 13 Mar  @ Syracuse
Fri 26 Mar  SYRACUSE
Sat 27 Mar  @ Buffalo
Fri  2 Apr  BALTIMORE
Fri  9 Apr  @ New York

Toronto may not have had a nickname when the schedule was being written, but the schedule they have is a nice one. There is only one road string of more than one game, and they bolster their playoff chances with a late-March home-and-home series with Syracuse. Late-season encounters with Baltimore and Buffalo are balanced in terms of challenge by a season-ending trip to New York. With a new hometown, this team needs to have a good record to establish itself in a big town like Toronto. This schedule does little to hurt those chances.