Ravens-Texans to play on Monday night

[September 12, 2008]  HOUSTON (AP) -- The Houston Texans' game against the Baltimore Ravens was moved to Monday night at 8:30 p.m. EDT because of Hurricane Ike.

The game was originally scheduled for Sunday afternoon.

Hurricane Ike was headed toward the Texas coast as a Category 3 storm Thursday. It was expected to make landfall between Houston and Corpus Christi sometime early Saturday morning.

The game will be broadcast on CBS stations in Houston, Baltimore and Washington as well as several smaller secondary markets.

The Ravens are scheduled to fly to Texas on Sunday afternoon.

"We understand completely why the change had to be made," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. "We'll adjust our schedules."

This isn't the first time a game time has been changed because of an impending hurricane. In 2004, a game in Miami between the Dolphins and Pittsburgh Steelers was moved from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. to allow Hurricane Jeanne to pass through the area.

Ravens offensive coordinator Cam Cameron worked for the Chargers in 2003 when California wildfires caused a game against the Miami Dolphins to be moved to Monday night at Arizona State's Sun Devil Stadium.

"We all have an understanding that it's a blessing to coach or play in an NFL game," he said. "Just tell us when the game is and where to play it and we'll play it."

Texans tight end Owen Daniels said the hurricane isn't a distraction and is a bit intrigued at the prospect of going through one. He has a degree in atmospheric and oceanic sciences and hopes to be a television weatherman one day.

"I would say (I'm) more fascinated and interested to know what it's actually like or what it looks like or what it feels like than scared by what is going to happen," he said. "I think if we were out closer to the gulf I would be a little more scared."

Texans center Chris Myers said he went through Hurricane Andrew, the last Category 5 storm that made landfall in the United States, in Florida in 1992 when he was 11 years old.

"After going through a Category 5 hurricane anything else is kind of, you know, nothing after that," he said. "So, I'm kind of working with it right now and we're ... focused on Baltimore right now."

The Texans moved their scheduled Friday practice to Thursday night to allow players to have Friday off to take care of their homes and families. The players are scheduled to be off until Sunday morning, but that could change depending on the severity of the storm.

"I think right now it's just concern for our city and that everybody is going to be OK with this storm coming," coach Gary Kubiak said after practice Thursday night. "We were able to get our work done today and I can get these coaches and these players where they should be for the next two days and that's with their families. I hope everything will be OK."

[Associated Press; By KRISTIE RIEKEN]

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