NBC, who of course run Sunday Night Football, released its fall schedule today and it did indeed include football. While the networked admitted that it had contingency plans, it is confident that the NFL will be back in time for the fall.

By devoting its Sunday night prime-time schedule in the fall to pro football, NBC appeared confident that the NFL's labor problems would be solved. Greenblatt said NBC is developing some high-profile reality competitions as substitutes for football but said that "we're feeling pretty optimistic that football will be there."

Maybe their optimism stems from the fact that they have a billion dollars invested in the NFL coming back... but it is at least somewhat positive to hear someone who should know being optimistic.