I took the next 20 minutes trying to talk her off the ledge of the hotel.

In all honesty, my wife is a very good sport. After 20 years of this stuff, she knows the drill. She knows that if you're good, you're gonna play on national television in front of huge holiday audiences. Our Magic won 52 games last season. They captured the Southeast Division crown. They won their first playoff series in some 12 years. They sport one of the best young players in the league in Dwight Howard. We're a marquee attraction again!

Good for us Magic fans...Bad for the Anez family's holiday plans.

Unlike my wife, I have no major beefs with the schedule-maker this year.

I like the fact that this team doesn't have to go overseas in the pre-season as it did last year when we traveled to China. I like the fact that we have 11 national TV games. I love that we have 16 back-to-back scenarios, which is low-end in the NBA. I like that we play five of the first six at home. I like that we get our west coast trips out of the way by the middle of January. I like that we have 18 home games on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Most of all..I like that fact that this team won't have to overcome what it had to face last year. Not only did the league send us to China. We also had to survive a brutal early season that saw the Magic play 13 of the first 19 away from home.

What don't I like about this year's schedule? December! Nine of the 15 games in the month are away from home. It's not that I mind my team being on the road for the holidays. Quite frankly, there are many more distractions that time of year when you're sleeping in your own bed. But, look at the quality of some our road opponents in December: Boston, Portland, Phoenix, Utah and Detroit. At home, we have to face teams like Oklahoma City, the Spurs, Lakers and Hornets. December's gonna be a bear!

I still don't get why the league puts us in Houston on April 7 then has us hosting Memphis at home the next night. For years, the NBA has inexplicably believed that Texas is a hop, skip and a jump from OIA.

But, you know what? All in all, not bad. I have no major complaints about the Magic's upcoming schedule.

My wife? Well, that's a different story.