Every year (except when it lands on a weekend), April 15 is tax day.  In 2008, it also will be schedule day for the National Football League.

Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that the regular-season schedule will be released on Tuesday.  (We have separately learned that, indeed, the schedule is coming out tomorrow.)

(UPDATE:  Several outlets are now reporting that the schedule will be released at 2:00 p.m. EDT on Tuesday.) 

We’ve all known the matchups since the 2007 regular season ended, based on a formula that requires each team to play the other three teams in its division twice, the four teams from one other division in the same conference, the four teams from one division in the other conference, and the two teams from the other two divisions in the same conference that finished in the same position.

In the end, that’s the only difference between the schedule of teams like the 16-0 Pats and the 1-15 Fins.  New England plays the Steelers and the Colts; Miami faces the Ravens and the Texans.  The Patriots and Dolphins otherwise play the same schedule (apart from the two games in which they play each other).

So much for parity. . . .