Pairing the Holidays With Televised Sports
Many popular sports associations like the NBA and NFL play during the holiday season, having traditionally played games on Christmas and Thanksgiving, respectively. These games can conflict with celebrations or add to them, depending on your point of view.
The NBA held its first Christmas game in 1947. It has become a tradition ever since, featuring some of the best players.
While basketball is commonly played on Christmas, football has a long history of being played on Thanksgiving. The first Thanksgiving game was played on the college level between Yale and Princeton in 1876. The NFL has carried on this tradition at the pro level by having three games on Thanksgiving every year.
Sports on holidays can take away from the reasons for the seasons, especially if your family and friends are big sports fans. Holiday sports can cause a family to spend more time in front of the television instead of at the dinner table, which may be upsetting to family members who expect a more traditional holiday experience. Another thing to consider is the team your guests are supporting. If your friends and family are rooting for different teams during these games, there are bound to be some hurt feelings.
On the other hand, family members may enjoy supporting a team with their relatives, like when families come together to watch the Super Bowl.
We cannot forget about the players themselves. Holiday games can be stressful for players and take time away from any potential celebrations they would have. It’s still important for fans to support their favorite players, because they are sacrificing part of their holidays to make other people’s festivities better.
Even so, some may choose to play just for the money. Holidays have become incredibly commercialized, and these games only make them more so. Advertisers spend millions of dollars for just a few seconds on the big screen during these games.
It’s hard for me to choose which way I should spend my holidays because I like watching sports, but I also like spending time with my family. In my opinion, watching sports on the holidays can be enjoyable, but it’s best to find some sort of balance between family time and game time.