NFL Needs to Keep Scheduling Christmas Day Games and Take Holiday Back From NBA
By Nick Porr
Football has become synonymous with Thanksgiving in America. The Thanksgiving Day NFL matchups are some of the most anticipated and most viewed by fans. Now the NFL is trying to gain stake in another holiday: Christmas.
When the NFL schedule was released Thursday night, fans were shocked that it featured a huge matchup on Christmas Day.
Two Saints games I've been able to confirm via sources:
— Jeff Duncan (@JeffDuncan_) May 7, 2020
• Week 2: At Raiders on MNF
• Christmas Day vs. Vikings in Superdome
The NFL has made a big move, scheduling an exciting 2019 NFC Wild Card Game rematch between the New Orleans Saints and Minnesota Vikings for 4:30 p.m. ET on Christmas day.
For the past few years, the NBA has dominated Christmas. In 2019, the NBA aired five matchups on Christmas, including a highly-anticipated showdown between the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers.
NBA and Christmas have become intertwined. Heck, who could forget this ad from 2013?
Now, with the NBA in uncertain times, the NFL is making moves to take the holiday for their own, and it's truly a brilliant move. The last NFL game on Christmas was played in 2017, when the holiday fell on a Monday.
Fox Sports EVP @mulvihill79 on with @ColinCowherd: loves having Saints-VIkings on Christmas Day on Fox because he believes it strengthens relationships with fans to have games on holidays (like they do on Thanksgiving). Says NFL is "planting the flag" on second major holiday.
— Ryan Glasspiegel (@sportsrapport) May 8, 2020
With the world as sports-starved as it is, now is the perfect time to make their move and take Christmas. If the NFL is smart, they will continue to schedule games on Christmas in the coming years.