Make Super Bowl Sunday A National Holiday!

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This isn’t the first time it’s been suggested. Popular New York sports talk show host Mike Francesa has lobbied for it, while surely others have as well.

It’s time to turn Super Bowl Sunday into what would amount to a national holiday. The NFL should extend its playoffs by two weeks, moving the Super Bowl to the day before Presidents’ Day, when much of America has off.

So, this year, the game wouldn’t be Feb. 3, but Feb. 17. If it were up to Congress to consider – football is important enough it arguably rises to the level of national importance – who knows what would happen? But, it’s up to the NFL.

It’s curious why the league hasn’t made the move. WFAN’s Francesa rightly has noted that February is the worst sports month of the year, so the NFL has an opportunity to garner even more interest. The move could also have the NFL paying back multiple constituencies that enrich it.

Super Bowl ratings aren’t suffering, but the networks might appreciate the potential for more viewers to tune in for the entire game. That would likely increase -- particularly during blowouts -- if people know they don’t have to work the next day.

Beer marketers – who flood NFL coffers – might be even more appreciative. No work the next morning? Cheers.

How would the NFL lengthen its post season? The easiest path would seem to be to allow a week off before the playoffs begin, and then another week off before the AFC and NFC championship games.

ESPN would have to be a huge proponent. More gaps between games would give it more opportunity for its endless blather of playoff anticipation. The same goes for the NFL Network, owned by the league.

College basketball wouldn’t be happy with the shift, since February is a month when some sports fans really begin to focus on this sports category. (CBS and Turner might be concerned that interest in March Madness could decrease.)

The NBA might be frustrated – it traditionally holds its All-Star game on the day when the Super Bowl would be held – but why would the NFL be concerned with the prosperity of another sport?

Even if it’s more interested in its networks and sponsors, the NFL should be concerned with its fans – and they deserve the appropriately timed holiday.

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4 comments on "Make Super Bowl Sunday A National Holiday!".

1. Paula Lynn from Who Else Unlimited
   

   commented on: January 3, 2013 at 6:47 p.m.
   Maybe they should all bang their heads together with or without helmets and figure it out without traumatizing their audience anymore than they have to.
2. Rob Frydlewicz from RAF Consulting
   

   commented on: January 3, 2013 at 8 p.m.
   Unless the Mon-Friday workforce gets a day off, calling it a holiday is meaningless. Anyway, in their coverage of the event the media have long referred to the SB as such.
3. Jonathan Hutter from Garrand
   

   commented on: January 3, 2013 at 9:20 p.m.
   Another sign of the apocalypse, sports talk radio personalities setting public policy.
4. Troy Turner from Fans United Against ABC
   

   commented on: January 4, 2013 at 1:03 a.m.
   Im a football fan, but pushing the SB to President's Day weekend is a bit much-if anything, it should go BACK to mid-late January. But, if you REALLY wanted a full-weekend effect, why not play it on Saturday night at 9 eastern-as has also been suggested...

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