Around the NFL: Super Bowl Thread

[sportscurmudgeon]

Originally Posted by mooby

Really? You assume that #1 is the only reason for putting the SB on Saturday night? I don't think it matters whether Saturday is a prime slot or not, you could put the SB on on a Wednesday night and people would still watch it. The more people segment I'm referring to would be parents of kids who allow them to stay up later on a Saturday than on a Sunday night, since Sunday night is a school night. If the game was on Saturday, parents wouldn't be so concerned about letting their kids stay up a little late.

As far as the getting wasted argument goes, I'm pretty sure the number of people who call out of work is big enough that you could justify putting it on a Saturday night. So while the whole getting wasted argument doesn't sound pretty, it is what it is. How many people do you know that decline the opportunity to go to a SB party and have some drinks just because they have work in the morning?

First of all, weekday games for the NFL have never drawn as well as Sunday games with the exception of a few MNF games over the 40-year history of MNF.

The NFL used to play Saturday games after the college season was over in December on the major over-the-air-networks. Their ratings were ALWAYS less than on Sunday. That is PART of the reason the NFL does not do that any more.

If they played the Super Bowl on a Wednesday - - as you suggested in your hyperbole - - they would likely draw a smaller audience. Oh, and by the way, Wednesday would be a work night too...

One other thing, the NFL really does not care a whole lot if kids get to stay up to see the game on the East Coast of the US. [Note, that is not a big deal at all on the West Coast where the game kicks off at 3:30 PM.] NFL sponsors tend to be car companies, beer companies, insurance companies etc. Frosted Flakes is not likely to spend $3M on a Super Bowl slot because a few extra kiddies might be looking in. Super Bowl telecasts are there to rake in rights fees and those rights fees are tied to advertising rates. Advertising rates are tied to ADULTS who tune in...

There is a huge difference to employers - - either the govt or a private company - - between paying employees for a holiday and paying them to take a sick day off.

When you get wasted and take the next day off, you get paid - - AND THEN you have one less sick-day/personal-day/vacation-day where you will not be at work but still drawing salary.

If it is a holiday you get the day off AND THEN you still get to take your full compliment of sick-days/personal-days/vacation-days.

If you write to your Congressman, he is going to recognize that significant difference so you better come up with a really good explanation as to why this is a critical national issue. Yours will not be the first letter along that line that he will have received - - and yet the legislation never seems to get introduced. Wonder why that is...?