NFL

Christmas cheer doesn't mean day off

By ROGER MILLS
Published December 12, 2004

"It's depressing, man, depressing. ... I know it's part of your job, but it's tough to leave your kids and your family behind."

- CHIDI AHANOTU, Bucs defensive tackle, on playing on Christmas Day

Yeah, yeah, yeah, it comes with the territory. By the time they have earned their first paychecks, professional athletes likely have missed at least one holiday because of their job, or practice, or travel.

But when it comes to playing on Christmas Day, an NFL rarity, no one except the league, seems to be in favor of it.

This year, there are two games slated for Christmas Day: the Raiders are at the Chiefs at 5 p.m., followed by the Broncos at the Titans at 8:30.

Fine, but if games are usually on Sundays, and Christmas Day is a Saturday, why has the NFL gone out of its way to play on Christmas Day?

And seeing that road teams leave the day before, why force them away from their families on Christmas Eve as well - did we mention the Packers are at Vikings on Dec. 24?

Who's in charge of the NFL schedule, Scrooge?

"Let's not hide behind it, it is a difficult circumstance for all of us, particularly when you have to travel," said Chargers coach Marty Schottenheimer, whose team will have to leave Christmas Day for a game in Indianapolis on Dec. 26. "We've tried to make some arrangements around here for our players back there. It's a difficult situation. But, when you sign on, you know that there's going to be situations like this come up. You just have to make the best of it."

Christmas Day games have only become an issue over the last 10 seasons when the league began extending its scheduling late into December. The Bucs never have played on Christmas Day and have had only three games on Dec. 24 and three on Dec. 26.

Still, the scenario isn't ideal.

"It's depressing, man, depressing," Bucs defensive end Chidi Ahanotu said. "Especially if you're not playing for anything (like the Raiders and Titans). ... I know it's part of your job, but it's tough to leave your kids and your family behind."

Why Christmas Day? Perhaps the NBA's long standing domination of sports programming on Christmas Day had something to do with it.

Or perhaps it was the attraction of a windfall of advertising revenue on a day when watching television is really one of the best options.

"Everyone else does it, bowl games do it, basketball league's do it," Chargers left tackle Roman Oben said. "I've missed a lot of holidays, but the NFL isn't concerned. It wants to make money and improve its marketing."

Here's a question, who's going to go to those games? Will they be sellouts? What kind of walk-up numbers will there be for a game between teams at the bottom of their division at 4-8?

NFL games don't occur in a vacuum. There are staffers, security, league and game officials, emergency personnel and media who may have to travel on Christmas Eve to get there for Christmas Day.

"I'm a Christian man and it's Christmas," Ahanotu said. "I don't think we should be banging each other on the head, trying to kill each other on Christmas. It doesn't make sense. It's true that (we signed up) but it's not right."

[Last modified December 12, 2004, 00:32:19]