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Besides my own personal experiences, I also have done quite a bit of reading on this subject, as I currently live in an area where everyone eats/breathes/drinks football; I am a "transplant" here for the past few years. I could give a rip less about football frankly, but regardless, I actually was surprised to find out that on Thanksgiving Day all the people around here could care about is the stinking football game. Go to a gathering or try to have one, and they are OBSESSED about the football game and are absolutely DYING to watch it--on a holiday. I had never noticed that before.
My wife especially is emphatic--she wants no part of it, and she grew up around here, but football fever never caught on with her. Most times we host Thanksgiving, and she very much doesn't want the TV blaring a game on that day. In fact for a long time we had a convenient excuse--we can't pick it up, and that was true, because up until 2 days ago we still were in tube-TV land, having never updated to LCD or digital etc.
I have no problem with that other people like football in & of itself, but to me, to be so crazy about it that you can't enjoy a holiday with your family without watching a game is just nuts to me. I don't think I'm biased in terms of that I'm not a football fan, because I am a basketball fan but I also agreed with what then Orlando Magic head NBA coach Stan Van Gundy said a few years ago (approximate quote) "I feel sorry for you if you have nothing better to do on Christmas Day than watch an NBA game."
In the case of our family, we actually have compromised in that we will have the get-together prior to the game & by the time the game is due to be on they're ready to leave anyway. Prior to that, it was often at their house and my wife & I both tended to roll our eyes in terms of that we'd go to their house with the TV blaring wide-open and say to ourselves "it's a day for families to actually BE together, and all they care about is some stupid football game?" It's funny, because (again) my wife grew up around this area all of her life (I'm a transplant), but she most certainly didn't get football fever in the least.
I'm sorry, but to me, what's on TV, football basketball or "Weeds" or whatever it is, I could care less. It's a day to be with FAMILIES, not to be glued watching some game of ANY sport, if you ask me.
I did some research & was surprised to learn this is a long-held tradition, it's not something recent to get outraged of "man people have lost their sense of community" etc as they sometimes regarding cell phone addiction etc, because it goes back probably 80-100 years, yet still, it gnaws at it somehow. I mean, if the head coach of an NBA game can admit that it's crazy when we just HAVE to have our games even on Christmas, it would seem the same could be said, regardless of how long the tradition has been around, regarding just HAVING to watch a football game on Thanksgiving Day.
Thoughts? I ask NOT to rile up football fans, again, if you love the game nothing wrong with that, but I wonder if there are others who don't care for games on TV during the holidays--basketball, football, hockey, or whatever.
Besides my own personal experiences, I also have done quite a bit of reading on this subject, as I currently live in an area where everyone eats/breathes/drinks football; I am a "transplant" here for the past few years. I could give a rip less about football frankly, but regardless, I actually was surprised to find out that on Thanksgiving Day all the people around here could care about is the stinking football game. Go to a gathering or try to have one, and they are OBSESSED about the football game and are absolutely DYING to watch it--on a holiday. I had never noticed that before.
My wife especially is emphatic--she wants no part of it, and she grew up around here, but football fever never caught on with her. Most times we host Thanksgiving, and she very much doesn't want the TV blaring a game on that day. In fact for a long time we had a convenient excuse--we can't pick it up, and that was true, because up until 2 days ago we still were in tube-TV land, having never updated to LCD or digital etc.
I have no problem with that other people like football in & of itself, but to me, to be so crazy about it that you can't enjoy a holiday with your family without watching a game is just nuts to me. I don't think I'm biased in terms of that I'm not a football fan, because I am a basketball fan but I also agreed with what then Orlando Magic head NBA coach Stan Van Gundy said a few years ago (approximate quote) "I feel sorry for you if you have nothing better to do on Christmas Day than watch an NBA game."
In the case of our family, we actually have compromised in that we will have the get-together prior to the game & by the time the game is due to be on they're ready to leave anyway. Prior to that, it was often at their house and my wife & I both tended to roll our eyes in terms of that we'd go to their house with the TV blaring wide-open and say to ourselves "it's a day for families to actually BE together, and all they care about is some stupid football game?" It's funny, because (again) my wife grew up around this area all of her life (I'm a transplant), but she most certainly didn't get football fever in the least.
I'm sorry, but to me, what's on TV, football basketball or "Weeds" or whatever it is, I could care less. It's a day to be with FAMILIES, not to be glued watching some game of ANY sport, if you ask me.
I did some research & was surprised to learn this is a long-held tradition, it's not something recent to get outraged of "man people have lost their sense of community" etc as they sometimes regarding cell phone addiction etc, because it goes back probably 80-100 years, yet still, it gnaws at it somehow. I mean, if the head coach of an NBA game can admit that it's crazy when we just HAVE to have our games even on Christmas, it would seem the same could be said, regardless of how long the tradition has been around, regarding just HAVING to watch a football game on Thanksgiving Day.
Thoughts? I ask NOT to rile up football fans, again, if you love the game nothing wrong with that, but I wonder if there are others who don't care for games on TV during the holidays--basketball, football, hockey, or whatever.
I think you would are subjecting your guests to cruelty by not allowing them to watch TV while visiting you. Oh, and make sure you buy them the good beer too, not crummy stuff like Miller Lite or Blatz.
I'm not sure what your issue is, OP. If you don't like football on Thanksgiving don't turn it on. If people are reluctant to join you for the day due to you being football averse, that's their prerogative. But don't make judgments against them just for being fans. It's not a matter of your values being better than theirs so much as different.
Incidentally, we had football on all day in my home, but oddly enough, I only watched a few snaps of each game. I was busy smoking a turkey and doing other things.
I do, just because I got nothing else to do
but there's a serious problem in American culture with making everything "for profit"
"Thanksgiving" is not about thanking God, it's about watching 2-3 football games in a row
Christmas is not about Jesus, is about shopping
etc, etc, etc.
And believe me.... if you stand up for you religious values, people think you are freak and anti-American.
OK, this could go in the wrong direction and as somebody stated, it is the profootball forum.
Football isn't on at my sisters house unless you go in the basement and watch a real small TV. They are not TV people, have 2 smaller televisions. Trust me, they control what is on, don't like it, don't go.
As long as it's not on during dinner, it's no biggee to me. Many families do really enjoy watching football together. Nothing in the world wrong with that. My team doesn't typically play so I don't pay too much attention. But I do enjoy a good football game...and if it turns out that way, I'll be paying attention. The fun holiday games to me are the college rivalry games the next day anyway. Michigan and OSU; Auburn and Alabama. That's some football!
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