Would America really go to hell if we had one extra national holiday on our calendar each year? Each January prior to Super Bowl Sunday, I ask this very question. Now I know that some of you may be thinking, "Brett, you are the biggest sports fan I know. Of course you would feel this way. Stop being narrow minded." Well, I can see that, but lets be honest...the Super Bowl does not cater strictly to sports fans, it has truly become a national event.
I would venture to guess that Monday, February 8th, will be the least productive work day in 2010. Would the markets collapse, the farms go dry, and tidal waves form from one extra holiday on our calendar? No, no, and no. Now, it would be frivilous of me to comment without having some type of plan. Here it is. Simple and direct.
So, it is increasingly obvious that sometime in the near future, the NFL will expand their schedule from 16 to 18 games.
In this simple scheduling change lies a solution. Start the season one week early (pre-Labor Day) and finish one week later (roughly the second weekend in February).
This would land the Monday following the Super Bowl on what is now Presidents' Day. Why not simply combine the two holidays and a day off work to not only include banks, government jobs, and schools, but also the business world as well?
I contend that this would not hurt our economy, but actually boost it. Think about the extra money that could potentially be pumped into Super Bowl Sunday if the majority of America was aware they would be free of labor duties the following day.
Secondly, Americans (as I stated before) are in general, not productive the day after the Super Bowl for any number of reasons including lack of sleep, being overserved; or living in Cleveland, St. Louis or Oakland, and knowing that next season will be worse than the previous. Going back to work on Tuesday would rejuvinate each of these segments of the population.
This may not be a reaslistic proposition, but in my opinion, it is something practical that could raise America's morale, and boost its economy all at the same time. Anyways, who doesn't take a moment each year to celebrate the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and George Washington? Presidents' Day reborn!
I've got a good idea. Play the Pro Bowl a week before the Super Bowl in the city that hosts the Super Bowl. Not only do 9 different teams already play in regular season games at this exotic location, but no one from the Super Bowl teams will play, even though no ones want to play in it anyway. Did you see the starting QB's for the AFC? Schaub, Young, Garrard - Amazing!
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