Football in the United States has become an essential part of our national fabric. Athletes are heroes to the young and old, and games have become American traditions on par with apple pie, political polarization, good looking mustaches, or cell phone-induced distracted driving.
The Super Bowl, set for next Sunday in Miami, has arguably evolved into the pinnacle of the American sports calendar. It has become a sports holiday. But like most great traditions, is there a way to make it even better? Indeed there is.
The NFL should to move the Super Bowl to Saturday.
Yes, purists may argue it would be heretical to hold the Super Bowl on any day but Sunday, but it's hardly unprecedented to alter a sports tradition.
Consider the Super Bowl was once held in January, and not February as it is today. The World Series and NBA Championship were for decades daytime events that have since been banished to a time-slot somewhere near Letterman so that 10-year-olds can't watch their heroes. Major League Baseball added wild card teams, giving its playoffs a dimension that creates broader interest. And the NFL just moved its Pro Bowl to the week before the Super Bowl for the first time since its inception.
It is clear that great sports traditions can clearly be altered if there is value in doing so. And in a survey by the American Mustache Institute of its 2,000-plus members, nearly 80 percent said they would support moving the Super Bowl to Saturday.
There are both economic and social reasons supporting such a move.
- Kids could stay up a bit later to watch the game without the concerns of a school night.
- Super Bowl parties would become grander events, providing more social interaction, which often gets left behind in today's hurried society.
- Party hosts would buy more food and beverages to accommodate grander events, thus benefiting grocery stores and other merchants.
- More non-sports fans would attend these parties, enjoying greater social interaction with their friends, because they would no longer have to work the next day.
- And without work the next day, hosts could relax a bit more, enjoy the game and good company of their guests, feeling less pressure to clean up that night.
- If more non-football fans are watching, the networks gain more overall viewers, translating into their ability to charge more for advertising.
- Restaurants and bars may have a steady flow of business on Sunday nights, but just imagine the immense traffic and revenues from a truly Super Saturday.
- As the NFL pursues globalization, more international fans could more easily stay up late to watch the game (consider that in Europe the game ends at approximately 5 a.m.).
- Finally, we must consider the issue of productivity in the workplace. Employers won't have to deal with employees strolling in late for work because they stayed up late watching the Super Bowl.
Mustached Americans -- the fabric of American society -- believe the premiere showcase of the country's pastime would be well-served to move the entrenched tradition that is the Super Bowl to Saturday.
Much like holding a playoff for the NCAA Division I college football national championship or bringing back the TV show ALF, moving the Super Bowl to Saturday seems like one of those changes that is such an obvious improvement, that you wonder why it's never been done before.
We ask you to join the Mustached American community in petitioning the National Football League to move the Super Bowl to Saturday, which you can do online HERE.
Carry on.