Total Pro Sports
The NFL has been accused of behaving like “pigs,” having attempted to place a stranglehold on Christmas, with its plans having backfired.
The NFL has had control over Thanksgiving for a long time; it has recently added a Black Friday game, offering fans some action after the holiday.
The league is also looking to lock up Christmas Day, which, traditionally, has been chiefly the NBA’s.
An Xmas Day schedule featuring three massive games was announced before the start of the season. At least that’s what they were at the time.
The Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders will kick things off at 1:00 PM on Netflix in what should have been an NFC East showdown. This game had all the markings of a mouthwatering affair following Jayden Daniels’ rookie campaign.
Also on Netflix is an NFC North battle between the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions at 4:00 PM. Both teams were formidable last season and took it to the wire in the division.
Things will switch to Amazon Prime for the final game, which features the Kansas City Chiefs. Last season’s finalists will play the Denver Broncos in what could have been a clash for the ages. The Chiefs, of course, have been perennially victorious, while the Broncos are on an exciting trajectory under Sean Payton.
Unfortunately, all three of the games mentioned above have lost their appeal. Fans across America are calling out the league for their disastrous Christmas Day slate.
The Cowboys haven’t been that great, and the Commanders have been way worse. Daniels has been dealing with injuries all season, leaving the team in pretty bad shape.
The Vikings have been poor, too, and are last in their division, with the Lions above them in third place. The league would have definitely scheduled a Green Bay Packers vs. Chicago Bears game in hindsight.
As for the Chiefs, they’ve been the most disappointing team in the NFL this season. Making matters worse, they lost Patrick Mahomes to a season-ending injury and were eliminated from the playoffs in their last game.
It does appear, on paper, that it will be easy feasting for Bo Nix and the Broncos.
Football’s unpredictability is what makes it as attractive as it is. Ironically, this is exactly what makes scheduling such a headache – you just never know who’ll be out.
