While the holiday season is often affiliated with family, festivities, tradition, and cheer, the sports world has also played a major role with NFL and NBA games on Christmas.
For normal sports fans, it’s not about presents and family time, it’s about enjoying some of the best games ever played in NBA history and the NFL’s contentious rivalries.
There is a Christmas game tradition for each of these major leagues, and the games have become important parts of many holiday traditions. The NBA has been playing Christmas Day games since 1947 and while the NFL has only recently chosen to play Christmas Day games more regularly, they are an important holiday ritual with their Thanksgiving games. It doesn’t always matter which teams or players are performing in the games, it unites families and creates memories that last a lifetime.
“I look forward to the NBA Christmas games every year,” junior soccer player Roldan Benitez-Mejia said. “It’s like El Clasicos and Thanksgiving football but for basketball and for those who enjoy football it’s no different.”
Some Ritenour families even incorporate the games into their schedules for the holidays.
‘’My family eats Christmas dinner during the game so we can watch the game while eating,‘’ junior Yazmin Hernandez said.
Christmas NBA and NFL games are just as much a part of the holiday season as the annual films and the parties that happen.
“The games are part of the holiday spirit,” junior Xavier Politte said. “They bring people together, which is half the reason why people love the holiday season.
Furthermore the games create an ambiance of the season.
‘Christmas games have an atmosphere,” Politte said. “ It’s something I do with family and friends.”
One of the most important parts of the game is the matchups. The NFL and NBA select the teams based on popular players and teams that are contending for top playoff spots. These Christmas Day games serve as an advertisement for the best of each league.
“The matchups are important. The bigger the teams and rivalries bring in more views and fan interest,” Hernandez said.
While the leagues select teams based on star power, some people would like to see an adjustment made so that all teams can be represented and all fans can be interested.
“ In terms of one thing that should be changed, make sure more teams are able to be in the Christmas rotation, this allows for more opportunities for more fans to see their team,” Hernandez said.
Clearly with both leagues playing on Christmas day it’s a trend that won’t go away. Whether you’re an all-in sports fan or just a casual bystander, sports have been infused into the holiday spirit.