The NFL’s final regular season games were played on Labor Day weekend in 2001, when the L in the logo was still a winding lineIt’s only a matter of time before the NFL reclaims the ground it abandoned 23 years ago.
It’s inevitable. If/when (when) the NFL adds an 18th game, and the NFL Players Association demands a second bye, the dream of hosting the Super Bowl on Presidents’ Day weekend will only become a reality if the NFL opens on Labor Day weekend.
And that’s before the NFL pushes for 19 or 20 regular season games, which will happen. Eventually.
The NFL will soon be celebrating Labor Day weekend again.
The competition was called off because the ratings took a hit, thanks to people enjoying the last unofficial weekend of summer. People were not at home to watch games on TV.
Now they can watch everywhere, but on their phones. The numbers will still be high.
And with the ban on NFL games on Friday nights and Saturdays (it’s the Tit for tat (before the broadcasting antitrust exemption) doesn’t take effect until the second Friday in September, the NFL could begin each season with five nights of primetime games: Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
Sorry, college football. You’re going to be second fiddle again on your debut weekend.
Don’t feel sorry for the college game. After flooding the airwaves on Saturday with mostly Cornell-Hofstra Massacresthere is one game today and one game tomorrow night. There should be college games in all windows, both days.
Soon there will be NFL games all Labor Day weekend. Thursday night, Friday night, multiple Saturday windows (maybe three), multiple Sunday windows (definitely three), and maybe even multiple windows on Labor Day.
Why have nine or ten games start at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday when they could be spread out in separate spots that would generate huge viewing numbers? Especially now that every team’s glass is half full at 0-0. People will come out in droves to watch their favorite teams play.
We’re not advocating for it. We’re just anticipating it. And it’s only a matter of time before it happens. It’s actually amazing that it hasn’t happened yet.
