OT/ Why not Super Bowl Saturday?

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Posted By: Cy

I was wondering this morning why the NFL doesn't play the Super Bowl on Saturday night rather than Sunday night.

There are plenty of people on the east coast who turn off the game before it is over because it runs so late. Plenty of people over do the partying and have trouble going to work/school the next day. An extra day would help their productivity.

Since both teams get two weeks to prepare anyway, playing one day earlier wouldn't matter to the two teams. And this would probably also add to their revenues since more people would stay up and watch more of the game. Why not play the game Saturday night and make it easier for everyone?

Cy

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Posted By: David Smith

One extra day of revenue for the host city.

The Super Bowl is not about the casual fan, it is about the big spending individuals, the corporations and the media.

Here in Indianapolis, a new $500 million dollar football stadium is being built. The food and beverage tax has been raised 1% in Marion and all surrounding counties to help pay for the bonds. This was done to keep the Colts from leaving town and also to hopefully lure a Super Bowl to town in the near future.

A couple of new hotels have been built downtown in the last couple of years, so, a Super Bowl on Sunday night means most people have to stay over an extra night. More revenue for the hotels and restaurants and more tax dollars for the city.

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Posted By: warshawlaw

It is filled with corporate "fans" who don't care about the game itself. I was amazed the time I went just how disinterested the crowd was. Nothing like a World Series game.

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Posted By: Joann

True. Super Bowl Monday is #2 in terms of number of employees taking the same vacation day. Having it on Saturday would save a lot of people a vacation day. #1 day for mass employee vacation days, at least in Michigan, is Opening Day ... of deer hunting season!!! lol On the other side of the state, near Detroit, the Jobbie Nooners (Google it ) are also getting big in terms of mass time off and continue to grow.

Similar to the debate about running World Series games so late in Eastern Time Zones. I know very very few kids that are interested in baseball. Many of them PLAY baseball, but that has not translated into general interest in the game outside their participation. Failing to showcase the premier event in the sport has to be part of it. I remember (oh no, heeerrreee she goes, lol) when the Tigers were in the '68 Series, my 4th Grade teacher had every game on the radio in the classroom. Other years for other teams too. Kids didn't miss the World Series just because they were in school.

I wonder if the interest in bb over time will be greater on the west coast than east coast, because of the ability of kids to watch the bigger games. It would at least confirm or dispel the theory.

Joann

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Posted By: DJ

It's so true that this event is not for the casual fan who, like this pre-war baseball business, has been literally priced out. It is nonsense to have two weeks between games and the fact that there will never be an outdoor venue in the East to hold the big game is a joke. Who cares if the Rolling Stones freeze their nuts off.

It has to be on a Sunday though. NFL football is a Sunday sport in my opinion and when they did have games on Thursday and the ones they had on Saturday simply screwed up my week and I had to rethink what day it actually was based on when I got drunk and watched six games at once.

DJ

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Posted By: cmoking

The Super Bowl starts at 6:30pm on the East Coast and probably ends around 10pm. That's too late? Compare that to the World Series games that regularly end past midnight on the East Coast.

I don't think the timing of the game is a problem.

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Posted By: jay behrens

I have to agree about the majority of the people attending the SB not really being fans. I was lucky enough to be living in SF and have a friend get tix and ask me to go. Downtown SF was a night leading up to the game. Bars, nightclubs and restaurants were swamped with possers and wanna-be's, all looking for someone to suck up to and make a contact with that might furhter their career. Thanks god that I was a regualr on the Klub Kid circuit at that point, so I didn't have to worry about getting into clubs, but others I knew couldn't get into decent places becuase they were overrun with the SB crowd. The one neat thing about game is that SF won, so I got see the game and the post game celebration in the winning city. I think I got to be about 8am the next day.

Jay

I've just reached Upper Lower Class. I am now officially a babe magnet for poor chicks.

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Posted By: Cy

I overlooked the night-life that would generate all the revenue. That does make perfect sense.

However, to respond to cmoking. The game won't start until about 7:00, with all the pre-game. And with all the commercials and the long half-time show, the game will be lucky to end at 11:00 PM eastern time. Maybe that doesn't seem late to some. But to the Al Bundy's on the east coast (married with children) that have to get up to work, this is a bit late. If alcohol is also prevalent, this will add to the miseries of the next day.

Believe me, many people in the east who do not have a stake in either team, will shut it off before the game ends. But these same people might watch the entire game if it was on Saturday night. This would generate more TV revenue for the sponsors. But I surmise the businesses in the Detroit area could care less about TV revenue when they are placing a lot of money in the game to incur local revenues.

Regards,

Cy

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Posted By: cmoking

I see kickoff as 6:20pm Eastern Time.