As much as turkey on Thanksgiving, or brats and hot dogs on Independence Day, sports are an important part of two of our biggest holidays.
Whether you and your family watch the games while stuffing the bird, or you've got the 'Stros game on while relaxing poolside, these are two special occasions for the "big two" of American sports leagues.Inevitably someone will find a football, you and your family/friends will head to the backyard or street and play a little two hand touch. The game has to stop before meal time, usually because an Uncle pulling a hammy or a little cousin getting hit a bit too hard. July 4th is the same way- a nice game of catch with the baseball on the Fourth...narrowly missing the grill with an errant throw...ah, memories.
Picking one over the other is tough for me. On the one hand, the NFL traditionally has been a Sunday/Monday event. Now, the NFL Network has implemented a Thursday night game late in the season. Since Thanksgiving is always on a Thursday, that means three games today. It seems unnatural to see a game not being played in Detroit or Dallas.
Baseball is a constant during the summer. Valverde gives up a lead in the ninth, en route to an Astros loss? Berkman can slug the team to a victory the next day. No time to dwell on a loss. So, baseball on the Fourth isn't so much an oddity in the schedule, but it does allow us to appreciate baseball for what it is- something that binds a lot of us together. Even someone who doesn't like baseball can stomach a game on July 4th. It's just feels right. The tempo of an at-bat which yields a home run, is like grilling a steak- the anticipation is almost painful, yet the result makes the wait that much more bareable.
It's a tough call, for sure. What say you, TCB readers?