A Former NFL Exec Gave Up Sports for the Holidays

Forget “silver bells” and Christmas caroling. I’ve always felt there’s no better sound over the holidays than the soft hum of sports broadcasting on the television.

Thanksgiving, after all, was made for football. The Lions and Cowboys have played on Thanksgiving for years despite occasional grumbling from other teams that they receive an advantage by hosting a home game on a very short week, not to mention the extra time they receive after the game – every year – to prepare for their following opponent.

To all that, I’ve always said, “Who cares?” There’s football to watch, and it seems right to have the Lions and Cowboys front and center. The next day usually sees a combination of Texas and A&M or Ole Miss and Mississippi State. Again, perfect to have on in the background as we deal with leftovers.

Christmas is a somewhat newer phenomenon, as best as I can recall, as all I can remember for most of my life is the Blue/Gray College All-Star (football) Game, the Aloha Bowl and NBA games. Again, just right to have it on in the background.

In 1998, however, my attitude changed when I saw firsthand what the other side of holidays sports looked like, without the diffusing effect of the television screen. I joined the Jacksonville Jaguars front office and spent Thanksgiving day in the office and that weekend in Cincinnati, where we played the Bengals. The following year, I can’t even remember Thanksgiving, completely blocked out by awful Christmas memories. We were going to play the Tennessee Titans in Nashville on the 26th, and so my wife, our new infant and I quickly opened presents early in the morning. We raced through her first Christmas and I raced off to the airport for our charter. (As it turns out, that was only the second-worst Christmas that I’ve had. My junior year at Duke we played in the All-American Bowl in Birmingham. Who knew that it would be twelve degrees when we landed on the 21st for a week of practices before the game? For some reason I’ve never understood, the coaches canceled our team meals on Christmas, ostensibly so that we could enjoy the day. That just meant that we were walking the streets of Birmingham, looking for anything open. The Omelette Shoppe was Christmas dinner, 1989. They didn’t serve turkey.)

Through the remainder of my NFL career, more of the same. Partial work-days on Thanksgiving, and either travel or at least a partial work-day on Christmas. Always wishing that I could get back to the family memories -- and turkey -- that I knew.

This Christmas was my sixth post-NFL, and I actually heard the sounds of Christmas. I shopped by myself, wrapped some presents, and even addressed some cards. It was Tony Dungy’s first since he left NFL coaching. I was with him the day before Thanksgiving, seated by his pool while enjoying the balmy Tampa November. When I asked his plans, his face lit up.

“My brother and his family and my sister and her family, and Lauren’s family, and my daughter’s fiancée and his family…all will be staying with us. And later I get to go to the airport to start making airport runs.” He was beaming. “I’ve either been playing or coaching our entire marriage. I’ve never made airport runs at the holidays or been able to have a house full of family or to help with the meal.”

Now that I’m out of the NFL, people will occasionally ask if I’d ever go back. I have to admit -- sometimes I do get that itch. But all I need to do is remember that rushed holiday season and the football season seems less appealing.

And so, when the San Diego Chargers ruined the chances of the Tennessee Titans’ bid for NFL history on Christmas night, they did so without me watching. No doubt, San Diego traveled to Nashville on Christmas Eve, and spent all of Christmas Day in a hotel before the game. By the time they returned home it was probably about 2 a.m….on the 26th.

Don’t get me wrong – I turned the games back on the next day, but I’ve decided to pass on watching sports on the holidays.

Except for the Cowboys on Thanksgiving.