FIVE Christmas Games too many!
Ok, this is several days after ABC and ESPN had their so-called “Christmas games”, which I personally thought was a self-inflated marketing ploy for ratings.
I read an article from the coach of the Orlando Magic, Stan Van Gundy, and I agree with him in what he said about the NBA playing games on Christmas. I mean, one game, is ok, maybe even two…but FIVE? That is ridiculous.
And I say that as a very heavy sports fan, but the hypocrisy in it is that the NBA, and ESPN seem to pretend that Christmas isn’t about Jesus Christ…it’s about money.
I mean, isn’t that what it was all about? A bunch of rich men playing basketball. Now I don’t blame the players, it is the league and ESPN who fixed this foolish promotion gimmick. And I don’t care what anybody says about getting good programming on television, to heck with that if you are celebrating the birth of Christ.
Let’s recall again what Christmas is ok….the birth of Christ…not the birth of greedy money-makers who apparently don’t care where their employees spend Christmas.
To me, this is just as bad as Papa Johns, when they brag about being open on Christmas day from noon to 9 pm, or Walgreens when they promised to be open on Christmas day. Do you REALLY think the CEOs of those businesses are working on Christmas? Yeah, right.
But somebody did, meaning they didn’t get to spend Christmas with their loved ones. Don’t talk to me about how it is a convenience, that is garbage. If you forgot to buy your batteries, then deal with it for one lousy day ok?
On the same scale, we can see how something like this means nothing to the average Joe sitting at home wanting to be entertained…but oh foolish mortal, have you not forgotten the reason for Christmas: It is not for you to be entertained, it is to remember what God did for us all.
Now I am not saying that you have to turn off all the televisions and spend Christmas holding hands and singing Christmas songs and giving thanks…although that was the general idea of the holiday. But how many of you thought about those guys playing on the basketball court, far from home? How many of you saw that bowl game on Christmas Eve in Hawaii, and wondered how those kids on that team felt being so far from home?
You don’t need to be the Pope or some Bishop-Deacon-Pastor person, you just have to be reasonable for just 24 hours. Was ESPN really in the “Christmas Spirit” when they put on 5 games? It’s funny because they joked about Lebron James and Kobe Bryant, saying that those guys were “in the spirit” when doing those promotional spots… I urge ESPN to define what “spirit” they were in…because it was not the true Christmas Spirit. It wasn’t their fault, it was the NBA and ESPN who felt that they could get better ratings by putting these guys out there like third rate employees and not care one bit about them missing the holidays with their families.
Stan Van Gundy was right in what he said, considering he and his team, the Orlando Magic, have to play on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day…do you really think the NBA cares as they say they do? Hardly.
So congrats to you NBA, you have shown us your Christmas Spirit…the one more common in our country…that of greed. In your minds, Christ is not important, only money. Consider that next year when you make your schedules for Christmas Day.
And have a heart for a change.
