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Captain_America
Guest
Thanksgiving gets marred in my family by the daylong blaring football game. The house is never big enough to escape the noise, and the TV sucks away a good part of the day’s possibilities for companionship.
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GangGreen
Guest
We had the games on, but it was muted. As much as I enjoy watching football, I’d rather be talking to family.
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Cat
Guest
Saying, “There’s too much football!” is like saying, “There are too many children!”
Football IS the venue for companionship and talking to family, especially when the Ravens are playing (and winning)! The commercials and stop-actions provide plenty of opportunity to talk.
I would advise you to lighten up and go with it. There’s nothing more fun than all sitting around the TV chatting through a game and cheering on the team of choice. Stewing and fretting over the “noise” and the “lack of companionship” just makes the football fans resentful.
If you do manage to “guilt” them into turning off the game, you won’t enjoy the “companionship” and talk because you’ll sense that they are resentful over missing the game that all their pals are watching.
Nope, the best thing to do is join in the fun of watching the game! It’s really an amazing game, and sitting with the family and watching it IS companionship.
Football IS the venue for companionship and talking to family, especially when the Ravens are playing (and winning)! The commercials and stop-actions provide plenty of opportunity to talk.
I would advise you to lighten up and go with it. There’s nothing more fun than all sitting around the TV chatting through a game and cheering on the team of choice. Stewing and fretting over the “noise” and the “lack of companionship” just makes the football fans resentful.
If you do manage to “guilt” them into turning off the game, you won’t enjoy the “companionship” and talk because you’ll sense that they are resentful over missing the game that all their pals are watching.
Nope, the best thing to do is join in the fun of watching the game! It’s really an amazing game, and sitting with the family and watching it IS companionship.
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BlueEyedLady
Guest
No such thing as too much football.
Instead of resenting the game, why not just sit down and enjoy it with your family? If you go into it with an open mind you might realize that there’s more talking and bonding going on than you thought.
Instead of resenting the game, why not just sit down and enjoy it with your family? If you go into it with an open mind you might realize that there’s more talking and bonding going on than you thought.
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Cat
Guest
That’s what half-time is for! Beats watching those scantily-clad buxom cheerleaders!Too many opportunities to watch football fewer opportunities to make babies.
And I wonder how many babies were made during the power failure at last year’s Super Bowl! And the tornado warning delay in Chicago last weekend!
My husband and I have a little tradition–when our team scores a touchdown–oh, well, too much information!
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thequietsinger
Guest
Yes! Someone who agrees with me!
Exactly! You don’t have to sit there with a disturbed look on your face. Even if you don’t know how football is played, you can still spend time with your loved ones. Trust me, so many family conversations come about when watching football.
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EasterJoy
Guest
We only saw the morning game, before we left for the Thanksgiving gathering. As the 2 minute warning was being observed and half-time approached, one commentator joked with a line something like this: “Half-time is approaching. Get ready, in a few minutes you’re going to have to actually talk to your relatives.”
Seriously, though: What to do about your situation? Nobody would have an opera on TV every year at some family holiday, turn it up so loudly that there was nowhere in the house to escape the arias, and then require all the football fans to learn to enjoy it. It isn’t realistic to expect someone who has tried football and knows he or she does not like it to suck it up and watch it, anyway. The same goes with blaring Bing Crosby all day at people who do not like his music and never will. No, no one would force Grandma to spend Christmas with no Christmas music, but mercy and compromise are the better options.
a) Get them to agree to set the volume to a level that allows those who don’t want to listen to go somewhere to escape it, even if that is only one or two people. Fair is fair. If the football fans have to catch every word the commentators are saying, they can enforce quiet on each other. Most families I know have the games on at a very low volume. It doesn’t kill anyone.
b) If there are multiple games, ask each fan to choose at least one that they will not watch non-stop, so their family also gets a shot at them. Everyone is a fan, but nobody has to watch every single game. There are no playoffs on Thanksgiving Day! (Certain Saturdays of the college season and certain Sundays in January could be held to be exceptional, but let the fans choose something as an “exception” that is less than 20 Saturdays and Sundays a year!!)
c) The game can be turned off while everyone sits down to eat, or at the very least, if the end of the game is close and will be over before dinner will be, the sound can be turned off. Again: Remind them that there are no playoffs on Thanksgiving Day. There is a lot of season left. If there are any really great plays, they can see them later on Sports Center.
Seriously, though: What to do about your situation? Nobody would have an opera on TV every year at some family holiday, turn it up so loudly that there was nowhere in the house to escape the arias, and then require all the football fans to learn to enjoy it. It isn’t realistic to expect someone who has tried football and knows he or she does not like it to suck it up and watch it, anyway. The same goes with blaring Bing Crosby all day at people who do not like his music and never will. No, no one would force Grandma to spend Christmas with no Christmas music, but mercy and compromise are the better options.
a) Get them to agree to set the volume to a level that allows those who don’t want to listen to go somewhere to escape it, even if that is only one or two people. Fair is fair. If the football fans have to catch every word the commentators are saying, they can enforce quiet on each other. Most families I know have the games on at a very low volume. It doesn’t kill anyone.
b) If there are multiple games, ask each fan to choose at least one that they will not watch non-stop, so their family also gets a shot at them. Everyone is a fan, but nobody has to watch every single game. There are no playoffs on Thanksgiving Day! (Certain Saturdays of the college season and certain Sundays in January could be held to be exceptional, but let the fans choose something as an “exception” that is less than 20 Saturdays and Sundays a year!!)
c) The game can be turned off while everyone sits down to eat, or at the very least, if the end of the game is close and will be over before dinner will be, the sound can be turned off. Again: Remind them that there are no playoffs on Thanksgiving Day. There is a lot of season left. If there are any really great plays, they can see them later on Sports Center.
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Neofight
Guest
My wife likes chick flicks and I hate them, but because I love her and her companionship I suck it up, and once and a while I like the movie, so for those you love, hang with the games for the day.
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DoGodsBidding
Guest
I am a football fan who agrees with you. We had Thanksgiving at our house this year and while we had the games on we keep the volume down so that we could visit. We also ate in our dining rooms so we could visit. We were able to keep track of the games while also having a chance to talk to each other, and everything worked out fine.We only saw the morning game, before we left for the Thanksgiving gathering. As the 2 minute warning was being observed and half-time approached, one commentator joked with a line something like this: “Half-time is approaching. Get ready, in a few minutes you’re going to have to actually talk to your relatives.”
Seriously, though: What to do about your situation? Nobody would have an opera on TV every year at some family holiday, turn it up so loudly that there was nowhere in the house to escape the arias, and then require all the football fans to learn to enjoy it. It isn’t realistic to expect someone who has tried football and knows he or she does not like it to suck it up and watch it, anyway. The same goes with blaring Bing Crosby all day at people who do not like his music and never will. No, no one would force Grandma to spend Christmas with no Christmas music, but mercy and compromise are the better options.
a) Get them to agree to set the volume to a level that allows those who don’t want to listen to go somewhere to escape it, even if that is only one or two people. Fair is fair. If the football fans have to catch every word the commentators are saying, they can enforce quiet on each other. Most families I know have the games on at a very low volume. It doesn’t kill anyone.
b) If there are multiple games, ask each fan to choose at least one that they will not watch non-stop, so their family also gets a shot at them. Everyone is a fan, but nobody has to watch every single game. There are no playoffs on Thanksgiving Day! (Certain Saturdays of the college season and certain Sundays in January could be held to be exceptional, but let the fans choose something as an “exception” that is less than 20 Saturdays and Sundays a year!!)
c) The game can be turned off while everyone sits down to eat, or at the very least, if the end of the game is close and will be over before dinner will be, the sound can be turned off. Again: Remind them that there are no playoffs on Thanksgiving Day. There is a lot of season left. If there are any really great plays, they can see them later on Sports Center.
DGB
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Tarpeian_Rock
Guest
Professional football is a boy’s game being played by grossly overpaid multi-millionaires
a significant number of whom have police records and make headlines by their bad
behavior and abuse of women. Football has become notorious as the cause of
later in life dementia. A significant number of young lives have been ruined by
paralysis in imitation of this “sport.” A family bonding activity? A way to celebrate
being thankful to God? I think not.
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Gordon_Sims
Guest
I believe there was a similar/identical thread last year. I couldn’t agree more, though. I’m expected to sit there and watch it with the rest of the guys. If I don’t, feelings are hurt. If I do, outside of the occasional spectacular play or exciting drive, I’m bored out of my skull. They spend the whole time talking about nothing but football or other sports, or checking their fantasy football stats. It’s like this the entire season (college and pro). I believe I’m more thankful the day after the Super Bowl than I am Thanksgiving Day because that means we get a brief window when we can actually visit during Sunday dinners before baseball starts up again.
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Catholic1954
Guest
Next year, unplug it the night before and leave it in the garage.
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rayne89
Guest
Growing up we were not a football Thanksgiving family. Macy’s parade & some holiday movie we’d all fall asleep too after over eating. My husband’s family thankfully wasn’t either. My daughter’s favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. She’s 18. She loves everyone in the kitchen cooking, all the traditional foods.I joked (well kind of ) while she and I were making the sweet potatoes on her check list for her future husband she needs to make sure he doesn’t do a football Thanksgiving. She said “Oh definitely no football.”
You have my sympathies.
) while she and I were making the sweet potatoes on her check list for her future husband she needs to make sure he doesn’t do a football Thanksgiving. She said “Oh definitely no football.”You have my sympathies.
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bobballen_18
Guest
You know, I’m not too much of a football fan, so yeah, I’m a little biased. But I totally agree that it’s ridiculous that that’s how some people spend their Thanksgiving afternoon/evening/whatever. I suppose that the way some people have mentioned doing it, that is, with volume low and all, it is better, but I don’t agree with it. I think there’s something funny about scheduling professional football games on Thanksgiving Day.
I guess I’m also biased because I grew up without a TV, so I know perfectly well that it is possible to survive a day without TV. Spend Thanksgiving time bonding and actually conversing with your family. Someone mentioned that “I’d be surprised by the conversations that actually come up while watching a football game” or something like that. Well, no, I wouldn’t. If people are actually into the game, which often happens, all they really care about is watching the game to follow it, not conversing and having other conversations with family. Any conversation is based mostly on the game in front of you.
I realize that it could be done in a way that, if the volume is low, and no one is really paying too much attention to the game, and just has it on to look at a score update every once in awhile, would not be detrimental to family time. And maybe I’m being unreasonable assuming that the majority of such Thanksgiving gatherings are not all-inclusive, but I know many are not. Then again, I suppose one could make the argument that some family conversations are not all-inclusive, too. Whatever. Anyway, I’ve stated my opinion.
I guess I’m also biased because I grew up without a TV, so I know perfectly well that it is possible to survive a day without TV. Spend Thanksgiving time bonding and actually conversing with your family. Someone mentioned that “I’d be surprised by the conversations that actually come up while watching a football game” or something like that. Well, no, I wouldn’t. If people are actually into the game, which often happens, all they really care about is watching the game to follow it, not conversing and having other conversations with family. Any conversation is based mostly on the game in front of you.
I realize that it could be done in a way that, if the volume is low, and no one is really paying too much attention to the game, and just has it on to look at a score update every once in awhile, would not be detrimental to family time. And maybe I’m being unreasonable assuming that the majority of such Thanksgiving gatherings are not all-inclusive, but I know many are not. Then again, I suppose one could make the argument that some family conversations are not all-inclusive, too. Whatever. Anyway, I’ve stated my opinion.
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Gordon_Sims
Guest
Any non-sports discussions we had were limited to me asking, “So what’s up with [whatever],” then sitting there waiting for an answer that never came. Or, I’d start talking about something that happened with me, my kids, work, whatever, get a disinterested grunt and/or nod, then I’d finally trail off and go see what the kids were doing. And, no, I wasn’t surprised by these conversations at all.
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Cat
Guest
Here’s the way I see this–to me, you sound like you feel “superior” to all those poor ignorant football fanatics. YOU can actually hold a “real” discussion. YOU can discuss with alacrity all kinds of topics, including sensitive family topics like “kids, work, whatever.” YOU don’t need a TV.
In fact, I see this in several posters–an attitude of superiority.
It could be…that perhaps that’s why you don’t get along with the other relatives. They see you as snobbish and “uppity.” It’s no fun being around people who insist that the only way to “bond” with family is to engage in a deep and spiritual discussion.
Sadly, there are a LOT of families who know that engaging in a deep and spiritual discussion would no doubt end with a bitter family argument, hurt feelings, screaming, and departing in anger. If your family isn’t one of these families, you are indeed deeply blessed. But many families have “baggage” and “issues” and various mental and emotional illnesses (e.g., alcoholism), and sitting around a Thanksgiving table sharing their thoughts and feelings is NOT the best way to handle this. It won’t help.
For these families, a football game can become a temporary peaceful gathering place where for a few hours, they can all agree that “their” team is the best team and have a jolly good time cheering on their team and discussing the superior merits of their team. The children can see their parents and relatives getting along, and this gives them a warm, secure feeling about their family that they would never get from a tense and stilted “conversation” that in all probability, will turn into a family argument.
Don’t lash out at ME. Think about what I’m telling you and consider the possibility that I’m telling you something that you need to hear. Get off your high horse and mingle. Or observe with pleasure your family and friends–no need to judge them. Just enjoy. The time goes fast and before you know it, they’re gone.
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Cat
Guest
Figure skating is being paid for by parents who are going into tremendous debt and jeopardizing their retirement in order to finance a hundred thousand dollar yearly bill for their petite, white girl or their effeminate (in all likelihood, gay) son who skip school and don’t even know how to read because they spend hours at a rink learning to twist their scantily-clad bodies three or more times in the air.
Figure skating has become notorious as the cause of various eating disorders, drug-additions, old-age injuries in young people (e.g., broken hips, arthritic knees). A significant number of young lives have been seriously impeded by these injuries. In addition, young men have been lured into homosexuality by perverted coaches and older skaters who use the ice rink to find prey among young boys who are not allowed to be in the locker rooms with their mothers.
The age of figure skating “stars” and million dollar contracts for figure skaters has ended, a casualty of the judging scandals, cable TV, and a poor world-wide economy. Most figure skaters discover, after spending hundreds of thousands of dollars, that they will not make it to the Olympics, or even to the Sectionals, and that there is a waiting list of thousands of other skaters to be cast in the few ice shows that are still running (mainly in Europe and Asia). The only paying option for older figure skaters is coaching, thus perpetuating the cycle of futility.
And yet…if my husband and I had to do it all over again, yes, yes, a thousand times yes, our daughters would be involved in this, the greatest of all the sports, in our opinion!
BOTH of our daughters continue their involvement with the sport of figure skating, even though they are 30 and 27, hardly “young, petite white girls.”
And although much of what I wrote above is true, there are untruths, myths, and exaggerations. In all our years of involvement with this sport, we have only met a few “gay” figure skaters. And we have met plenty of non-white figure skaters. In fact, we are now seeing Muslim figure skaters, young girls who are skating with their heads covered. It’s a beautiful sight.
TarpeianRock, much of what you wrote is true, but much of it is hyperbolic language expressing a dark, negative point of view about a sport that many young boys and men, and girls too, love playing on the school playground, in their backyards, or on the few vacant lots that still exist in the United States.
Any sport or ANY activity, including CHURCH, has its dark side. But the positives far outweigh the negatives. You have chosen to major on the negatives. I and millions of others choose to celebrate the positives.
Football is a fascinating sport requiring not only athletic prowess, but shrewd strategy. Every game is new and different. Even figure skating becomes monotonous, especially now that skaters and teams are encumbered by the International Judging System (Code of Points). But every football game is new.
The level of athleticism of football players reminds us all of God’s greatest creation–Man. My mother (RIP) used to marvel watching the young men running down the field–she would say, “Aren’t they beautiful?” (She couldn’t even walk because of the effects of severe rheumatoid arthritis.)
When you ask children, teenagers, or adults, why they love figure skating, the most popular response is, “It feels like flying.”
I think for a lot of us, especially older adults who are impaired in their mobility, athletes give us a feeling of being “free” again, young, strong, and mobile. We watch them fly, and in so doing, we fly with them.
As for family bonding activity, who are YOU to tell MY family what bonds us together? I know families who are bonded by drinking alcohol together. Frankly, I and my entire family finds this disgusting. But that’s US, and I realize that others disagree with us and bond quite well over beer or wine.
I know several families who “bond” by taking a “family nap” on holidays. The entire family finds a place to get comfortable in their living room, they turn down the lights, turn on a boring movie, and all fall asleep together! Precious! A waste of time, IMO. But I’m not them.
I know other families who “bond” during the holidays at the movies, or while cleaning up the garage or doing some other tough chore, or at the mall, or volunteering to serve dinner at the local rescue mission, or playing music together (our family does this at Christmas time), or…watching football or another sport.
We can’t tell others what to do. If you don’t like football, fine. But at least try to get to a place where you can accept that others DO like the game and DO bond over it and DO thank God for football and family.
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Captain_America
Guest
. . . well that says it. Sounds like you are a fan of this sport.
Bit aggressive about it with the “guilt” stuff.
There’s a time and a place for everything; family get-togethers in 2013, in our times, are pretty unusual events, and football is a loud distraction.
I say this as a guy who enjoys watching football but realizes reality counts for much in life.
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SuperLuigi
Guest
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