By Brandyn Campbell | Engagement Insider
This Thursday, the holiday season will formally get underway as Americans come together to celebrate Thanksgiving. Families will reunite from far and wide, across valleys and rivers and through the snow, to be with one another on this special day. They will eat, laugh, give thanks, enjoy one another’s presence and more likely than not, watch football.
Families in the NFL community have so much to be thankful for this and every year. Words of appreciation will be said for the gift of friends and family. But having the great fortune to witness loved ones realize their dreams of playing in the NFL is also reason for gratitude.
On Thanksgiving Day, football is more than just a game. It is part of the holiday experience. It’s a bond that ties families together. For years to come, when people reminisce about Thanksgiving 2014, the memories of the games that were played will be mentioned right along with the recollection of the amazing holiday spread. Football on Thanksgiving is a time-honored tradition in homes across the nation, and it is a privilege to be welcomed into the homes of millions of fans on this cherished holiday.
The holiday season poses unique challenges for those involved with the League. As NFL families prepare for Thanksgiving along with the rest of the nation, the reality that football is a nonstop endeavor presents a different twist. Everyone works on Thanksgiving Day in the NFL, even if not among the six teams scheduled to play. Keeping to the established routine of the past thirteen weeks of the season is a critical part of the business for teams and players. Meetings may be cut short in order to allow players to get home in time for turkey, but it’s still a unique experience when your family is part of the NFL family.
For the loved ones of the road teams playing this Thanksgiving Day--the Chicago Bears, Philadelphia Eagles, and Seattle Seahawks--watching the holiday games brings conflicting emotions. They will watch and cheer for their husbands, brothers, uncles, cousins and sons, but miss seeing them at the table to enjoy that special pumpkin pie. It’s easy to feel a hint of melancholy at what’s different from past holidays, but it’s also an opportunity to appreciate what’s so special about the experience.
Some players won’t have an opportunity to see their families on or around Thanksgiving Day. The travel time needed to get to their destinations, combined with their practice schedules, simply won’t allow it. This provides an opportunity for players to get to know some of their teammates better, in a different context. Players alone on the holiday often join together to forge their own Thanksgiving meals, traditions and memories.
Families lucky enough to be together in the same city can open their hearts and homes to teammates they know cannot be home for the holidays. Even when apart from their own support structures, NFL players have an inherent connection with the football communities of which they are a part. They have a second family where they can talk, laugh, share, and commiserate about that pumpkin pie that they’re missing.
Beyond the entertainment football provides on Thanksgiving Day, dozens of players take advantage of their positions in the community to share with others. They hold drives to provide for those struggling to put food on the table. They partner with local businesses to give holiday food and cheer. They donate their time and share part of their holiday serving meals to those in need. While football families may not have the opportunity to enjoy a celebration lasting all of Thanksgiving Day, there is the ability to spread good fortune, cheer and sustenance into many households, a powerful privilege in its own right.
Yes, Thanksgiving is different in the NFL. While experiencing a tinge of sadness at the plate not being served at the table, players have a special opportunity to be a part of millions of other family celebrations. Bringing America’s favorite sport to a cherished celebration of love, family and blessings is no small gift. In addition to turkey, pecan pie and candied yams, players serve up a helping of excitement and joy to so many on this holiday. And for that we are thankful.