‘Tis the season for a change of mindset
WHICH Australian sports code will be the first brave enough to schedule games on Christmas Day?
It’s become a tradition for the NBA, where some of the most anticipated clashes of the season take place on the festive holiday.
The battle of LA between the Clippers and Lakers, a clash (and shock result) between playoff regulars Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets and mouth-watering tussle between the Bucks and 76ers made for compelling viewing on a day the sport gets a free kick in the battle for an audience.
I’ve long held the opinion Australian sports are lagging behind, and have previously called for NBL or for one or two Big Bash League games to be scheduled on Christmas Day.
In either sport, you bag one or two of the biggest or closest rivalries, put them one after the other in late afternoon or evening and watch the numbers roll in.
Melbourne derbies between BBL’s Stars and Renegades or the NBL’s United and Phoenix are easy sells, while a Sixers-Thunder BBL clash would provide plenty of entertainment.
Of course, there’d be a need for public transport to be available and for broadcast deals to allow such a fixture, but it feels like such missed opportunity.
Christmas Day is about family, and these sportsmen and women have their own families to spend time with, but there is almost certainly a market for fans.
It will be a brave decision but one which will be applauded by sports fans.