If you have not heard, the NFL season begins tonight. There is a large segment of the population that will start paying attention to life. Americans love their football, and the NFL is better than anyone at football. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, there has not been an NFL game played on a Wednesday since September 22, 1948. Now, if you aren't good at math, that's a long time ago.
Why was this game played on such an abnormal night? Well, it turns out that the normal night of Thursday contradicts with the presumptive acceptance speech of President Obama. Now, for everyone who doesn't remember, four years ago, the NFL moved the game time up an hour and a half, so that the Republican National Convention could have the NFL lead-in.
Should a football game compete with a convention? Should either care? I'm not sure, but I think this is a situation where the initial reaction may well be wrong. First, the convention is a four day event that culminates with the candidate speech on the last day.
The Democratic national Convention is particularly liberal in its bent this year. Now pundits may tell you that is because of base mobilization and this year, more than any in recent memory, has very few people who are undecided. Obama is leading with women and minorities, but he trails big time in men and especially, corporate men. Now, I am not the world's foremost expert, but the best link to these people within the democratic ranks and speech givers is Bill Clinton.
Clinton is a noted moderate who achieved success with a Republican-led Congress by adopting many conservative ideas as his own. Sounds like the people Obama needs to add to his base. And when did Clinton speak? During the fourth quarter, while Eli Manning was attempting to forge a great comeback. Who then, pray tell, is the largest audience for football games? Mostly men with higher than average numbers with corporate men.
You see, the person most apt to deliver votes in Obama's weak categories was up against the one program that tends to outpace (or at least compete with) convention viewers. And the people that are stolen are the very people that they need Clinton to pull.
So, the conservatives out there shouting conspiracy theory with Obama's speech being cleared out without football on one of the big networks, might want to re-think that position. You see, I'm not entirely sure the move to Wednesday helps the Democratic Convention. I do believe that it could possible aggravate the entire purpose of Bill Clinton.
Anyone else thinking about this?
Matt you make some good points. I'm not sure by corporate men you mean white, or professional, or maybe both. Either way I would assume both are more tuned in to football, although I think more white men watch NFL while more professional white men follow college football. You are certainly correct about the importance Democratic operatives have placed on the more moderate, and of course white and Southern, Clinton. However, Obama is still at the top of the dance card. No matter how freaked out white people are about Obama, and no matter how much Clinton could help to soothe over such fears, you still want to have the most eyes on the guy whose name is on the ballot. - Scott
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