Thanksgiving goes with football like exam week goes with caffeine. Odds are most of us got a strong dose of football over Thanksgiving break, whether it was one of the three NFL games played Thursday, one of the great college football match-ups the rest of the weekend or some personal playing time with family and friends. This partnership is a great one, but it makes me wonder, why are other holidays in my calendar lacking a companion sport? Well, to right this wrong, let me offer a few possible pairings that could make sports a bigger and better part of your holiday traditions.
Perhaps the next strongest association is Independence Day and baseball. The Fourth of July is occasion enough for plenty of softball and baseball tournaments in communities across the country. It also roughly coincides with Major League Baseball’s All-Star break, which attracts even casual fans for its home run derby. Perhaps the most compelling case of this pairing comes from the cinematic classic, The Sandlot. In The Sandlot, the Independence Day fireworks provide enough light in the night sky for the only night game played by Smalls, Benny and the rest of the crew. After all, baseball is both the quintessential American sport and summer game while the Fourth of July would most definitely be the classic American and summer holiday.
Another possible match would be Saint Patrick’s Day and basketball. Now I know this one is a reach, but have a little faith. As everyone should know, St. Patrick’s Day is an Irish holiday and the most decorated franchise in the NBA is the Boston Celtics. One of the most famous Celtics ever is Larry Bird, who met Magic Johnson in the most watched game of March Madness history. Saint Patrick’s Day falls in the heart of college basketball season between the conference tournaments and the big dance itself. March Madness also seems, rightly or wrongly, to be associated with luck more than most other sporting events.
From here it gets a little trickier. Let me pair an unofficial holiday, high school graduation season, with a sport a few of us play for fun: volleyball. Most of us have younger siblings or younger friends, so we will be making the high school graduation circuits to see friends or at least to eat for free. At these parties you invariably want to avoid talking to someone, so you need an activity to keep you busy. Allow me to offer volleyball. We set up a small court at my high school graduation, and it worked well for keeping most of my friends more or less entertained. Also, sometimes you have to show up to these parties in khakis and a polo shirt, and volleyball lends itself well to dress clothes.
So, the next time these dates roll around on your calendar, roll out the ball for some solid sports fun.
Popularity: 11% [?]
