How many people over the last 50 years have pleaded with the National Football League to change Super Bowl Sunday, to Superbowl Saturday?
One?
Two?
Fifty gazillion?
All I know, it’s a whopping big number. Folks complain about it every year. Monday mornings after a Superbowl Sunday are dreary. They’re tiring. They kinda’ suck. So, we whine and complain and each year we go right back staying up late to watch the game.
We whine but do nothing about it — because that’s what adults do. We’re too busy worrying about feeding, sheltering and loving our families to take on the big, bad NFL.
That’s why I am tipping my hat to a youngster — a 16-year-old teenager from New York for taking it to the man. High School Junior Frankie Ruggeri has started an online petition to “Change Superbowl 55 to Saturday.” (For those not in the know, last Sunday was Superbowl 54 or LIV in Roman Numerals.)
Rock on, Frankie. I like the way you think. Who said kids today have no moxie? Frankie, this old man is behind you!
Frankie ‘s petition is at Change.org/p/nfl-change-the-superbowl-to-saturday. On Monday morning before 10, I was the 75,858th person to sign said petition. The petition will ask you to donate, I declined — sorry Frankie.
According to an article I found online, Frankie researched statistics to make his Super Bowl Saturday case stronger and learned . . .

• In 2019, a survey found more than 17 million US employees may miss work the day after the Super Bowl LII, according to The Workforce Institute.
• There’s a 41% increase in automobile accidents in the aftermath of the Super Bowl, according to a 2003 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The study looked at Super Bowls from 1975 to 2001.

Interesting. I also found out we can blame not only the NFL for Super Bowl Sunday, but also your very own United States Congress.
Yup, it’s true. I want our Congress people to stop bickering over trivial stuff like impeaching the President, and work together to help all Americans and change the law so we can have Super Bowl Saturday.
The Sports Broadcasting Act, passed by Congress in 1961, set the NFL broadcasting schedule for Sundays to protect the fans of college and high school football. It barred broadcasting of professional games played on Fridays and Saturdays during the schools’ seasons.
Here’s what the law says in part, “The first sentence of section 1291 of this title shall not apply to any joint agreement described in such section which permits the telecasting of all or a substantial part of any professional football game on any Friday after six o’clock postmeridian or on any Saturday during the period beginning on the second Friday in September and ending on the second Saturday in December in any year from any telecasting station located within seventy-five miles of the game site of any intercollegiate or interscholastic football contest scheduled to be played on such a date . . .”
However, as we all know, the Super Bowl is played well after both high school and college seasons are over, so why not change? Is it money?
If so, I have a solution NFL commissioner Roger Goodell should take to the owners: make the Super Bowl week truly super by playing the big game on Saturday. Then, the following day, in the exact same stadium play the lack-luster watched and attended Pro-Bowl.
By doing this the NFL will make more money off of the Pro Bowl game, because a number of folks already in town for the Super Bowl will stick around for another day of fun. Presto-magico, done.
So, for the love of God and Country we have a number of things to do, the sooner the better:

1. Sign young Master Ruggeri’s online petition;
2. Write NFL Commish Goodell to get with the modern times, and;
3. Write your Congressfolk to make this change.

Are you listening Congressman Dan Kildee? Are you getting what I’m laying down, Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin? Do you hear our plea, Congresswoman Haley Stevens?
Send your comments to DontRushDon@gmail.com

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