Craig O’Donoghue: Christmas Day should remain free of sport in Australia instead of another public holiday

Christmas Day sport in Australia. There’s something about that concept that just doesn’t feel right. Maybe that’s because it’s never happened before, but the last bastion of sporting sanctity is set to fall when the Sydney Kings and Melbourne United clash in a NBL fixture on Christmas Day. Sport and public holidays have been intrinsically linked in this country for decades. Anzac Day has become a massive footy day. The WAFL’s WA Day derby is steeped in tradition. Boxing Day has the cricket at the MCG and the Sydney to Hobart yacht race. Sport and public holidays go hand-in-hand. But regardless of your religious beliefs, Christmas Day is different. It’s unique. It’s not just another public holiday. People don’t universally spend weeks organising family events at other times of the year. Forget about the Melbourne Cup being the race that stops the nation, Christmas Day is the day where we actually stop. Sporting leaders around the country will be closely monitoring what happens at Qudos Bank Arena. There will be plenty of analysis about how many people turn up to the venue and how many people watch on TV. Fans will make their own decisions about whether to spend the entire day with their family instead of watching or going to the game. They have that option. But the players don’t. Neither do the coaches, or the refs, or the broadcast team, or stadium staff. Christmas Day has suddenly become a work day for all of them. Players make plenty of personal sacrifices in the pursuit of sporting success. They miss weddings and birthdays and other key family events. Everyone understands that is part of the deal. Telling them the must also sacrifice Christmas is a bridge too far. It may not be too far for the 25-year-old who is already living interstate or overseas and was most likely going to spend Christmas with other teammates who are also separated from family. But there are plenty of parents among the sporting brigade too. For those with kids, that means they either travel together and celebrate Christmas in a hotel away from their other relatives, or scramble through the early morning excitement and get to the airport in time to be on the 8am flight. Melbourne players have been give the option to decide their own timeline for the journey to Sydney. Most will fly up on Christmas Eve. Some will travel on the day. They are all expected to be at the game day shootaround midway through the morning. There is no chance of having a traditional Christmas lunch with extended family. Make no mistake, this decision wouldn’t have happened if not for the success of Christmas Day sport in the US. The NBA will play five games including two blockbusters - Milwaukee v Boston and Denver v Phoenix. Christmas Day is a NBA event in the US. The NFL is onboard too. Their games don’t stop. But the US is a different culture to Australia and it’s the middle of winter over there too. Games in New York and Boston will be played while the temperature outside is below zero. What works for them won’t necessarily work for us. The Australian sporting tradition on Christmas Day is to fill your belly with food and then drag out a footy, basketball, soccer ball or full cricket set. If it’s a brand new ball, a new ring or a pristine bat which have arrived on Santa’s sleigh, that makes it even better. Anything that can be used in the backyard or at the beach is like pure gold. Ambition is always greater than ability on Christmas Day, but some of the greatest flukes of all time have occurred on December 25 in suburban backyards. The NBL acknowledges this move isn’t for everyone. The Kings are also strong on pointing out that they’re not actually playing on Christmas Day. It’s a 6.30pm tip-off in Sydney which means it is actually Christmas night. Kudos to the NBL and Sydney Kings for trying things. The league has been prepared to take risks by flying teams to America for pre-season games against NBA teams, expanding into Tasmania, trialling a play-in tournament and now breaking new ground with the Christmas Day schedule. It could be wildly successful. If you don’t try, you won’t know. But there will be plenty of players who will be quietly hoping it’s a bust so they can enjoy Christmas with their families into the future. The advertising for the game asks “where else would you rather be?” For many of the players and staff, “home with the family” would be the answer.