Football sweetens up
Halloween
illustration by Austin Bdltz
BY TRAVIS DAVID V WHITTAKER
Halloween night could lead to many
options. This year, hardcore football
fans might be at the local bar or at home
watching ESPN’ s broadcast of Monday
Night Football between the Minnesota
Vikings and the Chicago Bears.
Entering the game for Monday; the
Vikings hold an edge in the standings
with an overall record of 5-1. The Bears
have had a rough start to the season, and
are currently at 1-6.
Monday night football has been around
since the early 1970s. It’s rare for a game
to occur on the holiday. This will be the
seventh time it’s happened. The last time
an NFL game was featured on Halloween
was back in 2011, when the Kansas City
Chiefs hosted the San Diego Chargers in
an AFC West matchup.
But with NFL ratings down, the question
is, how many people will skip festivities
to watch the game?
“The NFL is seeing its ratings tumble in
the same way that the Olympics, awards
shows and other live events have, falling
more than 10 percent for the first five
weeks of the season compared with the
first five weeks of last season,” wrote
Drew Harwell of the Washington Post.
The NFL protests may be one cause of
the lower ratings, as well as the league
restricting support of events such as 9/11
and the Dallas Police Officers.
“ Ever since the NFL allowed these guys
to protest but not let them remember 9/11
or the fallen police officers in Dallas, I quit
watching football,” said Mark Siewert in
a Facebook group post. “ I have bqen a
49er fan my whole life, but as a veteran I
love my country and our flag more than
a gam e.” .
On the other hand, fantasy football
plays a role in the ratings as-well. With
the Vikings doing well, many people could
be paying attention to their team hoping
they can get the last game points for the
week.
Some families with kids will be out trick
or treating, and others may have to work.
Mark Burgess is unable to watch because
he is volunteering at a local haunted
house.
“ People have no clue how much fun
Halloween and NFLcan be,” Burgess said.
Clackamasstudent Bruce Gradisher said
that he would be at home to watch the
game and intends on passing out candy
in the meantime.
“ I love seeing all the fans dress up in
the different costumes. It’ s kinda like
watching a never-ending Oakland Raiders
game,” Gradisher said.
If Halloween or work interferes with
watching Monday Night Football, luckily
today, fans have options. They can stream
NFL via the ESPN application or set the
DVR and watch it later.
This year on Halloween, whether at
home, trick or treating, out with friends,
working or doing homework, more people
should consider watching the game. .It
doesn’t happen often, and i t could, add;
more fun to the night. Fo^t^h^ fr^ej^g
and family are always a good mix; why r*
not on Halloween?
Clackamas Print October 26,2016 thedackamasprintcóni 7