The Pittsburgh Steelers and 31 other NFL teams will face several changes to the league's schedule in 2023. Monday Night Football games will have the potential to be flexed later in the season, while there is also a brand new Black Friday game the day after Thanksgiving. The first annual matchup will see the New York Jets host the Miami Dolphins in a rivalry contest. The NFL clearly has a goal of extending the monetary opportunities that come along during one of the country's most popular holidays. The question is if the league will ever decide to make the Friday game a tradition and keep it in the same city going forward.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell speaks at a Super Bowl LVI news conference outside SoFi Stadium. | Photo Credit: Morry Gash / Associated Press
On Thanksgiving day, The Detroit Lions' tradition of hosting a home game while Americans consume pounds of turkey started back in 1934. The Dallas Cowboys followed and began playing in their home stadium on the holiday since 1966. It's impossible to imagine those two franchises ever not playing on Thanksgiving, but who would be the best team to host a home game every Black Friday going forward?
Most reasonable fans would agree that it should be a team with strong and impressive history. The Steelers, Green Bay Packers, San Francisco 49ers and maybe even the Denver Broncos. There's no way an organization that has never hoisted a Lombardi Trophy would even consider asking the NFL to make their stadium the home of a new tradition, right? Wrong.
According to Pro Football Talk, the Cincinnati Bengals asked the NFL to start a new tradition in their city. The article from PFT states that NFL Vice President of Broadcast Planning, Mike North admitted that Cincinnati 'offered' to host the game each year. That seems a bit ambitious for a franchise that is ranked 22nd in the NFL in wins since 2000.
Bengals quarterback, Joe Burrow (#9) make a throw during a regular season contest in Cincinnati, OH. Photo Credit: Sam Greene / The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK
Sure, the Bengals could have a very bright future ahead of them with franchise quarterback, Joe Burrow, but it would be silly for the NFL to try and predict future success and tie it into a decision regarding a primetime game the day after Thanksgiving each year. If the league wants to capitalize monetarily, however, the team that were to host the game each season has to have a rich history with an extraordinarily following. That's not the Bengals.
The NFL, of course, ignored Cincinnati's offering and took a different route instead, most likely because of Aaron Rodgers joining the Jets roster via trade with the Packers. According to Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team, the scheduling team considered making the Black Friday Game in 2023 Steelers vs. Bengals, but not necessarily as an annual event for Cincinnati.
NFL schedule maker Mike North said today that the #Bengals volunteered to play on Black Friday every year and essentially make it a tradition just like Dallas and Detroit have on Thanksgiving.
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) May 12, 2023
League considered Steelers/Bengals, but ultimately chose Jets/Dolphins. Amazon…
It's not surprising that the NFL decided to go with the number one retail market in the country. It's also the top media market in the nation. At the end of the day, these games are meant to draw as many viewers as possible. Now, millions of New Yorkers will go shopping early in the morning and come home ready to watch the Jets against a divisional rival.
Newest New York Jets quarterback, Aaron Rodgers stands in front of the media during his introductory press conference. Photo Credit: Elsa Garrison / Getty Images
Steelers Should Be Considered For A Permanent Black Friday Game Over Bengals
Pittsburgh has one of the strongest fan bases in the entire NFL and maybe across professional sports. If a game the day after Thanksgiving becomes a tradition in a specific city, there's are a number of teams that should be considered well before the Bengals. It's too big of a spot and event for a team without a Super Bowl to host yearly.
Do you think it was silly for the Bengals to offer to host the Black Friday game every year? Let us know in the comments below!
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