With Thanksgiving now less than one week away, one of the things that football fans look forward to most is sitting around and watching games on the gridiron starting around noon and lasting right through the evening. Fans know that they can start eating the appetizers at the first kickoff and finish up that last slice of pie before the final whistle sounds in the last game at night. When talking Thanksgiving, the first two things that come to mind for most is turkey and football. Most of us love that they go hand-in-hand. But, what if you were forced to choose one or the other? Week five of the Discover Fan Loyalty Poll asked fans that very question, and you may be surprised at the results.
- My views are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Discover Products Inc. and its affiliates.
With certain teams changing conferences, as well as the fact that more NFL games take place on Thanksgiving, forcing some college games to Friday and Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend, college football has sort of taken a back seat to other game. Of course, don’t tell that to the die-hard fans, such as many who were surveyed in Week five of the Discover Fan Loyalty Poll. When asked if fans would give up sitting around the dinner table with their families on Thanksgiving in exchange for tickets on the 50-yard-line to watch their favorite college football team play, it turns out that it would be a very difficult decision.
If it boiled down to choosing turkey, stuffing and pie or tailbacks, safeties and passes, 42 percent of college football fans would punt dinner to sit at midfield. That means that nearly half would choose to go to watch their favorite college football team play instead of sitting around and having Thanksgiving dinner with their family.
Of course, you could still enjoy the best of both worlds, simply by going to the game and then devouring the leftovers when you got home. That is, provided the rest of the family was not too upset and chose to actually save some of the feast.
* Discover Products Inc. sent me a Gift Card for participating as a Blogger in the Discover Fan Loyalty Poll program
When breaking the poll results by conference, fans of an SEC or American Athletic Conference team were most likely to take the free tickets, at 46 percent. That came in at three percentage points higher than the average fan. To the contrary, fans of Pac-12 teams were the least likely to skip traditional Thanksgiving Day festivities, as 60 percent would pass up the tickets in favor of spending the day with family. Even the lure of free tickets at the 50 would not be enough to draw most Pac-12 fans away from the dinner table on Thanksgiving.
It appears as if Pac-12 fans would rather pass the sweet potatoes then watch their quarterback pass to a receiver.
This Thanksgiving Day, it is only fans of the SEC or Big 12 who would be forced to make this decision. While there were once more college football games on Thanksgiving, we are now down to just two in 2013. The Ole Miss Rebels will take the short trip to take on the Mississippi State Bulldogs, while the Texas Longhorns will play host to the Texas Tech Red Raiders on Thanksgiving night. Gone are the days when there were five or six games on the NCAA slate on turkey day.
If you were a true fan of any of the aforementioned teams who will play on Thanksgiving, would you be tempted to accept free tickets at the 50-yard-line if it meant skipping Thanksgiving dinner at home with the family? Would it make a difference if any of the teams were playing to secure a spot in their conference championship game, or perhaps with a berth in a BCS Bowl Game at stake? Would you be swayed at that point, or is there nothing that could force you to pass up on pumpkin and pecan pie to go and watch passing and punting?
I apologize for the alliteration. Once I get going with a good theme, I tend to take things too far. See what I mean?
Anyway, let us know if you would pass up Thanksgiving dinner at home to go and watch your favorite college football team play. Could certain circumstances make you reconsider, or is there nothing that would change your mind? Weigh in below.
What do you think about how things could shake out over the course of the final three weeks of the 2013 college football season? As we have seen on more than one occasion, anything can happen in the NCAA. That is why we will all watch with a careful eye to see just how different things could look after each weekend from here until the bowl games are announced. Whether you are more thankful for Thanksgiving Day football or food, one thing is certain. Fans will not be disappointed over the course of the next week, with food, family and fantastic football games on tap!
Make sure that you stay tuned to Boston Super Blog for all of the latest polls and results from the Discover Fan Loyalty Poll. We have got you covered throughout the remainder of the 2013 college football season, leading all the way up to the BCS Championship Game! Make sure to Like Discover on Facebook and follow them on Twitter!
The Discover Fan Loyalty Poll is conducted twice a month by Rasmussen Reports, a nationally recognized leader in polling, who gathers sentiment by phone from 1500 college football fans who follow games at least once per week on television, radio, in person or online. The Poll leads up to the 2014 Discover Orange Bowl. Discover’s commitment to college football includes relationships with ESPN and Notre Dame Football on NBC.
About Discover
Discover Financial Services (NYSE: DFS) is a direct banking and payment services company with one of the most recognized brands in U.S. financial services. Since its inception in 1986, the company has become one of the largest card issuers in the United States. The company issues the Discover card, America’s cash rewards pioneer, and offers home loans, private student loans, personal loans, home equity loans, checking and savings accounts, certificates of deposit and money market accounts through its direct banking business. It operates the Discover Network, with millions of merchant and cash access locations; PULSE, one of the nation’s leading ATM/debit networks; and Diners Club International, a global payments network with acceptance in more than 185 countries and territories. For more information, visit www.discover.com/company.
