Christmas in the NFL is different. It's a line of work that is so heavily concentrated during the regular season that coaches, players, team personnel and even media do things a little differently.
"I'm not waiting for anyone with a white beard to come down the chimney and hand us the divisional championship," New Orleans Saints interim head coach Joe Vitt said Monday, via The Associated Press. "We'll try to get our coaches out of here tonight a bit early to have some dinner with their family and then spend (Christmas) morning. But listen, we're getting ready for a game."
For players, it's perfect that Christmas came on a Tuesday this year. (That's their normal day off.) For coaches and so many others, though, this is a work day.
"When you get into this business, you say to yourself, 'You're not going to enjoy Thanksgiving. You're not going to enjoy Christmas. You're working through those things.' So I'll look forward to Easter in the springtime and, I guess, Arbor Day," Vitt said. "That's the nature of our business."
Working on and around the holidays is a small tradeoff for having a job you love. We're sure Vitt agrees.
From all of us at Around the League, we hope you are enjoying a great Christmas. Go back to your family now. And start getting ready for Arbor Day.
Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.
