There aren't many opinions floating around on the internet anymore that have an overwhelming support. We are divided as a nation in a way that we haven't been in generations.
But on Monday night, as the country gathered around their television sets to watch the Alabama Crimson Tide play the Buckeyes of Ohio State, one thought seemed to have near unanimous consent: the biggest game of the year should absolutely not be played on a Monday night. And for those of us in the Eastern Time Zone, the punishment is even worse.
How many of you found yourselves in your pajama pants on Tuesday morning, still a bit blurry eyed and staring at your coffee as if it was indeed the savior of this troubled world?
I do not accept the answer to be less than "a lot of us."
I was in that group, too. And I do not apologize for it. It's not my fault. It's not like I have a choice but to watch it - we're handing out a title. And it's not my fault that the game doesn't end until nearly midnight on a Monday night!
I'm not an old man. Hell, if you're a fan of video games, you can find me throwing down some Modern Warfare with the boys until early in the morning most nights. (Hit me up for a gamer tag, fellow Call of Duty fans.)
But that's MY choice. I want to ruin my own sleep schedule on my own time - I don't want it ruined for me by college football big wigs without my consent!
Moving the game to Saturday only makes sense for America. None of us want to stay awake that late on a Monday, none of us want to finish the game exhausted after a game of work and be unable to celebrate, and none of us want to deal with the boss and the after effects of a few too many adult beverages at the same time.
So, if we're all on board for moving the game to a Saturday, why won't the big shots make it happen? It seems like an obvious solution - you'd get more people capable of watching the full game, it's still on in primetime, and the discussion the next day would be all about you!
It's simple: the NFL, and TV networks.
The playoff finale is owned by ESPN/ABC through the year 2025. And while ABC can place the game where they want, the weekend of the title matchup also falls in line with the NFL's playoffs. And, as much as ABC might like to draw some of those viewers from the NFL's games there's two reasons they won't try it.
The first is that there's no guarantee it would work. While college football is king in our part of paradise, that's not the case in the major markets of America. And those coveted eyeballs aren't likely going to switch over to the title game - at least not consistently enough to cause a hit in the ratings.
The second reason is that ABC/ESPN isn't going to tick off the NFL that way. They've been working for years to build up that relationship. Monday Night Football has become their primary project, and it wouldn't shock me to see that relationship grow further in the future. While ESPN might pick up a win for one night, the damage done to their relationship by competing directly with the NFL's broadcast on other networks would likely deteriorate or ruin that relationship, resulting in a net loss when it's all said and done.
It sucks. Monday Night Football is great but the majority of NFL games on a Monday night don't carry the weight of the National Championship Game. But, it's the best available option for now.
So, while we all want change, the dollar signs flash brighter for every major party involved than anything else.
And, as we've said a million times on the show, every decision is made with money first.
Welcome to sports, y'all!