Charles Barkley may not always have positive remarks about the NBA, but he has a penchant for praising the NFL. On the latest episode of The Steam Room, Barkley and co-host Ernie Johnson welcomed Adam Lefkoe, who finds himself in an interesting position as a friend of Travis Kelce and a Philadelphia Eagles fan. As Barkley teased the interview, he kicked it off by commending the NFL for its two-week break leading up to the Super Bowl.
“The NFL can do no wrong. They’re so good,” Barkley stated. “Football is obviously King Kong in the sports world. This decision to make you wait two weeks is genius. By the time the game arrives, you’re going to be pumped. If they played the Super Bowl this week, it’d be like, ‘Okay, good.’ But America loves football; making people wait two weeks is just a stroke of genius.” While Barkley’s comments aren’t particularly groundbreaking, especially considering some critics have challenged his critical views on the NBA, it’s refreshing to hear him speak positively about the NFL.
Barkley might have exaggerated slightly; if the Super Bowl were held the week after the conference championships, interest would likely be much more intense rather than just an “okay, good.” Nonetheless, he correctly points out that the NFL excels at building anticipation for the Super Bowl. While the extra rest is beneficial for teams and gives media more time to travel, the necessity for a two-week gap between the championship games and the Super Bowl isn’t as crucial as it once was. This longer break was first implemented in Super Bowl I to promote the event, establishing a tradition that has persisted, apart from a few years where the bye week was dropped due to special circumstances.
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