According to the Hollywood Reporter, 113.7 million people tuned in to watch the New England Patriots complete one of the most improbable comebacks in NFL history as they defeated the Atlanta Falcons 34-28 in overtime.
Today, those same people who were emotionally spent from watching the thrilling event were asked to come into work and perform just as they do every other day, but did they?
Probably not. According to a study performed by Kronos titled “Super Bowl 50 Fever Sidelines Employees,” over 16 million employees nationwide consider skipping the Monday after the Super Bowl each year. Another 7.5 million are expected to show up later in the day. Kronos uncovered that there is a mix of those who will call in “sick” due to a hangover or just exhaustion.
It’s no secret that Mondays start a little slower than other work days, but the day after the Super Bowl is a whole different story. So whether employees show up or not, the productivity level is much lower than that of your average Monday. SmartMoney Magazine monetized the drop in productivity and valued it as $170 million.
The sluggishness has hit Oxford as well, and not just me; while I admit, it took me longer to start this story than it probably should have. Local employee and life-long Patriots fan Brendan Roberts watched with baited breath as RB James White fought his way to the goal line to give the Patriots the victory. Roberts’ jubilation continued into the night, but just as he would on any other Monday, he headed to work.
“It’s been so difficult to get work done today,” Roberts said. “Between the excitement of watching the game and the fact that I got almost no sleep, today’s been such a long day. Having the day after the Super Bowl off would be perfect in my opinion.”
The desire to have the day off after the Super Bowl doesn’t only exist in the workplace; it stretches to college campuses across the country. Ole Miss student and Atlanta Falcons fan James Rumble expressed his need for a day off after the way Super Bowl Sunday night unfolded.
“Aside from being exhausted from watching the game, it was pretty rough this morning because I could overhear everyone talking about it before class started,” Rumble said. “I definitely needed the day off because of the devastating way the game ended. I’m still in shock.”
Chancellor Vitter weighed in on the request for the day off from another Ole Miss student on Twitter and wasn’t ready to grant the day of rest to the student body.
So with the combination of football, food and friends, it’s no surprise people may feel a bit sluggish on the Monday following the Super Bowl. But should it be a day off?
Heinz thinks so. The company has started a petition to extend Super Bowl weekend.
“The Heinz brand doesn’t settle on delivering superior taste or quality, and we don’t believe America should have to settle on the day after the best sports day of the year,” said Nicole Kulwicki, head of Heinz brands, in a press release.
So, what do you think? Should the day after the Super Bowl be a national holiday?
Steven Gagliano is a writer for HottyToddy.com. He can be reached at steven.gagliano@hottytoddy.com.
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