NFL Star Amon-Ra St. Brown Voices Christmas Game Frustrations
Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown recently expressed his frustration about having to work on major holidays, particularly Christmas Day. On “The St. Brown Podcast,” which he hosts with his older brother Equanimeous, Amon-Ra shared his candid thoughts about the Lions’ upcoming Christmas Day game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. “The two biggest holidays I feel like in the United States, we played on both of them,” St. Brown lamented, referring to the Lions’ annual Thanksgiving Day game and their scheduled Christmas contest. While he understands that playing on Thanksgiving comes with the territory of being a Lion, adding Christmas to the mix feels excessive to the young star. His concerns run deeper than just personal inconvenience – he empathizes with teammates who are parents, noting, “If I had kids, I’d be even more pissed. Like, you can’t be spending it with your family, get to see your kids open gifts.” Despite not having children himself yet, St. Brown recognizes the significance of these family moments that his teammates with families are forced to miss.
The holiday game scheduling represents a growing trend in the NFL’s expansion of its viewing calendar, with the league increasingly scheduling marquee matchups during holiday periods to capture audience attention. For St. Brown, who signed a four-year, $120 million extension last year, these professional obligations come with the territory of being an elite NFL player. However, his comments highlight the human cost behind the entertainment that millions of fans enjoy from the comfort of their homes during these special days. The Christmas game scheduling is particularly challenging as it requires the Lions to travel to Minnesota rather than playing at home, adding another layer of difficulty for players hoping to squeeze in some family time. “Us traveling, it’s like, damn,” St. Brown told his brother, expressing how the away game makes it nearly impossible to participate in any meaningful holiday celebrations.
Beyond holiday concerns, St. Brown and the Lions find themselves in a precarious playoff situation following a controversial loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Despite nursing a knee injury that had him listed as questionable for the Steelers game, St. Brown is expected to play in the crucial Christmas Day matchup barring any setbacks. The Lions’ playoff hopes now hang by a thread – they not only need to win their final two games but also require their division rivals, the Green Bay Packers, to lose their remaining contests. This high-stakes situation adds even more pressure to the holiday game, transforming what should be a festive occasion into a must-win business trip for the Lions players and coaching staff. The tension between professional responsibility and personal life is heightened during these holiday periods, especially for players like St. Brown who are key to their team’s success.
The controversy surrounding the Lions’ loss to the Steelers has only intensified the frustration for St. Brown and his teammates. A potential game-winning touchdown in the final seconds was negated by an offensive pass interference call against St. Brown, and later, on the final play of the game, another pass interference penalty against him nullified what would have been a miraculous game-winning score. These officiating decisions have been widely debated, with former NFL coaches and analysts questioning their validity. Coming into the Christmas game with this recent disappointment adds an emotional burden to the already challenging holiday work schedule, highlighting the mental fortitude required of professional athletes who must quickly move past disappointments to focus on the next challenge.
While fans across the country may enjoy watching NFL action as part of their holiday traditions, St. Brown’s comments offer a glimpse into the sacrifice that makes this entertainment possible. Players miss precious family moments, holiday traditions, and the relaxation that most Americans take for granted during these special days. For fathers in the league, missing their children’s excitement on Christmas morning represents a significant emotional cost that goes largely unacknowledged by the viewing public. St. Brown’s willingness to speak candidly about this issue sheds light on the human element of professional sports that often gets overlooked in discussions about contracts, performance, and television ratings. His perspective is particularly valuable coming from a young star who hasn’t yet started a family but can already recognize the impact these scheduling decisions have on his teammates’ personal lives.
As the NFL continues to expand its footprint across the calendar, including holidays that were traditionally off-limits for games, players like St. Brown are finding their voices to advocate for a better balance between work and family life. While playing on Thanksgiving has become an accepted tradition for Lions players, the addition of Christmas Day games represents a newer boundary being crossed in the name of entertainment and profit. St. Brown’s comments, though frank and occasionally profane, reflect a genuine concern about the direction of the league’s scheduling practices and their impact on players’ lives off the field. As the Lions prepare for their Christmas Day showdown with playoff implications on the line, St. Brown’s perspective reminds us that behind the uniforms and highlights are human beings making significant personal sacrifices to provide the holiday entertainment that has become increasingly intertwined with American celebration traditions.
