Sunday, August 29, 2010

Labor Day
Are you ready for football? Ready or not, here it comes. Many folks go to cocktail parties on Labor Day weekend. At my age, I do my partying at home and enjoy the football games on television. For those that attend a party away from home, do not drive your automobile if you consumed alcohol while celebration this special holiday.

Labor Day Weekend College Football Television Schedule
In U.S. sports, Labor Day marks the beginning of the college and NFL football seasons. NCAA teams usually plays their first games the week before Labor Day, with the NFL traditionally playing their first game the Thursday following Labor Day.

Making plans for the opening weekend of college football. Below is the television schedule for week one. Because the NFL starts a few days later, there are also games on Sunday and Monday of the Labor Day Weekend. All times are Central:

Thursday, September 2nd
Marshall at Ohio State - 6:30 pm (Big Ten Network)
Southern Miss at South Carolina - 6:30 pm (ESPN)
Pittsburgh at Utah - 7:30 pm (Versus)
USC at Hawaii - 10:00 pm (ESPN)

Friday, September 3rd
Arizona at Toledo - 7:00 pm (ESPN)

Saturday September 4th
Miami (Ohio) at Florida - 11:00 am (ESPN)
Samford at Florida State - 11:00 am (ESPN U)
Western Michigan at Michigan St. - 11:00 am (ESPN 2)
Louisiana-Lafayette at Georgia - 11:20 am (SEC Network)
Illinois at Missouri - 11:30 am (Fox Sports Net)
Connecticut at Michigan - 2:30 pm (ESPN 2)
Jacksonville St. at Ole Miss - 2:30 pm (CSS)
Kentucky at Louisville - 2:30 pm (ABC)
Purdue at Notre Dame - 2:30 pm (NBC)
North Texas at Clemson - 2:30 pm (ESPN U)
Texas at Rice - 2:30 pm (ESPN)
Arkansas St. at Auburn - 6:00 pm (Fox Sports Net/SEC Feed)Memphis at Miss St. - 6:00 pm (ESPN U)
San Jose State at Alabama - 6:00 pm (pay-per-view)
Washington at BYU - 6:00 pm (CBS College)
Washington St. at Oklahoma St. - 6:00 pm (Fox Sports Net)Northwestern at Vanderbilt - 6:30 pm (CSS)
Oregon St. at TCU - 6:45 pm (ESPN)
LSU vs. North Carolina (Atlanta) - 7:00 pm (ABC)
Cincinnati at Fresno State - 9:00 pm (ESPN 2)
Wisconsin at UNLV - 10:00 pm (Versus)

Sunday, September 5th
Tulsa at East Carolina - 1:00 pm (ESPN 2)
SMU at Texas Tech - 2:30 pm (ESPN)

Monday, September 6th
Maryland vs. Navy (Baltimore) - 3:00 pm (ESPN)
Boise St. vs. Virginia Tech (Landover) - 7:00 pm (ESPN)

2020 NFL Season
The 2010 NFL season will be the 91st season of the National Football League, the major professional American football league in the United States. The regular season is scheduled to begin with the NFL Kickoff game on NBC on Thursday, September 9, at the Louisian Superdome, home of the New Orleans Saints, Super Bowl XLIV champions and then end on January 2, 2011. Super Bowl XLV, the league's championship game, is scheduled to be played at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas on February 6, 2011.

Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September (September 6 in 2010).
The first Labor Day in the United States was celebrated on September 5, 1882 in New York City. In the aftermath of the deaths of a number of workers at the hands of the U.S. military and U.S. Marshals during the 1894 Pullman Strike, President Grover Cleveland put reconciliation with Labor as a top political priority. Fearing further conflict, legislation making Labor Day a national holiday was rushed through Congress unanimously and signed into law a mere six days after the end of the strike. Cleveland was also concerned that aligning an American labor holiday with existing international May Day celebrations would stir up negative emotions linked to the Haymarket Affair. By the 20th century, all 50 U.S. states have made Labor Day a state holiday.

The form for the celebration of Labor Day was outlined in the first proposal of the holiday: A street parade to exhibit to the public "the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations," followed by a festival for the workers and their families. This became the pattern for Labor Day celebrations. Speeches by prominent men and women were introduced later, as more emphasis was placed upon the economic and civil significance of the holiday. Still later, by a resolution of the American Federation of Labor convention of 1909, the Sunday preceding Labor Day was adopted as Labor Sunday and dedicated to the spiritual and educational aspects of the labor movement.

Traditionally, Labor Day is celebrated by most Americans as the symbolic end of the summer. The holiday is often regarded as a day of rest and parades. Speeches or political demonstrations are more low-key than May 1 Labor Day celebrations in most countries, although events held by labor organizations often feature political themes and appearances by candidates for office, especially in election years. Forms of celebration include picnics, barbecues, fireworks displays, water sports, and public art events. Families with school-age children take it as the last chance to travel before the end of summer recess. Similarly, some teenagers and young adults view it as the last weekend for parties before returning to school. However, start dates for schools vary widely, beginning as early as July 24 in urban districts such as Atlanta, Miami, and Los Angeles.