Kelly Stafford, 37, has drawn attention for questioning why the Rams won’t get a traditional bye week this season. The team is scheduled to play on Thanksgiving Eve, leaving it with 10 days off rather than a full two weeks.
She wrote on Instagram that she wanted to understand the decision, adding that after 18 years around the NFL, even she could use a week off during the season. She said she felt tired just watching from the stands and could only imagine how the players felt.
I understand the frustration, though I suspect some people will have a hard time sympathizing with a complaint about a short break when her husband, Matthew, has earned hundreds of millions of dollars playing football.
And Matthew doesn’t always take his wife’s side. On a podcast, Kelly said her feet hurt after spending a game in cowboy boots. Matthew pointed out that she chose to travel and that nobody was making her go. Kelly responded that she was trying to make the most of what might be his final season and was doing it for him.
At least the family should be home for Thanksgiving. After the game, they can put their feet up and enjoy the holiday together.
Elsewhere, the column took a turn toward politics, with a gloomy prediction that recent election results could bring back a more aggressive version of progressive politics. It also suggested that restrictions on gas-powered lawn equipment and grills could become a bigger issue in more places.
A Michigan brewery caught the columnist’s attention with a new beer sold at Costco for about $20 per 12-pack. That felt expensive, but he trusts the brewery enough to give it a try. He also praised its White Pepper sandwich, which his father had independently raved about after trying it.
One reader was angry about a British man who spent 28 years walking around the world, arguing that the achievement didn’t excuse leaving his family behind. Another reader agreed with criticism of college football ticket prices, noting that tickets for a Tennessee game near Knoxville were running around $375. He’d rather watch several games on a big television and avoid the crowds and traffic.
A reader also shared that his 14-year-old son enjoyed the Michael Jackson film and liked imitating the singer, but decided not to dress as him for Halloween. The columnist said he was surprised children were watching the movie, since his own kids mostly gravitate toward short online videos, sports, and movies with their mother.
One final football observation: the columnist wasn’t impressed by an Akron quarterback trying to imitate Patrick Mahomes with a sidearm throw while scrambling.
