Important question - Normally there is a two week break between the Conference Championship games and the Superbowl. But this year there is only a one week break. Why?

gtho4

see this article in yesterday's San Diego Union-Tribune, it hasn't always been two weeks: This season's Super Bowl is being offered the week after today's conference championships because of the NFL's reluctance to start its season on Labor Day weekend. Many people are traveling on that holiday or they prefer to spend their Sunday afternoons outside rather than watching football. The NFL's television ratings would be influenced. Television drives the NFL. According to Aiello, beginning the regular season on a later date (on the weekend of Sept. 8) was discussed at a league meeting several years ago and the NFL's warlords approved the later start. Next year, the league is going back to the two-week hiatus. XXXVIII is set for Houston on Feb. 1, 2004 %96 the first Super Bowl scheduled in February (last year's game was played Feb. 3 because of the postponements the weekend after 9/11). The following two Super Bowls, in Jacksonville and Detroit, also are scheduled in February. Thirty of the previous 36 Super Bowls were played two weeks after the conference championships. The six one-weekers: 11-Jan-70 IV at New Orleans, Kansas City v Minnesota 23-7 30-Jan-83 XVII at Pasadena, Washington v Miami 27-17 27-Jan-91 XXV at Tampa, NY Giants v Buffalo 20-19 30-Jan-94 XXVIII at Atlanta, Dallas v Buffalo 30-13 30-Jan-00 XXXIV at Atlanta, St. Louis v Tennessee 23-16 03-Feb-02 XXXVI at New Orleans, New England v St Louis 20-17 www.signonsandiego.com/sports/nfl/20030119-9999_mz1x19nflday.html Jan 20 03, 7:48 AM