HOLIDAY PUT ON HOLD

{Note: Congrats to Matt Hasselbeck and Seattle! Click to Go to Super Bowl Ratings … you might be surprised to read what the MPI shows this year}

The Oregonian – Nov 24, 2005 – Geoffrey C. Arnold – The NFL’s demands alter how a family with two quarterbacks celebrates Thursday, November 24, 2005

Matt Hasselbeck will see his brother, Tim, this weekend, but they will not be eating turkey or sipping eggnog to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday.

The exchange of greetings Sunday instead will occur across Qwest Field as the Seattle Seahawks play host to the New York Giants.

Matt is the starting quarterback for the Seahawks; Tim is a backup quarterback for the Giants.

Like many families with professional and college athletes, the on-field meeting will be about as close as the Hasselbeck clan will get to enjoying time together during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

“A lot of families get together for Thanksgiving. Ours is a little different,” Matt Hasselbeck said. “We are not really going to get to hang out. It will be good to see him. I haven’t seen him in a long time so it will be fun and a little weird at the same time.”

It’s the combination of divergent schedules, travel and team obligations that prevents many athletes from gathering with their families during the holidays. However, like the Hasselbeck family (father Don Hasselbeck played nine seasons in the NFL), they know it comes with the territory.

It’s part of the reality of high-level sports, says Dr. John Murray, a sports psychologist who has worked with professional football athletes.

“Obviously, there are sacrifices. At the same time, there are enormous benefits to being in that line of work,” said Murray, who added that it’s important that family members and spouses understand the situation.

“It’s extremely difficult and you have to choose a partner that understands that and can deal with that.” Murray said.

Of course, watching a family member on television can help ease the pain of not having someone around on Thanksgiving.

“You have someone who is going to play on national television. In many ways, the family accommodates to that,” Murray said. “They realize what they’re dealing with and they realize it’s a short career.”

That’s what the members of the Harrington family of Portland can do today as the Detroit Lions play the Atlanta Falcons in one of the NFL’s two traditional Thanksgiving Day games. Joey Harrington, who grew up in the Laurelhurst neighborhood, plays quarterback for the Lions.

But he won’t be the only Harrington missing from the dinner table for sports-related reasons.

Another son, Michael, a quarterback at the University of Idaho, had to remain on the Moscow campus for practice during the week. He hopes to at least join his family, in spirit, by watching the Lions-Falcons game.

“Hopefully, we won’t practice when he’s playing,” Michael Harrington said.

The other NFL game today is Denver at Dallas, and the NBA has two games today: Cleveland at Indiana and Seattle at the Los Angeles Lakers. The NHL has three games today: the New York Rangers at Atlanta, Los Angeles at Nashville and San Jose at Vancouver.

Dr. John F. Murray is a sports psychologist and clinical psychologist providing sports psychology and counseling services based in Palm Beach, Florida.