Consumer advocate and four-time presidential candidate Ralph Nader is upset about the over-commercialization of Christmas. He is particularly disappointed that there are five NBA games scheduled for Dec. 25.
In an interview with The Daily Caller, Nader explained that his “very deep” concern “deals with whether cultural, civic and religious values are going to be completely overwhelmed, in household after household, by the seduction of teenagers and others to these games.”
Nader said that the number of games on Christmas is trending upward, although a schedule of NBA games on Christmas 2010 shows the same number: five games. This year, the Christmas games will mark the end of a July 1 NBA labor-dispute lockout that has delayed the season for months.
“There should be family functions, family interactions” on Christmas, said Nader, lamenting that “there’s no time out for commercial sports, there’s no time out at all: five games for Christmas!” (WATCH: Congressmen say ‘Merry Christmas,’ rejecting political correctness)
“They don’t even say from one to four we’re going to let you spend time with family,” he grumbled, “and not have a teenager arguing with a ma and pa about whether the television should be on when they’re having dinner.”
The Daily Caller was hard-pressed to find a right-leaning advocate who shared Nader’s concern. TheDC reached out to several prominent religious leaders and socially conservative organizations and was unable to find distaste for the NBA line-up.
Reverend Joel Osteen, Pastor Rick Warren, and representatives of the Southern Baptist Convention and Focus on the Family all declined to comment for this story. Other inquires went unanswered.