DECEMBER 20th - Silence is Golden



On this day in 1980, NBC decided to broadcast an NFL football game between two bad teams (the Jets and the Dolphins) without commentators. Seeing as this didn’t become a regular thing for networks, I am assuming that the gimmick was not a rousing success. Though I must admit, I would often rather commentators suck back a warm glass of shut the hell up rather than drone on about some ridiculous story to fill dead air. I understand they get paid to talk, and while I am certainly a lover of an entertaining tangent, when there is something meaningful going on in the game and the two jackdonkeys in the booth are talking about Peyton Manning’s love of Chicken Parm sandwiches, I get a little perturbed. Sometimes silence is golden. The most well-known situation where this is so being if you have nothing nice to say. When you feel like telling your boss he/she is a miserly ass-clown? Go ahead and swallow that one down. Doesn't work in every situation though. When your girlfriend asks if you find her sister attractive? Better speak up on that one,Chief. Only one right answer. “Not nearly as attractive as you.” But silence is still better than “yes,” in that particular case. I’m not saying we should all walk around mute. Opinions often need to be voiced, and if nobody talked at all, life would be missing something just like that NBC broadcast back in 1980. However, people would be wise to realize that if you are talking, you most likely aren’t listening. You might be amazed to realize what you can hear if you really listen.

So shut the hell up every once in awhile.

This Day has been Marked.

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