What Kyle Shanahan had to say About the 49ers Playing on Christmas

This will be the second time that the 49ers have to play on a holiday this season since they already had to play on Thanksgiving.

Having to play on Christmas can be a bit of a bummer for the San Francisco 49ers.

There is hardly, if any, family time for the players and coaches during the season. Christmas is usually a day they would get off, but they have to treat it as a normal day since they host the Baltimore Ravens on Monday Night Football.

This will be the second time that the 49ers have to play on a holiday this season since they already had to play on Thanksgiving. However, Kyle Shanahan isn't bummed at all that the 49ers have to play on Christmas. Here is what he had to say about the 49ers having to play on the holiday where he reflects on appreciating the years prior when they didn't have to. 

"We all love Christmas. We all love spending time with our families and all that, but we play on Christmas this year. It is what it is," said Shanahan. "We've been real lucky the last few years. I feel like it’s just worked out the way where we've had Christmas off as a whole building I want to say like the last four years in a row. 

"I think two years ago we played on the 23rd on Thursday and got the whole weekend off. Last year, I think we played on Saturday, got the whole day off. This year we play on Christmas. It is what it is. We're going to take care of business and have a lot more fun doing that.”

From a viewing perspective, the 49ers facing the Ravens in primetime and it coincidentally happening on Christmas is fantastic. It really sets the stage and hype for a game that is going to be a battle in what is a potential Super Bowl preview. The 49ers, as Shanahan stated, are treating it as business as usual. That includes keeping their routine normal as it's been all season long, which is to stay at the team hotel the day before the game. 

"It's very good that we have a rule that you have to stay in the hotel the night for the game," said Shanahan. "I get the people who will get probably a lot of stuff from their wives and everything. But, I've spent those nights at home before and you think you're going to finish that dollhouse fast and it takes about three hours and all of a sudden it's three in the morning. 

"So, it's good that they don't have that option. Everyone can be upset with me. But, I do think it's cool that we play a night game. Whenever those guys get up, they do have time to go home and see people real quick. So, if they have some young kids and everything if they want to do that, that's fine. That helps.”