San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan admitted he wasn't thrilled when he learned in May that his team would play on Christmas night.
"I definitely didn't think it was cool when I got the schedule," Shanahan said on Bay Area radio station KNBR this week.
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Shanahan and his team have accepted the situation. It's all part of the job.
"We addressed the situation," the coach told reporters on Saturday. "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. We've been real lucky the last few years. ... It is what it is. We're going to take care of business and have a lot more fun doing that."
The 49ers last played on Christmas in 1993, a game they lost to the Houston Oilers. Shanahan was on the sidelines for that game, courtesy of the media pass his father, Mike Shanahan, the 49ers' offensive coordinator at the time.
The 49ers will not deviate from their regular pre-game schedule. Even though it is a home game, the team will spend Sunday night, Christmas Eve, at the team hotel.
"First of all, I think it's very good that we have a rule that you have to stay in the hotel the night for the game," Shanahan said. "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.
"And so, it's good that they don't have that option. Everyone can be upset with me."
Because the game against the Baltimore Ravens is in the evening, they will have an opportunity to briefly see their families on Christmas morning.
"Whenever those guys get up, they do have time to go home and see people real quick," Shanahan shared. "So if they have some young kids and everything, if they want to do that, that's fine. That helps."
