School football: Friday nights or Saturday afternoons? Night makes right

Old Billy Shakespeare probably would not have been a fan of night football games. In “Romeo and Juliet,” Juliet tells her beloved to swear his love by the sun and not the “inconstant moon.” In “Henry V,” King Harry expounds on this theme, saying that the sun is better than the moon because it “shines bright and never changes, but keeps his course truly.” So I doubt that Billy would have been in the bleachers if they had Friday night lights in Elizabethan England.Which, I confess, is too bad, because of all the times I’ve attended a high school football game over the years, the more exciting ones tend to be on Friday night as opposed to Saturday afternoon. The teams may be the same, the scores may be the same, even the crowds may be the same ? but the vibe is different.Part of it is the nighttime factor – that if we had “Tuesday Night Lights” or “Sunday Night Lights,” they’d still trump Saturday afternoons. People seem to get more energized for evening performances, whatever the genre. They pack ’em in at Tanglewood to see the Boston Symphony on summer evenings ? and they’ll buy up their tickets on Fandango for the midnight premiere of the latest Harry Potter movie when it comes out. Can you see anyone getting so excited over a matinee?If you want to get all anthropological about it, I’d say this is part of a trend in our society that dates back to when people started scheduling games at night (of which our own City of Lynn played a leading role, although that was in baseball). Nighttime entertainment fits more with the schedules of people who work or go to school during the day. With Friday being the start of the weekend for many people, it seems reasonable that football fans would want to start it with some gridiron action. This has resonated in pop culture as well. In Garth Brooks’ “Unanswered Prayers,” the country star sang of going to a game “Just the other night” ? not “Just the other day” ? and the name of the hit movie and TV show is “Friday Night Lights” ? not “Saturday Afternoon Sunlight.”Granted, with evening comes the possibility of drink and disturbance ? people seem to be more polite during the day. Still, if cities and towns provide enough of a police presence and monitor the crowds, this can help ensure a safe atmosphere for all.When the elements are in accord, when the wind is crisp and the stars are out, there’s nothing like the rush of seeing teams charge through the posts onto the illuminated field to the cheers of the crowd. If Shakespeare were around today, with some Garth in his iPod and some Dunks’ in his hand, maybe he would have warmer feelings toward the moon ? and about the games played under its light.Rich Tenorio is The Item’s sports copy editor.