MLK Day, Arizona, and FOOTBALL

The conservative state of Arizona was one of the very last states to observe Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Congress passed the King Day bill in 1986 with a veto-proof majority, and Reagan (himself an opponent of the holiday) signed the bill into law, thereby creating the federal holiday. However, it took until the year 2000 for all 50 states to recognize the holiday and pay employees for the day off. (At least Arizona came around before South Carolina. Not only was this state dead last, but also previously offered employees the choice between MLK Day or three different holidays honoring Confederate war heroes.)

Lawmakers in Arizona prevented legislature creating a state holiday in honor of Martin Luther King from reaching voters for many years. Even when it did make its way onto a ballot in 1990, the voters rejected it. Meanwhile, the National Football League had awarded Superbowl XXVII to the Sun Devils' stadium on the Arizona State University campus in Tempe. But because of the politics surrounding MLK day and the large number of African-American football players, the NFL decided to boycott Arizona. The Players' Association voted to hold the Superbowl that year in Pasadena, California instead. Arizonans certainly seemed to regret the loss of tourism, and approved the state holiday in 1992. (The following year, Sun Devils Stadium was promised to host Superbowl XXX in 1996.)

A revealing historical tidbit about Arizona politics, I thought.