The Oscars Are Moving to March - Does It Make a Difference?

Those damned Winter games. Due to the upcoming Winter Olympics, which will run from February 12-28, there's been a little re-jigging of next year's 2010 Oscar schedule. Rather than getting to curl up inside and watch stars frolic and applaud each other during a cold and bleak February, USA Today reports that the 82nd Annual Academy Awards ceremony will take place on March 7.

Academy spokeswoman Leslie Unger says: "It has been in February since then [2004], except for one year, in 2006, where the circumstances were the same as next year, to not coincide with the closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympics." Under this schedule, nomination ballots will hit the mail on December 28, polls will close on January 23, and nominations will be announced on February 2, which will give members an extra week to see the movies.

Does it matter? Would an extra week mean that we might get an Oscar ceremony with more accurate nominations? Doubt it. And maybe they're just passing up a big cross-promotional opportunity -- stars skiing down the slopes to accept awards, skating over ice ... at least it would make up for all the highly congratulatory talk, should it seep into next year's ceremony as well.

Does a March move really matter? Did all the changes this year make you excited for next year, regardless of the date?