The traditional Thanksgiving games are almost here! This year 3 matches will take place tomorrow, Thursday November 28. The Detroit Lions host the Chicago Bears at Ford Field while the Dallas Cowboys host the New York Giants at AT&T Stadium. A third game broadcast in the evening will pit the Miami Dolphins against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.
Three games and two recurring names on Thanksgiving: Lions and Cowboys. But do you know why these two teams invariably play on this date? And when does this tradition go back to?
NFL and Thanksgiving, a long history
American football is one of the many traditions in American culture associated with Thanksgiving Day. Virtually every level of football, from amateur to high school to college to the NFL, plays football on Thanksgiving Day.
Since its inception in 1920, the NFL has held games on Thanksgiving Day, modeled after the historic college football games held on or around the November holiday. NFL Thanksgiving games have traditionally included a game hosted by the Detroit Lions since 1934 (with the exception of 1939 to 1944) and a game hosted by the Dallas Cowboys since 1966 (with two exceptions in 1975 and 1977) .
Since 2006, a third evening game has also been played on Thanksgiving Day. Unlike the two afternoon matches, this match does not have fixed teams.
Thanksgiving, a university tradition
The concept of American football games being played on Thanksgiving Day dates back to 1876, shortly after the game was invented, because it was a day when most people did not work. That year, the Yale and Princeton college football teams began an annual tradition of playing each other on Thanksgiving Day.
The University of Michigan also has a tradition of hosting annual Thanksgiving games. The Thanksgiving games between Michigan and the Chicago Maroons in the 1890s have been cited as “the beginning of Thanksgiving football.” In some areas, most commonly New England, high school teams play on Thanksgiving, usually to conclude the regular season.
By the time football became professional, playing on Thanksgiving had already become an institution.
Lions for turkey at Thanksgiving
The Lions' first owner, George A. Richards, started the Thanksgiving game tradition as a gimmick to entice people to attend Lions football games and to continue a tradition started by the city's previous NFL teams . What differentiated the Lions' efforts from other teams playing on the holidays was that Richards owned radio station WJR, a major affiliate of the NBC Blue Network (the forerunner of today's American Broadcasting Company); he was able to negotiate a deal with NBC to broadcast its Thanksgiving games live on the network. A great publicity stunt for increased visibility among listeners.
During the controversy Franksgiving in 1939 and 1940, the only two teams to play the game were the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Philadelphia Eagles, as both teams were in the same state (Pennsylvania). At the time, then-U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt wanted to move the holiday for economic reasons and many states were reluctant to do so; half of the states recognized this decision and the other half did not. This complicated the scheduling of Thanksgiving games. Moreover, the two teams were also studying the possibility of a merger at the time. When Thanksgiving games resumed in 1945, only the Lions' annual home game remained over the Thanksgiving holiday.
The Cowboys invite themselves to Thanksgiving
In 1966, the Dallas Cowboys, founded six years earlier, adopted the practice of hosting Thanksgiving games. Rumor has it that the Cowboys were looking for a guarantee of hosting regular Thanksgiving games as a condition of their first ever. This is only partly true: Dallas had actually decided on its own to host games on Thanksgiving; Team president Tex Schramm was attracted by the publicity that would accompany a permanent, nationally televised contest and volunteered to be host when the NFL offered the second Thanksgiving game.
Since 1978, Thanksgiving games have been held annually in Detroit and Dallas, with Detroit in the early afternoon and Dallas in the late afternoon. The three channels (CBS, FOX and NBC) which broadcast the NFL divide the cake into three like every year: each one a match.
Since 2006, a third NFL game on Thanksgiving has been played in prime time. The night game has never had a dedicated host team or conference tie-in, meaning the league can place any game in that time slot.
Lions, Cowboys & Thanksgiving: the perfect pairing
Since 2001, teams playing on Thanksgiving have often worn retro uniforms. In 2002, this tradition even extended to almost all weekend matches. From 2001 to 2003, Dallas wore their navy blue “Double-Star” jersey. The Cowboys resurrected their 1994 white “Double-Star” jerseys in 2015, but this time they wore them with white pants as part of the league's Color Rush. After the NFL lifted the single-helmet rule, the Cowboys returned to wearing the navy “Double-Star” jerseys for Thanksgiving in 2022. In 2001-2004, then again in 2008, 2010, 2017, 2018, 2020 and 2023, the Detroit Lions have worn retro uniforms based on their earliest years. For 2019 and 2022, Detroit wore their silver Color Rush uniform.
This year at Thanksgiving, the Cowboys will wear their retro outfit “ all-white arctic » associated with their white helmet with the unique star. A mix between the outfit “ Double Star » and the outfit « all-white arctic“. No alternative uniform for the Lions, however, who will wear their traditional outfit throwback : blue jersey, silver helmet and pants.
Artists invited to Thanksgiving
Less famous than half-time show of the Super Bowl, the halftime scene of the Thanksgiving games still gives rise to a parade of music stars every year. It must be said that the meeting has now become iconic and that it provides the artists present with significant media coverage.
Shaboozey, country music artist and 6-time Grammy nominee, will take the stage with the Detroit Lions. Grammy Award winner Lainey Wilson will perform at the Dallas Cowboys' game against the New York Giants. Finally, violinist Lindsey Stirling will have the honors of the evening since she will play live during the Green Bay Packers game against the Miami Dolphins.
“The NFL Thanksgiving Day provides artists with a massive platform that continues to grow, and we know this year's games will bring another unforgettable day of football, music and unifying moments for the fans watching at across the country and around the world. » said Seth Dudowsky, head of music at the NFL.
Anecdotes around Thanksgiving in the NFL
- The three NFL games on Thanksgiving Thursday date back to 2006!
- The Lions played on Thanksgiving every year except during World War II.
- The Cowboys began playing on Thanksgiving in 1966 and have played every year since.
- Lions and Cowboys games on Thanksgiving are often divisional matchups.
- The Jaguars are the only NFL team to never play a game on Thanksgiving.
- The Packers played the Lions thirteen seasons in a row on Thanksgiving (1951-1963).
- Since 2022, Thanksgiving games have been called “John Madden Thanksgiving Celebration”.
- AFC North teams have never played the Lions or Cowboys on Thanksgiving.
- The Rams haven't appeared in a Thanksgiving game since 1975!
- Reggie White (Eagles) was the first recipient of the Turkey Leg Award in 1989.
- Emmit Smith (Cowboys) holds the Thankgiving MVP record with five (1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, and 2002)
