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Why did they overshadow Detroit’s claim to fame with Dallas? (1 Viewer)

JohnnyU

JohnnyU

Footballguy
For decades the only team that played every turkey day were the Lions. It’s their only claim to fame in NFL history so far. Not counting anything when Julius Caesar was alive. Why did they ruin it by putting the Cowboys on every Thanksgiving? I believe the Packers get Detroit every other year.

The Lions started playing on Thanksgiving in 1934.
 
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finfansteve said:
Leroy Hoard said:
Dallas has been the second constant every thanksgiving I remember.
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I think Leroy is right. I remember the Cowboy-Redskin battles of the early to mid 70’s every thanksgiving growing up and then the fumble game against Miami in the early 90’s
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You’re right. The Cowboys have played on Thanksgiving since 1966. I surprised I didn’t know that. I thought it was later.

The Lions started playing on Thanksgiving in 1934.
 
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JohnnyU said:
Why did they ruin it
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this is where you lost me

more football (& adding a generally successful franchise) was not a bad idea

I forget if Dallas became the 2nd team in 1966 or 1970, someone less lazy can look it up

but it's their tradition, too - has been for 50+ years

from Clint Longley to Leon Lett to today - lot more great Cowboys games than Lions games

most of the memorable Detroit games was people going off against us
 
BobbyLayne said:
JohnnyU said:
Why did they ruin it
Click to expand...

this is where you lost me

more football (& adding a generally successful franchise) was not a bad idea

I forget if Dallas became the 2nd team in 1966 or 1970, someone less lazy can look it up

but it's their tradition, too - has been for 50+ years

from Clint Longley to Leon Lett to today - lot more great Cowboys games than Lions games

most of the memorable Detroit games was people going off against us
Click to expand...
I hate the Cowboys and only the Lions should be guaranteed to play on Thanksgiving EVERY year :)
 
This thread seems about 55 plus years too late.

When did this Cowboy tradition start and why? The Cowboy's played their first Thanksgiving Day game in 1966 when they weren't the most popular team on the market. The Cowboy's general manager at the time Tex Schramm was looking to change that and bring more national attention to the Cowboys.
 
One of my favorite Simpsons episodes was when Lisa and Homer finally bonded by watching NFL games together. The writers seemed to want both teams involved and had as the Thanksgiving game Lions vs Cowboys, an real life matchup I do not recall.
 
You must have taken offense to the Hunt family. For some reason they were trying to get the league to take away the Lions monopoly on Thanksgiving Day. Thank god that was shot down, until this year that was all us Lions fans had to cling to other than the draft.
 
dmac37 said:
You must have taken offense to the Hunt family. For some reason they were trying to get the league to take away the Lions monopoly on Thanksgiving Day. Thank god that was shot down, until this year that was all us Lions fans had to cling to other than the draft.
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My 3 favorite Colts sayings from the 80s and 90s, until they drafted Manning, and the captain comeback season for Harbaugh, and the one Eric Dickerson season, were: it’s only the first quarter. Hold’em to a field goal, and I can’t wait until draft day.
 
JohnnyU said:
finfansteve said:
Leroy Hoard said:
Dallas has been the second constant every thanksgiving I remember.
Click to expand...
I think Leroy is right. I remember the Cowboy-Redskin battles of the early to mid 70’s every thanksgiving growing up and then the fumble game against Miami in the early 90’s
Click to expand...
You’re right. The Cowboys have played on Thanksgiving since 1966. I surprised I didn’t know that. I thought it was later.

The Lions started playing on Thanksgiving in 1934.
Click to expand...
You shoulda made this thread in 1970.
 
Detroit's been more or less irrelevant for a long time. And I love them this year, loved the 91 era teams but even Barry couldn't brighten up turkey day most days

I know in my house, we gather at 2pm or so EST, so the Lions game is already at half, I know people gather at different times for thanksgiving so maybe their mileage varies but typically we've eaten at half time of the dallas game.

What do you west coast folks do on Thanksgiving for the games?
 
Smack Tripper said:
What do you west coast folks do on Thanksgiving for the games?
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When I was on the East Coast, Thanksgiving was sort of sacrosanct to me. It was my favorite holiday, so I put football on the backburner for the day, though not knowing my fantasy football scores (once I started playing FF) killed me a little inside. As time went on, I began to catch the second half of the second game and the night game. Company had already left or we had left the house we were guests at.

Now that I'm on the West Coast, the games start a little earlier so I'll keep my eye on them, but I try not to let them interfere with the company we're having. It's a time to catch up, to eat, to talk about just anything, and not to be distracted by the pull that is the National Football League. But my brother is a huge football fan and we do dinner with him, so it comes up for sure. It's just evolved (or devolved) that way in our family.
 
The Cowboy braintrust was ahead of most of its competitors and likely realized the advantage that playing at home on what was then a unique short week for teams, followed by 10 days off, back in the pre-bye days.

Thanksgiving 1971 featured one of a college "games of the century" that truly lived up to its billing: Nebraska-Oklahoma.
 
Leroy Hoard said:
One of my favorite Simpsons episodes was when Lisa and Homer finally bonded by watching NFL games together. The writers seemed to want both teams involved and had as the Thanksgiving game Lions vs Cowboys, an real life matchup I do not recall.
Click to expand...
Lisa the Greek, a great episode. Lisa has the gift for picking NFL winners because she knows nothing about the game. I think the episode also correctly predicted the Super Bowl winner that year (Redskins maybe?)

Also, that episode aired in 92, something like 20+ years after the Cowboys had started regularly playing on T-Day.
 
Yeah in years past, as far as I remember, the "morning" game (for us west coasters) was always a "meh" Lions game. I would, of course, watch the game because more likely than not I would have a player or two going from one of my fantasy teams.

The Cowboys game was always the "better" game.

Now, you can say that things have been "ruined" a little bit by the night game, which typically kicks off right when we are sitting down to Thanksgiving supper.

Still, I just love the Thanksgiving slate.... I get up, check my lineups, and crack my first beer usually about halftime of the Lions game, and slowly work myself into a nice little buzz by the time the cheese and crackers are out during the 2nd half of the Cowboys affair.
 
fatness said:
The Lions crossed the Atlantic in 1620 on The Mayflower and had the first Thanksgiving dinner with the Wampanoag to celebrate their first Thanksgiving Day game vs. the Plymouth Rats who kept eating their corn.

The Cowboys came later on some damn cruise ship.
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love it
 
JohnnyU said:
N Zone said:
This thread seems about 55 plus years too late.

When did this Cowboy tradition start and why? The Cowboy's played their first Thanksgiving Day game in 1966 when they weren't the most popular team on the market. The Cowboy's general manager at the time Tex Schramm was looking to change that and bring more national attention to the Cowboys.
Click to expand...
F the Cowboys;)
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America’s team!!!1!!1
 
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