Actually the Lions have been the team that plays on Thanksgiving the most, every year since 1934. The cowboys started in 1966.
Thanksgiving Day in Detroit is a tradition like none other. It is older than 25 NFL franchises and dates back to the Depression-era.
Simply stated, no other professional sports franchise can claim to be a part of an American holiday as can the Detroit Lions and Thanksgiving Day. Four generations of Americas enjoy their turkey, stuffing, and pumpkin pie with a side of Detroit Lions football.
This year, the Detroit Lions will host the long-time rival Green Bay Packers in the 64rd-Annual Thanksgiving Day game. This time will mark the 17th Thanksgiving Day meeting between the Lions and the Packers, the most between any two teams.
To help celebrate the Detroit Lions Thanksgiving Tradition, we took a look at the legacy of Thanksgiving in the Motor City with some frequently asked questions and answers.
Q: Who started the Thanksgiving Day tradition? Who won? — Bruce Byrnes
A: Bruce, in 1934, the first year the Detroit Lions franchise called the Motor City home, owner G.A. Richards had a dilemma. His new franchise was well accepted and started off to a 10-0 record. Yet, an average of only 12,000 fans were coming to games at the University of Detroit Stadium. He looked at the tradition of many Midwest high schools and colleges who played on Thanksgiving Day including Detroit's Eastern High School, who normally played a team from Chicago. So the precedent was already set, and he planned to take it to another level.
Richards, who also owned radio station WJR, had a rivalry brewing as well. If the Lions could defeat the Chicago Bears, a championship could be in the works. The Detroit News agreed and ran a full page photo layout of the Lions and Bears featuring the stars Bronco Nagurski and Lion Roy "Father" Lumpkin. Richards saw anticipation building for the game building so he and good friend Deke Aylesworth, president of the National Broadcasting Company, agreed to carry the game on Thanksgiving Day to over 91 radio stations including WJR.
Over 26,000 fans overflowed U of D Stadium and thousands more were turned away. And thus, the tradition was born. The Bears, on a late Nagurski touchdown pass to Bill Hewitt, won the first game 19-16
Q: When did Dallas become a tradition playing on Thanksgiving day? — John Major from Grand Rapids
A: The Dallas Cowboys began their own Thanksgiving Day tradition in 1966 with a 26-14 victory over Cleveland and have played every year since then. By the way, the Lions and Cowboys have never met each other on Thanksgiving Day.
Thanksgiving Day in Detroit is a tradition like none other. It is older than 25 NFL franchises and dates back to the Depression-era.
Simply stated, no other professional sports franchise can claim to be a part of an American holiday as can the Detroit Lions and Thanksgiving Day. Four generations of Americas enjoy their turkey, stuffing, and pumpkin pie with a side of Detroit Lions football.
This year, the Detroit Lions will host the long-time rival Green Bay Packers in the 64rd-Annual Thanksgiving Day game. This time will mark the 17th Thanksgiving Day meeting between the Lions and the Packers, the most between any two teams.
To help celebrate the Detroit Lions Thanksgiving Tradition, we took a look at the legacy of Thanksgiving in the Motor City with some frequently asked questions and answers.
Q: Who started the Thanksgiving Day tradition? Who won? — Bruce Byrnes
A: Bruce, in 1934, the first year the Detroit Lions franchise called the Motor City home, owner G.A. Richards had a dilemma. His new franchise was well accepted and started off to a 10-0 record. Yet, an average of only 12,000 fans were coming to games at the University of Detroit Stadium. He looked at the tradition of many Midwest high schools and colleges who played on Thanksgiving Day including Detroit's Eastern High School, who normally played a team from Chicago. So the precedent was already set, and he planned to take it to another level.
Richards, who also owned radio station WJR, had a rivalry brewing as well. If the Lions could defeat the Chicago Bears, a championship could be in the works. The Detroit News agreed and ran a full page photo layout of the Lions and Bears featuring the stars Bronco Nagurski and Lion Roy "Father" Lumpkin. Richards saw anticipation building for the game building so he and good friend Deke Aylesworth, president of the National Broadcasting Company, agreed to carry the game on Thanksgiving Day to over 91 radio stations including WJR.
Over 26,000 fans overflowed U of D Stadium and thousands more were turned away. And thus, the tradition was born. The Bears, on a late Nagurski touchdown pass to Bill Hewitt, won the first game 19-16
Q: When did Dallas become a tradition playing on Thanksgiving day? — John Major from Grand Rapids
A: The Dallas Cowboys began their own Thanksgiving Day tradition in 1966 with a 26-14 victory over Cleveland and have played every year since then. By the way, the Lions and Cowboys have never met each other on Thanksgiving Day.
dime- When the NFL started these Thanksgiving Day games, they were going to do it on a rotational basis but an overwhelming majority of the teams didn't want to play on Thanksgiving Day for several reasons but the main one was that the clubs thought no on would go to a football game on such an important holiday.
Detroit and Dallas each said they would host a game and it was an big success. The games are sellouts every year and pretty big events in each city. So because Detroit and Dallas took the games when no one else really wanted to, they get to host a game every Thanksgiving Day.
Detroit and Dallas each said they would host a game and it was an big success. The games are sellouts every year and pretty big events in each city. So because Detroit and Dallas took the games when no one else really wanted to, they get to host a game every Thanksgiving Day.
Four generations of fans in Michigan share a special tradition. Every year since 1934 (with a break during World War II), Thanksgiving Day in America means a day of acknowledging our nation's forefathers and giving thanks to them for blazing the paths that we travel today. For Michigan, the festive turkey dinner is also accompanied with a side of Detroit Lions football. That tradition continues for the 64th time in Motor City annuls against the most frequent guest at the table, the long-time rival Green Bay Packers.
Charlie
Charlie
