close
close

first Drop

Com TW NOw News 2024

    • Why the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys always play on Thanksgiving
    news

    Why the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys always play on Thanksgiving

    Vaseline Posted on

    play

    Americans have been playing football on Thanksgiving Day for more than a century. In 1891, Yale defeated Princeton 19-0 in the first college football game played on the holiday. Professional football began playing official games on Thanksgiving in 1920, starting with six American Professional Football Association (APFA) games.

    According to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, those six games were the first Thursday games in professional football history. This is how the day’s game selection ended:

    • Akron Pros 7-0 Canton Bulldogs
    • Decatur Staleys 6-0 Chicago Tigers
    • Elyria Athletics 0-0 Columbus Panhandles
    • Dayton Triangles 28-0 Detroit Heralds
    • Chicago boosters 27-0 Hammond professionals
    • All-Tonawanda 14-3 Rochester Jeffersons

    In the 104 years since, professional football has become a mainstay at Thanksgiving, save for a hiatus from 1941 to 1944 due to World War II. Two teams have played more games over the holidays than any other: the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys.

    Both will be back in action on Thursday hosting divisional rivals. The Lions kick off the day against the Chicago Bears before the Cowboys take on the New York Giants in the second game of the day.

    This is why they always play on Thanksgiving.

    Why do the Lions always play on Thanksgiving?

    The Lions played their first Thanksgiving game in 1934, their first season in Detroit. Then-owner George A. Richards, a local radio executive, wanted the team to play on the holiday to bring more fans to the stadium. The city’s MLB team, the Detroit Tigers, was the most popular sports team at the time and Richards thought this could attract more fans to the Lions.

    A sold out crowd at the University of Detroit Stadium saw an exciting game between the Lions and the Bears. The Bears won 19-16 and Richards got the game broadcast on 94 radio stations, according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

    That game was so popular that it became a permanent part of the schedule until 1938. The Lions did not play on the holiday from 1939 to 1944, but returned when the NFL reinstated Thanksgiving games in 1945 after World War II. They have played on the holiday every year since.

    Lions Thanksgiving record

    Detroit has played a total of 84 games on Thanksgiving, by far the most in the NFL, and is 37-45-2 on the holiday. Here are the most common matchups they’ve had:

    • Lions-Packers (22 games): Lions lead 12-9-1
    • Lions-Bears (19 games): Bears lead 11-8
    • Lions-Vikings (5 games): Vikings lead 3-2

    Why do the Cowboys always play on Thanksgiving?

    Dallas is second only to the Lions for the most games on the holiday in NFL history. In the 1960s, NFL viewership grew rapidly, and the league added a second Thanksgiving game in 1966. Then-Dallas Cowboys president Tex Schramm volunteered for the Cowboys to play in the second game as long as the team could host the game every year. .

    The Cowboys won their Thanksgiving debut 26–14 against the Cleveland Browns, a tradition that continued the following season. The St. Louis (now Arizona) Cardinals took over as host team for the Cowboys in 1975 and 1977, but Dallas was reinstated in 1978 and has had a permanent place on the holiday ever since.

    Cowboys Thanksgiving record

    Dallas has played a total of 56 games on Thanksgiving with a record of 33-22-1 on the holiday entering 2024. Unlike the Lions, they do not have a popular pre-game rivalry; Dallas played 24 different teams over the holidays. These are their most common opponents:

    • Cowboys Commanders (11 games): Cowboys lead 9-2
    • Cowboys-Dolphins (5 games): Dolphins lead 3-2
    • Cowboys-Cardinals (4 games): Cowboys lead 4-0

    Are there any NFL teams that have never played on Thanksgiving?

    The Jacksonville Jaguars are the only active franchise that has never played on Thanksgiving. Three teams played one game over the holidays: the Carolina Panthers (2015), Cincinnati Bengals (2010) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2006).

    NFL team Thanksgiving records

    • Arizona Cardinals: 6-15-2
    • Atlanta Falcons: 1-3
    • Baltimore Ravens: 2-0
    • Buffalo notes: 6-4-1
    • Carolina Panthers: 1-0
    • Chicago Bears: 20-15-2
    • Cincinnati Bengals: 0-1
    • Cleveland Browns: 0-3
    • Dallas Cowboys: 33-22-1
    • Denver Broncos: 4-7
    • Detroit Lions: 37-45-2
    • Green Bay Packers: 15-20-2
    • Houston Texans: 2-0
    • Indianapolis Colts: 2-1-1
    • Jacksonville Jaguars: 0-0
    • Kansas City Chiefs: 5-5
    • Las Vegas Raiders: 4-4
    • Los Angeles Chargers: 3-1-1
    • Los Angeles Rams: 4-1
    • Miami Dolphins: 5-2
    • Minnesota Vikings: 7-2
    • New England Patriots: 3-3
    • New Orleans Saints: 3-1
    • New York Giants: 7-6-3
    • New York Jets: 4-4
    • Philadelphia Eagles: 6-1
    • Pittsburgh Steelers: 2-6
    • San Francisco 49ers: 3-2-1
    • Seattle Seahawks: 2-3
    • Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 0-1
    • Tennessee Titans: 5-2
    • Washington Commanders: 4-9

    Vaseline
    View all posts

    You Might Also Like