Admin November 27, 2024
Andrew Whitworth helps us break down the latest NFL storylines
Andrew Whitworth stops by to talk all things NFL and tells us about his new partnership with Tide.
Sports Seriously
Every tradition has to start somewhere.
For Thanksgiving, that story begins with the pilgrims in the 1600s. For the NFL on Thanksgiving, we’ll have to fast forward a little bit.
The NFL was born in the 1920s, but a famous tradition wasn’t born until the league’s teenage years. Here’s everything you need to know about the NFL’s Thanksgiving traditions, who has the most wins and how each team has fared on the holiday.
When was the first NFL Thanksgiving game?
Picture it: Detroit 1934. Bing Crosby is at the top of music world, the Great Depression is ravaging the country, Franklin D. Roosevelt is President and Babe Ruth is in the midst of his final season as a New York Yankee.
Meanwhile in the Motor City, the Lions are looking to gain some traction in a town dominated by baseball’s Tigers. Enter George A. Richards, who bought the Portsmouth Spartans and moved them to Detroit in 1934. The team would then become known as the Lions, but needed something to get the fans’ attention.
So Richards went and scheduled a game on Thanksgiving against the defending champion Chicago Bears. Just like that, a tradition was born.
The Lions would play the Bears in the first ever Thanksgiving Day NFL game in 1934. The site would be the University of Detroit Stadium with 26,000 people in attendance, according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. It’s believed that more people would’ve attended if the stadium capacity was larger.
Detroit won the first Turkey Day contest by a score of 19-10, beginning a tradition that has withstood the test of time. While fads like the “Harlem Shake” and “Tebowing” came and went, the Lions have managed to weave themselves into Thanksgiving just as much as your mother’s stuffing recipe.
The team’s fans don’t often feel in the holiday spirit on the holiday, however. In fact, the Lions experience on Thanksgiving typically resembles the feeling you get when the annoying family member arrives.
While they’ve gotten better in recent years, Detroit still has some work to do to get above .500 on Turkey Day.
What NFL teams always play on Thanksgiving?
The Lions and Cowboys are the two mainstays on Thanksgiving, with Detroit playing their first game in 1934 and Dallas joining the tradition in 1966. Both teams have been permanent fixtures ever since, with four other teams being selected each year to round out the holiday schedule.
What NFL team has played the most Thanksgiving Day games?
The Lions have played 84 Thanksgiving games, the most of any team. They are 37-45-2 in those games. Considering they won’t be relinquishing control of the NFL’s tradition anytime soon, it’s safe to say that they will continue to be Turkey Day’s most featured team.
Which team has the most wins on Thanksgiving?
The Lions have won 37 games on Thanksgiving, giving them the most on the NFL’s biggest holiday. It’s fitting considering they’ve played 84 games on the day, but it hasn’t translated to a ton of success in the franchise’s history. Detroit also has 45 losses on Thanksgiving, but recent history suggests that Dan Campbell’s team will be improving that record in the coming years.