Why do the Dallas Cowboys always play a game on Thanksgiving?

zbeckabee

NFL tradition has the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys play every Thanksgiving. http://www.dallas-cowboys-talk.com/2005_11_01_dallascowboystalk_archive.html Nov 25 06, 8:18 PM

star_gazer

Thank you, but I am looking for the reason that created and keeps this tradition. It would seem more fair to me to allow all the teams a turn to play on Thanksgiving. Nov 25 06, 9:24 PM

zbeckabee

The Detroit Lions have hosted a game every Thanksgiving Day since 1934 (with the exception of 1939–1944 due to World War II), and they have been nationally televised since 1962. In 1966, the NFL introduced an annual Thanksgiving game hosted by the Dallas Cowboys. Dallas has played on that holiday every season since then, except in 1975 and 1977 when the St. Louis Cardinals hosted a game instead. Scuttlebutt has it that they did so because they wanted to when others did not. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NFL_on_television#Thanksgiving_Day_games Nov 25 06, 10:37 PM

gtho4

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 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 the 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. http://www.detroitlions.com/document_display.cfm?document_id=3259 : http://www.detroitlions.com/document_display.cfm?document_id=3259">www.detroitlions.com/document_id=3259 Nov 26 06, 2:34 PM

gtho4

The Origin of the Lions' Thanksgiving Day Game The game was the brainchild of G.A. Richards, the first owner of the Detroit Lions. Richards had purchased the team in 1934 and moved the club from Portsmouth, Ohio to the Motor City. The Lions were the new kids in town and had taken a backseat to the baseball Tigers. Despite the fact the Lions had lost only one game prior to Thanksgiving in 1934, the season’s largest crowd had been just 15,000. The opponent that day in 1934 was the undefeated, defending World Champion Chicago Bears of George Halas. The game would determine the champion of the Western Division. Richards had convinced the NBC Radio Network to carry the game coast-to-coast (94 stations) and, additionally, an estimated 26,000 fans jammed into the University of Detroit Stadium while thousands more disappointed fans were turned away. Despite two Ace Gutowsky touchdowns, the Bears won the inaugural game, 19-16, but a classic was born. Since 1934, 65 games have been played with the Lions holding a series record of 33-30-2 (.523). And each game, in its own way, continues to bring back memories of Thanksgiving, not only to Lions' fans, but to football fans across the nation. http://www.detroitlions.com/document_display.cfm?cont_id=147421 : http://www.detroitlions.com/document_display.cfm?cont_id=147421">www.detroitlions.com/document_id=147421 Nov 26 06, 2:35 PM