It is already the eve of Thanksgiving Day in the United States. A day that for some is more important, even than Christmas. Originating in the seventeenth century, every fourth Thursday in November, families hold a meeting to give thanks for the freedom they enjoy, the home and the food. But it is also a day when they can enjoy some NFL games.
Within the most important league of American football, there is also a tradition for this day and in it two of the teams with the longest history within the grids are presented: Detroit Lions and the Dallas Cowboys.
The first registration of either of the two teams with a presence in the Thanksgiving it’s from 1934The Lions, no matter what their mark is on the season, has always shown up to play that day.
The tradition was born due to the move from Ohio to Detroit. Due to their recent arrival in the city located in the eastern United States, the baseball team, Tigers, had the greatest support of the inhabitants and more after having achieved the American League Championship in 1934. The Lions, by far, were aiming to take 15,000 fans away from the Tigers if they played on the same day.
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That was why the owner of the American team, George A. Richards, had the idea of establishing a party on Thanksgiving Day. Thanks to his influences, and by owning a radio station in Detroit, he convinced the NBC to be able to transmit the game on the most important day for the nation in 94 stations throughout the country.
The idea that at first seemed far-fetched turned out to be a success. On that occasion, Detroit faced the Chicago Bears and would define the leader of the West Division. Since that time, the Lions have remained at the forefront of the tradition of playing on that day.
However, the Lions did not show up for that engagement from 1939 to 1944. In 1939 and 1940, the NFL chose the Philadelphia Eagles to play the match. And from 1940 to 1944, the game was not programmed for reasons of World War II.
The history of the Cowboys on Thanksgiving It was born almost thirty years after Detroit and they did so under the idea of being able to achieve greater popularity. The first appearance of the Cowboys came in 1966. At first, the idea seemed daunting, as it was believed that two games on such a special day might seem over the top.
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Tex Schramm, general manager of the franchise at the time, saw the game as an opportunity to publicize the team that was led by Tom Landry worldwide. Schramm confirmed the Lone Star team for that day, even, contrary to the NFL’s recommendation, he was the one who assigned a percentage of league income in case fans did not show up to the property where the game would be played.
However the Cotton Bowl wore more than 80,000 fans in its stands when the Boys they defeated the Cleveland Browns and that’s where they became the second-highest-appearances team amid the celebration. However, on two occasions they could not be scheduled on that date, as the league chose the St. Louis Cardinals to play the game in 1975 and 1977.
For this 2021, Detroit will have to measure itself in forces, from its home, against the Chicago Bears. The Lions team has not been able to win a game so far this season. While the Cowboys will want to get back on the winning track and host the Raiders.
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