Thanksgiving isn’t just about turkey, pumpkin pie, and awkward family conversations. For millions of Americans, it’s also about football, with the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys as the holiday’s perennial headliners. But why these two teams? Let’s dig into how this tradition began and why it’s become such a beloved part of Thanksgiving Day.
The Detroit Lions: Thanksgiving’s Pioneers
The Detroit Lions’ Thanksgiving tradition dates back to 1934, long before the NFL was the powerhouse it is today. George A. Richards, a savvy radio executive and owner of the Lions, had just relocated the team from Portsmouth, Ohio, to Detroit. In a city where baseball’s Detroit Tigers dominated the sports scene, Richards needed a bold move to get his team noticed.
He saw Thanksgiving as his golden ticket. That year, the Lions hosted the undefeated Chicago Bears in a game that captured the city’s attention. Fans packed University of Detroit Stadium, with 26,000 attendees and thousands more turned away.
Richards didn’t stop there. He leveraged his radio connections to convince NBC to broadcast the game nationwide. This was groundbreaking at a time when the NFL had little national exposure. The broadcast, featuring legendary commentators Graham McNamee and Don Wilson, turned the game into a national spectacle. Though the Lions lost 19–16, they’d started a tradition that endures nearly 90 years later.
The Lions haven’t always dominated on Thanksgiving; their all-time record is 37-45-2. But win or lose, Detroit’s commitment to hosting the game has remained steadfast, solidifying their place in holiday football lore.
The Dallas Cowboys: Masters of Marketing
While the Lions set the Thanksgiving stage, the Dallas Cowboys transformed it into must-see TV. In 1966, team president Tex Schramm saw an opportunity to boost the Cowboys’ popularity through Thanksgiving games. At the time, the Cowboys were a young franchise struggling to make their mark. Schramm believed national TV exposure could change that.
Skeptics questioned whether a second Thanksgiving game would succeed, but Schramm’s gamble paid off. The Cowboys’ first Thanksgiving game drew a record-breaking crowd of 80,259, and the team began its ascent to NFL superstardom.
Over the next decade, the Cowboys built a legacy that earned them the nickname “America’s Team.” Players like quarterback Roger Staubach became household names. Staubach’s clean-cut image and on-field heroics made him a fan favorite, helping cement the Cowboys as Thanksgiving icons.
Dallas’s Thanksgiving record is 33-22-1, and their games have become as essential to the holiday as pumpkin pie. The only years they didn’t play were 1975 and 1977 when the NFL experimented with assigning the game to the St. Louis Cardinals. Fans weren’t thrilled, and the league quickly restored Dallas to its Thanksgiving slot.
What started as a single game in Detroit has become a Thanksgiving tradition featuring three matchups. Nearly every NFL team has played on Thanksgiving at least once, with the Jacksonville Jaguars as the lone exception.
The Lions and Cowboys, however, remain the day’s cornerstones. Their games reflect the NFL’s evolution from a niche sport to America’s favorite pastime. By the 1970s, football had overtaken baseball as the nation’s top sport, thanks partly to figures like Staubach and the advent of televised highlight reels.
This year, the tradition continues as the Lions host the Green Bay Packers, and the Cowboys face off against the Washington Commanders. These games unite fans nationwide, bringing families together to cheer—or groan—over their favorite teams.
Why It Matters?
The Lions and Cowboys don’t just play on Thanksgiving because of tradition; they’ve made themselves synonymous with the holiday. Detroit’s boldness and Dallas’s marketing brilliance made the NFL an integral part of Thanksgiving celebrations. Whether you’re a diehard fan or just here for the halftime show, their games remind you how sports can bring people together—even if your team doesn’t win.
So, as you pile on the mashed potatoes and settle into the couch, take a moment to appreciate the history behind the games. Thanksgiving football isn’t just a tradition; it’s a story of ambition, strategy, and the enduring power of the game.
