What NFL Team Always Plays on Thanksgiving?

Thanksgiving is a time for family, friends, and, of course, football. Every year, the NFL hosts a series of games on Thanksgiving Day, and one team always seems to be playing: the Detroit Lions.

Why are the Lions always playing on Thanksgiving? It dates back to 1934, when the Lions were first given the opportunity to host a Thanksgiving Day game. They took advantage of the opportunity and have been hosting a game ever since.

So, if you’re

The Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions have played on Thanksgiving every year since 1934. The Lions have the most Thanksgiving games under their belt with a total of 79 games. They have also won the most Thanksgiving games with a total of 39 wins.

History

Led by head coach George Allen, the Lions won the NFL Championship in 1957. It was the team’s fourth NFL title and first since 1935. The Lions have yet to return to the Super Bowl, making them one of four current teams to win an NFL championship but not make a Super Bowl appearance (the others are the Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Houston Texans).

Why they play on Thanksgiving

The Thanksgiving Day game is a tradition for the Detroit Lions, who have played on the holiday every year since 1934. The Lions have hosted a game on Thanksgiving Day every year since 1945.

The team’s annual appearance on Thanksgiving Day is often cited as a reason for their struggles. Since the NFL expanded its schedule to 16 games in 1978, the Lions have only made the playoffs seven times and have won just three division titles. In that same span, they’ve had just seven winning seasons.

The Dallas Cowboys

Every year, the Dallas Cowboys play on Thanksgiving. This has become a tradition for the team, and their fans love it. The Cowboys have a rich history, and playing on Thanksgiving is just one more way that they can connect with their fans.

History

The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team that competes in the National Football League (NFL). The Cowboys joined the NFL as an expansion team in 1960, and first took the field in the 1961 season. The team plays its home games at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, which opened in 2009. The stadium took the place of the retractable-roofed Texas Stadium, which served as the Cowboys’ home from 1971 through the 2008 season.

Why they play on Thanksgiving

The Dallas Cowboys have played on Thanksgiving Day every year since 1966. They are one of only two NFL teams to do so, along with the Detroit Lions. The tradition started when team owner Tex Schramm decided that the Cowboys should become “America’s Team” and play on Thanksgiving to make them more visible. The idea was that more people would be at home on Thanksgiving and watching television, so the Cowboys would get more exposure.

The plan worked, and the Cowboys have been a ratings success on Thanksgiving ever since. In recent years, they have even been featured in their own NBC television special, “The Turkey Day Game,” which airs before the annual pre-game show.

So why do the Dallas Cowboys always play on Thanksgiving? It’s a tradition that dates back to 1966, when team owner Tex Schramm decided that theCowboys should become “America’s Team.” The idea was that more people would be at home on Thanksgiving and watching television, so the Cowboys would get more exposure. And it has worked: The team is always one of the highest-rated shows on TV on Turkey Day.

The Green Bay Packers

The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League as a member club of the league’s National Football Conference North division. They are also the third-oldest franchise in the NFL, dating back to 1919.

History

The Packers are the only non-profit, community-owned major league professional sports team in the United States. Green Bay Packers, Inc., is governed by a board of directors elected each year by the club’s 4,750-plus shareholders. The five executive officers of the company are elected independently of the board by a subset of the shareholders annually. They are, in turn, responsible for hiring and firing of the general manager and coaching staff, and oversight of all departments.

Why they play on Thanksgiving

The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league’s National Football Conference (NFC) North division. It is the third-oldest franchise in the NFL, dating back to 1919, and is the only non-profit, community-owned major league professional sports team in the United States. Home games have been played at Lambeau Field since 1957.

The Packers are the last of the “small town teams” which were common in the NFL during the league’s early days of 1921 and 1922. Founded in 1919 by Earl “Curly” Lambeau and George Whitney Calhoun, the franchise traces its lineage to other semi-professional teams in Green Bay dating back to 1896. Between 1919 and 1920, the Packers competed against other semi-pro clubs from around Wisconsin and the Midwest, before joining the American Professional Football Association (APFA), organized by Canton Bulldogs owner Ralph Hay in 1920. The APFA became the NFL in 1922; both leagues merged with each other in 1970 following an AFL–NFL merger proposal that was accepted by all 26 NFL owners at that time.

Why do they play on Thanksgiving? The answer lies in their history. The Packers have a long tradition of playing on Thanksgiving Day dating back to their early days as a semi-professional team. In those days, it was common for NFL teams to play on Thanksgiving Day as part of their regular season schedule. When the Packers joined the NFL in 1921, they continued to play on Thanksgiving Day as part of their regular season schedule. That tradition has continued to this day.