No Thanksgiving Day Game?

[wingfanatic4alltime 32]

Wdfn reported today that supposedly being discussed with the owners is that the Lions drop the thanksgiving day game and in return the Lions are promised to get a superbowl every 7 years. I am interested to hear your guys opinon on this, because i am completly torn on this. So what do u guys think

[Vladinator 0]

A Superbowl every 7 years is a heck of a trade-off...the other owners have been pressuring to get Thanksgiving games for years...eventually it will probably happen. If we can get a trade-off such as this, I say go for it...

I would hate to see the Thanksgiving tradition end though...

Then again, not having to watch the Lions on Thanksgiving will likely leave me with a much stronger appetite for Thanksgiving dinner...

[Hockeytown Red Wings 245]

I can see the huge benefits for the city of Detroit getting a Superbowl every decade or so, but I dont want to lose the Thanksgiving Game. Its about family....nothing brings us closer than diving into a delicious meal and bitching about the Lions.

[gowingsgo 3]

I dont want to see bad football on Thanksgiving. They need to yank the game from the Lions and they shouldnt have to give anything back in return. The league sets the schedule each season, not the teams.

[timothy1997 0]

one word: TRADITION

[betterREDthandead 58]

Hopefully a completely untrue rumor. Thanksgiving is OURS.

[gowingsgo 3]

one word: TRADITION

Tradition doesn't mean the NFL is forced to have Detroit playing every Thanksgiving. The NFL is much bigger than that. It is only a tradition to those of you in Detroit. I think the games should rotate. The NFL has even added a 3rd game to Thanksgiving at night to be shown on NFL Network. At least they are giving us a better option now.

[Matt 1,049]

I'll take the SUPER BOWLS please.

[Matt 1,049]

I dont want to see bad football on Thanksgiving. They need to yank the game from the Lions and they shouldnt have to give anything back in return. The league sets the schedule each season, not the teams.

Ford's advertising dollars pull a mighty weight. It's been long-rumored that he's held that over the NFL's head for years concerning the Thansgiving Day game. (Not that I think the NFL would have a hard time recouping it, though, but that's what the rumor was.)

[BlakChamber 8]

I'll take the Thanksgiving day game. Its tradition.

[vladdy16 2,154]

I am all about tradition, folks. Thanksgiving without a Lions game is unthinkable, but a Superbowl every 7 years is heady stuff. The revenue could go a long way to improving the city all the way around.

[gowingsgo 3]

Ford's advertising dollars pull a mighty weight. It's been long-rumored that he's held that over the NFL's head for years concerning the Thansgiving Day game. (Not that I think the NFL would have a hard time recouping it, though, but that's what the rumor was.)

I tend to believe this more than it being a "tradition." The NFL is turning more and more into a mega-entertainment juggernaut with concerts and events surrounding games now. It isnt all about football anymore. But the almighty $$$ holds true. If Ford uses advertising revenue to keep the game, then the NFL will probably keep the game in Detroit. This may be another reason they introduced a 3rd game at night.

Either way, the new night game at least eases some of the pain from having to watch the Lions early in the day. Maybe with a new regime in there the Lions wont be so painful to watch this season.

[johnogrodnickfanclub 0]

YOU'VE ALL BEEN HAD!

WDFN and Sean Baligian were pulling a prank. There is no proposal or plan to get rid of the Lion's Thanksgiving day game in exchange for a Superbowl every seven years. Baligian was just seeing how easy it would be to start a bogus rumor.

Edited March 9, 2006 by johnogrodnickfanclub

[Matt 1,049]

Well, if the Lions were good for one thing on Turkey day, I could fall asleep at halftime and not worry about missing anything.

[Hockeytown Red Wings 245]

Well, if the Lions were good for one thing on Turkey day, I could fall asleep at halftime and not worry about missing anything.

Its always a mixed bag with the Lions on Thanksgiving. They either have their game of the year or they get blownout. Last few Thanksgivings, its been the latter.

[redwings1914 18]

Even though its BS, I would still take the SB's

[Grind_Lines_#1_Fan 0]

unfair trade why get rid of such a great tradition that goes back to when we were good.

[betterREDthandead 58]

Tradition doesn't mean the NFL is forced to have Detroit playing every Thanksgiving. The NFL is much bigger than that. It is only a tradition to those of you in Detroit. I think the games should rotate. The NFL has even added a 3rd game to Thanksgiving at night to be shown on NFL Network. At least they are giving us a better option now.

So should the Packers be forced to put heaters under Lambeau Field so they won't have such an advantage at home? After all, the Frozen Tundra is a Green Bay-only tradition - the rest of us don't enjoy it so much.

Or maybe Cleveland's Dawg Pound, a Cleveland-only tradition, should rotate stadiums each week.

And how bout sharing some of those Super Bowl rings, Steelers fans? Or do you kind of want to keep them to yourselves?

The third game on Thanksgiving that rotates is a fine solution. Let the Lions keep theirs. Unless the league would like to rotate Super Bowl eligibility so that "everyone can share in the tradition."

[gowingsgo 3]

So should the Packers be forced to put heaters under Lambeau Field so they won't have such an advantage at home? After all, the Frozen Tundra is a Green Bay-only tradition - the rest of us don't enjoy it so much.

Or maybe Cleveland's Dawg Pound, a Cleveland-only tradition, should rotate stadiums each week.

And how bout sharing some of those Super Bowl rings, Steelers fans? Or do you kind of want to keep them to yourselves?

The third game on Thanksgiving that rotates is a fine solution. Let the Lions keep theirs. Unless the league would like to rotate Super Bowl eligibility so that "everyone can share in the tradition."

Those are really bad comparisons. Lambeau Field is home field advantage for the Packers. Every team should have home field advantage playing in their own stadium. I dont know what Detroit's is but in Pittsburgh you look up into the stands and literally have a sea of Terrible Towels waving at you not to mention a nasty open end of the stadium with strange wind gusts.

Cleveland's Dawg Pound albeit one of the worst franchises in football is similar to the Raider's Black Hole. Its a group of fans sitting in a section of their stadium. Again, every stadium has a group of fans that draw attention, Washington has the Hogettes and their band, NY Jets have the firemen J-E-T-S guys, Indy has the Blue Crew, etc.

And for Super Bowl rings, those aren't given, they are earned on the field. That has nothing to do with tradition. Does every team in pro sports deserve to play in the championship game? This would take away from the competition of the game.

Scheduling a game on a certain date is a league deal. The NFL schedules games. Unless they have an agreement with the Ford's that is set they shouldn't be obligated to have a game on Thanksgiving with Detroit involved. I'd rather it be Detroit than Pittsburgh though. Playing a Sunday game and playing the next Thursday is TOUGH. Pittsburgh plays a brand of football that calls for more days of rest.

I understand why the Lions fans would want this date, its the only guarantee you have with your team each year.

[betterREDthandead 58]

If you want to get really technical about it, the Lions franchise started scheduling Thanksgiving games on their own. By the time Dallas (bastards) started doing it (some 30+ years later) the league was more organized, but the NFL itself still had nothing to do with Dallas starting to play on Thanksgiving.

Much like the Dawg Pound trademark (the NFL, not the Cleveland Browns, is suing to recover the trademark from an apparel company in Hawaii) it is a local tradition adopted and continued by the NFL. Ford may be holding advertising dollars over the league's head, but if such an influential owner as Lamar Hunt of the Chiefs (who originally, a couple years back, proposed taking the Thanksgiving game away from the Lions and Cowboys) can't get what he wants (the third, rotating game is a compromise), then I think the Thanksgiving game is pretty well entrenched in Detroit.

[gowingsgo 3]

If you want to get really technical about it, the Lions franchise started scheduling Thanksgiving games on their own. By the time Dallas (bastards) started doing it (some 30+ years later) the league was more organized, but the NFL itself still had nothing to do with Dallas starting to play on Thanksgiving.

Much like the Dawg Pound trademark (the NFL, not the Cleveland Browns, is suing to recover the trademark from an apparel company in Hawaii) it is a local tradition adopted and continued by the NFL. Ford may be holding advertising dollars over the league's head, but if such an influential owner as Lamar Hunt of the Chiefs (who originally, a couple years back, proposed taking the Thanksgiving game away from the Lions and Cowboys) can't get what he wants (the third, rotating game is a compromise), then I think the Thanksgiving game is pretty well entrenched in Detroit.

Much better post and not knowing the history of the game pre-dated the NFL as we know it would also give me the background on the game I lacked. The 3rd game is definitely the compromise the league has been wanting without yanking the game from the Lions or Cryboys. Hunt is going to get his Super Bowl in KC if they put a roof on Arrowhead though.

[gowingsgo 3]

double post. effing firefox issues on this web site

Edited March 14, 2006 by gowingsgo

[timothy1997 0]

this year's thanksgiving day games

Miami at Detroit

Tampa Bay at Dallas

Kansas City at Denver