Since the beginning of the National Football League in 1920, there has been a game played on Thanksgiving. It was in 1934 that the tradition began of the Detroit Lions being an annual host.
When did football on Thanksgiving start?
However, when it comes to Thanksgiving Day football, NFL style, most fans first think of the Lions and the tradition that was started in 1934. It was their first year in Detroit after a local radio executive, George A. Richards, had purchased the Portsmouth (Ohio) Spartans and moved the team to Detroit.
When and how did football become associated with Thanksgiving?
The holiday tradition took off in 1934, when the Detroit Lions hosted the unbeaten Chicago Bears in a game broadcast nationally on radio. Thanksgiving football dates to at least 1876, when Yale defeated Princeton, 2-0, on a cold, bleak afternoon in Hoboken, New Jersey.
When did they start playing 3 games on Thanksgiving?
The annual holiday tradition expanded to add a home game for the Dallas Cowboys in the 1960s. These franchises — and their fans — only know football on Thanksgiving. In 2006, the NFL added a third game with no specific host team to the prime-time window.
What football teams play on Thanksgiving every year?
The Lions franchise have played at home on Thanksgiving every year since 1934.
What was the first college team to play on Thanksgiving?
On November 30, 1876, Yale defeats Princeton, 2-0, in Hoboken, New Jersey in the first collegiate football game played on Thanksgiving.
Which president made Thanksgiving a permanent national holiday?
On October 3, 1863, expressing gratitude for a pivotal Union Army victory at Gettysburg, President Abraham Lincoln announces that the nation will celebrate an official Thanksgiving holiday on November 26, 1863.
Who will play on Thanksgiving 2021?
That’s right, Thanksgiving is on Thursday, and with the holiday comes a three-game NFL slate. The day will start with an NFC North battle in Detroit as the winless Lions host the Chicago Bears. Then, the Las Vegas Raiders will visit Jerry World to take on the Dallas Cowboys.