Thanksgiving Day game

This is the first time ever I’m beginning to question our control on the T-Day time slot, and those who would like to see their team play on Thanksgiving. First, we’ve become a nationally televised laughing stock. Second, I’d rather be able to enjoy my Thanksgiving Day meal for the first time in over 25 years.

Thoughts?

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I think people underestimate how influential the Fords are considered in the NFL circle. This conversation comes up every year and the response from those who have an idea and understand the history is: It’s not gonna happen.

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Yeah, it’s obvious…if your definition of “influential” is, “stupid”.

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It’s the NFLs way to “reward” the Ford family for signing up to be the punching bag of the NFL every single year. Our game is always the JV game. People who ditch their families to blow 400 bucks to watch that abortion of a game are certainly sick individuals.

Well then don’t watch the game. With the way things are going and so many starters out including Stafford, the odds are that the Lions are not going to beat the Bears on Thursday. Knowing that, it ain’t so hard to watch, particularly the rooks and young guys looking to make a statement for next year. Frankly, I doubt the Lions will win another game this season unless Stafford gets back on the field.

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I doubt we’d ever lose the game, and the inclusion of the 3rd game is a major factor as to why. I honestly wouldn’t care if it went away at this point. What I don’t like about it is it dictates how other parts of our schedule have to be, and it screws some things up in that regard. Also…and I realize there are many factors that play in here…but they typically try to find one of our strongest opponents (or whom they THINK will be pretty damn good) and we get them. On the other hand, you can almost pick the Cowboys opponent based on who the weakest 2-3 teams on their schedule appear to be going into the season. That’s why I take EXTRA pleasure in watching the Cowboys lose on Thanksgiving, when a seemingly weak ass team ends up being strong that year. Its funny, they scheduled a decent Eagles team vs the Cowboys, which is outside of the norm. The Eagles beat the brakes off of the Cowboys that year. So what do they do the following year? They schedule the frickin Eagles to come do the same thing to us on Thanksgiving. But we easily handled them.

I’m over it, someone else can have it.

And keep those Ford advertising dollars coming.

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I’ve watched every Thanksgiving game since becoming a Lions fan because it was a tradition I had with my grandma, the one who is mostly responsible for becoming a fan to begin with. Even if they lost, it was a nice way to remember those times.

This year, I won’t be watching.

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Never, TG is one of my favorite holidays because the Lions play. Whether they are good or bad it is my tradition and not negotiable. We play football right after the game and before we eat every year. I am 60 this year and still look forward to the game.

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I was raised by people from Michigan and spent many Thanksgiving Day’s in Michigan and Chicago (with a bunch of people from Michigan). I have watched nearly every Lions T-Day game from start to finish going back almost 30 years. In all of that time, I do not remember a single game where ANYONE else ever watched the game with me from start to finish…ever. Most years the people in the house didn’t even care that it was on and did their own thing until the food was ready and the Cowboys game was on. There were a few times where people dropped in briefly, then went and did something else. One time my cousin tried to watch the game with me. It was the infamous coin toss game vs the Steelers. He fell asleep midway thru the game because that part of the family eats super early, but he woke up for the ending.

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The Titans beat down in 2008 was unwatchable. The Colts 41-9 beat down in 2004 was a close second. The only other bad game was 1988’s 23-0 loss to the Vikings.

It appears that you have erased some of the other beat downs from your memory. LOL

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Damn, you’re old! I’m only 59 3/4.

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I was at the heads-tails game. I’ll be down there for this one, too.

That Titans beatdown was one of the worst things I’ve ever witnessed. Seriously. It makes me uncomfortable just thinking about it, like it was a domestic abuse incident playing out in slow motion in front of us. Like, seriously, if I was there I might go down on the field and try and break it up. Shoot, call 911 or something, just don’t leave them down there getting their butts kicked like that.

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I’m all up in the Thanksgiving day game. Haven’t missed one since I was a little kid. I’ve probably watched that game attentively, since I was 5,6,7…somewhere in there (I’m 48, now).

I do believe what Wes says, about us getting tougher Turkeyday opponents. I love watching on Thanksgiving, and also think it could develop into a massive advantage for us, if we ever have the same coaching regime for more than 3 years in a row. We learn how to prep in limited time more quickly, and our core of players and staff know how to prep for it, as well as, it’s at home…followed by a pseudo bye week.

I want to keep it.

Not hardly.

In this case the definition of influential is “millions and millions of advertising dollars every year”

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I’m ok with the NFL taking away the Thanksgiving Day game from the Lions to give the NFL fans some quality football games to watch on Sunday.
I’m surprised the NFL doesn’t do it anyways to boost ratings. Nobody outside of Detroit wants to watch the Lions anyways.

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I mean, could you imagine if it was tradition for the Dolphins to play on Thanksgiving Day instead, would you watch?..I wouldn’t, well other than to seem distracted so I can’t talk to relatives I don’t want to talk to.

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Thanksgiving isn’t on a Sunday…

I think the reason we keep on keeping it is a combination of of advertising dollars from Ford and tradition.

The real question, from a sheer business perspective is…would the increased ratings cause advertising during that game to increase enough to offset the possible loss of advertising revenue if the Ford family got pissed and cut back.

The resulting advertising from a ratings increase from one game probably don’t offset what Ford spends on advertising for 25 weeks during preseason and the season and the playoffs. Not even close