| Fun and games are always an inevitable part of | | | | Day since 1934, with the exception of 1939-1944 |
| entertainment for the young and the old alike. | | | | due to World War II. The Dallas have also hosted |
| People in America celebrate this festival of | | | | football matches every Thanksgiving Day since |
| charitable giving through their avid participation in | | | | 1966.We thus find that it all saw its genesis in |
| the game of football that brings in waves of | | | | 1934 when a local radio executive, G.A. Richards, |
| sheer joy and pleasure in the hearts of multitudes | | | | had purchased the Portsmouth (Ohio) Spartans |
| of fanatic football fans who are driven mad by | | | | and moved the team to Detroit, the Motor City. |
| football mania during this festive season. Over the | | | | The Lions being nouveau arrive in town had taken |
| years, football has become synonymous with this | | | | a backseat to the Baseball Tigers in the sport |
| joyous festival of Thanksgiving.Many interesting | | | | pages. Richards had practical reasons for |
| traditions permeate deep into the festival of | | | | scheduling the game on Thanksgiving Day as he |
| Thanksgiving such as the game of football | | | | was also wise enough to figure out that the best |
| compliments this festival of merrymaking. | | | | way to give publicity to the team would be opting |
| Professional football was the last of the | | | | for the Thanksgiving Day contest for attracting |
| contemporary trends of celebrating the spirit of | | | | the Motor City fans during the teams' first |
| Thanksgiving. In 1874, eleven years after Lincoln's | | | | season. The fierce clash between the Lions and |
| proclamation, the first intercollegiate football game | | | | the invincible World Champion, meaning the robust |
| was played. Two year later the Intercollegiate | | | | Bears of Chicago proved to be an all time classic. |
| Football Association was formed in the northeast, | | | | The Lions were exceptionally good with eight wins |
| which instituted a championship game principally to | | | | backing them, leading them to their entry |
| amuse the people on Thanksgiving Day. Every | | | | alongside the Bears with a 10-1 record. But |
| year, strong competitors like Princeton and Yale | | | | Chicago had even a better record holding a |
| would vie with each other to bag the most | | | | commanding position with 11 straight wins. The |
| coveted winner's trophy. Players, students and | | | | match then reached an interesting phase where a |
| fans would wear their school colors as a mark of | | | | win in the sole fateful game would ensure |
| representation with banners flying high from | | | | whether the Lions will get the first-place tie with |
| carriages, hotels and business establishments of | | | | the Bears. Two weeks in advance of that fateful |
| New York City. On Thanksgiving Day church | | | | match, 26,000 tickets were sold out for the |
| services would wind up early to accommodate | | | | "Turkey Day" clash in the University of Detroit |
| the fans, with the game kicking off the season of | | | | Stadium. Richards was not disheartened over the |
| festivity for the social elite in New York. It had | | | | last two losses rather pretty content the way his |
| gained such popularity that soon by mid-1890s, | | | | team performed in its very first year. His faith |
| 1,20,000 athletes from colleges, clubs and high | | | | and confidence in the team was well rewarded |
| schools partook in 5,000 Thanksgiving Day football | | | | when Lions won the 1935 America's popular |
| games across the nation.The custom of watching | | | | football league Championship. The final match was |
| a match of football on Thanksgiving Day has | | | | scheduled on Thanksgiving Day when the Lions |
| evolved during the early decades of twentieth | | | | defeated the Bears 14-2 to bag the west |
| century. As football paved its way into the heart | | | | Championship trophy. Radio with its huge publicity |
| of the people winning hearts of millions, giving it a | | | | potential was used as a bait to capture the |
| huge popularity as early as 1920s and 1930s and | | | | audience. Richards along with the nationally |
| earning itself the much prestigious position that it | | | | recognized broadcasting radio company, set up a |
| enjoys at present, many people began to visit the | | | | 94-station network to broadcast the Lions-Bears |
| football stadium to watch the same. Renowned | | | | showdown. Since then the league conventionally |
| teams playing for the world famous football | | | | schedules two nationally televised games on |
| league of America eventually established the | | | | Thanksgiving, usually featuring the famous football |
| tradition of playing nationally televised games on | | | | players of Dallas, one of the most successful and |
| Thanksgiving afternoon. Besides the conventional | | | | popular franchises in the sport and the players of |
| competition organized by the nationally recognized | | | | Detroit, one of the least successful.2006 will be |
| football league in America, many high schools and | | | | the 87th season of globally acclaimed American |
| colleges also organize "Turkey Day" football | | | | football and is presumed to run from September |
| games over Thanksgiving weekend, often | | | | 7 to New Year's Eve, December 31. Three games |
| between regional or historic rival. However, | | | | have been ideally scheduled to be played on |
| Thanksgiving football played in schools and colleges | | | | Thanksgiving Day. In addition to the traditional |
| of America, has now more or less faded into | | | | annual game between the world renowned |
| oblivion in most sections of the country with it | | | | American football players of Detroit and Dallas |
| being kept alive only in two franchise cities of this | | | | home games during that day, the Kansas City |
| globally recognized football league of America, | | | | Chiefs who hosted games during their days in the |
| namely Detroit and Dallas, where Thanksgiving | | | | football league of America, will relive that tradition |
| football is very much a way of life.Thanksgiving | | | | in 2006 by hosting the players of Denver on |
| football more often than not is associated with | | | | Thanksgiving. All these games are scheduled to be |
| the team of Lions and a tradition that has been | | | | broadcast in prime time.Friends and family all over |
| popular since 1934 in the city of Detroit. The | | | | America usually prefer to huddle around their radio |
| game has been the idea of G.A. Richards, the first | | | | or TV sets to catch the live telecast of the |
| owner of the team with ferocious lion like quality | | | | match while munching on the special dishes |
| players comprising the team. In fact four | | | | prepared to commemorate Thanksgiving. Thus |
| generations of Detroiters have been a proud part | | | | each Thanksgiving would actually revive the old, |
| of the American celebration of Thanksgiving. | | | | classic tradition of enjoying a match of football as |
| Some 71 years later, fans residing in the state of | | | | a part of the celebration. Over decades, football |
| Michigan have transformed a local event into an | | | | and Thanksgiving has established a strong bond, |
| annual holiday event, giving it the shape of single | | | | leading to a high adrenaline rush.Sean Carter |
| greatest tradition in the history of American | | | | writes on holidays, |
| professional team sports. In fact no other team in | | | | Thanksgiving Day |
| professional sports can claim to be so much a | | | | and world events. He also writes on family, |
| part of an American holiday as that team with | | | | relationships, Christmas, religion, love and |
| ferocious lion like players' team with Thanksgiving. | | | | friendship. |
| This team has hosted a game every Thanksgiving | | | | |