The NFL really should look into flexing out of bad....
by dwjm3 (2020-11-25 13:26:04)

Thanksgiving matchups. All four teams playing on Thanksgiving have losing records and really aren't compelling tv. I see no reason to guarantee Detroit or Dallas a thanksgiving game anymore.


They replaced the Cowboys with the St. Louis Cardinals
by FtWorthIrish  (2020-11-26 13:28:21)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

for 2 years in the mid 70s. Ratings were way down.


Why do Detroit and Dallas always get the game? *
by wooderson  (2020-11-26 09:08:56)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post


Simply to honor the holiday
by Jvan  (2020-11-26 13:10:19)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

Their games are usually turkeys.


Here’s one article that discusses it (link)
by HENNAORNO  (2020-11-26 10:11:20)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

I think the missing element here might also be that Dallas and Detroit were willing to play the game in the early days of TV when others were not. So it helped build the NFL’s TV brand. So there might be ah historic loyalty aspect here.


As a Lions fan,
by Donger  (2020-11-25 19:13:36)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

I don’t care if the NFL doesn’t allow the Lions to ever play again on Monday Night Football, on Sunday Night Football or in the playoffs (the latter already basically self imposed). The NFL could ban them from being on TV for the other 15 weeks of the year. But the Lions better be playing at home and on TV every Thanksgiving. It been a tradition since 1934. Ownership has been poor, but Bill Ford’s statement that Ford would pull all Ford advertisements with the NFL if the Lions Thanksgiving Day game ceased was great.


This is a tradition Lions fans are passionate about?
by golfjunkie17  (2020-11-26 11:10:09)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

Because no one outside of Detroit cares if the Lions play on Thanksgiving or not. And I’m sure the NFL could survive without Ford advertising dollars, though I doubt they’d have to. No doubt the Ford board of directors would be perfectly fine with not advertising during all NFL games because of the Lions getting booted from Thanksgiving day. That’d make a lot of financial sense, and certainly send a strong message over such an injustice.


Yes.
by Twinkie the Kid  (2020-11-26 21:08:33)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

I married into a Lions family. It's a big deal. The Thanksgiving meal is scheduled around the Lions game.


DC and WFT playoff chances > Vikings, Niners,
by G.K.Chesterton  (2020-11-25 15:16:03)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

From Pro Football Focus:


The Cowboys are a mere 1/2 game out of first place
by bizdomer09  (2020-11-25 14:47:01)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

and a first round playoff home game. They are also on pace to finish with 10 wins, over the next 2 seasons.


As a Lions fan, I see no reason to keep them in the NFL *
by Freight Train  (2020-11-25 14:23:20)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post


They should move south to Canada. *
by wooderson  (2020-11-26 09:09:48)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post


If they were in the MAC they could play every game Thursday *
by Termini  (2020-11-25 20:16:16)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post


They also wouldn’t win in the MAC *
by Freight Train  (2020-11-26 08:51:25)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post


An audible chuckle here. *
by PabloFanque  (2020-11-25 17:19:35)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post