Why do Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions always play on Thanksgiving Day? NFL fixture tradition explored

The Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions are as traditional on Thanksgiving Day as turkey on the table.

Few things are more American than tucking into a massive plate of food before settling in to watch the stars of the NFL throw around the pigskin.

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Since 2006, football fans have been treated to three games on Thanksgiving Thursday.

This year, the Detroit Lions host the Green Bay Packers and the Dallas Cowboys are at home to the Kansas City Chiefs, before the holiday is wrapped up by Baltimore Ravens taking on the Cincinnati Bengals.

All six teams will wear a special jersey patch during their games commemorating an NFL icon.

It has become a tradition – dating back decades – for both Dallas and Detroit to play on Thanksgiving, alongside the more recent prime time game.

But how did it start all those years ago?

Why do Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions always play on Thanksgiving Day?

While there are records of games in the American Professional Football Conference dating way back to the 1920s, the NFL’s Thanksgiving tradition began in 1934.

That year, radio executive George A. Richards purchased the Portsmouth Spartans for $8,000 and moved the team from Ohio to Motor City, renaming them the Lions.

When he realised that his new team were often playing second fiddle to the Detroit Tigers, Richards decided to schedule a game on Thanksgiving as a gimmick to get people to fill the stands.

A whopping 26,000 fans showed up to watch the 10–1 Lions take on the 11–0 Bears at a sold out University of Detroit Stadium.

While the hometown team lost 19-16, the tradition was born.

The following year, the Lions won on Thanksgiving and went on to capture the NFL championship – the first of four titles before the AFL-NFL merger.

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Overall, Detroit is 38-45-2 on Turkey Day and have played at home every season, barring a six-year period from 1939-1944 during World War II.

The Cowboys, meanwhile, wouldn’t become a Thanksgiving staple until 1966.

Have the Dallas Cowboys always played on Thanksgiving?

Dallas first played on Thanksgiving in 1966, beating the Cleveland Browns 26-14 at the Cotton Bowl in Texas.

In a similar story to that of the Lions 32 years prior, general manager Tex Schramm wanted more national publicity for the Cowboys.

He knew a holiday game made perfect sense, but the NFL was initially concerned about the appeal of a struggling team and even guaranteed them a certain amount of gate revenue to play on Thanksgiving.

It turned out the league had nothing to worry about and a crowd of over 80,000 showed up for the game.

Thus, the Cowboys’ Thanksgiving tradition was born and they have played on every Turkey Day since – except in 1975 and 1977.

The team boast a solid 34-22-1 Thanksgiving Day record.

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Why did the Cowboys not play on Thanksgiving in 1975 and 1977?

Prior to the 1975 season, then-NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle wanted to see if the St. Louis Cardinals could build their popularity under coach Don Coryell, whose teams were nicknamed the ‘Cardiac Kids’ because of their exciting finishes.

Rozelle scheduled them to host Thanksgiving games in 1975 and 1977, taking the privilege away from the Cowboys.

However, the Cardinals lost the first game 32-14 to the Buffalo Bills, and the second 55-14 to the Dolphins.

After the second blowout, Rozelle went back to Schramm to ask whether the Cowboys would take the Thanksgiving game back.

“It was a dud in St. Louis,” Schramm said over a decade later.

“Pete asked if we’d take it back. I said only if we get it permanently. It’s something you have to build as a tradition. He said, ‘It’s yours forever.'”

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