The Thanksgiving games are coming up. And these have a long tradition in the NFL. Since 1966, two teams have always been involved: the Dallas Cowboys and the Detroit Lions. But why is that?

There are certain traditions that you either love or hate.

In the US, Thanksgiving offers a whole range of them.

Every year, three NFL games are played on this holiday. The Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys always play at home.

Cowboys and Lions always on Thanksgiving

It’s logical that “America’s Team” is there year after year.

No wonder, after all, the nickname says it all, doesn’t it? Well, not quite. In fact, the Cowboys have played at home on Thanksgiving every year except 1975 and 1977 for the exact opposite reason.

How did the tradition start? In 1966, the franchise had been around for just six years, and yes, its popularity was limited at the time. General manager at the time, Tex Schramm, had the idea that it would be worth trying to have his Cowboys play during the week.

And what day would be better for this than the national Turkey Tossing Contest, when you get everyone’s undivided attention? Today, fragmented game schedules are the norm, but back then, games on days other than a Sunday were still a risk.

Schramm even took precautions against this. Since nobody knew how Texans would react to football on a holiday, the NFL guaranteed the Cowboys a certain income if the fans stayed away.

In the end, Dallas broke its then attendance record with over 80,000 fans. A home game tradition that continues to this day was born. Even if it wasn’t the Cowboys who came up with the idea.

Thanksgiving: Lions are pioneers

Because: As early as 1934, Thanksgiving was used as a promotional tool for NFL teams that don’t inspire much enthusiasm. George Richards bought the Portsmouth Spartans and brought the club to Detroit in 1934, turning it into the Lions.

The fact that he owned a local radio station helped his plan no end. To promote the 1934 Thanksgiving game and put the new Lions on the national football map, he used his connections to promote the game against the Chicago Bears nationwide on NBC.

The result: sold out. And since then, the franchise has had a home game on Thanksgiving every year.

Incidentally, three games have been played on the US holiday since 2006. Since then, it has become a tradition that there is none for this third game.