Thanksgiving will always be synonymous with football. There were three NFL games this year, with the Bears vs. the Lions in the morning, the Cowboys vs. the Bills in the afternoon and the Saints vs. the Falcons in the evening. 

Every year, no matter how these teams do and no matter how bad they look in the offseason, the Detroit Lions and the Dallas Cowboys always play on Thanksgiving. While some people might get upset and want to see other teams, I honestly don’t care and think that things shouldn’t change. 

Let’s address how bad these two teams usually are. The Lions and Cowboys are the definition of mediocrity in the NFL. Though these teams always seem to be at their averageness at this point in the season, the schedule is set well in advance and can’t be changed. People have spent money on going to these games, and changing the schedule would mess with fans for no reason other than that these two teams are so second-rate. 

If they look good in the preseason and start tanking by this point, how does the NFL make this prediction when making the schedule? The schedule is made right around Super Bowl time, and even though it’s not released until April, it’s hard to predict who the best teams in the league will be come Thanksgiving.

Also, it’s a tradition to have the Cowboys and the Lions play on Thanksgiving. Out of all these fan bases, these two would complain more that they were switched out of the Thanksgiving spot than those who are complaining that they should be moved. Cowboys’ fans are the loudest in the bunch, and Lions’ fans would have nothing if they didn’t have the Thanksgiving game to look forward to. 

The NFL is a business. The Cowboys have the biggest fanbase in the league, and they will tune in to watch the game if they can’t attend. It is probably in the NFL’s best interest to have the Cowboys play on Thanksgiving because it’s going to bring in the most money. It’s hard for me to say, but when the Cowboys are good, it’s good for the NFL. 

I would love to see the Philadelphia Eagles or any other team play on Thanksgiving over the Cowboys and Lions. Heck, I would even take the Browns and Dolphins. 

But the NFL knows that these two teams get the most eyes on the TV during Thanksgiving. It’s a tradition that has withstood the test of time: why break it now? Besides, maybe watching the Cowboys and the Lions will keep your “boomer” uncle quiet through dinner.