It is basically a law of nature at this point. You wake up, someone puts a turkey in the oven, and the Detroit Lions are losing by ten points before the mashed potatoes are even creamy. Then, just as you're hitting that post-meal slump, the Dallas Cowboys show up on your screen. It feels like it’s always been this way because, honestly, for most of us, it has. But if you've ever sat there wondering why do lions and cowboys play on thanksgiving while every other team in the league has to wait for a random Sunday, the answer isn't some grand conspiracy. It's actually a mix of a desperate marketing stunt from the 1930s and a very savvy business move in the 1960s.
Football on the holiday wasn't a new idea in 1934, but the Lions made it a "thing." Before they were the Lions, they were the Portsmouth Spartans. They moved to Detroit during the Great Depression, a time when baseball was king and the NFL was struggling to keep the lights on. George A. Richards, the man who bought the team, was a radio executive who knew how to sell an audience. He looked at his empty stadium and his losing record and realized he needed a gimmick.
The Gimmick That Saved Detroit Football
Detroit was—and still is—a baseball town. Back in 1934, the Tigers were the only show in town that mattered. George Richards needed a way to grab the city's attention, so he pitched the idea of a Thanksgiving Day game. People thought he was nuts. Who wants to leave their family to watch football in the biting Detroit cold? But Richards had an ace up his sleeve: his own radio station, WJR.
Because of his connections, he convinced the NBC Blue Network to broadcast the game across 94 stations nationwide. It was the first time an NFL game had that kind of national reach. The Lions faced the undefeated Chicago Bears, and even though Detroit lost 19-16, the experiment was a massive success. The stadium was packed. Over 26,000 fans showed up, and thousands more were turned away at the gates.
That single afternoon cemented the tradition. The NFL saw the ratings and realized they had stumbled onto a goldmine. Since 1934, the Lions have played every Thanksgiving, with the exception of a brief gap during World War II between 1939 and 1944. It’s a point of pride now. Even when the team is struggling through a "rebuilding decade," the city of Detroit rallies around that early kickoff. It’s part of the city’s DNA, a shared ritual that links generations of fans who have watched the game from the same worn-out recliners.
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Why the Cowboys Joined the Party
Fast forward to 1966. The league had been watching Detroit own the holiday airwaves for decades. Tex Schramm, the legendary general manager of the Dallas Cowboys, was a man who understood the power of the spotlight. He saw an opportunity. At the time, the Cowboys were a young franchise, only six years old, and they weren't exactly "America’s Team" yet. They were just another expansion team trying to find an identity.
Schramm wanted national exposure. He basically volunteered the Cowboys to play on Thanksgiving, thinking it would help build their brand. The NFL was a little nervous about it, though. They weren't sure fans would show up for a game on a Thursday in Dallas. To hedge their bets, the league actually guaranteed the Cowboys a certain amount of gate revenue just in case nobody bought tickets.
They needn't have worried. Over 80,000 fans crammed into the Cotton Bowl to watch the Cowboys beat the Cleveland Browns 26-14. The ratings were massive. Schramm’s gamble paid off so well that the Cowboys became the permanent late-afternoon fixture. There was a brief period in the mid-70s where the NFL tried to rotate the game to the St. Louis Cardinals to give them some shine, but it was a total flop. Fans wanted the Cowboys. By 1978, the NFL threw in the towel and gave the slot back to Dallas for good.
The Controversy of "Permanent" Hosts
Not everyone is a fan of this setup. Every few years, you'll hear a coach or an owner from another team grumble about it. The argument is usually about fairness. Playing on Thanksgiving gives the Lions and Cowboys a guaranteed home game in front of a massive national audience every single year. It also gives them a "mini-bye" afterward—a long weekend to recover before their next game.
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In a league built on the idea of parity, having two teams with a permanent scheduling advantage feels wrong to some people. But the NFL is a business, and the business of Thanksgiving is about ratings. The networks love the consistency. They know exactly how to market these games months in advance. CBS and FOX have built entire holiday programming blocks around the Detroit and Dallas traditions.
Why the NFL Won't Change It
- Television Ratings: The Thanksgiving games are consistently among the most-watched regular-season games of the year.
- Tradition: The league leans heavily into the "heritage" aspect of the sport.
- The Triple Header: In 2006, the NFL added a third game in the evening with no fixed host. This was the compromise. It allowed other teams to experience the Thanksgiving spotlight without stripping the Lions or Cowboys of their historical slots.
Honestly, the "fairness" argument usually dies down once the games start. There is something comforting about the rhythm of the day. You know the Lions are going to play at 12:30 PM ET, and you know the Cowboys are going to play at 4:30 PM ET. It’s the scheduling anchor for the entire holiday.
What Most People Get Wrong About the History
A common misconception is that the NFL "chose" these teams because they were the best or most popular at the time. That's not really it. It was about who was willing to take the risk. In 1934, the Lions were a struggling team in a new city. In 1966, the Cowboys were a struggling expansion team. They "own" the holiday because they were the only ones who stepped up when the holiday game was considered a risky, unproven idea.
Another weird detail? The Lions aren't the only team to have played on Thanksgiving in the early days. Lots of teams did. The difference is that Detroit stayed consistent. They made it their identity. When you think about why do lions and cowboys play on thanksgiving, you have to remember that in the early days of professional sports, teams were constantly folding or moving. The Lions' survival is partly tied to the fact that they became synonymous with this one specific day.
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The Modern Impact on Players
While we're all sitting on the couch eating turkey, the players are dealing with one of the most grueling turnarounds in sports. Playing a game on Sunday and then again on Thursday is a nightmare for the human body. Recovery times are slashed. Practice schedules are compressed into "walk-throughs" where players mostly just study film because their muscles are still sore from four days prior.
But if you ask players on the Lions or Cowboys, most of them love it. There's a different energy in the locker room during Thanksgiving week. They know the whole country is watching. It’s one of the few times during the regular season that feels like a playoff atmosphere. Plus, they get the weekend off afterward to actually spend time with their families, which is a rare luxury in the middle of a 17-game season.
Key Takeaways for the Casual Fan
- Detroit’s Slot (12:30 PM ET): This exists because of George Richards and his radio network connections in 1934. It was a marketing stunt that worked too well to stop.
- Dallas’s Slot (4:30 PM ET): This exists because Tex Schramm wanted to make the Cowboys famous in 1966. He was right.
- The Third Game: This rotates every year. It’s the "everyone else" game.
- The "Lions Always Lose" Myth: While they have had some rough stretches (especially in the 2000s), the Lions actually have a respectable record on the holiday if you look at the full 80-plus year history.
Actionable Insights for Your Thanksgiving Prep
If you’re planning your holiday around the games, keep a few things in mind to maximize the experience. First, the 12:30 PM ET game is the perfect "background noise" while you're doing the heavy lifting in the kitchen. It’s tradition, but it’s rarely the most competitive game of the day. Save your serious couch time for the 4:30 PM ET Cowboys game, which historically features higher stakes and bigger stars.
If you’re a bettor or a fantasy football manager, be wary of the "short week" effect. Scoring can be unpredictable on Thanksgiving because teams haven't had a full week to install a game plan. Defense often has the upper hand early on as offenses struggle to find their rhythm with limited practice time.
Lastly, appreciate the history. When you see the Honolulu Blue and Silver on the screen, you’re watching a tradition that survived the Great Depression, a World War, and the total transformation of American media. It’s not just football; it’s a living time capsule of how the NFL became the cultural juggernaut it is today.
Check the official NFL schedule at the start of November each year to see who the Lions and Cowboys are hosting, as those matchups are usually announced well in advance to accommodate travel for visiting fans. Knowing the opponents early helps you plan your "turkey coma" timing perfectly.