Since the network has the rights to AFC broadcasts, it still questions the logic in hosting the Detroit Lions’ annual Thanksgiving broadcast as the early game every year on the holiday.
You would think that even in climate-controlled Ford Field that Jim Nantz and Tony Romo would raise more of a stink having to watch the hapless Lions year after year.
Yet again the Lions lost on Thanksgiving, this time 41-25 to the Houston Texans. The game ended with both teams now posting a 4-7 record. At least the Dallas Cowboys are relatively competitive at times, validating the NFL keeping them on the Thanksgiving slate.
The real question is what is Detroit’s excuse for continuing to have the game?
The NHL rotates teams for their annual Winter Classic outdoor game on New Years’ Day. The NBA likes to change up the teams during their Christmas slate of games, which is now up to five games in total.
The Lions wearing their throwback jerseys that resemble a high school uniform is appropriate, given their play on the field. Matt Patricia is on his way out as head coach, unless Detroit almost runs the table the rest of the way to get into the expanded playoffs for 2020.
How could a team this bad have so many players signed to overpriced contracts that they only have $12.4 million in cap space?
Matthew Stafford’s $22.65 million for this season says all you need to know without going further. Stafford is playing through yet another injury, this time it is multiple torn ligament in his right hand, which also happens to be his throwing hand.
Always a great sign if he will need surgery in the offseason, where his contract jumps to over $34 million for 2021, at age 33.
Just because the Lions have been playing on Thanksgiving for over 85 years does not necessarily mean it is the right decision when the schedule comes out every spring. The league added a third game that would be a marquee matchup in 2007. With the ongoing pandemic, we were robbed of Baltimore and Pittsburgh this year, and instead were all gifted with Washington obliterating Dallas in the other game.
If the NFL can flex games to primetime later in the season, surely they should be able to move games to Thursday if given at least 2-3 weeks notice. No one outside of Dallas or Detroit really cares about watching either team in 2020, so why force us all to eat more turkey in hopes the tryptophan kicks in faster while most of the country is in smaller gatherings this year?
At least Kane Brown can say he got to perform in an empty stadium, with the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders surrounding the stage, even if it was taped (and lip synced) over a month ago.
The league should put both teams on the road if they want to continue the tradition that badly. Surely thousands would not mind trading in turkey and stuffing for $8.00 beers and $5.00 hot dogs, all while watching their team pummel the Lions, rather than sitting home watching reruns.
You can always sleep in the car trying to get out of the parking lot after the game, rather than on the couch trying to think of a reason why you even turned it on at home.
-JC24