That’s why I added the Chiefs-Raiders and Jets-Dolphins to my fanciful scenario.

A bit of Thanksgiving nostalgia (and wishful thinking), if I may…

Fifty years ago, the only games on Thanksgiving were the Packers-Lions and Texas-Texas A&M. Always. My earliest memories of football on TV, in fact. In believe the ‘56 game was the first nationally televised regular-season NFL game.

Then along came the AFL in 1960, which early-on began scheduling TWO games on Thanksgiving, one on the east coast (Titans, maybe?) and one in Denver, which doubled the number of games and really began turning Thanksgiving football into what it has become.

The Dallas game was added in ‘67, I believe, and for many, many years the opponent always was the Redskins…and the games usually were frickin’ great. So, most of the time, were the Packers-Lions games because, even if one of the teams were bad, the old rivalry kicked in.

When the two leagues merged fully in 1970, the idea of rotating opponents began, first for the Lions (I think it was the Raiders who were the first non-Packer team to get that game). Washington stayed the Cowboy opponent for awhile, though, giving us memories like the Clint Longley game in the 70’s…but eventually that went away, too.

I suppose the theory was to attract different TV markets.

The trouble with rotating, though, is that once in awhile you’re gonna get a team riding high playing a team that’s sucking wind. Okay, so the Lions suck a LOT of wind lately, but had the natural rotation put, say, the Rams or Niners in Detroit today, it might have been a far better game than what we got.

My idea: Go back to Packers-Lions and Redskins-Cowboys—always—and let the rivalries drive the excitement. The NFL, you would think, is smart enough to realize those games attract audiences nationwide.

Problem is, that elminates the AFC. Fine, let it all hang out and schedule, say, the Chiefs in Oakland and the Jets in Miami every Thanksgiving Day/Night, too. Have the games start at noon, 3, 6 and 9 EST. What the hell, most of the country’s off Friday, anyway.

Nah, they’d never do it. Makes too much sense.

And the women of America would revolt.

Okay…who today heard at least once, “Isn’t there something on besides football?”

—Ricko

The NFL has to have an AFC team play in one of the games so its AFC broadcast partner will have a game to show. As the rules stand right now, Fox would get to broadcast both games if they were divisional match-ups for the Lions and Cowboys.

“People of my generation only know of the NFL on Thursday, NU-CU and Tx-TAM on Friday Thanksgiving schedule. We’re also not locked into any particular matchup on Thanksgiving…”

That’s kinda what I meant. You aren’t locked into traditional Thanksgiving NFL matchups because you’ve never seen any, and that’s too bad. I was trying to give a bit of historical context and perspective that such games generally made for better viewing.

You mention NCAA games that are true traditional rivalries. But the NFL has taken the fun out of that…by eliminating it. Can’t build much of a rivalry if you have to ask, “Who’s our ‘traditional Thanksgiving opponent’ this year?”

And I meant air my mythical late games where they’d be available to a larger audience, not the NFL Private Channel (How much longer is the NFL gonna cling to an idea that shows no real evidence of catching on, btw?).

—Ricko

One of the great things about the CFL – every year, the Labour Day matchups are the same – Edmonton at Calgary, Winnipeg at Regina, Toronto at Hamilton, with return matches the following weekend. Makes for some very highly anticipated games every year.

but for what it’s worth the term dressing is just a late 19th century Victorian era construct because stuffing was thought to be too sexual.

That’s kinda what I meant. You aren’t locked into traditional Thanksgiving NFL matchups because you’ve never seen any, and that’s too bad. I was trying to give a bit of historical context and perspective that such games generally made for better viewing.

You mention NCAA games that are true traditional rivalries. But the NFL has taken the fun out of that…by eliminating it. Can’t build much of a rivalry if you have to ask, “Who’s our ‘traditional Thanksgiving opponent’ this year?”

And I meant air my mythical late games where they’d be available to a larger audience, not the NFL Private Channel (How much longer is the NFL gonna cling to an idea that shows no real evidence of catching on, btw?).

—Ricko

Bill said:

Phil said:

North of Toronto (up to Timmins at least), it’s dressing. East of Toronto (towards Ottawa), it’s stuffing.

Well, that is the non-scientific divide discovered in arguments I had with my friends at Thanksgiving during uni.

To sum up.
Dressing:
South Carolina, Texas, Central Ontario

Stuffing:
Boston, Burgh-town (?), Eastern Ontario

Burgh-town is better known as Pittsburgh.

Living in the suburbs I can officially concur….There is NO BURG TOWN….it’s simply know as THE BURG….yinz must be hoy paloy in Sewickly en’at.

Even more names I’ve heard…Steel-Town, 3 Rivers, Blitzburg, Picksburg,…but Burg Town…thats new by me…wtf?

A bit of Thanksgiving nostalgia (and wishful thinking), if I may…

Fifty years ago, the only games on Thanksgiving were the Packers-Lions and Texas-Texas A&M. Always. My earliest memories of football on TV, in fact. In believe the ‘56 game was the first nationally televised regular-season NFL game.

Then along came the AFL in 1960, which early-on began scheduling TWO games on Thanksgiving, one on the east coast (Titans, maybe?) and one in Denver, which doubled the number of games and really began turning Thanksgiving football into what it has become.

The Dallas game was added in ‘67, I believe, and for many, many years the opponent always was the Redskins…and the games usually were frickin’ great. So, most of the time, were the Packers-Lions games because, even if one of the teams were bad, the old rivalry kicked in.

When the two leagues merged fully in 1970, the idea of rotating opponents began, first for the Lions (I think it was the Raiders who were the first non-Packer team to get that game). Washington stayed the Cowboy opponent for awhile, though, giving us memories like the Clint Longley game in the 70’s…but eventually that went away, too.

I suppose the theory was to attract different TV markets.

The trouble with rotating, though, is that once in awhile you’re gonna get a team riding high playing a team that’s sucking wind. Okay, so the Lions suck a LOT of wind lately, but had the natural rotation put, say, the Rams or Niners in Detroit today, it might have been a far better game than what we got.

My idea: Go back to Packers-Lions and Redskins-Cowboys—always—and let the rivalries drive the excitement. The NFL, you would think, is smart enough to realize those games attract audiences nationwide.

Problem is, that elminates the AFC. Fine, let it all hang out and schedule, say, the Chiefs in Oakland and the Jets in Miami every Thanksgiving Day/Night, too. Have the games start at noon, 3, 6 and 9 EST. What the hell, most of the country’s off Friday, anyway.

Nah, they’d never do it. Makes too much sense.

And the women of America would revolt.

Okay…who today heard at least once, “Isn’t there something on besides football?”

—Ricko

Time for one of those good old Old man-young man comparisons. People of my generation only know of the NFL on Thursday, NU-CU and Tx-TAM on Friday Thanksgiving schedule. We’re also lot locked into any particular matchup on Thanksgiving, though I do personally enjoy a Packers-Lions game just a little more than others. The new night game on NFLN doesn’t efect me much, except to give me a few more work hours, because our cable doesn’t carry it.

Phil said:

North of Toronto (up to Timmins at least), it’s dressing. East of Toronto (towards Ottawa), it’s stuffing.

Well, that is the non-scientific divide discovered in arguments I had with my friends at Thanksgiving during uni.

To sum up.
Dressing:
South Carolina, Texas, Central Ontario

Stuffing:
Boston, Burgh-town (?), Eastern Ontario

Burgh-town is better known as Pittsburgh.

Living in the suburbs I can officially concur….There is NO BURG TOWN….it’s simply know as THE BURG….yinz must be hoy paloy in Sewickly en’at.