Don't Be A Turkey; Appreciate Thanksgiving Day Football!

With hours to go before this year's set of NFL Thanksgiving Day games kick off, I'd like to bring up something that I am confident you've encountered at least one time on previous Thanksgivings. And that is, someone asking "Why is it that Detroit and Dallas always play on Thanksgiving?"

Well, this year it's time to serve up a perfect answer that your questioners can mix in with their mashed potatoes. NFL games on Thanksgiving Day actually date back to 1920 with multiple games taking place for more than 20 years. But after drawing large Thanksgiving Day crowds in 1934 and 1935, Detroit wanted Turkey Day football each year. Then, in 1966, Dallas joined the party after accepting the league's invitation to play on the holiday only if they are the home team each time.

There were a couple anomalies with the Detroit and Dallas Thanksgiving Day game traditions. Between 1939 and 1944, the Lions did not play on the date, largely because of World War II. Then in 1975 and 1977, the NFL switched the Dallas games to St. Louis after receiving pressure to open up the tradition to other teams. It wasn't the same.

In 2006, the NFL added a third game to be played yearly on the holiday - a night contest televised by the NFL Network. But the Lions and Cowboys still rule the day.

There you have it - everything you need to avoid looking like a turkey when that inevitable Detroit/Dallas question comes up. Happy Thanksgiving and enjoy the games!

The links:
Detroit Thanksgiving Football history
Dallas Thanksgiving Football history
Good Read: Detroit Free Press column by Drew Sharp

Cardinals Rule The Road in NFC West

One NFL game to keep an eye on this weekend is the matchup between the defending Super Bowl Champion New York Giants and the red-hot Arizona Cardinals. The G-Men return to the scene of their incredible Super Bowl XLII triumph over the then-unbeaten New England Patriots - University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

But let's shift the focus to the Cardinals, who are flying high on a three-game winning streak. With their victory over the Seattle Seahawks at Qwest Field last Sunday, the Cards won all of their divisional road games for the first time since 1968.

Back then, of course, the team played in St. Louis. But here's the stumper: In what division did the 1968 St. Louis Cardinals belong? Click here for the answer.

Team Trivia Spotlight: Atlanta Hawks

It may have been caused by the Ted Turner feature on 60 Minutes last night, but for some reason, SportsTriviaBuff.com's Grand Poobah had the Atlanta Hawks on his brain this morning. So today's post is dedicated to Teddy's old team.

Here's the trivia you need to know to be the MVP at the water cooler:

* The Hawks won their fifth consecutive game yesterday, marking the fourth time in franchise history that they won their first five games.

* On this date in 1969, Hawks legend Lou Hudson scored a then team-record 57 points vs. Chicago at Auburn, Alabama.

* Hudson's scoring feat stood for almost 16 years before the "Human Highlight Film," Dominique Wilkins, equaled it on 4/10/86 and again on 12/10/86.

! Question: Who was the last Hawks player to score 50-plus points in a game? Hint: He played college ball at Cal. Click here for the answer.

College Football Dandy

There's one whopper of a college football game scheduled down in the Bayou today - Nick Saban and his No. 1-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide playing against his old team, the No. 16 LSU Tigers.

With that said, here's your whopper of a college football trivia question related to that game today in Baton Rouge:

Did you know that LSU is one of only three NCAA schools using the old H-style field goal posts? Name just one of the other two colleges. Hints: One team plays in the ACC and the other in the PAC-10.

Answers below (no peeking).



A: Florida State (Doak Campbell Stadium) and Washington State (Martin Stadium).