Flexing Thanksgiving day games.......

[Mitchy moo]

Needs to become a mandatory thing. This is like watching parents play football with their kids, not fair and the parents determine the outcome.

This is a absolute joke for entertainment sake, good for nothing.

[gr8slayer]

Yeah, no thanks; I quite enjoy watching the Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day :up:

[Pinkerton Security]

To me, the Lions and Boys on Bird day is like the Cranberry sauce. No one eats it, but its a tradition.

It was ugly to watch but I dont think we have any right to change a tradition that has been going on since 1935, as the Lions game has.

[Bravo82]

tradition needs to go out the window. these games are garbage. i can understand wanting dallas and detroit in the spotlight, but they have to come up with better games than this.

[The last buffalo fan]

puta madre! :ill:

[Mitchy moo]

To me, the Lions and Boys on Bird day is like the Cranberry sauce. No one eats it, but its a tradition.

It was ugly to watch but I dont think we have any right to change a tradition that has been going on since 1935, as the Lions game has.

OK, just have them play a team that's equal in record & talent. KC / Lions would fly this year, the battle for the first 2009 draft pick.

[TacklingDummy]

Did the NFL care about tradition when they put the Miami game in Toronto?

[Bravo82]

Did the NFL care about tradition when the put the Miami game in Toronto?

qft

[gr8slayer]

Did the NFL care about tradition when the put the Miami game in Toronto?
No, they care about the spotlight that will in turn bring them more viewers and more cash in the near future.

[TacklingDummy]

No, they care about the spotlight that will in turn bring them more viewers and more cash in the near future.

Dare say wouldn't the NFL want the spotlight on Thanksgiving to be on better teams?

[TacklingDummy]

Cards/Eagles vs Cowboys
Cards/Eagles vs Titians
Seattle vs Lions

Would have been better matchups.

[Mitchy moo]

Cards/Eagles vs Cowboys
Cards/Eagles vs Titians
Seattle vs Lions

Would have been better matchups.

Bingo, common sense taking over here.

[gr8slayer]

Dare say wouldn't the NFL want the spotlight on Thanksgiving to be on better teams?
You're right, they should drop the Lions and start letting a winner like the Patriots play every Thanksgiving.

[TacklingDummy]

You're right, they should drop the Lions and start letting a winner like the Patriots play every Thanksgiving. It doesn't have to be every Thanksgiving. Everything comes in cycles. Right now the Pats are good. 3 years from now they could stink.

There were years when the Cowboys didn't belong on Thanksgiving also.

[Mitchy moo]

It doesn't have to be every Thanksgiving. Everything comes in cycles. Right now the Pats are good. 3 years from now they could stink.

There were years when the Cowboys didn't belong on Thanksgiving also.

Every year is a mistake in my opinion.

[Cntrygal]

A poster on another board suggested that the last SB opponents play on Thanksgiving.

[Mitchy moo]

A poster on another board suggested that the last SB opponents play on Thanksgiving.

Now there's an idea.

[Michael82]

I'm so sick of Dallas and Detroit. I would love to get rid of this game and start rotating the 2 Thanksgiving games. Give other cities a chance to host it. :up:

[TacklingDummy]

I'm so sick of Dallas and Detroit. I would love to get rid of this game and start rotating the 2 Thanksgiving games. Give other cities a chance to host it. :up:

If they want to keep Dallas and Detroit have them play each other.

[Mitchy moo]

Hopefully this AZ / Philly game is better than the first 2, they were horrible.

[Pinkerton Security]

i dont want them to simply take the games away.

an idea I would be up for would be to give it to the top 4 teams from the previous year, sort of like what was suggested above. another idea would be to have a pure rotation. If they simply switched to the Pats or someone every year I'd be upset. Either spread it around or leave it alone.

[Bravo82]

the route is on in philly.......

[Ebenezer]

Cards/Eagles vs Cowboys
Cards/Eagles vs Titians
Seattle vs Lions

Would have been better matchups.


Bingo, common sense taking over here.

A couple of huge flaws in your common sense...

1) Seattle was not supposed to be this bad.
2) Detroit and Seattle do not play this season.

[Ebenezer]

A poster on another board suggested that the last SB opponents play on Thanksgiving.

That only works if those teams are scheduled to play each other that following season.

[Ebenezer]

I'm so sick of Dallas and Detroit. I would love to get rid of this game and start rotating the 2 Thanksgiving games. Give other cities a chance to host it. :up:


:bs: I'm not getting up at what hour of the morning on Thanksgiving to go a football game - that doesn't make me less of a fan it makes my family more important to me.

The solution is simple. Keep the tradition...schedule the games better. Teams can make major swings from year to year but that's rare. The possible teams that Det/Dal can play is limited by the fact that one of them usually plays a team in their division and the other one plays a team from the AFC. Detroit's AFC home games were Tenn and Indi. Either team would have crushed them. The ways to improve this include:

1) Don't enforce the AFC game on Det/Dal. It would be a break from tradition but one of those teams has always played an AFC team so one of the games could be on NBC/CBS. Allow Det or Dal to play on NFL Network at 8:00 so that the AFC can put on the third game and CBS gets its game.

2) All three games should always be divisional match ups. Divisional games have a better chance of being close games.

Simple solutions.

[gr8slayer]

I'm so sick of Dallas and Detroit. I would love to get rid of this game and start rotating the 2 Thanksgiving games. Give other cities a chance to host it. :up:
No one wants to see the city of Buffalo on a Thanksgiving Day :up:

[Ebenezer]

No one wants to see the city of Buffalo on a Thanksgiving Day :up:
...if it was 1992 it would go over like last year's hockey game...people would have crushed each other to get in the game.

[gr8slayer]

...if it was 1992 it would go over like last year's hockey game...people would have crushed each other to get in the game.
No doubt about it, but do you really think the Bills as an organization have the same national appeal that they did in 1992? Until the team shows that it's a proven winner that's willing to do what it takes year in and year out they don't "deserve" anything.

[Ebenezer]

No doubt about it, but do you really think the Bills as an organization have the same national appeal that they did in 1992? Until the team shows that it's a proven winner that's willing to do what it takes year in and year out they don't "deserve" anything.
not right now they don't agreed...but you could say that about 20 teams (if not more) in the league. Mikey just wants the game to go to a game...:snicker:

[Mitchy moo]

A couple of huge flaws in your common sense...

1) Seattle was not supposed to be this bad.
2) Detroit and Seattle do not play this season.

That's why there is a flex, if the game sucks you move it.

[SABURZFAN]

the only reason i watched the Dallas game was because of my fantasy football league.

[yordad]

Dudes, Thanksgiving games should be planned like Monday Night games. They take two teams they expect to be good, and play them against each other on thanksgiving.

The Lions and the Cowboys have an unfair advantage in these games. It just doesn't make sense.

[Ebenezer]

That's why there is a flex, if the game sucks you move it.
Can you imagine flexing games for a holiday? Will never happen. How far in advance you going to flex the game so that the six teams playing the game can scout and plan for the other teams? And then how are you going to move the games and not inconvenience fans or get them upset if they wanted to attend a special game (See Mikey). Won't happen. The answer is better scheduling.

[Mr. Pink]

Detroit and Dallas were the TWO teams that actually accepted an NFL proposal, back in the day, to host Turkey Day games. Other teams were also given the same opportunity and declined.

Detroit and Dallas were the "guinea pigs" of the "experiment." They signed on when NO ONE knew it was gonna work or work so well.

Now, everyone wants it because it is a success.

Well, too bad, they declined to jump on when it was presented originally. To the "victor goes the spoils."

[yordad]

Detroit and Dallas were the TWO teams that actually accepted an NFL proposal, back in the day, to host Turkey Day games. Other teams were also given the same opportunity and declined.

Detroit and Dallas were the "guinea pigs" of the "experiment." They signed on when NO ONE knew it was gonna work or work so well.

Now, everyone wants it because it is a success.

Well, too bad, they declined to jump on when it was presented originally. To the "victor goes the spoils."Well, does Carolina, Jacksonville, Cleveland, Texans or any other team that stated since then have a choice?

[Mr. Pink]

Well, does Carolina, Jacksonville, Cleveland, Texans or any other team that stated since then have a choice?

Cleveland was around back when it was started, just not in their present incarnation...but they also declined back then.

You have a fair point about the other teams, which is why they added a third Turkey Day game. That and revenue they bring in because of it.

I'm sure if they could get away with a 9:30AM EST start time on Turkey day, they'd do that too.

[Mitchy moo]

Detroit and Dallas were the TWO teams that actually accepted an NFL proposal, back in the day, to host Turkey Day games. Other teams were also given the same opportunity and declined.

Detroit and Dallas were the "guinea pigs" of the "experiment." They signed on when NO ONE knew it was gonna work or work so well.

Now, everyone wants it because it is a success.

Well, too bad, they declined to jump on when it was presented originally. To the "victor goes the spoils."

How about the original teams in the NFL?? Any love there as guinea pigs?

[Mr. Pink]

How about the original teams in the NFL?? Any love there as guinea pigs?

You mean like the Cardinals? Rams? Bears? Packers? Redskins?

Like I said, these teams were all presented the option when it was presented and declined.

Too bad, so sad.

Dallas and Detroit took the gamble, and now deserve to reap the rewards for it.

[naugem]

Dallas and Detroit took the gamble, and now deserve to reap the rewards for it.

They've reaped the rewards for many years.
But this shouldn't be about what's best for 2 teams, but about what's best for the fans and the sport.

[Mitchy moo]

They've reaped the rewards for many years.
But this shouldn't be about what's best for 2 teams, but about what's best for the fans and the sport.

If only Jerry Jones and Snyder looked at things that way.

[Michael82]

not right now they don't agreed...but you could say that about 20 teams (if not more) in the league. Mikey just wants the game to go to a game...:snicker:
no, I actually prefer it to NOT be in Buffalo. That would be worse for me than that Christmas Eve game was. I would like to see the Thanksgiving games spread around though, because I'm sick of seeing Dallas who gets many primetime games anyways, and Detroit does not deserve it. :ill:

[Mr. Pink]

They've reaped the rewards for many years.
But this shouldn't be about what's best for 2 teams, but about what's best for the fans and the sport.

Do you think the NFL is struggling or hurt by putting the Boys and Lions on every Thanksgiving? :rofl:

The Lions coulda played the Bengals this year on Thanksgiving and people woulda tuned in.

[Ebenezer]

Do you think the NFL is struggling or hurt by putting the Boys and Lions on every Thanksgiving? :rofl:

The Lions coulda played the Bengals this year on Thanksgiving and people woulda tuned in.
It probably would have been a better game.

[tat2dmike77]

Needs to become a mandatory thing. This is like watching parents play football with their kids, not fair and the parents determine the outcome.

This is a absolute joke for entertainment sake, good for nothing.

Oh we don't want to upset the precious cowboys. They are the face of the NFL and without them the NFL would fall apart. They have to play on thanksgiving or there would be no thanksgiving.

Turkeys would live and there would be a turkey revolt and the turkeys would take over the world. Fat people would loose weight and medical cost would spiral downward. Yams would grow in bunches and we would send them to third world countries to feed them and that would stop wars and diseases would stop spreading rapidly. Pigs would form an alliance with turkeys (some people eat ham on thanksgiving) and form a super government that is capable of solving all problems but all humans would be executed immediatlly.

So you see if the cowboys don't play on thanksgiving all hell would break loose.

[Mitchy moo]

LOL, classic.


Oh we don't want to upset the precious cowboys. They are the face of the NFL and without them the NFL would fall apart. They have to play on thanksgiving or there would be no thanksgiving.

Turkeys would live and there would be a turkey revolt and the turkeys would take over the world. Fat people would loose weight and medical cost would spiral downward. Yams would grow in bunches and we would send them to third world countries to feed them and that would stop wars and diseases would stop spreading rapidly. Pigs would form an alliance with turkeys (some people eat ham on thanksgiving) and form a super government that is capable of solving all problems but all humans would be executed immediatlly.

So you see if the cowboys don't play on thanksgiving all hell would break loose.

[gr8slayer]

Oh we don't want to upset the precious cowboys. They are the face of the NFL and without them the NFL would fall apart. They have to play on thanksgiving or there would be no thanksgiving.

Turkeys would live and there would be a turkey revolt and the turkeys would take over the world. Fat people would loose weight and medical cost would spiral downward. Yams would grow in bunches and we would send them to third world countries to feed them and that would stop wars and diseases would stop spreading rapidly. Pigs would form an alliance with turkeys (some people eat ham on thanksgiving) and form a super government that is capable of solving all problems but all humans would be executed immediatlly.

So you see if the cowboys don't play on thanksgiving all hell would break loose.
Your inferiority complex is showing again.

[SabreEleven]

To me, the Lions and Boys on Bird day is like the Cranberry sauce. No one eats it, but its a tradition.

It was ugly to watch but I dont think we have any right to change a tradition that has been going on since 1935, as the Lions game has.

I beg your pardon. I eat the **** out of Cranberry sauce..I could eat the whoe can by itself...and most of my family eats also.

[tat2dmike77]

Your inferiority complex is showing again.

No it's called why in the hell do we have to see the cowboys and lions every damn year on thanksgiving. Why can't other teams play? And don't give me that tradition crap. The NFL could care less about tradition. And if you want to keep those two teams as a tradition have them play each other then. Let four other teams play on thanksgiving. But oh god forbid we upset all you cowboy fans. You might go and jump on anther bandwagon. Then what will happen to the allmighty cowboys.

I have no inferiority complex i just get sick of seeing the cowboys on TV every damn week. And personally i could care less what you say about me. A guy who jumps ship on a team in the middle of the season his opinion means nothing to me. I'm sure next season you will be back here rocking Bills pics and all that till they loose a few games then back to Dallas.

[Mitchy moo]

No it's called why in the hell do we have to see the cowboys and lions every damn year on thanksgiving. Why can't other teams play? And don't give me that tradition crap. The NFL could care less about tradition. And if you want to keep those two teams as a tradition have them play each other then. Let four other teams play on thanksgiving. But oh god forbid we upset all you cowboy fans. You might go and jump on anther bandwagon. Then what will happen to the allmighty cowboys.

I have no inferiority complex i just get sick of seeing the cowboys on TV every damn week. And personally i could care less what you say about me. A guy who jumps ship on a team in the middle of the season his opinion means nothing to me. I'm sure next season you will be back here rocking Bills pics and all that till they loose a few games then back to Dallas.

All cowboys fans have secret crushes on Troy A., true brokeback love wanted.

[gr8slayer]

No it's called why in the hell do we have to see the cowboys and lions every damn year on thanksgiving. Why can't other teams play? And don't give me that tradition crap. The NFL could care less about tradition. And if you want to keep those two teams as a tradition have them play each other then. Let four other teams play on thanksgiving. But oh god forbid we upset all you cowboy fans. You might go and jump on anther bandwagon. Then what will happen to the allmighty cowboys.

I have no inferiority complex i just get sick of seeing the cowboys on TV every damn week. And personally i could care less what you say about me. A guy who jumps ship on a team in the middle of the season his opinion means nothing to me. I'm sure next season you will be back here rocking Bills pics and all that till they loose a few games then back to Dallas.
I'm not sure where you don't understand how business works. The NFL, like every other business in the world is in it to make money; the Cowboys get more viewers and higher ratings than any other team in the entire NFL, thus the NFL makes more money when the Cowboys are on TV. It's really not that complicated, now the Lions are a different story and you have an argument there.

They are the second most valuable sports team in the world and are amongst the most popular teams in the world. People like to watch them play, so what? As long as they are doing what it takes to put a winner on the field people will continue to enjoy them too. If Wilson would take a page out of Jerry's book on how to run a franchise the Bills might be on the tube more often too.

Per NFL.com:

IRVING, Texas -- Jerry Jones likes to brag about the Dallas Cowboys being the top drawing card in the entire entertainment world. His premise: The Cowboys draw the highest ratings among NFL teams and the NFL is the highest-rated programming on television.

Games like Monday night sure help his claim.

[Mitchy moo]

We will not have to worry about the Bills playing on Thanksgiving anytime soon, Toronto's thanksgiving day is a different day.

[gr8slayer]

We will not have to worry about the Bills playing on Thanksgiving anytime soon, Toronto's thanksgiving day is a different day.
:rofl: the Bills aren't moving.

[Ebenezer]

:rofl: the Bills aren't moving.
I agree but I don't agree...unless somebody puts together a consortium that will pony up a BILLION dollars there is no way they stay here...the local businesses are not here for them to get luxury box money.

[Historian]

I agree, Thanksgiving needs to be rotated.

Detroit has been a joke since 1951, and everybody is sick of the Dallas crackheads.

The entire league should get to host a game at some point.