T1B

Rejoice! Football fans across the country once again have the privilege of watching my Leos get bent over the dining room table on Turkey Day. Our latest "daddy" will be the Pats, who last played in this game in 2002...which happened to be the first Thanksgiving Day game played at Ford Field. The Lions current drought on Thanksgiving goes back to 2003 where they beat the Packers 22-14. They're 1-7 all-time on Thanksgiving at Ford Field.

This used to be a game I looked forward to every year. In my early years as a Lions fan and while Barry was with the team, they used to put on a show at the old Silverdome. They went 7-3 during his 10 years with the team ending with the famous Jerome Bettis/Phil Luckett coin toss game in 1998. They won 2 of the final 3 games played at the Silverdome before moving to Ford Field where this franchise has seen more 0-16 seasons than they've seen playoff appearances and have broke the NFL record for road futility twice (8 road wins total since 2000). They haven't broke even or better in a season in 2000...not on the level of the Pittsburgh Pirates but still pathetic.

That being said...take it easy on us, PatsFan, we've been through enough. Feast on this carcass of a football team and continue on your road to another playoff berth while every LionFan eats enough turkey and drinks themselves into an early slumber so we don't have to see the final score. My apologies to the rest of the NFL fans for having to watch our team on the national holiday for gluttony...I hope you don't lose your appetite. But hey, at least that Suh guy is pretty good...we got that going for us.


Patriots 35
Lions 17

Thought the Masters was on early this year

I'll be watching Shoalz . . . . . just like everybody else.

That parity chart has been making the rounds this week...clever idea but I can't imagine this is the only time in league history that could be illustrated. As long everyone has at least one win or one loss, I think you can trace everyone back to each other. I do believe in "any given Sunday"...the Lions have been in the majority of the games they eventually lost. To me, every team can be competitive but not all of them have what it takes to win "any given Sunday". They find ways to lose like a good team is able to find ways to win when they probably don't deserve to win.

The Lions will do what they do most weeks...hang around for 3 quarters and tease the fans only to do something colossally stupid that will cost them the game...or as I call it, go "Lions". I'm sure they'll give the Pats some trouble today. The front 4 will probably be able to get to Brady and knock him down a few times...may even force him into a bad throw or two and pick a pass off. It's funny that Brady is being listed as questionable for the game...let alone be listed on the injury report at all. Doesn't Belichick frown upon reporting his team's injuries? I'm sure he'll game plan to keep him from taking too many shots...a lot of dink and dunk passes to Woodhead and the tight ends and I'm sure they'll look to Green-Ellis quite a bit.

The Lions offense really has lost steam since Best has been ailing with turf toes on both feet...he's not been the same since Week 2 when he was the talk of the league. Hill is a capable backup and I think he's a good enough game manager to keep them in games. They're 6th in the NFL in passing yards but a symptom of them playing from behind and the fact they can't run the ball...they're tied with the Colts for most passing attempts. I really don't see the Lions taking the next step until they get a more balanced offensive attack.

Whoever had NE -6.5 is feeling a lot better now.

Screw_Michigan wrote:Whoever had NE -6.5 is feeling a lot better now.

*raises hand*

Ditto!

Can't really say the Lions didn't do anything out of the ordinary. They scored points and hung around for 3 quarters before remembering who they are and who they were playing. I was very surprised at how poorly Alphonso Smith played. He's been their best corner all year and he really got torched by Branch. I would've expect Chris Houston to be the one getting toasted.

This write up from Rotoworld.com pretty much sums up his Thanksgiving.
Nov.25 3:20pm

Lions CB Alphonso Smith was benched for poor play in Thursday's loss to the Patriots.

Smith was humiliated on national television. He got run over by BenJarvus Green-Ellis for a touchdown and then burned on three passing touchdowns. Cameras caught Smith getting chewed out by coaches and even teammates were getting on him. ...Nathan Vasher came on in Smith's place.

People complained that the Lion's Thanksgiving games were unwatchable, so the league scheduled NE as an opponent. They figure 1 competent & competitive team is better than none.

Joe in PB wrote:People complained that the Lion's Thanksgiving games were unwatchable, so the league scheduled NE as an opponent. They figure 1 competent & competitive team is better than none.

Here have been their opponents at Ford Field on Thanksgiving (since 2002)
Green Bay (3x)
New England (twice)
Atlanta
Indianapolis
Miami
Tennessee

I think the schedule makers were expecting that Cowboys-Saints game to matter for both teams.

The Detwat/Dullass T-Day "tradition" is way gax and should be shitcanned - like 30 years ago.

Make up something different, NFL.

Example: Take the previous year's two conference championship game losing teams and let 'em each host a Thanksgiving Day Game.

Get some friggin' rotation in this bitch, for cryin' out loud.




zzzzzzzzzz ... zzzzzzzzzz ... zzzzzzzzzz ...

poptart wrote:Example: Take the previous year's two conference championship game losing teams and let 'em each host a Thanksgiving Day Game.

Keep dreaming, grandpa. You think those teams want to play on Thanksgiving? Everyone hates playing on Thanksgiving, except for Dallas and Detroit. The Lions screw themselves because of how much they suck and the league piles on by scheduling a good, high-profile opponent every year they host an AFC team.

poptart wrote:Example: Take the previous year's two conference championship game losing teams and let 'em each host a Thanksgiving Day Game.

Better yet, how about the two Super Bowl participants?

But, like many have said before, the NFL knows they have a captive audience and are not going to waste potentially competitive match ups on turkey day.

Given the NFL schedule has a format to determine opponents every year, it's not a guarantee that you get a Super Bowl rematch.

I don't know how many households get the NFL Network but they need to get those Thursday night games off there and back on regular cable TV. I know they do it give people reason to order the channel but they'd do themselves a huge favor and putting those games either on network TV (NBC?) or just throw them on ESPN or even TNT or TBS. I liked them adding that third Thanksgiving game that is a not traditional matchup but it probably gets the worst ratings because of what time it's on and what channel it's on.

I'm with Screw, I don't think it's exactly a reward to put a team on Thursday (ask Ray Lewis) and make them play with a short week following a regular Sunday game. The Lions started the tradition and the Cowboys got in on the act in its been the way it has been for quite a while now. Usually the Cowboys are no worse than a playoff team and at least in the 90s, the Lions were worth watching with Barry and the team wasn't half bad. It's the equivalent of having bowl games on New Year's Day...people watch the games regardless.

Shoalzie wrote:Given the NFL schedule has a format to determine opponents every year, it's not a guarantee that you get a Super Bowl rematch.

Not sure what you're talking about. I was proposing that each team host their own game, not that they be pitted against each other.

B, did you not read what I posted? If you give the conference champs a choice between hosting a game on Thanksgiving and NOT PLAYING, they are going to take not playing Thanksgiving every single time.

Screw_Michigan wrote:B, did you not read what I posted? If you give the conference champs a choice between hosting a game on Thanksgiving and NOT PLAYING, they are going to take not playing Thanksgiving every single time.

Then why do Detroit and Dallas guard hosting that game with their lives? A rotation means that everybody shares in the burden. Well, everybody except a perennial shit franchise like Detroit.

Shoalzie wrote: I don't know how many households get the NFL Network...

Not this one. :brad:

War Wagon wrote:

Shoalzie wrote: I don't know how many households get the NFL Network...

Not this one. :brad:

You didn't miss much of a game. And you were spared Mitt Millen's analysis.

War Wagon wrote:

Shoalzie wrote: I don't know how many households get the NFL Network...

Not this one. :brad:

Three words, Wags: Ay, Tee, and Tee.

That said, the price of cold beer is about to go up considerably down here, as the Tigers tip over half their games on Metro Sports this season. With TWC not an option, I expect to wear a bar stool half-slick this winter in one of the local watering holes. Mind if I borrow your :brad:?

yeah Tru, last year I had switched from TWC to AT&T completely oblivious to the fact that I would be missing out on Metro Sports and the Tigers early season hoops games. That sucked so this year I switched back. I guess I'll trade a few NFL gams for a dozen or so Mizzou b-ball matches but damnit, I wish I didn't have to make that choice.

AT&T had service and reliability issues as well, TW not so much.