Tuesday, December 13, 2016

Detroit Lions Thanksgiving Day Football


Aric Keck serves Vectra Networks as regional manager. He previously spent six years with Atlanta, Georgia’s Intel Corporation as sales director. When he is not managing activities at Vectra Networks, Aric Keck enjoys following Detroit Lions football.

For 73 of the last 79 National Football League (NFL) seasons, the Detroit Lions have been featured as one of the league’s Thanksgiving Day games. In fact, all 73 of the Lion’s Thanksgiving games have been played in Detroit, making the franchise the face of what is arguably the league’s most important day outside of the Super Bowl.

Over the years Detroit has faced a number of teams, from select Thanksgiving rivals to a litany one-off opponents. Between 1934 and 1938 the Lions hosted the Chicago Bears, while the 1951 through 1963 Thanksgiving games saw the Lions matching up with the Green Bay Packers. From 1964 through 2006 the Thanksgiving game occurred between the Lions and an assortment of opponents, before 2007 brought the Packers back into the fold on an every-other-year basis. 

The Lions have established a Thanksgiving Day record of 37 wins, 38 losses, and two ties. The team endured a nine-year losing streak from 2004 through 2012, but has now won four Thanksgiving games in a row.