are the lions any longer entitled to a t-day game?

Speaking of Cincinnati, baseball tradition used to be that the Reds -- the first professional team -- always played the first game. While the Reds still play at home on Opening Day, they no longer are guaranteed to be the first game.

I have no problem with Detroit hosting a Thanksgiving game every year. It's a tradition, but it doesn't have to always be on CBS of Fox. Put them (and Dallas) in the NFL Network rotation.

 

There is no way the Lions can stay on pace to beat a team with the firepower of N.O. or Indy. So that's 14 losses.

There's Minnesota, which looks good because the Lions played their best game of the year against Minnesota. The problem is, they still lost because they couldn't score. And now, they have a qb in Culpepper who makes so many unforced errors, you'd think he was a kick returner for the Wolverines. Plus the Vikes have AP and Chester Taylor which means another 300 yard day for a backfield. And, on top of that, the Lions don't play better at home. They play worse, they will be getting booed.

So this leaves us with Green Bay in the cold on the last game of the year. We know Detroit doesn't play well there. The only hope is that the Pack rests some starters or the Lions get a surge because they don't want to become the worst team ever.

 

In no way, shape or form should the Thanksgiving noon game be taken away from Detroit.

It's not about the competitiveness of the game. It's about maybe keeping one or two damn things the way they were when we were kids. Not everything HAS to change.

You go out, toss the football around in the morning or hit the local HS game. Then you catch the Lions for a little while, whether they're good or not. And then you stuff yourself and fall asleep during the Cowboys' 4 p.m. game.

Again, not all change is good. It's just our society's ADD. They feel you're stagnant if you don't readjust everything in the world.

 

But, shotty, not everything HAS to stay the same.

There should be some repercussions for the job the Fords have done destroying the franchise. Just utter ineptitude that makes Victor Kiam look like Owner of the Year material.

Hank also brings up a good point with the short week ... would be nice if the NFL could schedule teams' bye weeks right before Thanksgiving, if they're playing on the holiday. Would eliminate the short turnaround hangover.

 

They can change something else, bro, and leave my Thanksgiving routine alone.

 

I'd have no trouble "suspending" the Lions from hosting Thanksgiving until the franchise gets its shit together.

Thanksgiving Day and its de facto captive audience should be a showcase for the best the NFL has to offer. The Lions are an embarrassment to the league. They do not deserve to host the Thanksgiving Day game in their current state.

Give it to someone else who can be a model for the best of the NFL or make it a rotating game. But there should be no talk about keeping tradition for tradition's sake when the tradition includes a heaping helping of fail.

 

And that's because tradition doesn't mean as much as it once did. Which is part of a larger problem.

 

They have to try and sell tickets to watch an 0-12 team in a state with an eleventy-billion percent unemployment rate while the main family business has a 50-50 chance of surviving to see Groundhog Day. You don't think karma is starting to seep in a bit?

 

Green Bay likely won't have the luxury to be resting their starters. They will likely need that game to get in the playoffs.

And even if they do, Green Bay's backups are better than the Lions' starters.