| Kick-off | Match-up | Channel | ||||
| 12:30 | Detroit Lions-New England Patriots | CBS | ||||
| 4:15 | Dallas Cowboys-New Orleans Saints | FOX | ||||
| 8:00 | Univ. of Texas-Texas A&M | ESPN | ||||
| 8:20 | New York Jets-Cincinnati Bengals | NFL Network | ||||
While the turkey roasts in the oven, it’s the pigskin that families crowd around to watch on Thanksgiving. “We always, always watch football — I hate the Dallas Cowboys,” said Edward Harrison, 56. “My favorite teams are the Washington Redskins and everyone who plays against the Cowboys.”
That makes Harrison a New Orleans Saints fan this year, as the two teams spar late Thursday afternoon in Dallas. The Detroit Lions will square off against the New England Patriots earlier in the day, while the New York Jets and Cincinnati Bengals will round out the evening. Texas A&M and University of Texas will play their annual college blood match, keeping Lone Star State fans awake despite their food-induced comas.
While the Lions and Cowboys are as much Thanksgiving institutions as pilgrims and Indians, the Saints and Bengals will take their turkey day television spots for the first time this year.
More than 25.2 million people tuned into CBS for last year’s Oakland Raiders vs. Cowboys matchup, along with 22 million who watched the Lions vs. Green Bay Packers game on Fox, and 6.1 million who saw the New York Giants battle the Denver Broncos on the NFL Network.
Kathy Peel, CEO of Family Manager Coaching, said watching football is an important mainstay of family bonding. “Holiday traditions may seem silly, whether it’s watching football games or going shopping on Friday, but it’s those family traditions and routines that bind a family together.”
Children grow up thinking, “This is the way my family always does Thanksgiving,” Peel said, and “it becomes part of the family’s culture.”
Harrison said watching the games — one ideally culminating in a humiliating Dallas defeat — is “definitely” a bonding experience for his big family, who will gather at his sister-in-law’s house this year. He is most excited to see his visiting daughter, who doesn’t often get a chance to sneak away from her medical residency in Philadelphia.
“Christmas is a celebration of gifts, you’re in and out,” he said, “but for Thanksgiving you sit down together.” – Lisa Gartner
