Do We REALLY Need Football On Thanksgiving?

handygal2 · ‎01-19-2015

Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday for families to gather and give thanks for our blessings. Is it really necessary to have football on this day?? What relevance does it have to the meaning of Thanksiving? I know that there are many football fans of both genders, but l don't think these games need to be played on this holiday-- especially 3 games in succession, covering 10 hours.

Your thoughts?

ETA: After reading all of your comments, l want to say that l don't take this as seriously as it came across. Everyone should enjoy watching what they like. I was just never a football fan-- baseball is my sport. And l do have a sense of humor about the men in my life who are football fanatics. I bought 3 identical plaques which l gave to my DH, DD, & DIL. They read "We Interrupt This Marriage To Bring You The Football Season!"

~~Be careful when you follow the masses. Sometimes the 'm' is silent.~~

Sooner · ‎03-10-2010

@handygal2 wrote:
Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday for families to gather and give thanks for our blessings. Is it really necessary to have football on this day?? What relevance does it have to the meaning of Thanksiving? I know that there are many football fans of both genders, but l don't think these games need to be played on this holiday-- especially 3 games in succession, covering 10 hours.

Your thoughts?

I just don't see Thanksgiving as some semi-sacred holiday where people sit around and comtemplate their blessings. I don't see some greater meaning to Thanksgiving. It's a time to party with friends and family, be thankful of course, but have a good time together.

Football? For at least the last 50 years that I know about, football is a huge part of Thanksgiving and the weeekend for many many people. It's a big deal. People whoop and holler for their teams and have a great time. I'm not a huge fan, but I like to see people enjoy the football.

No, I don't share your view of it at all. To me it is party time if you are lucky. Being out of family as we are, it was clean the house day for us! LOL!!!

deepwaterdotter · ‎03-09-2010

My television came with the 'on/off button' and 'channel changer' options.

millieshops · ‎03-09-2010

Hello! If you have family that wants to celebrate and give thanks without football in your own home, can't that be done? Why does someone else have to give up what has been part of Thanksgiving at least since we had TV in my parents' home back in the 1950's?

Where I went for Thanksgiving - not with my family who are thousands of miles away, there was no TV and therefore no football until the table had been cleared of the main meal, the first diswasher load was running, and we were ready for dessert. (I don't know what time that was --maybe 7 PM?)

At that point, one of the men chose to eat his dessert in front of a game and before too long several more joined him. We didn't need any outsider to tell us how we wanted the day togo. That's the way I like it.

HappyDaze · ‎06-13-2012

It is a tradition in my family since I can remember to watch Detroit Lions football games on Thanksgiving. When we were younger, after the game, us kids and some neighborhood kids got together and played a game of football. Great memories and fun times.

There is no real logic to you wanting to ban Football on Thanksgiving. With the logic you are using, you can apply it to anything they show on tv on Thanksgiving. I mean, why bother with the Macy's parade? What does that add to our "blessings" on Thanksgiving, especially for hours on end? It has no real meaning for Thanksgiving, especially since it essentially is a big commercial for all the sponsers of the various floats if you think about it. And I don't remember the pilgrims and Native Americans having a parade at the first Thanksgiving.

missy1 · ‎03-10-2010

I simply don't watch it. Let others, enjoy it.

Sooner · ‎03-10-2010

While we are on this sensitive (lol!) subject, I wish to goodness they would move Thanksgiving back a couple of weeks and we could have a decent amount of time to get ready for Christmas and also not try to ingest about 4,000 calories at a sitting three weeks apart. . .

That is a pet peeve of mine! ALSO, around here we would have the holiday when Thanksgiving leaves were pretty and the weather was better

terrier3 · ‎03-10-2010

@Sooner wrote:
While we are on this sensitive (lol!) subject, I wish to goodness they would move Thanksgiving back a couple of weeks and we could have a decent amount of time to get ready for Christmas and also not try to ingest about 4,000 calories at a sitting three weeks apart. . .

That is a pet peeve of mine! ALSO, around here we would have the holiday when Thanksgiving leaves were pretty and the weather was better

Canadian Thanksgiving is in October.

millieshops · ‎03-09-2010

@Soonerlol - I do hope you're hiding behing the turkey roaster!

But I do agree with you that's there's no reason beyond years of tradition, of course, for almsot all our holidays to be any particular place on the calendar. I just can't see moving the day someplace else won't hit some other tradition.

Chrystaltree2 · ‎12-08-2014

I had a wonderful holiday and despite all the football games on tv, I did not see a single football game. Not one. My sisters and I watched movies and my husband and my nephew and his wife watched football. A lot of football. Together....as a family. Having fun.