Thanksgiving TV rotation

[Crazy Packers Fan]

Until 2006, only one team to play on Thanksgiving was from the AFC, in order to satisfy the NFL's TV contract. The Lions and Cowboys alternated years featuring an AFC opponent and a NFC opponent. More often than not, when Detroit faced a fellow NFC team, it was Chicago, and when Dallas faced one, it was Washington. Not every year, of course, but those were the more common opponents, especially Detroit/Chicago.

What got me thinking about this was that when John Madden did his first Thanksgiving game, it was in Dallas in 1981, and his final one was in Detroit in 2001. How could that be, if the two conferences alternated every year? Surely, as the NFC's announcer, he should have still been calling Dallas in an odd-numbered year of 2001.

What I found out through some research was that the 1990 NFL TV contract threw this off. For two straight years, 1989 and 1990, the Lions played an AFC team, and the Cowboys played a NFC team. That's what caused the rotation to change so that the Lions played a NFC team in odd-numbered years, and thus explained why Madden called Detroit in his final game and not Dallas.

Of course, the 2006 TV contract threw everything off again. Now there's no requirement on AFC teams, and there's a third game where the NFL can do whatever they want. I'm sort of nostalgic for those stricter rules, though. It was actually exciting every year to find out which AFC team would be on Thanksgiving. None stranger than in 1997 when the Tennessee Oilers came to Dallas!

Now only one team has failed to play on Thanksgiving, the Jacksonville Jaguars, and the way that franchise has been, it'd be surprising to see them there anytime soon. But the NFL thought they had a bonanza this year with the Giants coming to Dallas, and look how that has turned out.

[Reaser]

I'm sort of nostalgic for those stricter rules, though. It was actually exciting every year to find out which AFC team would be on Thanksgiving.

Same. It was one of the scheduling things I looked forward to.

[CSKreager]

That happened because of the 5th place schedule When Dallas finished last in 1989, they only had 1 AFC home game in ‘90- San Diego. I just don’t think the NFL felt like those mediocre Dan Henning Chargers were Turkey day worthy

A similar thing happened in 1979-1980: DAL vs AFC, DET vs Bears

The Lions had only one AFC home game in 1980- Baltimore when they were going through a rough patch

[Crazy Packers Fan]

That happened because of the 5th place schedule When Dallas finished last in 1989, they only had 1 AFC home game in ‘90- San Diego. I just don’t think the NFL felt like those mediocre Dan Henning Chargers were Turkey day worthy

A similar thing happened in 1979-1980: DAL vs AFC, DET vs Bears

The Lions had only one AFC home game in 1980- Baltimore when they were going through a rough patch

Thanks for the insight! I totally forgot about the good old days (some may say "bad") where teams had unbalanced schedules. I can see why the NFL didn't want San Diego on Thanksgiving! Although, they stuck with Detroit through its many down seasons.

Also, the NFL keeps saying John Madden called 20 Thanksgiving Day games. I count 21. What am I missing here?

[Ten Minute Ticker]

I’m sure the NFL didn’t want the Chargers on in 1989, but that didn’t stop them from presenting us with other turkeys in various seasons.

Lions-Chiefs in 1987 jumps to mind, though I suppose the Chiefs were coming off a playoff season.

The 1988 and 1989 Thanksgiving games had to be the nadir of the old two-game format with how God awful both home teams were.

[CSKreager]

Lions-Chiefs in 1987 jumps to mind, though I suppose the Chiefs were coming off a playoff season.

Seattle was the other choice in 87 and they had already played on Thanksgiving 86 at DAL