The Lions had hosted a Turkey Day game since the early 1930s; the owner had seen his team lagging behind baseball’s Tigers in popularity and thought a holiday game might attract fans. He was right. The game had become a staple, selling out locally and drawing national radio (and now TV) audiences in the millions. Thanksgiving was a popular date for many high school and college teams to play their traditional rivals, and the Lions’ game had become the NFL’s annual holiday event.
