For the past 70 years, with the exclusion of World War II, the NFL has always hosted at least two primetime games on Thanksgiving Day, a well-received tradition that has become a Thanksgiving day staple in many Americans’ homes. In recent years, they have added a third game that rotates, featuring different locations and fan bases across the nation.
This past Thanksgiving, the Detroit Lions hosted the Chicago Bears, the Dallas Cowboys hosted the New York Giants, and the Green Bay Packers hosted the Miami Dolphins. Recently, the NFL added games on Christmas Day. The Texans hosted the Ravens, and the Steelers hosted the Chiefs.
These games set a total audience record with 141 million combined viewers according to Bleacher Report, with each game averaging 34.2 million active viewers at a time.
In a nearly miraculous comeback against the Detroit Lions, rookie quarterback Caleb Williams threw for 222 yards and three touchdowns in the second half before his team ran out of time on their potentially game-winning drive, losing 20-23.
The rookie from USC is the only quarterback who has thrown for more than one passing touchdown against the Lions this season.
But the Lions continue to steal the attention of football fans, with Head Coach Dan Campbell at the forefront of the rebuild.
“I always love watching the Lions with my family, and Campbell has turned the franchise from one of the league’s worst to one of the league’s best. There was a scare at the end, but my Dad and I were happy to see the Lions squeak out a win,” said Laguna defensive lineman Carson Stewart.
After the Bears game, the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants took the field in hopes of rejuvenating their fanbases after a poor start to the year.
Plagued by injuries, the Cowboys’ star quarterback Dak Prescott is out for the season, and the Giants started their third-string quarterback after poor play from their starter throughout the year.
With their third consecutive Thanksgiving Day win over the Giants, the Cowboys didn’t disappoint.
“The Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving is always my favorite game. It’s tradition, and they always play entertaining games” said senior receiver Ethan Carrington.
With a potent offense and aggressive defense, Dallas forced multiple turnovers and had over three hundred yards of total offense, winning the game 27 to 20.
In the third, more recently added game, Jordan Love and the Green Bay Packers defeated the Dolphins 30 to 17 at Lambeau Field. Love was very efficient, completing 75% of his passes for nearly 300 yards and two touchdowns.
On the other side of the field, Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was just as efficient, completing 37/46 passes for 365 yards. However, most of Tua’s production came after the Packers built up an insurmountable 24-point lead in the fourth quarter.
An event that sought to counter the influence of the NFL, the NBA’s Christmas Day games feature acclaimed superstars and younger players with rising influence in the league. Back in 2012, in order to capitalize on the sport’s growing popularity, Adidas and the NBA agreed to release new cosmetic items on Christmas Day, ranging from custom sneakers to throwback jerseys.
Limited-time releases, these apparel items were some of the highest selling during the holiday season until the NBA signed a deal with Nike. Regardless, these games still garners tens of millions of views from fans.
This past year’s games continued the highly competitive tradition. The New York Knicks hosted the San Antonio Spurs, the Golden State Warriors hosted the Los Angeles Lakers, the Boston Celtics hosted the Philadelphia 76ers, and the Denver Nuggets hosted the Phoenix Suns.
In a high-scoring matchup that featured the league’s premier young talent, reigning Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama scored 42 points on an efficient 50% shooting.
Jeremy Sochan, a 3rd-year player out of Baylor University, scored 21 points on 80% shooting, but the Spurs weren’t able to overcome the offensive firepower of the Knicks. Mikal Bridges, Jalen Brunson, and Karl-Anthony Towns combined for 82 points, leading the Knicks to a 117-114 victory over San Antonio.
“I gotta be an example on defense and more a playmaker on offense…the best players, for me, are the ones who make their teammates better,” said Wembanyama.
On the other side of the country in San Francisco, Stephen Curry’s Warriors took on LeBron’s Lakers. For the past ten years, the two have regularly clashed in the NBA Finals, and both are regarded by media pundits as some of the best to ever play the game of basketball.
“I’ll never forget the Steph Curry jersey I received on Christmas day in 2016. Sadly, the Warriors did lose, but it was an exciting game, and I will remember watching it with my family forever,” said Carson.
Despite Curry’s efficient performance, LeBron and his teammates proved to be too much. With 5 Lakers players in double figures, the Lakers squeaked out a 2 point road win.
“It has always been an exciting matchup to watch through the years. I think LeBron, especially during his Cleveland Era, was at a disadvantage because he was always the main player,” said student Ethan Somer. “But, its always great to watch them battle on Christmas.”
There’s also been a lot of history with these games, too. AP Econ instructor Paul Chiment loved watching the Warriors and Cavaliers rivalry with friends.
“One of my favorite holiday game moments has to be LeBron James’ monster performance on Christmas Day 2018 when the Lakers upset the Warriors. Seeing him dominate a team that seemed nearly unbeatable was fun to watch,” Chiment said.
