Friends, food, family, and a large dose of NFL action
Before my three children came on the scene and brought a mountain-sized pile of toys with them, my Christmas Day afternoons would be spent desperately trying to find something to watch on the television. It usually turned into a choice between or doing the washing up.
While I have always enjoyed the antics of Dorothy, the Tin Man and Toto, the washing up was usually the clear winner.
Our friends in America will have no such worries after their big celebratory Thanksgiving Day lunch on Thursday. Stuffed full of turkey and all the trimmings, they will be able to slump on the sofa and watch more than nine hours of live NFL action as the Detroit Lions take on the Green Bay Packers, the Dallas Cowboys welcome the Oakland Raiders and the New York Giants visit the Denver Broncos.
And while the Lions are not exactly among the NFL's elite clubs at the moment - they have just two wins to their name - they did play a major role in a tradition that has become a massive part of the special day in the United States.
I spent last Thanksgiving Day pounding the streets of London talking to American ex-pats about the national holiday and what it meant to them. The alliterated answer soon became crystal clear - family, friends, food and football.
Not a bad combination.
NFL games have been played on Thanksgiving Day since the league's birth in 1920 but did not take on national prominence until Detroit owner G.A. Richards .
Professional American football was struggling in the 1930s as the college game was still considered king but, knowing a captive audience when they saw one, the NFL made a more aggressive move to grab a piece of the pie and needed volunteers to play on a Thursday. The Lions stepped forward.
The Lions playing on Thanksgiving is an NFL tradition
The Lions were averaging just 15,000 at the gate but when 26,000 fans crammed into the University of Detroit Stadium and thousands more were turned away, Richards and his fellow power-players in the NFL knew they were onto something good.
Being an influential figure in the NFL and with the American media, Richards convinced NBC Radio to broadcast the game nationally. Hence, the tradition was born of Americans settling down to follow the NFL action after their Thanksgiving Day lunch.
The Bears - led by - won the game 19-16 and took the NFL's Western Division title. But Richards was still a relatively happy man - he had enjoyed a good day at the gate, had helped raise the national profile of the professional game and had kick-started a tradition that lasts to this day.
The Dallas Cowboys began playing on Thanksgiving Day in 1966 and have also been regulars ever since. And there have been some memorable performances on Thanksgiving Day over the years - Chicago Cardinals fullback Ernie Nevers set an NFL record by scoring 40 points in 1929, Buffalo Bills star O.J. Simpson rushed for an NFL-best 273 yards in 1976 and Cleveland Rams' Jim Benton racked up a record 303 receiving yards in 1945.
For many NFL players and coaches, the season really begins on Thanksgiving Day weekend. It's all very well to be playing well in September and October, but it's vital that players perform at their very best in December and then through the playoffs in January and February.
The one thing I love about the NFL at this time of the year is how players have to battle through the elements - wind, rain, freezing temperatures and often snow - in order to win the ultimate prize, the Super Bowl.
But this year's race to the playoffs could well be played in a more sterile environment. The Indianapolis Colts appear certain to secure homefield advantage in the American Football Conference and the top two seeds in the National conference are currently the New Orleans Saints and the Minnesota Vikings.
All three teams play in domed stadia so there will be few opportunities to watch players trudging through snow and forcing passes through howling winds when the playoffs begin.
Of course, a lot can happen between now and the season's end.
The Colts and Saints are grabbing considerable attention as undefeated 10-0 teams but I think the best side in the NFL at the moment is one game back - the 9-1 Vikings.
Brett Favre is not just surviving the rigours of the season at the age of 40, he is playing the best football of his career and looks every bit as good as the three years when he won NFL Most Valuable Player honours. He has thrown for 2,482 yards, 21 touchdowns and just three interceptions and looks very much like the final piece in the Vikings' Super Bowl jigsaw.
But there is more to the Vikings than a star quarterback. They have the game's best running back in Adrian Peterson, a strong offensive line and receivers who can score from anywhere on the field in Sidney Rice, Percy Harvin and Bernard Berrian.
They're pretty dominant on defense as well. Jared Allen is a pass-rushing demon, Kevin and Pat Williams are virtually immovable at defensive tackle and behind them roam a pair of very active linebackers in E.J. Henderson and Chad Greenway.
With Favre not having to take his aching bones outside into the cold very often between now and the season's end, I'm backing the Vikings to lift the Vince Lombardi Trophy in Miami. They certainly look stronger than my preseason tip, the New York Giants.
Game of the Week
We have the Vikings taking on the Chicago Bears - who have lost five of their last six after a 3-1 start - on Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú Radio 5 live sports extra on Sunday from 2100 GMT.
The focus of fan dismay in Chicago is quarterback Jay Cutler. The Bears gave up first round picks in the 2009 and 2010 drafts, a third round pick in 2010 and sent Kyle Orton to Denver. They then rewarded Cutler with a $50 million (£30m) contract. He has paid them back with some wildly inaccurate throws, some poor decisions and an NFL-leading 18 interceptions.
Cutler is throwing too much off his back foot, his mechanics are poor and he looks like the weight of the world is on his shoulders. But he is not getting a great deal of help - his offensive line is shaky, the running game non-existent and his receivers are inexperienced and distinctly average.
There is only one winner in this contest.
Prediction: Chicago 13 Minnesota 38
You can catch Neil commentating on an NFL game every Sunday at 2100 GMT on Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú 5 live sports extra throughout the season. (Available on the web to UK users only).
Hello, I'm Neil Reynolds. I commentate and write about the NFL. I've followed the NFL since 1983 and covered the league as a journalist and broadcaster since 1991. I also played for 10 years in the British American Football League.
Comment number 1.
At 26th Nov 2009, Grizzly wrote:Good blog Neil
I got to spend a Thanksgiving in the States a few years back and it was a fantastic experience, though it was out West and the 9.30am kick off threw me a little !
How is Chicago @ Minnesota the game of the week ? A very one-sided affair with the Vikes winning by a comfortable 2 or more scores. Surely better match ups are Pittsburgh @ Baltimore and New England @ New Orleans ? ? ? neither Ravens nor Steelers can really afford a loss. The Pats @ Saints game is fascinating and is likely to be a shoot out, could easily get 1000 offensive yards in that game.
Happy Turkey Day all !
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Comment number 2.
At 26th Nov 2009, Richard Grosvenor wrote:Great blog Neil.
I do have a couple of questions.
Why have none of the British free stations not picked up on any NFL games when Sky and Wembley Stadium have done so well when games have been shown and played over here? I know the Super Bowl is usually played on the Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú but as an up and coming fan I'd love it to shown on freeview.
Secondly, I was in Florida a couple of years back and saw Tim Tebow on tv for the Gators college team. Not only is he a quality thrower, he can rush alot too almost single-handedly winning games. Who is likely to take him? I would have thought the Colts would use Peyton Manning as a coach for him - and who better to learn off.
Richard
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Comment number 3.
At 26th Nov 2009, Lewis Wiltshire wrote:Hi Richard,
I'll gladly let Neil handle Grizzy's question but I thought I'd answer yours. I'm Lewis - the Editor of the Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú Sport website.
On TV, Sky Sports are the main rights holders for the NFL in the UK. They have made a week-in-week-out commitment to the sport and good for them - I personally really enjoy their coverage. But they do own that contract and it's not as if the Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú or ITV or even Channel 4 who first brought the sport to this country could show whatever they wanted.
It is worth saying though that Channel 5 show one game per week, late on Sundays. Their coverage is also really good - Nat Coombs the presenter will keep you awake in those wee small hours with his good humour! Channel 5 also have a magazine show devoted to the NFL which goes out on Saturday mornings. And the Super Bowl will be on Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú TV - plus we had highlights of the Wembley game. So that's two out of four terrestrial TV companies that offer the NFL free-to-air in this country.
The Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú Sport website has weekly clips of the best action throughout the season, and is one of the few places you can catch Monday Night Football, which this year is not on Sky. There is also a wealth of video on the NFL's website for the UK - nfluk.com.
So as an up-and-coming fan, there should be enough places for you to catch the action!
Lewis.
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Comment number 4.
At 26th Nov 2009, Richard Grosvenor wrote:Hi Lewis,
Thanks for the swift reply, it's something that has annoyed me for a while. I really didn't realise that so much NFL had migrated over here but they still seem to be on at crazy times of the day! I shall try to tune in whenever possible. After the great news that the Ashes is back free-to-air, do you think there's a potential for NFL to be free-to-air in the future? When I was living with my parents, I managed to watch loads of NFL and although there alot of breaks, I was gripped by the game. I truly believe it could take off massively in England and ity's brilliant to see British players breaking into the American game.
I'm hoping when I have enough money I'll get Sky and continue my watching. Will take a day off to watch the Super Bowl though (hoping the Colts make it)
Another question for Neil from me:
Why do so many different teams reach the Super Bowl. Unlike football NFL seems to have wide range in successful teams but no long-term dominant teams e.g. Patriots winning 10 straight titles. Why is this?
Richard
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Comment number 5.
At 26th Nov 2009, Ravens_Defense_DOW_SAVE_606 wrote:"Stuffed full of turkey and all the trimmings, they will be able to slump on the sofa and watch more than nine hours of live NFL action as the Detroit Lions take on the Green Bay Packers, the Dallas Cowboys welcome the Oakland Raiders and the New York Giants visit the Denver Broncos."
Whilst I won't be having the turkey and trimmings I will be enjoying a take out and the nine hours of NFL action. Its going to be brilliant.
Vikings - Favre is playing well but he is playing on one of the most complete teams in the NFL and has the best RB in the league. Im not saying its an easy job but imagine what Peyton Manning or Brady could do if they played for the Vikings.
Cutler - I agree he has a shaky offensive line and his receivers are average but he also forces the ball and believes he can always make the play when sometimes he should just throw it away. 1st pick versus 49ers comes to mind.
The Bears must be regretting this decision big time; only one worthwhile draft pick in 2010, an ageing defense, an ageing offensive line and a QB that is being paid a fortune.
Do you think this year is the end of Lovie Smith? Some quality coaches out there and the Bears would be a post that attracts a lot of interest.
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Comment number 6.
At 26th Nov 2009, Grizzly wrote:Richard
I'm sure Neil will provide a more concise answer for you but in my mind the simple reason success moves around the NFL is the way the sport is set up and managed.
The biggest factor is the salary cap.
In English football a rich foreign owner looks for a toy to buy and pumps hundreds of millions into an otherwise underachieving football club, their identity disappears but the fans love the fact a trophy or two sits on the shelf at the end of the season. The owner writes off the expenditure because there are few ways of making a profit in owning a football club in this money driven industry.
In NFL every franchise must work within a salary frame meaning they can pay their starts $10m a year if they wish, but the $120 odd million must go round 53 players, it works pure and simple.
There is due to be no cap for the 2010 season which I think will be desperate for the sport, the American public may then see what we have here in the UK, uncompetetive mismatches. Thankfully the powers that be are likely to agree a cap for 2011 so these issues should only exist for one season and many star players are signed to long term deals with their existing teams, the impact may not be as bad as it could be.
The other factor is the draft system, any team having a poor season gets a better pick at the draft in April meaning they get to choose the better college players, of course not all college players make it in the NFL but the better pick you get the more chance you have of improving your team..........unless you're Oakland of course !
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Comment number 7.
At 26th Nov 2009, Richard Grosvenor wrote:Grizzly,
Cheers for the insight, I have always wondered how the draft picks work. If I've heard right you can also trade picks for extra players or money. Is this correct and why do teams do this?
In regards to the cap, do the best teams generally pick expensive quarterbacks and running backs then build lesser players around them or does it depend on the coach i.e. some coaches start with hard tackling defence then hope attack comes off?
Richard
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Comment number 8.
At 26th Nov 2009, Grizzly wrote:Yes plenty of teams trade players in return for the following years draft (and even the draft after that !), it depends on the circumstances.
A team who are 2-8 before trading deadline day may decide that their season is over, trade a star player or two in return for top picks from the draft and you'll end up with a better squad going into the following season. Much also depends on the way contracts are structured and whether they become free agents anytime soon.
Injuries may also arise during a season and coaches will want gaps plugged.
Don't forget that you can only have 53 men on your roster which again is a fundamental difference between NFL and Soccer, it's a level playing field !
As for who the teams select at draft, it revolves entirely around where your weaknesses are. The #1 pick is usually a QB but last years overall #3 and #4 pick (if I remember rightly) were defensive ends.
similarly, there's little point in having the worlds greatest QB if the offensive line in front only allows him 1 second in the pocket before he's flattened.
NFL is about having good players in every position, no team will succeed if there is a flaw in a single area (Arizona aside who went to Superbowl with zero running game).
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Comment number 9.
At 26th Nov 2009, Richard Grosvenor wrote:So theoretically a team cannot rely on 1 part of the game. This is why I was so impressed with Tim Tebow for the Gators. As a Quarterback he had everything - how he fares in NFL will be interesting. Im guessing in Arizonas case that over the group games they had a mixed bag of results with no running game but over the knockout rounds they performed better. I like how the NFL is run and I would love attend a Superbowl match in the future. The game seems to be evolving in England nicely but I don't think that more than 1 game should be played outside of America.
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Comment number 10.
At 26th Nov 2009, Grizzly wrote:Richard - what I should also have said is that the draft is made up of 7 rounds with each team picking in each round (unless they've traded one or more picks). There are something like 500 players that enter the draft so a number of them will go undrafted and become free agents.
Salaries are negotiated after a player has been drafted and we've seen this year with Michael Crabtree a lengthy standoff where his agent and the 49s couldn't agree a deal until well into the season.
What the game needas is a rookie salary cap so talented college players are prevented from coming into the game fresh from school football and demanding more $$$ than veterans, the league are looking into this.
If you want to talk football why not join the 606 American football board ? there's an out of hours board as well which allows for chat during games (after 606 closes), www.nfloutofhours.co.uk
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Comment number 11.
At 26th Nov 2009, David Evans wrote:Lewis,
I have to disagree with your comment regarding Five's coverage of the NFL, that "Nat Coombs the presenter will keep you awake in those wee small hours with his good humour;" I have stopped watching NFL on Five - Packers games aside - beacuse he is just too annoying. It means I miss out on Mike Carlson's analysis, but I would rather that than have to put with Nat Coombs.
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Comment number 12.
At 26th Nov 2009, njt221 wrote:As an ex-pat living in the states I have followed the NFL for a number of years (I wont say how many!) One thing that gets little attention is the 'franchise player' tag. This can make or break an NFL team. Along with salary cap, draft picks and free agency (HUGE issue)a team can/will designate a franchise player. As a result, who a team picks up via draft, trade, money etc are nearly always there to compliment the skill of the player who they are hanging their franchise on. Another way to look at this is to see how two players (QB and WR for instance) gel. Example: If Brett Favre cant get it to his WR it doesn't really matter how good a receiver he is if he doesn't gel. Terrell Owens is a good example. Great talent but doesn't always get along with the team philosophy. This sort of disruption can ruin a season based on one or two big plays not going your way.
What do you think Griz. Great blog by the way!
Nik
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Comment number 13.
At 26th Nov 2009, njt221 wrote:P.S. Happy Turkey Day to all my Yank friends, both here and in the UK! Go Chargers!
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Comment number 14.
At 26th Nov 2009, Matt wrote:Just about to put the Goose in the oven (can't be bothered with Turkey). Looking forward to today's American Football but the only interesting game will be the G Men in Denver. Games of the week is New Orleans facing the patsies and of course the Colts in Houston.
Cutler has been awful for the Bears but their offensive line has been worse. They haven't created any holes for Forte, meaning the Bears running game has been non-existant forcing him to throw even on short and goal situations.
Anyroad, happy Turkey Day and greetings from a chilly New York.
Go Bills!! (New York's ONLY football team).
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Comment number 15.
At 26th Nov 2009, Grizzly wrote:NJT
You are spot on re the franchise tag, last off season the Pats took a gamble in tagging Cassel for whatever millions banking on the fact that a team would trade for him, if their gamble hadn't paid off they would have been left with 2 QB's (Brady and Cassel) taking up a huge chunk of the salary cap. In effect New England would have struggled this season as they wouldn't have been able to keep all their players on their existing deals.
Terrel Owens (and others, usually WRs !) can be such an enormous talent to a side but also a cancer. Take Dallas, with Owens and Pacman gone (who created big problems for team unity) they started better this season than for many years (of course their December tumble if waiting to happen !).
I also think back to last season and the Giants, superbowl favs until Burress shot himself, chaos in Meadowlands and the Giants fall apart. So yes, I agree, disruption can ruin a season.
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Comment number 16.
At 26th Nov 2009, bechampion wrote:For players coming out of college they should do as is done in the NHL. 3 year contracts at a limited amouunt, or something similar. Max amount an NHL rookis is something around $900,000 so id imagine it'd be at least double as nfl's cap is twice as big, and only going to get bigger if the the NHL, whose cap depends hugely on ticketsales as thats where most revunue comes in, will drop by 12mil
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Comment number 17.
At 27th Nov 2009, Paul Symchych wrote:Complain about this comment (Comment number 17)
Comment number 18.
At 27th Nov 2009, Joti Rana wrote:Hi Neil, Could you please clarify the joined picture in your Blog, I’m having difficultly figuring out which is the Lions and which is the turkey that got stuffed & eaten !!!!
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Comment number 19.
At 30th Nov 2009, Neil Reynolds wrote:Grizzly - you're right... there were better matchups than Chi-Minn, namely tonight's clash between the Patriots and Saints.
But I am obliged to promote the radio coverage on 5 Live Sports Extra. The more astute among you will have noticed in recent months that my 'Game of the Week' is always the game we're covering on Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú Radio.
Thanks again for reading.
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Comment number 20.
At 30th Nov 2009, Dan Truman wrote:Neil,
I love the fact that the Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú is finally pushing the NFL in some capacity and really enjoy the coverage that you guys provide.
The NFL is an example of how a league should be run; something that will be highlighted when the cap is removed for a year next year. The difference that this creates is that the teams are forced to think and concentrate on what they want to do.
On a different note, but same topic (ie Football!) I think the Vikings have got the Superbowl this year. Best performing combination of quarter back with a good set of recievers as well as the ability to run the ball all day long.
Having said that - the Pats vs Saints match could arguably produce the best game of the season, two of the best offensive teams in the league.
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