GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES

A Short History of Thanksgiving Day Football in America

Nov 20, 2017 | 09:00 GMT

Professional games have largely supplanted the college football rivalry games that traditionally fell on Thanksgiving Day.

Watching football before, during or after a Thanksgiving Day feast is a tradition that started more than a century ago in the United States.

(Shutterstock)

Nov. 23 marks the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States, a time for airport delays, overindulgence and passive aggression at the family dinner table. For many Americans, Thanksgiving also means football. Fans can expect a full slate of games to accompany every bite and sip throughout the day, perhaps viewed from the couch next to the requisite drunken uncle. As we look forward to this week's matchups, it seems like an opportune moment to reflect on the history of Thanksgiving football....

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