CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- These days, Thanksgiving Day football is recognized and celebrated as a Detroit tradition, and with good reason - the Lions have hosted a Thanksgiving game in nearly every season since 1934 (with wartime exceptions).
But the Bears have a healthy Thanksgiving history, too. For one, the NFL actually played its first six Thanksgiving games on Nov. 25, 1920, when the league was called the American Professional Football Association, and when the Chicago Bears were then called the Decatur Staleys. Those Staleys beat the Chicago Tigers 6-0 on that Thanksgiving, at Cubs Park - the final league game the Tigers would play, clearing the way for George Halas to haul the Staleys to the Windy City.
And that first home game for the Lions in 1934? The Bears won that, 19-16.
The Bears and Lions have met 18 times on Thanksgiving, all told, and the Bears have a 10-8 edge in the series. Matt Nagy has two of those wins - by a touchdown in 2018, and by just four points in 2019.
Now they meet again, for the third time in four years, but without much more than bragging rights on the line. Detroit hasn't won yet this season and may start a backup quarterback; the Bears haven't won since early October and may start a backup quarterback. Normally two second-division teams meeting this late in the season wouldn't attract attention, except for fantasy football purposes.
But again, it's tradition. Food, friends, family, football. "The blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies", as President Lincoln noted in his original Thanksgiving proclamation in 1863.
Enjoy the holiday. Enjoy the game (8:30 a.m. pregame on Newsradio WBBM, by the way). And remember the most important rule of the house - if you didn't help cook, you better help clean up!
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