Is Thanksgiving just the ultimate tailgate? Think about it, tremendous effort is put into meal preparation. Even a modest Thanksgiving spread is going to dwarf most tailgate cooking. You still spend the entire day watching football with a bunch of people and you get to do it in the comfort of your own home.
You could make the argument that Thanksgiving is the ultimate tailgate. If you opened all the living room windows, you'd scarcely be able to tell the difference!
I kid of course... but there is a shred of truth in there. So enjoy yourself this Thanksgiving and ponder why two awful teams like the Cowboys and Lions get automatic games every year and no one in the NFL office has appeared to even consider changing such a pointless tradition. Take big hits out of the game? Sure! Change the length of the season? Why not?!
Not subject America to watching the Lions every year on Thanksgiving? Oh heaven's no, we could never change that tradition.