The Thanksgiving game: Good or Bad?

by JasonB on Apr 18, 2008 9:02 AM EDT in News

This year the Eagles will take the national stage and play on Thanksgiving in Philadelphia for the first time in 68 years. The last time we played on Thanksgiving was in Dallas almost 20 years ago. Oh and we beat them 27-0...

While the Eagles organization has certainly been painting this as quite and honor and exciting event, I've noticed that it's been met with some mixed reaction among fans. I was checking out the Eagles Fancast show and the boys mentioned that their spouses were less than happy about the idea of a football game taking over Thanksgiving. I imagine that little debate will be one that rages on in many Eagles households...

Eagles president Joe Banner doesn't think that will be a problem.

"I think when people see it, they'll be fired up about it," Banner said. "It will fit perfectly. People will have their Thanksgiving dinner around 1 o'clock or 4 o'clock, and then a lot of people will head down to the game and a lot will be together with their families to watch the game. I just think it will be a great day."

The other problem is the pissing match between the NFL and major cable providers over the NFL network. The Thanksgiving night game was specifically devised by the NFL as a way to pump up their new network. Currently Comcast carries the NFL network only as part of a sports tier that costs an extra $5 a month. However, if the game is a sellout(which it will be) the NFL will allow it to be shown locally on free TV. So people in the Philly area will get to see the games regardless, but fans outside of the reach of local Philly TV will have to have NFL network to catch the game.

So what are your thoughts? Personally, I've said this before, I dislike primetime games. I know it's an ego stroke for the team and players and it means the league/networks think you're a good team that people want to see... but I just like football on Sunday. I like turning the game on at one and being part of the action that is a full slate of NFL games. I like watching Chris Berman do the highlights at the end of the day. But that's just me... and despite that I am looking forward to the Thanksgiving game.

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Personally

I just like football. It doesn't matter when it's on to me I love watching football and more importantly the Birds. I love Sunday all day football it is absolutely amazing but I think Thanksgiving as well as Christmas is the same. You are off from work hanging out with family stuffing your face drinking some beer and watching football ... at least at my house. Football and Thanksgiving/Christmas go hand in hand in my family so I love that the Birds are playing the Thanksgiving Night game.

by Whodie126 on Apr 18, 2008 10:16 AM EDT 0 recs

Love it

I understand the gripe against NFL Network and the cable companies, but we all pay for our cable right? Why not vote with the wallet - satellite costs about the same as cable. I think I'm making the switch in the next couple of weeks.

Another note, it is a prime time game which for me is fantastic. I live outside of Denver and the prime time games are often the only ones I get to watch at home. I've spent more than one Sunday afternoon glued to my laptop screen reading play by play on ESPN...
J

by cavortingEagle on Apr 18, 2008 12:32 PM EDT 0 recs

Problem

That's a great idea, except you can't get Philly Comcast with a satellite package. The NFL Network isn't worth giving up the Phillies, Flyers, and Sixers.

That being said, I agree with the cable companies. Why does the NFL Network need to be in every home?

by Kulp on Apr 18, 2008 12:46 PM EDT up 0 recs

Beholden to Comcast - sucks

Out here, the local Fox affiliate carries the Rox and "Altitude" a station created by the owner of the Nuggets and Avalanche carries all of their games - Many in HD. If I had your situation, I'd keep the cable too, but I'd grumble.

As far as NFLN goes, I wouldn't pay for it that's for sure - most of the programing is garbage. I'm getting it as part of my introductory digital cable offer free. If I don't make the switch to satellite, I'll ditch NFLN when the year runs out...
J

by cavortingEagle on Apr 18, 2008 1:25 PM EDT up 0 recs

NFLN

I agree, they need to give us something more worthy of paying for.

80% of the channel is reruns of "Total Access"

Then they replay some games.

I do pay for it, but frankly only because it's parts of the sports package I already had to watch Fox soccer channel and GOL TV.

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by JasonB on Apr 18, 2008 2:24 PM EDT up 0 recs

Why take sides?

Frankly I think the NFL is as much to blame if not more than the cable companies. They want their channel on the basic cable package, yet they want to charge the cable companies around what ESPN charges them. To do that, rates for everyone would have to go up. That's not fair to people that don't want NFL network.

Now, I don't want to imply that the cable companies are angels here... but this is a money grab by the NFL first and foremost.

They took games that we used to get for free and put them on their own channel.

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by JasonB on Apr 18, 2008 12:54 PM EDT up 0 recs

Primetime

I spend Thanksgiving night with the wife's family -- who is well aware and even supports my Eagles lunacy. That means on Thanksgiving I'll have a living room to myself for the Eagles. So it's fine by me (they have DirecTV, so no worries).

As to the satellite question, I live in Rochester, NY -- Time Warner country. Last August I switched to DirecTV for the sole purpose of purchasing NFL Sunday Ticket. I split the cost with 3 buddies, which was fantastic, and we ate and drank every Sunday at my place.

DirecTV is OK -- about the same cost as cable. But everyone in Rochester who has cable does not and can not get the NFL Network. This was a big deal when the Giants/Pats game was a Saturday nighter last season.

http://www.sportsdork.com

by BFH on Apr 18, 2008 12:42 PM EDT 0 recs

Primetime

I'm very happy about the six primetime (possibly seven with the flex schedule for the Steelers game) games, because it allows me to watch it here! The "Espn" piece of poop channel that we have over here, only shows primetime games. That means I have to get up at 3 am on Monday and Tuesday mornings, but that's a small price to watch the Birds! So I can watch 6, possibly 7 out of 16 games this year, compared to 4 last year.

The NFC East goes through Philly.

by LeonSA on Apr 18, 2008 1:05 PM EDT 0 recs

True

All of these primetime games should be great for all the Eagles fans abroad.

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by JasonB on Apr 18, 2008 1:20 PM EDT up 0 recs

And

I am going, along with two friends, to work in Aspen from 23 Nov 08 to 30 Jan 09. That means I will hopefully get to watch some more games. I am actually going to try to get tickets for the thanksgiving game. If you guys have any info for me on good, cheap accomodation in Philly, as well as ticket prices and the best way to get them, please help! I don't care if we get the worst 3 seats at the Linc, I just wanna be there!

The NFC East goes through Philly.

by LeonSA on Apr 18, 2008 1:11 PM EDT 0 recs

Hmm,

I thought that everyone watched football on Thanksgiving and Christmas? I'm tired of watching the Lions and Cowboys, It's going to be sickm, lets hope that it's really cold. I don't care when the Eagles are on, I do like primetime games a lot because it is proof that someone other than me thinks the Eagles are a good team. My wife and her family think that I am retarted for paying for the Season Ticket.

I like the Season Ticket because I get to watch the rest of the NFC East everyweek. It helps a lot scouting them for when they play the Birds.

And no the Giants didn't look like a SB team until, umm nevermind.

The NFL network is horrible.....

by topcat6 on Apr 18, 2008 4:20 PM EDT 0 recs

NFL cuts their noses off...

I've never understood why the NFL wants to keep from making more money by limiting the number of people who can watch NFL games by only allowing certain markets to see certain games.

In this day and age of digital cable, internet video and diverse fan bases - why can't people watch the games they want to watch? I'm a Philly native stuck in the NYC market (2 local teams, arggh!) - so I, too, have spent days refreshing the gameday screen on my laptop. I would gladly pay for Sunday Ticket to see the Eagles - but I can't get it here in the city in an apartment building. I'd pay for Sunday Ticket on my digital cable - but DirectTV has exclusive rights. I'd pay for the stupid field pass too if I could have video over the web instead of just radio. Why don't they want my money?

I get NFL network - but they don't broadcast in HD here, which sucks. I'll be in Philly for thanksgiving, though - which IS a football holiday. When the birds played Christmas the other year - we had serious family fights over the football being on while the kids wanted to watch Christmas videos! THAT was a killer, let me tell you.

by flygirl on Apr 18, 2008 5:21 PM EDT 0 recs

It really is ridiculous

I moved to Monmouth county NJ a couple years ago and now I live in the New York TV market too... I just make the trek back home in Burlco every week to watch the games. Usually at a local watering hole...

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by JasonB on Apr 18, 2008 5:25 PM EDT up 0 recs

Is it the NFL...

or are the local stations responsible? When the Broncos play at home, if there is a competing game on FOX that game gets blacked out.
I guess it's probably both...

I wish there was a way to Pay-Per-View the individual games you wanted to watch each week. I'd probably pay 6-7 bucks to watch the Eagles on weeks they're not national (or blacked out by the Donkeys), but the cost of the Sunday Ticket is a bit much for me - even if I had DirectTV and could get my wife to agree to it.

For now, I typically hit refresh until halftime and head on over to the local sports bar for lunch and a frosty beverage...

by cavortingEagle on Apr 18, 2008 6:30 PM EDT up 0 recs