DETROIT | A long three-hour parade in front of tens of thousands of people downtown, the inviting smell of hot turkey being cooked in the tailgate in the middle of the morning, and supporters bursting with hope that after decades of misery it was finally their year… It There’s nothing like the long tradition of watching the Lions game on Thanksgiving in the heart of Detroit.
• Also read: The “broken” party packers!
On site, Le Journal quickly discovered how much Lions supporters care about the almost century-old custom of the American Thanksgiving game.
The Kocis family brought their tradition of a family turkey dinner to a parking lot near Ford Field for their usual Thanksgiving celebration before the Lions game. Stephane Cadorette
After all, the habit began in 1934, when the team’s then-owner was looking for a way to publicize his lovesick fortune after a recent move. The idea has been so successful that the NFL, Detroit and Thanksgiving are now inextricably linked.
On Thursday, the city hosted its 83rd Thanksgiving duel, and the only years the tradition was broken were during World War II. The league has offered a tripleheader tournament on this holiday in the United States for several years, but nothing comes close to the scale of the festivities in Detroit.
Türkiye like at home
Dennis Kocis prepares to enjoy a turkey leg that he carefully prepared for his family at the tailgate of the Lions Thanksgiving game in Detroit. Stephane Cadorette
A few hours before kickoff of the game between the arch-enemies Lions and Packers, the allegorical floats and marching bands set the tone on the long Woodward Avenue, the main thoroughfare of the city center.
In its 97th year, this Thanksgiving parade is considered the second largest in the United States. There’s nothing like it to warm up the fans who will happily stroll between the parade and tailgates in the parking lots near Ford Field, which will be filled with 66,000 supporters in blue a few hours later.
Suddenly seductive scents capture our attention. We stop and the Kocis family is preparing to sit down with two turkeys, a typical dish of this holiday. The first was carefully prepared at home in case the second, straight from the fryer, was a dud. It was finally a success and the party promises to be great for the table of 15 people.
“The Lions are winning this year and six family members are going to the game. I still wanted us to celebrate Thanksgiving together, and we decided to cook the turkey here in downtown Detroit to celebrate our Lions and our family.
“I’m used to a nice big table and I usually bring out the nice crockery, cutlery and everything. You might as well bring everything here! There is no cutlery, we eat with plastic cutlery, but it’s even cooler this way,” remembers Kay, the friendly mother of the family.
There’s nothing better than a large family table with the traditional Thanksgiving turkey for the Kocis family in anticipation of the Lions game in Detroit. Stephane Cadorette
Hard times
His son Dennis is one of the lucky ones to attend the game. He’s thrilled to finally be able to afford a pair of $500 tickets.
That’s never a small thing, especially considering how hard the city of Detroit was hit economically several years ago, causing it to declare bankruptcy in 2013 with debts approaching $20 billion. To date, it remains the largest American city to reach this point.
“I was born here and grew up. This is the first time we can truly believe the Lions can go far this year, and I wanted to go to the game. It’s not easy to afford such expensive tickets, but I’m happy that this tradition is happening in Detroit,” he says.
During the discussion, his sister happily hands out glasses of blue Kool-Aid in the team colors, another local tradition, “because you have to believe,” they say.
Stephane Cadorette
The wind is changing
In fact, times appear to be changing for the better in the city, both in terms of economic recovery and the Lions’ recovery.
For the first time since 1962, the team entered the Thanksgiving game with a record of eight wins and two losses. The Lions are young, spectacular and are at the top of the North Division.
They are heading for their first playoff appearance since 2016. The excitement in the streets of Detroit is palpable, giving the party a new lease of life after years of gloom.
It’s lucky for everyone, including the McCraner family, who have had four season tickets for ages. The McCraners also experienced one of the Lions’ rare moments of euphoria when they celebrated the team’s final playoff triumph at the Silverdome late in January 1992.
The McCraner family has witnessed the Lions’ difficult years and is now rejoicing in the team’s success. Stephane Cadorette
“We are finally excited about the players and our coach Dan Campbell. He has the gift of igniting us,” says Janice, the mother of the family.
Hope does a lot of good, as the Lions have been doing so poorly for many years that in recent seasons there have been some voices that the Thanksgiving tradition might benefit from going into exile elsewhere.
Since the turn of the millennium, the Lions have gone 5-17 in this big and not always entertaining celebration.
“This game belongs to Detroit. This is where the tradition really began and without the Detroit Lions this Thanksgiving tradition would never have existed,” said Bryan McCraner.
It will be clear that whether the Lions win or lose, the Thanksgiving game is part of the DNA of the people of Detroit.
Lions fans have fun with their signs for Detroit’s highly anticipated Thanksgiving matchup against the Green Bay Packers. Stephane Cadorette