Football.  What else goes along with the Thanksgiving celebration?!!?  Mind you, I grew up in a house with 2 sisters, and our dad is a weekend cowboy, NOT a football fan….so to I grew up planning what appetizers to serve at football parties more than being concerned with who was playing.

My idea of picking who would win what??  Go with the team animal or name.  For instance, a “Cowboy” has a gun, so he’ll kick a Raiders butt. You have to be creative using this method of course, but it can work!  The reality, as much as I love the family gathering aspect and commradery of football, Thanksgiving Game Day marks the start of the holiday season for me and the countdown to Christmas.

OMG I only have a few short weeks of shopping days left and HOW do I get it all done!!! (Hold on….can’t….breathe…..need….a…paper..bag…..starting..to..hyper…vent…i…late….)

Ok, gettting it together again…sorry, back to the point.  Thanksgiving Day football.  I’m going to make the assumption that there are a few of you out there (like me) and if you are lucky enough not to be the main hostess slaving away in the kitchen this year (like me – thank you Genius Sister-in-Law), then you may want a few pointers on the game (like me) so you can fool your husband into thinking you really care more about football than what shoes you picked to wear this morning….hope this helps!

Green Bay (Packers) @ Detroit (Lions)
12:30P EST / 9:30A PST
Weather Condition: 43 Degrees – Indoor Stadium, “Ford Field”. Weather will not effect the game.
Green Bay is favored by 10.5 points (meaning they will win by at least 10.5 points or more)
Over/Under is 47.5 points (meaning the total combined points from both teams will equal 47.5 points.  You pick if you think the final score will go “over” or “under” the 47.5 points)
Green Bay Quarterback: Aaron Rodgers
Detroit Quarterback: Matthew Stafford

Prediction:
Of course the Packers are going to win, even though Brett Farve no longer eats cheese.  The over/under is 47.5 and I think I’ll be taking the under because Detroit’s too busy thinking about Turkey and Gravy.

Question: What does Packers mean in the Green Bay Packers?
Answer: It’s not “Cheese Head” as they are commonly known.  The Packers were founded in 1919 by Curley Lambeau and George Calhoun of the Green Bay Press-Gazette. Lambeau asked his employer, the Indian Packing Company, for money to buy uniforms. They gave him $500 on the condition that the team be named after the company. Lambeau named the team the ‘Packers’.

Oakland (Raiders) @ Dallas (Cowboys)
4:15P EST / 1:15P PST
Weather Condition: 62 Degrees – Retractable Roof Stadium, “Cowboys Stadium”. Weather should not effect the game, unless Jessica Simpson makes a surprise appearance…
Dallas is favored by 13.5 points (See game above if you have already forgotten what this means – I would have…)
Over/Under is 40.5 points (Same as line above…)
Oakland Quarterback: Bruce Gradkowski’s
Dallas Quarterback: Tony Romo

Prediction:
Of course the Cowboys will win, they’re “America’s Team” and it would be un-American to have America’s Team lose on Turkey Day.  Plus I went to college in Dallas and one of my best friends in the world is from Texas and would kill me not to predict “the boys”.  The over/under is 40.5 and I think it’s a safe bet to take the under as both teams are struggling to score this year…(sorry to slam “the boys” a bit ‘CA’)

Question: What quarterback led the Dallas Cowboys to their first Super Bowl victory?
Answer: In 1972, Roger Staubach led the Dallas Cowboys to their first Super Bowl victory with a 24-3 win over the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl VI. During the game, the Cowboys set two Super Bowl records — rushing for 252 yards and preventing the Dolphins from scoring a single touchdown.

NY (Giants) @ Denver (Broncos)
8:20P EST / 5:20P PST
Weather Condition: 52 Degrees – Outdoor Stadium, “Invesco Field”. Weather should not effect the game.
Giants are favored by 6.5 points (See game above if you have already forgotten what this means – I would have…)
Over/Under is 42 points (Same as line above…)
NY Quarterback: Eli Manning
Denver Quarterback: Kyle Orton

Prediction:
Although the Giants are favored by 6.5 points, it’s going to be tough to take down the Broncos at home on Turkey Day.  I’m going against Vegas and taking the Broncos and the points (meaning the Broncos need to either win or lose by less than 6.5 points).

Question: How much did team founder Tim Mara purchase the New York Giants for in 1925?
Answer: In 1925, New York Giants founder Tim Mara purchased the franchise for a mere $500! The Giants gave professional football, then overshadowed by baseball, boxing, and even college football, an important showcase in the nation’s largest city.

Now go stuff yourself silly with Turkey and all the fixings, (it wont effect your shoe size one  bit!) Relax, enjoy the day and be thankful for your friends and family!  I’m so thankful for all of you!

Happy Turkey Day!!!

(and BTW – if you really believe I wrote all of this by myself, I’ve got some ocean front property in Arizona to show you….)