document_title: NFL on Thanksgiving Day

question_text: when was the last time vikings played on thanksgiving

text: NFL on Thanksgiving Day

text: History[edit]

text: The concept of American football games being played on Thanksgiving Day dates back to 1876, shortly after the game had been invented, as it was a day that most people had off from work. In that year, the college football teams at Yale and Princeton began an annual tradition of playing each other on Thanksgiving Day.[1] The University of Michigan also made it a tradition to play annual Thanksgiving games, holding 19 such games from 1885 to 1905.[2][3][4][5][6] The Thanksgiving Day games between Michigan and the Chicago Maroons in the 1890s have been cited as "The Beginning of Thanksgiving Day Football."[7] In some areas, high-school teams play on Thanksgiving, usually to wrap-up the regular-season.

text: By the time football had become a professional event, playing on Thanksgiving had already become an institution. Records of pro football being played on Thanksgiving date back to as early as the 1890s, with the first pro–am team, the Allegheny Athletic Association of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In 1902, the "National" Football League, a Major League Baseball-backed organization based entirely in Pennsylvania and unrelated to the current NFL, attempted to settle its championship over Thanksgiving weekend; after the game ended in a tie, eventually all three teams in the league claimed to have won the title. Members of the Ohio League, during its early years, usually placed their marquee matchups on Thanksgiving Day. For instance, in 1905 and 1906 the Latrobe Athletic Association and Canton Bulldogs, considered at the time to be two of the best teams in professional football (along with the Massillon Tigers), played on Thanksgiving. A rigging scandal with the Tigers leading up to the 1906 game led to severe drops in attendance for the Bulldogs and ultimately led to their suspension of operations. During the 1910s, the Ohio League stopped holding Thanksgiving games because many of its players coached high school teams and were unavailable. This was not the case in other regional circuits: in 1919, the New York Pro Football League featured a Thanksgiving matchup between the Buffalo Prospects and the Rochester Jeffersons. The game ended in a scoreless tie, leading to a rematch the next Sunday for the league championship.

text: Several other NFL teams played regularly on Thanksgiving in the first eighteen years of the league, including the Chicago Bears and Chicago Cardinals (1922–33; the Bears played the Lions from 1934 to 1938 while the Cardinals switched to the Green Bay Packers for 1934 and 1935), Frankford Yellow Jackets, Pottsville Maroons, Buffalo All-Americans, Canton Bulldogs (even after the team moved to Cleveland they played the 1924 Thanksgiving game in Canton), and the New York Giants (1929–38, who always played a crosstown rival). The first owner of the Lions, George A. Richards, started the tradition of the Thanksgiving Day game as a gimmick to get people to go to Lions football games, and to continue a tradition begun by the city's previous NFL teams.[8] What differentiated the Lions' efforts from other teams that played on the holiday was that Richards owned radio station WJR, a major affiliate of the NBC Blue Network; he was able to negotiate an agreement with NBC to carry his Thanksgiving games live across the network.[9]

text: During the Franksgiving controversy in 1939 and 1940, the only two teams to play the game were the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles, as both teams were in the same state (Pennsylvania). (At the time, then-president Franklin Roosevelt wanted to move the holiday for economic reasons and many states were resistant to the move; half the states recognized the move and the other half did not. This complicated scheduling for Thanksgiving games. Incidentally, the two teams were also exploring the possibility of a merger at the time.[10]) Because of the looming World War II and the resulting shorter seasons, the NFL did not schedule any Thanksgiving games in 1941, nor did it schedule any in the subsequent years until the war ended in 1945. When the Thanksgiving games resumed in 1945, only the Lions' annual home game would remain on the Thanksgiving holiday. In 1951, the Packers began a thirteen-season run as the perpetual opponent to the Lions each year through 1963.

text: The All-America Football Conference and American Football League, both of which would later be absorbed into the NFL, also held Thanksgiving contests, although neither of those leagues had permanent hosts. Likewise, the AFL of 1926 also played two Thanksgiving games in its lone season of existence, while the AFL of 1936 hosted one in its first season, which featured the Cleveland Rams, a future NFL team, and the 1940–41 incarnation of the American Football League played two games in 1940 on the earlier "Franksgiving" date.

text: In 1966, the Dallas Cowboys, who had been founded six years earlier, adopted the practice of hosting Thanksgiving games. It is widely rumored that the Cowboys sought a guarantee that they would regularly host Thanksgiving games as a condition of their very first one (since games on days other than Sunday were uncommon at the time and thus high attendance was not a certainty).[11] This is only partly true; Dallas had in fact decided to host games on Thanksgiving by their own decision because there was nothing else to do or watch on that day. In 1975 and 1977, at the behest of then-Commissioner Pete Rozelle, the St. Louis Cardinals replaced Dallas as a host team (Dallas then hosted St. Louis in 1976). Although the Cardinals, at the time known as the "Cardiac Cards" due to their propensity for winning very close games, were a modest success at the time, they were nowhere near as popular nationwide as the Cowboys, who were regular Super Bowl contenders during this era. This, combined with St. Louis's consistently weak attendance, a series of ugly Cardinals losses in the three-game stretch, and opposition from the Kirkwood–Webster Groves Turkey Day Game (a local high school football contest) led to Dallas resuming regular hosting duties in 1978; it was then, after Rozelle asked Dallas to resume hosting Thanksgiving games, that the Cowboys requested (and received) an agreement guaranteeing the Cowboys a spot on Thanksgiving Day forever.[12]

text: Notwithstanding the aforementioned St. Louis-hosted games in 1975 and 1977, the two "traditional" Thanksgiving Day pro football games since the 1970 AFL–NFL merger have then been in Detroit and Dallas. Because of TV network commitments in place through the 2013 season, to make sure that both the AFC-carrying network (NBC from the 1970 merger to 1997, and CBS since 1998) and the NFC-carrying network (CBS from the 1970 merger to 1993, and Fox since 1994) got at least one game each, one of these games was between NFC opponents, and one featured AFC-NFC opponents. Thus, the AFC could showcase only one team on Thanksgiving, and the AFC team was always the visiting team.

text: Since 2006, a third NFL game on Thanksgiving has been played at night. It originally aired on the NFL Network as part of its Thursday Night Football package until 2011; NBC began carrying the night game in 2012. The Thanksgiving night game has no fixed opponents or conferences, enabling the league to freely choose whatever marquee match-up to feature on that night. The 2012 changes also allowed both Dallas and Detroit in the future to offer NFC games (one would be played at night), and CBS can offer a game with two AFC teams. In 2014, the NFL added the cross-flex rule, allowing CBS to televise NFC away games, and Fox to broadcast AFC away games, under select circumstances on Sunday afternoons;[13][14] however, this did not cover the Thanksgiving contests.[15] CBS also signed a separate contract to carry Thursday Night Football from the 2014 season onward, which allowed that network to carry games from either conference on Thursdays;[16] from that year through 2016, CBS carried all-NFC contests every year on Thanksgiving, and in 2014 and 2015, no AFC teams played in any of the Thanksgiving games.

text: The NFL's flexible scheduling rule currently does not apply for Thanksgiving games; however, the NFL in theory could in the future apply the rule to change start times and networks for the three games.

text: Throwback uniforms[edit]

text: Since 2001 teams playing on Thanksgiving have worn throwback uniforms on numerous occasions. In some years (namely 2002), it extended to nearly all games of the weekend, and in some cases also involved classic field logos at the respective stadiums.

text: In 2001–2004, and again in 2008, 2010, and 2017 the Detroit Lions have worn throwback uniforms based on their very early years.

text: From 2001 to 2003, Dallas chose to represent the 1990s Cowboys dynasty by wearing the navy "Double-Star" jersey not seen since 1995. In 2004, the team wore uniforms not seen since 1963. In 2009, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the AFL, both Dallas and Oakland played in a "AFL Legacy Game." In 2013, the Cowboys intended to wear their 1960s throwbacks, but chose not to do so after the NFL adopted a new policy requiring players and teams to utilize only one helmet a season to address the league's new concussion protocol; rather than sport an incomplete throwback look, the Cowboys instead wore their standard blue jerseys at home for the first time since 1963.[17] In 2015, the Cowboys resurrected their 1994 white "Double-Star" jerseys only this time wore them with white pants as part of the league's "Color Rush", a trial run of specially-designed, monochromatic jerseys to be worn during Thursday games.[18]

text: Memorable games[edit]

text:
1920: An urban legend states that the Chicago Tigers and Decatur Staleys challenged each other to a Thanksgiving duel, in Chicago, in the league's inaugural season, with the loser being relegated out of the league at the end of the season, purportedly explaining why the Tigers were the only NFL team to fold after the 1920 season (no other team would fold until 1921). The claims of it being a duel are unsubstantiated and no evidence exists that the Tigers were ever officially league members; nevertheless, the Tigers, after a 27–0 win over the non-league Thorn Tornadoes the next week, never played football again. The Staleys would move to Chicago during the next season, later renaming themselves the Bears.
1921: In a matchup of two of the league's best teams, the Staleys lose to the Buffalo All-Americans at home. The Staleys demand a rematch, with Buffalo agreeing to a December match only on the terms of it being considered an off-the-record exhibition game. That later match, which Chicago won, ended up counting despite the All-Americans' insistence, controversially handing Chicago the championship.
1952: The Dallas Texans are forced to move their lone remaining home game to the Rubber Bowl in Akron, Ohio as the undercard to a high school football contest. Their opponent for that game, the Chicago Bears, underestimated the then-winless Texans and sent their second string team to the game; the Texans scored a 27–23 upset over the Bears for their only win of their existence.
1962: The Lions handed the 10–0 Green Bay Packers their lone defeat of the season.
1964–65: The 1964 and 1965 AFL contests featured the Buffalo Bills and San Diego Chargers, the two teams that would eventually meet in those years' American Football League Championship Games.
1974: Unknown Cowboys backup quarterback Clint Longley took over for an injured Roger Staubach with the team down 16–3 and rallied them to an improbable victory over Washington on two deep passes.
1976: The Bills offense put forth one of the best and the worst performances in Thanksgiving history. O. J. Simpson set the NFL record for most rushing yards in a single game, with 273. However, Bills backup quarterback Gary Marangi completed only 4 of 21 pass attempts, for 29 yards passing, and a rating of 19.7. The Lions defeated the Bills 27-14.[19]
1980: With the Lions and Bears tied 17-17 at the end of regulation, the game went to overtime, the first Thanksgiving game to do so (overtime was not added to the NFL regular season until 1974), and the first overtime game at the Silverdome. Bears running back Dave Williams returned the fifth-quarter opening kickoff 95 yards for a game-winning touchdown, ending the shortest overtime period in NFL history at the time.
1986: The Lions and the Packers had the highest scoring game in Thanksgiving history. It was the best day of receiver Walter Stanley's career; Stanley netted 207 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns, including an 83-yard punt return to win the game for Green Bay, 44–40. Stanley had an otherwise undistinguished career in the NFL.
1989: Known as the "Bounty Bowl", the Eagles crushed the Cowboys by a score of 27–0. Allegations surfaced that the Eagles had placed a bounty on the Cowboys kicker, thus becoming the first of a string of three bitterly contested games between the two teams, the other two being Bounty Bowl II and the Porkchop Bowl a year later.
1993: In one of the more famous Thanksgiving Day games in recent history, the Cowboys led the Dolphins 14–13 with just seconds remaining in a rare, snow-filled Texas Stadium. Miami's Pete Stoyanovich attempted a game winning 40-yard field goal that was blocked by the Cowboys' Jimmie Jones. Dick Enberg of NBC proclaimed "The Cowboys will win."[20] Indeed, since the kick landed beyond the line of scrimmage, once the ball stopped moving the play would be declared dead and Dallas would gain possession. However, the ball landed and began spinning on its tip, leading Cowboys lineman Leon Lett to try to gain possession. Lett slipped, fell, and knocked the ball forward. By rule, the ball was live and the Dolphins fell on it at the two yard line. With the recovery, Stoyanovich got a second chance to win the game and hit the much shorter field goal. The Dolphins won 16–14.[21]
1994: Troy Aikman was injured and third-string quarterback Jason Garrett was forced to start for Dallas against the Green Bay Packers. The Cowboys won a 42–31 shoot-out against Brett Favre.
1998: In another controversial Thanksgiving Day game, the Steelers and Lions went to overtime tied 16–16. Pittsburgh's Jerome Bettis called the coin toss in the air, but head referee Phil Luckett awarded Detroit the ball after Bettis tried to call both heads and tails at the same time. The Lions went on to kick a field goal on the first possession, winning 19–16. As a result of the fiasco, team captains are now required to call the coin toss before the coin is tossed, and a later rule change now prevents teams from automatically winning a game by scoring a field goal on the first possession. The day also saw a memorable performance by the Minnesota Vikings in a 46–36 win over the Dallas Cowboys as Vikings rookie Randy Moss caught three touchdowns, all of over 50 yards.
2008: The 10–1 Titans routed the 0–11 Lions by a score of 47–10, one of the most lopsided results in history on Thanksgiving. The Lions would go on to finish the season 0–16.
2011: The trio of games[22] was lauded as one of the better Thanksgiving Day slates of games in NFL history.[23] The night game between Baltimore and San Francisco pitted head coaches and brothers John and Jim Harbaugh against each other – a preview of Super Bowl XLVII.
2012: The prime time contest became infamous for the "Butt fumble", an incident in which Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez ran headfirst into the buttocks of his own offensive lineman. He subsequently fumbled the ball; it was recovered by New England, who returned it for a touchdown. In the earlier game, one of the NFL's most infamous rule changes came when former Lions coach Jim Schwartz challenged a play in which Texans running back Justin Forsett's knee clearly touched the ground before sprinting for an 81-yard touchdown. Referee Walt Coleman stated that, by rule, scoring plays are automatically reviewed and the play was not challengeable by a coach. Because of the improper attempted challenge, the review was cancelled and Coleman assessed a 15-yard kickoff penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. The NFL then passed a new rule that stated that if a coach attempted to challenge a play that is automatically reviewed, the review would continue. It was called the 'Jim Schwartz rule'.

tag: ul

text: Home team controversy[edit]

text: It has remained a tradition for Dallas and Detroit to host the afternoon games dating back several decades. However, in recent years, other teams have expressed interest in hosting Thanksgiving games. Lamar Hunt, the former owner of the Chiefs (who had hosted Thanksgiving games from 1967–69 as an AFL team prior to the merger), lobbied heavily in favor of his team hosting a game on the holiday. When the NFL adopted a third, prime time game, the Chiefs were selected as the first team to host such a contest, but the team was not made a permanent host, and Hunt's death shortly after the 2006 contest ended the lobbying on behalf of that team.

text: The host issue came to a head in 2008, focusing particularly on the winless Lions. Going into the game, Detroit had lost their last four Thanksgiving games, and opinions amongst the media had suggested removing Detroit and replacing them with a more attractive matchup.[24][25] The team also required an extension to prevent a local television blackout.[26] The Lions were routed by Tennessee 47–10, en route to the team's 0–16 season.[27] NFL commissioner Roger Goodell confirmed that the Lions would stay on Thanksgiving for the 2009 season, but kept the issue open to revisit in the future.[28][29]

text: Conversely, the Dallas Cowboys, who typically represent a larger television draw,[30] have had much fewer public calls to be replaced on Thanksgiving. One issue that has been debated is a perceived unfair advantage of playing at home on Thanksgiving.[31] The advantage is given in the form of an extra day of practice for the home team while the road team has to travel to the game site. This is true for most Thursday games, but with the night games, the visitor can travel to the game site after practice and hold the final walk-thru the following morning.

text: With the introduction of the prime time game, which effectively allows all teams in the league an opportunity to play on Thanksgiving, along with the introduction of year-long Thursday Night Football ensuring all teams have one Thursday game during the regular season (thus negating any on-field advantages or disadvantages to being selected for Thanksgiving), the calls for Detroit and Dallas to be removed have curtailed.

text: Game results[edit]

text: (Winning teams are denoted by boldface type; tie games are italicized.)

text:
All three of the generally recognized iterations of the American Football League that played during this era (AFL I in 1926, AFL II in 1936 and AFL III in 1940) played Thanksgiving games, which are also listed as indicated.
Non-NFL team games between league teams and non league teams counted in the 1920 standings. The All-Tonawanda Lumberjacks later joined the league as the Tonawanda Kardex, albeit only for one game.
Thanksgiving fell on the final Thursday in November until 1938 and was held on two conflicting days from 1939 to 1941.

text:
Season
Visiting Team
Score
Home Team
Score

Nov. 25, 1920
Canton Bulldogs
0
Akron Pros
7

Decatur Staleys
6
Chicago Tigers
0

Detroit Heralds
0
Dayton Triangles
28

Columbus Panhandles
0
Elyria Athletics*
0

Hammond Pros
0
Chicago Boosters*
27

All-Tonawanda *
14
Rochester Jeffersons
3

Nov. 24, 1921
Canton Bulldogs
14
Akron Pros
0

Buffalo All-Americans
7
Chicago Staleys
6

Nov. 30, 1922
Buffalo All-Americans
21
Rochester Jeffersons
0

Chicago Bears
0
Chicago Cardinals
6

Milwaukee Badgers
0
Racine Legion
3

Oorang Indians
18
Columbus Panhandles
6

Akron Pros
0
Canton Bulldogs
14

Nov. 29, 1923
Toledo Maroons
0
Canton Bulldogs
28

Chicago Cardinals
0
Chicago Bears
3

Hammond Pros
0
Green Bay Packers
19

Milwaukee Badgers
16
Racine Legion
0

Nov. 27, 1924
Buffalo Bisons
0
Akron Pros
22

Chicago Bears
21
Chicago Cardinals
0

Dayton Triangles
7
Frankford Yellowjackets
32

Milwaukee Badgers
10
Cleveland Bulldogs
(at Canton)
53

Green Bay Packers
17
Kansas City Blues
6

Nov. 26, 1925
Chicago Cardinals
0
Chicago Bears
0

Kansas City Cowboys
17
Cleveland Bulldogs
(at Hartford)
0

Rock Island Independents
6
Detroit Panthers
3

Green Bay Packers
0
Pottsville Maroons
31

Nov. 25, 1926
New York Giants
17
Brooklyn Lions
0

Los Angeles Buccaneers
9
Detroit Panthers
6

Chicago Cardinals
0
Chicago Bears
0

Green Bay Packers
14
Frankford Yellowjackets
20

Providence Steam Roller
0
Pottsville Maroons
8

Akron Pros
0
Canton Bulldogs
0

(AFL I) Los Angeles Wildcats
0
Chicago Bulls
0

(AFL I) Philadelphia Quakers
13
New York Yankees
10

Nov. 24, 1927
Chicago Cardinals
3
Chicago Bears
0

Providence Steam Roller
0
Pottsville Maroons
6

Green Bay Packers
17
Frankford Yellowjackets
9

Cleveland Bulldogs
30
New York Yankees
19

Season
Visiting Team
Score
Home Team
Score

Nov. 29, 1928
Providence Steam Roller
7
Pottsville Maroons
0

Dayton Triangles
0
Detroit Wolverines
33

Green Bay Packers
0
Frankford Yellow Jackets
2

Chicago Cardinals
0
Chicago Bears
34

Nov. 28, 1929
New York Giants
21
Staten Island Stapletons
7

Green Bay Packers
0
Frankford Yellow Jackets
0

Chicago Cardinals
40
Chicago Bears
6

Nov. 27, 1930
New York Giants
6
Staten Island Stapletons
7

Providence Steam Roller
12
Brooklyn Dodgers
33

Green Bay Packers
25
Frankford Yellowjackets
7

Chicago Cardinals
0
Chicago Bears
6

Nov. 26, 1931
Green Bay Packers
38
Providence Steam Roller
7

New York Giants
6
Staten Island Stapletons
9

Chicago Cardinals
7
Chicago Bears
18

Nov. 24, 1932
Green Bay Packers
7
Brooklyn Dodgers
0

New York Giants
13
Staten Island Stapletons
13

Chicago Cardinals
0
Chicago Bears
24

Nov. 30, 1933
New York Giants
10
Brooklyn Dodgers
0

Chicago Bears
22
Chicago Cardinals
6

Nov. 29, 1934
Green Bay Packers
0
Chicago Cardinals
6

New York Giants
27
Brooklyn Dodgers
0

Chicago Bears
19
Detroit Lions
16

Nov. 28, 1935
Green Bay Packers
7
Chicago Cardinals
9

New York Giants
21
Brooklyn Dodgers
0

Chicago Bears
2
Detroit Lions
14

Nov. 26, 1936
Chicago Bears
7
Detroit Lions
13

New York Giants
14
Brooklyn Dodgers
0

(AFL II) Cleveland Rams
7
Rochester Tigers
6

Nov. 25, 1937
Chicago Bears
13
Detroit Lions
0

New York Giants
13
Brooklyn Dodgers
13

Nov. 24, 1938
Chicago Bears
7
Detroit Lions
14

New York Giants
7
Brooklyn Dodgers
7

Nov. 23, 1939
Pittsburgh Pirates
14
Philadelphia Eagles
17

Nov. 21, 1940
(AFL III) New York Yankees
16
Columbus Bullies
17

(AFL III) Buffalo Tigers
13
Milwaukee Chiefs
30

Nov. 28, 1940
Pittsburgh Steelers
0
Philadelphia Eagles
7

text:
No Thanksgiving games were held from 1941 to 1944 due to World War II.
Thanksgiving games were played on the fourth Thursday in November from 1945 onward.
The All-America Football Conference (AAFC) also played Thanksgiving games from 1946 to 1949.

text:
Season
League
Visiting Team
Score
Home Team
Score

Nov. 22, 1945
NFL
Cleveland Rams
28
Detroit Lions
21

Nov. 28, 1946
NFL
Boston Yanks
34
Detroit Lions
10

AAFC
New York Yankees
21
Brooklyn Dodgers
7

Nov. 27, 1947
NFL
Chicago Bears
34
Detroit Lions
14

AAFC
Cleveland Browns
27
Los Angeles Dons
17

AAFC
San Francisco 49ers
21
Brooklyn Dodgers
7

Nov. 25, 1948
NFL
Chicago Cardinals
28
Detroit Lions
14

AAFC
Cleveland Browns
31
Los Angeles Dons
14

AAFC
Buffalo Bills
39
Chicago Rockets
35

Nov. 24, 1949
NFL
Chicago Bears
28
Detroit Lions
7

AAFC
New York Yankees
17
Los Angeles Dons
16

AAFC
Cleveland Browns
14
Chicago Hornets
6

Nov. 23, 1950
NFL
New York Yanks
14
Detroit Lions
49

Pittsburgh Steelers
28
Chicago Cardinals
17

Nov. 22, 1951
NFL
Green Bay Packers
35
Detroit Lions
52

Nov. 27, 1952
NFL
Green Bay Packers
24
Detroit Lions
48

Chicago Bears
23
Dallas Texans (at Akron, Ohio)
27

Nov. 26, 1953
NFL
Green Bay Packers
15
Detroit Lions
34

Nov. 25, 1954
NFL
Green Bay Packers
24
Detroit Lions
28

Nov. 24, 1955
NFL
Green Bay Packers
10
Detroit Lions
24

Nov. 22, 1956
NFL
Green Bay Packers
24
Detroit Lions
20

Nov. 28, 1957
NFL
Green Bay Packers
6
Detroit Lions
18

Nov. 27, 1958
NFL
Green Bay Packers
14
Detroit Lions
24

Nov. 26, 1959
NFL
Green Bay Packers
24
Detroit Lions
17

text:
The American Football League (AFL) also played Thanksgiving Day games during this decade.
The Dallas Cowboys started playing their traditional series in 1966.

text:
Season
League
Visiting Team
Score
Home Team
Score

Nov. 24, 1960
NFL
Green Bay Packers
10
Detroit Lions
23

AFL
Dallas Texans
35
New York Titans
41

Nov. 23, 1961
NFL
Green Bay Packers
17
Detroit Lions
9

AFL
Buffalo Bills
14
New York Titans
21

Nov. 22, 1962
NFL
Green Bay Packers
14
Detroit Lions
26

AFL
New York Titans
46
Denver Broncos
45

Nov. 28, 1963
NFL
Green Bay Packers
13
Detroit Lions
13

AFL
Oakland Raiders
26
Denver Broncos
10

Nov. 26, 1964
NFL
Chicago Bears
27
Detroit Lions
24

AFL
Buffalo Bills
27
San Diego Chargers
24

Nov. 25, 1965
NFL
Baltimore Colts
24
Detroit Lions
24

AFL
Buffalo Bills
20
San Diego Chargers
20

Nov. 24, 1966
NFL
San Francisco 49ers
41
Detroit Lions
14

Cleveland Browns
14
Dallas Cowboys
26

AFL
Buffalo Bills
31
Oakland Raiders
10

Nov. 23, 1967
NFL
Los Angeles Rams
31
Detroit Lions
7

St. Louis Cardinals
21
Dallas Cowboys
46

AFL
Oakland Raiders
44
Kansas City Chiefs
22

Denver Broncos
20
San Diego Chargers
24

Nov. 28, 1968
NFL
Philadelphia Eagles
12
Detroit Lions
0

Washington Redskins
20
Dallas Cowboys
29

AFL
Buffalo Bills
10
Oakland Raiders
13

Houston Oilers
10
Kansas City Chiefs
24

Nov. 27, 1969
NFL
Minnesota Vikings
27
Detroit Lions
0

San Francisco 49ers
24
Dallas Cowboys
24

AFL
Denver Broncos
17
Kansas City Chiefs
31

San Diego Chargers
21
Houston Oilers
17

text:
From 1970 to 2005, three NFC teams and one AFC team played each Thanksgiving.
The two afternoon games were held at Detroit (12:30 p.m. EST) and Dallas (4:15 p.m. EST), respectively. Detroit always hosts the "early" game because a 12:30 p.m. EST kick-off at Dallas would be 11:30 a.m. local time (CST), and the NFL avoids starting games before noon locally. The two games rotate annually as intra-conference (NFC vs. NFC) and inter-conference (AFC vs. NFC) games. This is to satisfy the television contract balance between CBS (which broadcasts games in which the visiting team is from the AFC) and Fox (which broadcasts games in which the visiting team is from the NFC).
The "early" game kicks off at a special time of 12:30 p.m. EST as opposed to the typical afternoon start time of 1 p.m. This provides an additional 30 minutes to prevent overlapping of the "late" game, and also gave the network time for a pregame show and some additional time for an expanded halftime show (selected years). When Fox carries the "early" game, they typically start their pregame coverage (Fox NFL Sunday) at 11:30 a.m. (with the addition of Fox NFL Kickoff to the Fox lineup, its pregame will begin at 10:30 a.m. for 2015). When CBS carries the "early" game, they start their pregame coverage (The NFL Today) at 12:00 p.m., due to the fact that their morning parade coverage runs until noon. The network with the 4:15 "late" game begins pregame coverage at 3:30 p.m. EST.
Dallas was replaced by the St. Louis Cardinals as a host team in 1975 and 1977; Dallas and St. Louis faced each other at Texas Stadium in 1976. Because of the Missouri Turkey Day Game, the long-established Kirkwood–Webster Groves high school football game that takes place on Thanksgiving in St. Louis, weak fan support in St. Louis, and general national preference of the Cowboys over the historically weaker Cardinals, the Cardinals' hosting of the Thanksgiving game was not popular. Dallas returned to hosting the game in 1978 and has hosted since. Likewise, the Rams never played on Thanksgiving while in St. Louis, in part because of the Turkey Day Game and also because the Missouri State High School Activities Association has held its state football championship games on Thanksgiving weekend at The Dome at America's Center since 1996.
Since the time NFL began its current alignment in 2002, no team from the AFC North can play a Thanksgiving Day game against the traditional hosts. This is because under the current rotation, the Cowboys and the Lions each play AFC North teams in years that FOX is scheduled to broadcast its Thanksgiving Day game, requiring an NFC opponent. To date, the last game to feature a team currently in the AFC North was the Lions matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1998. AFC North teams can play in the prime time game, as the Cincinnati Bengals did in 2010.

text:
Season
Visiting Team
Score
Home Team
Score
OT

Nov. 26, 1970
Oakland Raiders
14
Detroit Lions
28

Green Bay Packers
3
Dallas Cowboys
16

Nov. 25, 1971
Kansas City Chiefs
21
Detroit Lions
32

Los Angeles Rams
21
Dallas Cowboys
28

Nov. 23, 1972
New York Jets
20
Detroit Lions
37

San Francisco 49ers
31
Dallas Cowboys
10

Nov. 22, 1973
Washington Redskins
20
Detroit Lions
0

Miami Dolphins
14
Dallas Cowboys
7

Nov. 28, 1974
Denver Broncos
31
Detroit Lions
27

Washington Redskins
23
Dallas Cowboys
24

Nov. 27, 1975
Los Angeles Rams
20
Detroit Lions
0

Buffalo Bills
32
St. Louis Cardinals
14

Nov. 25, 1976
Buffalo Bills
14
Detroit Lions
27

St. Louis Cardinals
14
Dallas Cowboys
19

Nov. 24, 1977
Chicago Bears
31
Detroit Lions
14

Miami Dolphins
55
St. Louis Cardinals
14

Nov. 23, 1978
Denver Broncos
14
Detroit Lions
17

Washington Redskins
10
Dallas Cowboys
37

Nov. 22, 1979
Chicago Bears
0
Detroit Lions
20

Houston Oilers
30
Dallas Cowboys
24

Nov. 27, 1980
Chicago Bears
23
Detroit Lions
17
(OT)

Seattle Seahawks
7
Dallas Cowboys
51

Nov. 26, 1981
Kansas City Chiefs
10
Detroit Lions
27

Chicago Bears
9
Dallas Cowboys
10

Nov. 25, 1982
New York Giants
13
Detroit Lions
6

Cleveland Browns
14
Dallas Cowboys
31

Nov. 24, 1983
Pittsburgh Steelers
3
Detroit Lions
45

St. Louis Cardinals
17
Dallas Cowboys
35

Nov. 22, 1984
Green Bay Packers
28
Detroit Lions
31

New England Patriots
17
Dallas Cowboys
20

Nov. 28, 1985
New York Jets
20
Detroit Lions
31

St. Louis Cardinals
17
Dallas Cowboys
35

Nov. 27, 1986
Green Bay Packers
44
Detroit Lions
40

Seattle Seahawks
31
Dallas Cowboys
14

Nov. 26, 1987
Kansas City Chiefs
27
Detroit Lions
20

Minnesota Vikings
44
Dallas Cowboys
38
(OT)

Nov. 24, 1988
Minnesota Vikings
23
Detroit Lions
0

Houston Oilers
25
Dallas Cowboys
17

Nov. 23, 1989
Cleveland Browns
10
Detroit Lions
13

Philadelphia Eagles
27
Dallas Cowboys
0

Nov. 22, 1990
Denver Broncos
27
Detroit Lions
40

Washington Redskins
17
Dallas Cowboys
27

Nov. 28, 1991
Chicago Bears
6
Detroit Lions
16

Pittsburgh Steelers
10
Dallas Cowboys
20

Nov. 26, 1992
Houston Oilers
24
Detroit Lions
21

New York Giants
3
Dallas Cowboys
30

Nov. 25, 1993
Chicago Bears
10
Detroit Lions
6

Miami Dolphins
16
Dallas Cowboys
14

Nov. 24, 1994
Buffalo Bills
21
Detroit Lions
35

Green Bay Packers
31
Dallas Cowboys
42

Nov. 23, 1995
Minnesota Vikings
38
Detroit Lions
44

Kansas City Chiefs
12
Dallas Cowboys
24

Nov. 28, 1996
Kansas City Chiefs
28
Detroit Lions
24

Washington Redskins
10
Dallas Cowboys
21

Nov. 27, 1997
Chicago Bears
20
Detroit Lions
55

Tennessee Oilers
27
Dallas Cowboys
14

Nov. 26, 1998
Pittsburgh Steelers
16
Detroit Lions
19
(OT)

Minnesota Vikings
46
Dallas Cowboys
36

Nov. 25, 1999
Chicago Bears
17
Detroit Lions
21

Miami Dolphins
0
Dallas Cowboys
20

Nov. 23, 2000
New England Patriots
9
Detroit Lions
34

Minnesota Vikings
27
Dallas Cowboys
15

Nov. 22, 2001
Green Bay Packers
29
Detroit Lions
27

Denver Broncos
26
Dallas Cowboys
24

Nov. 28, 2002
New England Patriots
20
Detroit Lions
12

Washington Redskins
20
Dallas Cowboys
27

Nov. 27, 2003
Green Bay Packers
14
Detroit Lions
22

Miami Dolphins
40
Dallas Cowboys
21

Nov. 25, 2004
Indianapolis Colts
41
Detroit Lions
9

Chicago Bears
7
Dallas Cowboys
21

Nov. 24, 2005
Atlanta Falcons
27
Detroit Lions
7

Denver Broncos
24
Dallas Cowboys
21
(OT)

text:
Since 2006, three contests have been played on Thanksgiving. In addition to the traditional Detroit and Dallas home afternoon games, a third game is now played in primetime and televised by NFL Network (2006–2011) or NBC (since 2012). Current plans call for the various NFL teams (other than the Lions and Cowboys) to take turns hosting the night game on a rotation basis.
In 2006, Kansas City hosted the first prime time Thanksgiving game. The game marked a new "Thanksgiving Tripleheader" tradition. The Denver/Kansas City game marked the first time more than two games were played on Thanksgiving (as well as the first all-AFC holiday matchup) since the AFL–NFL merger in 1970.
Rule changes in the 2012–2022 television contracts permit "cross flexing", whereby selected games can be switched between CBS and FOX, effectively allowing CBS to schedule an NFC vs. NFC matchup on Thanksgiving Day rather than an AFC at NFC game. The 2014 season was the first in which all three games feature NFC vs. NFC opponents under these rules; the league again scheduled an all-NFC Thanksgiving for 2015.[32]

text:
Season
Visiting Team
Score
Home Team
Score
OT

Nov. 23, 2006
Miami Dolphins
27
Detroit Lions
10

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
10
Dallas Cowboys
38

Denver Broncos
10
Kansas City Chiefs
19

Nov. 22, 2007
Green Bay Packers
37
Detroit Lions
26

New York Jets
3
Dallas Cowboys
34

Indianapolis Colts
31
Atlanta Falcons
13

Nov. 27, 2008
Tennessee Titans
47
Detroit Lions
10

Seattle Seahawks
9
Dallas Cowboys
34

Arizona Cardinals
20
Philadelphia Eagles
48

Nov. 26, 2009
Green Bay Packers
34
Detroit Lions
12

Oakland Raiders
7
Dallas Cowboys
24

New York Giants
6
Denver Broncos
26

Nov. 25, 2010
New England Patriots
45
Detroit Lions
24

New Orleans Saints
30
Dallas Cowboys
27

Cincinnati Bengals
10
New York Jets
26

Nov. 24, 2011
Green Bay Packers
27
Detroit Lions
15

Miami Dolphins
19
Dallas Cowboys
20

San Francisco 49ers
6
Baltimore Ravens
16

Nov. 22, 2012
Houston Texans
34
Detroit Lions
31
(OT)

Washington Redskins
38
Dallas Cowboys
31

New England Patriots
49
New York Jets
19

Nov. 28, 2013
Green Bay Packers
10
Detroit Lions
40

Oakland Raiders
24
Dallas Cowboys
31

Pittsburgh Steelers
20
Baltimore Ravens
22

Nov. 27, 2014
Chicago Bears
17
Detroit Lions
34

Philadelphia Eagles
33
Dallas Cowboys
10

Seattle Seahawks
19
San Francisco 49ers
3

Nov. 26, 2015
Philadelphia Eagles
14
Detroit Lions
45

Carolina Panthers
33
Dallas Cowboys
14

Chicago Bears
17
Green Bay Packers
13

Nov. 24, 2016
Minnesota Vikings
13
Detroit Lions
16

Washington Redskins
26
Dallas Cowboys
31

Pittsburgh Steelers
28
Indianapolis Colts
7

Nov. 23, 2017
Minnesota Vikings
30
Detroit Lions
23

Los Angeles Chargers
28
Dallas Cowboys
6

New York Giants
10
Washington Redskins
20

text: Thanksgiving Day standings[edit]

text: Of current NFL franchises. This includes American Football League (AFL) games; however, it does not include All-America Football Conference (AAFC) games.

text:
Team
Last Game
Wins
Losses
Ties
Win %
Other names appeared under

Baltimore Ravens
2013
2
0

1.000

Carolina Panthers
2015
1
0

1.000

Houston Texans
2012
1
0

1.000

New Orleans Saints
2010
1
0

1.000

Philadelphia Eagles
2015
7
1

.875

Minnesota Vikings
2017
6
2

.750

Los Angeles Rams
1975
3
1

.750
Cleveland Rams (1937–1945), does not include 1936 AFL's Cleveland Rams

Miami Dolphins
2011
5
2

.714

Tennessee Titans
2008
5
2

.714
Houston Oilers (1960–1996)
Tennessee Oilers (1997–1998)

Indianapolis Colts
2016
2
1
1
.625
Baltimore Colts (1953–1983)

Los Angeles Chargers
2017
3
1
1
.625
San Diego Chargers (1961–2016)

Dallas Cowboys
2017
30
19
1
.622

New York Giants
2017
7
6
3
.607

New England Patriots
2012
3
2

.600

Chicago Bears
2015
17
15
2
.529
Decatur Staleys (1920)
Chicago Staleys (1921)

Kansas City Chiefs
2006
5
5

.500
Dallas Texans (1960–1962), does not include 1–0 record of unrelated NFL Dallas Texans.

New York Jets
2012
4
4

.500
New York Titans (1960–1962)

San Francisco 49ers
2014
2
2
1
.500
Does not include 1–0 record when team was a member of the AAFC.

Seattle Seahawks
2014
2
2

.500

Atlanta Falcons
2007
1
1

.500

Detroit Lions
2017
37
39
2
.494

Buffalo Bills
1994
3
4
1
.438
Does not include 1–0 record of unrelated AAFC team of same name.

Oakland Raiders
2013
3
4

.429

Green Bay Packers
2015
14
20
2
.417

Denver Broncos
2009
4
7

.364

Arizona Cardinals
2008
6
15
2
.304
Chicago Cardinals (1920–1959)
St. Louis Cardinals (1960–1987)
Phoenix Cardinals (1988–1993)

Pittsburgh Steelers
2016
2
6

.250

Washington Redskins
2017
4
7

.364

Cincinnati Bengals
2010
0
1

.000

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2006
0
1

.000

Cleveland Browns
1989
0
3

.000
Does not include 3–0 record when team was a member of the AAFC.

Jacksonville Jaguars
None
0
0

–
Only active franchise to have never played on Thanksgiving.

text: Notable appearance droughts[edit]

text: The last currently active franchise to have never played on Thanksgiving through 2017 is the Jacksonville Jaguars, who joined the league in 1995.

text: An idiosyncrasy in the NFL's current scheduling formula, which has been in effect since 2002 and revised in 2010, effectively prevents teams from the AFC North from playing the Lions or Cowboys on Thanksgiving, as the formula has the AFC North playing in Dallas or Detroit in years when the other team is slated to play the AFC game on Thanksgiving. These teams can, under the 2014 television contracts, play only in the third (night) game; should cross-flex be expanded to Thursdays or Fox win the Thursday Night contract in 2018 (either scenario would allow both Fox and CBS to carry AFC games), this idiosyncrasy will be eliminated.

text: The Los Angeles Rams have the longest active appearance drought of any team, with their last appearance coming in 1975. Among current NFL markets, Cleveland has had the longest wait to have a team from its city play on Thanksgiving; the Browns last appeared in 1989, several years before being suspended in the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy, and have not appeared in the game since rejoining the league as an expansion team.

text: Since 2010, the league has made efforts to end the longest droughts. New Orleans, Cincinnati, Baltimore, Houston, and Carolina all played their first Thanksgiving games during this time frame. San Francisco likewise played their first Thanksgiving game since 1972 in 2011, and the Los Angeles Chargers, who last played on the holiday in 1969 (while the team was still an AFL franchise in San Diego) before actually joining the league, appeared for the first time as an NFL member in 2017.[33]

text: Thanksgiving Day records of defunct teams[edit]

text:
Team
Wins
Losses
Ties
Win Pct.
Other names appeared under

Frankford Yellow Jackets
2
0

1.000
Defunct (1931)

New York Yankees*
2
0

1.000
Defunct (1949)

Pottsville Maroons
2
0

1.000
Defunct (1928)

Boston Yanks
1
0

1.000
Defunct (1948)

Buffalo Bills*
1
0

1.000
Defunct (1949), unrelated to current NFL team with this name

Dallas Texans
1
0

1.000
Defunct (1952), does not count AFL's Dallas Texans, which are now the Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Buccaneers
1
0

1.000
Defunct (1926)

Oorang Indians
1
0

1.000
Defunct (1923)

Rock Island Independents
1
0

1.000
Defunct (1925)

All-Tonawanda Lumberjacks
1
0

1.000
Defunct (1921)

Akron Pros
3
1
1
.700
Defunct (1926)

Buffalo Bisons
1
1
1
.500
Buffalo All-Americans (1920–1923), Defunct (1929)

Canton Bulldogs
1
1
1
.500
Defunct (1926)

Cleveland Bulldogs
1
1

.500
Defunct (1927)

Dayton Triangles
1
1

.500
Defunct (1929)

Kansas City Cowboys
1
1

.500
Kansas City Blues (1924), Defunct (1926)

Milwaukee Badgers
1
1

.500
Defunct (1926)

Brooklyn Lions
0
1

.000
Defunct (1926)

Chicago Tigers
0
1

.000
Defunct (1920)

Detroit Heralds
0
1

.000
Defunct (1920)

New York Yanks
0
1

.000
Defunct (1950)

Providence Steam Roller
0
1

.000
Defunct (1931)

Racine Legion
0
1

.000
Defunct (1926)

Toledo Maroons
0
1

.000
Defunct (1923)

Brooklyn Dodgers*
0
2

.000
Defunct (1949)

Chicago Hornets*
0
2

.000
Chicago Rockets (1946–1948), Defunct (1949)

Columbus Panhandles
0
2

.000
Defunct (1926)

Detroit Panthers
0
2

.000
Defunct (1926)

Hammond Pros
0
2

.000
Defunct (1926)

Rochester Jeffersons
0
2

.000
Defunct (1925)

Los Angeles Dons*
0
3

.000
Defunct (1949)

text: *All-America Football Conference team.

text: Game MVPs[edit]

text: Since 1989, informal and sometimes lighthearted Man of the Match awards have been issued by the networks broadcasting the respective games. Running back Emmitt Smith holds the record for most Thanksgiving MVPs with five (1990, 1992, 1994, 1996 and 2002). Voting on the respective awards is typically done informally by the announcing crew themselves, and criteria are loose. Noteworthy statistical accomplishments weigh heavily, and "group" awards are common. The announcement of the winner(s), and the presentation of the award is normally done immediately following the game, during post-game network coverage.

text: Turkey Leg Award (CBS & FOX)[edit]

text: In 1989, John Madden of CBS awarded the first "Turkey Leg Award", for the game's most valuable player. Pursuant to its name, it was an actual cooked turkey leg, and players typically took a celebratory bite out of the leg for the cameras during post-game interviews. Reggie White of the Eagles was the first recipient. The gesture was seen mostly as a humorous gimmick relating to Madden's famous multi-legged turkey,[34] cooked and delivered by local restaurant owner Joe Pat Fieseler of Harvey's Barbecue (located less than a mile from Texas Stadium). Since then, however, the award has gained subtle notoriety. Madden brought the award to FOX in 1994, and it continued through 2001.

text: Because of the loose and informal nature of the award, at times it has been awarded to multiple players. On one occasion in 1994, it was given to players of both teams.

text: Galloping Gobbler / Game Ball (FOX)[edit]

text: When John Madden left FOX after 2001, the network introduced a new award starting in 2002, named the "Galloping Gobbler." It was represented by a small figurine of a silver turkey wearing a football helmet[35] striking a Heisman-like pose.[36] Much like Cleatus and Digger, the original Galloping Gobbler trophy reflected Fox's irreverent mascots, and went through several iterations.[35] Unimpressed by its tackiness, 2002 winner Emmitt Smith (who holds the record for most Thanksgiving MVP awards and had won the Turkey Leg Award four previous times) famously threw his in a trash can.[35]

text: In 2007, the kitschy statuette was replaced with a bronze-colored statue of a nondescript turkey holding a football.[36] In 2011, the trophies were discarded altogether and replaced by an attractive plaque. Unlike the aforementioned "Turkey Leg Award", the "Galloping Gobbler" is normally awarded to only one player annually,[37] however in 2016, co-winners were honored.[38]

text: For 2017, the Galloping Gobbler was permanently retired, and replaced with the "Game Ball," an stylish, ornate football-shaped trophy, reminiscent of the tradition where game-used balls are typically awarded to players of the game. No one at Fox seemed to notice the first ball awarded has the stripe markings of a college ball.

text: All-Iron Award (CBS)[edit]

text: When the NFL returned to CBS in 1998, they introduced their own award, the "All-Iron Award", which is, suitably enough, a small silver iron, a reference to Phil Simms' All-Iron team for toughness. The All-Iron winner also receives a skillet of blackberry cobbler made by Simms' mother.

text: Through 2006, the trophy was only awarded to one player annually. Occasionally, it has been issued as a "group award" in addition to a single player award. In 2008, Simms stated it was "too close to call" and named four players to the trophy; he then gave the award to several people every year until 2013, after which he reverted to a single MVP in 2014.

text: Simms was removed from the broadcast booth for the 2017 season and no player of the game was chosen that year.

text: Prime time games (NFLN & NBC)[edit]

text: During the time when NFL Network held the broadcast rights the prime time game, from 2007 to 2011 they gave out the "Pudding Pie Award" for MVPs. The award was an actual pie. In 2009, NFL Network gave Brandon Marshall a pumpkin pie rather than the chocolate pudding pie of the previous two years.

text: NBC, which carried Thanksgiving afternoon games through 1997, did not issue an MVP award during that time. NBC began broadcasting the Thanksgiving prime time game in 2012, at which point the MVP award was added. The award is currently called the Sunday Night Football on Thanksgiving Night Player of the Game, and is typically awarded to multiple players on the winning team.[39] From 2012 to 2015, the NBC award was referred to as the "Madden Thanksgiving Player-of-the-Game", honoring John Madden (who announced NBC games from 2006 to 2008).[40][41] In the first few years, the award specifically went to players on both offense and defense, but in recent years, defensive players have not necessarily been recognized. The winning players are presented with ceremonial game balls and, as a gesture to Madden, a cooked turkey leg.[42]

text: Complete list[edit]

text:
CBS Turkey Leg Award

Year
MVP (Team)

1989
Reggie White (Phi)

1990
Troy Aikman & Emmitt Smith (Dal)

1991
Barry Sanders (Det)

1992
Emmitt Smith & Cowboys Offensive line

1993
Richard Dent (Chi)

CBS All-Iron Award

1998
Stephen Boyd (Det)

1999
Dexter Coakley (Dal)

2000
Charlie Batch (Det)

2001
Mike Anderson (Den)

2002
Troy Brown (NE)

2003
Jay Fiedler & Chris Chambers (Mia)

2004
Peyton Manning & Colts Offensive line

2005
Ron Dayne (Den)

2006
Joey Harrington (Mia)

2007
Tony Romo & Cowboys defense*

2008
Albert Haynesworth (Ten)
Chris Johnson (Ten)
Kevin Mawae (Ten)
LenDale White (Ten)

2009
Miles Austin (Dal)
Tony Romo (Dal)
Jason Witten (Dal)

2010
Tom Brady (NE)

2011
DeMarcus Ware (Dal)

2012
Andre Johnson (Hou)
Matt Schaub (Hou)
J.J. Watt (Hou)

2013
Tony Romo (Dal)
DeMarco Murray (Dal)
Lance Dunbar (Dal)
HM: Matthew McGloin (Oak)

2014
Calvin Johnson (Det)

2015
Luke Kuechly (Car)
Jerricho Cotchery (Car)
Kurt Coleman (Car)
Cam Newton (Car)

2016
Matt Prater (Det)
Darius Slay (Det)
Matthew Stafford (Det)

2017
no award

FOX Turkey Leg Award

Year
MVP (Team)

1994
Emmitt Smith & Jason Garrett (Dal)
Brett Favre & Sterling Sharpe (GB)

1995
Herman Moore (Det)
Brett Perriman (Det)
Johnnie Morton (Det)

1996
Emmitt Smith (Dal)

1997
Luther Ellis (Det)

1998
Randy Moss (Min)

1999
Gus Frerotte (Det)
Greg Hill (Det)
Johnnie Morton (Det)
Robert Porcher (Det)

2000
Robert Smith (Min)
Randy Moss (Min)
Daunte Culpepper (Min)
Cris Carter (Min)

2001
Brett Favre & Ahman Green (GB)

FOX Galloping Gobbler Award

2002
Emmitt Smith (Dal)

2003
Dré Bly (Det)

2004
Julius Jones (Dal)

2005
Michael Vick (Atl)

2006
Tony Romo (Dal)

2007
Brett Favre (GB)

2008
DeMarcus Ware (Dal)

2009
Donald Driver (GB)

2010
Drew Brees (NO)

2011
Aaron Rodgers (GB)

2012
Robert Griffin III (Was)

2013
Reggie Bush (Det)

2014
LeSean McCoy (Phi)

2015
Matthew Stafford (Det)

2016
Dak Prescott & Ezekiel Elliott (Dal)

FOX Game Ball

2017
Case Keenum (Min)

NFLN Pudding Pie Award

Year
MVP (Team)

2006
Not given

2007
Reggie Wayne (Ind)

2008
Donovan McNabb & Brian Westbrook (Phi)

2009
Brandon Marshall (Den)

2010
Brad Smith & Darrelle Revis (NYJ)

2011
Terrell Suggs (Bal)

NBC Player of the Game

2012
Tom Brady (NE)
Vince Wilfork (NE)
Steve Gregory (NE)

2013
Jacoby Jones (Bal)
Justin Tucker (Bal)

2014
Russell Wilson (Sea)
Richard Sherman (Sea)

2015
Jay Cutler (Chi)
Tracy Porter (Chi)

2016
Le'Veon Bell (Pit)
Ben Roethlisberger (Pit)
Antonio Brown (Pit)

2017
Kirk Cousins (Was)
Jamison Crowder (Was)
Ryan Kerrigan (Was)

text:
Of the members of the 2007 Cowboys defense, Chris Canty, DeMarcus Ware, Terence Newman and Greg Ellis were particularly noted.
In 2017 no official CBS award was handed out, though Phillip Rivers (Chargers) was interviewed after the game during post-game coverage.

text: Broadcasting[edit]

text: DuMont was the first network to televise Thanksgiving games in 1953; CBS took over in 1956, and in 1965, the first ever color television broadcast of an NFL game was the Thanksgiving match between the Lions and the Baltimore Colts.

text: Starting in 2012, all three broadcast networks with NFL rights will carry one game apiece. The first two games are split between CBS and Fox. These games are rotated annually, with CBS getting the 12:30 p.m. (EST) "early" game, and Fox getting the 4:25 p.m. "late" game in even-numbered years, while Fox likewise gets the "early" game and CBS the "late" game in odd-numbered years. The third game, with a prime time 8:30 p.m. start, is carried by NBC[43]. The NFL may involve the Flexible Scheduling rule in the future to reassign games if the night game has less importance than the Dallas or Detroit game.

text: Westwood One holds national radio broadcast rights to all three games, with Compass Media Networks sharing rights to the Cowboys contest. (Under league rules, only radio stations that carry at least 12 Cowboys games in a season are allowed to carry the Compass broadcast.) The participating teams also air the games on their local flagship stations and regional radio networks.

text: The Cowboys Thanksgiving game has regularly been the most watched NFL regular season telecast each year, with the Lions Thanksgiving game usually in the top five.


document_title: List of films that most frequently use the word "fuck"

question_text: record number of f words in a movie

question_tokens: record number of f words in a movie

root

text: List of films by number of uses

text:
Film
Year
Fuck count
Minutes
Uses/minute
Source
Ref.

Swearnet: The Movie
2014
935
112
8.35

[7]

Fuck—a documentary on the word[8]
2005
857
93
9.21

[9][10]

The Wolf of Wall Street
2013
569
180
3.16
SI
[11][12][13]

Summer of Sam
1999
435
142
3.06
PO
[14]

Nil by Mouth
1997
428
128
3.34
SI
[15]

Casino
1995
422
178
2.40
FMG
[16]

Straight Outta Compton
2015
392
167
2.35
SI
[17]

Alpha Dog
2007
367
118
3.11
SI
[18]

End of Watch
2012
326
109
2.99
KIM
[19]

Twin Town
1997
318
99
3.21
SI
[20]

Running Scared
2006
315
122
2.58
SI
[21]

Sweet Sixteen
2002
313
106
2.95
DR
[22]

Martin Lawrence Live: Runteldat
2002
311
113
2.75
SI
[23]

Menace II Society
1993
305
98
3.11
PO
[24]

Goodfellas
1990
300
146
2.05
FMG
[25]

Narc
2002
297
105
2.82
FMG
[26]

Harsh Times
2006
296
120
2.46
SI
[27]

Made
2001
291
94
3.09
FMG
[28]

Another Day in Paradise
1998
291
101
2.88
SI
[29]

Pride and Glory
2008
291
125
2.32
SI
[30]

Dirty
2005
280
97
2.88
FMG
[31]

I'm Still Here
2010
280
107
2.40
FMG
[32]

Jarhead
2005
278
123
2.26
SI
[33]

Bully
2001
274
113
2.42
FMG
[34]

State Property 2
2005
271
94
2.88
SI
[35]

Brooklyn's Finest
2010
270
140
1.93
SI
[36]

Reservoir Dogs
1992
269
99
2.71
FMG
[37]

Pulp Fiction
1994
265
154
1.72
FMG
[38]

The Big Lebowski
1998
260
117
2.22
FMG
[39]

Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back
2001
248
104
2.38
FMG
[40]

Free Fire
2016
240
90
2.67
KIM
[41]

Do the Right Thing
1989
240
120
2.00
SD
[42]

The Boondock Saints
1999
239
110
2.17
FMG
[43]

The Departed
2006
237
151
1.56
SI
[44]

Empire
2002
236
90
2.62
FMG
[45]

True Romance
1993
234
121
1.93
FMG
[46]

Black Mass
2015
234
122
1.92
SI
[47]

Goon
2012
231
93
2.48
KIM
[48]

My Name Is Joe
1998
230
105
2.19
SI
[49]

State of Grace
1990
230
134
1.71
FMG
[50]

Gridlock'd
1997
227
91
2.49
SI
[51]

The Devil's Rejects
2005
224
109
2.06
FMG
[52]

Eddie Murphy Raw
1987
223
90
2.47
FMG
[53]

Suicide Kings
1997
222
106
2.09
FMG
[54]

Zack and Miri Make a Porno
2008
219
101
2.16
SI
[55]

30 Minutes or Less
2011
218
83
2.17
KIM
[56]

Black and White
1999
215
98
2.19
SI
[57]

American History X
1998
214
119
1.79
FMG
[58]

The Original Kings of Comedy
2000
213
115
1.85
FMG
[59]

Hot Tub Time Machine
2010
212
100
2.12
SI
[60]

Monument Ave.
1998
210
93
2.25
PO
[61]

Layer Cake
2004
210
105
2.00
FMG
[62]

All Eyez on Me
2017
210
140
1.50
PI
[3]

Scarface
1983
207
170
1.21
FMG
[63]

Spun
2002
203
101
2.00
FMG
[64]

Dysfunktional Family
2003
200
89
2.24
SI
[65]

Foolish
1999
200
97
2.06
SI
[66]

This Is The End
2013
200
106
1.88
KIM
[67]

8 Mile
2002
200
110
1.81
SI
[68]

22 Jump Street
2014
200
112
1.78
PI
[69]

A Bronx Tale
1993
200
122
1.63
FMG
[70]

I Got the Hook Up
1998
197
93
2.11
SI
[71]

Sabotage
2014
196
109
1.80
SI
[72]

Born on the Fourth of July
1989
196
145
1.35
FMG
[73]

Next Day Air
2009
193
84
2.23
SI
[74]

Killing Them Softly
2012
193
97
1.99
SI
[75]

Overnight
2003
191
82
2.32
FMG
[76]

Ten Benny
1996
190
108
1.75
KIM
[77]

Superbad
2007
190
118
1.61
SI
[78]

Magnolia
1999
190
188
1.01
FMG
[79]

Monster
2003
187
110
1.70
FMG
[80]

Belly
1998
186
96
1.93
SI
[81]

Hustle & Flow
2005
186
115
1.61
FMG
[82]

The Wall
2017
185
82
2.26
PI
[4]

Clockers
1995
185
128
1.44
PO
[83]

Get Rich or Die Tryin'
2005
185
134
1.38
FMG
[84]

Bad Santa 2
2016
180
92
1.96
KIM
[85]

The 51st State
2001
180
93
1.93
FMG
[86]

Flawless
1999
178
112
1.58
FMG
[87]

Slam
1998
176
100
1.76
SI
[88]

Poetic Justice
1993
175
109
1.60
PO
[89]

Pineapple Express
2008
175
111
1.57
SI
[90]

Project X
2012
175
88
1.98
KIM
[91]

Human Traffic
1999
174
100
1.74
PO
[92]

Bad Santa
2003
173
98
1.76
FMG
[93]

Tigerland
2000
173
100
1.73
MR
[94]

Donnie Brasco
1997
172
127
1.35
FMG
[95]

Backstage
2000
170
86
1.97
SI
[96]

The Commitments
1991
169
118
1.43
FMG
[97]

Grindhouse
2007
169
191
0.88
SI
[98]

Four Rooms
1995
168
98
1.71
FMG
[99]

Death of a Dynasty
2003
167
93
1.79
KIM
[100]

Gang Related
1997
165
102
1.61
SI
[101]

Crank: High Voltage
2009
164
96
1.71
SI
[102]

Funny People
2009
164
153
1.01
SI
[103]

Boogie Nights
1997
164
155
1.05
FMG
[104]

Formula 51
2001
163
93
1.75
SI
[105]

Blood In Blood Out
1993
163
190
0.85
PO
[106]

21 and Over
2013
162
93
1.74
KIM
[107]

The Grey
2012
161
117
1.30
SI
[108]

Lone Survivor
2013
161
121
1.33
SI
[109]

Sausage Party
2016
160
89
1.80
PI
[110]

Good Time
2017
160
100
1.60
PI
[5]

Dirty Grandpa
2016
160
102
1.57
KIM
[111]

Snatch
2000
159
102
1.55
FMG
[112][113]

Platoon
1986
159
120
1.32
FMG
[114]

Blue Collar
1978
158
114
1.39
TFF
[115]

The Heat
2013
158
117
1.35
KIM
[116]

Colors
1988
157
120
1.30
FMG
[117]

Dead Presidents
1995
157
119
1.32
PO
[118]

That's My Boy
2012
156
116
1.35
SI
[119]

Magic Mike
2012
156
110
1.42
KIM
[120]

Intermission
2003
155
106
1.46
FMG
[121]

The Town
2010
155
125
1.26
SI
[122]

Legend
2015
155
131
1.18
SI
[123]

The Blair Witch Project
1999
154
86
1.79
FMG
[124]

Notorious
2009
154
123
1.25
SI
[125]

Good Will Hunting
1997
154
126
1.22
FMG
[126]

Boiler Room
2000
153
118
1.29
SI
[127]

Bad Boys II
2003
153
147
1.04
FMG
[128]

All About the Benjamins
2002
151
99
1.53
SI
[129]

Ash Wednesday
2002
151
99
1.53
FMG
[130]

Soul Men
2008
151
103
1.46
SI
[131]

Smokin' Stogies
2001
151
102
1.48
FMG
[132]

In the Name of the Father
1993
151
127
1.19
FMG
[133]

Clerks II
2006
150
97
1.55
PI
[134]

The Night Before
2015
150
101
1.49
KIM
[135]

Everybody Wants Some!!
2016
150
117
1.28
PI
[136]

Patriots Day
2016
150
130
1.15
SI
[137]

Hoffa
1992
150
140
1.07
FMG
[138]

The Place Beyond the Pines
2012
150
140
1.07
SI
[139]

American Honey
2016
150
163
0.92
KIM
[140]

tag: table

text: Record progression

text:
Film
Year
Fuck count
Minutes
Uses/minute

Blue Collar
1978
158
114
1.39

Scarface
1983
207
170
1.21

Eddie Murphy Raw
1987
223
90
2.47

Do the Right Thing
1989
240
120
2

Goodfellas
1990
300
146
2.05

Menace II Society
1993
305
98
3.11

Casino
1995
422
178
2.4

Nil by Mouth
1997
428
128
3.34

Summer of Sam
1999
435
142
3.06

The Wolf of Wall Street
2013
569
180
3.16

Swearnet: The Movie
2014
935
112
8.35


document_title: Last Man Standing (U.S. TV series)

question_text: who plays mike baxter's brother on last man standing

question_tokens: who plays mike baxter 's brother on last man standing

text: Last Man Standing (U.S. TV series)

text: Premise[edit]

text: The series follows Mike Baxter, a senior executive and director of marketing for an outdoor sporting goods store chain based in Denver, Colorado. His home life is initially filled with his wife, three daughters and a grandson, but later extends to the young men who are married to or dating his daughters.

tag: p

text: Cast and characters[edit]

text: Main[edit]

text:
Tim Allen as Michael "Mike" Baxter: Mike is a father of three daughters and the director of marketing for the Outdoor Man chain of sporting goods stores. He fervently supports "traditional" American values, is a Protestant and is politically conservative. Mike loves his daughters but says his favorite is Eve, the youngest and most athletic daughter, and whose political opinions and interests mirror his own. He is proud of her ability to excel at anything she tries, including school work, hunting and playing sports. Mike often finds himself annoyed with Outdoor Man's young slow-witted employee Kyle (who later becomes his son-in-law), and with Ryan, his politically liberal son-in-law married to his oldest daughter, and the father of Mike's grandson, Boyd. The video blog or "vlog" that Mike does for Outdoor Man is frequently used as a vehicle to express his political views. Mike is a graduate of the University of Michigan, and an amateur radio operator using the call sign KA0XTT.[2]
Nancy Travis as Vanessa Baxter, Mike's wife: Vanessa is a geologist working in the energy industry for a company that does hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking". In season four, Vanessa becomes frustrated with her job and decides to go back to college to become a high school science teacher. After being laid off as a teacher due to budget cuts, Vanessa begins her own tutoring business.  Vanessa was ambiguous in her political views until season five, when she announces she is supporting Hillary Clinton for president, mainly because she thinks it will advance women's causes. She is shown drinking wine frequently, and is also frequently mocked by Mike and her daughters about it. She is a graduate of Ohio State University with a Master of Science degree in Physics and a PhD in Geology. Vanessa often makes attempts to be politically correct, but only highlights how uncomfortable she is trying to relate to people of other races. Despite this, she and her African-American neighbor Carol Larabee seem to get along. Vanessa's humor includes bad puns, which she thinks are amusing but really just irritate Mike and the girls no end.
Amanda Fuller (seasons 2–present[3]) and Alexandra Krosney (season 1) as Kristin Beth Baxter, the oldest daughter: Kristin, unlike her father, espouses liberal political views and her views with regard to Christianity seem ambiguous. During her senior year of high school, Kristin became pregnant with her son, Boyd. She was a single mother living in the Baxter home until moving out in the season two finale. She began to reconcile with Boyd's father, Ryan Vogelson, in season three, and the two get married between seasons four and five. Kristin worked at a diner until landing a job at an upscale restaurant run by a former co-worker at the end of season two. In season four, she becomes the manager of the new restaurant opened by Outdoor Man. Kristin tends to work extra hard in this new job to prove she did not get the position through nepotism, despite Mike and Ed frequently telling her she was qualified.  Alexandra Krosney portrayed Kristin in the show's first season (despite being nearly two years younger than Molly Ephraim, playing Kristin's younger sister); Krosney was replaced by Amanda Fuller prior to season two for unspecified creative reasons.[4]
Molly Ephraim (seasons 1–6) and Molly McCook (season 7-present)[5] as Amanda Elaine "Mandy" Baxter-Anderson, the middle daughter: Mandy is not as academic as her sisters (and she has a penchant for cutting class and ignoring homework), but she excels in social situations. Interested in fashion (and little else), she was one of the most popular girls at her high school. Mandy is very confident and creative, demonstrating traits found in her father. She can be lazy, conceited, selfish, insulting, and delinquent – she drinks underage, ignores all driving laws, shoplifts from Outdoor Man, there are many implications that she smokes cannabis, and she has been caught staying out all night – but occasionally she displays moments of generosity and caring. She started dating Kyle in Season 2. As of Season 3, she attends a local college and works at the diner where Kristin used to work. Later that same season, she begins an online clothing business, selling her self-designed fashions which she assembles in the basement of her parents' house. Kyle asks her to marry him in Season 5, the 100th episode. She marries Kyle in Season 6, but they have yet to move out of the Baxter home. Up until she turned 21, a running gag on the show was Mike, Vanessa, and occasionally Kristin snatching glasses of alcohol out of Mandy's hand, usually followed by Mandy making a lame excuse. Ephraim was replaced by Molly McCook prior to the Season 7 revival on FOX due to Ephraim choosing not to return.[5]
Kaitlyn Dever as Eve Baxter, (series regular, seasons 1–6; recurring, season 7)[6] the youngest daughter: Eve is intelligent and athletic, and generally has the same interests as Mike, including camping, sports, guns, and the military. She also has conservative views like Mike. She is Mike's favorite daughter, and excels at her hobbies. She frequently outplays the boys in soccer and makes the boys' football team as their placekicker. She is well aware of being the favorite over her two sisters. Eve also shares her father's sense of humor, and her sarcastic wit is frequently directed at clueless sister Mandy. Eve is an excellent student, whose only weak subject is art, though she did have to change math classes to escape a prejudiced teacher. Eve is a member of Army Junior ROTC and works toward gaining admittance to West Point. Her attempt to do so is unsuccessful, which seriously depresses her, so in season six, Eve decides to take a "personal year" rather than immediately attend college. She spends some of this time singing and playing guitar for money, but this proves to be unfruitful. During her gap year, Eve applies to the Air Force Academy in nearby Colorado Springs (without telling either parent), and is accepted.
Christoph Sanders as Kyle Anderson, a young employee at Outdoor Man: Kyle is universally recognized as a good guy. Kyle idolizes Mike, having grown up without a father figure. He takes care of his grandmother who has dementia, and it is implied he grew up in her home. His estranged mother passes away in season six, leaving Kyle with mixed feelings over how to deal with it. Kyle is often oblivious to social cues and is slow to catch on to the events happening around him. Kyle dated Kristin in season one and started dating Mandy in season two before proposing in season five, and marrying Mandy in season six.
Héctor Elizondo as Edward "Ed" Alzate, Mike's longtime business partner: Ed started a bait and tackle shop many years ago and hired Mike, who helped turn the shop into the 20-store Outdoor Man chain.[7] Ed is perhaps fifteen years older than Mike, but the two men bond over similar outdoor hobbies and shared conservative values. Mike regularly talks to Ed about the happenings in his home and occasionally seeks advice. Having been divorced four times, Ed's suggestions are rarely helpful. He also has five daughters. Ed is a Vietnam veteran, although he saw no combat in Vietnam, stating that he was a clerk in Saigon. He continues to help fellow veterans at the local Veterans of Foreign Wars hall with their Veteran Affairs paperwork. Ed is also a recurring target for jokes about his age and lack of hair, most often from Mike.
Flynn Morrison (regular, seasons 2–6), Jet Jurgensmeyer (season 7)[5] and Evan and Luke Kruntchev (recurring, season 1) as Boyd Baxter, son of Kristin and Ryan: Mike enjoys spending quality time with his grandson Boyd, and affectionately views him as the son he never had. Mike and Ryan often clash on how he should be raised. Boyd enjoys activities encouraged by both his father and grandfather.
Jordan Masterson (regular, seasons 2–present) and Nick Jonas (guest star, season 1) as Ryan Vogelson, Boyd's Canadian father: Though Ryan initially fled when Kristin got pregnant, he returned to be involved in Boyd's upbringing, and eventually the two reconciled and got engaged (at the end of season 3). Ryan holds liberal views, both politically and philosophically, and he and Mike routinely clash over their fundamentally opposing values, especially when it comes to child-rearing. Ryan wishes to raise his son without religion, hunting culture and nationalism, however, neither Mike nor Kristin agree with this approach. His vegan diet, views on discipline, and what Mike sees as his oversensitivity are an affront to Mike's beliefs, but Ryan generally enjoys being a thorn in Mike's side. On rare occasions, Ryan and Mike agree on what is best for Boyd, but this usually puts them at odds with Kristin or Vanessa. Mike comes to reluctantly respect and like his son-in-law for standing up for what he believes and for being a loving husband and father.
Jonathan Adams as Chuck Larabee (regular, seasons 4–present; recurring, seasons 2–3), Mike and Vanessa's neighbor: Chuck is a retired U.S. Marine and a veteran of the first Gulf War who runs a private security business and later takes charge of security for the Denver Outdoor Man. Chuck is an African-American, and often jokes with Mike about racial stereotypes, and they regularly exchange barbs as if they don't like each other. In reality, they are good friends, despite being unwilling to admit it. Vanessa sees through their heated exchanges, often telling them to "get a room". Chuck's typical response to something or someone that exasperates him is, "not cool". Chuck is married to Carol and they have a son, Brandon, who is the same age as Eve.

text: Recurring[edit]

text:
Robert Forster as Bud Baxter (seasons 1, 3–4, 7), Mike's widower father who is initially in the construction business, but later opens a marijuana store ("Bud's Buds") after it becomes legal in Colorado. In season 7, it is revealed that Bud died of a heart attack.
Christina Moore as April (seasons 1 & 3), Vanessa's air-headed and immature younger sister. She is always asking for money.
Danielle Bisutti as Michelle (season 1), Vanessa's friend and next-door neighbor; she is a meteorologist who gets most of her data from a free phone app.
Erika Alexander as Carol Larabee (seasons 2–6), Chuck's wife and Mike and Vanessa's neighbor, who becomes Vanessa's best friend. Vanessa often goes overboard trying to act racially open-minded around her, but usually ends up looking foolish and annoying Carol. In season 6, Carol accepts a year-long job in California, leaving Chuck behind in Denver.
Carla Jimenez as Blanca Alvarez (seasons 2–4), the Baxters' Guatemalan-born housekeeper who also helps Mandy with her fashion business. The Baxters were happy to celebrate with Blanca after she was sworn in as an American citizen.
Sarah Gilman as Cammy Harris (seasons 2–6), Eve's soccer teammate and extremely chatty best friend.
Jonathan Taylor Thomas as John Baker (seasons 2–3), Kristin's boss at a fancy restaurant where she works. Thomas also had a cameo as "Randy" (a nod to his Home Improvement character) in the season 4 episode "Helen Potts", with fellow Home Improvement co-star Patricia Richardson.
Tye Sheridan as Justin (seasons 3–4), Eve's fellow Jr. ROTC member and football teammate who becomes her boyfriend. The two break up in season 4.
Zachary Gordon as Andrew (season 3), Eve's nerdy classmate who worships her and desperately wants to be her boyfriend.
Joely Fisher as Wendi Gracin (seasons 3–5), Ed's meddling younger girlfriend, whom he meets near the end of season three. Ed routinely has to put her in her place, particularly when she shows up at the store and tries to get involved in running his business. Wendi deserts Ed offscreen between Seasons 4 and 5, but the two patch things up and reunite.
Jay Leno as Joe Leonard (seasons 5–7), a semi-retired auto technician from whom Vanessa buys a classic car for Mike. Joe later works in the repair shop at Outdoor Man, servicing products like ATVs, snowmobiles and boat engines.
Travis Tope as Rob (season 6), Eve's boyfriend who is studying criminal justice at UC Boulder. He's a recovering alcoholic, which worries Mike and Vanessa when they first meet him.

text: Notable guest stars[edit]

text: Several notable guest stars have appeared throughout the series, including appearances made from cast members of Tim Allen's previous series, Home Improvement. (Episode numbers in parentheses)

text:
Paul F. Tompkins as Chester McAllister
Cassandra Peterson as Elvira
Nick Jonas as Ryan in his first appearance
Tony Hawk as himself
Jamie-Lynn Sigler as Gabriella Alzate, one of Ed's five daughters (not including the war baby)
Andrew Daly as Mr. Peckem, a local politician
Kim Kardashian as herself
Tony Stewart as himself
Mike Rowe as Jimmy Baxter, Mike's younger brother
Frankie Muniz as Richard at the bank
Melanie Paxson as Liz, Vanessa's friend on the board of school volunteers
Richard Karn as Bill McKendree. Karn portrayed Al Borland, co-worker and friend to Tim Allen's character on Home Improvement
Si Robertson as Uncle Ray
Willie Robertson as Brody (along with Uncle Ray, Mike's "two best customers")
Michael Gross as Mr. Hardin
Patricia Richardson as Helen Potts, the Baxters' widowed neighbor. Richardson portrayed Jill Taylor, the wife of Tim Allen's character in Home Improvement
Jere Burns as Victor Vogelson, Ryan's estranged father
Blake Clark as Clark, the owner of a club in which Eve performed. Clark also played Harry Turner, owner of the hardware store on Home Improvement
Robin Roberts as Teresa, a Persian Gulf War veteran
Reba McEntire as Billie Cassidy, Mike's former girlfriend
Bill Engvall as Reverend Paul, the new pastor of the Baxter family's church. Nancy Travis played Bill's wife Susan on three seasons of The Bill Engvall Show
Brad Leland as Wayne Sizemore, winner of the "Meet Outdoor Man" contest (#125)
Joey Luthman as Nigel, bandmate of Eve Baxter and Cammy Harris, in season 5 episode 16 titled "Eve's Band"

text: Episodes[edit]

text: SeasonEpisodesOriginally airedFirst airedLast airedNetwork124October 11, 2011 (2011-10-11)May 8, 2012 (2012-05-08)ABC218November 2, 2012 (2012-11-02)March 22, 2013 (2013-03-22)322September 20, 2013 (2013-09-20)April 25, 2014 (2014-04-25)422October 3, 2014 (2014-10-03)April 17, 2015 (2015-04-17)522September 25, 2015 (2015-09-25)April 22, 2016 (2016-04-22)622September 23, 2016 (2016-09-23)March 31, 2017 (2017-03-31)7TBASeptember 28, 2018 (2018-09-28)TBAFox

text: Production[edit]

text: Development and casting[edit]

text: Last Man Standing first appeared on ABC's development slate in late 2010 when writer Jack Burditt received a put pilot commitment from the network under the original title Man Up.[8] In January 2011, ABC green-lighted production of a pilot episode under the title Last Days of Man.[9][10] On February 18, Tim Allen, who had been attached to the potential series from the beginning, officially joined the project in the lead role.[11][12][13] At the end of March, Nancy Travis joined the cast in the leading female role as Allen's "smart and loving wife who doesn't miss much".[14][15][16] Soon thereafter, Héctor Elizondo came on board in a supporting role as the boss to Allen's character.[17]

text: Filming[edit]

text: On May 13, 2011, ABC picked up the pilot for the 2011–2012 television season under the new title Last Man Standing.[18] On May 17, 2011, ABC announced that the series would air on Tuesday nights at 8 Eastern/7 Central.[19] It debuted on October 11, 2011, with the first two episodes airing in a one-hour premiere.[20]

text: On November 3, 2011, the series was picked up for a full season of twenty-two episodes.[21] On January 12, 2012, the order was increased to twenty-four episodes.[22]

text: On May 11, 2012, ABC renewed the series for a second season set to air in the 2012–2013 season in November.[23][24]

text: On June 11, 2012, Tim Doyle was hired as the new showrunner of the series. Doyle was the third showrunner that the series had had since it entered production. Doyle replaced Kevin Abbott, who joined the staff as the showrunner mid-way in the first season. Abbott replaced series creator Jack Burditt, who was the showrunner for the first thirteen episodes. Unlike Burditt, who is no longer credited as an executive producer, Abbott continued to serve as an executive producer while showrunning the fellow ABC sitcom Malibu Country starring Reba McEntire. Both Last Man Standing and Malibu Country aired as a part of ABC's Friday night lineup for the 2012–2013 primetime television season.[25] On November 8, 2012, Abbott re-joined the Last Man Standing crew full-time, after a stint in rehab, and gave Nastaran Dibai full showrunning duties of Malibu Country.[26]

text: On June 11, 2012, it was announced that Alexandra Krosney (Kristin) was let go from the show for creative reasons.[27] Krosney was replaced by Amanda Fuller in season 2.[28] On June 19, 2012, it was also announced that twins Luke and Evan Kruntchev, who played the role of Boyd in season 1, would not be returning; they were replaced by Flynn Morrison in season 2.[29] The character of Boyd was also age-advanced from two years old to five years old.[30] Jordan Masterson plays Ryan, Boyd's father, in a recurring role beginning in season 2.[31] The role was previously played by Nick Jonas, who guest-starred in one episode in season 1.[32]

text: The second season initially received a 13-episode order. ABC announced on November 12, 2012, that an additional three scripts had been ordered.[33] On November 27, five more episodes were ordered to bring the second-season episode total to 18.[34]

text: On May 10, 2013, the series was renewed for a third season,[35] which premiered on September 20, 2013, and ended on April 25, 2014, after 22 episodes.[36]

text: On May 10, 2014, ABC renewed Last Man Standing for a fourth season, which premiered on October 3, 2014.[37] Allen and Elizondo guest-starred as their Last Man Standing characters in a crossover episode with the fellow ABC Friday sitcom Cristela.[38]

text: On May 10, 2015, ABC announced the show had been renewed for a fifth season. Last Man Standing had become a solid performer for the Friday night lineup at ABC, which with the help of Shark Tank and 20/20 has become the top network among adults 18–49 for the night. Leading off Friday night for ABC, the sitcom averaged a 1.8 rating in adults 18–49 and 8.2 million viewers overall, according to Nielsen's Live+7 estimates.[39][40]

text: On May 13, 2016, ABC renewed the series for a sixth season, which premiered on September 23, 2016.[41]

text: Cancellation[edit]

text: On May 10, 2017, ABC canceled Last Man Standing after six seasons, despite the series being the second-most-watched ABC sitcom during the 2016–17 season (based on Live+7 figures), with ratings remaining mostly steady during its sixth season.[42] A representative for 20th Century Fox Television said cancellation decisions are made by ABC. "This was a scheduling decision," wrote Jori Arancio, senior vice president of ABC Entertainment and ABC Studios. ABC and its production partner for the show, 20th Century Fox Television, typically negotiate licensing fees prior to each season; however, the network decided to cancel the show without doing so. Also, the contract between 20th Century Fox Television and ABC for the show, in which 20th Century Fox Television covered the cost of production, had expired after six seasons. Had the series been renewed for a seventh season, ABC would have been required to pick up Last Man Standing's production costs, which the network was unwilling to do.[43]

text: The cancellation was met with outrage from the show's fans, many of whom took to social media to voice their displeasure and petition for another network to pick up the show.[44] It also happened some months after lead actor Tim Allen (who is also a real-life Republican) said in an interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, that being a Republican in Hollywood is "like 1930s Germany. You gotta be real careful around here, you know. You'll get beat up if you don't believe what everybody believes". His comment was widely criticized, especially his comparing the treatment of Republicans in Hollywood with Nazi Germany.[45]

text: A viewer petition on the website Change.org calling for ABC to reinstate Last Man Standing surpassed 380,000 signatures as of May 23, 2017.[46] In a conference call with reporters earlier in May, ABC president Channing Dungey stated, "Last Man Standing was a challenging one for me, because it was a steady performer. Once we made the decision not to continue with comedy on Friday, it was just kind of that's where we landed." Dungey cited studio ownership, future creative direction, ratings and viewer engagement as all factors in her decision.[47] A year later, the petition's signatures had grown to 438,000.[48]

text: Tim Allen voiced his displeasure with the cancellation, tweeting on May 16, 2017: "Stunned and blindsided by the network I called home for the last six years."[49]

text: On May 20, 2017, Howard Kurtzman, president of 20th Century Fox Television, reportedly showed some interest in his studio continuing to produce the show. "We're starting to explore that," Kurtzman said.  "...[Fox Co-President] Jonnie [Davis] and I are hopeful that we can find another home for it."[50] Variety also confirmed in an exclusive report that 20th Century Fox Television would shop the series to other networks and streaming services in hopes it would be picked up for a seventh season;[51] another home was not quickly found, however.

text: In August 2017, Allen expressed his appreciation for support by the show's fans to bring it back, and said the talent behind the show had much more to add.[52]

text: Revival on Fox[edit]

text: On May 3, 2018, Allen tweeted that a return "just might be a reality" and prompted the show's supporters to "keep it up".[53] The same day, TVLine reported that Fox was "poised to" resurrect Last Man Standing for the 2018–19 TV season, adding that Tim Allen is "officially on board".[54] Deadline Hollywood reported that Fox was in talks for another season, but it was "by no means a sure thing", suggesting it would depend on whether the actors could be re-signed "at reasonable salaries".[55] On May 11, 2018, Fox TV's CEOs and chairmen announced that Fox had officially picked up Last Man Standing for a seventh season.[56][57][48][58] Dana Walden, chairman of Fox Television Group, later hinted that the return of Last Man Standing was in part a response to the huge success of the Roseanne reboot on ABC earlier in 2018: "Obviously, I think everyone took a good, hard look at the performance of Roseanne. It did so well, and it certainly did remind us that we have a huge, iconic comedy star in our Fox family in Tim Allen."[59]

text: On July 2, Fox announced that, in addition to Allen, series regulars Nancy Travis, Amanda Fuller, Hector Elizondo, Christoph Sanders, Jordan Masterson and Jonathan Adams had all signed on to appear in the season 7 reboot. Molly Ephraim and Flynn Morrison both opted not to return for the new season,[60] with Fox announcing their roles ("Mandy" and "Boyd", respectively) would be recast ahead of season 7.[61] On August 6, 2018, it was announced that Molly McCook and Jet Jurgensmeyer would be taking over the roles of Mandy and Boyd, respectively. The article also stated that Kaitlyn Dever, who recently signed on to play a lead role in the 2019 Netflix miniseries Unbelievable, will return as "Eve" in a recurring role only.[5]

text: For the seventh season, the show airs in the same Friday night time slot as it did throughout its run on ABC; if it is renewed for an eighth season, it will be forced to move to a new time slot, as Fox has signed an agreement to air WWE SmackDown on Friday nights beginning in fall 2019.[62][63]

text: Reception[edit]

text: Critical response[edit]

text: On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, season one holds an approval rating of 15% based on 33 reviews, and an average rating of 4.14/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Last Man Standing is a thoroughly middling sitcom relying on jokes that feel alternately dated or hostile."[64] On Metacritic, the season has a weighted average score of 33 out of 100, based on 24 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".[65]

text: The Hollywood Reporter called the series "a predictable sitcom with a stupid premise and bad acting".[66] Los Angeles Times: "The jokes and plots have been efficiently constructed, but most have no traction; they slide right off you, and the characters themselves seem disconnected from one another."[67] Entertainment Weekly offered a slightly more favorable review of the show: "When I look at the now-rounded softness of Tim Allen, and note once again how his sandpaper voice contrasts winningly with his hopeful eyes, it's impossible to plunge a shiv into this series."[68]

text: Season two of the series holds an approval rating of 40% on Rotten Tomatoes.[69] On Rotten Tomatoes, season seven holds an approval rating of 58% based on 12 reviews, and an average rating of 5.34/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Last Man Standing isn't the most realistic sitcom on the dial, but its idealistic representation of opposites living in harmony offers sorely needed hope during divided times."[70] On Metacritic, the season has a weighted average score of 58 out of 100, based on 6 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[71]

text: Entertainment Weekly commented: "I think it's time the folks involved with Last take a closer look at All in the Family, in which the prejudice was built around real jokes."[72] The A.V. Club: "The problem with Last Man Standing's attempts to go political is exemplified by the first scene of the season première, which remains one of the most uncomfortable scenes of television I've ever watched ... doing its best to push buttons in the audience that don't need to be pushed, as if it thinks what made [Norman] Lear's sitcoms a success was the yelling or the mentions of social issues that people sometimes argued about."[73] Philly.com wrote about season three: "The unlikely comeback vehicle for Tim Allen, Last Man Standing on ABC, is a thoroughly traditional, absolutely charming sitcom. [...] Last Man is both economical and efficient, getting excellent comic mileage out of the most marginal bit players."[74]

text: The series is particularly popular among conservatives, many of whom viewed the show as a counterpoint to Modern Family, another 20th Century Fox sitcom that aired on ABC at the same time and featured more liberal ideologies.[43] A study conducted during the 2016 U.S. presidential election found that it was the tenth most popular show on television with Republicans.[75]

text: Ratings[edit]

text: ABC's series premiere of Last Man Standing drew a 3.5 adults 18–49 rating. That was 9% better than the 3.2 adults 18–49 rating for the series premiere of No Ordinary Family in the same time-slot the previous year (which was two weeks earlier in the season). Season 2 of Last Man Standing premiered with a 2.0, down about 38% from its first-season premiere, but up about 18% from the previous season's finale.[76]

text:
Season

Timeslot (ET)

Network

No. ofepisodes

Premiered

Ended

TV season

Rank

Viewers(million)

Live + DVRviewers

Date

Premiere viewers(million)

Premiere 18–49rating/share

Date

Finale viewers(million)

Finale 18–49rating/share

1

Tuesday 8:00 pm

ABC

24

October 11, 2011

12.93[77]

3.4/10[77]

May 8, 2012

6.62[78]

1.7/5[78]

2011–12

50

9.12[79]

9.76[80]

2

Friday 8:00 pm

18

November 2, 2012

8.07[81]

2.0/7[81]

March 22, 2013

7.85[82]

1.6/6[82]

2012–13

53[83]

7.93[84]

8.34[85]

3

22

September 20, 2013

6.67[86]

1.5/6[86]

April 25, 2014

6.10[87]

1.4/6[87]

2013–14

58

7.17[88]

7.92[89]

4

22

October 3, 2014

6.91[90]

1.3/5[90]

April 17, 2015

6.16[91]

1.1/5[91]

2014–15

60[92]

8.18[92]

8.52[93]

5

22

September 25, 2015

6.26[94]

1.1/5[94]

April 22, 2016

5.94[95]

1.0/4[95]

2015–16

56[96]

7.96[96]

TBA

6

22

September 23, 2016

5.95[97]

1.1/5[97]

March 31, 2017

6.06[98]

1.1/5[98]

2016–17

41[99]

8.06[99]

TBA

7

Fox

22

September 28, 2018

8.13[100]

1.8/10[100]

TBA

TBA

TBA

2018–19

TBA

TBA

TBA

text: Awards and nominations[edit]

text: Last Man Standing was nominated for a 2012 People's Choice Award for "Favorite New TV Comedy", but lost to CBS's 2 Broke Girls.

text:
Year

Association

Category

Nominee / episode

Outcome

2011

ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards

Top Television Series[citation needed]

Carl Thiel (composer)

Won

2012

People's Choice Awards

Favorite New TV Comedy

Last Man Standing

Nominated

Kids' Choice Awards

Favorite TV Actor

Tim Allen

Nominated

TV Guide Magazine's Fan Favorites Awards

Favorite Comeback[101]

Won

Young Artist Awards

Best Performance in a TV Series (Comedy or Drama) – Supporting Young Actress

Kaitlyn Dever

Nominated

2013

Environmental Media Awards

Television Episodic Comedy[102]

"Mother Fracker"

Won

ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards

Top Television Series[103]

Carl Thiel (composer)

Won

2014

Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards

Outstanding Cinematography For A Multi-Camera Series

Donald A. Morgan – "Eve's Boyfriend"

Nominated

ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards

Top Television Series[104]

Carl Thiel (composer)

Won

2015

ASCAP Screen Music Awards

Top Television Series[105]

Carl Thiel (composer)

Won

text: Home media[edit]

text:
DVD Name

Ep #

Release Date

Last Man Standing: The Complete First Season

24

May 13, 2014

Last Man Standing: The Complete Second Season

18

Last Man Standing: The Complete Third Season

22

October 28, 2014

Last Man Standing: The Complete Fourth Season

22

October 5, 2015

Last Man Standing: The Complete Fifth Season

22

June 26, 2018

Last Man Standing: The Complete Sixth Season

22

text: Syndication[edit]

text: On September 3, 2015, it was announced that ABC Family (now Freeform) had obtained syndication rights to the series, which began airing episodes on September 28, 2015.[106] As of 2018, Freeform no longer airs the series. On May 15, 2015, it was announced that Hallmark Channel had obtained the rights to the sitcom, and they aired the series from January 2016 until December 31, 2017.[107] On September 4, 2015, the series joined the CMT Network with a mini-marathon of episodes. The series also joined WGN America on April 30, 2018.  Five seasons were available for streaming on Netflix. Currently, all six seasons are available for streaming on Hulu.

text: Broadcast[edit]

text:
Last Man Standing aired on ABC in the U.S.;[108] on Fox8,
Network Ten and Eleven (previously aired on One) in Australia;[109] City in Canada; and TV3 in New Zealand.[110]

text: In the United Kingdom and Ireland, it premiered on October 9, 2012 on Sky One,[111] which aired the first three seasons before dropping it due to low ratings; the show was bought by E4, where it premiered on March 13, 2017;[112] Channel 4 then reran the program on Sunday mornings from July until September 2017; in 2018, 5STAR acquired the show for reruns.

text: In Israel, it airs on yes Comedy.[citation needed]

text: Notes[edit]

text: ^ Jump up to: a b Since becoming series regulars in season 4, Jordan Masterson and Jonathan Adams are only credited for the episodes in which they appear.

tag: ol


document_title: The New Colossus

question_text: who put the inscription on the statue of liberty

text: The New Colossus

text: History of the poem[edit]

text: This poem was written as a donation to an auction of art and literary works[3] conducted by the "Art Loan Fund Exhibition in Aid of the Bartholdi Pedestal Fund for the Statue of Liberty" to raise money for the pedestal's construction.[4] Lazarus's contribution was solicited by fundraiser William Maxwell Evarts. Initially she refused but writer Constance Cary Harrison convinced her that the statue would be of great significance to immigrants sailing into the harbor.[5]

text: "The New Colossus" was the first entry read at the exhibit's opening on November 2, 1883, and remained associated with the exhibit through a published catalog until the exhibit closed after the pedestal was fully funded in August 1885,[6][7] but was forgotten and played no role at the opening of the statue in 1886. It was, however, published in Joseph Pulitzer's New York World as well as The New York Times during this time period.[8] In 1901, Lazarus's friend Georgina Schuyler began an effort to memorialize Lazarus and her poem, which succeeded in 1903 when a plaque bearing the text of the poem was put on the inner wall of the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty.[4]

text: The line "Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" is missing a comma, and reads "Keep ancient lands, your storied pomp!" on the plaque hanging inside the Statue of Liberty[9] since its unveiling in 1903.

text: The original manuscript is held by the American Jewish Historical Society.[10]

text: Contents[edit]

text:
Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
MOTHER OF EXILES. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.

"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

text: The poem is a Petrarchan sonnet.

text: The title of the poem and the first two lines refer to the Colossus of Rhodes, which was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, sometimes described as standing astride the harbor.

text: The "sea-washed, sunset gates" are the mouths of the Hudson and East Rivers, to the west of Brooklyn. The "imprisoned lightning" refers to the electric light in the torch, then a novelty.

text: The "air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame" refers to New York Harbor between New York City and Brooklyn, which were consolidated into one unit in 1898, 15 years after the poem was written.

text: The "huddled masses" are the many immigrants coming to the United States (many of them through Ellis Island at the port of New York).

text: Influence[edit]

text: Paul Auster wrote that "Bartholdi's gigantic effigy was originally intended as a monument to the principles of international republicanism, but 'The New Colossus' reinvented the statue's purpose, turning Liberty into a welcoming mother, a symbol of hope to the outcasts and downtrodden of the world."[11]

text: John T. Cunningham wrote that "The Statue of Liberty was not conceived and sculpted as a symbol of immigration, but it quickly became so as immigrant ships passed under the torch and the shining face, heading toward Ellis Island. However, it was [Lazarus's poem] that permanently stamped on Miss Liberty the role of unofficial greeter of incoming immigrants."[12]

text: The poem has entered the political realm. It was quoted in John F. Kennedy's book A Nation of Immigrants (1958)[13] as well as a 2010 political speech by President Obama advocating immigration policy reform.[14] On August 2nd, 2017, the poem and its importance to the Statue of Liberty's symbolism and thus the effect on American immigration policy, was debated in a White House briefing.

text: Classical composer David Ludwig has set the poem to music, which was performed at the worship service of President Obama's 2013 inauguration ceremony.[15]

text: Author and scholar Julia Gordon-Bramer theorizes that Sylvia Plath's poem, "Lady Lazarus," is about the Statue of Liberty and Jewish immigrant poet Emma Lazarus in her book, Fixed Stars Govern a Life: Decoding Sylvia Plath, volume one (2014, Stephen F. Austin State University Press).

text: Parts of the poem also appear in popular culture. The Broadway musical Miss Liberty, with music and lyrics by Irving Berlin, an immigrant himself, used the final stanza beginning "Give me your tired, your poor" as the basis for a song.[16][13] It was also read in the 1941 film Hold Back the Dawn as well as being recited by the heroine in Alfred Hitchcock's wartime film Saboteur.[13] Harpist and singer Joanna Newsom indirectly references the poem in her 2015 song "Sapokanikan," in contrast to the forbidding colossus of Percy Bysshe Shelley's "Ozymandias."[17] The poem is read aloud in the eponymous episode entitled 'New Colossus' in the 2016 Netflix web series The OA.[18]