Happy Thanksgiving!

I have so many things and people to be thankful for! Thanksgiving day has always given me pause to reflect upon those wonderful blessings - big and small - in my life. This year was no different. It was Thanksgiving several years ago when I met my wonderful best friend and partner. I constantly associate this holiday that with special blessing. I also associate this holiday with family time and football. Growing up in Michigan, the Detroit Lions were always playing football on Thanksgiving. This is one tradition I hope the NFL doesn't change. I'm glad they have continued with the Lions and Cowboys playing on this holiday. Recently, the NFL Network has added a third game in the evening. If you are a football "junkie" the only other day of the year that surpasses today is New Years Day. As a kid I always dreamed of going to Detroit for the Lions Thanksgiving Day game. For many years the Lions played the Packers and the games were always close. Even the past several years, during the horrendously poor excuse for a football team, the Lions have played well on Thanksgiving. Well, this year I got my chance to go to a game; and better yet, they were playing the Packers. I left early on Thursday morning looking to get to the stadium early to take in the parade that always marched down Woodward Avenue. I arrived just in time to see a good portion of the parade before heading for the stadium entrance. Once inside the stadium I scoped out my seat and then looked for my "not so traditional" Thanksgiving Day "dinner". Thanksgiving dinner during my childhood was always "timed" for half-time. After some contemplation about waiting until half time, I found my "choice"....a polish sausage and nachos. Definitely a break from traditional food. The Lions haven't been a good football team in a while. The game today marked the 70th time the Lions played on Thanksgiving Day and the 19th time they played the Packers. This year, with the economy, seats are easy to come by. Those seats are often taken up by fans from the opposing team. In my section, Packer fans and Lions fans were 50-50. Had the game been close, the atmosphere would have been interesting, but the game was never close - well, it was at the opening kickoff anyway. The kickoff gave Lions fans hope. The kickoff was fumbled by the Packers. After the recover, Lions rookie quarterback, Matthew Stafford led the Lions on a five play 20 yard drive for a touchdown when Calvin Johnson caught a one yard pass in the endzone. The ever stead, veteran, Jason Hanson kicked the extra-point. I was feeling good. The weekend before the Lions had defeated the Cleveland Browns with no time left on the clock when Stafford hit a receiver in the endzone for a touchdown. The extra point helped the Lions win for the second time of the season. While their record isn't good, it is better than 0-16, which was their record setting record from the 2008 season. My optimism was short lived. The Packers quickly gained control of the game by holding the ball and steadily moving the ball downfield. At half time the game was tied. By the end of the third quarter we all knew the Lions would loose. I enjoyed watching the Packers AJ Hawk play. The former Buckeye was a popular player while at Ohio State. The Lions rookie Louis Delmas from Western Michigan University also provided a ray of hope for the Lions' future. While it took me over 40 years to be able to attend a Thanksgiving Day game in Detroit, it was worth the wait!