By SETH SAUNDERS
seth@du2.byu.edu
Like Donny and Marie or Sonny and Cher, Thanksgiving and football are an inseparable pair.
Most Americans grow up learning that Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful for the Pilgrims and the Indians. However, today many are taught to be thankful for the Lions and the Cowboys, or this year the Vikings and the Cowboys.
Thanksgiving is more then just a time to get off school and work. It's more then being with family and friends. It's even more than a good turkey dinner. Thanksgiving is all about one thing: football. Whether a participant or spectator, football is the key to a good Thanksgiving.
'It would be un-American not to either play or watch football on Thanksgiving,' said David Durling, a senior from Rochester, N.Y., majoring in marketing.
'I watch the NFL game with my brothers and my dad,' said Rusty Hurd, a junior from Billings, Mont., majoring in business management. 'We have a tradition to stuff our faces and watch some football.'
Many of the students said they either watched or played or even did both on Thanksgiving. But why is it that these two opposites have become such a pair? Do opposites really attract?
'Eating a lot of food and football are inseparably connected to the male species,' said James Viray, a BYU graduate from Houston, Texas. 'I both play football and watch a game on Thanksgiving.'
Many say that the Super Bowl is the most exciting football game of the year. However, there are many who will disagree saying the Turkey Bowl is the real game to see.
The Turkey Bowl is any football game played on Thanksgiving. Whether it is played with friends, family or even with your ward, the Turkey Bowl is the ultimate for any football enthusiast. Both women and men have enjoyed countless games of flag, touch, or for the more advanced, tackle football. Playing and watching football on Thanksgiving is all about either starting a new tradition or keeping one going.
'Ever since I was fifteen, my friends and I would go to a local park and play football in the mornings,' said Travis Martin, a junior from San Diego, Calif., majoring in international business. 'The tradition still continues. The number of people who show up has grown, but it is only people from my high school and area. It's kind of like a reunion in a sort of way.'
If you have not had a chance to experience a Turkey Bowl for yourself, this is the perfect year to start. If you do not have a desire to play in a Turkey Bowl, you can at least sit down after feeding your face with the most wonderful meal of the year, and watch the NFL.
'Both Thanksgiving and watching the Dallas Cowboys are American,' says Scott Hendricks, a senior from Amarillo, Texas, majoring in Spanish. 'That is what our tradition is, eat a good Thanksgiving meal and watch America's team play on TV.'
If you have read this article and do not have a desire to either watch or play football this Thanksgiving, reread the article and catch the vision of what this great holiday is about.
May the Vikings and Cowboys bring peace and harmony after a great Thanksgiving meal is my wish for you. And men, it is vital to your watching enjoyment to help with the dishes so the women can enjoy the game with you.