On Thursday, Fox kicks off our Thanksgiving Day football menu with a good game in Detroit, Green Bay Packers at the Lions. The game kicks off at 12:30 p.m. ET. Fox NFL Sunday starts it all off with a special edition of its pregame show at 11:30 a.m. ET.
Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver will be on hand at Ford Field. The Fox NFL Sunday crew will also be in Detroit to preview the game and also air various heartwarming features for the holiday.
I bring you Fox’s preview of the game below. It includes a tongue-firmly-in-cheek handicapping of its annual “Galloping Gobbler Award.” Check the whole thing out.
FOX SPORTS NOTES, QUOTES & ANECDOTES
Week 12 NFL Action Kicks-Off Thursday with Special Holiday Serving of Packers/Lions
Thanksgiving Day Coverage Begins with America’s No. 1 Pregame FOX NFL SUNDAY at 11:30 AM ETTHANKSGIVING DAY FOOTBALL AIRS ON FOX – This Thursday, FOX Sports and the NFL continue what’s become an American tradition: NFL football on Thanksgiving Day. FOX Sports is proud to kick-off Thursday’s football action from Ford Field in Detroit, MI as Matthew Stafford and the Lions host Aaron Rodgers and the undefeated Green Bay Packers. Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver call the excitement from this NFC North rivalry.
Coverage begins at 11:30 AM ET with a special edition of FOX NFL SUNDAY live from Detroit co-hosted by Terry Bradshaw and Curt Menefee along with analysts Howie Long, Jimmy Johnson and Michael Strahan. FOX NFL SUNDAY insider Jay Glazer and NASCAR on FOX analyst Jeff Hammond join the show via satellite from Korea to spend time and honor our military service men and women this Thanksgiving. Oliver sits down for an impactful one-on-one interview with Packers WR James Jones about how Jones overcame a childhood spent in homeless shelters to his rise as a Super Bowl champion. Family is underscored Thursday with a tale of two of the NFL’s most successful coaches this season – brothers Jim & John Harbaugh as they prepare to face-off Thursday night in Baltimore. Additionally, the special pregame show features an entertaining, fun look at the FOX family stable of former NFL players and their children who play football.
At 12:30 PM ET, Detroit native and Grammy award-winning artist Kid Rock performs to the home crowd before American Idol Season 10 runner-up Lauren Alaina sings the National Anthem. At halftime, rock band Nickleback takes the stage for the 2011 United Way Thanksgiving Halftime Show which aims to inspire viewers to LIVE UNITED®, United Way’s call to the public to get involved in the community by focusing on the building blocks of life: education, income and health. Now in its 38th year, the United Way/NFL partnership connects NFL PLAY 60 with United Way’s 2018 goal to get 1.9 million more young people healthy and active.
Once game action concludes, Buck, Aikman & Oliver have the distinct honor of presenting the game’s most valuable player with the NFL ON FOX GALLOPING GOBBLER AWARD. From the NFL’s Lombardi trophy to NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Championship, the Gobbler is truly one of the most desired achievements in all of professional sports. Though not listed in any of the past winners official Wikipedia pages, the Gobbler Award remains stronger than ever. First introduced on Thanksgiving Day in 2002, the trophy was won by Cowboys legend Emmitt Smith when he rushed for 144 yards en route to a 27-20 victory over the Washington Redskins.
*“Official” Odds on the 2011 GALLOPING GOBBLER RECIPIENT
Aaron Rodgers: 4-1
Donald Driver: 8-1
Matthew Stafford: 6-1
Calvin Johnson: 6-1
Ndamukong Suh: 10-1*As projected by FOX Sports Media Relations Staff
RECIPIENTS OF THE GALLOPING GOBBLER
2002 – Emmitt Smith, Cowboys RB
2003 – Dré Bly, Lions CB
2004 – Julius Jones, Cowboys RB
2005 – Michael Vick, Falcons QB
2006 – Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys QB
2007 – Brett Favre, Green Bay Packers QB
2008 – DeMarcus Ware, Dallas Cowboys DE
2009 – Donald Driver, Green Bay Packers WR
2010 – Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints QB
2011 – ???????
And we’ll go to the NFL on CBS Thanksgiving preview next.
