Detroit Lions Thanksgiving joke tradition at Ford Field

The Detroit Lions have hosted an annual Thanksgiving Day NFL game since 1934 and have played those games at Ford Field since the stadium opened in 2002. Local residents commonly make self-deprecating jokes and recurring humorous commentary about the Lions' long history of losing seasons in the context of the Thanksgiving tradition. The Thanksgiving game and the team's performance are frequent subjects of Detroit sports humor in local media and among fans.