Can someone explain...

[bunglesnacks]

Anyone know how they pick the opponent for the Thanksgiving Day game?

Or is it just random?

I remember hearing lots of talk that the NFL wanted different teams to play besides Detroit and Dullass, so how is it we always seem to end up playing GB or the Bears?

It rotates every year between a NFC and AFC team. This year we play a NFC team because FOX gets the game, next year we will play an AFC so we'll be on CBS. We alternate with the Cowboys between the two stations.

The team we play however, is simply picked to try and get the best ratings. So we'll usually play other popular or good teams on Thanksgiving.

That isn't necessarily true. Yeah they are going for ratings but it's cherry picked off the opponents we play. They aren't going to give us New England every year if we aren't playing the AFC East. As it goes though since it's a 2 year rotation and there are 4 conferences in the AFC - we will never play an AFC West or AFC North team on Thanksgiving.

Dallas will never play an AFC South or AFC North team on Thanksgiving.

Of course Dallas got Miami when they could have been given New England or the Jets, so maybe ratings aren't the main drive. A Dallas/New England matchup on Thanksgiving would have been huge.

 

[Mitchrapp]

Dallas didn't get NE because the network is pro Cowboys and didn't want them to get their ass kicked.