Uncle Tony brushed past with a plate of Arancini al burro that had been left out overnight, offering myself and my 9-year old cousin a handful. It was 7:30 on Thanksgiving morning back and my uncle was carrying on the festivities that had only shut down hours before. Glass of red wine in hand, he and my aunt slowdanced in the kitchen (remember this is early in the morning) as they started on the prep for the never-ending mountain of food that was about to be prepared.
As I hung around the fun, Uncle Tony turned to Uncle Bobby and asked if they wanted to parlay the Vikings and Lions. It was the first time I’ve ever heard that word, it was also the day Randy Moss became my favorite player. It was Thanksgiving in Connecticut in the late 90s, with as much food, family, laughter, fun and…apparently sports betting, as one could hope for. Bliss.
For my top five this week I was initially going to highlight my top five favorite Thanksgiving side dishes (from a full on Italian Thanksgiving dinner), but I thought I’d stay out of Jason’s lane, and leave the culinary references to him. So I swerved and chose to highlight the Top 5 moments I can remember from my Thanksgiving Day football watching.
I had a good week last issue, going 3-0 ATS, taking my overall record to 21-9 ATS so far this season. I have another three plays on the other side of the Top 5.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
5. Heads or Tails (1998)
This was the same year as the number one on the list. Same group in the living room watching. Same Uncles with their bets placed. The confusion on the field was the same confusion and hooting in my Uncle and Aunt’s house. Steelers vs. Lions. Overtime. Jerome Bettis calls “tails,” but the ref hears “heads.” Chaos ensues. The Lions got the ball, score, while Pittsburgh felt robbed. Still one of the most infamous officiating moments in NFL history.
4. Madden’s Turducken (2000)
Sorry Jason, but I am going to add one culinary moment to the list. Not an on the field memory, but why not. I feel this deserves to be here, and I certainly recall the first time I saw John Madden roll out a Turducken to be presented to the MVPs of the game, mashing up what this day was all about – food, tradition and football. It went on to become a Thanksgiving Day staple.
3. Romo Goes For Four (2006)
In his first Thanksgiving start, Romo lit up the Bucs for four touchdowns, which was alright with me, as I had a wager on the Cowboys. This confirmed he was going to be a player, and the Pokes starter going forward, no question. This was very early into my betting days, and I remember how nice it was to not have to sweat this bet (for all of $50, but that was a decent chunk for me back then – and a bet that absolutely no one in the house knew I had going) making for a more happy-go-lucky day of celebrating.
2. Barry Sanders Magic (1997)
It’s easy to forget just how amazing Sanders was, as he’s been retired for so long. I was young when this game was played, but not too young to have this performance etched into memory. It was vintage Barry, going for 167 yards, three TDs and unlimited highlight reel material in beating Chicago. Detroit went over 50, knocking back a 55-20 victory in one of the greatest Turkey Day performances ever.
1 Moss Feasts (1998)
This is the game I referenced in the intro, the game where Randy Moss became my favorite player, until he landed with the hated Patriots. The love ended right then, but not the memories of a crazy performance he laid down as a rookie on Thanksgiving. It was only three catches, but forget about it. 163 yards and three touchdowns as Minnesota rolled the Cowboys.
Week 12: 3-0 ATS
Season: 21-9 ATS
College
Nebraska vs. Iowa
I like Iowa at home, where they’ve been very good in conference play. Nebraska got bowl eligible last week, which has to factor into a possible small letdown situation, as they checked off a big goal. Two good defenses, but I’ll rely on the Iowa running attack to take center stage and guide the home side to a win and cover.
Play: I’m on Iowa -3.
Arizona State vs. Arizona
Big in-state rivalry game that Arizona has won the past two years. I think that winning streak ends here. ASU is better on both sides of the ball, with a defense that can bottle the Cats’ offense up, and on the other side, I see a big day for their O vs. an AU unit giving up a ton of yards and points that past month or so. It is a rivalry spot, but the Sun Devils are focused on a spot in the Big 12 title game. They’ll be looking to make a statement.
Play: I’m on ASU -8.5
NFL
LA Rams vs. New Orleans
The Saints are off a bye week, sporting two straight wins. Those wins though, were vs. Atlanta and Cleveland, two weaker teams and in both games New Orleans didn’t much impress. They have injury issues at receiver, something the Rams are familiar with, but they’re now healthy in that spot. LA got roughed up last week vs. the Eagles. They do struggle vs. the run, but we’ll hope they can load up vs. this ground game and make the passing game beat them. This is a step-down in competition, in a game they need. I’m on the better team in a bounce-back spot.
Play: Taking the Rams -2.5