Cowboys Vs. Giants Thanksgiving To Feature Inaugural John Madden Tribute

Starting this season, the NFL will honor the legacy of the late John Madden during each game on their Thanksgiving day slate.

The Dallas Cowboys and Thanksgiving football are as dynamic of a duo as can be found in American folklore. 

In keeping with the annual tradition, the Cowboys will play holiday host to the New York Giants for a 3:30 p.m. CT kickoff from AT&T Stadium. 

This year, however, the NFL’s holiday slate of games is getting a unique, yet fitting upgrade.

While it may be best described as a time of reflection and gratitude for life’s many blessings, Thanksgiving is often defined by “family, food, fun and, of course … football.” Whether it be the competition of traditional high school rivalries or the excitement of NFL showdowns, the game of football remains an integral part of the country’s most universally celebrated holiday.

Few icons embody the spirit of the gridiron quite like the late, great John Madden; especially on the fourth Thursday in November.

Therefore it only seems fitting that Madden will once again be a central figure in the league’s festivities when the Cowboys and Giants square off on Thursday, Nov. 24.

Starting this season, the NFL will honor Madden with the "John Madden Thanksgiving Celebration;" a multi-faceted celebration of his enduring legacy. As the league confirmed on Friday, honoring Madden will become an annual event, taking place each year on the day with which Madden has become synonymous.

"No one cared more or contributed more to our game than John Madden," said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. "Honoring his memory and impact on the NFL is important and Thanksgiving Day brings all of the elements significant to John to life – family, football, food and fun."

The inaugural "John Madden Thanksgiving Celebration" will feature special broadcast tributes as CBS, FOX and NBC will create their own segments dedicated to the football legend. These tributes will be interspersed throughout the broadcast of each game; including Dallas’ matchup with New York which will air on FOX. The tributes will also include commemorative logos, social media campaigns and more.

The broadcasts will also include a lead-in, featuring a recording of Madden (who called 20 Thanksgiving Day NFL games during his broadcasting career) discussing Thanksgiving and the holiday's special relationship to football.

Additionally, each network will select a "Madden Player of the Game." Immediately after each game. The selected player will receive a $10,000 donation in their name from the NFL Foundation to the youth or high school football program of their choice, as the topic of youth football was important to Madden.

It is not a stretch to say that Madden was omnipresent within the sport of football. His coaching strategies from his days on the sidelines with the Oakland Raiders continue to be emulated to the present day. The effortless manner in which he explained the nuances of the game have been often imitated, but never duplicated in the broadcast booth. Lastly, he became the image and inspiration for millions of football fans to live their dreams of becoming both coach and general manager for an NFL franchise in the immensely popular Madden NFL video game series.

He spent ten seasons as head coach of the Oakland Raiders (1969–1978), leading the team to a championship victory in Super Bowl XI (1977). In 2006, Madden was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, in recognition of his coaching career.

Following his retirement from the sidelines, Madden served as a color commentator for NFL telecasts from 1979 through 2008. His iconic delivery and catch phrases such as “Boom” made him an instant fan-favorite. He worked as a color analyst for all four major networks: CBS (1979–1993), Fox (1994–2001), ABC (2002–2005), and NBC (2006–2008); working alongside such industry icons as Pat Summerall and Al Michaels.

In fact, Madden has been on the call for several of the Cowboys most memorable moments, including a Jan. 2, 1994 contest against the Giants. Legendary Cowboys’ running back Emmitt Smith dislocated his shoulder early in the NFC East title game. In a game which would determine the No. 1 seed in the conference, as well as home-field advantage was on the line, Smith carried the Cowboys to a 16-13 overtime win; finishing with 32 carries for 168 yards and a touchdown while catching 10 passes for 61 and another score. Following the game, Madden sought out Smith to personally congratulate him for his remarkable effort. 

While family remained his greatest affection until his death in Dec, 2021 at the age of 85, Madden’s love for Thanksgiving football was always evident. As such, his being honored on a day in which his passions combine seems to be an appropriate tribute to one of the game's most indelible icons.

"There's no place that I would rather be today on Thanksgiving than right here, right now, at a football game,” Madden once said during a Thanksgiving broadcast. “There are just certain things that go together; the Turkey, the Family, the Tradition, Football…And we have it all today."

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