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All About Thanksgiving

NFL Football on Thanksgiving: An American Tradition

From James Alder,
Your Guide to Football.
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Beating the Crowd on Thanksgiving

3. Usually Thanksgiving dinner is served about the time the second game is beginning, so my game plan here is very simple. Hang around the dining room between games so you can be the first in line to load your plate and head back to the game before everyone else. Heck, you might even get the chance to visit with relatives you haven't seen since last year. But don't allow reminiscing to delay your return to the comfort of your viewing zone or you may lose it to another experienced "squatter".

4. After finishing off a carefully loaded plate of delicious Thanksgiving rations, you can always give one of the rug rats running around a quarter to take your plate to the kitchen so you don't have to risk a quick dash yourself. At this point you can loosen your belt, kick back and relax while watching the rest of the first-half action of game two.

Finish the Game
At this point, people with full bellies are either starting to nod off or they are too stuffed to move even if they wanted to. Now, it's not out of the question to be able to sneak off for a little bit of Grandma's pumpkin pie with fresh whipped cream. But be sure to tip-toe back to your front-row seat before the two-minute warning when all the snoozers come back to consciousness.

Usually the crowd thins out significantly by the end of the second game, so as soon as the game is over, I make a point to visit with Grandma again. As I mentioned before, Christmas is coming soon so why not make sure she knows who the last person was to leave her wonderful Thanksgiving celebration.

Caution
Of course, as all good holiday dinner squatters can tell you, make sure all the dishes have been washed before venturing anywhere near the kitchen!

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