In 1980, John Madden had not yet arrived to hand out post-game drumsticks from a mutant Simpsons-esque turkey. So the late great Irv Cross handled the post-game chit chat.
That season the Lions had a phenomenal rookie running back who wore #20 before Barry Sanders.
Billy Sims.
Sims would amass close to 2000 yards from scrimmage and win rookie of the year.
Their fans were energized.
With no clever memes or Reels to post to “mobile phones” players on the Lions (who did not ultimately make the playoffs) found other means to proudly let the world know what they thought of themselves.
In 1979, the Lions went 2-14, so you gotta cut them some slack for getting a little cocky amidst minor success in 1980. Queen's “Another One Bites the Dust” somehow became their anthem. I was young, I understood the song was punishing and tough. Intimidating teenagers with feathered hair, windbreakers, a Marb Light in one hand and the other fist carrying a shockingly simple Hardee’s burger, might joust spookily in a young person’s direction to the beat of this song, if only to find out if you were a total pussy or not.
Two for flinching.
The Bears dominance was still a few seasons away. (Buddy Ryan was already there though).
You mainly just had Walter Payton in that simple, resplendent white Bears uniform.
Payton, a rarity on national broadcasts, given that the Bears were not competitive, was amazing, doing all the "controlled by invisible joystick” shit that seems common now.
On Thanksgiving there were only two games back then.
The first of which, always in Detroit, began at 11:30 AM CST.
This was fine. Occurring just early enough in the day that nearby alcoholics were not yet tempted. The day always at least started normal.
Anyway, nine odd months after the Miracle on Ice, this game happened.
The 1980s were going to be cool.
I have zero memory of it.
In reality, the 1980s were still huffing vestiges of some 1970s shit.
Athletes mostly looked like this. The familiar, nearly universal disillusioned “I don’t want to talk any more about it, Debbie” pose that infected most of the cards from the Topps set that year.
The Lions offensive coordinator was Bob Schnelker, who’d wind up in Minnesota as part of Jerry Burns’ staff, and be at the center of the best press post-game press conference ever. If you only click on one thing, this is it:
And the Silverdome slowly expired.
Happy Thanksgiving.