from Allan Muir of Sports Illustrated,

It was probably around halftime of Thursday’s 45-14 rout of the Philadelphia Eagles by the Detroit Lions that America started asking itself, “I wonder what else is on TV?”

There was a Bogie movie, a dog show and some Simpsons re-runs. All solid alternatives to that NFL clown show. But the one thing many of us would have preferred wasn't one of the options.

A hockey game.

There’s a pervasive sense that the NFL owns the holiday, that its games are as much a part of the festivities as an overcooked bird and squabbling relatives. Going head-to-head with pigskin? Ratings suicide.

But not every family holds to the same traditions. There are plenty of households that would choose hockey over football if given the choice. And considering how successfully the NHL has carved out a niche for itself on another football-dominated holiday with the New Year’s Day Winter Classic, there’s no reason why it couldn't establish a beachhead on Turkey Day as well.

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