President Abraham Lincoln instituted the celebration of Thanksgiving as a national holiday in 1863 after the Union victory at the battle of Gettysburg, during the American Civil War.
The modern tradition of watching football on Thanksgiving day is not so far from what historians say took place many years ago.
"There were contests and races and other kinds of things, so in addition to a tradition of food, there was also athletics, if you want to draw it together with the tradition of football...