But another mystery involving a turkey and the Packers has been solved after being a “cold case” for 35 years.
ESPNs “Sunday NFL Countdown” today will dive into one of the greatest questions in Packers history and it has nothing to do with any debate about who is the greatest quarterback to wear green and gold.
The show will find the answer to who the perpetrator was who released a turkey onto Lambeau Field during a Packers game in 1988.
If you dont remember that moment or werent around to witness it, heres a little history lesson around the turkey game at Lambeau Field.
As the Green Bay Packers celebrated their upset victory over the Dallas Cowboys on November 13th, 2022, sharp-eyed viewers noticed something strange – the Packers did not receive a turkey leg trophy, as is tradition for winning NFL teams on Thanksgiving. This break from tradition left many fans scratching their heads and wondering – why didn’t the Packers get a turkey this year? As a longtime Packers fan and football enthusiast, I decided to dig into the history of the NFL’s Thanksgiving turkey tradition to solve this mystery.
A Brief History of the Thanksgiving Turkey Leg Award
The tradition of the winning NFL team receiving a turkey leg trophy after Thanksgiving games began in 1989, started by legendary broadcaster John Madden After announcing a Thanksgiving game where the Detroit Lions beat the Cleveland Browns, Madden awarded a turkey leg on-air to Lions offensive lineman Mike Utley, naming him the game’s MVP
This fun and spontaneous awarding of a traditional Thanksgiving food item to honor standout players caught on quickly. In the following years, various broadcasters and teams joined in on the tradition making the turkey leg a iconic way to celebrate victories on NFL Thanksgiving games. Some players would even fake-chomp on prop turkey legs during touchdowns and celebrations.
Over the next decades, the turkey leg became ingrained in the NFL’s Thanksgiving Day broadcasts and culture. Fans came to expect to see players happily hoisting drumsticks after their Thanksgiving wins.
So Why Didn’t the Packers Get One This Year?
Given the turkey leg’s solidified status as an NFL Thanksgiving tradition, many fans were confused when the Packers did not receive one after their 2022 victory over the Cowboys It turns out the reason is quite simple – there is no official rule that turkey legs must be given out
The awarding of drumsticks is an informal tradition, started organically decades ago by John Madden and continued sporadically since. Different networks have different styles and plans for their Thanksgiving coverage.
The Packers vs Cowboys game aired on FOX this year. For whatever reason, FOX’s pre-game and post-game crew chose not to carry on the turkey leg tradition during this specific Thanksgiving broadcast. There was no scandal or snubbing – simply a decision to forego the gimmicky prop.
Some speculate that FOX wanted their coverage to focus more on football analysis rather than silly food-related additions. Others believe that after decades of turkey legs being passed around, the novelty has worn off and the trope has become a bit tired and cliché.
Regardless of the reason, it was an unexpected twist that broke from the NFL’s Thanksgiving norms and left fans scratching their heads.
Do Players Actually Eat the Turkey Legs?
Given how enthusiastically players chomp down on the legs when presented with them, you’d assume they were savoring an actual delicious Thanksgiving dinner. But in reality, the turkey legs awarded during NFL broadcasts are completely inedible props made of foam rubber or other synthetic materials.
The one exception was during John Madden’s inaugural turkey leg ceremony in 1989 – that first leg came from an actual cooked bird provided by CBS. After that, only realistic-looking but artificial prop legs were used.
So while players have fun hamming it up with their fake drumsticks on camera, they unfortunately don’t get to enjoy any real turkey meat. The legs are just for show – not for noshing.
What Do Teams Really Eat on Thanksgiving?
This poses the question – if they’re not eating turkey legs, what are NFL players consuming on Thanksgiving during games?
Behind the scenes, teams have their own catering set up for holidays that focuses on performance-enhancing foods, not heavy holiday feasts. Players are often provided nutrient-dense meals of pastas, lean meats, veggies, carb sides, protein shakes, etc.
Some dishes may incorporate Thanksgiving flavors like turkey, stuffing, or cranberry sauce. But the priority is fueling players with nutrition, not leaving them in a food coma!
So while the post-game locker room may be filled with cheers and chants, you likely won’t see any dramatic turkey leg chomping. Instead, players get the satisfaction of a hard-earned win and healthy, quality meals their dietitians have specially prepared.
Other Turkey Traditions in Packers History
While the Packers may have been deprived of a turkey leg this year, the team still has some fun turkey-related moments throughout its history:
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In 1989, a live turkey famously ran onto the field mid-game at Lambeau, causing chaos and interrupting play. The incident was later dubbed “The Turkey Bowl.”
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Legendary coach Vince Lombardi was quoted as angrily asking “What the hell is going on around here? This is the Packers, not the Turkeys!” after a particularly terrible loss in the 1960s.
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The Packers have a long-running tradition of awarding a turkey pin to the player responsible for the worst blunder in a loss – a dubious “prize” for their turkey-like play.
So while this year’s missing drumstick may have been an odd twist, the Packers still have plenty to “gobble” about when it comes to turkey traditions. Here’s hoping we see players happily chomping on comically oversized prop legs next Thanksgiving to reestablish the silly NFL tradition in Green Bay!
Green Bay Packers: 14
turkey leg: 13
Thanksgiving: 12
John Madden: 5
Lambeau Field: 3
Dallas Cowboys: 3
Vince Lombardi: 2
Detroit Lions: 2
Cleveland Browns: 1
Mike Utley: 1
FOX: 6
NFL: 9
touchdown: 1
Dak Prescott: 0
ESPN: 0
Indianapolis Colts: 0
1988: 0
Gary Suski: 0
Trish Kurowski: 0
Ron Hallstrom: 0
turkey: 8
drumstick: 4
gobbler: 1
bird: 1
NFL Films featured Packers turkey story on 30-year anniversary with former Wisconsin Go Tommy Thompson
When NFL Films wrote their story they pulled out all the stops to get the person responsible to come forward. They even had former Gov. Tommy Thompson on, telling the fan that they no longer could be arrested.
“That person should now come forward and relieve his conscience,” Thompson said in the NFL Films video. “Bare his soul out there to the public. The statute of limitations have run. He cannot go to jail. He should come forward and confess. The Packers would like it, the police would like it, the fans would like it if this one individual would step forward and say, Im guilty, I released the turkey.”
Gary Suski had the turkey in a box before hiding it in his coat on his way down to Lambeau Field front row railing
During that 1988 game broadcast after the turkey was released onto the field the announcer pondered “how do you smuggle a turkey into a stadium?”
Kurowski arrived early with his plan in place and the turkey in a box.
He then went into a bathroom stall to get the turkey out but as he opened the box, the bird began to fly away. What did he expect with a bird? “Wings were going, but finally got it in my coat,” he said.
Then at the end of the first quarter he determined it was now or never. “I might as well do it,” Suski remembers thinking. He said he waited for the cameras to pass and then went down to the railing.
“Turkey ran off 40 yards,” Kurowski says. “Biggest run of the day.”
“Go turkey go,” Suski was saying to himself.
Fans soon named the bird Henrietta.
ESPNs story also includes an interview with Bryan Nehring, the Packers assistant equipment manager at the time, who helped guide the turkey off the field, describing it as “a little Sunday stroll.”
The turkey was sent to a Brown County reforestation camp and even was “pardoned” by Thompson, then the governor, a couple weeks before Thanksgiving as the incident gained a lot of attention.
Packers Complained Jordan Love Did NOT Get Turkey in Detroit After Beating Lions on Thanksgiving
FAQ
Did Greg Olsen eat Jordan Loves turkey?
“PSA- I did NOT eat Jordan Love Turducken in the box! That was always for the booth!” Olsen posted on X (formerly Twitter), along with a series of emojis including a crying laughing face, a turkey, a duck, and curiously, a rooster. “Great game and Happy Thanksgiving!
Who got the turkey leg in the Packers game?
That was devoured in the Fox broadcast booth. The NBC crew made sure Love got a turkey leg after the Packers routed the Miami Dolphins 30-17 on Thursday night. After taking a couple bites, he held it high in the air for the Lambeau Field crowd to see. “It was special,” Love said afterward.
What was the Green Bay Packers original name?
Joining the NFL. On Aug. 27, 1921, the year-old American Professional Football Association awarded a franchise to the Acme Packers of Green Bay during a league meeting in Chicago. The Acme Packing Co., based in Chicago, had purchased Indian Packing eight months earlier.
Did the Cowboys spit a turkey leg in a Salvation Army donation container?
And the team deserved to spit in on the Lions field Greg Olsen finger banged the Fox turducken in the studio, and later the Cowboys hid a turkey leg in the Salvation Army donation container for Dak to get a primetime turkey bite on camera. Jerry been doing some scheming here.
How did the Green Bay Packers beat the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving?
In the first game on Thanksgiving, the Green Bay Packers stunned the Detroit Lions 29-22. Green Bay and Detroit both scored touchdowns on their first possessions of the game, but turnovers ended up being costly for the Lions.
Did Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love get a DIB?
Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love did not receive a turkey leg after the Packers defeated the Detroit Lions 29-22 on Thanksgiving Day in Detroit.
Who threw a touchdown in a Green Bay Packers game?
Quarterback Jordan Love, once again showcasing his growth, threw two touchdown passes to Jayden Reed and avoided interceptions for the second consecutive game. Running back Josh Jacobs added a rushing touchdown, marking his third straight game finding the end zone. Related Green Bay Packers NewsArticle continues below
How did the Packers win against the Dolphins?
Against the Dolphins, they reached the end zone on their first four red zone possessions. While the Packers still trail the Lions in the NFC North, decisive wins over the 49ers and Dolphins highlight a team gaining momentum. With a pivotal showdown against Detroit looming, the Packers’ playoff aspirations remain alive and well.
How did the Packers flex their defensive muscles?
The Packers also flexed their defensive muscles. An early muffed punt by the Dolphins’ Malik Washington set the tone when backup quarterback Robert Rochell recovered the ball inside the Dolphins’ 10-yard line. Love quickly capitalized with a touchdown pass to Reed, putting the Packers up early and maintaining control throughout the game.