Thanksgiving Trends, Turkey Trots, Traditions and More

Summary

Morning Brew Daily: Thanksgiving Trends, Turkey Trots, Traditions and More – Detailed Summary

Release Date: November 28, 2024
Hosts: Neal Freyman and Toby Howell

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Introduction to Thanksgiving Traditions

[00:28]
Neal Freyman opens the episode by wishing listeners a Happy Thanksgiving, setting the stage for a themed discussion covering various Thanksgiving traditions. Toby Howell adds enthusiasm, mentioning the episode will explore everything from turkey legs to turkey trots.

[00:44 - 01:08]
The hosts outline a typical Thanksgiving itinerary—participating in a turkey trot, cooking and eating, watching football, taking a nap, and engaging in pre-Black Friday shopping. They promise to delve into each activity, providing business insights and context to enrich the listeners' understanding of these traditions.

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Turkey Trots: History and Cultural Impact

[02:06 - 06:22]
Toby Howell shares a personal anecdote about his family's involvement in turkey trots, specifically their participation in a local race called "Run for the Pies." He humorously notes the incentive of winning pies for top finishers, blending competition with festive rewards.

Neal and Toby explore the origins and evolution of turkey trots:

• Historical Beginnings:
  "How did Thanksgiving become such a popular day for millions of people across the world to lace up their running shoes?" Neal asks. They trace turkey trots back to Buffalo, New York, in 1896, coinciding with the modern Olympics' debut.

• Growth and Transformation:
  Initially a small, male-dominated event, the 1970s saw a surge in participation due to brands like Nike and runners such as Steve Prefontaine. CEO Rich Harborough describes the early races as "ultra competitive, ultra male dominated" ([03:28]).

• Family-Friendly Evolution:
  The 1980s brought diversity with pioneers like Joan Benoit Samuelson and Mary Decker, transforming turkey trots into inclusive, family-friendly events. Today, over a million people participate annually, making Thanksgiving the most popular running day in America.

Toby highlights notable turkey trots:

• Buffalo Turkey Trot:
  Celebrated as the longest-running public foot race in North America, established in 1896 and uninterrupted through major historical events, including pandemics ([04:45]).

• Dallas YMCA Turkey Trot:
  One of the largest, boasting around 20,000 finishers and setting a world record for the most participants dressed as turkeys ([05:27]).

• Silicon Valley's Applied Materials Turkey Trot:
  Showcases corporate sponsorship and innovation within traditional events.

Notable Quote:
Rich Harborough on early turkey trots: "It was all guys in short shorts with porn star mustaches." ([03:28])

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Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade: A Century-Long Tradition

[06:22 - 08:43]
Post-trot, the discussion shifts to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, now in its 100th year. The parade has seen a resurgence, with 28.5 million viewers last year—a 6% increase from the previous year, making it the second most-watched non-football broadcast after the State of the Union ([06:22]).

Historical Context:

• Initiated in 1924 to celebrate Macy’s expansion, the parade has become a staple of Thanksgiving, featuring iconic characters and elaborate floats.

Toby muses about creating a balloon for the parade, revealing the high costs involved—$200,000 for admission and construction and $510,000 for helium to fill a single balloon ([07:29]). He shares insights into the most frequent parade balloons:

• Snoopy: The most recurring character with 43 appearances.
• Ronald McDonald: Second with 31 parades.
• Others: Include Rocky and Bullwinkle, Pikachu, and speculation on future enduring characters like Bluey.

Notable Quote:
Toby on parade balloons: "A first time balloon costs upwards of $200,000. That's just to get the COVID the parade admission and the balloon construction." ([07:29])

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Thanksgiving Feast: Culinary Trends and Traditions

[08:43 - 15:01]
The conversation moves to the centerpiece of Thanksgiving—the meal. Despite inflation, the American Farm Bureau reports a 5% decline in the cost of a classic Thanksgiving feast from 2023, primarily due to a 6% decrease in the average cost of a 16-pound turkey. Additionally, milk prices dropped by 14%, alleviating costs for pies and other recipes ([10:04]).

Sweet Salads:
Neal and Toby discuss the enduring presence of sweet salads in Thanksgiving cuisine—recipes that blend pudding mix, gelatin, cool whip, canned fruit, and sugar. These dishes, once considered modern marvels, have persisted as nostalgic traditions:

• Examples:
  • Toby’s father’s seven-layer jello salad.
  • Toby’s mother’s Waldorf salad with apples and mayonnaise.

Neal introduces "frog eye salad," popular in regions like Colorado and Nevada, combining pasta, fruit, eggs, whipped cream, and marshmallows ([12:05]).

Traditional Sides Power Rankings:
Toby ranks Thanksgiving sides, emphasizing the role of each in complementing the turkey:

1. Stuffing and Mashed Potatoes ([12:17]):
   Essential for enhancing the turkey’s flavor.
2. Gravy and Cranberry Sauce ([12:17]:
   Act as "glue" and elevating elements for the meal.
3. Green Bean Casserole ([12:17]):
   A family staple, despite its reputation.
4. Sweet Potato Casserole ([12:17]):
   Noted for its high sugar content, often topped with marshmallows.

Turkey’s Dominance and Alternatives:
Neal contemplates whether turkey will maintain its position as the quintessential Thanksgiving protein, likening its market dominance to Google’s in the search engine space. Toby counters with statistics showing per capita turkey consumption has been declining since its peak in 1996, now at 14.8 pounds per year ([14:13]). He suggests alternatives like roast chicken, pork chops with apples, beef Wellington, and brisket for those looking to diversify their holiday menus.

Notable Quote:
Toby on sweet potato casserole: "The sugar content per square inch of that dish is outrageous. The way we make it is the entire top is covered in marshmallows that you kind of put under the broiler, get a little caramelly." ([12:17])

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Post-Meal Football Traditions

[15:34 - 21:05]
Neal transitions to post-meal activities, focusing on football—a pervasive Thanksgiving tradition.

Historical Roots:

• Early Thanksgiving football dates back to the late 1800s with Princeton and Yale.
• The NFL embraced the tradition in 1934 with the Detroit Lions hosting a Thanksgiving game, followed by the Dallas Cowboys adding their annual matchup.

Current Landscape:

• Professional Level:
  The Dallas Cowboys vs. New York Giants game in 2022 attracted 42 million viewers, the most-watched NFL regular-season game in history ([17:00]).

• Amateur Backyard Games:
  Thanksgiving Day sees a rise in backyard football, contributing to a 10-12% increase in ER visits due to injuries and alcohol-related incidents ([17:00]).

Cultural Significance:
Neal appreciates football's universal appeal, from casual backyard games to high-stakes NFL matchups, highlighting its role in American culture.

Matching NFL Countdown Impressions:

• Detroit Lions vs. Chicago Bears:
  Featuring a rejuvenated Lions team ([19:25]).

• Dallas Cowboys vs. New York Giants:
  Anticipated as an "epic disaster" by viewers, adding to the game's allure despite predictable outcomes ([20:00]).

Nap Time and Tryptophan Myth:
Toby debunks the myth that turkey induces sleepiness via tryptophan, clarifying that the real cause of post-meal drowsiness is likely the combination of a large meal and relaxed activities like watching football ([20:19]).

Notable Quote:
Neal on football's cultural impact: "It just shows like the cultural impact of this sport on our lives." ([18:56])

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Black Friday Shopping Trends

[21:05 - 23:31]
Transitioning to Black Friday, the hosts discuss its evolution into a significant shopping event.

Spending Forecasts:

• Bain & Co. Predictions:
  Retail sales from Black Friday to Cyber Monday are expected to reach $75 billion, a 5% increase from the previous year. This period accounts for 8% of all U.S. retail sales during the holiday season ([22:00]).

• Comparison with Other Shopping Days:
  Contrary to popular belief, the highest spending occurs on December 22nd, with Black Friday and Christmas Eve following. Cyber Monday, despite its name, does not rank in the top 10 busiest shopping days annually ([22:00]).

Origins of "Black Friday":
Neal and Toby confirm the urban legend that "Black Friday" signifies retailers moving from red (loss) to black (profit) in their accounting books. However, it doesn't necessarily mark the exact day retailers become profitable, but rather reflects the surge in sales ([23:09 - 23:38]).

Shift to Mobile Shopping:
A significant trend is the migration of Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping to mobile devices, with 51.8% of Cyber Monday week sales originating from mobile platforms ([23:31]). This shift underscores the growing preference for mobile commerce over traditional desktop shopping.

Notable Quote:
Neal on Black Friday origins: "Red denotes losses. Black means you're in the profit." ([23:16])

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Closing Gratitude and Acknowledgments

[23:31 - 26:37]
As the episode draws to a close, Neal and Toby express gratitude to their listeners, acknowledging the community that supports Morning Brew Daily. They emphasize the importance of their audience, noting that without them, the show would merely be two individuals conversing in a room.

Acknowledging the Team:
Neal extends thanks to the production team, listing key members such as Emily Mil Iron (Executive Producer), Raymond Lu (Producer), Olivia Graham (Associate Producer), Eugenia Ogu (Technical Director), Billy Menino (Audio), and Devin Emery (Chief Content Officer) ([25:25]).

Final Wishes:
Both hosts wish listeners a Happy Thanksgiving from their families, reinforcing the sense of community and shared celebration.

Notable Quote:
Neal on gratitude: "Every time you pop in your headphones on the subway to work or toss us on the Apple CarPlay as you drive your kids to school in the morning, you're including us in a little part of your day." ([25:08])

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Sponsor Messages

Throughout the episode, Neal and Toby incorporate sponsorship messages seamlessly into the conversation:

• Shopify:
  Promoted as the backbone for businesses, emphasizing its efficient checkout system and conversion-boosting capabilities ([15:34]).

• Miro:
  Highlighted as an innovative workspace tool with AI-enabled features to streamline team collaboration and productivity ([16:22]).

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Conclusion

In this Thanksgiving-themed episode, Neal Freyman and Toby Howell provide a comprehensive exploration of holiday traditions, blending personal anecdotes with insightful discussions on the cultural and economic aspects of turkey trots, Macy's parade, Thanksgiving meals, football traditions, and Black Friday shopping. Their engaging dialogue, enriched with notable quotes and timestamps, offers listeners both entertainment and valuable context, making it accessible and informative even for those who haven't tuned in.

Transcript

[Toby Howell]

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[Neal Freyman]

Good morning, Brew Daily Show. I'm Neal Freyman.

[Toby Howell]

And I'm Toby Howell.

[Neal Freyman]

Today, Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

[Toby Howell]

To celebrate, we' up a Thanksgiving themed episode talking everything from turkey legs to turkey trots. It's Thursday, November 28th. Let's ride.

[Neal Freyman]

As you all go about your Thanksgiving day, we have a feeling that a lot of your plans will follow a similar itinerary.

[Toby Howell]

Maybe there's a turkey trot involved, some cooking and eating, obviously a little bit of football and a nap. Then finish it all off with some pre Black Friday shopping.

[Neal Freyman]

Toby and I are going to do our best tour guide impressions and dive into each of those events alongside you and give a little business insight and context to each one.

[Toby Howell]

Think of it as some small talk fodder to bring up in case that one cousin starts shilling a meme coin a little too hard over dessert. But before we dive in, a quick word from our sponsor, Yahoo. Finance. Neal, how you feeling for the big family conversation around the Thanksgiving table later today?

[Neal Freyman]

Feeling good? Feeling very prepared?

[Toby Howell]

Oh yeah, why is that?

[Neal Freyman]

Because everyone inevitably starts talking about stocks and crypto and what the market is doing. And I just have a good pulse on that because I spent a ton of time every day on Yahoo Finance which gives me real time market data and the latest news in business and finance. Nobody is going to get anything by me.

[Toby Howell]

Yeah, my Thanksgiving conversations will probably involve everyone going around bragging about how much in video stock they have. But thanks to Yahoo Finance, I'll have something they don't. Insight into their full year EPS projections.

[Neal Freyman]

And that is important to cram before your Thanksgiving meal conversation. Head to yahoo.finance.com that's yahoo.finance.com so to.

[Toby Howell]

Start the show, I have a secret to admit to you all. My family is very much a turkey trot family.

[Neal Freyman]

Shocking.

[Toby Howell]

Put the turkey in at the crack of dawn. Then off we go to our local 5k race, ready to earn the meal that's coming later in the day. But how did Thanksgiving become such a popular day for millions of people across the world to lace up their running shoes? Well, it all started back in Buffalo, New York in 1896, the same year that the modern Olympics actually made their debut. That first event, put on by a local ymca, attracted just four finishers. But things only grew from there. Thanks to the rise of Nike and the popularity of iconic American runners like Steve Prefontaine, the numbers of Turkey Trot participants quadrupled in the 1970s. But they weren't the Turkey Trots you know and love today. Quote, it was all guys in short shorts with porn star mustaches. Rich Harborough, CEO of the nonprofit Running usa, told the Hustle. Ultra competitive, ultra male dominated. It wasn't until the 80s, after pioneers like Joan Benoit Samuelson and Mary Decker toed the line in major races, did turkey trots reach a wider audience. Soon they turned into the family friendly affair. You know, today, and now, Thanksgiving is the most popular running day in America. More than a million people will tow the start line today. So shout out all my turkey trout people out there. You are not alone.

[Neal Freyman]

Yeah, I was not a turkey trout guy maybe until a couple of years ago, and it just seemed like a great thing to do in the morning. I think that's why people do it. They know what's coming later today, later in the day. They know how much sitting is going to be involved. And usually it's some nice crisp weather as well. I mean, you're down in Florida, so it might have been hot, but, like, what is your family's Thanksgiving a turkey Trot look like? So our turkey, you probably take it way more competitively.

[Toby Howell]

Absolutely. Are you kidding me? So our local race is called Run for the Pies, actually. And what you do, instead of getting medals, if you get top three in your age group or top three overall, you get a. A pie. Like an apple pie or pumpkin pie. So I don't want to brag or anything, but I usually say, don't worry about dessert this year, Mom. Like, we'll get some pies at the morning turkey. If you don't do well, then we are without pies. Um, but I actually do just want to dig into that Buffalo Turkey Trot that I mentioned. This race is pretty remarkable. They say that they are the oldest continually running public foot race in North America, established all the way back in 1896. It really hasn't missed a year since. Even during World War I, even during the 1918 flu pandemic, even during World War II. And then as well as the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, they always line it up in Buffalo for this turkey Trot. Longest running public foot race in North America. Pretty cool.

[Neal Freyman]

Started one year before the Boston Marathon too, right?

[Toby Howell]

Because in our. We recently did an episode on running and I thought the Boston Marathon was definitely the oldest race in America. No, Buffalo's got it.

[Neal Freyman]

There's some other interesting turkey trots that happen around the country. Obviously they happen in pretty much every community. Mine is quite modest up there in western Massachusetts. But the Dallas one, the Dallas YMCA Turkey Trot, might just be the biggest. They have about 20,000 finishers in recent years. That's basically a marathon. I mean, that is a ton of people. The most famous one in New England is called the Manchester Road Race, which started all the way back in 1927. You're nodding your head, you might have heard of that. It's a very famous race.

[Toby Howell]

It's a very famous race and is actually, I read this endurance book and like elite athletes go to Manchester. It is like a prize, prize race. Also, that Dallas one that you mentioned set the world record for the most amount of people dressed as turkeys running. So not only is it one of the biggest, it is also the biggest gathering of people dresses turkeys running as well.

[Neal Freyman]

And then there's one in Silicon Valley which is called the Applied Materials Silicon Valley. And leave it to those guys to, you know, have a corporate sponsor for their turkey trot. So if you are going on a turkey trot today, have a great time, whether you're competitive or you're just running a leisurely 5k to sweat it up a little bit.

[Toby Howell]

Finally though, my last point on turkey trots, I don't want to burst your bubble, but you would have to walk for about nine hours to burn off the typical Thanksgiving dinner. So I know I said you earn your dinner with or earn your meal with the Turkey Trot, but unfortunately you're still going to be probably in a calorie surplus.

[Neal Freyman]

It's called Thanksgiving.

[Toby Howell]

It's called Thanksgiving.

[Neal Freyman]

Okay, so you just got home from the Turkey Trot. What's next on the Thanksgiving agenda? Grab a cold glass of water and turn on the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Of course, the tradition, now in its 100th year, has become more popular than ever. At a time when other live entertainment broadcasts are seeing record low viewership, the Thanksgiving parade has surged to all time highs. 28.5 million people watched last year's parade on NBC and Peacock up 6% from the year before. That is a ton of people. It was the second most watched non football broadcast on TV last year, only behind the State of the Union. Clearly people love watching their favorite characters float down New York City's cavernous streets to Macy's flagship store in Herald Square, where it all began in 1924. During Thanksgiving of that year, Macy's staged what was then a Christmas themed parade to celebrate the expansion of its store, which at 1.5 million square feet was the world's largest. Toby, any fond memories of the parade or are you still with your family at the Turkey Trot?

[Toby Howell]

Yeah, honestly, I wasn't a big Macy's Day parade watcher, but I was a little curious. What if Maureen Brew Daily wanted to get a balloon this year? How much would it set us back? It costs a pretty penny. A first time balloon costs upwards of $200,000. That's just to get the COVID the parade admission and the balloon construction. But here's an even crazier fact. Balloons take at least $510,000 to fill up with helium. That is the cost of the helium because these things are huge. They use upwards of 300000 to 700000 cubic feet of helium. So that is just a massive bill. So unfortunately you're not going to be seeing Neil or Toby's heads float down this year. But maybe a few more deals, maybe a few more listens will get enough cash to put together an balloon.

[Neal Freyman]

There is this urban legend that has gone around that says that Macy's is the second biggest purchaser of helium in the United States or even in the world following the US Government. And I went on a wild goose chase on the Internet before this episode to see if that was true because it sounds not real. I could not find, I cannot confirm it. It doesn't seem real. I'm willing to give that for Pinocchio.

[Toby Howell]

I'm wondering though because like 300,000 to 700,000 cubic feet per balloon and there's however many balloons on there it certainly could be. I mean there's, there's always some truth to urban legends. But I was looking also into just, I call it the Mount Rushmore of parade balloons. Who has been out there the most? Who has made the most appearances? And Snoopy is the goat, obviously. 43 parades to his name. Lots of different variations of Snoopy. Sometimes you got space Snoopy, sometimes you just have the classic. Ronald McDonald comes in second with 31 parades. Then you got characters like Rocky and Bullwinkle, then Pikachu. It also got me thinking, in modern media are there any characters that you think will have the same lasting power like that a Snoopy? Was that in 50 years? 100 years?

[Neal Freyman]

Mickey Mouse?

[Toby Howell]

Well see, I'm thinking more.

[Neal Freyman]

No, I know I'm saying, I'm saying along those lines, I mean, it's tough to say. I think there's. There have been a lot of Pixar characters that have come through. Like, that may have some staying power. You know, Bluey is probably the biggest character, you know, cartoon character of the last few years. Who knows, like, whether that'll have a float in 100 years from now. But Bluey seems to be like the one that's captured so many eyeballs. And, you know, kids would absolutely love to see that, have a float. Looking down the pipeline. I have no idea. Yeah, they would love to see a Toby float.

[Toby Howell]

I'm telling you, I'm trying to do it, but we need to go fund me or something because I can't cover the helium costs.

[Neal Freyman]

All right, you know what? We have waited too long for this. It's time to eat. The centerpiece of all Thanksgivings is the meal traditionally anchored by a massive turkey with a host of mix and match sides. And after years of inflation, it probably cost you a little less. This year, according to the American Farm Bureau, a classic Thanksgiving feast declined 5% from 2023, primarily because the average cost of a 16 pound turkey is down 6%. And if you use milk for your pies and other recipes, you likely also notice that it didn't break the bank. Whole milk prices have plunged 14% from last year. But Toby, I think there's an aspect of Thanksgiving cuisine that doesn't get discussed that much. And it's all those sweet salads, relics of 20th cent American cookbooks that your aunt still trots out every Thanksgiving. You know what I'm talking about. Salads. And I'm using scare quotes here that are typically made with pudding mix, gelatin, cool whip, canned fruit and sugar that at the time they were developed were considered modern, hygienic technological marvels. Now they're curiosities, but they seem to have been preserved throughout the generations.

[Toby Howell]

I. It absolutely has been preserved because both my mom and my dad make these sweet quote unquote salads. My dad always makes this seven layer jello salad. I was like, why are you calling this a salad at all? It is in like a bundt cake mold with ice cream layers, marshmallows, raspberries in it. And it is obviously a dessert, but like, he labels it a salad. And then my mom makes Waldorf salad too, which does have apples and it actually has mayonnaise mixed in as well. Doesn't sound good, but it's sweet and delicious. So I do love this is the most American of things ever is that we rebranded these just like sugary, basically monstrosities as salads, and they have persisted all the way from the 50s into modern day. Have you ever had one of these?

[Neal Freyman]

I don't know. It's not. I don't know if it's my culture, but it is. In a lot of places like Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, and Utah, they eat something called a frog eye salad. And a frog eye salad is some combination of pasta, fruit, eggs, whipped cream, and marshmallows.

[Toby Howell]

I mean, it just sounds gross, but I know it's probably delicious. But eggs and whipped cream in the same sentence.

[Neal Freyman]

In terms of traditional sides, though, for Thanksgiving or turkey, you know, like what? Where do your power rankings here?

[Toby Howell]

Oh, I got a lot of thoughts on this. For me, stuffing and mashed potatoes are 1A, 1B. They can both shine in their own right, but they're also kind of perfect cover ups for kind of the overall weakness of turkey. If we're in the trust tree here, ladder them on. Turkey becomes a little more palatable. And then for me, next is gravy, because it's the glue that holds the whole plate together. Also, slide cranberry sauce in on that same tier as well because it sort of elevates the team around it. It's not the star player, but it elevates everyone around it. I think I'm legally obligated to say green bean casserole as well, because my poor brother has been making that Campbell's soup recipe since he was, like, 10 years old, since he could reach the kitchen counter and we all would go like, Henry. So good. We love it, but it is actually pretty dang good. And then finishing it off, I'm putting sweet potato casserole on my list because the sugar content per square inch of that dish is outrageous. The way we make it is the entire top is covered in marshmallows that you kind of put under the broiler, get a little caramelly. So good. I don't know how that slides in as a side dish and not an actual dessert. But, yeah, that's kind of generally how I'm approaching this side dish game this year.

[Neal Freyman]

Here's the question, though. Is turkey ever going to relinquish its dominance, its stranglehold over the market of Thanksgiving proteins? Because right now it's kind of like Google search. But maybe, you know, Google searches might get broken up. There are AI entrants into the space. Like, things don't last forever. And turkey as the centerpiece of Thanksgiving really Has lasted decades, if not hundreds of years. But there is a time for everything to change and nothing is inevitable. And, you know, talking to people about turkey is generally the thing is, like, the mood is, yeah, we have to eat it. I don't think anyone is particularly excited about it, but maybe the turkey lobby is so strong that we will just be under turkey big turkey's grip for decades to come.

[Toby Howell]

I have stats actually to back up those vibes that you were talking about us. Per capita turkey consumption peaked all the way back in 1996. It's been a slow decline since then. It's down 18% now. We only consume about 14.8 pounds of turkey per year. That was in 2023. The majority of that coming on Thanksgiving, obviously. I also put together some ideas if you did want to go in a different direction than turkey this year. Roast chicken, toss on some maple butter, some rosemary. Pretty delicious pork chops and apples. I think that's first of all just an insane combination right there, but much better than turkey. A beef Wellington. If you wanted to get a little fancy, someone brought a brisket as a good option. And all of a sudden, I can't stop thinking about brisket at every other Jewish holiday.

[Neal Freyman]

I think Thanksgiving has to be a little sacrosanct, but for the people who don't, yeah, it is a great holiday dish.

[Toby Howell]

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, free yourself up from the shackles of turkey. Today, the world is your oyster. I mean, have some oysters if you're into that. But yeah, I'm still. I'm still team turkey, though, till. Till I die. Now let's take a quick break to digest some of this food. When you think about businesses like Allbirds that are selling through the roof, you think of a cool product and fun marketing, right? The overlooked secret is actually the businesses behind the business that make selling simple. For millions of sellers. That business is Shopify.

[Neal Freyman]

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[Toby Howell]

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[Neal Freyman]

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[Toby Howell]

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[Neal Freyman]

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[Toby Howell]

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[Neal Freyman]

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[Toby Howell]

Listen, if anything can spot speed up your workflows and make collaboration across teams easier, it is worth the investment. Whether you work in innovation, product design, engineering, ux, agile or it. Bring your teams to Miro's revolutionary Innovation Workspace and be faster from idea to outcome. Go to miro.com to find out how. That's M I R O.com okay, hope that food is sitting well, but now it's time to retire to the couch for some Football Football is as much a part of Thanksgiving in America as turkey or awkward family conversations. Much like the turkey trots we talked about earlier, you can trace football's presence on Thanksgiving Day all the way back to the 1800s. Princeton and Yale kicked off the tradition, scheduling a game against each other on Thanksgiving Day from 1876 to 1881. Due to its popularities, the schools actually decided to move the college championship game to Thanksgiving Day in New York City. Going forward, the NFL didn't follow suit until later in 1934, when the new Lions owner scheduled a Thanksgiving Day game to attract fans after the team relocated to the city that year. Since that decision, football on Thanksgiving has turned into a national pastime in an absolute ratings juggernaut. In 2022, 42 million viewers watched the Dallas Cowboys play the New York Giants, becoming the most watched NFL game in regular season history. But even outside the professional side of things, Thanksgiving Day turkey bowls have also taken place in backyards across the country. I was just curious because you ate some food, maybe some drinks, a lot of tightness in the hamstrings. You got to think that injuries go up on Thanksgiving thanks to these amateur backyard football games. And lo and behold, they do. Er, visits in New York see a 10 to 12% uptick during this holiday period, with visits growing more frequent the longer the day goes on as more of those drinks start to flow. So if you do want to Play football today, make sure you limber up so you don't have any of those ER visits.

[Neal Freyman]

I think what's great about football on Thanksgiving Day is that it's really for everyone. It's at all levels. From playing in your backyard, from those of us that have never stepped foot on a actual football field. You kind of make believe like you're an NFL player all the way up through high school, college, NFL. It's just a full. It just shows like the cultural impact of this sport on our lives. And I love playing football. I'm not a bad touch touch football player myself. If you need a slot receiver, hit me up. But yeah, I mean, the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys have owned this day from a professional level for a while now, for decades. And then they added this third slot 19 years ago. And that is in the evening. That that's always a pretty good game. Let's talk about the matchups here. Let's do our best NFL Countdown impression. We have Detroit, which is an absolute juggernaut this year. For so long they were so bad and you're like, oh, I have to watch the Lions play. But now they are amazing, so that should be fun. They're taking on the Chicago Bears. And then later on you have the Cowboys facing the Giants.

[Toby Howell]

That is the time to take the nap, people. We got two backup quarterbacks there. That is when you hit the couch and go to sleep.

[Neal Freyman]

People might hate watch that game. Yeah, I saw some people being like, I kind of love that the Cowboys are facing the Giants because it is going to be an epic disaster. And then later in the night, the Dolphins are playing the packers in I guess a matchup of the green.

[Toby Howell]

Yeah, the matchup of the green. I do actually want to talk about that other tradition that we touched on for a second right there, and that is nap time. The post meal nap time when the Cowboys are losing. Just hits different. But also the reason why it hits different is not because turkey contains tryptophan. And I know that, know it all family member has definitely given you this spiel before. Like, oh, you're tired because eating turkey boosts the level of tryptophan in your brain, which subsequently boosts the level of serotonin, which makes you feel nice and warm and happy and sleepy. But sorry to burst your bubble, turkey contains less tryptophan than normal chicken. So you're not getting some outsized dosage that are making your eyelids heavy. You're probably just sleepy because watching Daniel Jones or Tommy Cutlets play quarterback makes you want to close your eyes.

[Neal Freyman]

1. One Final Note about football. Did you have like a big high school game?

[Toby Howell]

No.

[Neal Freyman]

Really?

[Toby Howell]

My, my high school was. My graduating class was very, very small.

[Neal Freyman]

We had a big. Yeah, I also. Across high schools across the country, there's always a big Thanksgiving day game against your rival. We were Longmeadow. We played East Longmeadow. We were always a lot better than them, but that always started around 10am I guess it conflicts with the Turkey Trout that I wasn't a Turkey Trot person back in high school, but that was really fun to go to the local high school, walk out there and have a big, big high school game as well.

[Toby Howell]

My big thing too is, I mean, I played soccer in college and if you made the NCAA tourn, you would like miss Thanksgiving. So every year we would kind of say, like, mom, I might not be coming home. I never ended up making the tournament though. So I always showed up for Thanksgiving.

[Neal Freyman]

All right, so we just wrapped up Thanksgiving. Let's talk a little bit about Black Friday, which is one of the biggest holiday shopping days on the calendar. I know you probably might have it in the back of your mind about certain deals that you might want to get, certain stores that you might want to go to, certain websites that you might want to shop on. Well, here are some forecasts from Bain & Co. About how much people are going to spend. U.S. retail sales between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, which is on Monday, are forecast to rise 5% year over year to hit $75 billion for the first time ever. About 8% of all US retail sales during the holiday season from Thanksgiving to Christmas will occur during this four day period from Black Friday to Cyber Monday. But Black Friday is not the most popular day to shop on in the entire holiday calendar. People spent the most. This is according to Bain. Last year, people spent the most on December 22nd. The last minute. The last minute, you know what I'm talking about. And then that was followed by Black Friday and then that was followed by Christmas Eve. So even more last minute. And you might think Cyber Monday has, you know, grown to be this huge juggernaut, but it's not Even the top 10 busiest shopping day over the course of the year.

[Toby Howell]

Yeah, just because we give something a name doesn't automatically mean. I thought I actually didn't know. Do you know why it's called Black Friday?

[Neal Freyman]

Is it? I mean, the urban legend there's been. There's so many urban legends around Thanksgiving this time of year, but it was that when retailers go from the red you know, loss making to profitable over the course. You know, that's this is the time of the year where they start making money.

[Toby Howell]

That is actually 100% correct. I just never put it together. Yeah, red denotes losses. Black means you're in the profit. That that's why.

[Neal Freyman]

Yeah, but we do this show and we're like Walmart is very profitable and turned to profit. And then, you know, I don't know, they're all make.

[Toby Howell]

Well, it's not necessarily that it is the actual day they go from red to black. It is just means that you are probably going to end up in the like you are selling a lot of things. So you're going to be in the black. Put it in the accounting books as a day where you're in the black. Another thing, a shift that we've talked about recently, I mean, it's not even recently anymore, but obviously most of Black Friday shopping has shifted from in person to online. But not only to online, it is shifted mostly to mobile devices. 51.8% of all sales during the Cyber Monday week came from mobile devices last year. So it's not just that people are opening up your laptops anymore. It's much more just like take the phone out. This is where we do a lot of our shopping these days. So over half of all that activity on Cyber Monday's week does happen from your mobile device. So I don't know what that says. It just shows how easy it is to, you know, make these purchases that we're talking about on Black Fridays. Finally, no Thanksgiving Day show would be complete without a little gratitude. Hope you all take some time to step back and reflect today on some of the best parts of life. Family, health, and obviously some delicious side dishes. Neil and I wanted to use this moment to give our thanks to you all, our listeners. Without you all, morning Brew Daily is just two guys talking to themselves in a room. But when you guys show up day after day, week after week, and now, year after year, it turns the show into so much more.

[Neal Freyman]

Every time you pop in your headphones on the subway to work or toss us on the Apple CarPlay as you drive your kids to school in the morning, you're including us in a little part of your day. And there are so many options for news, for entertainment these days. So thank you for choosing to spend your time with us.

[Toby Howell]

So if you'll let us get a little sappy for a moment, we can't thank you enough for tuning in each morning and forming this awesome Morning Brew Daily community that we have. So happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours. And speaking of the MBD family, Neal, let's roll these credits.

[Neal Freyman]

And before let's roll the credits, we also have to give a huge shout out to everyone who helps make this show possible. I read their names off every single day, but they are incredible people. They're. They're with us here at 5am every single morning. And, you know, we just kind of talk up here about the news, but the. The way the show actually gets produced and all these special holiday episodes and that all the way it eventually gets to Apple and Spotify and our social media presence is all thanks to those people.

[Toby Howell]

I mean, the cliche saying is like, we couldn't do it without you, but we quite literally couldn't do it without all the people whose names Neal is about to read.

[Neal Freyman]

Okay, I'm about to read them. Emily Mil Iron is our executive producer. Raymond Lu is our producer. Olivia Graham is our associate producer. Eugenia Ogu is our technical director. Billy Menino is on audio hair makeup is passed out on the couch. Devin Emery is our chief content officer, and our show is a production of Morning Brew.

[Toby Howell]

Great show today, Neal. Let's run it back tomorrow.