Presidents & Traditions

25 questions · Answers revealed below each question · Print this set

1.Which team did Dave Williams's 1980 return beat?
- A. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- B. The Green Bay Packers
- C. The Minnesota Vikings
- D. The Detroit Lions
Show answer
The Detroit Lions
Did you know? Chicago stunned Detroit in overtime that holiday.
2.Which Vikings rookie caught three touchdowns at Dallas on Thanksgiving 1998?
- A. Randy Moss
- B. Adam Thielen
- C. Jake Reed
- D. Cris Carter
Show answer
Randy Moss
Did you know? Randy Moss announced himself with a holiday hat trick.
3.What were the names of the turkeys pardoned by Donald Trump in his first pardon, in 2017?
- A. Hickory and Sage
- B. Drumstick and Wishbone
- C. Gravy and Stuffing
- D. Peanut and Jelly
Show answer
Drumstick and Wishbone
Did you know? Trump's 2017 pardon went to Drumstick, with Wishbone as the alternate.
4.Which 1989 Thanksgiving game earned the nickname "Bounty Bowl"?
- A. Vikings at Packers
- B. Bears at Lions
- C. Eagles at Cowboys
- D. Giants at Redskins
Show answer
Eagles at Cowboys
Did you know? Philadelphia's win over Dallas sparked bounty accusations.
5.Which team benefited from Leon Lett's 1993 Thanksgiving blunder?
- A. The Miami Dolphins
- B. The New York Giants
- C. The Green Bay Packers
- D. The Buffalo Bills
Show answer
The Miami Dolphins
Did you know? Miami re-kicked the game-winner after Lett's mistake.
6.Which Bills running back rushed for a then-record 273 yards on Thanksgiving 1976?
- A. Ottis Anderson
- B. O.J. Simpson
- C. Walter Payton
- D. Franco Harris
Show answer
O.J. Simpson
Did you know? Simpson's 273-yard day came against Detroit.
7.Which team recovered Mark Sanchez's 2012 Butt Fumble?
- A. The Buffalo Bills
- B. The Denver Broncos
- C. The Miami Dolphins
- D. The New England Patriots
Show answer
The New England Patriots
Did you know? New England turned the fumble into points.
8.Which team was the victim of Peyton Manning's six-touchdown Thanksgiving?
- A. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- B. The Minnesota Vikings
- C. The Detroit Lions
- D. The Chicago Bears
Show answer
The Detroit Lions
Did you know? Indianapolis routed the Lions 41-9 in 2004.
9.In which year did the coin-toss fiasco happen on Thanksgiving?
- A. 1978
- B. 2008
- C. 1988
- D. 1998
Show answer
1998
Did you know? The overtime coin confusion dates to Thanksgiving 1998.
10.Which Jets quarterback starred in the notorious 2012 "Butt Fumble"?
- A. Sam Darnold
- B. Geno Smith
- C. Joe Namath
- D. Mark Sanchez
Show answer
Mark Sanchez
Did you know? Sanchez ran into his own lineman's backside in 2012.
11.Which unknown rookie quarterback led Dallas's 1974 Thanksgiving comeback?
- A. Dak Prescott
- B. Clint Longley
- C. Craig Morton
- D. Roger Staubach
Show answer
Clint Longley
Did you know? Longley's late rally beat Washington in 1974.
12.Which industry group has presented a holiday turkey to the US president every year since 1947?
- A. The American Farm Bureau
- B. The National Cattlemen's Association
- C. The Poultry Science Association
- D. The National Turkey Federation
Show answer
The National Turkey Federation
Did you know? The National Turkey Federation has presented turkeys to presidents since 1947.
13.Thanksgiving is a public holiday on which Australian island, a gift of 19th-century American whalers?
- A. Fraser Island
- B. Kangaroo Island
- C. Norfolk Island
- D. Tasmania
Show answer
Norfolk Island
Did you know? Norfolk Island's Thanksgiving feast blends whaler traditions.
14.About how many states followed Roosevelt's earlier Thanksgiving date in 1939?
- A. Twenty-three
- B. Only three
- C. All forty-eight
- D. Exactly half
Show answer
Twenty-three
Did you know? Twenty-three states moved; twenty-two kept the old date; three took both.
15.In which year did the "Bounty Bowl" accusations fly?
- A. 1999
- B. 2009
- C. 1979
- D. 1989
Show answer
1989
Did you know? The 1989 Philadelphia-Dallas clash became Bounty Bowl I.
16.Which president first used the word "pardon" for a turkey, as a joke, in 1987?
- A. Jimmy Carter
- B. Gerald Ford
- C. Ronald Reagan
- D. George H. W. Bush
Show answer
Ronald Reagan
Did you know? Reagan joked about "pardoning" his 1987 turkey while deflecting reporters.
17.The Dutch autumn thanksgiving church day is called what?
- A. Bevrijdingsdag
- B. Koningsdag
- C. Sinterklaas
- D. Dankdag
Show answer
Dankdag
Did you know? The Netherlands marks an autumn Dankdag of thanksgiving.
18.Which Dallas-area stadium hosted the 1993 Thanksgiving snow game?
- A. The Alamodome
- B. Texas Stadium
- C. AT&T Stadium
- D. The Cotton Bowl
Show answer
Texas Stadium
Did you know? The snow game unfolded at Texas Stadium.
19.The English word "pardon" descends from the Latin perdonare, meaning what?
- A. To free a prisoner
- B. To give a gift
- C. To speak aloud
- D. To forgive completely
Show answer
To forgive completely
Did you know? "Pardon" traces to Latin perdonare, "to give wholeheartedly, to forgive."
20.Which Caribbean island nation observes a public holiday called Thanksgiving on October 25?
- A. Grenada
- B. Jamaica
- C. Barbados
- D. Aruba
Show answer
Grenada
Did you know? Grenada's October 25 Thanksgiving marks its 1983 events.
21.Whose overtime kickoff return won the 1980 Thanksgiving game for Chicago?
- A. Gale Sayers
- B. Walter Payton
- C. Devin Hester
- D. Dave Williams
Show answer
Dave Williams
Did you know? Dave Williams's 97-yard return ended Detroit instantly.
22.Which president granted clemency to his son Tad's pet turkey, named Jack, in 1863?
- A. Ulysses Grant
- B. Abraham Lincoln
- C. Andrew Johnson
- D. James Buchanan
Show answer
Abraham Lincoln
Did you know? Tad Lincoln's plea spared the turkey Jack in 1863, an early clemency story.
23.Which Cowboys starter's injury gave Clint Longley his 1974 Thanksgiving chance?
- A. Don Meredith
- B. Roger Staubach
- C. Danny White
- D. Troy Aikman
Show answer
Roger Staubach
Did you know? Staubach's injury opened the door for Longley.
24.Which team did rookie Clint Longley beat on Thanksgiving 1974?
- A. The New York Giants
- B. The Washington Redskins
- C. The Arizona Cardinals
- D. The Philadelphia Eagles
Show answer
The Washington Redskins
Did you know? Dallas edged Washington 24-23 on Longley's heroics.
25.Which 1998 Thanksgiving game featured a botched overtime coin toss?
- A. Raiders at Chiefs
- B. Steelers at Lions
- C. Patriots at Jets
- D. Cowboys at Vikings
Show answer
Steelers at Lions
Did you know? The 1998 coin-toll fiasco became legendary.

Questions are for entertainment — difficulty ratings are a guide, and you know your crowd best. Always follow the rules of your venue or event.