What better way to recognize Thanksgiving than with a history of one of this country’s most honored traditions: tuning out friends and family to focus on what really matters — touchdowns and big hits.

“The history of both Thanksgiving and football goes back to the Middle Ages, so it may not be so strange that the two would become intertwined in modern America,” writes Richard Crepeau, in “Giving Thanks for Football.

Originally published in 2001, the article has been updated this year to include the addition of a third Thanksgiving game, thanks to the NFL Network. This year it’s a real turkey of a game: Indianapolis Colts vs. Atlanta Falcons.