Thanksgiving Day football has produced some of the NFL’s most memorable moments, and for collectors, the ticket stubs from those games have become nostalgic time capsules. Each stub carries not just a date and a seat number, but the story of a uniquely American holiday tradition.
Lions fans treasure stubs from 1962, when Detroit handed Vince Lombardi’s Packers their only loss of the season behind a ferocious pass rush. A stub from that game doesn’t just mark entry—it represents the day the Lions outplayed a dynasty. Cowboys collectors often chase the 1993 “Leon Lett Game” stub, a snowy thriller in which a last-second blocked field goal turned chaotic when Lett accidentally slid into the ball, giving Miami one more chance to win.
Other prized stubs include Barry Sanders’ 167-yard masterpiece in 1997, the Peyton Manning–led Colts’ Thanksgiving debut in 2004, and the Butt Fumble game (2012)—a modern, meme-immortalized artifact.
For fans, Thanksgiving stubs are more than paper. They’re reminders of family gatherings, leftover turkey, and the games that unexpectedly became part of NFL lore. Owning one is like owning a small slice of holiday history—equal parts football, memory, and tradition.
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