A new Thanksgiving tradition

Thanksgiving generally looks the same for me every year. The day typically consists of watching the home chef prepare the meal, and watching football in order to build up enough of an appetite to eat as much as possible.

This year was no different. I did my part to help set up by carrying chairs from the basement to the dinner table, and the meal was just as good this year as its ever been.

I also watched plenty of football. The NFL outdid themselves this year with three solid games on paper, and that's including the Detroit Lions. The Lions game was the worst of the three, but still entertaining nonetheless. Fortunately, the Cowboys and Dolphins stepped it up with a 20-19 thriller in Dallas.

More recently, the NFL has added a third game on its own network to round out the evening. It serves as a great wake-up call from he mandatory post-dinner nap.

This year was a bit different. Instead of waking up to watch the game on TV, I got suited up to go watch the San Francisco 49'ers take on the Baltimore Ravens, live at M & T Bank Stadium. The atmosphere was unlike any other football game I've been to, as the two teams that played are among the best in their respective conferences, and featured two brothers at the helm on either sideline.

The game was a close one, and the Ravens ultimately came out on top thanks to their best defensive performance of the season.

I think I've found a change in my Thanksgiving routine that I could really get used to. Unfortunately, the Thanksgiving night game moves around from year-to-year, but you better believe I'll capitalize on the opportunity to go if it comes my way again.

I've been to nationally televised games, and playoff games, and big divisional games, but none have been as electric as this one was. It's hard for me to find something more important than a turkey-induced nap, but I think I have.

Speaking of new traditions, my fellow Ravens fans have adopted a new one at the stadium that I've never encountered before. When the Ravens find themselves in key defensive situations, the fans, prompted or otherwise, join in harmonizing the White Stripes' 'Seven Nation Army.' There's not a whole lot more impressive than seeing 70,000+ people singing in tune, and it seemed to have an impact on the Niners' offense late in the game.

Here, see for yourself:

(Note: the video isn't from the Thanksgiving game, but you get the idea).