Happy Thanksgiving!
Ciao, Hello! My name is Gina Ciolli, Guelfi’s intern, and I am here to kick off the beginning of the American holiday season with Thanksgiving. I am currently a senior at DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois studying Sports Communications, where I have been a member of Radio DePaul Sports for the past four years to share with others my love of sports. I am originally from Akron, Ohio which means I am naturally a Cleveland Browns fan, so you can imagine the wide range of American football I have seen in my lifetime, with the majority of seasons being the worst football in the league’s history until recently, with Baker Mayfield at the helm.
Thanksgiving and the NFL go together like mashed potatoes and gravy, and even in a year when everything has been different, this remains the same. Just one roll away from feeling uncomfortably full, I always love watching the matchups on Thanksgiving after reminding myself what I am thankful for and spending time with family. This year, the matchups begin with the Detroit Lions hosting the Houston Texans. Both of these teams are just about eliminated from playoff contention after rough starts for either team. After the Texans’ win against the New England Patriots this past Sunday, they hold a convincing shadow over the Lions, but the few days of rest for two struggling teams will make for an interesting game. The afternoon game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Football Team will be a showdown for breaking the ugly three-way tie in the struggling NFC East. Both are coming off wins, but I would put money on the Cowboys and Ezekiel Elliott to give Washington’s defense a hard time. The final game of the day was supposed to have the Baltimore Ravens visiting the undefeated Pittsburgh Steelers, which has now been moved to Sunday due to an outbreak of COVID-19 on the Ravens.Lamar Jackson’s Ravens are currently in a bit of a slump, so I would not be shocked if Ben Roethlisberger lights their defense up and continues their perfect record, much to my dismay as a rival Browns fan.
I asked some members of Guelfi to share what they are thankful for, their favorite typical Thanksgiving foods, and any thoughts on the NFL games taking place after American families sit around the dinner table for hours.
Marcus Herford – Head Coach
Q: What are you thankful for?
A: I am thankful for life! That sounds cliché but the way 2020 was, I am just thankful to be fully healthy and alive.
Q: What is your favorite Thanksgiving food?
A: My favorite Thanksgiving food is #1 greens, smoked ham, a GOOD smoked turkey, yams and dressing.
Q: Do you have any thoughts on the games taking place on Thanksgiving or this weekend?
A: The main one that matters to me is the Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Football game because Dallas is my lifelong favorite team. The other game I believe will be a very good one is the Steelers vs. Ravens game. Those two teams always have very physical games. The Texans vs. Lions game, I believe will be a pretty easy one for the Texans. I choose the Cowboys and the Steelers to keep their undefeated season rolling.
Max Redfield – Safety
Q: What are you thankful for?
A: I am thankful for life, every breath.
Q: What is your favorite Thanksgiving food?
A: My favorite Thanksgiving food is my mom’s famous salads.
Q: Do you have any thoughts on the games taking place on Thanksgiving or this weekend?
A: I want the LA Chargers to win because they are my hometown team and I have 5 former teammates on the team.
Luca Zheng – Safety
Q: What are you thankful for?
A: I have to say that it is not a custom for Italians to celebrate Thanksgiving, but at least for us that are into American football, it is easy to get involved in American festivities, and for me it started with coach Brett Morgan. This year, even if not the best year per se, I have a lot to be grateful for, for starters I have my very own family with my baby child Emma, and my girlfriend Alice, and that all my relatives are safe and healthy.
Q: What is your favorite Thanksgiving food?
A: As a meat lover, it is the classic turkey with gravy sauce, and only thinking about it makes me hungry.
Q: Do you have any thoughts on the games taking place on Thanksgiving or this weekend?
A: I’m going to watch the Steelers/Ravens, the Steelers are going strong and I cannot wait to see what they are going to do with a team like the Ravens!
Christian Petrucci – Middle Linebacker
Q: What are you thankful for?
A: My family, my second family Guelfi, health (if anyone can be called healthy after 25 years of helmet-to-helmet contact), metal music, horror stuff, beer, American football
Q: What is your favorite Thanksgiving food?
A: I cannot tell you what my favorite Thanksgiving food is because we don’t celebrate it here in Italy, but I can tell you that, beer aside, for me nothing beats a real Florentine steak (or T-bone)!
Q: Do you have any thoughts on the games taking place on Thanksgiving or this weekend?
A: For Houston/Detroit, I am not much interested in these teams, but they’re having a tough season, especially on defense. For Washington/Dallas, what else can we say about this wrecked NFC East Division? The winner could go to the playoffs with a losing record. For Baltimore/Pittsburgh, well that’s the game! As a defense fanatic, and a Steelers supporter (such two things go along together), I think we’ll see another fight in the trenches, furthering the chapter of this young but fierce rivalry.