Quick Thanksgiving Day quiz: Besides the turkey, name three items that you normally associate with Thanksgiving.

Think about cranberry sauce? Filling? Green beans? They are all near the top of my list.

How about football?

Whether you’re a male or female, you have to agree that football has likely taken over the top spot.

The males are debating the moves in the game, while the females — not engaged in the game — generally are keeping an eye on the game and asking “who’s winning?” or “when is it over?”

We all can’t wait to either eat first and then watch a game or sometimes vice versa.

In varying degrees, it has involved everyone from our parents, siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, neighbors, and grandparents.

Over the years, football has been woven into Thanksgiving fabric. In most households, it has gotten to the point where it appears something’s wrong if a football game isn’t on TV.

For the record, football and Thanksgiving date back to 1876 when Yale beat Princeton, 2-0, before a reported crowd of just over 1,000 in Hoboken, New Jersey.

However, a few years later, the game drew an overflow crowd, and Thanksgiving Day college and high school games began sprouting up all over the country.

Back in the day, we were initially satisfied with a noon TV helping and it gradually evolved into three helpings that made it nearly a combined 12-hour meal, dessert and leftovers.

Aside from the rabid sports fan, mostly everyone began to know the first TV game was in Detroit at 12:30, the 4 p.m. game in Dallas, and the 8 p.m. game would normally have one of the rising teams in the league.

The late John Madden’s turkey awards soon became a staple.

Last year, all three televised game drew an all-time record 141 million viewers. They also set new highs in drawing an average of 34 million for each game, and 1.1 million average per minute in streaming services.

Those hosting Thanksgiving often confer about the day’s schedule around the football games. When you’re hosting, you know what I’m talking about.

Along with our TV infatuation, many of us may have ventured out to a game in our area whether it was in Coaldale, Lansford, Lehighton, Palmerton, or Slatington.

The Catasauqua-Northampton game will celebrate its 102nd meeting and Easton-Phillipsburg will mark its 118th gathering Thursday morning. It may be the final game between Catasauqua and Northampton as the interest has waned, but Easton-Phillipsburg still draws standing room only crowds.

This Thanksgiving, we all look forward to the surplus of turkey and all of the trimmings, and the football game in the background completes the picture.

If you have any doubts, ask your family the above-mentioned quiz. Or turn off the football game where you will be on Thanksgiving, and see what happens. Chances are, more than a few people will be upset.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving ... and the football.

Email Jeff Moeller at tneditor@tnonline.com