Hope was high this year that FINALLY, after a six-year drought, the Detroit Lions were finally poised to win on Thanksgiving. They were set to tie the conference leaders with their overall record, and were playing a struggling Green Bay Packers. By all accounts, it should have been a layup.

But sadly, the universe had other plans for the Lions, who have now lost seven-straight on Thanksgiving. And when I say the universe, I mean the moon, because it has literally cursed them from ever winning on Thanksgiving again.

Get our free mobile app

The Lions have played on Thanksgiving since 1934. Owner George A Richards decided he needed a gam on the holiday to attract more fans to his new team in Detroit, after buying the Dayton Triangles, and moving them to Detroit.

And thankfully, it worked, and he nearly doubled his normal crowd size for the Thanksgiving game. The tradition was born, and the Lions have continued that tradition almost to a fault... by maintaining a losing record, nearly from the very beginning. (They lost to the Bears 19-16.)

The annual game has since become a reflection of the Lions from years past... the "Same Ole Lions" as some fans would call them, and this year in particular, the tradition hurt more, because the Lions were so perfectly poised to break a six-year slump.

But as much as you want to blame the players, the coaches, or even the fans, you have to point your blame elsewhere... straight up... to the moon.

The Lions Waxing Gibbous Moon Curse

Maybe it's a coincidence, or maybe it's real, but since the Lions have been playing on Thanksgiving, they have yet to win a game when the moon is in a Waxing Gibbous phase. (When the lit part of the moon grows from 50.1%, to 99.9% full).

The Curse of the Waxing Gibbous Moon strikes again. Somebody call Peyton Manning and Jeff Daniels, get a bathtub and some whiskey, STAT!