Thanksgiving NFL MVPs: A Brief History

Most MVP discussion this season has centered on whether Mike Vick is a lock, but that award is still weeks away. There will be three MVPs named much earlier, on Thanksgiving Day, part of the spectacle surrounding the league's annual three-game slate.

While Thanksgiving football has been a staple since the AFL days, the first MVP wasn't named until 1989, when John Madden created the Turkey Leg Award for FOX's game broadcast (later to be named the Galloping Gobbler). The other Thanksgiving game originally aired on NBC, who declined to give a similar honor in their game, but that all changed when CBS took over in 1998 with their All-Iron Award. For years, it was just those two games, but then NFL Network came along to add a night contest. And in 2007 they added an award for that, too -- the Pudding Pie Award.

This year, the action is started by the Patriots vs. Lions game on CBS. That game looks to be a lock for the Patriots, so you can be the All-Iron Award will go to someone on their roster. Maybe Tom Brady can add another honor to his resume? The Saints and Cowboys play on FOX after that, and there are a number of playmakers on both teams who can take home that award. Finishing us off on the NFL Network are the Jets and Bengals. The Jets have gotten good at winning games late, so it's possible that someone will come through for Gang Green in the clutch again and take home the Pudding Pie Award as dessert.

Below is a list of every past award winner.

 

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Source: http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2010/11/23/thanksgiving-nfl-mvps-a-brief-history/

David Stern George Bodenheimer Bud Selig Brian France Dick Ebersol