Remembering the Buttfumble: A Patriots Thanksgiving Tradition

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

The best week of the year is just around the corner. Monday was the only day of actual work, and today is a half day for most of us, leading into the long weekend and the official start of the holiday season. Hopefully you all have some great plans in the coming days and will have the opportunity to enjoy a fantastic meal with friends and family, without any political talk.

But in case things get a little heated at the table this year, when a drunk uncle or a sophomore just can’t help themselves, I’m here to deliver a unifying message. Something we can all…um…get behind. A perfect change of subject and the ultimate opportunity to bring everyone together again to remember that this time of year is about being grateful for what we have and appreciating the many blessings we have been given in life .

I’m talking about The Buttfumble, of course.

It wouldn’t really be Thanksgiving in the New England region if we didn’t all take a moment to celebrate and appreciate what, twelve years later, remains the worst game in NFL history. There have been some real contenders for the crown over the last decade-plus, but at the end of the day, The Buttfumble is still the absolute frontrunner, with a lead that extends beyond even Brandon Moore’s waist. You can talk about fake punts and botched snaps and Jakobi Meyers until you’re blue in the face, but we all know that nothing compares to Mark Sanchez faceplanting Moore’s ample ass and fumbling the ball right into Steve Gregory’s hands. And the fact that it happened on Thanksgiving evening, the second-biggest football day of the year after Super Bowl Sunday, anchors it even deeper in the fabric of America.

Of course, Patriots fans will always remember the game’s additional details, from the date (11/22/2012) to the score to the three touchdowns in under a minute. But even if this all fades from our collective memory, it will most likely still be some version of “Hey, remember that game 20 years ago where that guy ran up the other guy’s ass and fumbled it?” for several decades to come .

And that, my friends, is the kind of monumental event that should be a soothing balm for even the worst Thanksgiving table strike. Because if we can’t all come together and give thanks for not being Jets fans, what else is there?

Thank you, Buttfumble, and happy Thanksgiving and 12th anniversary. You still bring us all so much joy.

Do yourself a favor and burn a few calories before the party by watching the play for the millionth time. It still makes me laugh every time I see it.