Many shoppers did their bargain hunting on the web this weekend, driving up online retail sales 10% over last year on Thanksgiving Day, and 11% on Friday, says web measurement firm comScore Inc. that appears to be continuing today, as web analytics firm Coremetrics says retail sales among its clients are up about 12% as of this afternoon.

Coremetrics says shopping on Saturday was up just a couple percentage points from the same day last year, based on data from some 500 U.S. retail sites, including those of Macys, Office Depot, Petco and Williams-Sonoma. but buying picked up Sunday evening, as retailers began offering their deals for Cyber Monday, as the Monday after Thanksgiving is often called. The velocity of buying took off Sunday evening, says John Squire, chief strategy officer at Coremetrics.

Retail sales among the sites Coremetrics tracks were up 12% as of 4 p.m. Eastern Standard Time today, Squire says, and he predicts the sales for today will wind up ahead roughly 10% over the same day last year.

That would be in line with the growth comScore estimated for Thursday and Friday, estimates based on tracking the online activities of some 2 million consumers. while this acceleration in spending suggests the online holiday season may be shaping up slightly more optimistically than anticipated, it may also reflect the heavy discounting and creative promotions being put forth by retailers that now encompass the use of social networks such as Facebook and Twitter, says comScore chairman Gian Fulgoni.

Data from ComScore, Coremetrics and others suggest consumers were focused on deals this weekend, including on Friday, a day widely known as Black Friday. Visitors to coupon sites on Friday were up 17% over last year to 3.3 million visitors, comScore says. Comparison shopping site TheFind.com reports an increase of 120% over last year in search queries on its site Friday. Shoppers are continuing to seek ways to stretch their holiday spending as far as possible and that is translating into more searches for gifts with lower price points and retailers with the best prices, says Siva Kumar, CEO of TheFind.

Coremetrics also highlighted evidence of consumers homing in on good deals Friday. The rate at which consumers left a site after viewing just one page, the bounce rate, increased to 30.86% on Friday versus 22.13% on the same day last year. that reflects, Coremetrics says, a laser focus on buying a particular item. At the same time, 4.5% of visits led to sales, up from 3.5% last year, indicating that online retailers were more successful than last year in enticing consumers to buy. Whats more the average order value on Friday was up 35.0% and items per order were up 18.3%, Coremetrics says.

Consumers shopped earlier this year, says Squire of Coremetrics. At about 3 a.m. Pacific time we saw a real spike in spending, mostly from East Coast buyers, Squire says. And we saw the same type of thing at 6 a.m. Pacific time. he says that online shopping spike occurred earlier this year than last year.

U.S. online retail sales totaled $595 million on Friday, up 11% from $534 million on the Friday after Thanksgiving in 2008, comScore says; on Thanksgiving day this year, retail web sales amounted to $318 million, up 10% from $288 million last year. For Nov. 1-27, comScore says 2009 retail web sales are up 3% to $10.57 billion from $10.25 billion a year ago.

Other e-commerce service providers also released data today about online retail sales over the weekend:

• Mercent, which helps retailers sell through such online marketplaces as Amazon.com and eBay, says its retail clients web sales grew overall 33% on Thanksgiving Day and 41% on Friday, while their sales on Amazon increased 78% on Thursday and 56% on Friday.
• Online shopping peaked between noon and 1 p.m. Eastern time on Friday, when consumers hit the buy button on $183 million in purchases, says Retail Decisions, a provider of payment processing fraud-prevention services. Criminals attempting to complete fraudulent transactionsthat were detected by Retail Decisionswere putting an average of $248 worth of goods into their shopping carts Friday, 23% more than the typical online shopper.
• Sales increased 67% over last year on Thanksgiving Day and 70% on Friday for clients of Channel Intelligence, which provides online marketing services for manufacturers and retailers.
• Online payment service PayPal says it processed 20% more transaction Friday than on the same day last year, and 140% more mobile payments than during an average Friday. TheFind reported a 75% week-over-week increase in its mobile search traffic on Friday, suggesting consumers were using their mobile phones to compare prices while shopping in stores, the company says.

Many consumers planned to shop on the web today, according to a survey conducted for e-retailing trade group Shop.org by BIGresearch. that survey found 96.5 million U.S. consumers planned to shop online today, up from 85 million in a similar survey last year. The survey found 91.5% of todays online shopper will shop from home, 13.5% from the office, 3.8% from a mobile device and 1.5% from another location, such as a coffee shop or a friends home.

Back…

Thanksgiving Sales Attract more Shoppers, Less Average Spending

Nov. 30 (Bloomberg) — more consumers went shopping overthe Thanksgiving holiday weekend, yet spent less than last yearas they hunted for bargains on toys and electronics, accordingto the National Retail Federation.

Spending at stores and on Web sites from Nov. 26 to Nov. 29rose 0.5 percent to an estimated $41.2 billion from $41 billiona year earlier, the Washington-based trade group said yesterday,citing a survey conducted by polling firm BIGresearch. Thehigher turnout and lower average spending were in line withexpectations, the NRF said. The group is sticking to a forecastfor a 1 percent drop in spending this holiday season.

Price cuts on small appliances, toys and winter clotheshelped bring shoppers into chains including Macy’s inc., J.C.Penney Co. and Wal-Mart Stores inc. on so-called Cyber Mondaytoday, 96.5 million people plan to shop on the Internet to takeadvantage of limited-time offers and free shipping, according tothe NRF. that would be a 14 percent increase from 2008.

“People are going to be very disciplined,” said GerrickJohnson, an analyst at BMO Capital Markets in new York. “Theyknow their budget and they have a budget.”

Thirteen percent more shoppers visited at least onedepartment store this year, the NRF said. Internet spending onBlack Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, rose 11 percent from ayear ago, to $595 million, ComScore inc., a Reston, Virginia-based research firm, said yesterday in a statement.

Target Corp., the second-biggest U.S. discount chain afterBentonville, Arkansas-based Walmart, for the first time thisyear advertised an online-only sale on Thanksgiving. J.C.Penney, the third-largest U.S. department-store company, startedCyber Monday specials a day earlier this year.

Amazon.com inc., based in Seattle, is the largest onlineretailer and plans a series of “lightening deals” for limitedtime periods today.

The average shopper spent $343.31 in stores and online overthe holiday weekend, less than $372.57 a year ago, the NRF said.The number of shoppers rose to 195 million from 172 million ayear earlier, according to the NRF. The group is the world’slargest trade association, according to its Web site.

“Shoppers proved this weekend that they were willing toopen their wallets for a bargain,” said Tracy Mullin, NRF’spresident and chief executive officer, in a statement. “Whileretailers are encouraged by the number of Americans who shoppedover Black Friday weekend, they know they have their work cutout for them to keep people coming back through Christmas.”

Average spending declined as prices for flat-screentelevisions dropped and retailers offered a greater number ofitems at unprofitable prices to lure shoppers, Scott Krugman, aspokesman for the NRF, said on a conference call yesterday.

Vee Weaver, a certified nurse’s aide from Atlanta, bought aset of knives, a red shirt and a purse at Macy’s and J.C. Penneyafter she was persuaded by a friend to shop on Black Friday.

“I have a job and I’ve saved all year,” Weaver, 65, saidat The Shops at Wiregrass, an outdoor shopping mall near Tampa,Florida. The black leather purse she got was $14.97 marked downfrom $59.98. “I had to jump up and down and blink,” she said.

On Black Friday, Richfield, Minnesota-based best buy Co.,the biggest electronics chain, had bigger early-morning crowdsand more online visitors than last year, CEO Brian Dunn.

“Those are both directionally important indicators forus,” he said in a Nov. 27 Bloomberg Television interview.

Holiday sales make up a third or more of retailers’ annualprofit. The International Council of Shopping Centers, anotherindustry trade group, predicted sales at stores open at least ayear will advance 1 percent in November and December after ayear-earlier 5.8 percent decline, the worst in 40 years.

Walmart, the world’s largest retailer, attracted consumerswith $298 Hewlett-Packard laptop computers and other specialsthat went on sale at 5 a.m. the day after Thanksgiving. Thestock declined 33 cents to $54.63 in new York Stock Exchangecomposite trading on Nov. 27.

Renee McDonald, 40, started waiting at 5 a.m. outside aWalmart in Houston, hoping to purchase a television. When thestore ran out, she bought a digital camera instead.

Black Friday shopping at J.C. Penney stores was strongthroughout the U.S., the Plano, Texas-based retailer said in ane-mailed statement on Nov. 28. J.C. Penney and other retailersplan to report November sales on Dec. 3. The retailer fell $1.07to $29.57 on Nov. 27 on the new York Stock Exchange.

At the Macy’s in new York’s Herald Square, shopper trafficappeared greater than a year ago, and continued to flow in afterthe initial rush, Chairman and CEO Terry Lundgren said. Jewelryand housewares were selling “briskly,” he said. Macy’s, basedin Cincinnati, dropped 59 cents to $16.97 in Nov. 27 trading.

“Last year we were just getting rid of the inventory webought six months before,” Lundgren said. “This year we’ve hada year to think through what is the sales trend.”

To contact the reporter on this story:Lauren Coleman-Lochner in new York at llochner@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: November 30, 2009 00:01 EST

Thanksgiving Weekend Brings Dip in Crude Oil PriceTony PottsConcerns that Dubai banks might default on $60 billion in debt led to the Dow Jones industrial average giving up 155 points Friday. the Dow fell as much as 233 points during a broad retreat and the dollar gained against most other major currencies while commodities tumbled. NYMEX crude oil ended the week at $76.05 per barrel. the national average price of unleaded regular gasoline today is $2.62 per gallon, a decrease of 2 cents from one week ago. the average prices in Florida, Georgia and Tennessee are $2.67, $2.50 and $2.49 respectively and each states average is essentially even with last week.

Looking ahead, investors are expected to either shrug off the financial crisis in the Middle East or seek protection in more conservative investments. if the Dubai debt problem worsens, we should probably expect crude oil prices to reflect that and a decline in crude could bring a more pronounced decline in retail gasoline prices during December, said Gregg Laskoski, managing director of public relations, AAA Auto Club South.

How much are you paying for gasoline taxes in Florida/Georgia/Tennessee? Use this link: aaasouth.com/acs_news/gas_taxes.asp to find out

DETROIT — Charles Woodson had a day most people could only dream of enjoying.

He returned one of his two interceptions for a touchdown, recovered a fumble he forced and had a sack to help the Green Bay Packers beat the Detroit Lions 34-12 on Thursday.

Shortly before kickoff, the University of Michigan announced the former Wolverine has donated $2 million to its Mott Children’s Hospital.

“It was a good day,” Woodson said.

“But,” he added. “I gave up a touchdown so that puts a little cloud over it.”

Woodson did allow Calvin Johnson to catch a 1-yard touchdown when Matthew Stafford threw a perfect pass to his receiver’s outside shoulder, then seemed flawless.

“He had an incredible day,” Packers coach Mike McCarthy said after improving to 8-0 against Detroit. “I don’t know who’s playing better football than Charles Woodson in the National Football League.”

The 1997 Heisman Trophy winner certainly is not showing signs of slowing down.

Oakland drafted him No. 4 overall in 1998 and he made only one interception in each of his last two seasons with the Raiders before joining the Packers three years ago.

He has picked off 26 passes in a Green Bay uniform and scored an NFL-high six TDs off interceptions.

In a win over Dallas this season, Woodson became the first player in two years to force two fumbles, make an interception and a sack in a game. His seven interceptions rank among league leaders and he trails only Nick Barnett on the team in tackles.

Green Bay defensive coordinator Dom Capers compares Woodson with two of his former players, Rod Woodson and Jason Taylor, who won the NFL defensive player of the year award.

“He falls right into that group,” Capers said.

Woodson, though, is only interested in helping the Packers (7-4) keep the momentum they’ve created with three straight victories.

“We need to keep stacking wins,” he said.

The Lions (2-9) were hoping to simply win two straight games for the first time in more than two years.

“Obviously it’s tough,” Matthew Stafford said.

The No. 1 pick in the NFL draft, playing with a sore non-throwing shoulder, threw four interceptions after his TD to Johnson gave Detroit a 7-0 lead.

His performance was dramatically different than his last one. He threw five TD passes — the last one after being momentarily knocked out of the game — to lead Detroit to a win after trailing Cleveland by 21 for its biggest comeback since 1957.

Stafford’s job Thursday was made more difficult because the Lions lacked a running game.

Kevin Smith’s longest run was 6 yards and he finished with 43 on 18 carries for the Lions.

“This is the type of game that you hit your head on a wall about,” Smith said.

The Lions have turned their Thanksgiving game into a laughingstock.

They have lost a franchise-high six straight games on the holiday by an average of 23.2 points and eight of nine in their showcase game.

“It’s a different feeling in this locker room — especially on national television to come out like that,” Detroit center Dominic Raiola said.

The Packers, meanwhile, are feeling good since losing consecutive games early in the month to Tampa Bay and Minnesota.

Now, they get a long break before hosting Baltimore on Monday Night Football.

“We want the opportunity to get healthy before we have a big-time opponent coming into Lambeau,” McCarthy said.

Aaron Rodgers said he was scared briefly that he had a knee injury against Detroit, but bounced back and finished with three touchdown passes — matching a career high — and 348 yards passing.

He connected with Donald Driver, Donald Lee and James Jones for scores. Driver had seven receptions for 142 yards, including a 68-yard catch.

Rodgers and Driver credited their much-maligned offensive line.

“There were a couple times when I held the ball for 4 or 5 seconds — maybe more,” Rodgers said. “When you have that kind of time with the kind of players that we have, we feel like we’re going to make plays.”

Green Bay played without cornerback Al Harris and linebacker Aaron Kampman, both of whom had season-ending knee injuries in last week’s win.

“Our defense was huge,” McCarthy said. “That was the No. 1 factor in our success.”

NOTES: Detroit rookie TE Brandon Pettigrew, a first-round pick, hurt his left knee on the first drive and did not return. .. Green Bay OT Chad Clifton (hamstring) and Jordy Nelson (shoulder) were injured during the game. … Stafford joined Dan Marino, Dave Krieg and Vince Ferragamo as the four QBs who have thrown four INTs a game after throwing at least five TDs since 1970, according to STATS, LLC. … The Lions are 33-35-2 on Thanksgiving.

CAT CONFIDENTIAL | SHOULD THE DETROIT LIONS BE REPLACED AS THE EARLY THANKSGIVING GAME?

Coach Pete DeBoer: come on? Really? this is kicking a team when they are down. this shouldn’t even be a conversation. They’re in the middle of a rough spell, but they’ll get through it. At least they won last week.

Goalie Scott Clemmensen: No. they always play on Thanksgiving, and that’s a great tradition. you have to keep tradition alive. everything is cyclical. they could be the best team in the league 10 years from now.

Defenseman Keith Ballard: Yeah, but only if it’s with the Vikings. I’m all for tradition, but I want to watch some good games. How about Packers-Vikings in the morning, then Giants-Cowboys later on? People would love that.

ASK A PANTHER | WHAT DID IT FEEL LIKE TO MAKE YOUR PANTHERS DEBUT ON WEDNESDAY, AND DID BEING HERE FOR TRAINING CAMP LAST YEAR HELP YOU FIT IN MORE?

Steve MacIntyre: It was a long day, but a real good day. I got the call the night before. I wanted to get here as quick as I could. I came in, was part of the team that night and it was a lot of fun. being here before was a huge part of how easy it was. I walked in, and guys were like, “Hey, Mac, how you doing?” this is a very accepting bunch.

FLORIDA PANTHERS WEEK AHEAD

PANTHERS @ THRASHERS, MONDAY, 7 P.M. (FSN)

Player to watch: Winger Ilya Kovalchuk is one of the most exciting players in the Eastern Conference, and he’s traditionally been very good against the Panthers. Kovalchuk had four goals and two assists against the Panthers last season and has six game-winning gaols against them in his career — his most against any opponent.

Analysis: The Panthers lost 11 games in a row at Philips Arena at one point, but have won five of the past seven games played there.

Series: ATL leads 29-22-5.

AVALANCHE @ PANTHERS, WED., 7:30 P.M. (FSN)

Player to watch: Goalie Craig Anderson, the backup in Florida for parts of the past three seasons, is the new starter in Denver. he has cooled after a red-hot start, but still is stopping 92 percent of shots faced.

Analysis: Colorado has been one of the feel-good stories so far this season. The Avalance went into Thanksgiving atop the Northwest Division, leading Calgary by a point.

Series: COL leads 16-6-3.

PANTHERS @ CAPITALS, THURSDAY, 7 P.M. (FSN)

Player to watch: Alex Ovechkin didn’t play against the Panthers the last time these teams met because of an injury. he has had success against the Panthers, who have done the best of all Southeast Division teams in defending him.

Analysis: Without Ovechkin in back-to-back games against the Panthers last month, the Capitals won both, and stormed back to win at home Nov. 7 with five goals in the third period.

Series: WSH leads 41-38-9.

THRASHERS @ PANTHERS, SATURDAY, 7 P.M. (FSN)

Player to watch: Goalie Ondrej Pavelec has had a solid season for the Thrashers. he had 40 saves Wednesday in a victory against the Red Wings. In his past three games heading into Thanksgiving, Pavelec had made 122 saves.

Analysis: This will be the second time these teams play this season — all in a week. Atlanta has won five games in Sunrise over the past three seasons.

Series: ATL leads 29-22-5.

By JENNIFER WATERS

Consumers who skipped the Black Friday deluge of deep discounting haven’t necessarily missed out on all the best deals of the holiday season. But shoppers who hold out too long, thinking retailers will cave with major price cuts late in the game, may find themselves out of luck.

Retailers this year didn’t fire all of their best shots on the traditional opening weekend after Thanksgiving. Electronics, apparel, department, warehouse and even grocery stores have a number of strategically planned promotions on tap from now until Christmas, retail companies and analysts say.

Bloomberg News

Shoppers enter a Toys “R” Us store in New York on Black Friday.

“Every weekend is going to be Black Friday weekend,” says Marshall Cohen, chief industry analyst for retail consultant NPD Group.

But last-minute shoppers should take heed: If you see something you like and the price sounds good, get it because it might not be there later. Retailers want to avoid the panic-induced sales they had to institute last year to clear holiday merchandise so they are keeping much tighter reins on inventory. as a result, consumers will see fewer sweaters and home goods on shelves and coats and pants on racks.

Last-Minute Shoppers Lose Out

“This is not the year to play chicken with retailers,” says Scott Krugman, vice president for the National Retail Federation. “If you’re a last-minute shopper, you’re going to be disappointed.”

Also, be sure to read the fine print. Many retailers will offer hot products in limited numbers. Toys “R” Us, for example, will have the popular Zhu Zhu Pets in stock for $9.99, but will only sell one per household, until supplies are exhausted.

While consumer spending hasn’t collapsed this year, it hasn’t been robust either. that has already touched off price wars among some of the biggest discount retailers, hoping to lure whatever business is out there.

Wal-Mart Stores is involved in a few, one with Toys “R” Us on $10 toys and another with Amazon.com and Target over online book sales. Certain titles are $9 at Amazon, $8.99 at Target and $8.98 at Wal-Mart. Amazon and Wal-Mart even are tussling over Easy-Bake ovens. The toy oven was originally priced at $28, until Wal-Mart slashed it to $17. Amazon responded by cutting its price to $18.

So don’t be afraid to ask a retailer to match a competitor’s advertised price. Both Wal-Mart and Target, for example, will honor lower prices on identical products, though they will exclude early-bird, door-buster or limited-time deals. most other major retailers are doing the same.

“That’s why it’s such a good time to be a consumer,” Mr. Krugman says.

Expect to see plenty of deals on flat-panel TVs, Blu-ray disc players, fine jewelry and lots of household goods.

“Consumers have really shifted toward more essential spending on basic things,” says Michael Niemira, chief economist for the International Council of Shopping Centers. “Retailers have embraced that this year and will be selling more home or stay-at-home types of goods.”

Sears is selling a three-gallon air compressor, good for many household chores, for $79.99. Kmart has a 26-inch high-definition LCD TV on sale for $250. Staples is giving $60 off the price of a Hewlett-Packard personal computer and a wireless printer.

Apparel, still the most popular gift under the tree, will be competitively priced nearly everywhere. J.C. Penney is selling women’s boots for as low as $29.99 and long-sleeve T-shirts for $6.99. Macy’s is selling men’s cashmere sweaters half off at $105.

Many apparel retailers are turning to an old favorite known as “BOGO,” or “buy one, get one.” Customers who buy one pair of jeans at Express stores can get 50% off a second pair. Pacific Sunwear has had a “buy two, get one free” promotion on flannel and denim.

Even gift cards will be on sale. Costco has six $15 iTunes gift cards on sale for $74.99. Kroger is giving customers $10 gift cards for every $100 spent.

Don’t expect every retailer to have big holiday sales. Nordstrom just ended its women’s half-yearly sales and won’t start the men’s version until Dec. 26. until then, the retailer has “sharpened prices in a lot of categories,” but won’t be hosting any holiday sales, says Nordstrom spokesman Colin Johnson.

Shopping Tips

Here are some strategies for this holiday season:

If you see something you have to have, get it. Chances are it won’t be there later for a cheaper price.

Make a list. Stick to it. Retailers use big sales on items like TVs as a “loss leader,” meaning they’ll get you in the store and hope you’ll buy more than what you planned.

Don’t count on fire sales. “There won’t be any amazing deals except for door busters this year,” says NPD’s Mr. Cohen.

Be prepared to see “out of stock” on many items.

Plan on shopping more. Tight inventories mean you’ll have to look around at different stores for that perfect gift.

Don’t wait till after Christmas for a better deal. “If you can’t find much now,” says the ICSC’s Mr. Niemira, “you’ll find even less after Christmas.”

Write to Jennifer Waters at jennifer.waters@dowjones.com

Presidential Thanksgiving messages are a routine bit of executive prose that most attentive citizens happily ignore in this moment of national gratitude. But the sky-is-falling mood that now pervades Obama commentary couldnt let this 435-word document pass without a few sniffs of disapproval.

The Gawker Web site called it an uninspiring first effort from our most literary president and expressed hope that he would spend a little more time on it next year. Politico damned it with faint analysis it was basic and brief and tread lightly to avoid controversy.

Mostly, the message reiterated familiar Obama themes of diversity, community and service. the opening line referred to Thanksgiving as a harvest celebration between European settlers and indigenous communities, and Obama called attention to the contributions of Native Americans, who helped the early colonists survive their first harsh winter and continue to strengthen our Nation.

The holiday was also a time for us to renew our bonds with one another, and we can fulfill that commitment by serving our communities and our Nation throughout the year.

Maybe theyll surprise me, but Im willing to bet that a right-wing talk jock near you will soon be declaring the indigenous communities reference as un-American, and the call to service as yet another shout-out to socialism. Well also hear that the document never uses the word prayer, and that its one nod to God is in a quotation from George Washington (unless you count its mention of houses of worship, and the year of Our Lord in the date).

Yes, Im afraid things have gotten so vexed for Obama that Thanksgiving itself has become thankless. As it happens, that proclamation is revealing, but not necessarily in the ways his critics are likely to suggest.

You wonder if Obama will use this brief respite for reflection to ponder how, in a year, he has been transformed from a man once seen as capable of parting raging seas to the object of a terrible hatred on the right and mild disappointment among his allies. His opponents are on the march, his friends are grumpy.

Obama might fairly repair to the comforting thought that he inherited an unparalleled combination of disasters in the economy and foreign policy, and created such a surge of hope that he was expected, unrealistically, to have put everything right by now.

He will eventually get to claim a great victory on health care.

He helped the country avoid financial catastrophe. And isnt he doing pretty well in the polls, given the afflictions of unemployment and other forms of economic carnage? this line of thinking animates the White House. Obamas aides say it reflects a side of him that many have found attractive: a cool, detached confidence in the long-term that refuses to be disturbed by passing controversies and criticisms.

Yet there is a lesson for the president in the rote quality of his Thanksgiving proclamation that is significant only because it reveals Obamas underlying problem: what the document lacked was any sense of fighting spirit, any larger purpose, any gauntlet thrown down before his foes.

Contrast it to a Thanksgiving message Franklin D. Roosevelt offered in 1934 that was unapologetic in declaring his political goals. Our sense of social justice has deepened, Roosevelt insisted. We have been given vision to make new provisions for human welfare and happiness, and in a spirit of mutual helpfulness we have cooperated to translate vision into reality. … We can truly say, what profiteth it a nation if it gain the whole world and lose its own soul.

A year later, Roosevelt was at it again. We can be grateful, he wrote, that selfish purpose of personal gain, at our neighbors loss, less strongly asserts itself.

Roosevelt was no less pragmatic than Obama. He, too, was attacked demagogically as a socialist, and was equally loathed by his adversaries.

Yet Roosevelt was a happy warrior, a phrase he used about Al Smith that actually described FDR himself. He relished taking the fight to his enemies, once boasting: I welcome their hatred.

Obama will have more to be grateful for next Thanksgiving if he accepts that his foes intend to fight him for the next three years.

He needs to discover the joy that FDR took in fighting back, even in official documents that normally pass unnoticed.

E.J. Dionne Jr. is a columnist for the Washington Post. E-mail him atejdionne@washpost.com.

All rights reserved. this copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.

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After the New York Giants went 5-0, many pundits had them ranked as the best team in the NFL in their power rankings. I said then that they were at best a mediocre team. I may not always be right, but I was right about that.

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The traditional football games on Thanksgiving Day featured two matchups that really were not that compelling to the average football fan. the still lowly Detroit Lions hosted the solid but struggling Green Bay Packers, while the Dallas Cowboys hosted the usually pathetic Oakland Raiders.

n

Most thought the games would be blowouts and they certainly lived up to the tripe. Green Bay had no trouble rolling over Detroit, and Oakland proved to be no match for Dallas.

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Many have wondered if the Detroit Lions should no longer be hosting a nationally televised game on Thanksgiving given their long-standing lack of quality teams. a Thanksgiving Day matchup should be a marquee game between two quality teams, right?

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I disagree though. the Detroit Lions have been hosting a Thanksgiving Day game since 1934. Thatu2019s 75 years of tradition for the Lions, sometimes a good team, lately not, hosting a game on this holiday.

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The National Football League is built on tradition and after 75 years I donu2019t see a reason to break that tradition now. Despite not being a great team now, presumably the Lions will be relevant again.

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And for me, watching any professional football game is enjoyable. I always know Iu2019ll see the Lions host somebody on this day and I look forward to it every year.

nn

Green Bay Packers over Detroit Lions, 34-12

n

As expected this game was not even close. after Green Bay fumbled the opening kickoff leading to a quick Detroit touchdown, the game was basically over. Detroitu2019s offense never did much else, while Matthew Stafford threw four picks.

n

Green Bay played an all around solid game, with Donald Driver catching seven passes for 142 yards and a touchdown. This included a 68 yard grab in the first quarter to set up Green Bayu2019s first touchdown. Cornerback Charles Woodson had his second sterling game with two interceptions, one that he returned for a touchdown in garbage time.

n

Iu2019m not sure why the Lions started rookie quarterback Matthew Stafford who played with a separated left shoulder. I think he has the potential to be the franchise quarterback for the Lions and it just doesnu2019t seem worth risking further damage to his shoulder at this point in the season.

n

This game turned out pretty much as expected. it was a good game for Green Bay to get back to winning and try to jumpstart an attempt to make the playoffs as Wild Card team. They have a long way to go for that.

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MVP: Donald Driver, WR

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Dallas Cowboys over Oakland Raiders, 24-7

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The NFC East used to be considered the toughest conference in the NFL.

nn

Right now the storied franchise of the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, and Philadelphia Eagles are middle-of-the-road teams, at best. the Washington Redskins are abysmal and shouldnu2019t even be in the conversation.

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The race for the NFC East is going down the stretch and Dallas needs to keep winning with the Giants and Eagles right in the mix. Pundits have even taken to calling Tony Romo not just an average quarterback, but a bad one. He deserves it given the way he has played this year.

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In this game Dallas had no trouble putting the Raiders away. Romo had a very good outing and wide receiver Miles Austin was again fantastic. He had seven catches for 145 yards and touchdown to lead the Dallas Cowboys offense.

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On the other side of the ball, the Raiders started fourth-year quarterback Bruce Gradkowski over the bust of a no. 1 overall draft pick JaMarcus Russell.

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Gradkowski, frankly, is never going to be a particularly good NFL quarterback, but he is gutsy and had didnu2019t play that badly against the Cowboys. the Raiders were just simply overmatched.

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Dallas, like Green Bay, really needed an easy win and to get their offense rolling after a very pedestrian performance against the Redskins last week.

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MVP: Miles Austin, WR

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Denver Broncos over New York Giants, 26-6

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This was the marquee matchup of the day which most thought we be a closely contested ball game. Both teams have been struggling a great deal the past month, with the Broncos losing four-straight games and the Giants losing the last five out of six.

n

Too bad it was on the NFL Network. many football fans, as a result, didnu2019t have access to the game.

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It was an interesting game but not much was missed.

n

I actually thought the Giants would win this game but they never bothered to show up.

nn

The Giants, on their second offensive snap of the game, had to call a timeout to avoid a delay of game penalty. They followed this up with a minus-two yard run by Brandon Jacobs. That basically set the tone for the game as the Giants offense seemed to have stayed in New York.

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I watched Brandon Jacobs very closely in this game because he has been struggling of late.

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What I noticed was disturbing.

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Even when he got into a good hole he didnu2019t have the same burst of speed and power to make a good gain like he has in the past. I donu2019t know if itu2019s because he has been injured a bit or some other ailment, but he definitely is not the same runner he has been in the past.

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There were holes that he got to that Chris Johnson or Adrian Peterson, or last years Brandon Jacobs for that matter, would have turned into a long gain. something is missing or has gone awry there.

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Meanwhile a lot has been said of the struggles of the Giants offensive line. They played reasonably well at all times, more so on running plays. the announcers kept saying they were getting beat physically but they most looked confused by the Broncos tricky defensive alignments than they were physically dominated.

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But the Broncos defense played extremely well. Elvis Dumervil had two sacks and a forced fumble, safety Brian Dawkins was a menace all over the field, and the Denver secondary, led by Champ Bailey, blanketed the Giantsu2019 receivers.

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In fact the quarterback pressures could often be attributed to superior defensive back play more so than the defensive line dominating the line of scrimmage. But it was a very well played game by the Denver defense all around.

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The Giants defense didnu2019t play terribly but again, they werenu2019t beaten physically as much as the Broncos just outplayed them.

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Case in point, if you watched Giantsu2019 defensive end Osi Umenyiora against the Broncos’ left tackle, Ryan Clady, he often got good penetration and sometimes pressure on Kyle Orton. But he was completely shut out of the game.

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Meanwhile Denveru2019s rookie running back Knowshon Moreno played very well with a shifty, slithery style of running that netted yards when most backs would have been shut down.

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I have seen Denver play several times this year and I have not seen these moves by Moreno before. Maybe itu2019s because I wasnu2019t watching him at his best or that he has been injured, but now I see why people are so excited about this guy.

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He has a unique running style that avoids big contact and can make the most out of small openings. And, of course, wide receiver Brandon Marshall was making some sick one handed catches.

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But frankly, at the end of the day I am not sure whether Denver looked so good because the Giants were just plain awful, or if they have come out of their funk. They certainly looked much better than they have the past few times Iu2019ve seen them.

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I do know one thing, however. the Giants appear to be on the way down and out. see ya!

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The MVP could really go to Dumervil, Dawkins, or Bailey. I am going with Champ Bailey because I thought it was the Denver pass coverage that was the key to their success on defense.

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MVP: Champ Bailey, CB

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DETROIT – the Green Bay Packers have a three-game winning streak, after their 34-to-12 victory at Detroit on Thanksgiving.

Aaron Rodgers threw for 348 yards, and tied a career-high with three touchdown passes. Donald Driver caught seven passes for 142 yards and a score — and he won Fox TV’s “Galloping Gobbler” award as its player-of-the-game.

Charles Woodson had a sack, a fumble recovery, and two interceptions – the last one for a 38-yard touchdown that sealed the victory with 3:47 left. Jordy Nelson fumbled away the game’s opening kickoff. And Detroit’s ensuing drive ended with Matthew Stafford’s only touchdown pass of the day to Calvin Johnson.

The Packers scored the next 27 points. But the Lions threatened to make a game of it in the fourth quarter when Louis Delmas tackled Ryan Grant in the end zone for a safety, and Jason Hanson booted a 22-yard field goal to get the Lions within two scores.

Stafford played despite missing practice all week with a separated non-throwing shoulder. he had four interceptions, and threw for 213 yards. the Lions lost their sixth straight on Thanksgiving, and dropped to 2-and-9. the Packers are now 7-and-4.

The Packer players are off until Monday, when they’ll get ready for their next contest on December seventh at home against Baltimore.

Police in the US are searching for a man after four relatives – including a child – were shot dead at a family Thanksgiving dinner in Florida.

Paul Michael Merhige, 35, is considered armed and dangerous, police in the small Palm Beach town of Jupiter said.

The victims are a six-year-old girl who was shot in her bed, the man’s twin sisters and his 76-year-old aunt.

Police said 17 relatives were gathered at the home for dinner on Thursday. the motive for the killings is unclear.

Authorities said a fifth victim, Mr Merhige’s brother-in-law, was being treated in hospital for unspecified wounds.

Father’s grief

Sgt Scott Pascarella said police had received emergency calls after 2200 local time.

He said that sometime after Thanksgiving dinner, Mr Merhige left the residence, returned with a handgun and started shooting.

“What led to this incident, we’re not quite sure,” said Sgt Pascarella. “It did not appear there was any altercation prior to this shooting.”

Mr Merhige, who has no criminal record, is the cousin of six-year-old Makayla Sitton, police officials told the associated Press news agency.

They said the girl’s father, Jim Sitton, owned the home in Jupiter, some 150km (90 miles) north of Miami.

“God packed a lot of sweetness into that little body,” Mr Sitton said. “She’s just our life. I don’t know how we are ever going to recover.”