Detroit has never won a Super Bowl, but Lions fans are excited for the first time in a long time as the 6-2 team's playoff chances look pretty good this season. When they host the Green Bay Packers on Thursday, Nov. 24, they could potentially put on their best Thanksgiving Day performance since Barry Sanders rushed for 167 yards and three touchdowns in 1997's game.

But one performance NFL fans don't want to see is a Thanksgiving halftime show by Nickelback. More than 50,000 people have now signed a petition to remove the Canadian band as the entertainment for the American holiday's big football event.

The petition, started by University of Michigan student Dennis Guttman, states: "This game is nationally televised, do we really want the rest of the U.S. to associate Detroit with Nickelback? Detroit is home to so many great musicians and they chose Nickelback... Is this some sort of ploy to get people to leave their seats during halftime to spend money on alcoholic beverages and concessions? The Lions ought to think about their fans before choosing such an awful band to play at halftime."

One person signing the petition commented, "I'd rather drink bleach than listen to Nickelback."

To be fair, Chad Kroeger and his band have sold almost 50 million albums since forming in 1996, thanks to radio hits like "Photograph" and "How You Remind Me." But their fanbase may have soured in recent years, as a British dating website survey last week named the Canadian alt-rockers the No. 1 musical turnoff last week, ahead of Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga and Coldplay.

Plus, 50,000 signatures represents 50,000 people -- Ford Field, home of the Lions, seats 65,000. Many of the signing fans have suggested replacing Nickelback with Motown or any artist whose hometown is Detroit, such as Eminem, Aretha Franklin, Kid Rock, Jack White and Madonna.

Indie soul/R&B singer Mayer Hawthorne, who also calls Detroit home, launched his own campaign with Rolling Stone to fill the halftime slot if it becomes available:

Detroit Lions officials have yet to comment on the petition.

MTV's James Montgomery isn't urging Detroit to replace Nickelback at the halftime performer, but he is asking the organization to at least acknowledge the petition: "Maybe you're not super psyched to have Nickelback perform at what is arguably your biggest game since the 1991 NFC Championship, or maybe Bob Seger just wasn't available, but the simple fact is this: You guys have to say something."

Nickelback, whose next album "Here and Now" is due in stores November 21, remains on the schedule for halftime at the Lions-Packers Thanksgiving Day football game. Despite a similar anti-Nickelback protest in September, the band still performed at the Winnipeg Jets' NHL home opener festivities.

What do you think? If Nickelback performs on Thanksgiving, will it ruin your turkey dinner?

» Read the petition