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It’s Thanksgiving, and you know the most important part of the day is stopping to reflect on events of the last month and show some gratitude. In this case, it’s time to thank the Sports Gods for all they’ve given us to cheer about during the fall season.
First, thanks to the NFL schedule makers for giving the New England Patriots an easy stretch run that’ll help them get healthy and make a playoff push. After yesterday’s win over New Orelans, the Pats are 6-4 and almost all their remaining six games could be considered easy, much less winnable. There were some doubts, but now we know the Patriots will be around to defend their title when it matters most: January.
And a sarcastic “thanks a lot” to whoever runs the FOX net that UMaine subscribed to. For whatever reason, Patriots fans were treated to the New York Football Giants instead of their home team this weekend. I know we get the Jets and Giants regularly because of UMaine’s proximity to the Big Apple, but instead of the home town team? Maine’s still part of New England, isn’t it?
It’s also important to thank the seniors of the University of Maine volleyball and women’s soccer teams. Perhaps not the most popular sports on campus, the girls in both games have brought a winning attitude to their programs and found tremendous success.
Women’s soccer advanced to three straight conference championship games and volleyball’s seniors were the first in school history to play in two straight America East tournaments. Along the way, the ladies on both teams were classy and dignified, and put UMaine on the map in both sports. Though they don’t have a championship, they have a lot to be proud of and have laid the foundation for years of success. Well done, ladies.
Another big thanks to the senior class of the UMaine football team for helping give football fans on campus a reason to cheer for them. It would’ve been easy for that group to fold its tent after a 2-5 start, but they had too much pride for that, and resurrected their season to finish 5-6, giving New Hampshire all it could handle Saturday afternoon. They too, leave behind a legacy of focus, intensity, and hard work that should pay off for their program in the years to come.
Thanks to the hockey Gods for the NHL’s comeback. The league set attendance records in October despite last season’s lock-out and everything we wanted from pro hockey has occurred. Scoring is up, fights are down and fans are rediscovering a forgotten pleasure at an amazing pace. Now if only we could teach the Bruins how to hold a lead…
Drew Bledsoe’s got to take some time to thank somebody, namely Bill Parcells for bringing him in to quarterback the Dallas Cowboys. Drew has the team at 7-3 and atop the NFC East, on pace to set a career record for passer rating. It’s always nice to see a fallen hero like Bledsoe prove a lot of people dead wrong.
What would Thanksgiving be without football anyways? Time must be taken every year to thank the Sports Gods for forever linking the gridiron with Turkey Day. From high school to the NFL, from wake-up call to that turkey-induced nap, football consumes the holiday, as it should.
