Much to be Thankful for -- Sports Thoughts for November 26, 2010

While wondering how the Pilgrims would’ve fared on Plymouth Rock if they ate Tofurkey...

A year ago, neither I nor my doctors were certain how much longer I would be alive, following a very stressful ordeal of renal failure, but here I am, enjoying another Thanksgiving of food and football, so I thought I’d share what I’m thankful for:

I’m obviously thankful to G_d in heaven, for without the Omnipresent, I wouldn’t have life or anything else.

I’m thankful for my friends, old and new, special ones, and many kind acquaintances.

I’m thankful for living in a land, despite all its flaws and challenges, where I am free to be myself.

I’m thankful for having all of my faculties in somewhat good shape, as well as doctors who keep me rolling.

I’m thankful for still having a healthy sense of humor, as well as my slightly warped and witty mind.

I’m thankful for opportunities to challenge and use my intellect.

I’m thankful for all the people on Earth who stimulate my sense of humor.

I’m thankful for Jay Leno and his monologue, no matter what hour NBC schedules him.

I’m thankful for David Letterman and his Top Ten Lists.

I’m thankful for Jimmy Fallon and Craig Ferguson for their late night shows.

I’m thankful for Rachel Thompson, who reminds us in her blogs how funny married and domestic life can be.

I’m thankful for the endless list of comedians who keep me laughing.

I’m thankful for Brett Favre, because he’s simply a three-ring circus everywhere he goes.

I’m thankful for T.O. and OchoCinco, because they never shut up.

I’m thankful for Sarah Palin, John Boehner and Nancy Pelosi, because I really can’t take them seriously.

I’m thankful to Charlie Rangel, because he still doesn’t get it after eleven ethics violations.

I’m thankful for Charlie Sheen, because he gets too much of it and it’s always big news.

I’m thankful for the New York Daily News and my favorite sportswriters: Mike Lupica, Bill Madden, Gary Myers and Bob Raissman.

I’m thankful for a diverse selection of witty news commentators: Keith Olbermann, Rachel Maddow, Chris Matthews, Joe Scarborough and even Bill O’Reilly.

I’m thankful for so many wonderful folks who definitely know their sports and love talking about sports: Jon Saraceno, Len Berman, Rich Cimini, Ralph Vacchiano, Ohm Youngmisuk, Otis Livingstone, Woody Paige, Bob Glauber, Peter King, Jim Trotter, Jason Smith, Tony Kornheiser, Michael Wilbon, Bomani Jones, Skip Bayless, Trey Wingo, Marcellus Wiley, Warren Sapp, Phil Simms, Mike Ditka, Tom Jackson and Michael Smith.

I’m thankful for great folks to listen to on the radio, both on WFAN-660 and WEPN-1050: Joe Benigno, Evan Roberts, Mike Francesa, Brandon Tierney, Bob Wischusen, Don LaGreca, Colin Cowherd, Jason Smith (again), Bob Valvano, Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic.

I’m thankful the music I came of age to can still be heard on WCBS-101.1 and WAXQ-104.3.

I’m thankful for Sunday Night Football on NBC and the announcing team of Al Michaels and Chris Collinsworth.

I’m thankful for Monday Night Football on ESPN and the announcing team of Mike Tirico, Ron “Jaws” Jaworski and Jon “Chucky” Gruden.

I’m thankful for sportswriters more folks should read: Kyle Stack, Susan Shan, D.J. Dunston and Manish Mehta.

I’m thankful for a wonderful 2010 baseball season that offered no-hitters, one-hitters, perfect games, almost perfect games, wild pennant races, and a world series no one expected or will forget.

I’m thankful we still have golden oldies like Ralph Kiner, Vin Scully and Bob Uecker to listen to on baseball broadcasts.

I’m thankful I made it to July before I needed Maalox for Mets games.

I’m thankful someone other than the Phillies won the NL pennant.

I’m thankful the Yankees haven’t won their 28th world series title.

I’m thankful the Yankees front office continues to give baseball fans around the world good reasons for not being Yankees fans.

I’m thankful Hank Steinbrenner still has foot in mouth disease.

I’m thankful for what’s been a very enjoyable and far from mundane NFL season.

I’m thankful for my New York Jets, led by the never-dull Rex Ryan.

I’m thankful sports fans keep calling into WFAN and WEPN to be wet blankets about even the most positive New York sports stories.

I’m thankful they still can’t spoil this NFL season for me, no matter how hard they try.

I’m thankful for the New England Patriots being neck-and-neck in the AFC East, so folks won’t say the Jets won the division cheaply.

I’m thankful for all 32 NFL teams not being winless or unbeaten going into the final six weeks of the regular season.

I’m thankful for seeing big improvement in the Tampa Bay Bucs, St. Louis Rams and Kansas City Chiefs.

I’m thankful for seeing the season blow up on the Minnesota Vikings and Dallas Cowboys.

I’m thankful the Washington Redskins are still a mess under Mike Shanahan.

I’m thankful Al Davis is still delusional running the Oakland Raiders.

I’m thankful Tom Coughlin’s head hasn’t exploded yet during another frustrating Giants season.

I’m thankful for Albert Haynesworth proving that fat, lazy and stupid CAN get you through life.

I’m thankful for Richard Seymour slapping Ben Roethlisberger, albeit not to put any sense in his head.

I’m thankful for Vince Young and JeMarcus Russell teaching us a big lesson in Buyer Beware when it comes to drafting quarterbacks.

I’m thankful for Vince Young and Brandon Jacobs for providing fans at games with impromptu equipment souvenirs.

I’m thankful for James Harrison being so charitable with his money in order to play football the way it’s meant to be.

I'm thankful for the NFL trying to make the sport safer and help players live longer after retirement.

I’m thankful for blithering hypocrites like Gordon Gee, for illustrating how Division I football and the BCS is a bunch of BS.

I’m thankful schools like TCU and Boise State keep winning and annoying big-conference pooh-bahs.

I’m thankful my television has a mute button and channel changer whenever Tiger Woods or LeBron James need to speak.

I’m thankful for tomorrow, to attend the Bat Mitzvah of a really nice kid destined to be a terrific lady, Emily Wertheimer.

I’m thankful for every day and whatever it brings.

Here’s hoping to be thankful next year, so I can order pizza instead.