However, Thanksgiving is a winter sports tradition. There's the dozens of football games on Thanksgiving Day, college basketball throughout the weekend, hockey, and of course, the many families who go outside and take it upon themselves to work up a sweat through spirited competition, whether it be over the pigskin or the puck.
Things are somewhat bleak this Turkey Day without pro basketball and the recent injury to Bears' QB "Baby Fat" Jay Cutler, but never fear, Chicagoans: there is always something sports related to make you smile. So without further ado, I give you the first annual LitCS "Thanksgiving WOOOOO!" List.
Why the "WOOOOO!", you ask? Because there is no greater symbol of elation and joy than Ric Flair (see below).
Ah, Al Snow. You never cease to be unimpressive.
Now, for the list:
5. The Cubs have Theo Epstein.
Am I mad? Yes. Have I scoffed repeatedly and said, "Theo, no Theo, the Cubs still are going to tank?" Yes.
Am I frightened they might be good? You bet I am.
Theo Epstein played the Boy Wonder in Boston, bringing the Red Sox their first championship in 86 years. Then, rather than have them wait another near-century, he put the pieces in place for another chip in 2007. Theo is an incredibly smart man, a part of the "sabermetrics generation" of MLB, and like Kenny Williams, he's not afraid to damn the stats every once in awhile and go for a high-profile free agent. With Theo as prez and Tom Ricketts' bankroll, the Cubs could finally start to win consistently. (I'm going to go vomit now.)
4. No Bulls means no Boozer.
Carlos Boozer and Chris Bosh have more in common than initials. They both play the power forward spot, they are both skilled around the basket, and they were the most maligned players on the two best teams in the Eastern Conference. Bosh was able to get some under-the-radar redemption due to his solid playoff number, but Booz almost disappeared for the Bulls (unless Derrick Rose was dunking on Joel Anthony. Then you could hear Carlos screaming from Alaska.)
The Bulls might not be playing, but at least we don't have to see Booz fail in those many in-game situations where he's supposed to succeed. Such as playing defense.
3. It's Caleb Time!
If you've buried the memory of the Bears' painful loss to the Packers in last season's NFC Championship game, try and dig up a sequence from the fourth quarter. Specifically, the minutes between Jay's knee injury and B.J. Raji's stupid dance.
Todd Collins came in to replace Jay and, as he has been his entire life, was ineffective. So Lovie was left with no choice but to go with third-stringer Caleb Hanie. He promptly threw an interception which the Packers returned for a touchdown, seemingly sealing the game. Thousands of Bears fans probably turned off their TVs in disgust at that point and prepared themselves for the lonely coming winter.
Those thousands of fans missed Hanie's next two drives: a TD pass to Earl Bennett up the left sideline, and a scintillating drive to the Packer 30-yard-line. Of course, the next throw was the pick to Raji that ended the ballgame, but it didn't matter. The unknown Caleb Hanie had come into the largest game of his professional career and stood tall. He threw picks, sure, but he didn't shy away from what he had to do. Erase one of those bad throws, and the Bears take Green Bay to overtime.
Now, it's Caleb's turn again. With three mid-level opponents on the upcoming schedule (Raiders, Chiefs, Broncos), it will be a litmus test for the man I hope will be Chicago's next folk sports hero.
2. Steve Breaston pays homage to the once-great Razor Ramon.
If you haven't watched the "E:60" piece on pro wrestler Scott Hall, do so. It's a sobering reminder of the dangers of drug abuse while living the good life as an entertainer. The man my mother still calls "Razor Ramon" is little more than a shell of a man ravaged by drugs, alcohol, and injuries.
Still, he was great in his time, and his macho image has not been forgotten. Especially in the case of Steve Breaston, who oozed a little machismo with this touchdown celebration:
Steve wanted "the world and everything in it." Too bad he's with the Cardinals.
At this point, don't be sad for Scott Hall. Be happy for his time as "The Bad Guy".
1. The New Braves first appearance on the national stage.
It's been a short honeymoon for the new Bradley Braves and they've lived through the early fire, with a record of 3-1. Their first loss came yesterday to familiar foe Wofford. Now they face their first true test of the season: Friday night against 11th-ranked Wisconsin at the Chicago Invitational Challenge.
It's not the same as going into Cameron Indoor Stadium after a slew of injuries to face top-ranked Duke, but the Braves will have to climb the proverbial mountain in order to challenge Bo Ryan's Badgers. The matchup to watch: Wisconsin's Jordan Taylor vs. Dyricus Simms-Edwards. The dynamic point guards have to ability to slash, finish in the traffic, and hit jump shots. Whoever defends the perimeter the best should have the advantage. I'll be tweeting from the game, so follow me @kwandarykitten for updates on Friday.
For all you Sox and Blackhawks fans out there, don't worry. There's still promise for your squads yet. So tomorrow afternoon, join hands with your families, take stock of your life and be thankful for everything you do have. Remember: the seats may be cheap, but at least you got to the game.
Happy Thanksgiving, and see you in the cheap seats.
WOOOOOO!
JS
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