Give Thanks To Sports!

This one was by far the thing that I am most thankful for in sports this year! Getting the opportunity to come back to the Sioux Empire where I grew up and host a sports radio show on ESPN 99.1 is truly a blessing. Not only do I get to talk sports every day, I get to do it with a great bunch of people here at Results Radio from the top down. The folks here in the Sioux Empire have welcomed me and my wife back with open arms and it has been a blast so far. I look forward to many more years and Thanksgivings together here on the airwaves with you the listeners! Without your interaction, passion and enthusiasm towards sports, none of us in the business would be able to fulfill our passion and do what we do. So as much as I am thankful for this job, I am more thankful to you the listeners for allowing me to spend every weekday from 4-7pm with you! Happy Thanksgiving!

I am thankful that I am not a Miami Marlins fan! One year after the Marlins front office made a splash in Free Agency, they have now gutted their team and infuriated their fan base. Not to mention their fans are still paying for the stadium with their tax dollars. Plus the Miami Marlins finished last in the NL East a year ago and now have the equivalent of a AAA team on the field.

This year hopefully marks the end of Lance Armstrong in sports. I am very thankful that Armstrong was stripped and that I don’t have to hear from or about this condescending biker anymore. Furthermore, I hope that this ends any and all cycling highlights on Sportscenter for the rest of my life!

How bout being thankful that I was able to witness a triple crown in my lifetime. Thank you Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers who became the 15th person to achieve the Triple Crown. Joining baseball’s elite, Cabrera ended the season a top the American League with a .330 batting average, 44 Home Runs and 139 RBI’s.

This year brought Replacement Refs to our NFL World and boy was I thankful. You may ask why, and I will tell you. In my world of Sports Radio, chaos, anger and controversy make my world spin. That is exactly what we got with the Replacement Refs. It was a sports radio gem and made for great discussion each and every week they took the field.

I am thankful for Lin-Sanity. Sometimes in a NBA Season, especially in January and February, there are not a lot of storylines floating around. This was not the case when Jeremy Lin exploded onto the scene for the New York Knicks. Catapulting himself into the starting line-up due to injuries and captivating the masses in NYC, Lin-Sanity was in full effect. Not to bad for a guy who was crashing on his brothers couch.

Every four years we get the Summer Olympics and this year I was very thankful to sit back, watch and enjoy all the coverage. I was able to watch numerous events on TV with my wife which made it even more fun. From the USA Basketball and Gymnastic Gold Medals, to the soccer games, the track events, it was a fun August. I am thankful for guys like Husain Bolt and Michael Phelps who made the events so much more entertaining as well.

How about the BCS Playoff System finally being approved? I know I am thankful for that. After years of appeals for the fans over the largely unpopular current BCS system, the board of 12 University Presidents met and approved a 4-team playoff system to go into effect after the 2014 season. An undisputed college football champion can finally be crowned.

I am so thankful for Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh and especially Lebron James. Getting into the NBA Finals and losing in 2011 was one of my most disappointing moments of last year’s sports scene, but this year was different and so was that team. Winning in 5 games over the Oklahoma City Thunder, was a awesome thing to watch. One of many titles that these 3 guys will be putting up over their mantle. And oh yeah by the way, South Dakota’s own Mike Miller got a ring too.

The rookie quarterback has given Washington Redskins fans a lot to be thankful about this year. Although they are most likely not playoff bound this year, there is certain optimism in DC. Not to mention they have a perennial pro-bowler now at QB, this electrifying athlete is smart on and off the field. Its been a joy watching him so far this year and I am thankful I get to watch him for years to come.