11.28.2013

10 Things I Am Thankful For In Sports

I love the holiday of Thanksgiving. Every day should be thanksgiving and we should be thankful for everything we have. However, having a day dedicated solely to that purpose is awesome. Having a day where we just spend time with family and get to enjoy football is flat out amazing. In that spirit of giving thanks, I decided to rank the ten things I am most thankful for in sports.

10) Clayton Kershaw
I am thankful for Clayton Kershaw because he is such a class act. Here we have the best pitcher in all of baseball and he is God first. Over a year ago I wrote a post about how much I admired that Clayton Kershaw is able to put himself second. He doesn't care about individual accolades or success. He wants to lift others up. Kershaw is a shining example in sports. You can read and view a post about Clayton Kershaw here and admire him pitching next season. His pitching is pure artwork.

9) Kawhi Leonard
I have long considered Kawhi Leonard one of the most underrated players in the NBA. Here I talked about him being underrated. This guy plays the game the right way. He is a throwback, unselfish player. He fits the Spurs model perfectly and is the future when Duncan is gone. It is refreshing to see a newer athlete have such a team attitude.

8) Myles Jack
If you do not know who Myles Jack is, you should. He is a really good two way player for the UCLA Bruins. As a true freshman Jack is an amazing impact player for UCLA. A great linebacker and RB it is a pleasure watching Jack play. It is just amazing that someone can be that good at two positions in major college football as a Freshman.

7) Bobby Bowden's Return
I love FSU. I love Bobby Bowden. I love Jimbo Fisher. However, let's be honest, the exit for Bowden was ugly. Part of it felt dirty liking Bowden and FSU, but seeing Fisher successful. Bowden's welcome return and acceptance makes everything alright and everything great. So thankful that he is back.

6) Tim Duncan
Tim Duncan is the class athlete in sport. Took less money to help his team. Never talking about individual accolades. All he talks about is his teammates. Never blames anyone. I love Tim Duncan and want him to go out with a ring.

5) The Orioles Being Relevant
I suffered through more than a decade of completely awful teams. These last two seasons where the Orioles have mattered in October have been awesome. Dan Duquette, Buck Showalter, Jim Presley and others have been a godsend to this organization. I could not be more thrilled. I put all the Orioles in this category. I am so thankful for players like Manny Machado and I didn't want to separate any of them.

4) All the FSU Pro Athletes
Seeing my favorite athletes in the pros succeed so much has been a great thrill. From Buster Posey to Anquan Boldin these guys have been fantastic. When there is no rooting interest in a pro game, it is nice to root for my Seminoles instead and I usually do have plenty to root for.

3) FSU Football Being 11-0
Surprised this isn't #1. I could easily have made it #1, but the job isn't done yet. In addition to that, some things are more important than winning and losing. My top two are some of those things.

2) Jimbo Fisher Coaching the Noles
Jimbo Fisher has once again made FSU the premier team in college football. Not only that, but he has done it with class. These three stories mean more to me than any win or loss ever could.
Jimbo's Son Fights Rare Blood Disease
Jimbo Visits Syracuse Player in the Hospital
FSU Honors Scholarship


1) All of Our Military Athletes
In the past I have written about many athletes who have done service to this fine country. How can these individuals not be the group we are most grateful for in sports. These people allow us to enjoy our sports and freedoms. So grateful for these individuals and all our service men and women. These are just some of our brave heroes.

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