10 Things to Be Thankful for in Sports

With the holiday season upon us and as the end of 2011 approaches, I figured now is a great time to reflect upon the joys the sports world has brought fans this year, and what we should look forward to in 2012 and beyond.

At times, this year brought out the bleak side of being a sports fanatic. 

Scandals, probation, trials, suspensions and lockouts overshadowed the exuberance and adrenaline rushes felt in arenas and stadiums throughout the nation this season.

However, if you take a closer look with a broad scope, you can find plenty of examples of excellence between the lines in every major sport.

I'm sure everyone can find their own favorite moments, topics or sports personalities from 2011. 

Here are the 10 things I’m most thankful for in sports! 

10. NFL Parity

With only two weeks left in the regular season, 22 of the 32 teams in the NFL are alive for a playoff berth. 

Only seven spots have been sewn up, which means 15 teams are fighting for the final five spots and the end of the regular season will be filled with plenty of intrigue.    

The NFL has consistently maintained a competitive balance with little interference from factors such as market size. 

The main reason the NFL is the healthiest game in the country is because of the parity that exists around the league. 

9. Les Miles

Unlike his counterpart that he will square off against in the national championship game on Jan. 9, LSU head coach Les Miles has a personality that endears him to fans, players and (gasp!) media members alike. 

Could you imagine Nick Saban’s reaction if a reporter would have asked him about a rematch after their first meeting had Alabama won? 

The only person who would have found his answer to be intriguing would be Bill Belichick. 

Miles came off as admirable and believable when he answered Tracy Wolfson’s rematch question moments after LSU’s 9-6 overtime win over the Tide. 

While the NFL has Rex Ryan spitting out headline-worthy quotes for breakfast each morning, college football’s goofy-yet-brilliant coaching savant is the perfect mix of brains, courage and humility.

8. Adios, Craig James

Its almost taboo for sports fans in these times to ridicule sports television analysts and announcers for the slightest misstep. 

However, the venom for ESPN college football analyst Craig James reached new heights following his role in the saga that got Mike Leach fired as Texas Tech’s head coach and ultimately played a role in veteran journalist Bruce Feldman’s departure from the worldwide leader.

His almost comical voting practices in his weekly AP poll vote surely did not help his viewer ratings. 

James announced he would leave ESPN to focus a run for a 2012 U.S. Senate seat in his native Texas. 

With that announcement, Christmas came early for college football fans. 

Good riddance. 

7. Quarterback Heaven

Lost in all of the hoopla of the lightening rod that is Tim Tebow (more on him later), the NFL may have reached its pinnacle with elite passers shattering records everywhere.

Aaron Rodgers is in the midst of a run perhaps unparalleled in the span of one year, while Drew Brees and Tom Brady are nipping at his heels with their gaudy play this season. 

Even the promising 2012 NFL rookie class has mostly exceeded expectations despite a lockout that shortened the offseason. 

A look into the college ranks shows the trend of gifted passers entering the professional ranks is unlikely to slow down anytime soon.

Robert Griffin III, Andrew Luck and potentially Matt Barkley are franchise-caliber quarterbacks who are ready to take the NFL by storm. 

6. Gus Johnson

It nearly took me the entire year to acknowledge and get over the fact that Gus Johnson will not be calling games in the NCAA tournament this season. 

However, college basketball’s loss is college football and the NFL’s gain. 

Johnson brings a passion and enthusiasm to every game he calls that makes fans feel like their voice is synchronized with and through his booming voice box. 

Regardless of what sport he's calling, Johnson's exuberance is a welcome addition and deviation from the stoic talking heads who dominate the broadcasting landscape. 

5. Postseason Bonanzas

Save for the BCS (once again, more on that later), in 2011, every major sports league delivered captivating and exhilarating moments that kept fans on the edge of their seats across the nation. 

Consider these improbable runs to championships from the major college and pro sports this season: 

Green Bay entered last season’s playoffs as the final wild card and went on to defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Super Bowl

UConn’s men’s basketball team won 11 straight elimination games en route to the 2011 national championship. 

The St. Louis Cardinals had to win on the final day of the regular season just to get into the playoffs, where they would go on to defeat the Phillies and Brewers before the thrilling seven-game World Series triumph over the Rangers.

The Mavericks swept the Lakers before dispatching Miami’s dream team in six games to win their first NBA title.

Perhaps the best run of them all was the Bruins remarkable triumph in a dramatic seven-game series victory over the Vancouver Canucks in the Stanley Cup Finals. 

2012 has a lot to live up to if it expects to top what we witnessed this year.

4. The Rise of College Hoops

Most casual basketball fans hardly pay attention to college basketball until late February, right before the madness begins in March. 

However, after observing thrilling clashes like the Kentucky and North Carolina game earlier this month, it is clear that the game can provide the same excitement throughout the course of an entire season. 

Combine that with the fact that the star power that has been lacking from the game due to the exodus of one-year talents who jump to the NBA is finally back, and you have a recipe for a rebirth for college hoops. 

First-round talents like North Carolina’s Harrison Barnes, Ohio State’s Jared Sullinger and Baylor’s Perry Jones III amongst other all bypassed the NBA draft to stay in school, and the results have turned into gifts for college basketball lovers around the nation. 

3. The End of Lockout Talk

With the NBA set to get underway on Christmas Day, it is finally time to eradicate the term CBA from the sports dictionary, at least for the foreseeable future. 

Thankfully, the NFL averted crisis and signed a new deal that ensures labor peace for the next decade. 

Major League Baseball, coming off its most exciting season in recent memory, smartly extended its deal until 2016.

The only league that will face any potential threat of labor unrest is the NHL, whose current deal expires in September of 2012. 

Considering strenuous effort the league has put in to rebuild the league’s image since their nasty work stoppage in 2004, chances are that they will want to keep the positive momentum moving forward. 

2. The Tim Tebow Saga

Undoubtedly, the most polarizing figure in the sports world this season has been Tim Tebow. 

Regardless of what side of the debate you are on, you cannot deny his presence on the field makes for some compelling TV in the fourth quarter. 

Divine intervention aside, the human element away from the field is a separate drama in and of itself. 

Regardless of what you think of his religious stance, its refreshing to hear an athlete handle such a tidal wave of love and criticism with the same humility.

With the playoffs in sight, the real fun on the roller coaster of Tebow is just beginning. 

1. The Impending Doom of the BCS

After the latest debacle for college football’s joke of a postseason, there may just be a positive that comes from this season’s chaotic ending. 

While it may not be a full-fledged playoff tournament like college basketball’s tournament, the plus-one model that many pundits have been calling for may take shape in the form of a football final four.

With the current BCS deal set to expire in 2013, it seems highly unlikely that the current model will last beyond then. 

College football is my favorite sport, but I can only defend the ridiculousness of the system used to determine a champion for so long.

Thankfully, the end of the BCS appears to be near, which is gift college football fans are anxiously awaiting.

It cannot happen soon enough!