The fourth Thursday of November always gets me thinking about Captain Myles Standish.
Don't know who that is? Shame on you. Standish, of course, was the British Army officer commissioned by the pilgrims to guide their voyage across the Atlantic. He handled all military matters in Plymouth upon their arrival.
Standish was the pilgrims' leader, their commander, their Tom Brady.
One of just seven to survive an epidemic during the first winter that claimed close to half of the original Mayflower passengers, it didn't take long for Standish to start authoring his legend. He was courageous in battle and diplomatic in debate. Standish even had a big hand in putting together the feast we'll commemorate a week from today, his charm and charisma resonating with the natives despite the language barrier. And he did it all for beaver pelts, as his contract stated. (This is all on Wikipedia, by the way, along with Standish's nickname, Captain Shrimp - what he lacked in height he made up for in heart.)
I'm no historian, but I can't think of a single person we as Americans should be more thankful for with Thanksgiving coming up. Not a one. Without Standish, there wouldn't have been an America for George Washington or Benjamin Franklin to found. There wouldn't be a Massachusetts and therefore no Red Sox, something I'm forever indebted to Standish for.
Call me crazy, but I say Standish is the greatest free agent pick-up of all-time. He was a team changer, an MVP. His teammates - the pilgrims - looked up to him. They elevated their games with him leading the way.
If you haven't guessed by now, this is a gimmicky holiday column. In honor of Captain Shrimp, I'd like to give thanks for some things in the sports world that stand out at this juncture in the calendar - one of the best stretches of the year in my opinion.
NFL Stretch Run
As Thanksgiving victims curl up on couches across America, their bodies sluggish with turkey meat, the intensity on the football field starts to ratchet up as the second-half push begins. Perhaps it started a little early this year, when 86-year-old Titans owner Bud Adams went Stone Cold Steve Austin on Buffalo fans during last Sunday's 41-17 Tennessee win (YouTube search: Bud Adams Titans). In any case, Week 11 is coming and it's all fun from here, starting Thursday with the annual Cowboys and (Why exactly?) Lions games. Teams start jockeying for playoff position. More games are slated for Thursdays and even a couple Saturdays, narrowing the agonizing, Sunday-to-Sunday gap.
On a side note, I'm tickled as a Pats fan that they get to take out their fourth-and-two frustrations on the hated Jets this weekend. This is where I would make a joke about Rex Ryan crying a lot after the Pats win, but I won't. I'd like to think I'm too classy for that. It's also not the Myles Standish way.
College Hoops return
We've already seen No. 1 get taken to the brink and No. 4 require a buzzer-beater to escape with victory in the first week. Don't even get me started on No. 12 and their problems out of the blocks.
To me, college basketball is one of the few sports that can replicate the high note it ends on with the opening of its next season. We hit a fever pitch during bracket time, and after a long break, we're just as juiced about the prospects of a new path to March. At least I am.
The beginning is particularly exciting because we get to see the potential - and sometimes the successful execution - of Cinderella-type upsets as the good teams try to map out an identity for themselves and adjust to pre-season expectations. Pre-season rankings are rarely accurate, making it all the more possible that a low number could fall in the first few weeks - which is always welcome, except when it happens to your team.
The 24 hours of games that ESPN aired with their Tip-Off Marathon Tuesday was another dream come true for college hoops junkies. If we have that to look forward to every year, we could be talking about the November madness that marks the front end of the schedule in the years to come.
Pre-BCS college football
Seeing as the marquee BCS bowls won't happen for another three months, I'm thankful that there are plenty of meaningful college football games left to play to make the next several weeks compelling. Plenty of questions are left to be answered. Will Cincinnati hold on for an undefeated regular season and give the Big East a shot at big bowl glory? What will happen in the SEC where Florida and Alabama remain unbeaten? Can someone in the Big 12 ruin Texas' national title bid with a late upset? Would Captain Shrimp have canned Charlie Weis by now if he were at the helm of Notre Dame? I think yes.
One thing that's certain is when you couple the FBS' closing stretch with the NFL's expanded schedule, there's no escaping football in November, December and January. Sorry girlfriends, wives and moms.
MLB Hot Stove
While I'm not thankful for this year's free agent class - please, will someone besides the Red Sox throw $15 million at John Lackey - I do like the late-fall and winter months where baseball's season carries on unofficially. I realize it's not the most popular position to have, but I actually like how the sport never goes away.
With Matt Holliday and Jason Bay being the two biggest prizes on the market - neither providing a very Standish-like impact - it will be interesting to see if any huge trades go down between now and April. The Sox are looking for their Standish with Big Papi on the decline and Bay likely commanding big money elsewhere.
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