What I'm thankful for

As Thanksgiving draws to a close (it did for you normal folks hours ago, I'm just getting to bed in a minute), I thought I'd go through the list of a few things I'm thankful for in the professional sense. Obviously I'm most thankful for my family, friends, and our troops, police and firemen that keep us safe every day, but I'm talking for now about CCSU sports. Some of these will be a little bit "inside," but you'll appreciate most of them.

I'm thankful for getting to work with coaches who are as better people than they are coaches. What Mick D'Arcy did last year at Quinnipiac says all you need to know about him, and he's the nicest guy you'll ever meet. Same goes for Shaun Green, Howie Dickenman, Charlie Hickey, Jeff McInerney... the list goes on and on.

I'm thankful for the perfect storm that is my beat: a DI college with accessible people.

I'm thankful for Tom, Jason, Derrick and the CCSU SID staff that goes above and beyond the call of duty all the time in an effort to help me, and by extension, you the fans. They work harder than any of you know.

I'm thankful for a coaching lesson I got last week, and for the little moments like it that make my job so unique.

I'm thankful I've converted a Knicks fan into a Celtics fan.

I'm thankful that the "competition" is so often a teammate.

I'm thankful for the tent on the soccer field and the people who hauled it to Berlin so I wouldn't end up sick.

I'm thankful that Beryl Piper will be given a chance to grow the women's program and that she was given a chance. It was a risky hire, but she deserved to have someone take a chance on her.

I'm thankful that Piper and McInerney both want to recruit in-state when possible. It's good for the state and the teams.

I'm thankful it's basketball season.

I'm thankful I've seen a large portion of Tristan Blackwood's career at Central, and for the final chapter he's about to write.

I'm thankful to have learned Javier Mojica's story, never mind that I got to tell it. And I'm most thankful that things worked out for him the way they did considering where he started from.

I'm thankful for all the great games I've been able to see at "work." From four overtimes vs. La Salle to the women's soccer team holding off LIU to the baseball team giving everything it has the last two years.

Most of all, I'm thankful for you the readers. You make what we do possible.