Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

Is Thanksgiving the best holiday of the year, or what?

Oh sure, you love Christmas when you’re a kid, but how much fun is it when you’re all grown up, in credit card debt up to your eyeballs, and frantically pacing the mall to cross those final names off your list. That’s before we even get into the newest shopping craze; video game violence. Junior’s has to have that Play Station 3, whether daddy spends X-Mas Eve in prison or not!

Not my cup of tea, thank you. I’ll take Thanksgiving any Thursday of the week and twice on Sunday. You just know the day was created by pilgrims and Native Americans with men in mind. Think about it; a festival of food, football and family (in that order)…what could be better?

So as turkey day approaches, here’s a list of things this sports scribe would like to give thanks for:

I’m thankful I grew up near Boston, where we have teams in every major sport. Even better, not a calendar cycle has gone by without at least one of the local squads in the title hunt. Not every year can match 1986 (3-of-4 teams competed in Finals) or the Red Sox-Patriots double of 2004, but we’ve been spoiled for a pretty long time around these parts. Try surviving those long Minnesota winters without the warmth of a championship glow.

Let me also give thanks to the five individuals most responsible for making football a passion around here. It may be difficult for you younger folk to remember, but there was a time when very few people cared if the Patriots left town or not. I was once part of a 17,000 person season ticket base. Now, that number is dwarfed by the waiting list alone. Take a bow Bill Parcells, Drew Bledsoe, Bob Kraft, Bill Belichick and Tom Brady. (Chronological order, not order of importance, though I’d love to debate that with you sometime)

I’m thankful I get to see an athlete like LaDainian Tomlinson. In a sport filled with “me first‿ types who can’t wait to score a touchdown so they can unveil their new solo celebrations, LT2’s flip the ball to the ref and join your teammates routine is refreshing. Then again, if every trip to the end zone generated gyrations similar to some of these clowns with half his ability or track record, Tomlinson would be out of breath by halftime. There isn’t going to be a rushing or scoring record left standing by the time this great running back is through.

Let’s also give thanks for living in such a big market, therefore allowing our beloved Red Sox to compete every year if they want to. $51-million just for the right to negotiate with a Japanese pitcher whose name we can barely pronounce? There are teams whose entire payroll won’t come close to that number, but John Henry and friends might actually turn a profit from the investment. Just picture downtown Tokyo this summer; a sea of Sox jerseys and pink, not to mention ‘Suke Sushi on every menu.

In closing, thanks to the Bruins and Celtics for at least trying to matter again…thanks to the area high schools and colleges for generally putting sports in their proper perspective…thank you Tiger Woods for allowing me to unquestionably say I’ve seen the best in my lifetime…thank you NASCAR for providing endless comedic material…and thanks to the Lowell Sun giving this troubled mind a forum to vent.

Happy Thanksgiving!

What are you thankful for this holiday season?