What We’re Thankful For…

A Thanksgiving tradition here at WFNY is our What We’re Thankful For post. Do enjoy. Craig has a piece lined up for this afternoon you won’t want to miss as well.

Rick: As always, a big thanks to our community here at WFNY. Your comments and support of the site keep us going.

I’m thankful for a great crew that continues to grow and evolve. This year, while not the most successful for the teams we cover, has been a great one for the staff. We have enjoyed more access than ever, and are hoping for more in the future. (We’re looking at you Browns.)

I’m thankful for our weekend crew. We’ve added Kirk and Ben this year, and couldn’t be more thrilled with what they and the two Brendan’s are doing. These guys pour themselves into pieces that aren’t read by the largest audiences due to the weekend slowdown, but they continue to pump out good stuff.

And of course, I’m so thankful for my family that indulges me in this venture. Even if they never read it! Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

Scott: Echoing Rick, a huge hats off to our community of readers, friends, followers, tipsters and commenters here at WFNY. It was a tough year for all of us – lockouts, losses – and to be able to discuss the present and the future with some of the best sports fans on the Internet is truly something special. For our excellent stable of writers, being able to publish work along side each of you every day is truly an honor; I’m especially thankful for our weekend crew for the excellent work they consistently provide even though its only the die-hards looking on.

For the Cleveland Indians and Cavaliers for trusting in the work that WFNY provides and allowing our writers the year-long access needed to add that extra insight, be they line items or full-on features. For the hard-working folks with More Sports and Les Levine as well as Cleveland.com for providing us an outlet to reach even more eyes and ears; a special Thank You to Dan Labbe for his work and patience during all of our podcasts which will hopefully start back up this winter. For Firestone Country Club, the Akron Aeros, and Tom Hamilton. For Joe Tait, Tom Heckert, Jim Thome and Nick Gilbert – What’s not to like? And lastly, but certainly not least, I’m thankful for my friends and my ever-supportive family. This truly is a labor of love, and without them, it wouldn’t be possible. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. Be safe out there.

Craig: I am thankful for a lot of things this year. I’m thankful for the Waiting For Next Year community. I’m thankful for the guys who started the site, the guys who write for the site and the guys who wrote for the site. It is so great to have you all in my daily email chains.

I am especially thankful to the WFNY community that allowed us to do Rocktober this year. You guys are the best community of commenters around. We all have our disagreements, but trust me that we know how great it is that you guys are willing to hang around our little corner of the Internet and treat it respectfully.

Obviously and most of all, I am thankful for my wife and son who are exceedingly understanding that I spend so much of my “free” time not only watching sports, but writing about them. I know how unreasonable I can be when I schedule entire weekends around football games. I know how unreasonable I can be when I impose (beg for) a travel embargo so as not to miss any Browns football games, including pre-season games.

I’m thankful for much more, but we’ll stop there. Happy Thanksgiving!

Kirk: I’m thankful that I’m here contributing to this post, nine months into my tenure at WFNY. I’m appreciative that the WFNY crew thought I was talented enough to join them as a colleague. A lot has changed for me in the last nine months, but WFNY has been a constant, a pleasant escape.

I’m thankful for the ten years that The Ohio State University had Jim Tressel as its head coach. Despite the NCAA infractions that he played a part in, what I know is that OSU is a better place for having had him a part of the program. When time heals the wounds, he’ll take his place behind Woody where he belongs. I’m thankful that my university, its alumni, and its fans are strong enough to survive the hurdles that the last eleven months have thrown. I’m excited about the prospects of having another high-profile head coach with championship pedigree. I’m also content that in the future, I can tell stories about how I was at Ohio State when Thad Matta made it a two-sport school.

For our Cleveland teams, I’m thankful that the Browns have a front office that is making good draft picks. I’m proud that Joe Haden represents Cleveland on the field and adopts it off the field, embracing a city that so severely craves to be embraced. I’m thankful the Indians have a young core of talent on the upswing, and I think we’re lucky to have seen them back in first place last season. I’m thankful for the Cavaliers, even without a season or a playoff caliber roster. I believe in Dan Gilbert and am optimistic about Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson.

Personally, I’m fortunate to remain very close to my family. I’m grateful for a baseball game in 1941 where my 16-year-old grandmother saw Joe Dimaggio’s 56-game hitting streak end in Municipal Stadium, which started a lifelong love of sports. That love is one she passed on to her four sons, my dad being the youngest. I’m glad I have him to talk to everyday about sports and whatever else is on my mind. I’m honored to have a degree from a university that will forever be a part of me. I’m happy to have a job where I feel challenged and rewarded, where it doesn’t often feel like work despite the sometimes long hours.

Cleveland’s never needed a championship more, but I’m thankful we’re all still here, not giving up hope, chipping away at the slab of marble that will one day be that championship sculpture, even though we’re not sure what it will look like or when it will be complete.

TD: I’m thankful for so many things…. It’s just hard these days, as always, to be a Cleveland sports fan. With that said….

I’m thankful that I bleed Wahoo Red, White, and Blue, because the Tribe is the best thing we’ve got going in this city….I’m thankful for Asdrubal Cabrera, the best shortstop in the AL…… I’m thankful the Indians have a GM in Chris Antonetti that is trying to be as creative as he can to win NOW……I’m thankful for the Bullpen Mafia and everything they bring Both on and off the field…..I’m thankful the Indians made the smart move to bring back Jim Thome for the stretch drive last season. It was fun for us all…..I’m thankful for the awesome action on Justin Masterson’s pitches….mostly, I’m thankful that I have a 20 game package along with plenty of options to buy $8 seats to watch this great product all summer long…..

I’m thankful that the NBA is currently on hiatus. College Basketball is the game for me….I’m thankful that Gary Waters is the head coach of the Cleveland State Vikings and may be even better this year without first round pick Norris Cole….I’m thankful the Vikings put out a great game experience and that this city is starting to take notice…..

I’m thankful that the Browns exist so that my four year old son can grow up loving the game the way I do. I can’t say I’m thankful for the quality of product I see on the field, but things could be worse….I’m thankful for the efforts of guys like Chris Ogbannaya, Phil Taylor, and Colt McCoy despite the wins and losses…..

On a personal note, I’m thankful to be associated with the best sports website in Cleveland bar none…..I wish you could all know what goes into getting this site together on a daily basis. the WFNY crew is helpful, courteous, and professional. Props to all of my boys!

Jon: It’s been a good year since last I wrote one of these.

I’m thankful that the Indians gave us something worth watching this year. I’ll look forward to the continued stewardship of Chris Antonetti, but right now, I feel lucky the Indians managed to keep him and Shapiro in the organization. I’m thankful for Carlos Santana and Jason Kipnis. I’m thankful for Ubaldo Jimenez and what he represents. I’m thankful I’ll have another year to watch Grady Sizemore.

Beyond the team itself, I’m thankful to belong to the fraternity of writers who continue to make writing and thinking about the Indians one of the best (and competitive) gigs out there. Without naming everyone who I read and respect, let me just say: my world is a better and smarter place because of them both here at WFNY and across the entire landscape of sport writers. They challenge me to think and write more clearly. It is a community to which I’m immensely proud to belong.

Which brings me to the readers, who make it possible for me to write any of this stuff in the first place. You guys are great. When I first started writing for the site, I had an ideal reader in mind: someone who cared about the Indians, wanted to learn some and think some, and liked the occasional incongruous aside. In short, I was looking for someone like me. Who knew there were so many of you out there? I’ve never been so happy to find out I’m not unique. After all, this sports thing is really just about shared experience, and to cheer with you and lament with you and write for you and hope for you has been an honor. Thanks for that.

I have more personally to be thankful for than will fit on this here internet. Sometimes, I feel like all I do is fall upstairs in life: loyal friends, a nice career, a family incapable of quitting on me, even though I’ve occasionally given them cause. This year, though, I fell up a whole escalator: SOMEONE MARRIED ME. And not just someone, either. I’m thankful for my wife, whose compassion and generosity are without bounds, whose humor and wit keep on my toes, and whose love falls on me like waves. What a lucky guy.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.