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Do IT this week: Layering

There's more to be thankful for every year

By Patrick McManamon
Beacon Journal sports columnist

POSTED: 09:06 p.m. EST, Nov 25, 2009

This being the day of Thanksgiving, it's time for our annual pause to remember the things we are thankful for.

Each year, it becomes more meaningful.

I'm thankful the Browns hire a coach only once a year.

And that they only play the Pittsburgh Steelers twice.

And that they traded down three times to draft a center last year, which means they won't take one this year.

I hope.

Finally, I'm thankful the NFL has yet to expand the season to 18 games, because two more games with this Browns season would simply be too much to ask.

I'm thankful for Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, who can still pick it with the best of them (even thought it never really looked like Stevie was . . . well . . . actually playing at the Cleveland show).

I'm thankful for the verve, life and teenage energy of my 13-year-old daughters. And yes, I'm thankful for every bit of it — because every bit of it is wonderful to watch.

This includes the struggles. As a Muslim NFL player once told me, the struggle is a blessing.

I'm thankful my daughters let me chat with them occasionally on Facebook, because we all know that the older they get the dopier I get.

Social networking

I'm also thankful they turned me on to Happy Aquarium on Facebook, because it gives me a way to kill several more hours on the Internet instead of doing something productive like weed the garden.

I'm thankful when people sing the national anthem before games and the song is recognizable, but I still wonder why, if we sing the anthem before games, we don't sing it before movies, orchestra concerts or the start of day-after-Thanksgiving shopping.

I'm thankful NFL security types search me before I enter stadiums.

But I'm more thankful that when I leave Cleveland Browns Stadium at 9 or 9:30 at night that the security force there searches my bag to make sure I'm not smuggling an explosive device out of the stadium.

I'm thankful there are some politicians in Washington who do not politicize a serious issue like health care.

At least I think they don't.

I'm thankful for Foghorn Leghorn and the Roadrunner (''Meep meep''). And every time I think of Bugs Bunny walking up to Yosemite Sam dressed as Abe Lincoln and telling Sam to ''look me up at my Gettysburg address,'' I am thankful I saw that particular episode.

I'm very thankful I turned on Seinfeld one night for a double-header of the Soup Nazi/schmoopie and Junior Mint/what's-Jerry's-girlfriend's-name episodes. Not even My Three Sons could top that.

I'm thankful for Google, iTunes and Dynomite, and I challenge anyone to play Dynomite online and leave after one game. It's the Lays potato chip of online games.

I'm thankful for the West Point Market.

And for Beatles Rock Band, because it brought the Beatles back to an entire generation of young folks, like my daughters who now have to put up with me singing Octopus' Garden while they play drums and guitar.

I'm thankful for Guinness. Especially as it's served in Ireland.

Though I do have to add that over here, I'm thankful for Labatt Blue. Not orange, lavender or fuchsia . . . blue.

I'm thankful for machines at the bank and grocery store that say thank you. Same for phone recordings. There's nothing quite like a polite machine.

I'm thankful for Keb Mo, the Saw Doctors, the Neville Brothers, the Iguanas and Neil Young.

And for The Band and Acadian Driftwood.

I'm thankful TVs have an off switch.

I'm thankful for my real aquarium, because it gives you a pet that doesn't need to be boarded while you are out of town.

I'm thankful Sarah Palin can only run for vice president once every four years.

I'm very thankful any time a professional athlete or coach does not use the word disrespected.

And I'm really thankful every time a hotel puts that little triangle at the end of the toilet paper roll. It makes all the difference between the third and fourth star.

It's about time

I'm thankful that NFL fans are finally making a statement with their wallets. The crowd in Detroit last Sunday, the non-sales of suites in Cleveland . . . teams that continually put bad products on the field are finally being held accountable.

I'm very thankful that one day my daughters and their friends voted to go to dinner at Champpsinstead of Max & Erma's.

It's a personal thing; you wouldn't understand. But trust me, it led to a very fortunate moment in my life, and it had nothing to do with the appetizer.

I'm thankful for Newman's foods, because it gives you the idea you are helping someone less fortunate while you eat.

I'm thankful for the Rev. Jim Beattie at my local church. He's an Akron native. But that's not the reason I'm thankful. I'm thankful because every time he speaks on Sundays, he says something meaningful.

I'm thankful that men like Jim Caldwell, Marvin Lewis and Mike Tomlin are winning, because good guys deserve to win. And I'm thankful for a coach like Jeff Fisher, who just keeps on keeping on.

I'm also thankful this Kyle Orton craze didn't last.

I'm thankful for Keith Dambrot — his coaching, his leadership, his honesty.

And I'm thankful for Hola Fruita ice cream, strawberry mango yogurt and Acai smoothies. More than anything though, I'm thankful for Cheez-Its.

Plain. Old. Cheez. Its.

I'm thankful for Shin-Soo Choo and Michael Brantley and any Indians pitcher who can get people out this season and actually win a game.

Yum! Fruit flies

I'm so, so, so thankful that one day years ago my daughters told me I could get dart frogs for pets, that they were not poisonous. Which means I now have two dart frogs — one blue, one yellow — and to feed them, I have to breed flightless fruit flies on a weekly basis.

This is the kind of thing that makes a house a home.

I remain ever thankful that the Cavs hired Mike Brown, as good a man as there is coaching any team in any league.

And I'm so thankful LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade planned this 2010 free-agency thing. Because what we need around here is a little more angst.

I am truly thankful that nobody has had the bright idea yet to have the Browns wear brown jerseys to go with those gawdawful brown pants.

I think we can all be thankful that CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee faced each other in Game 1 of the World Series.

And that the Browns never considered hiring Brian Billick last year. After all, why go after a guy who has as many rings as Bill Cowher, Mike Holmgren and Tony Dungy?

I am thankful that the UFL season will end on Saturday.

And I'm thankful I haven't jumped on the Twilight bandwagon. This Edward guy gets on my nerves, and I don't know a dadgum thing about him.

I'm thankful for the 92 years that my mother has been blessed to enjoy, and that in her 92nd year, she is still blessed to be in her own apartment.

And I'm thankful that the hoses that have been connected to the washing machine for about 10 years have yet to break.

Oh . . . I'm thankful for eMusic.com for providing independent labels an outlet, and for enabling me to find a guy named Bernard Allison.

I'm thankful for Rachel Alexandra and Zenyetta.

For different reasons, I'm thankful for Anne Hathaway, Meredith Viera and Eva Mendes. Though since she got married, I'm a little miffed at Adriana Lima.

I'm thankful Les Miles and Rich Rodriguez are not coaching Ohio State.

And I'm thankful that Caleb Porter coaches soccer for the University of Akron. I'm kind of thinking that the Zips soccer team will garner an annual mention in this thankful column, because of the way Porter coaches and the team plays.

I'm thankful for the years of work and effort and integrity of Laing Kennedy at Kent State. He's an example to all of us.

Same for Eric Wedge, who handled the Indians' decision not to bring him back with more class and fortitude than any man should have. I'm thankful we got to see that and we got to know him.

I'm thankful for the prayers and support shown to Highland's Kory Wiita, and for the courage shown by him and his family as he fights back from the unfortunate injury that left him paralyzed. Certainly on this day, we all should take a moment to think of him and his family.

I'm thankful Taylor Swift won Entertainer of the Year, because God knows we haven't seen enough of her yet.

I'm thankful for fans who do not sucker punch their quarterback or throw full water bottles that hit cheerleaders on the head and knock them out. What gets into people? I'm thankful for teachers, and in a special way for the ones who have helped my daughters.

Genuine Pros

I'm thankful for the professionalism of Eric Steinbach and Joe Thomas and David Bowens and Phil Dawson and Mark Shapiro and Chris Antonetti and Danny Ferry and Zyrdunas Ilgauskas and all the others I'm forgetting to mention.

I'm thankful some professional athletes are not on Twitter.

And I'm thankful the Browns took Tim Couch over Donovan McNabb, thus enabling us to enjoy McNabb's career in Philadelphia, because he sure wouldn't have done that in Cleveland.

I'm also thankful that the Detroit Lions only got one more extra play against the Browns, because who knows how many extra touchdowns they'd have scored with two.

I'm thankful that Troy Polamalu only does one shampoo commercial.

And that I wasn't in the office the day my boss proclaimed he was ''ready to smack everyone.''

I'm thankful Manny Acta said he's not worried about the Indians' ability to spend money. Because the rest of us sure are.

I'm thankful that Germany restored a 1936 high-jump record to Margaret Bergmann Lambert, a 96-year-old resident of New York City who was kicked off the German Olympic team because she was Jewish.

And I'm thankful that I was able to cross paths with a man like Bill Ricco.

Finally, I'm thankful for the bread delivery guy outside the Achill Sound Hotel in Ireland. Because when he asked how I was, I said ''good'' and asked how he was. His response: ''Good enough.''

Which seemed about the best two-word summary of life one could have heard at that moment in time.

I'm thankful to be ''good enough'' for one more year, and thankful you are as well.

Patrick McManamon can be reached at pmcmanamon@thebeaconjournal.com. Read his blog at http://www.ohio.com/mcmanamon/. Follow Pat on Twitter @patmcmanamon.

This being the day of Thanksgiving, it's time for our annual pause to remember the things we are thankful for.

Each year, it becomes more meaningful.

I'm thankful the Browns hire a coach only once a year.

And that they only play the Pittsburgh Steelers twice.

And that they traded down three times to draft a center last year, which means they won't take one this year.

I hope.

Finally, I'm thankful the NFL has yet to expand the season to 18 games, because two more games with this Browns season would simply be too much to ask.

I'm thankful for Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, who can still pick it with the best of them (even thought it never really looked like Stevie was . . . well . . . actually playing at the Cleveland show).

I'm thankful for the verve, life and teenage energy of my 13-year-old daughters. And yes, I'm thankful for every bit of it — because every bit of it is wonderful to watch.

This includes the struggles. As a Muslim NFL player once told me, the struggle is a blessing.

I'm thankful my daughters let me chat with them occasionally on Facebook, because we all know that the older they get the dopier I get.

Social networking

I'm also thankful they turned me on to Happy Aquarium on Facebook, because it gives me a way to kill several more hours on the Internet instead of doing something productive like weed the garden.

I'm thankful when people sing the national anthem before games and the song is recognizable, but I still wonder why, if we sing the anthem before games, we don't sing it before movies, orchestra concerts or the start of day-after-Thanksgiving shopping.

I'm thankful NFL security types search me before I enter stadiums.

But I'm more thankful that when I leave Cleveland Browns Stadium at 9 or 9:30 at night that the security force there searches my bag to make sure I'm not smuggling an explosive device out of the stadium.

I'm thankful there are some politicians in Washington who do not politicize a serious issue like health care.

At least I think they don't.

I'm thankful for Foghorn Leghorn and the Roadrunner (''Meep meep''). And every time I think of Bugs Bunny walking up to Yosemite Sam dressed as Abe Lincoln and telling Sam to ''look me up at my Gettysburg address,'' I am thankful I saw that particular episode.

I'm very thankful I turned on Seinfeld one night for a double-header of the Soup Nazi/schmoopie and Junior Mint/what's-Jerry's-girlfriend's-name episodes. Not even My Three Sons could top that.

I'm thankful for Google, iTunes and Dynomite, and I challenge anyone to play Dynomite online and leave after one game. It's the Lays potato chip of online games.

I'm thankful for the West Point Market.

And for Beatles Rock Band, because it brought the Beatles back to an entire generation of young folks, like my daughters who now have to put up with me singing Octopus' Garden while they play drums and guitar.

I'm thankful for Guinness. Especially as it's served in Ireland.

Though I do have to add that over here, I'm thankful for Labatt Blue. Not orange, lavender or fuchsia . . . blue.

I'm thankful for machines at the bank and grocery store that say thank you. Same for phone recordings. There's nothing quite like a polite machine.

I'm thankful for Keb Mo, the Saw Doctors, the Neville Brothers, the Iguanas and Neil Young.

And for The Band and Acadian Driftwood.

I'm thankful TVs have an off switch.

I'm thankful for my real aquarium, because it gives you a pet that doesn't need to be boarded while you are out of town.

I'm thankful Sarah Palin can only run for vice president once every four years.

I'm very thankful any time a professional athlete or coach does not use the word disrespected.

And I'm really thankful every time a hotel puts that little triangle at the end of the toilet paper roll. It makes all the difference between the third and fourth star.

It's about time

I'm thankful that NFL fans are finally making a statement with their wallets. The crowd in Detroit last Sunday, the non-sales of suites in Cleveland . . . teams that continually put bad products on the field are finally being held accountable.

I'm very thankful that one day my daughters and their friends voted to go to dinner at Champpsinstead of Max & Erma's.

It's a personal thing; you wouldn't understand. But trust me, it led to a very fortunate moment in my life, and it had nothing to do with the appetizer.

I'm thankful for Newman's foods, because it gives you the idea you are helping someone less fortunate while you eat.

I'm thankful for the Rev. Jim Beattie at my local church. He's an Akron native. But that's not the reason I'm thankful. I'm thankful because every time he speaks on Sundays, he says something meaningful.

I'm thankful that men like Jim Caldwell, Marvin Lewis and Mike Tomlin are winning, because good guys deserve to win. And I'm thankful for a coach like Jeff Fisher, who just keeps on keeping on.

I'm also thankful this Kyle Orton craze didn't last.

I'm thankful for Keith Dambrot — his coaching, his leadership, his honesty.

And I'm thankful for Hola Fruita ice cream, strawberry mango yogurt and Acai smoothies. More than anything though, I'm thankful for Cheez-Its.

Plain. Old. Cheez. Its.

I'm thankful for Shin-Soo Choo and Michael Brantley and any Indians pitcher who can get people out this season and actually win a game.

Yum! Fruit flies

I'm so, so, so thankful that one day years ago my daughters told me I could get dart frogs for pets, that they were not poisonous. Which means I now have two dart frogs — one blue, one yellow — and to feed them, I have to breed flightless fruit flies on a weekly basis.

This is the kind of thing that makes a house a home.

I remain ever thankful that the Cavs hired Mike Brown, as good a man as there is coaching any team in any league.

And I'm so thankful LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade planned this 2010 free-agency thing. Because what we need around here is a little more angst.

I am truly thankful that nobody has had the bright idea yet to have the Browns wear brown jerseys to go with those gawdawful brown pants.

I think we can all be thankful that CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee faced each other in Game 1 of the World Series.

And that the Browns never considered hiring Brian Billick last year. After all, why go after a guy who has as many rings as Bill Cowher, Mike Holmgren and Tony Dungy?

I am thankful that the UFL season will end on Saturday.

And I'm thankful I haven't jumped on the Twilight bandwagon. This Edward guy gets on my nerves, and I don't know a dadgum thing about him.

I'm thankful for the 92 years that my mother has been blessed to enjoy, and that in her 92nd year, she is still blessed to be in her own apartment.

And I'm thankful that the hoses that have been connected to the washing machine for about 10 years have yet to break.

Oh . . . I'm thankful for eMusic.com for providing independent labels an outlet, and for enabling me to find a guy named Bernard Allison.

I'm thankful for Rachel Alexandra and Zenyetta.

For different reasons, I'm thankful for Anne Hathaway, Meredith Viera and Eva Mendes. Though since she got married, I'm a little miffed at Adriana Lima.

I'm thankful Les Miles and Rich Rodriguez are not coaching Ohio State.

And I'm thankful that Caleb Porter coaches soccer for the University of Akron. I'm kind of thinking that the Zips soccer team will garner an annual mention in this thankful column, because of the way Porter coaches and the team plays.

I'm thankful for the years of work and effort and integrity of Laing Kennedy at Kent State. He's an example to all of us.

Same for Eric Wedge, who handled the Indians' decision not to bring him back with more class and fortitude than any man should have. I'm thankful we got to see that and we got to know him.

I'm thankful for the prayers and support shown to Highland's Kory Wiita, and for the courage shown by him and his family as he fights back from the unfortunate injury that left him paralyzed. Certainly on this day, we all should take a moment to think of him and his family.

I'm thankful Taylor Swift won Entertainer of the Year, because God knows we haven't seen enough of her yet.

I'm thankful for fans who do not sucker punch their quarterback or throw full water bottles that hit cheerleaders on the head and knock them out. What gets into people? I'm thankful for teachers, and in a special way for the ones who have helped my daughters.

Genuine Pros

I'm thankful for the professionalism of Eric Steinbach and Joe Thomas and David Bowens and Phil Dawson and Mark Shapiro and Chris Antonetti and Danny Ferry and Zyrdunas Ilgauskas and all the others I'm forgetting to mention.

I'm thankful some professional athletes are not on Twitter.

And I'm thankful the Browns took Tim Couch over Donovan McNabb, thus enabling us to enjoy McNabb's career in Philadelphia, because he sure wouldn't have done that in Cleveland.

I'm also thankful that the Detroit Lions only got one more extra play against the Browns, because who knows how many extra touchdowns they'd have scored with two.

I'm thankful that Troy Polamalu only does one shampoo commercial.

And that I wasn't in the office the day my boss proclaimed he was ''ready to smack everyone.''

I'm thankful Manny Acta said he's not worried about the Indians' ability to spend money. Because the rest of us sure are.

I'm thankful that Germany restored a 1936 high-jump record to Margaret Bergmann Lambert, a 96-year-old resident of New York City who was kicked off the German Olympic team because she was Jewish.

And I'm thankful that I was able to cross paths with a man like Bill Ricco.

Finally, I'm thankful for the bread delivery guy outside the Achill Sound Hotel in Ireland. Because when he asked how I was, I said ''good'' and asked how he was. His response: ''Good enough.''

Which seemed about the best two-word summary of life one could have heard at that moment in time.

I'm thankful to be ''good enough'' for one more year, and thankful you are as well.

Patrick McManamon can be reached at pmcmanamon@thebeaconjournal.com. Read his blog at http://www.ohio.com/mcmanamon/. Follow Pat on Twitter @patmcmanamon.




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Slovensko
Canton, OH

Posted 09:34 PM, 11/25/2009

Patrick, I'm thankful that you only write this type of article once a year. . .


Eagle45
Port Saint Lucie, Fl

Posted 05:54 AM, 11/26/2009

Bruce Springstten is a screeching liberal,not the least bit entertaining.What is it about Sarah Palin that bothers liberals so much;she can't raise your taxes or take away your freedoms like the present administration is attempting to do. And,when are the Browns going to go back to the uniforms of the Paul Brown/Jim Brown era?














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