Notes, quotes, and a thought or two…..
As we approach the Thanksgiving holidays, I see more and more friends on Facebook listing off the things they are thankful for.
So since everyone is telling what they are thankful for, I might as well join in.
Everybody is thankful for their family, friends and good health so I will stay away from the obvious ones and look toward the world of sports.
So, here we go with the top xx things that I’m thankful for this season.
• I’m thankful for Drew Brees. I argue with people all the time that Drew Brees is the greatest quarterback of all time, and I consider it a privilege to watch him play on a weekly basis. Right now, the Saints are the best team in the NFL, and Brees has a lot to do with that. The NFL is a quarterback driven league, and Brees looks like he’s at the top of this game. I have been a Saints fan since I was a little kid. I have vivid memories of watching Archie Manning and Kenny Stabler and remember some of the really bad years in New Orleans. So to be enjoying a season like this is something I’m truly thankful for. I’ll be even more thankful for a Super Bowl, just saying Santa.
• I’m thankful for the current state of Mississippi State football. Much like the Saints, I have endured some really rough seasons of Mississippi State football. I’ll never forget the Tech-and-10 year, and there is always the loss to Maine that sticks out in my mind. The Bulldogs are currently 7-4 and headed to another bowl game. State fans have gotten spoiled to the Bulldogs going to bowl games. I’m thankful that this Thursday’s Egg Bowl against Ole Miss won’t be the last game of the season, like it has been so many times. I understand that some fans aren’t real happy with new head coach Joe Moorhead but the Bulldogs have been very competitive, even in losses to Alabama, Florida, LSU and Kentucky. There is no shame to losing to Alabama and winning at LSU is always a tough chore. The Florida loss stung MSU fans who wanted revenge on Dan Mullen and Kentucky is better than everyone thought. I’m realistic to understand that Mississippi State going to the SEC championship probably won’t happen again for some time. But right now, I’ll take a good whipping of “that school up north” on Thursday.
• I’m thankful to be able to work at a school like Leake Academy. This will finish my seventh year at the school. This year’s seniors were on my first team as seventh graders. There are some special young men in that group that I will always view as my kids. None of these kids will go on to play college football, but I feel certain that all of them will go on to be great adults, husbands and fathers. I’m also thankful for our girls basketball team. If there is a better private school team, I don’t know who it is. This year’s team should contend for another overall championship. And with the current state of high school girls basketball, I’m thankful to be able to watch a good team who wins with home-grown kids. If you’ve never been to a game in Madden, come join is sometime, it’s a little slice of a forgotten Mississippi.
• On the local front, I’m thankful for a group of cooperative coaches. In my business, an uncooperative coach can be a huge headache. I’m thankful for some old-school football coaches like Rob Roberts, Brad Breland, Tate Hanna and Bobby Bass. All of these guys believe in winning with defense and a physical offense. While the results may not be what fans want, these guys can coach and do a good job of taking your youngster and turning them into young men.
Robbie Robertson is sports editor for the Newton County Appeal. You can email him at rrobertson12811@yahoo.com
