So it probably seems a little late for me to be writing a column about things in sports that I’m thankful for this year. After all, Thanksgiving was six days ago.

However, we didn’t have a sports page last Wednesday, so I’m doing this column now. Besides, Thanksgiving is all about the leftovers anyway, right?

Sports gives people a lot to be thankful about and it gives us sportswriters a lot to write about. Here’s what I’m thankful for this year:

nJulian Edelman: I’m thankful for Edelman because he made the Kent State football team watchable this season. The Flashes went 4-8 this season, but probably would have been 1-11 without their senior quarterback.

Kent State coach Doug Martin called Edelman the best football player in the Mid-American Conference. While I’m not sure about that, he was definitely the most exciting and certainly the hardest to tackle because of his joystick moves in the pocket.

nThe Kent State field hockey team: Because it was nice to actually have a winning Kent State team this fall.

nGeno Ford: And this isn’t just because his hiring gave us a good idea for our basketball preview section a couple weeks ago. It’s because he is an excellent ambassador for the men’s basketball team as coach.

Since his hire, Ford has been all over the community promoting Kent State basketball and Kent State athletics. He has also shown a willingness to connect with fans.

Plus, it’s nice to actually have a men’s basketball coach with a good personality.

nAkron: Our rivals to the west give Stater sports reporters easy stories to write when the Zips and Flashes square off each season. Talk about the rivalry, insert rivalrous quotes and give a brief mention of the Wagon Wheel. Lather, rinse, repeat.

nDetroit Lions: Who doesn’t love watching a 40-point blowout on Thanksgiving?

Speaking of which …

nSeattle Seahawks, Arizona Cardinals and Texas A&M Aggies: See above.

nPlaxico Burress: I’m not thankful for his performance – he’s killing my fantasy team (and apparently nearly himself) – I’m just thankful he’s no longer on the Steelers.

nSarah Palin: She made hockey more relevant than the NHL has in a while. As a hockey fan, I’m thankful for that.

But seriously … Trig? Bristol? Zamboni?

nThe Olympic Dream Team: Thankfully, we won’t be hearing about how America underachieved for the next four years.

nColt McCoy: The best quarterback associated in any way with the word “Colt” since Johnny Unitas.

nBowl Championship Series: While we’ll never have to write about the BCS as long as we work for the Daily Kent Stater – sad to say, but it’s true – it gives national sportswriters and sports fans alike an easy target. After all, why would you want a nice, tidy playoff when you can have the BC-mess every year?

Thank goodness Barack Obama got elected. He wants a college playoff – now that’s change you can believe in.

And finally …

nThe Daily Kent Stater sports staff: Yes, I’m a sap. But the staff did a hell of a job this semester. You should be thankful for that too.

Contact assistant sports editor Douglas Gulasy at [email protected].