Thankful? Me?

Just wanted to wish everybody a Happy Thanksgiving today and thought that headline would get your attention. Of course, I'm thankful for a countless number of blessings. I'm even thankful for Wayne for keeping the blog going while I was getting some rest.

What, specifically, am I thankful for?

Let me count the ways.

I'm thankful for all the obvious things, but you didn't come here to hear that. I've got a great job and a great family and great readers (even you, Bob), but let's focus on sports, since I'm particularly thankful there are three NFL games today and every one of them provides some intrigue, if not a truly compelling matchup. Here goes:

I'm thankful that Baltimore has an elite NFL team that has an excellent chance to go deep into the postseason, even if the Ravens do have a maddening tendency to make bad teams look better than they should.

I'm thankful that Joe Flacco and Derrick Mason are still friends.

I'm thankful I'm not a Tennesee Titans fan right now, and I just texted Jeff Fisher to let him know I'm thinking about him. Haven't had an answer yet.

I'm thankful for the Boise State Broncos, who have exposed the BCS system as a ridiculous charade and continue to make a case for a college football playoff system.

I'm thankful for Buck Showalter, who has given Orioles fans a tiny bit of hope that there won't be a 14th straight losing season.

I'm thankful for "The Comeback" at College Park, though win No. 8 this weekend against North Carolina State would make me thankfuller.

I'm thankful that the blog format allows me to use non-words like thankfuller.

I'm thankful that Navy football continues to thrive under coach Ken Niumatalolo. (Be sure and read my upcoming Q&A with him in The Sun.)

I'm thankful that Ray Lewis can still find a way to be Ray Lewis in the fourth quarter after all these years.

I'm thankful I was never good enough to play sports at a high level. My knees feel great and I wouldn't know what to do with all that money anyway.

I'm thankful for -- wait for it -- Andy MacPhail's rebuilding program, which could start to bloom this year if he can get anyone to take all that Confederate money.

I'm thankful for the low-budget Tampa Bay Rays, for providing hope to baseball's hopeless, and might just provide us with Carlos Pena.

I'm thankful for Pam Shriver and all she's done for children's charities over the past quarter century.

I'm thankful for the start of college basketball season, and the fact that Maryland has two great head coaches.

I'm thankful that Tiger Woods feels he is a better person now, but I'd be even more thankful if he'd win something.

And I'm thankful for Bogie, who continues to pee like a racehorse.

Life is good.

Happy Turkey Day to all.