Something that has become a yuletide tradition is upon us once again, sports fans. Yes, yours truly, ole St. Pat, not St. Nick, is back with his prestigious Christmas list.
It's an exclusive list of gifts or wishes for county sports figures, coaches and personalities, anda few of those who are in some way related to the county sports scene.
You're somebody important in county sports if you make St. Pat's list, and if you're not on the list, it just means we ran out of space. This year's bag of gifts is a little early, since we won't be publishing Christmas Day.
As always, the gifts are in fun, with no intent to hurt anyone's feelings -- even though some of you already havehurt mine.
You have to give each some thought, and if there are any you don't understand, just give me a call on the 24-hour Sportsline, 647-2499.
Unloading the sack from Santa's sleigh, here's what we found for:
* Tom Kraning, coach of the 4-0 Chesapeake boys basketball team -- a "Keep Quiet" sign, so no one wakes him while he's dreaming.
* Wayne Mook, coach of the 4-0 Severna Park boys basketballteam -- for someone to whisper in his ear that taking the girls softball coaching job at the school was a good move because he finally has found his calling in life.
* Jim Sheehan, St. Mary's boys basketball coach, off to a 2-5 start after a 4-20 log last season -- to consider another sport.
* Lee Dove, coach of the 0-5 Spalding boys basketball team -- nothing but prayers from the Archbishop (Spalding).
* Andy Borland, Severna Park football coach -- a copy of the best-seller by Chuck Markiewicz, the North County run-and-shoot coach, "Up, Up and Away."
* Jack Jordan, South River boys basketball assistant -- a head coaching position.
* Roy Brown, head football coach at Annapolis -- about four or five wins in the last 20 seconds next fall and no more timeouts to talk things over.
* Dennie DeWitt, Annapolis indoor track coach -- a chance to coach the Panthers' cross country team because of his many "achievements," and to have the move blessed by Roy Brown.
* Dan Hart, Annapolis lacrosse coach -- for a couple zealous dads to start a Panthers' Fathers Lacrosse Club to discuss coaching moves each week.
* Kevin Buckley, Northeast boys lacrosse coach -- the county lacrosse coaches' Sportsmanship Award.
*John Nair, Severna Park football public relations man -- a new scorebook, and the wherewithal to utilize his connections with the state to get approval for construction of a press box at Severna Park that seats or stands more than four people.
* Dave Summey, coach of the 9-2 South River Class 3A playoff football team -- word from Athletic Director Jim Haluck that he has his job back for 1992 after having toreapply for it.
* Harry Lentz, Northeast baseball coach whose 1991 Eagles were ranked No. 1 by Collegiate Baseball -- for someone to remind him how he always said it was "a joke and nothing but politics"when Bernie Walter's Arundel baseball team was nationally ranked, but has since changed his mind about the rankings. They are, of course,legitimate now.
* Bernie Walter, Arundel baseball coach and athletic director -- an unprecedented sixth state baseball championship and the recognition he justly deserves when he gets his first two victories this spring to hit 300 career wins in only 18 seasons at the Gambrills school. Walter will start the season at 298-98 with 10 county championships.
* John Stefero, ex-major league catcher (with the Orioles, Expos and Indians) who resides in Glen Burnie -- another chance to catch for the Birds now that the Orioles are signing guys who did their best work yesterday in Storm Davis and Rick Sutcliffe.
* Denny Neagle, Arundel High graduate who's now a Minnesota Twins left-hander -- a spot in the Twins' 1992 starting rotation, but to be yanked from the game when Candy Maldonaldo comes to the plate.
* CraigWilson, St, Louis Cardinals infielder from Annapolis -- a trade to the Baltimore Orioles.
* Leon Walters, Old Mill track coach -- for someone to tell him that there is more to life than running around the track with a stopwatch.
* Gary Bater, another Old Mill track coach -- an autographed photo of Pat O'Malley in a Patriots' jogging suit getting ready to pole-vault.
* Keith Smith, international track official and county science teacher -- a chance to work the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, now that he has earned a spot working the U.S. Olympic Trials in New Orleans in June.
* Larry Lorton, superintendent of county schools who has taken his share of heat -- nothing but good health in the future and for a little angel with a bag of gold to show up at his Riva Road doorstep. Don't forget the sports program, doc.
* Buddy Beardmore, Anne Arundel Community College athletic director -- wait a minute, whatever happened to Buddy? If you see him, tell him to call the Sportsline to let us know he's OK.
* Domenic Pachence, Archbishop Spalding athletic director -- a crack at the Anne Arundel Community College AD's job if Beardmore ever splits, since Dom knows a lot about running a revolving door for coaches.
*Spalding Boosters and Touchdown Club -- an affirmative RSVP to the Cavaliers' Christmas party from departed football coach Greg Fuhrman.
* Alan Pastrana, the last AACC football coach -- a chance at the vacant Spalding football position, since he knows a lot about losing streaks.
* Thomas Florestano, AACC prez -- to become the next president at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, since the Running Rebels and Fighting Pioneers share athletic and administrative problems.
* Tom Taylor, North County girls lacrosse coach and Catonsville Community College women's soccer coach -- a hat to fit, since his Catonsville girls came out of nowhere to make the National JuCo Tournament.
* Bill "Fabian" Wentworth, North County principal -- for people to stop confusing him for a certain WJZ-TV sportscaster.
* "Big" JohnBrady, Annapolis basketball coach -- after seeing him dressed in black on the Panthers' opening night, you've got to hope he lands the starring role when they make "The Jerry Glanville Story." Also, here's hoping his wife gives him a bathroom scale that doesn't stop at 270 this year.
* Jim Doyle, Severn football and basketball coach -- a team doctor who knows something about preventive foot injuries.
* Tim McMullen, former Broadneck athletic director -- word from his brother Kevin, the current AD, that he can be AD for a day this year, preferably when the Bruins play Annapolis in the hoop playoffs, so he can get everybody all riled up and give me something to write about.
* Ken Kazmarek, Broadneck hoop coach -- word from Hamburg that Boriswill be back in time for the playoffs.
* Paul Bunting, Old Mill hoop coach -- the coaches' Bible, tri-written by Brady, Kazmarek and Butch Young of Meade, "The Secret to Winning Big Games."
* Terry Bogle, Glen Burnie boys basketball coach -- more games with Archbishop Spalding, like about 20.
* Lew Holmes, amateur baseball czar and promoter -- a money-making CABA World Series at Joe Cannon Stadium anda pair of black velvet-striped pants to complete the tux he wore to the first County Sports Hall of Fame banquet.
* Delegate Michael Busch (sometimes Democrat, sometimes Republican, depends on who he's talking to), Recreation and Parks employee -- another title from Rec and Parks, so he only has to spend 15 minutes a day in the Crownsvilleoffice and can give more time to implementing life-impacting bills, like making lacrosse the state sport.
* Ron Mox, Recreation and Parks athletic supervisor -- to get Mike Busch's old job, which would mean more time for playing golf and to start the weekends on Thursday mornings instead of Friday.
* Bob Neall, county executive -- for someone to tell him that the guy jogging up and down West Street and around the Arundel Center a few hours a day is Joe McCann, and that Joe is still in charge of Rec and Parks.
* Glen Burnie Rebels youth football program coordinators -- a portable grill on wheels and a year's supply of hot dogs and foot-longs with everything on them, to be appropriately called either "Hot Pats" or "Big Pats."
* To all Rebels cheerleaders, especially Lisa Phillips -- thanks for everything this past year, happy holidays. And I don't care what those other cheerleading groups are saying about you, you're OK with me. By the way, on your Christmas card, the team photo is different than the one on video tape.
* GORC youth football organization -- lights for its football field.
* Anne Arundel Youth Football Association -- now that they have older-lighter, younger- heavier and plain regular weightsto check at each game, a talking scale that will give you each kid'sweight before he stopped eating and drinking on Thursday to make Saturday's weigh-in.
* Vince DePasquale, President of the Anne Arundel Youth Football Association -- to add a fifth period to all youth football games: a 15-minute period for coaches and refs to go over all the weights and many other ridiculous rules, such as the slaughter rule for football, that have been legislated since Vince became the bighoncho. The coach who knows the most new rules would start the game with a 7-0 lead.
* Anne Arundel Youth Football Association cheerleaders -- to be weighed in just like the guys, including the coaches.
* Josh Hall and Victoria Savaliski, boxing promoters -- nothing but success for all future dinner and boxing shows at Michael's 8th Avenue.
* Charley Eckman, the one and only -- good health and induction into the Maryland State Athletic Hall of Fame.