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Sports thoughts with Thanksgiving on the horizon

By Bobby Fox, For The Greene County Messenger 4 min read

When I was younger, there was no doubt that Christmas held down the No. 1 spot in my holiday rankings.

The toys, the cartoon specials, going to my grandmothers’ houses to stuff myself silly with goodies reserved for special occasions, Christmas vacation from school … What wasn’t there to love? However, as I grew older, the joy and anticipation of the season turned into frustration and stress, as had sadly happened to so many of us.

As I’ve aged, other holidays have moved up the rankings and supplanted the still joyous, but oh so beleaguering day in December. One of them, Halloween, allowed me to still feel like a kid, but without the backbreaking bills and travel schedule. No wonder my poor mother, who is probably the most avid reader of this column there is, looked so relieved and burnt out by the time the new year was in full effect during my younger days.

My other favorite holiday will be here in a week. Thanksgiving represents two of my favorite aspects of Christmas — eating and having relatives around to take my two young sons for a few valuable minutes of peace — but without the shopping, decorating and mayhem.

Having already paid homage to Halloween a few weeks ago, I thought I would set a few juicy sports thoughts out on the proverbial table on which upon you can feast. The best part about this is, you won’t have to worry about feeling bloated and near comatose on the couch. If you do, I simply can’t be blamed for the condition. Bon Appetit.

n Across the United States, only one tradition can hope to compete with the gluttony associated with Thanksgiving, and that is pro football on TV from lunch until the final midnight snack is finished. In southwestern Pennsylvania, we are lucky enough to get our football feast going five days earlier with the WPIAL championship games at Heinz Field.

Unfortunately, like those years you might like a little roast beef instead of the traditional turkey, there really hasn’t been much variety in the participants battling it out in the four title contests over the past handful of seasons. This year is no different.

Clairton is back in the Class A final and facing another regular championship participant in Avonworth. Aliquippa might as well have its own locker room at Heinz Field, while South Fayette is back to defend its Class AA crown. Ever since Central Valley was forged by combining two traditional powers, Monaca and Center, the Warriors have been perennial title contenders, as have the defending Class AAA champions from West Allegheny.

The only real wrinkle in this year’s slate of championship contests is Pine-Richland, which already defeated its upcoming opponent, Pittsburgh Central Catholic, 48-28 earlier this year. It would certainly be nice to see someone rather than Central Catholic, North Allegheny or Bethel Park hoist the big school trophy this weekend.

n Just like a child who sees one of his friends or siblings with a bigger, more expensive toy than what he received on Christmas day, some Pirate fans have to be stamping their feet and throwing teary-eyed, red-cheeked tantrums over the Florida Marlins’ ludicrous contract given to Giancarlo Stanton. What made the signing especially painful was the timing of it happening on the same day that Russell Martin, who became one of the most beloved members of the Pirate roster, signing a five-year, 82 million dollar deal with Toronto.

However, with Martin already well into his 30s, which is widely considered the twilight of a major league catcher’s career, the Pirate brass may have saved the franchise future headaches. A little due diligence now could lead to the team’s first megadeal that would keep Andrew McCutchen or Gerrit Cole in a Bucco uniform.

n Last, but not least, best of luck to Pittsburgh Penguin star Pascal Dupuis, who was diagnosed with a blood clot in his lung that will likely shut him down for the remainder of the season. Treatment centering around a battery of blood-thinners will likely keep him from seeing the ice this season, but the fact that it was discovered so close to his heart is a true miracle.

However, speaking from a purely athletic side of things, can anyone name a pro sport franchise that has had a more unbelievable battery of bizarre maladies to top players on its roster in such a short period of time? With Olli Maatta’s cancer scare coming not even a year after Kris Letang’s stroke diagnosis, Dupuis’ condition seems as commonplace as a twisted ankle.

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