Happy Turkey Day! What I'm Thankful For This Thanksgiving
Taking stock of what I'm grateful for on one of my favorite days of the year...
Happy Thanksgiving from everyone here at The Steele Sports Bar!
Today is honestly one of my favorite days of the year. It is without doubt my favorite holiday.
All the mouthwatering food and football you could want - what more could you ask for!
I also love today because we’re prompted to be thankful about what we have. It is an important reminder to take a minute and be grateful for everything you’ve got, rather than what you haven’t.
You also don’t have the intense pressure of rushing around and finding ‘the perfect gift’ as is the case with Christmas. While that holiday is more about the material things, Thanksgiving is all about what really matters.
Food and football.
I would include family, obviously, but I am aware that some of us probably want to get away from our dysfunctional families as much as we can. Plus, most families all have that one annoying uncle who just won’t stop blabbering on about politics and other infuriating crap at the Thanksgiving table.
Nobody wants that.
Anyway, in the spirit of what today is all about, here’s a rapid-fire list of things I’m thankful for this year:
I’m thankful that I’m not Jim Irsay’s PR people right now. Man, please, please, please can somebody take Jim’s phone away from him.
I’m thankful for Pumpkin Pie. Always.
I’m thankful that the sorry, ill-fated, ugly, horrific Zach Wilson era with the Jets appears to be over. More on this later.
I’m thankful Shohei Ohtani remains unsigned and, as a Mets fan, I can still trick myself into hoping he will end up in Queens. Not going to happen, but a man can dream.
I’m thankful for the New York Rangers. Top of the Metro, and second in the Eastern Conference, with a stellar 13-3-1 record, the Blueshirts look the real deal and they may be the best hope of ending my misery as a New York sports fan this year.
I’m thankful for the Knicks. They find new ways to let me down - hello, James Dolan - on a pretty consistent basis but, at this point, I wouldn’t have it any other way. It keeps things interesting.
I’m thankful for the fact the Jets playing on Thanksgiving isn’t a thing. They ruin enough for me as it is.
I’m thankful we get three games to really indulge in on Thanksgiving. Periods of time that also act as crucial rest for our very full bellies.
I’m thankful - incredibly so - for Robby Waldrop and the amazing work he has done this year. Without Robby, none of this would be possible. And I mean that. All the logos, all the beautiful design work and the very look of this site was born out of Robby’s brilliant and creative genius. He deserves all the turkey and all the rest today.
I’m thankful for Substack for gifting me the dream platform on which to build the website of my dreams. They really have made this whole transition incredibly easy. If you are a writer and you are looking for a new home, Substack is the only choice.
I’m thankful that I’m not sucking across the board in Fantasy Football this year. Out of the eight or nine leagues I’m in - I’ve lost count by this point - I’m actually 9-2 in one league and primed to keep on rolling the rest of the way. Although, and I know I said this last year, but belonging to so many leagues will be the death of me.
I’m thankful for vintage startup jackets and throwback jerseys. Always.
What I’m most thankful for, however, is getting the chance to do what I love on a daily basis.
Being able to write about the thing I love the most - American sports - for a living is truly the biggest thrill I could ever wish to experience. It sounds corny as hell, but I truly am living the dream and I am just beyond thankful for the last ten months or so.
Has it always been easy? Hell no. And I’ve made my fair share of mistakes and encountered a slew of learning curves. I’ve also been thrown the odd curveball along the way too. Those experiences only brighten the future, however, and there are big things coming down the pike here.
And that leads me to the final thing I’m incredibly thankful for. My phenomenal readers and subscribers. This whole thing is only possible because of your constant support and undying loyalty.
I really couldn’t do it without you all.
And, if you would like to refer a friend, you can win prizes in the process while helping The Steele Sports Bar to truly grow. Word of mouth is our biggest ally. A paid subscription could also be the perfect holiday gift for that sports-obsessed loved one in your life, too.
You know, some may find it strange that a guy born in England would be so damn crazy about America. But, as regular readers will already know, America is home for me and it has felt more like home than my actual home for a very long time now. And that will never, ever change.
The fact that Americans have so warmly welcomed me and taken me in as one of their own honestly means the world to me. I may not have been born in the States, but I consider myself American in every single way and to be able to connect with you and talk sports has been the biggest honor of my life.
And I know this is just the beginning.
The Steele Sports Bar can only grow and be successful thanks to your support. There are no corporate overlords here.
By becoming a paid subscriber, you will play a direct role in helping this site grow and becoming bigger and better. We remain independent because of you.
I hope you all have an incredible day eating more than your stomachs can handle, while watching a feast of football as you recover from your multiple food comas.
I’m thankful for all of you.
Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at The Steele Sports Bar!
Great read! Hope you had a great thanksgiving!!