It’s Thanksgiving week. My weekend was filled flipping the channel between football games and the Food Network. As I watched some games over the weekend and developed new ideas to enhance my Thanksgiving recipes, I thought about what some football teams would be thankful for this year. Before I get to that, I have to share one tip to help with your Thanksgiving dinner. If you are responsible for the turkey this year, purchase a cheesecloth. It is the best secret to baking the perfect turkey. Soak it in your favorite marinade, place it over the turkey and let it bake. The moist cloth prevents the turkey from getting dry and protects the color from getting too dark. I create a marinade using apple cider, cinnamon, rosemary and sage. When the turkey comes out, I garnish with apples and cinnamon sticks to accentuate the aroma. It is a great centerpiece at the dinner table.
Now here is my take on what we would hear around the table at Thanksgiving from some college and football teams.
Around the college Thanksgiving table.
Wisconsin: “We are thankful that Michigan’s Denard Robinson’s record setting performance on Saturday was not enough to stop us from beating the Wolverines 48–28. We are the highest ranked Big Ten team in the BCS.”
Michigan State: “We are thankful that we scored 22 points in the fourth quarter and came back from a 28–13 deficit and managed to beat Iowa 35–31. In this close Big Ten race, we are grateful that we already beat Wisconsin and don’t play Ohio State this year.”
Ohio State: “We are thankful for Terrelle Pryor. He ran on a crucial 4th down and brought us back from behind to barely defeat Iowa 20–17.”
Oklahoma State: “We are thankful that Nebraska loss to Texas A&M. We are now the highest ranked Big 12 team in the BCS.”
Notre Dame: “We are thankful that we won the inaugural college football game at the new Yankee Stadium, 27-3 over Army, in front a record crowd of 54,251. We are going to a bowl game.”
Michigan: “We are thankful that the superstars on our offense are sophomores and we are going to our first bowl game under Coach Rich Rod.”
Around the Thanksgiving table after NFL Week 11
Washington Redskins: “We are thankful that Tennessee made a ton of mistakes that allowed us to win 19-16 and put us at .500.”
New York Jets: “We are thankful that Mark Sanchez threw a perfect 42-yard pass to Braylon Edwards with 16 seconds remaining in the game. After blowing a 16 point lead, we beat Houston 30 – 27.”
Dallas Cowboys: “We are thankful that we played the Detroit Lions in our home debut with Garrett as the interim head coach. It allowed us to get our first win at home. The 35–19 victory gives us confidence to play like we have talent.”
New England Patriots: “We are thankful that we have Tom Brady. He makes things happen even with rookie receivers. We are also grateful that our defense intercepted Big Manning’s first and last pass of the game and we beat the Colts 31–28.
Philadelphia Eagles: “We are SOOOOOOO VERY THANKFUL, GRATEFUL AND APPRECIATIVE that Kevin Kolb’s injury opened the door for Michael Vick to play. We are just over filled with gratitude because Vick replaced Kolb as our starting quarterback. He has demonstrated that he is still a franchise QB. We look so smart for sending McNabb to Washington. After beating Young Manning and the Giants 27–17, we are in first place in the NFC East by ourselves. Again, we are SOOOOOOO VERY THANKFUL, GRATEFUL AND APPRECIATIVE.
Are you ready for some football?
Monday Night Football goes out west tonight. The San Diego Chargers host the Denver Broncos. This is an important division game because the AFC West is so close. Oakland and Kansas City are tied for first place with a 5-4 record, San Diego (4-5) is in third and Denver (3-6) is in last. Both teams are passing machines. Both quarterbacks, Philip Rivers (Chargers) and Kyle Orton (Broncos), are on pace to challenge Dan Marino's single-season record of 5,084 passing yards. I think that this game will come down to defense. San Diego has the best defense in the league right now. On the other hand, Denver has defensive tackle Jamal Williams, who is in first season with the Broncos after 12 seasons in San Diego. I think Jamal may give his new team some insight on how to get past the Chargers’ offensive line. So, I’m going with Denver. MNF is at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN. If you’re in DC, you can join us at Degrees in the Ritz-Carlton Georgetown.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Ciao!
Heels & Helmets®
Jets Are A Very Good Team.
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