A few things to get off my mind with Christmas a mere two weeks away:
- As we are blessed to grow older (I’m less than two years from the milestone 6-5), we also must deal with additional grief as special people in our lives, for brief or lengthy stints, pass from this life to the next. Among those most recently in this category are Ray Frost, father of nationally known golf teacher Jane Frost; Miles Herter and Dr. Arthur Kavanagh, long-time Salem Country Club member and a respected obstetrician and gynecologic surgeon. They will be missed.
- In the biggest of all athletic pictures, spanning three seasons nonetheless, the North Shore of Boston may have observed no more successful high school coach than Steve Sawyer of Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School. The amazing dominance of his cross country and winter/spring track teams defies belief. For the latest mastery by his harriers, check out the 12-12-12 edition of The Salem News and his latest recognition as, once again, as “Coach of the Year.”
- Once again Tom Brady has the Patriots — and their army of fans — thinking Super Bowl, and how can you blame them (us) after Tom Terrific and the bteam’s performance against Houston Monday night on national television. Home field is important but not mandatory for the Patriots to become only the soixth franchise to win four Super Bowls. But if they pull it off — a huge if at this point — Brady would match Terry Bradshaw and Joe Montana, his idol, as the only players to quarterback four Super Bowl champions. Currently he and Troy Aikman share the No. 3 slot with three titles each. If the Pats reach New Orleans for the February 3 showdown, Brady will become the first QB to lead his team to six Super Bowl games. I’ll keep wearing my Brady game jersey and hope we don’t get crestfallen once again when prospects look so rosy. I shudder at the thought of Brady retiring, but it’s going to happen. Hopefully not until he wins two more Super Bowls. The Brady-Belichik reign continues. How could we get so fortunate?
- Tom Watson as the next U.S. Ryder Cup captain? Brilliant choice.
- UMass football moving its games to Foxboro was a dumb decision. The faster the school moves its games back on campus the better off they’ll be.
- It doesn’t get any better than the 2012 venues, Salem and Kernwood, but the New England PGA Championship gets another pair of gems in 2013 when Wannamoisett and Ledgemont host the 93rd event August 19-21.
- My prediction for the regular season record of the defending Division 3 state champion Danvers High boys basketball team: 2 losses, no more.