Santa Spector unloads his Christmas sack of gifts. Did you make his list? Find out here.
‘Tis the season for giving, and what does a sports writer give best?
Advice, of course.
Yes, knowing everything can be a curse at this time of year.
So in our last column before the break, we unload the ol’ sack.
Good tidings we bring, to you and Kris King.
To hockey fans: How about a Sidney Crosby points streak that rolls into the mid-forties, passing Mario’s 46-gamer and pushing Wayne Gretzky’s record of 51? And why not a few more goals to make 50-in-50 a possibility? Nothing brings fans of all teams together like a record run from a player like Sid.
To Gary Bettman: The courage to finally admit that, though many have worked just fine, a few of those American locations could use a re-think. And the wisdom to fish where the fish are in Winnipeg and Quebec City.
To Leafs fans: The kind of team the centre of the hockey universe deserves. How that happens, or when? Even Santa can’t help you there.
To Brian Burke: A do-over and a new legacy because at this rate, your time in Toronto will be remembered for building a champion — in Boston.
To Lou Lamoriello: A new idea. Jacques Lemaire can’t still be the answer, can he?
To Rex Ryan: An ending to the tabloid headlines about "heeling power" or calling him a "Sole Man." Let us allow his fetish to simply become a footnote in Jets history.
To Sens fans: Goaltending. How can a good hockey town with a pretty decent roster go so long with the same problem?
To our readers: Our sincere thanks for the clicks. If a columnist writes in a forest and no one is reading, did it really happen?
To Habs fans: Four rounds of playoffs this spring. It’ll take an upset or two, but how much fun would a Montreal-Vancouver Stanley Cup final be?
To Donald Fehr: Empathy for the hockey fan. We know who you work for, and we get it. But don’t forget about the little guy who pays the players’ salaries in the gate-driven NHL.
To Canucks fans: The Stanley Cup you’ve been waiting for since 1970. Your team is good enough, the parts are all there, and the collective mental state is stronger than we’ve seen it in years. It’s time.
To Darryl Sutter: The courage to rebuild. If not you, then allow someone else to begin the tear-down in Calgary.
To Flames fans: A chance to start over, and an opportunity to have the experience they’re having up in Edmonton. An occasion to watch Jarome Iginla and Miikka Kiprusoff make their Cup runs somewhere else, and the returning draft picks to make the draft worth looking forward to.
To UFC fans: Patience, while we try to learn what you already know about a sport about which you are remarkably passionate. We vow to write some UFC this year. Bear with us while an old boxing writer bones up on your game.
To the positive commenters under my columns: Thanks for the words of support. You’d be surprised how far a "Good read, Spec" can go. No one keeps a columnist honest like you people do. There isn’t a typo you don’t catch.
To the negative ones: The ability to read to the bottom, with an objective eye. You guys are the fans. I just write about your team once in a while.
To Hamilton’s city councilors Vision. Leadership. You know, the things you said you had when you were running for council.
To Tiger Cat fans: A reward for being some of Canada’s longest suffering, most loyal sports fans. And a chair with a back.
To the good folks at the competition Eyes in the back of your heads.
To Nazem Kadri: Some shade from the spotlight. He is hockey’s version of that old saying, "the watched pot will never boil." There’s a player here, if the Leafs just let him evolve at his own pace.
To Roberto Luongo: Another level.
To Linus Omark: The confidence to tell everyone what you told me last week, that your mother pronounces it "Lee-nus," not "Lie-nus." So we can all get it right, while you spin your way through an NHL career.
To Alex Kovalev: A new focus, or a new livelihood. A virtuoso like you shouldn’t go out playing this way.
To Oilers fans: A little more patience. You won’t need it for much longer.
To my kids: Good grades, good laughs, more tries on the rugby pitch and mastering that kick-over on the gym floor.
To my future step-sons: More outdoor hockey games together and a well-stocked beer fridge, as long as you keep the walks shoveled and the lawn mowed.
To my bosses at Sportsnet Thanks for one of the best gigs in the country, and the chance to be part of something big in the coming year.
To my fiancée Shelly: A fiancée who comes close to being as good as the one I have.
To everyone who made it this far: Merry Christmas. Have a safe and happy holiday.
