Merry Christmas to the people of Carson Valley. I hope you all enjoy the day with your loved ones.
I decided to put together a small Christmas/New Year's wish list for the occasion.
(insert bullet) I wish that the Bowl Championship Series would be abolished. If you can't get it right guys, then for God's sakes let's go back to the old way of doing things. I wish that the college presidents would approve a football tournament. I believe a football playoff could be bigger than the NCAA Basketball Tournament eventually. Also, does anybody else feel that Texas playing in the Rose Bowl is a travesty?
(insert bullet) I wish that the A's weren't such penny pinchers. Getting rid of Mark Mulder and Tim Hudson broke my heart. What irked me even more was that the team didn't get immediate help. It gave away a lot of immediate help to the Braves and Cardinals and didn't get the same in return. It goes to prove that you can't think long term when it comes to any professional sports teams because there is so much player movement.
(insert bullet) I wish that the Sparks group trying to bring Triple A baseball to the area would realize that the money just may not be there. I just don't know why the group didn't try to get a California League team instead. Heck, the group could have helped dress up Peccole Park a little bit and played there. I think the area needs to prove it can support Single A baseball before it tries something bigger.
(insert bullet) I wish the student body at the University of Nevada would support its athletic teams. I get tired of looking out at the student sections at Lawlor Events Center and Mackay Stadium, and see a lot of vacant seats. Come on folks, it's not like Reno is a thriving metropolis. There isn't that much to do, so why not support your fellow classmates.
(insert bullet) I wish that Kirk Snyder had been drafted by somebody other than the Utah Jazz. Jerry Sloan is an old-school coach, and it may take Snyder longer to get regular playing time in Utah than it would elsewhere. Presently he's averaging only 8 minutes a game, which I'm sure isn't sitting well with him. If you know Kirk, he has tremendous athletic ability and desire, and enough confidence to know that he can compete at that level.
(insert bullet) I wish that the Nevada basketball team could clone a smaller, guard-type version of Nick Fazekas, one that could shoot 40 percent from three-point range. The Pack lacks a consistent outside threat right now, and that could be huge as the team opens WAC play next week.
(insert bullet) I wish that sports fanatics in Carson could pick up KNBR 680 on a regular basis. I know many love the Bay Area sports teams, and the station does a tremendous job of covering those teams. I miss listening to Tom Tolbert, who combines his down-home wit with his vast NBA knowledge. He is the John Madden of NBA broadcasters.
(insert bullet) I wish Carson High's basketball team hadn't been hit with such key injuries so early in the season. Losing Jack Jacquet hurts the team up front, and without Kevin Brush, the Senators lack a go-to ball handler. The Senators have been using Brian Welch to handle the ball quite a bit, but anybody that has seen Carson play this year knows that Welch is much more effective on the wing.
(insert bullet) I wish Steve Cook all the luck in the world as he takes over for Ron McNutt as Carson's head baseball coach. Cook has paid his dues and deserved this opportunity.
(insert bullet) I wish that the NIAA would come to its senses when it parcels out host sites for the regional basketball tournament. You won't find a better place than Carson High's gym. It's one of the largest in the area, yet it still is a cozy place to watch a game. If the NIAA doesn't want to stay in one place every year for basketball, then alternate between Carson and Spanish Springs every year. Those are the only two sites that can hold a good-sized crowd.
(insert bullet) I hope that the 49ers will take the correct steps and get back the respectability they have lost in recent years. I hope that the team uses its upcoming high draft pick wisely. The team needs so much help at so many different spots that I would trade the pick for some proven top-notch starters.
I promised a short column. I hope everybody eats plenty of good food, gets plenty of nice gifts, enjoys the company of their loved ones and enjoys watching football. Come on, you didn't think I would leave out football did you?
Contact Darrell Moody at dmoody@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1281.