Christmas Present #4

Christmas Present #5

sky.fm/christmas

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(The commercial free Christmas music web site played on our classroom computer all day-every day from December 1 through today, December 22.)

Christmas Present #6

Snow the week of Christmas!

(Last night, to be exact.)

This is how we roll...

Matt Forte nailed 9 points in last night's Monday Night Football game. As such, we rallied and came back to win our playoff game, 201-197, and move on to the championship. Our Play for Pay league uses the espn.com fantasy football setup. NEVER again will we participate in an ESPN league. Their playoff format is utterly STUPID. The first round of the playoffs is actually a two week event. You battle your playoff opponent over a two week period and whoever has the most points is the winner. Now how effing insane is that?!? After last week, we were ahead 135-96. Why in hell should we have to come back one week later and risk elimination to the same team?!? And that's damn near what happened. Thanks to a "Let me pull this out of my ass" 35 point effort by Ray Rice, we were in deep sheeeet for much of Sunday. (The fact that we sat Mario Manningham (21 points) and Percy Harvin (13 points) in favor of last week's waiver pickup Louis Murphy didn't help us. Nor did Anquan Boldin and Vernon Davis -- those two and Murphy combined for ... wait for it ... one (one!) point.) Anyway, it's off to the finals for us (albeit another two week one). And we have been installed as an 8 point favorite. Financially, we are now playing with house money. By getting to the finals, we get back our $40 entry fee. Still, there is $420 up for grabs. As we said yesterday, it's all about getting paid.

Lastly, in our Play for Pride league we are 15 point favorites for this weekend's championship. Even better, perhaps, is the fact that we are the top rated coach in the league. We, of course, have this printed document on the whiteboard in our classroom for all to see.

Rome: How great is that?!?

Eagles 38 Giants 31

Christmas Present #7

Forte + 6 = Super Bowl Birth!!!

In 13 games, he has fantasy numbers of: 30, 11, 3, 2, 30, 11, 5, 7, 6, 15, 13, 15 & 5.

All we need is Matt Forte to get 6 fantasy points tonight and we will crash the championship game in our Play for Pay League (to battle for $500).

We rolled into the finals in our Play for Pride League yesterday (thanks to 44 points from Michael Vick). But it's all about getting paid. So our fantasy focus is on Forte.

Christmas Present #8

DeSean Jackson!

Christmas Present #9

Charlie Brown Christmas

Nets 30 Celtics 17

A little late with the basketball update from last week. Rest assured, however, it was all good. We beat up on the Celtics, 30-17. The Playmaker was (again) the leading scorer with 8 points (to go along with 4 rebounds and 2 assists). The Wife captured the game with the high def video camera, allowing coach and point guard to "break down the film" 24 hours later. Classic.

Christmas Present #10

Sony 8" digital picture frame

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This retails for $100, but we picked up two at Target for $75 a pop to use as Christmas gifts. We may even go back and get one for us.

Christmas Present #11

Christmas Present #12

The gift of giving to those less fortunate!

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We took The Playmaker and The Playmaker's Sister shopping today. We adopted two angels from the local grocery store: a 9-year boy and a 13-year old girl. We got the boy a pair of adidas basketball sneakers and a Red Sox sweatshirt. For the girl, we got a book she wanted and a gift card to Marshalls. In the process, the idea of helping those less fortunate was reinforced on our kids. And you know what?!? It just makes you feel good to know that you've helped ensure two needy kids will have some presents under the Christmas tree.

Cliff Lee is a LIVING GOD! 1.0

Check back later for more (A LOT more) Cliff Lee coverage!

Christmas Present #13

Tony Bruno
The best in sports talk radio!

Christmas Present #14

Christmas Present #15

Brand new adidas shell-tops for

The Playmaker's b-ball season!

Christmas Present #16

Dr. J autographed picture!

Christmas Present #17

From 1981. Best Christmas commercial. Ever.

Christmas Present #18

More Chuck Cecil moments like this!

Christmas Presents #s 20 & 19

Men of a Certain Age

(Best television show)

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Dr. Smith

(Best doctor)

Four on the floor...

1. We are the Nets! We had seventh pick in choosing an NBA team name for our team of third and fourth graders. We figured there was NO WAY anyone would take the Sixers ahead of us. W-R-O-N-G. So we decided to go with the Nets. Why? Because we love The Russian. Mikhail Prokhorov adores alcohol, women and guns. Classic. Anyway, we had our first game Saturday morning and gave a beat down to the ... wait for it ... Sixers, 28-11. The Playmaker was the best player on the court. He was our second leading scorer (6 points), and had 10 rebounds (10!) to go along with 3 assists. We are Big Time this year, with 10 foot hoops, a scoreboard and a clock.

2. The Nats are losers! Seriously?!? A seven year, $126 million deal for Jayson Werth?!? To come play on your last place team?!? Ha-ha. Joke's on you.

3. Big Game Bob! His performance in BCS bowl games is abysmal, but OU coach Bob Stoops owns the Big 12. His record in Big 12 Championship Games is 7-1. Repeat: 7-1.

4. Fantasy Update! In our Play for Pride league, we improved to 10-3 yesterday. We have already clinched our division and a spot in the playoffs (week 15). In our Play for Pay league, The Sons of Mike Schmidt upped their record to 9-4 and clinched the second seed in next week's playoffs.

Christmas Present #21

Johnny Mathis Merry Christmas CD

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Simply the best Christmas CD. Period. Ever.

Christmas Present #22

The greatness of the first Saturday in December!

1. We always buy the Christmas tree on this day! Got the usual 7-8 foot Fraser bright and early at 8 AM this morning (before our 9:30 basketball game).

2. We get our first dose of College hoops! North Carolina 75 Kentucky 73. Great game. UNC soph Tyler Zeller was a MAN. But why is Larry Drew II still running the point for the Tar Heels?!? As we said last year, he is, without a doubt, the worst starter we have ever seen for UNC. Ever. And Kentucky star Doron Lamb looks like is 12.

3. Football in the snow! Pitt and its porn 'stached coach Dave Wannstedt topped Cincinnati in the snow. Great to have snow football the day you buy the tree.

4. The SEC and Big 12 Championships! OU owns the Big 12 Conference Championship Game. Tonight will be no different.

Christmas Present #23

The Gathering (on DVD)

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Wow. Finally. After years of watching this on a VHS tape (from a television broadcast almost 20 years ago), Warner Brothers listened to us and released it on DVD last year. We bought it last January and tucked it away in the Christmas box. Simply put, it's a true Christmas classic. Easily one of the two greatest Christmas movies of all time. Repeat: all time.

Christmas Present #24

More Frank Martin!

As far as we are concerned, you can never (never!) have enough of the Kansas State basketball coach. After his fifth ranked Wildcats lost to top rated Duke last week, Martin had this to say about the Blue Devils: "They knocked the living piss out of us. If there's a team better than they are, I don't want to play them."

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Seriously, to quote Rome, How great is that?!?

Christmas Present #25

This is a reprint from

December 1, 2009

As we do every year, we will be posting a present to give/ask for every day between now and Christmas. Many are things you can actually go out and buy. Some are realistic in price. Alas, a few are financially unrealistic. (Last year an $8,000 Viking oven made the list.) This time of year truly is the best part of the calendar. People seem to be just a tad nicer. And if you have kids, how can you not relish the looks on their faces as they open presents in the early morning hours of December 25?!?

But we figured we would start this season off not with a gift that can be placed under the Christmas tree. Rather, we want to begin with something that all of us can give as well as receive. And it doesn't cost a penny.

It's called ... wait for it ... A Better Attitude.

And 99 percent of us can use one.

To bitch and moan is to be human. And we're not asking you stop bitching and moaning. Instead, we just ask that as a present to yourself, you bitch and moan less.

Think about it. A majority of us don't have much to truly bitch about. Feel tired and overworked?!? Tell that to someone who is terminally ill. Hate your boss?!? Tell that to someone on welfare. Think your house pales in comparison to others?!? We're guessing the father of a homeless family would love to call your house his own.

The Playmaker's Sister spent last Saturday night with her grandparents and aunt. When she came home from the sleepover, she did so with a new pair of UGGS -- complete with a price tag of $110. Unfortunately, she discovered a scuff mark on them. No worries, as her mom exchanged them the next day. This time, however, we discovered there was a small rip in one of the UGGS. The boots would be exchanged for flawless ones. But not until this coming weekend. Our daughter was devastated. She so wanted to wear the new kicks to school and was despondent that she would now have to wait a week. Later that same day, we took her to the grocery store to get some grub. In the front of the store was a Christmas tree that had angels on it that you could "adopt" for Christmas. The angels were local needy boys and girls. Adopting one means you give the gifts that are lifted on the angel card. We adopted a 15 year old girl and an 8 year old boy. (The girl wants a Target gift card. She will get one from us, plus a gift card to Aeropostale. The boy wants a gift card to GameStop. He will get that, plus one to the Gap.)

On the way home, we ripped into The Playmaker's Sister for being selfish and spoiled. We asked her if she thought anyone on that angel Christmas tree could afford UGGS. She, of course, knew the answer and where the conversation was headed. We told her just what we wrote above. That everyone complains -- even her father. But that none of us really has much to gripe about. It clearly resonated with her -- because within a minute or two she was back to her normal cheerful self. And the UGGS have not been brought up since.

So we share that story not to thump our chest as father of the year. Instead, it's a simple lesson that most of us really, truly have nothing to bitch about. Let's all shut our mouths and improve our attitudes. (And if possible, try to help someone or some people who truly need it.)

And in the process, we will be giving ourselves and those around us a wonderful gift. And we will enjoy the Christmas season more than ever.