As readers of this column know, some columnists ask Santa Claus to bring certain things to people. I do it differently. I ask Santa what NOT to bring. Why bring something a person already has?
So here’s what I’m asking St. Nick not to bring, sports-wise, to El Pasoans Wednesday night:
BASEBALL FANS – A Triple A stadium. We got one this year, Santa, and the stadium is so alluring it drew thousands of fans and broke attendance records left and right. It’s so awesome it won accolades around the country. Can you believe no bleachers but separate seats throughout?
BASEBALL FANS – I hate to ask for two non-gifts for anyone, Santa, but this is connected with the first non-gift. Please don’t bring a Triple A team. We got that with the stadium and what a show it put on. The opening of the stadium was delayed, Santa, and our team had to play weeks on end on the road. Still, the team was so good it won 11 of its last 14 games to finish the season with a .500 record.
HYUNDAI SUN BOWL – New officials. Santa, we have some of the best in the country. Year after year executive director Bernie Olivas, football chairman John Folmer, chair emeritus Jimmy Rogers and Company have brought us outstanding teams. Even Notre Dame! This year is no exception. How in the world they got us two teams with sparkling 9-3 records like Arizona State and Duke University for this year’s game on Dec. 27 boggles the mind. But how sweet it is.
UTEP FOOTBALL – A new football coach. The Miners got a dilly in Sean Kugler, Santa. It took him a year to get things going but, goodness gracious, did he turn things around quickly. In this, only his second year at the helm, he won seven games. He lost five, Santa, but two of those were “money games” he had no chance of winning so he really finished 7-3.
UTEP BASKETBALL – New men and women coaches. Keitha Adams got the women’s team all the way to the NIT finals last season, Santa, and Tim Floyd has come up with a men’s team that’s showing a lot of promise.
UTEP TRACK – A star runner. The Miners had one of the best in the country this year, Santa, in cross-country runner Anthony Rotich. He’s so good he was named the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association National Athlete of the Week twice this year.
CANUTILLO HIGH SCHOOL – A super football team. Boy, did it have one this year, Santa. The Eagles won more games and went further in the state playoffs than any other high school team from El Paso County. That hadn’t happened in 94 years (Texas began high school football playoffs in 1920). The Eagles had size on the line, speed and a great coach in Scott Brooks and they didn’t find their match in their division until their 15th game, finishing with a 13-2 mark.
EL PASO SPORTS – A new media. Santa, do we have dedicated sports writers, sportscasters and sports photographers, or what? The Times’ Bret Bloomquist covered UTEP football, Bill Knight covered UTEP basketball and Felix Chavez covered the Canutillo Eagles not only in depth but with passion. The same can be said about our sportscasters. And then there’s the El Paso Times photo staff, headed by Ruben Ramirez. They brought us images that make our eyes pop out. The same can be said about Melody Parra of El Paso Inc., who can shoot with the best of ‘em. And special bouquets to KVIA-TV general manager Kevin Lovell and Times editor Bob Moore. It cost money, but KVIA-TV showed us Canutillo’s semi-final game and the Times sent Knight and Ramirez all the way to Massachusetts to cover Nolan Richardson’s induction into the Naismith Hall of Fame.
And people wonder why I love El Paso.