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| Mark Nelke |
There's a long line of people waiting to sit on Santa's lap.
And my e-mail's acting kinda slow lately.
So in case Jolly Ol' St. Nick by some chance has a subscription, or reads us online, here's my Christmas wish list for this year.
I tried the same thing last year and he must have gotten wind of it somehow, because at least one of the wishes came true.
Post Falls Christian finally snapped its long losing streak in girls basketball at 92 games, dating back to late in the 1998-99 season.
MR. CLAUS, here's this year's wish list:
A return to competitive professional football in the Bay Area, particularly in that town with the initials S.F.
Another pool for local swim teams. If it was attached to a community center, even better.
That coaching and playing at Notre Dame will someday become desirable again. Kids don't want to go there because they don't win enough, because the schedule's too tough, and few of them go on to the NFL anymore. They don't care about tradition. Heck, what happened last year is already old news. And good coaches don't want to coach there because admissions standards are so high there's several good kids they can't get into school.
That Coeur d'Alene, Lake City, Post Falls, Sandpoint, Lakeland, Lewiston and Moscow all end up in one happy classification soon.
That more leagues could be like the NHL, which to my knowledge has not had any instances this season of players going into the stands and fighting with fans. Nobody's asked for time off to promote their rap CD, nobody's ... what's that you say? There hasn't been an NHL season yet? The players have been victims of a lockout? Really? You're kidding!
That the NCAA finally decides to crown the Division I football champion in a playoff (yeah, I know. But this is a wish list). The current system is ridiculous -- it's not Auburn's fault that two other teams are also undefeated, and were ranked ahead of them earlier in the year. Yes, the final in the Boise State-Louisville game in the Liberty Bowl will be higher than most basketball games, but really, wouldn't you really like to see BSU get a shot at USC ... or Oklahoma?
A memo be distributed to NBA millionaires -- No more big contracts, no more women, no more fancy cars until you can make a jump shot, handle the ball and play some team defense. Until then, our showings in the Olympics are only going to get worse. And for you high school kids who think you are too good (or not smart enough) for college, develop some fundamentals before you turn pro.
A speedy recovery to Bill Bopp, one of the top basketball officials in the state and an all-around good guy from Sandpoint. Bopp suffered a dislocated hip in a 4-wheeler accident just prior to hoops season, and needed surgery to remove three bone fragments from the hip joint. Get well soon.
Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via e-mail at mnelke@cdapress.com.
