Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It's the de facto end of fall, ya got fiery hot takes at dinner, plates flying across the table cuz Uncle Jimmy says the big bang theory is some liberal BS, the Lions are on the television playing terrible football, the Patriots are getting healthy towards the end of the season ready to make their playoff run. As a non-nostalgic guy most days of the year, I must say there is a certain peace and serenity to it all.
2023 is the first time ever (besides 2020 - soft) I won't be in MA celebrating since I'm hosting extended family out west (credit to me), so here are the top five reasons/traditions why TG in New England (I don't know what the hell is going on in Maine or Connecticut or these other spots, but I'll still say New England generally) is the best.
5) Tossing the rock
Call up Brendan and Coco and they're ready to toss the rock like it's 2010 - talkin full route tree, double moves, and goal line - outs, corners, digs, seams, post, wheel, sluggo, backshoulder and everything in between. Then some 1 on 1s - throw a few check with me's in there, what a time to be alive. Ccliff with a few fades, life is good.
4) The Patriots being awesome
This time of year is synonymous with the Patriots hitting their stride in preparation for their super bowl run. Trent Dilfer says 'They're not good anymore' after starting 2-2, at this point they're 8-2 and ready to rip off a couple of late season divisional wins and a big Sunday night showdown the league had teed up at the beginning of the season. Wasn't that long ago...
3) Drinking the night before
Best drinking night of the year hands down - grab a Pleasant Pizza, meet up with the boys, head down to King's back in the day (until they went soft post-Covid) or now head to Auld Sod in Dedham/Halfway Cafe.
2) The history
First Thanksgiving in Plymouth with the pilgrims and the Wampanoags going back almost 400 years - talkin the times of the damn Fairbanks House. California has some great history, but that Thanksgiving energy doesn't necessarily have that same flare as it does back east - especially in the place where it all started.
1) High school football
One of the great traditions around - 10:00 AM high school football game in Massachusetts hits different. We may not have the big name recruits of the south, or the pretty facilities and private workouts of California, or the chaos and intensity of Texas, but TG morning high school football is always a hit. See some old faces, reminisce about that game you won or didn't win or almost won, and apparently if you're extra lucky you can even play at Fenway now.
So happy Thanksgiving to all twenty five of our readers, and our small but loyal following on social media. Take a few extra minutes of patience with your relatives this week... they will frustrate you, they will drive you a bit bananas, they will say a dumb thing or two - but just remember it's likely because they are a bit nervous or excited, and they're not in a situation they're used to, not because they are a bad person. So show a little forgiveness, have a laugh, turn down the temperature, and see if you can actually enjoy and be in the moment with friends and/or family you may not see all the time. The only thing we can truly bank on in this life is impermanence - so if folks are healthy, if folks are in good spirits, remember that you can't bottle that up, the only way is to feel it in the now. But sometimes, a plate or two just has to fly...
Social Media
Hey man, this is electric! I need to write a counter blog about Thanksgiving in Stockton
Kickbacks and Mexican Gatorades baby! Bet Stockton is already getting pretty hype...