Extol Sports December 2017 | Page 42

A LITTLE MAN’S TAKE ON A BIG SPORTS WORLD How the Grinch Failed to steal Christmas! By Jim Biery W ow, I can’t believe how fast this year has gone by. Reminds me of how fast the Grinch can come down a chimney and try to steal Christmas from all the Who’s in Whoville. Alright, I know that may be the lamest introduction to my column I’ve done all year. Can’t help it. I do get nostalgic when we are this close to the holidays. Of course, there are all kinds of family traditions that make waiting for Christmas Day so special. For me it would be when my siblings and I would write down our Christmas gift list, address the envelope to the North Pole, and then put it into the fireplace we had in the living room so the ashes could fly up in the air for Santa’s helpers to put the list back together so he could read them. As a nod to my wish list tradition, I thought I would create a wish list for you featuring the subjects of my column this year. Let’s start with Lonzo Ball, who plays guard for the Lakers. If you’ve ever seen him take a jump shot, you would know that the perfect gift for him would be The Qube. Charlie Wallace invented this training tool to help basketball players of all ages and skill levels to dramatically improve their jump shot, and boy does Lonzo need it. For my Purdue buddies, they may have already received their gift. Football coach Jeff Brohm has put a charge back into the fan base that was desperately needed. To see the fans filling the seats again at Ross-Ade Stadium was only recently thought to be a Christmas miracle, not an on-going reality. I guess the only present for them that could be better is if they can enjoy Jeff Brohm for many years to come. Since we are talking about college football, let’s hope that the fans of all the local teams can continue tailgating together with friends, family and mouth-watering recipes found in the parking lot of your favorite team. Spending time together 40 EXTOL SPORTS / DECEMBER 2017 with friends and family is not just important around the holidays, it should be cherished at every opportunity. One of the hardest gifts to find during the holiday season would be for every golfer out there to actually be able to improve their game. I’ve se