With the festival of lights underway and Christmas in a little over two weeks, everyone seems to be preparing their holiday wish list.
I can't buy gifts for everyone I want to, but that doesn't mean I can't wish things for others. With 16 days until Christmas, here are 16 holiday wishes.
1) For everyone reading: an Orange Fever bracelet. The Virginia Athletic Department is now selling orange bracelets like the "Live Strong" ones inspired by cyclist Lance Armstrong. Each is engraved with "Orange Fever" and "Virginia Cavaliers." The bracelets cost $2 and all proceeds support the United Way. I know you have to buy your own, but it's worth it. Support your school and those less fortunate.
2) For John Casteen: an MPC Computer in recognition of his best decision ever. Casteen came under serious heat for deciding the football team would not play in the Champs Sports Bowl because of exam conflicts, thus exiling Virginia to Boise, Idaho. Without a doubt, this was the right call -- and that's coming from a diehard Virginia football fan.
Look at college football. This is an era in which the student part of student-athlete is constantly trivialized, as colleges continue to pimp out their teams in an effort to make as much money as possible. It is refreshing to see someone say, "This is enough. We are an academic institution first." Granted, for the third straight season, Virginia managed to go to a bowl lower than it was slotted for, but this time it was for the right reasons.
3) Long johns, parkas and a psychiatric evaluation for anyone headed to Boise.
4) A new offensive playbook for Ron Prince or whoever is calling the plays next season. It was awful this season. Of course it is easy to play Monday Morning Quarterback, but one would think to run the ball four straight times on first-and-goal from the one yard-line with one of the nation's best lines. Maybe behind an All-American guard? Just throwing that out there.
The play-calling was predictable, bland and uninspiring. Virginia used to use trickery and take risks-- this season, nothing of the sort was employed. I never thought I would yearn for Bill Musgrave... his creativity is sorely missed.
5) White dress shirts for Pete Gillen. Gillen seems to actually be coaching this season, as his team is playing defense and hustling. He is visibly sweating through his blue shirts by halftime. White shirts would hide his hard work better, though the Hawaiian shirt he wore in Maui in 2002 would be perfect for every game.
6) More timeouts for Gillen. Or maybe less. I often debate whether Gillen would prefer unlimited timeouts so he can always call one, or one timeout so he can use it really quickly and not have any left early. He used all five in the first 32 minutes at Iowa State.
7) An NCAA tournament bid for me. All right, it's for the men's basketball team. But I do not want to be part of the first graduating class since 1980 not to see the Cavs go dancing. I came to Virginia when it was a basketball school, and I intend to leave it that way. As I've said, my shoes are ready.
8) Another season in orange and blue for Heath Miller, Ahmad Brooks, D'Brickashaw Ferguson and Darryl Blackstock. They may not be able to fit under a tree, but their return would be great news for the Cavalier nation. Please stay and help Virginia win an ACC title. Then again, all four will be first-round picks in April's NFL draft if they decide to leave.
9) A speedy and healthy recovery for Chris Canty. You were missed this fall.
10) The Commonwealth Cup back in Charlottesville in 2005-- for the sake of everyone in the Old Dominion.
11) For swimming and diving coach Mark Bernardino, the AFC pool renamed after him. 'Dino has single-handedly turned Virginia into a national power. His men have won six straight ACC titles; his women have won two. And he has won ACC coach of the year 19 times in 27 years. The Mark Bernardino Pool at the AFC has quite a ring? Or maybe the 'Dino Deck?
12) Another national championship for the women's lacrosse team. The nucleus is back, led by all-world attacker Amy Appelt, though the Cavs do have to replace goalie and NCAA tourney MVP Andrea Pfeiffer. Don't bet against them.
13) An endless supply of Snickers bars for Elton Brown, who admits he has a nightly weakness for one. If you keep playing defense, controlling the glass and taking charges, you deserve all of the peanuts, chocolate and caramel.
14) For Jason Clark's motioning arms: University Hall to get rockin' again. This is a place that Jason-turned-Jay Williams once called the toughest to play in the ACC. Let's make it that way again. The Athletic Department should work to give out orange shirts like it did in years past
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