Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
With Christmas falling a week from today and New Years Day the week after that, this will be my final column of 2025. I will return for the NFL playoffs with a column on January 8. With this being my final piece before the holidays and new year, I figured I’d try to combine the two and have some fun this week.
Around this time, most people have already sent their wishlists out so they may receive their gifts on Christmas Day. We’re going to do something a little different. I could bore you with the stuff I actually asked for for Christmas, but you people aren’t here to listen to me talk about LEGO sets and Nintendo games. Instead, I’m going to share a different wishlist. My wishlist for what I want to see happen in the sports world next year.
Below I have listed some things that I would like to see happen in the world of sports in 2026. Most, if not all of these wishes are selfish, but I’ve been a very good boy this year and if Santa is really watching as much as he says he is, he should have no problem seeing that.
So without further ado, let’s get into as many wishes as I can fit. Let’s start on the shores of Lake Michigan and the home of the Monsters of the Midway, Soldier Field
I wish the Bears would make Luther Burden III their No. 1 receiver
At the time of writing this, this wish is trending toward the right direction, but not fully there yet. Luther Burden III, the Bears’ second round pick in the 2025 draft out of the University of Missouri, has come along slowly in his rookie season. The Mizzou product has gotten a bit more involved in recent weeks, but he’s still probably the fourth option at best behind DJ Moore, Rome Odunze and Colston Loveland.
Now, you’re probably thinking the main proponent of this wish is that I want to see a Missouri guy succeeding in the NFL. While that part is true, I wouldn’t be suggesting it if I didn’t feel it would benefit my Bears greatly. Burden is that special kind of player that can line up pretty much anywhere. You can put him out wide, in the slot, even in the backfield. The bottom line is, if you put the ball in his hands, he will make a play.
For the first time in my lifetime, there has been very little to complain about regarding the Chicago offense. This is a team that I am confident can make a deep playoff run. If they can start feeding the ball to LB3 in space and let him go to work, it could unlock the next level this offense needs to truly be a Super Bowl contender.
Let’s move on to a team of mine that wasn’t as fun to root for this year.
I wish the White Sox getting the No. 1 pick is the spark this franchise needs
It’s been difficult to be a White Sox fan the last few years.
They lost over 100 games this past summer, which really sucks until you remember that the year prior, they lost over 120. A 20-game improvement. Impressive!
Even though the record was not where us fans wanted it to be, especially when it comes in the middle of what was supposed to be a competitive window, it did not indicate just how much the team improved from the year prior. Plenty of young talent, headlined by future superstar Colson Montgomery, came up throughout the course of the season and gave us fans a reason to watch and to be excited about what could be in store as they develop.
Though they were still a long way from even sniffing contention, there was a lot to be optimistic about, which after last season, was sorely needed.
Then, last week, that optimism hit stratospheric levels.
The White Sox won the MLB draft lottery and will select No. 1 overall in the upcoming draft. They will most likely select UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky, who many believe to be the next “can’t-miss prospect.” I can only hope.
But aside from Cholowsky becoming the face of the rebuild, this draft slot gives the Sox the largest bonus pool in the league, a financial advantage that the team seldom has. They’ll have the chance to sign talented guys that fall later than they should do to bonus demands. They can take risks on high-ceiling high school players. They have financial freedom that they’ve never had before, and that could be the difference between another failed rebuild and one that actually produces the results us fans are looking for.
Getting that pick last week was the shot in the arm this franchise needed. My wish is that they take advantage of it. Now for my final desire…
I wish that at least one of our local basketball teams (hopefully more!) makes it to Gainbridge Fieldhouse
Earlier this year, I was able to experience one of the coolest experiences of my entire career thanks to the Warsaw girls and Manchester boys basketball teams.Covering state finals games while sitting courtside at an NBA arena, and being able to do so with Stef sitting next to me, was an honor and a privilege that I still think about often.
But after getting a taste, I want more!
As of right now, I have my eye on three local teams that I think will have a chance to be representing the northern half of the state in Indy in a few months.
Obviously, the conversation starts with the Warsaw girls making it back to try and avenge last season’s defeat. The Lady Tigers have begun the season on a tear, losing just once in eleven games and winning by some pretty eye-popping margins. With Miss Basketball candidates in Joslyn Bricker and Brooke Zartman, as well as an excellent supporting cast around them, don’t be surprised if they get back to Gainbridge.
Staying on the girls side, Whitko is coming off its first ever trip to the semi-state and has kept that late-season momentum rolling into this campaign. I’ve only seen the team once in person, in a three-point loss to Columbia City, but I came away from that game incredibly impressed. The Lady ‘Cats play a ferocious brand of defense and share the bell incredibly well on the other end. I’m looking forward to seeing them play again, as they’ve only gotten better since that early season defeat.
The boys basketball season is incredibly fresh and I have yet to see every team in our area play a game, so a lot can change as things get going. But as they stand, I’ve got my eyes on Triton. They’re a veteran team with a veteran coach, which is usually the recipe for success. They can score inside and out, and will guard you tenaciously for 32 minutes. Like Whitko, they lost in the semi-state round last year but returned almost every starter. The Trojans will be in the mix.
I don’t want to drag this on for too long, so I’ll leave it at three wishes. However, here are a few honorable mentions that just missed the cut. I wish for…
Missouri football getting a new quarterback, Connor Bedard getting better soon, anybody but the Packers winning the Super Bowl, my fantasy football team to not fall apart, Oba Femi to take over the WWE, lower health insurance prices, Nintendo to announce the next 3D Mario game, a puppy and world peace.
And I really don’t think that’s asking for much.
After going on a roll for a little over a month, my picks these last few weeks have my confidence waning. This is my last regular season slate, so I have to make it count. Let’s do this.
FAVORITE FAVORITE
Minnesota Vikings (-2.5) at New York Giants
I don’t know how it happened, but JJ McCarthy has completely flipped the script over the last few weeks, looking more than serviceable as the Vikings have put up over 30 points in back-to-back games. Going up against a pretty poor Giants defense, I think Minnesota keeps it going with its third win in a row.
The Pick: Vikings -2.5
BIG DAWG GOTTA EAT
Los Angeles Chargers at Dallas Cowboys (-2.5)
I picked the Chargers as my underdog last week and I’m diving back into that well. There’s honestly no reason Dallas should be favored here, which does kind of skeeve me out. But then again, there was really no reason for the Chiefs to be favored over Los Angeles last week either. I don’t love this pick, but I like the other underdogs even less this week. So there you have it.
The Pick: Chargers +2.5
BEAR DOWN
Green Bay Packers (-1.5) at Chicago Bears
I felt like the north end of a southbound horse picking against the Bears last week, especially after I talked myself out of picking them at the very last minute. The difference between 3-2 and 2-3. Chicago got the bounce back game it needed to get the vibes back up before their second game in three weeks against those stinky Packers. Green Bay suffered an absolutely brutal loss in Denver last week, not just on the field, but with Micah Parsons tearing his ACL. After the Bears went into Green Bay a bit banged up a few weeks ago, the Packers are doing the same here. I don’t care what the line is. You know me well enough now to know I’m always picking the same result in this game.
The Pick: Bears +1.5
THIS IS OUR COLTS
San Francisco 49ers (-6.5) at Indianapolis Colts
Remember when Jeff Saturday took over as the head coach of the Colts that one time and everybody was like “oh man, no way this is going to work,” and then he won his first game? But then they lost all the rest of them afterwards. That’s kind of how I think this Phillip Rivers thing is going to go, even though they did lose to Seattle last week. I’m happy for the guy and I am rooting for him, don’t get me wrong, but it’s hard to bet on him here.
The Pick: 49ers -6.5
GAME OF THE WEEK
Los Angeles Rams (-1.5) at Seattle Seahawks
This has to be the biggest Thursday night game in a while right? You have two of the top teams in the NFC. One of them is going to likely end up as the No. 1 seed, while the other is going to have to settle for a wild card spot and a road playoff game. This one will go a long way in deciding who gets what. The Rams are coming into this one a little banged up at the receiver position, and I think the game being played in Seattle plays mightily in favor of the Seahawks. We see a change atop the division tonight.
The Pick: Seahawks +1.5
This was an awfully long column this week, but I am taking the next two weeks off, so might as well go out with a bang. If you made it this far, thank you as always for reading. Enjoy the College Football Playoff and the end of the NFL regular season. Have a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year. Talk to you soon
Cheers.
Last Week’s Record: 2-3
Season Record: 37-32
