2014 Boston College Christmas: The Nice List
By Joe Micik
In a year where most major Boston College programs are doing alright for themselves (at least by Christmas), there could be a long Nice List.
Boston College Eagles
The “Nice List” of course being that thing that those who are not naughty go on for purposes of Santa Claus’s gift delivery rounds.
Santa’s Elves are hard at work making gifts for those Boston College folk on the Nice List, though it’s a good thing the North Pole is not in America, because the last thing old St. Nick probably wants at this point after centuries of sweatshop-quality labor is an OSHA inspection. I would imagine the elves will at some point unionize.
Who in the Boston College realm deserves to be rewarded for their “nice” year?
Boston College Christmas: The Nice List
1. Johnny Gaudreau. Congratulations on your Hobey Baker Award, your continued success early in your NHL career, and for being a part of a championship season at Boston College. If you ever want to come back for a little while, just sneak into your brother’s jersey — it’s a foolproof plan.
2. Tyler Murphy. Murphy rushed out of Florida and straight into maroon and gold hearts this year with a great individual performance as a dual-threat quarterback. The throwing was not great, but as a rusher, Murphy added a dimension to the Boston College offense that we have rarely experienced. We would not have been as successful this season if he were not leading the offense, and we should all be grateful for his presence.
3. Dick Kelley, Boston College basketball, and Syracuse Orange basketball together. The Orange earn a spot on the Nice List for something that would get them stuck on the Naughty List in central New York. That, of course, was the overtime win over #1 Syracuse on February 19. We could thank the Orange for taking their end-season nosedive at the right time, but we all know in our hearts and minds that Boston College won that game for Dick Kelley, the former SID who passed away just a few days earlier.
No doubt he would be proud that his Eagles are on the rebound. Even if just in memory, there is nobody more worthy to be on this list.
4. Boston College women’s hockey. The ladies are off to their best start in program history as the first half of the 2014-15 season came to a close. In 18 games, they have not yet lost a single contest. Bring it home this spring.
5. Brad Bates, Steve Addazio, and the Pinstripe Bowl organizers. These folks combined have earned a spot on the Nice List for getting us the most perfect fit for a bowl game we have had in modern times, given the circumstances of our season. It has turned out to be a huge success so far from an alumni engagement standpoint and many of us will be pleased to go to New York City for the game on December 27.