Christmas Week: Boston College’s Wish List
By Joe Micik
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
One week from today, jolly old St. Nick will have shoehorned his rotund posterior down every chimney (or exhaust vent) the world around, and young children from San Diego to St. John’s, Newfoundland will be disappointed that Aunt Tilly gave them clothes instead of the iPad they wanted. If the Mayan calendar is right, then nobody’s going to be around to be disappointed about anything, but nevertheless, this is as good a time as any to launch Christmas Week.
Boston College sports fans probably have a few things in mind that they’d like to get, and we’re not just talking about officially licensed maroon and gold fuzzy slippers from the BC Bookstore. They want the best for their sports teams, but what’s realistic to request for next year? Sure, any good Christmas list has one good reach item like a Lexus with a huge bow on it in your driveway (seriously, I hate those commercials), but this will deal in some things the fans might ask for this year.
1. A football team that is bowl-eligible next season. BC only needs to go .500 to accomplish this, and with some coaching turnover, this is possible. Not probable, but possible. It is far too early to tell what will be of the 2013 Eagles football team, but I held the view that a competent coach could have won more than two games with the Eagles in 2012. BC won’t be winning the ACC title any time soon but my view on getting back to being average is that it isn’t necessarily far away with some hard work.
2. A men’s basketball team that is competitive in ACC play. Maybe this is the reach; I don’t know. “Competitive” doesn’t necessarily mean “win a lot of games;” rather, “be a tough out, even if you lose.” Right now, BC is 5-5, though they have looked exceptionally shaky at times. Even if something like a 5-13 conference season is in the cards this year, the effort has to be there. If the Eagles lose their fair share of games but hang in there against most teams, it’ll be a step in the right direction.
3. Good recruiting across all sports. Steve Addazio is doing what he can to try to round out the new class, while Steve Donahue has some decent prospects for 2013. Meanwhile, Jerry York vacuums up top recruits like it’s no big deal. As any reader knows, this is such an important part of building and sustaining programs, so this is one gift I’d like for certain.
4. Jerry York’s 925th win. A given.
5. Jerry York’s fifth national championship at BC. Also a given.
6. An autographed Jerry York cardboard cutout. Yep.
7. A Jerry York action figure. There’s an idea for the BC bookstore.