A peek inside Santa's mailbox
What are the local teams asking Santa for this holiday season? OMC sports contributor Andrew Wagner takes a look inside the big guy's mailbox to find out.
By OnMilwaukee Staff Writers Published Dec 24, 2006 at 5:28 AM
Ho, Ho, Ho. 'Tis the season to be merry. While all the good little boys and girls are putting out their cookies and milk tonight, hoping for a visit from the big guy in red, rest assured that our local teams are hoping that they make it onto the "nice" list this season.
OMC, in this exclusive report, provides excerpts from letters to Santa, provided by a high-ranking North Pole official who whishes to remain anonymous.
Doug Melvin – What the Brewers general manager would like more than anything is a way to move right fielder Geoff Jenkins in a manner that shores up his starting rotation for a playoff push. That and some good luck with his core of young talent and a healthy season from Ben Sheets.
Milwaukee Bucks – Aside from getting some consistency from their young talent, the Bucks desperately want a better deal with the Bradley Center or a brand-spanking new building.
"Fat chance," our insider says. "Santa's got much more pressing concerns. And he's not a happy season ticket-holder these days."
Brett Favre – Wants to get through the last few weeks of this season in one piece so he can spend the off season debating his future on a Mississippi golf course.
Our insider couldn't confirm whether the Packers quarterback had Ted Thompson's firing on his wish list.
Tom Crean – The Marquette coach had one of his minions send Santa a fax asking to find a way to keep sophomore point guard Dominique James on campus for another couple of years. You really can't blame him, James is a special talent. Should it not be feasible, Crean would be satisfied with finding a blue-chip, seven-footer to pummel his Big East opponents.
Claude Noel – It's been a rough few weeks for the Admirals coach, and while his team struggled to get acclimated to each other during some scheduling nightmares, all he wants for Christmas is All Star goaltender Pekka Rinne back … very, very soon.
Ted Thompson – Thompson's extensive list includes a legitimate backup quarterback, an all-pro kicker, top flight wide receivers, and a tenacious defense. The Packer GM also added a P.S., asking for people to get off his back for a while.
Bud Selig – Baseball's commissioner is taking help wherever he can get it these days. He asked Santa to find a way to bring the Mitchell Steroids investigation to a quick and thorough end. He'd also like to find a way to keep attendance and revenues on the rise but at the same time keep salaries from escalating way out of control again.
Bret Bielema – While his main focus is on winning the upcoming Capital One Bowl in Orlando, Bielema asked Santa to find a way to make Racine Park running back John Clay commit to the Badgers program.
"What better way to show the people of Wisconsin that I'm committed to taking the next step here than by landing the best player to come out of the state in recent memory," Bielema wrote.
With star freshman P.J. Hill already on board, Bielema also asked Santa to understand that he's not trying to be greedy.
"It's been noted, and it's understandable," says our source.
And fans, don't think Santa is ignoring your requests. He knows that you're hungry for some real championship-caliber baseball at Miller Park, a Bucks team that lives up to its billing, and for the Packers to miraculously make the playoffs.
Our source says he's listening, but he's got a lot to deal with these days.
"A lot of whiny Cubs fans and greedy Bears fans have been occupying his time lately," the insider says. "With the multi-millions spent at Wrigley and home-field advantage at Solider Field, they shouldn't expect too much more under the tree this year."
wagner, santa, mailbox, crean, bucks, brewers
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