My (Sports) Christmas List

 My parents never told me Santa was not real. It's something they pledged to do with their children.

But thanks to some sleuthing and deductive reasoning as a child, I figured it out on my own. But what if I'm wrong?

So for fun, I made a Christmas list for Santa. But instead of asking for material things for myself, (which these days consists of things like socks, ties, and gift cards to restaurants so I don't have to cook), I decided to send a list to the North Pole asking for help for each of my favorite sports teams.

The following is a copy of what I sent to Saint Nick. Here's hoping I made the nice list this year:

Matt Barnes

My Address Ave

Columbus, OH 43212

Santa Claus
North Pole, USA

Dear Santa,

It's Matt. I really hope 2014 was jolly for you. It was for me, but it would have been better if my favorite sports teams had a bit more success.

And with that in mind, in lieu of asking for something for myself, I was hoping you could be a little genie-like and share some Christmas magic with my favorite teams. My requests are as follows:

1. Columbus Blue Jackets: Health
- This may seem a bit general but if you've kept up with the CBJ, you know why I'm asking. Seems like every week, a different player is going down with an injury. And not just a day-by-day injury, but a week-to-week or month-to-month injury. The team has fought valiantly through it all, just like I know you do on Christmas Day when weather is not ideal. But with some health, the team might actually play like the playoff team they were last season. There's plenty of time left in the season but the sooner, the better. They are 9 points out of a playoff spot right now so cutting into that by the All-Star break is probably a good idea.

2. Indiana Pacers: Tank for 2015
- It almost pains me to ask you to get my favorite NBA team to stop winning but in the long run, it's best for the franchise and fan base. Once Paul George went down to injury, the season was lost. I mean, the chances of them getting to the NBA Finals with the roster they have now is as slim as Kim Jong Un making the "nice" list. A bad season would mean a better draft pick, and for a team that could use an infusion of young talent, that is a big deal. This won't be easy with a coach like Frank Vogel and a veteran leader like David West, but hey, You're Santa. I know you can do it!

3. Indianapolis Colts: An effective offensive line and run game
- Getting Andrew Luck in the draft is the Christmas gift that keeps on giving. So props to you for any help on that. But a QB can only be as good as the guys that protect him and the run game that takes the heat off of him. This season, Luck has had neither. Now, they are playoff bound but their line is having trouble protecting Luck (who has turned the ball over way too much lately) and their run game is non-existent. Forget 3 yards and a cloud of dust. Right now, it's just dust. The defense is much improved so with your help, I think this team could make the next step toward becoming a real Super Bowl contender.

4. Cleveland Indians: A return to form for Nick Swisher
- I really want to ask for a new owner who is willing to spend some money but part of me enjoys the underdog way the Indians operate. But it would be nice for their highest paid player to play like it for once. I like Nick Swisher a lot. He's as jolly as you are and been great for the fan base and the city. But his production is....well, I'll put it this way. Just imagine if you only delivered presents to 20% of people? Yeah, not good. With a bounce back season from Swisher (and a couple of others), I think the Indians are real World Series contenders. Really.

5. Ohio State football: Win vs. Alabama
- This may seem really greedy but hey, I could ask for a national championship! The reason I ask for just this win is because it would silence a lot of people. Losing a close game to Bama, even in OT, would do nothing. This needs to be a win. It would bring some real credibility to the Big Ten, which most certainly needs it. It would also help quiet those who think Baylor or TCU were more deserving of OSU's spot (they aren't). If OSU were to lose in the championship, yes, I would not be happy but I'd also be content considering I think this team is a year ahead of schedule.

6. Ohio Football: Solich calls it quits in 2015
- This one hurts to write, because I know how much Solich has done for the program. They are relevant, competitive, and heading to bowl games nearly every season. The expectations for this program are much higher than they were I stepped foot on the campus in 2004. But now is the time. The program is a bit stagnant right now, while the rest of the MAC has hired younger, more vibrant head coaches who can recruit better. And in the MAC, talent > coaching many times. In a perfect world, Solich wins a MAC title next year and retires on a real high note. He's done wonders for the program and the fan base, but all good things must come to an end, right? Well, except you Santa.

7. Ohio State Basketball: One more year for D'Angelo Russell
- I know this won't happen but if it did, what a big deal it would be for this team. He is unquestionably the best player on the team not and one of the more productive freshmen in the nation so far. But in 2 games vs. ranked teams, he has not exactly been a star. So maybe he could use another year to improve that draft stock. And if he does come back, he'll join a good recruiting class that could elevate OSU to the top of the Big Ten and the polls quickly. Again, this is unlikely but hey, so was you finding a reindeer with a red nose.

8. Ohio Basketball: Positive Momentum
- This is actually one that may already be happening. The team is under .500 right now but I do see some hope there. The guys are fighting, the coaches are into it, and the recruiting classes look strong. Plus, there are transfers waiting in the wings to help as well. But it doesn't hurt to ask for more right? The more momentum this program can get, the better.

That's it for my favorite teams. But if I've been an especially nice guy (which I would argue that I have been), I have a few other things too:
- A competitive Super Bowl
- A Final Four without Kentucky
- No more weekly College Football Playoff rankings shows
- Tiger Woods finishing in top 5 or winning a major championship in 2015
- The big four in men's tennis (Nadal, Djokovic, Federer, Murray) stay healthy

So that's it Santa. I hope that's not asking for too much. I know you've got a lot to do before the big day but most of these don't need your attention immediately.

Thanks for all the great gifts through the years. I'll leave you a couple cookies and skim milk near the fireplace. I'm sure Mrs. Claus will appreciate my attempt to keep you healthy!

Matt Barnes

P.S. Do you really watch me while I'm sleeping? Just wondering. Because that's kind of creepy.