Even a Chicago sports fan has something to be thankful for

It's the season to be thankful, yet a cursory look at the Chicago sports scene reveals few reasons for thanking.

The Bears are competing, so to speak, for a top draft pick again. Their best hope for long-term success seems to be short-term failure. Do they have a quarterback to build around?

The White Sox just finished a miserable season, so naturally they drove away the most popular member of their organization, broadcaster Jason Benetti.

The Bulls have great talent yet a record that is the inverse of what that kind of talent should have. They're not good, but they're not bad enough to get a top draft pick. And past trades mean the Bulls' drafts probably will not be totally their own until 2026.

The Blackhawks likewise have a losing record, to nobody's surprise.

The other major-league teams in town? Really not worth the ink.

So what is there to be thankful for? Let's look a little deeper. Call it, looking on the bright side. No, looking for a bright side.

I'm thankful that we have pro sports here, even if 2023 has been tough to take. Be glad we're not in, say, Iowa.

I'm thankful the high school sports scene is so strong here, and that we get to cover it. There is so much talent in the suburbs, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to get to know so many of these young people and their coaches and families over the years.

I'm thankful that we have three ranked Division III football teams here in the suburbs that are working their way through the playoffs.

I'm thankful that the Blackhawks are rebuilding the right way, accumulating a wealth of young talent, with the exciting Connor Bedard the centerpiece of it all.

I'm thankful the Cubs just went out and spent big bucks to bring in a top manager, and rumors suggest they're willing to spend way bigger bucks to bring in the top free agent on the market, Shohei Ohtani. And there's good talent coming up from the farm system to complement this would-be spending spree.

Hey, you want reason to be thankful on the South Side? That 5-for-1 trade, with the Sox sending reliever Aaron Bummer and his 6.79 ERA out of town, that's a reason for hope too.

Northwestern fans can be thankful that the university stumbled upon coach David Braun, who somehow led a team seemingly destined for misery to a bowl-eligible season. And maybe NU fans should be thankful others weren't interested in the job, as the Daily Herald's Jim O'Donnell reported last week.

There's reason to be thankful in Champaign also. Illinois football fans might see a season that is a step backward from last year's eight-win year. But improvement rarely occurs in a straight line, and the Illini have bounced back late in the season. They are a win from joining rival Northwestern among the bowl-eligible teams.

Both schools' men's basketball teams are coming off NCAA Tournament seasons with rosters that look capable of repeating that feat. Thank goodness.

Be thankful that second-year coach Shauna Green has rebuilt the seemingly unbuildable Illini women's basketball team into a force to be reckoned with. Yes, the Illini lost by double digits to Notre Dame last weekend, but Illini fans can be thankful they now can compete at that level.

Be thankful the Bears are improved from 2022. OK, so there was nowhere to go but up from last year's league-worst season. At least they took that step. And there's reason to hope they can keep stepping up - if they make the right moves.

OK, maybe I'm a hopelessly naive optimist. Guilty as charged. But it beats wallowing in the kind of misery that Chicago sports can suck us into.

One more thing: I'm thankful to be working with such a talented, dedicated group of writers and editors. And I'm thankful to you for reading the Daily Herald. Thank you for supporting local journalism.

Happy Thanksgiving.