Here at Chicks in the Huddle, we understand the importance of giving thanks during this special time of the year for the little things, like wide receivers who don’t have their butt cracks exposed on national tv to the big things like concussion free quarterbacks and perfect seasons. As for me, Nola Chick, I’m most thankful for all the wonderful readers who’ve supported this site from it’s early days on blogger with that awful blue background and the new readers and fans who keep us chugging along. And lest I forget, all the new chicks who are apparently just as insanely obsessed with their teams as I am.

Let the record reflect, I am least thankful for being forced to watch the Lions on Thanksgiving…again. As for the other Chicks, I’ll let them speak for themselves…

Mother Hen, A Saints Chick
On this Saintsgiving, fans of the Black and Gold have much for which to be thankful. Over the course of our 40+ year history, the Saints have left little to be desired for its fans. Yet, we hung in there, supported our boys, and now they are giving back to us in ways we could have never imagined.

Since Hurricane Katrina and its ensuing levee breaches of 2005, the Saints have also given residents of southern Louisiana a reason to hope for a better future and the fortitude to rebuild our lives, our home, and our city. And, each Sunday, they give us a reason to forget the hardships of the last four years. That is a gift not to be underestimated and something never to be forgotten.

1. Thank you Tom and Rita Benson for ensuring that the Saints stay in New Orleans and for not moving them to places such as Texas or California—Egads, imagine the thought!

2.Thank you Sean Payton for taking a chance on the Saints and on Louisiana, despite daunting circumstances. And, thank you for bringing on some of the best coordinators and assistant coaches in the league.

3. Many sincere thanks to the San Diego Chargers and the Miami Dolphins on the boneheaded move of passing on Drew Brees. Remind me to send you both a bottle of champagne when we go undefeated this season.

4. 10-0. We are friggin 10-0. I don’t even know how to begin thanking the team for this little nugget.

5. Hey, Darren Sharper, Anthony Hargrove, Will Smith, Charles Grant, and the rest of our under-rated defense, have I told you recently how much I completely adore you? And, welcome home, Mike McKenzie! You deserve to be on this Superbowl team.

6. To our offensive line: you protect our quarterback and provide lanes for our running backs with little or no accolades. THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

7. Our running backs, our sweet, wonderful, darling running backs who showed that the Saints can have a balanced offense. Thank you for your efforts and for working together as a team. Reggie, I know that this season has been difficult to handle and you’ve been a real champ! Now, let’s get to a-running!

8. As for our special teams, I know that possibly once or twice you’ve made it to the Quit It list, but as of late, you’ve held your own and Courtney Roby, keep up those touchdowns!

The Great Buddy D Feeding the Sage Squirrel

9. I am ever so grateful and thankful that I got to see the day when Saints fans seriously discuss homefield advantage for the playoffs in November…in November!

10. And, Buddy D, this one is for you…You may not be with us to watch this explosive offense, hard-nosed defense, and savvy special teams, but we know that you are feeding the great squirrel in the sky and I will be ever-so thankful when Bobby Hebert wears a dress in your honor come 2010.

Steelers Chick:
I’m thankful for six Super Bowl rings, the Rooneys, an excuse to drink on Sundays, and other Steelers fans, who are just as obsessed, passionate, psychotic, and weird about this team as I am.

Bucs Chick:
The Bucs have given us so much to be thankful for this year that I wanted to put my thoughts in an acrostic poem.

Thank you, by Bucs Chick

Thanks for the heartburn, and the
Hours of misery
And thank you for making me blue.
Nine times we’ve lost, you see, though
Kickers, we’ve had three.
So I’d like an extra point for that, or two.

Freeman is the one bright spot.
Our QB for years to come.
Raheem caught a break with that one–without JF he’d be done.

Not Clooney Clayton is overpaid,
Other receivers are mediocre.
The defense can’t stop the run, and they kind of play like Al Roker.
How can a team expect to win like that?
I guess they can’t. It sucks.
Now we are 1-9.
Good luck winning any more, Bucs.

Colts Chick:
Dear God, Santa, or whomever your prefer,
As a Colts fan I’m thankful for oh so much!

1. I’m thankful that we drafted Peyton Manning. I’d list his stats and accomplishments but I don’t have that much time or energy. Let’s just say he’s better than YOUR quarterback.
2. I’m thankful we beat the Patriots. I hate them and they are evil.
3. I’m thankful for Reggie Wayne. Marvin who?
4. I’m very very thankful for Joseph Addai he knows where the end zone is.
5. I love Dwight Freeney. Feel free to wrap him in a bow for me. Not only does he sack QB’s a lot. He’s fine. Thanks.
6. I’m thankful we’re undefeated. Loss? I don’t know what that feels like. Oh wait. I’m actually a Titans fan who loves Peyton Manning. So I do know what that feels like.
7. I’m thankful we’re not the Browns. Thank you.
8. I’m thankful our multitude of injuries haven’t affected our season.
9. I’m thankful Tony Dungy hand picked Jim Caldwell to coach. He’s done well.
10. I’m thankful for Lucas Oil Field. When it’s pretty outside we can play outside. When it’s nasty and AFC South Chick is at the game we can protect her hair by closing the roof.

Packers Chick:
I am thankful for Alex Smith. B/c if not for him, there is no way
that Aaron Rodgers would have fallen to the Packers at pick #24. He’s
our guy now, and I support him.

Bills Chick:
-The season being more than half over. I never want to say goodbye to football for those 7 empty and under-stimulating months, but the sooner we can start focusing on how to win in 2010, the better. Not starting out my Monday mornings in a fog of depression will be nice too.

-Coors Light. Its pint-form is crazy cheap and I don’t know how I would have gotten through Sundays without it.

-Fred Jackson, Lee Evans, Rian Lindell and the entire D. Y’all are a glimmer of hope in a storm of horrifying game play.

-Bills fans on Twitter. Working through our grief together has kept me going. Teamwork!

-The throwback uniforms we’ve been rockin’ in honor of the 50th Anniversary. Not only are they pretty snazzy, but .sometimes I can pretend we’re actually back in time…that usually doesn’t last very long.

-The fact that the Bills always try their hardest, give it their all and put their hearts fully into each game. Win or lose, they never give up and when the season progresses the way this one has, staying that devoted and motivated deserves a pat on the back.

-Chicks in the Huddle. Interacting with ladies who truly love and appreciate the game of football is refreshing. Collectively despising those females who use football as an excuse to “impress” and flirt with guys is…empowering.

Dolphins Chick:

Through the winning, losing, and trying, this Dol-fan is thankful for the 4 Rs:

Reunion: Jason Taylor is back home where he belongs! His year away has been forgotten, and it feels as if he never left.

Redemption: Ricky Williams’ story is like something right out of a storybook. We saw him rise and we watched him fall. His resurgence this season shows beyond a shadow of a doubt that Ricky is a new man. So proud of you, Ricky!

Running: I’m thankful for the wildcat and the excitement it has brought to our offense. While leading the wildcat formation, Ronnie Brown ran his way into my heart. I hope he can recoup, because the Ronnie-Ricky tandem is so much fun to watch!

Rebuilding: I’ve never liked Bill Parcells. But he’s taken this team and reshaped it. We are finally looking forward to what will be, rather than looking back wishing for what once was. No more quick-fix, all-we-need-is-one-guy philosophy. No more pie-in-the-sky romanticism built around one superstar. Just realism. And the reality is that this Dolphins team is improving each week. We’re resilient. We’ve lost our # 1 QB, our #1 RB, and we’ve suffered a slew of other injuries. But we’ve endured. We have surprising depth–Henne coming along, the future looks bright for rookies Sperry, Hilliard, and Hartline, and the OL has weathered all kinds of trouble. When called upon, players are rising to the occasion.

Never before has .500 felt so good! The glass is half-full right now. We’re on the way up, and there is hope for the years ahead. Go, Dolphins!