Happy Thanksgiving, everyone

Hey everyone. I’m going to depart from the usual tenor of this here blog for a few minutes — I hope that’s acceptable.

I just wanted to talk about a few of the things I’m thankful for as a Real Salt Lake fan and blogger, and I wanted to give all of you a chance to do the same, too.

It’s been a rough-and-tumble two years of soccer — from missing the playoffs for the first time in ages, to getting knocked out by the same team when we’ve made it in.

But you know what? Those things aren’t really the important parts.

What I’m really thankful for is that, despite the struggles, we’re still here — that we haven’t folded or up and moved to another city.

I’m thankful that we have players who are so passionate about the team and community that, even if they have an intense falling out with parts of the front office, they still want to be part of the community. They’re lifers, really. I’m thankful that, even though Javier Morales has left, he wants to be here. Not every team gets a player like that in their short history.

Even if our coaching staff draws criticism regularly, I’m thankful that they’re willing to admit mistakes sometimes. We were all pretty unhappy with the way the season ended, and knowing that we weren’t the only ones means something.

I’m thankful that we have a group of players now who we still can’t imagine parting with, even if we will likely have to some day. And I’m doubly grateful that we have an academy system that’s producing not just incredible players, but excellent people. I’m thankful that we have a system that affords young people an opportunity to attend college when they may not otherwise have had that chance.

And finally, I’m grateful for you, dear readers — and, yes, commenters. Every time I read the comments here, even when I agree, I’m happy that we can have conversations about the topics of the day, and that we almost always remain civil. For every time I voice frustration in the comments, I should be required to read Facebook comments — the contrast is intense. Thank you for helping to make this a great community, and I hope that can continue for a long time.

Thanks, everyone, for indulging me. Why don’t you share some of the things on your mind today?