It’s not easy to come up with a list of thanks to give and turkeys to name while fighting through a tryptophan-induced haze, especially with every Dunkin’ Donuts in sight closed, but list I shall as we officially kick off the holiday season.

Thank you’s:

. George Hale is back on the air, where he has become a Bangor institution. The 71-year-old broadcaster may hail from New York, but he’s as ingrained in local Maine culture as potatoes, blueberries and mosquitoes. He has been involved in broadcasting games on radio, television or both from the Eastern Maine basketball tournament for almost 50 years.

Hale was absent from the airwaves as morning show host on Bangor radio station WABI (910 AM) and as high school football play-by-play man for three weeks, but he’s been back on the job in the morning and will return to the sidelines in less than two weeks.

Sure, Hale has his moments of misidentified players or talking with Al Hackett a little too long about what Al ate for lunch, but it’s all part of the charm and personalization he brings to the microphone. Welcome back, George.

. Nate Long may be Bangor’s most underrated sportscaster, and a lot of that may have to do with the fact his station has long been considered the market’s weak sister among the three major local affiliates. But the sports director at WVII (Channel 7) makes the most of the least and does it without trying to be a Stuart Scott or Jim Rome clone.

Long isn’t big on shtick or gimmicks. For the most part, he just gives you the scores, the highlights and the news. For that, people should be thankful – especially in this current error of schlock and showmanship over substance and sense.

The Massachusetts native, who’s been at WVII for three years, doesn’t sugarcoat things, even if it means he or his station may take a hit. When on-screen graphics and tape went haywire a couple weeks ago, a clearly frustrated Long simply stated the obvious – something went wrong – and apologized. That’s a refreshing approach.

. The emergence of college athletic conference-produced TV game broadcast packages. These productions, like the one started by America East last year, allow local stations as well as regional cable networks to carry more telecasts involving local colleges. This trend has benefited the University of Maine by allowing more football, basketball and hockey broadcasts to appear on more stations (WABI and WVII) and networks (New England Sports Network, Fox Sports Net New England, ESPN), reaching more fans, and increasing visibility.

. The continually-evolving utilization of the Internet as radio stations like Bangor’s WZON (620 AM) and TV stations like Bangor’s WABI (Channel 5) break new ground in Webstreaming and Webcasting with live broadcasts of local college and high school games. This forward-thinking strategy has helped bring games to far-flung alumni and fans all over the world who would ordinarily hardly ever see or hear them.

Pass the turkeys:

. The cable TV industry, specifically the networks, all get a drumstick for persistently raising fees charged to cable companies for inclusion on their basic cable lineup. Networks such as NESN and ESPN are starting to cut off their noses to spite their faces as smaller cable providers are starting to just say no. Rather than pass spiraling cost increases onto subscribers, smaller providers are opting instead to drop these sports channels. The point of diminishing returns may have been reached.

. The Maine Principals’ Association for ending a 50-year tradition by refusing WABI proposals for Eastern Maine Class A tournament TV coverage from the quarterfinals through the state finals. Although Maine Public Broadcasting has capably filled the breach and Western/Southern Maine fans are able to see their regional semis for the first time, it’s still a net loss for Eastern Maine hoop fans with the absence of live quarterfinal coverage on TV. It’s a sad way to commemorate a golden anniversary.

. Major League Baseball and Fox Network officials who overlooked the people in “flyover country” yet again and left thousands of New England viewers unable to see game one of the Boston Red Sox-New York Yankees American League championship Series. Oops … That rates a giant “E” in the scorebook.

Andrew Neff can be reached at 990-8205, 1-800-310-8600, or aneff@bangordailynews.net