Oops! Santa forgot quite a few presents Plenty of items left over on Mainers’ lists

Hope all you readers had a very merry Christmas and happy Hanukkah too.

Although Christmas is now in the rear view mirror while Kwanzaa and Boxing Day are upon us – In this country, Boxing Day means jumping in the car, flooring it to the nearest shopping center or mall, elbowing and jostling your way through hordes of shoppers, and bringing boxes of returned items to the store and/or coming back out with more boxes of merchandise which was drastically reduced in after-Christmas slash-and-burn sales – it’s not too late to offer up some Christmas presents that might have been overlooked and undelivered, but shouldn’t have been.

So if Santa Claus hasn’t already put his sleigh on blocks, laid off some elves, and boarded a flight to Maui, here’s the list:

. To all Maine cable subscribers (and all the rest nationwide, for that matter): Reduced cable TV bills, or if that’s just asking too much, a fairly lengthy freeze on the rapidly increasing monthly rates. Every time I open my monthly cable bill, that siren song of satellite TV is getting louder and clearer.

. To loyal Boston Red Sox fans: A summer of success and excitement (the good kind, not the dramatic, pull-the-rug-out-from-under-you brand of excitement the Sox are infamous for) and a memorable fall in which the Olde Towne Team finally claims the World Series trophy as delirious TV viewers and radio listeners follow every pitch.

. To former WLBZ-TV sports director Wayne Harvey: A good broadcasting job in the radio or television ranks. Harvey is too solid to be left out in the cold and his on-air ability would be an asset to any station. Here’s hoping he’s not out of the business for too long a time.

. To the Bangor Lumberjacks baseball team: A radio broadcasting contract that allows listeners to follow all the games live and a TV deal that lets people catch a couple of games and gives the independent league team a bit more exposure as it builds up its fan base.

. To Maine high school basketball fans: Some kind of arrangement that allows people to see more tournament game action live on television. I know the new deals proposed by both WABI and Maine Public Broadcasting Service (Maine PBS) didn’t include Class A quarterfinal coverage, but it would be great if someone with some scheduling flexibility could find a way to air quarterfinal action from all four classes.

. For New York Giants fans: A quick and merciful end to their team’s sad season and less last-minute interference from the Fox Network when it comes to Giants telecasts on local affiliate WFVX in Bangor.

. For New England Patriots fans: Another long and glorious ride through the NFL playoffs and a second victorious Super Bowl appearance – snow angels, John Madden second-guesses, tuck rules and all. Here’s hoping the Pats can add another Lombardi trophy for bookends and make it two titles out of the last three years.

. To Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi: A lucrative endorsement deal with Samuel Adams beer of Boston. How can a popular New England professional athlete who has a last name like Bruschi (pronounced Brew-ski) not be spokesman for Boston Beer Company?

. To ESPN broadcaster Chris Berman: A family-size box of cough drops, some Listerine, and a bottle of Cepacol for the sore throat and laryngitis he gives himself every winter because of the unnecessary and distracting shouting he does during the ESPN Primetime NFL highlights show.

Well, hope those Christmas wishes haven’t been made too late, but hey, if they don’t come true, don’t feel too bad. The top item on my wish list hasn’t been checked off yet either. Oh well, maybe Santa will leave that VIP pass to Playboy mansion in my stocking next year.

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