It is time to gather with family and give thanks. While you prepare for the holiday, pausing to give thanks for the things that truly matter, we offer gratitude for some of the people for whom New England sports fans should be thankful. It's not a list of things that truly matter, not even close. But as we cheer for our New England teams, there is plenty to be happy about right now.

And if you cheer for New York teams, be thankful we put up with you in our midst.

* Give thanks for Matt Cassel. With back-to-back 400-yard passing games, he is showing he has an arm to match those scrambling legs. He's the Patriots' best rushing quarterback since Steve Grogan ran for 35 career touchdowns some three decades ago. Now that Cassel's finding Randy Moss, there is cause for hope in Foxborough.

* Give thanks for Milan Lucic. He's a fighter. He's a scorer. He's the hottest thing to wear the black and gold since Cam Neely hoisted his No. 8 into the rafters nearly five years ago. The Bruins began the week with the best record in the Eastern Conference, giving up the second-fewest goals in the league. Defense wins games, but it doesn't excite the fans. Blood, sweat and fear do, and Lucic provides a healthy dose of all three every time he takes the ice.

* Give thanks for Rajon Rondo. The third-year point guard has settled nicely into his role as the little engine that runs a championship offense. A year ago, we wondered how he would find enough chances to distribute the ball to the likes of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. Now we know he can do it. And when the defense allows, he can still take the ball to the basket as he did with nine first-quarter points in a win at Toronto Sunday.

* Give thanks for Theo Epstein. He won't overpay for Jason Varitek, even though it would be easy to do. He hasn't said much about Mark Teixeira or A.J. Burnett, which means he's probably deep in discussions on both players. Have you ever felt more confident one of our team's general managers would do the right thing? He blew up a championship team after the 2004 season and won another title in 2007. Now, he's again positioning the team for the future.

• Give thanks for Jack Cosgrove. He's coached the University of Maine football team back into the NCAA playoffs. The Black Bears are in the postseason for the first time since 2002, reaching the goal by winning six of their last seven games. Cosgrove has led the program at Orono since 1993, and he has worked as hard as any coach to keep his alma mater a contender.

* Give thanks for Kevin Youkilis. Dustin Pedroia was named MVP, but Youkilis was the team's most versatile player this season. He unselfishly moved over to third base after Mike Lowell was injured and stepped into the cleanup spot in the batting order after the Manny Ramirez trade. He led the team in home runs and RBI, pretty impressive for a guy once called the "Greek God of Walks."

* Give thanks for Randy Moss. He said he was disrespected by the Dolphins' one-on-one coverage Sunday, so he hauled in three touchdown passes. He's as fun to watch as any player on a Boston-area team and has proven he can back up his big words with even bigger play. Again.

In fact, give thanks for football, period. If not for football, you'd have to figure out what to do with all those people in your house Thursday afternoon.

Tom Caron is the studio host for Red Sox broadcasts on the New England Sports Network. His column appears in the Press Herald on Tuesdays.