Season’s greetings, Huskie fans. The smell of turkey and candied yams are in the air.

Students are celebrating three days off school. And finally, a special holiday edition of From the Bleachers.

With Thanksgiving on the horizon, here are some thanks that should be given involving NIU athletics.

-NIU Athletic Director Jim Phillips -in attendance at Saturday’s Indiana Pacers vs. Detroit Pistons game/brawl – can be thankful he left the game early. Otherwise, Indiana’s Ron Artest certainly would have found his way to Phillips’ box seats, looking for trouble.

-The Toledo Rockets should be thankful for the eye injury to tailback Garrett Wolfe. Had NIU’s starting running back not been hit in a Nov. 7 altercation, the Huskies would have already celebrated a MAC West title.

-The University of Maryland should also pay homage to another Huskie injury. Had quarterback Josh Haldi not missed the season opener with a stress fracture to his right foot, Maryland’s home winning streak of 13 would have ended at 11.

-Bowling Green can be thankful for the loss they suffered at the hands of NIU. Had the Huskies not have shown BG the proper way to play football, the Falcons would not be nearly as dominant as they have been lately.

-NIU can thank ESPN sports columnist Wayne Drehs’ less than flattering article about NIU’s supposed inferiority complex. Apparently, NIU students’ inability to gain admittance into the University of Illinois is the reason Huskie football is the best college football program in the state.

-The NIU Athletic Department should be thankful for its football fans. Despite only having the ninth largest stadium in the MAC, NIU has had this season’s best attendance turnout, averaging 27,052 fans a game.

-NIU volleyball can be thankful for the career senior outside hitter Tera Lobdell had in a Huskies uniform. Her school and conference record-setting performance of 696 kills for a career was a bright spot in an otherwise disappointing 14-19 season for the volleyball team this year.

-Hopefully these aren’t the only things Huskie fans can be thankful for this week. Football gods, if you’re listening: add a MAC West title to the feast.