Christmas thoughts and a sports wish list

A few thoughts from the week in sports …

By the time this column arrives on newsstands or in the mail, Christmas 2025 will have been celebrated, and many people will be planning for New Year’s Eve.

Christmas is, of course, a time for celebrating the birth of Jesus, and both holidays are best spent with family and friends. They are holidays filled with reflection, fun and hope.

These are times for not-so-serious stuff too, like gag gifts, watching National Lampoon's "Christmas Vacation" for the 50th time and playing games with the family.

It's a time for giving and receiving — and acting like you love each gift, even if some will probably sit in a closet.

Just before the deadline for the last Bargain Hunter and Wooster Weekly News editions of the year, here's my holiday wish list for area sports fans. If even some of these requests come true, 2026 will be a great year.

For the Browns, a brain

Someone in the Browns’ organization needs to harness their brain power and make some smart decisions in the offseason. Then they need to talk others in Jimmy Haslam’s dysfunctional building into listening.

The decisions Haslam, GM Andrew Berry & Co. keep making obviously aren’t working.

The Browns lost for the 26th time in 32 games when the Buffalo Bills edged them 23-20 in Cleveland Dec. 21.

Coach Kevin Stefanski continues to have more and more fans calling for him to be fired, but could any coach win with the terrible group of offensive linemen and wide receivers on the roster? Or the quarterback carousel Berry has given the coaching staff?

To make matters worse, rookie running back Quinshon Judkins suffered a dislocated ankle and fractured fibula after catching a pass from fellow rookie Shedeur Sanders in the first half. The Browns were already playing without tight end David Njoku (knee injury) and running back Dylan Sampson (hand).

The Browns have promising veteran and young players and showed their potential by staying close with the playoff-bound Bills. Cleveland also has lots of high draft picks in 2026.

The building blocks are there, but the Browns need to get smarter about their roster. The quarterback position has been the biggest train wreck. I think the majority of fans doubted if undersized Dillon Gabriel was a smart pick in the third round of the 2025 draft, and he hasn't gotten the job done. Veteran Joe Flacco’s return also was a flop.

Cleveland should bolster the O-line and receiving corps in the 2026 draft and give Sanders an extended look next season. I think he’s shown the skills and moxie needed to be a winning quarterback.

It’s probably warranted to fire Stefanski, but the problems run deeper than him. Berry has made a lot more bad decisions than smart ones.

For the Cavaliers, better health

The Cavs owned a 15-14 record and were in the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference standings at press deadline for this column. They had lost seven of their last 10 games.

The NBA season is a marathon, and teams that are peaking and healthy entering the playoffs perform the best.

Evan Mobley, Darius Garland, Max Strus and Sam Merrill have all been dealing with injuries.

Garland’s toe injury in last season’s playoffs cost the Cavs a chance to beat the Pacers in the East semifinals. If these veterans can return to form in the next couple of months, the Cavs still have the talent to make a playoff run.

For the Guardians, a veteran hitter

A lineup loaded with young, unproven hitters is not what Jose Ramirez signed up for when he committed to an extremely club-friendly seven-year contract in 2022.

Ramirez and Steven Kwan are All-Stars, but there wasn’t much production behind them in the 2025 lineup. In fact, the anemic lineups in most games had three, four or even five batters hitting in the .100s. That’s pathetic and the fault of the owner, front office and one of MLB’s lowest payrolls.

It’s a shame because Ramirez is headed to the Hall of Fame, Kwan is a great player and the pitching staff is outstanding. The Guards just don’t have enough offense to make a deep playoff run.

Fans like myself wish the Dolan ownership team would spend some money and sign even just one solid veteran hitter. But every interview we hear from the front office leads us to believe they’ll stick with the Dollar General-type plan of letting the inexpensive, young players develop.

For Ohio State, repeat title

As the reigning national champion, there’s only one way the Ohio State fan base will be satisfied: a repeat title.

The second-seeded Buckeyes (12-2) will begin defense of the title in the Cotton Bowl on New Year’s Eve when they face 10th-seeded Miami (11-2) in the quarterfinals.

Just like last year, Ohio State will come into the playoffs after losing to a Big Ten opponent and having a long break. Coach Ryan Day and his team made lots of improvements for the playoffs a year ago, and here’s hoping they can do the same.

Area high school and youth teams, have fun

It’s great to win, get lots of playing time and put up big statistics. There’s nothing wrong with also setting a goal of playing in college.

However, athletes and their parents should try their best to have fun each step along the way and enjoy the ride. Relationships with coaches and teammates, which can become lifelong friendships, are what athletes will remember most. Have fun each step along the way, whether it’s an 8 a.m. practice, ride to the game or funny moments that can occur every day.

For our readers, Happy New Year

I wish our readers good health, peace and prosperity in 2026. Whether I’m out and about or checking my emails, it’s always nice to hear from readers who say they enjoy my articles or comment on a specific story. I also hear lots of good things about other Bargain Hunter writers, as well as the paper’s print and online coverage. Thanks for the support!

For this columnist, see you in 2026

I look forward to writing more feature articles and columns in 2026. Happy New Year.

Aaron Dorksen can be emailed at aarondorksen24@gmail.com.