From the Football Dad’s house, we bring you great tidings of joy. Our stockings are hung, the cookies and milk await the big guy, and the presents lie neatly wrapped under the tree. So, what we like to do at this point is heat up some hot chocolate and pop in a Christmas themed movie. With that in mind, I thought I’d give you a list of my favorite Christmas movies. I must warn you, I am not too sappy, so you won’t find The Christmas Story or Miracle on 34^th Street. Plus, those were really before my time. I’ve included a mix of comedy and action films. So, walk down memory lane with me as we view these holiday classics again, after the jump.

5. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation:  Clark Griswold‘s holiday hijinx had me rolling in the aisle when I saw this movie. Since this movie was PG-13, I saw it before Vacation. My favorite part? Just about anything involving Cousin Eddie.

4. The Grinch Who Stole Christmas:  Some of the more recent Christmas movies are fantastic, as numbers four and three on my list will prove. Since I have a seven and three year old, I watch them about 36 times a year. However, Jim Carrey’s portrayal of the self-absorbed Grinch was perfect. The movie is uplifting, appropriate for kids, and quite funny.

3. Elf.: Who doesn’t want the world’s best cup of coffee? This is Child 1’s all time favorite movie. For three months after he first saw it, every time he went to the bathroom he yelled "These toilets are ginormous!" Those kind of every day funny memories impact me more than the classics. Plus, we have our annual spaghetti with maple syrup breakfast to look forward to. Bon Appetit!:

2. Die Hard:  My father was a career Army soldier, and our family lived in England in the late 1980’s. We moved to Tampa, Florida in 1989, several months after the release of Die Hard. I wanted to see that movie so bad I would record commercials on the VCR and watch them five or ten times. I had to wait until it came out on video, as going to the movies was less frequent in those days. The first time John McClain flipped off that crappy Rolex and sent Hans Gruber to his death I leapt off the couch. I used to dream up scenarios of terrorists taking over my junior high school, with me escaping into the heating vents and going "Nakatomi" on them. I’ll always have a fondness for yellow dye number five and limousine drivers named Argyle. I spent months campaigning with the Significant Other to make Child 1’s middle name Argyle. I refuse to let any of you know whether or not I was successful. At any rate, Buc ‘Em, Buubby, enjoy this one and dream of an exciting Christmas.

1. The 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Super Bowl DVD:  Technically, this movie takes place after Christmas, but Santa showed up to the Vet in plenty of time as far as I’m concerned. He left me two wonderful presents: the Joe Jurevicious catch, and the Ronde Barber interception. When Donovan McNabb hand wrapped that pick six to Barber, it was the culmination of thirteen years of following the Buccaneers. Thirteen years of heart ache, of hopes dashed and filled. Rooting for the Buccaneers is what we do in our family, we have since 1989. Since Christmas is mostly about family, what better movie to remember good times than our Super Bowl DVD? Child 1 even asks to watch it occasionally, and I tell stories about the Ray Perkins years, Warren Sapp falling to us in the draft, hiring Tony Dungy, shaking John Lynch’s hand at training camp, and the Super Bowl party where we jumped up and down in celebration.  Merry Christmas to you, Jon Gruden.  Merry Christmas to you! 

Right now, our team stinks, but we are building towards that new era, toward the next title. Will this take thirteen years? I don’t know, but I think you enjoy it more when it doesn‘t happen every year, you relish the victory more. Do Yankees fans understand what a real title feels like? You can’t buy a Super Bowl, you have to build a team. You need a few breaks along the way, a few bold moves, and some genuine talent. This Christmas, watch that Super Bowl DVD and remember why we watch. This game brings us joy, but tempers us with pain. Wherever you are, please think of those abroad in service of the country, and have a great Christmas.