From the editor: Cincinnati-inspired thank-you notes – with apologies to Jimmy Fallon

One of my favorite bits that Jimmy Fallon does on "The Tonight Show" is Thank You Notes.

For the unfamiliar, the "Saturday Night Live" veteran riffs on pop culture and current events by crafting tongue-in-cheek thank-you letters.

Need an example? Here’s one we all can relate to:

“Thank you, hard taco shells, for surviving the long journey from factory, to supermarket, to my plate and then breaking the moment I put something inside you.”

In case you missed it, Fallon drew inspiration from our November election with a thank-you note written to the Buckeye State:

“Thank you, Ohio, for legalizing recreational weed. Wait. You’re telling me a state known for eating chili on top of spaghetti just now legalized weed?”

It wasn’t the first time Fallon name-dropped Cincinnati-style chili on his show. Last year, when speaking to an audience member from the Queen City, the late-night talk show host said, "I've been to Cincinnati when it's cold and – man, oh, man – there's nothing like having the pasta with the chili on it.”

Fallon’s reference to chili during his thank-you note segment – complete with a picture of a 5-way on the screen – got me thinking. What else from Cincinnati might prompt a pithy note of gratitude?

So, in honor of Thanksgiving weekend, I offer these locally inspired Fallon-esque thank-you notes.

◼︎ Thank you, Travis Kelce, for giving University of Cincinnati football fans something to get excited about this season.

◼︎ Thank you, Cincinnati Southern Railway Board of Trustees, for making us collectively say, “Wait, what? We own a railroad?”

◼︎ Thank you, Cincinnati Reds, for bringing Viking helmets back in style.

◼︎ Thank you, goetta balls, for proving once again that anything can be eaten if you deep fry it.

◼︎ Thank you, Joe Burrow’s calf, for giving Bengals fans a preseason glimpse of what to expect in the second half of the regular season.

◼︎ Thank you, Carew Tower, for making us forget for a moment about the chunks of concrete falling from the Western Hills viaduct.

◼︎ Thank you, Bavarian veal bratwurst, for giving pork a run for its money as “the other white meat.”

◼︎ Thank you, Blake Maislin, for having the only phone number I can recall from memory without opening the contacts on my phone.

◼︎ Thank you, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, for telling the world, yes, it's perfectly acceptable to eat Skyline Chili for breakfast.

◼︎ Thank you, Bob Huggins, for keeping the “A drive into deep left field by Castellanos” memes alive.

◼︎ Thank you, again, Travis Kelce, for making “what’s a jabroni” the number one search term on Google after last season’s AFC Championship game.

◼︎ Thank you, State Route 562 signs, for confusing visitors when locals tell them to take the Norwood Lateral.

◼︎ Thank you, Graeter’s chocolate chip ice cream, for the excitement of possibly excavating a chunk of chocolate as big as a charcoal briquette.

◼︎ And thank you, WKRP in Cincinnati, for making our city synonymous with Thanksgiving. As God is my witness…

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On a more serious note: Thank you, Enquirer readers – especially those of you have invested in local journalism with a subscription to The Enquirer. If you’re not a subscriber, please consider supporting our work by taking advantage of our latest offers online at subscribe.cincinnati.com.

On behalf of the staff of The Enquirer, have a Happy Thanksgiving and a blessed holiday season.

Enquirer Executive Editor Beryl Love writes a biweekly column that takes you behind the scenes at The Enquirer. Occasionally, he shares his thoughts on local issues, particularly as they pertain to a free press and open government. Love also serves as regional editor for the USA TODAY Network Ohio. Email him at blove@enquirer.com. He can’t respond personally to every email, but he reads them all.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati thank you notes inspired by Tonight Show Jimmy Fallon