With visions of colleague Danny Lanzetta’s wish list-themed column last week running through my head, I turned my attention to the New Year and its most cherished pastime – resolutions.
The New Year’s resolution can take on many forms – weight loss, more leisure time, fewer awful habits –but it’s almost unanimously designed for improvement. And what arena is geared more toward perpetual advancement than sports? So here’s a look at some resolutions notable sports figures should make for 2008, in no particular order.
Isiah Thomas: Quit. Now. Isiah has done more to ruin one of sports’ premiere franchises than I would have thought was humanly possible, and together with owner James Dolan, he’s reduced the Knicks to an NBA laughingstock. For that reason, 2008 should be the year Isiah leaves town. Get fired, quit or get sued (again) – the method is not important. What is important is that he stops polluting the Knicks as soon as possible.
Eli Manning: Get angry. A little more emotion from Eli would be welcome, particularly with the Giants beginning the postseason this weekend against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. And I don’t mean angry as in, “I just threw another interception and I’m sulking my way to the sidelines.” I want Manning to take charge in huddles, get in guys’ faces on the field and exude a stronger presence than the one he currently gives off. He’s got the arm to be a good NFL quarterback, no doubt. Some leadership and fire would go a long way toward completing the package.
Alex Rodriguez: Bring a World Series title to the Bronx. After signing his record-setting contract during a tumultuous offseason, this would help him finally cement his status as a bona-fide New York star. Fans have been split on A-Rod since he got to Gotham, mainly because of the perception by some that he’s bigger than the game or the team (his endless fixation on setting records rather than winning a World Series certainly doesn’t help). But with the Red Sox looking dominant, this would be a great year for A-Rod to rise up and lead the Yanks back to a championship.
Bill Belichick: Smile. Or at least stop looking so contemptible. The fun of watching the finest regular season in NFL history was tainted by Belichick’s surly presence, from the videotaping scandal during Week 1 to the sideline camera shots that make him look like he’s in some kind of police lineup. I understand him wanting to keep his team intense and prepared this year (his mantra has been “60 Minutes” since New England blew a second-half lead to the Colts in the playoffs last year), but would it kill you to crack a smile or act like you’re enjoying watching one of the greatest offensive teams in league history? I’m not asking for much – some occasional affection for Tom Brady or a high-five now and then would be fine.
Barry Bonds: Go away. This could probably have been an item in this column for the past five years, but I have real hope this time that Bonds is actually finished in baseball. After setting the all-time home run record this season, he was charged this fall with perjury and obstruction of justice for lying to a federal grand jury about his steroid use. He’s not under contract with any team for next season, and although he had plenty of power this season, he definitely can’t play every day anymore. Add his legal baggage and general bad attitude to the list, and even the chance to see him add to his record may not be enough to convince teams to take a chance on signing him. It goes without saying, but good riddance.
Michael Vick: Learn something. If it’s been a tough year for Bonds, it’s been a near-impossible year for Vick, who was sentenced to 23 months in federal prison last month for his role in a dog-fighting scandal. Although that’s a long time to be out of football and still try to return, Vick has a real chance to turn a negative into a positive by redeeming himself once he gets out of jail. If sports teaches us nothing else, it’s that there’s always time for second chances, meaning that Vick, given the chance to return, should resolve to turn himself into a positive example – denounce the “sport” of dog-fighting and his former associates and be appropriately respectful of what his chance to play football for a living means to him. It’s not too late for Vick to pay for his crimes and become a positive community example rather than another reason for people (me, generally included) to be jaded about sports.
The NHL: More outdoor games, please. The league held the first regular season outdoor game in NHL history in Buffalo on New Year’s Day, and it was a tremendous success. The blowing snow and wind made for stunning visuals on a man-made rink in Buffalo’s Ralph Wilson Stadium (home of the Bills), and the game itself was dramatic and fast-paced – exactly the elements that the NHL needs to showcase in its continued attempt to regain its status among major American sports. The game, won 2-1 by the Pittsburgh Penguins over the Sabres, showed hockey’s roots in the perfect setting: 71,000 fans who stayed right through the end of overtime and a Sidney Crosby shootout goal that sealed the win. In a game with a lot of potential to backfire, the NHL nailed it. Keep the innovation up.
Tiger Woods: Keep winning. It’s not always popular, but you can’t go wrong rooting for Tiger Woods: he’s at the top of his game professionally. Of all the prolific winners in sports, Woods out-wins them all – he’s closing in on the record for majors and all-time wins and he gives off a presence that very few athletes have. He’s as intimidating a presence as you can find on a field, court or course, and he’s still in his prime. It’s possible that we’re watching the greatest golfer ever, and the best thing he could do for the sport would be to keep winning. Of course, he doesn’t need me making his resolutions for him. But it can’t hurt, right?