December 31, 2008
New Year's Resolutions
By Jeff NeumanThe dawn of a new year is a time for reflection on the twelve months past, and for looking ahead with a fresh commitment to learn from our mistakes. Studies have shown that when people make explicit resolutions and write them down, they are substantially more likely to follow through on them.
Athletes are not immune to the urge to make resolutions and set goals. Former outfielder Mickey Rivers once defined his hopes for the coming season as "Hit .300, steal 50 bases, and stay injury-prone." While not all sports resolutions are as lofty as those, even the biggest names look ahead as we change the digits on the calendar and prepare to enter into the brave new world of 2009. RealClearSports presents a baker’s dozen of New Year's Resolutions for those in the World of Sports.
With the news of John Daly’s six-month suspension from the PGA, it may be time for him to reevaluate his life as 2009 begins: “I will only sleep in a bed from now on. I will always close my eyes when I sleep. I will try restaurants other than Hooters. I will stop offering to autograph my mug shots.”
As much of a turnaround as Daly might need, there’s perhaps no better example of an athlete who needs to set a plan and stick to it in 2009 than Brett Favre. Before he puts us through another merciless roller-coaster of will-he or won’t-he return for another season, he really should consider composing a resolution of his own: “I will remember, when my arm feels great in June, how banged up I feel right now. I will make a decision before the Super Bowl about retiring, and I will stick to it. And if someone asks me four months later if I’m coming back, I’ll stick to my decision. Unless I feel really good…NO. Not this time. Still, if they ask…”
But pledges for new behavior in 2009 are hardly reserved for those on the field. Just ask Hank Steinbrenner and Scott Boras, a pair who undoubtedly shared a maniacal laugh as they swapped New Year’s resolutions shortly after Mark Teixeria signed with the New York Yankees.
Hank Steinbrenner: “Dwyane Wade and LeBron James are going to be free agents? Let’s buy them, too. And the Brooklyn Bridge. Sure, we’ll tear it down and build a new one. How much do they want for AIG? No problem. And then we’ll buy the Phillies, the Red Sox, and Obama’s senate seat…”
Scott Boras: “After I’m done getting Derek Lowe and Oliver Perez contracts pegged to be no smaller than the National Debt, I will arrange for Mark Teixeira to bail out the auto industry, then I’ll go to Iraq and force the Sunnis and Shiites to trade the Kurds to a coastal country for a Stan to be named later.”
You see, those in sports are not much different from the average fan. They make mistakes just like we do (or in some cases, a lot more than we do), and just like us, they take full advantage of the New Year, and use it as a time to right the ship – or at least until they forget all about it sometime in February.
