We are nearing the end of another football season, so despite the joy of the holidays I am a little glum. However, that doesn’t mean that this football season has been perfect. In fact, as the Broncos need slightly more help to make the playoffs than Lloyd Christmas needed to land Mary Swanson, things are far from ideal. With that in mind, it is time from some New Year’s resolutions.
So, in 2010 I resolve to:
- Attend my first Bowl game (ok, I am attending my first Bowl game so this isn’t exactly aspirational but I figure you need to ease into this whole resolution thing)
- Pay proper homage to the finest football coach in NCAA history, a man who single-handedly built my alma mater from women’s school to college football power (while making sure that some of the best aspects of a “women’s school heritage” is maintained , see: Sterger, Jenn)
- Enjoy a Seminole being a legitimate Heisman contender next season while (possibly) being only the 2nd best QB on his roster (call this the Mark Ingram memorial Heisman)
- Watch the Seminoles re-emerge as an elite team with a classically talented offense, a young, revamped defense and a coaching staff that feels the need to prove itself.
- Apparently cut back on my drinking after re-reading the overly optimistic forecast for the Seminoles above
- Not make any jokes about the Florida Gators losing the SEC title game this season because they lacked the heart
- Point out that maybe Urban Meyer should have left UF – health concern or no health concern. Maybe he should’ve talked to Billy Donovan what life is like in Gainesville after his star players that were responsible for his early success have graduated
- Force Shadow to make the ultimate THH pick in next September’s Oklahoma vs. Florida State game
- Not remind him that I am the one that posts each week’s THH and hold ultimate editorial decisions
- Not call a screen pass on one out of every three offensive plays….oops that was one of Josh McDaniels’ resolutions, sorry about that
- Make myself feel better about the Broncos spending January on the couch by remembering that a team that loses at home to the Raiders doesn’t deserve to go to the playoffs.
- Remind all of those annoying Steeler fans that pop up every year that this same fact doesn’t change just because a team won a Super Bowl a year ago
- Enjoy the inevitable Cowboys and Vikings playoff disappointments
- Spend the offseason coming up with new and original ways to give my Bears’ friends a hard time after each Cutler interception and failure in the clutch
- Enjoy the coming initial euphoria and ultimate disappointment of whatever fan base ends up hiring Mike Shanahan. Redskins fans, I am looking at you.
- Re-post my original draft analysis of Eddie Royal and DeSean Jackson as yet another told-you-so to the Shanahan era in Denver and a word of a caution to any organization that gives Shanahan complete control over its personnel decisions
(Check this one off a little early – as written in April 2008: I know it is hard to believe that I think that Mike Shanahan screwed up in the draft (I am nothing if not consistent) but I do. Anyone who has followed the Broncos knew that Shanahan’s OCD tendencies toward specific positions of need would rear its head at some point (see defensive backs 2004-2005, defensive line 2007). So after making a good first round pick (an actual offensive lineman!) it was only a matter of time until a wide receiver was drafted (given he has already signed Kerry Colbert, Darrell Jackson and Samie Parker this offseason). I actually got excited when DeSean Jackson, Limas Sweed and Malcolm Kelly were still on the board. So, of course the Broncos drafted…Eddie Royal from Virginia Tech. Huh?
Apparently, Shanahan chose Royal to also get his punt return abilities. Did Mike not watch any tape of Jackson? He scored 6 touchdowns and was a more dangerous punt returner in college than Devin Hester (who may have actually had input on the draft picks, since after last season’s Bears/Broncos game, he owns the Broncos! Thank you, thank you very much I will be here all week). At this point, I am almost more surprised when Mike does something I agree with.
- Remind Eagles fans of the Phillies’ 2 World Series appearances and one championship in the last couple years after their many years of disappointment before hand when they go into a suicidal funk after the Eagles lose the Super Bowl
- Convince the Nuggets to play up to their talent level more often than once a week
- Feel the need to note for Jim Caldwell that the only time the Colts won the Super Bowl they didn’t rest their starters at all in the last weeks of the season
- Have a first round draft pick in fantasy that actually becomes a productive member of my team for the first time in fantasy football playing career
- Actually win money on my football bets on my next trip to Vegas. Too bad I won’t be there in a few weeks to profit from (as mentioned above) the inevitable Cowboy and Viking playoff disappointments.
- Get off the couch on the weekend for the first time in 5 months and actually try to get the gravy-like substance that doubles as my blood flowing again.
Even if each football season (and its associated couch sitting, stressful cheering, beer drinking and wing eating) takes at least a month off my life, the next season can’t come soon enough.
Happy New Year.
