| This is the time for resolutions, but I’ve never found a successful method for actually sticking to mine past the second weekend in January and my personal list probably wouldn’t be very interesting anyways. So here, this year, is a list of things I’d like to see from the world of sports by the time 2022 is through. Bill Belichick didn’t want to give his resolutions when prompted by a reporter with admirable bravery but questionable timing following last weekend’s New England Patriots defeat, but there is no such hesitation here. It’s the final day of the year and therefore the final column of 2021, and there’s everything to look forward to. Thank you, as always, to our loyal readers – your support and dedication since this column started in the summer of 2019 always provides a stronger jolt of morning motivation than a shot of double espresso. Forgive me if many of the things below don’t come to fruition – resolutions are supposed to be aspirational, right – but if some of them do, sports will be richer for it. 1. NFL parity party continues I hear the arguments against all this remarkable NFL parity, that it’s confusing and confounding and means that there are no dominant teams. Sure, whatever, but this unpredictable season has reshaped our thought processes for the better. Even the most lopsided games on paper become legitimate watching options, and the divisional and wildcard races remain wildly entertaining even entering the closing weeks. More please. 2. Grow the College Football Playoff College football’s playoff semifinals are tonight and Alabama-Cincinnati and Michigan-Georgia will be a worthy way to end the year. But let’s hope 2022 brings further discussions toward a bigger playoff – to either eight or 12 teams – to ensure every team, no matter their size or history, gets a fair chance to compete for a title. 3. Lockout? What lockout? The wish here is that when summer arrives, everyone has forgotten that the Major League Baseball lockout was even a thing. The ownership collective and the players association seem poles apart right now and haven’t talked economics for a month, sparking concerns that games will be lost and the season impacted. Who knows where the common ground lies, but know that I’m rooting hard for it to be found, and quickly. 4. Russell Westbrook exits the Lake Show Whether you are a Los Angeles Lakers lover or hater, and a Russell Westbrook fan or not, let’s hope for an end to the sorry situation in L.A., where a future Hall of Famer is being embarrassed by being part of a team where he is a terrible fit. His salary will be difficult to offload, but his time with the Lakers is turning into a sad sideshow. 5. Cristiano Ronaldo gets to play a final World Cup Ronaldo is not to everyone’s taste but the World Cup just wouldn’t be the same without him. His Portugal squad is in serious danger of missing out and needs to win two straight European playoff rounds to reach Qatar. Ronaldo has the biggest ego in soccer, but remains a fascinating character and a truly elite superstar. At 37, this would be his last chance to play in a World Cup and if he fails to make it, we’ll all be worse off. 6. Boxing produces blockbusters, real ones OK Jake Paul, you’ve won me over – kind of – but let’s see some real blockbuster boxing fights in 2022 to go along with all the inevitable celebrity ones. Terence Crawford and Errol Spence finally need to get it on, as do heavyweight belt holders Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk. On the women’s side, Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano would be a hugely-anticipated showdown. 7. Coach K gets a fitting sendoff I’m not going to be silly enough to risk annoying everyone outside of Durham by hoping Duke wins the NCAA title in Mike Krzyzewski’s 42nd and final campaign. But Coach K deserves to go out in style, whatever that means. A run to the Final Four, narrowly falling in an Elite Eight overtime thriller, or – to heck with it – even a dream run at a championship – it would be hard to begrudge him however hard you root against the Blue Devils. 8. Quarterback merry-go-round Not everyone will love this but the possibility of quarterback musical chairs over the offseason would provide some irresistible entertainment. Who wouldn’t be interested to see what Aaron Rodgers could do in Denver or Las Vegas, what Russell Wilson might conjure in Pittsburgh, or any of the other new situations that those switches would surely set into motion? 9. Olympians get a fair shot The Winter Olympics have snuck up on us and truthfully, there’s not close to the same level of public excitement as normal. COVID has flared up again at the worst time for the Games and leaves me simply wishing that of the inevitable cases there will be in Beijing, none unfairly deny medal hopefuls the chance to compete for their ultimate dream. 10. The Woods family golfers reappear PGA Tour, it is on you to make this happen. It doesn’t matter if you need to invent a whole new event, let’s get Tiger Woods and his 12-year-old son Charlie out on the course again for our televisual benefit. Watching Woods senior in action again following that scary February car crash was uplifting, but seeing him interact with his mini-me at the recent PNC Championship was solid gold. |
