Resolute

Here are some of my 2009 sports resolutions:

It's time for me to go "all in" regarding the Titans. I'm going to be uber nervous at the divisional playoff game with memories of blown leads and missed field goals. They have the talent to win it all, and they also are not good enough to win if they play poorly.

I will believe in Kenny Williams and his off-season moves. It seems like he's trying to have it both ways by maintaining his lineup core of Konerko, Thome, and Dye while mixing in some youngsters and stocking the minor league system. Jon Danks and Gavin Floyd came through in a big way, and a Lance Broadway or Clayton Richard's going to have to exceed expectations for a return playoff trip. Jerry Owens and Josh Fields are going to have to overcome a year of minor-league seasoning and injuries.

If I'm sticking around in my fantasy leagues, I'm in it to win it. I need to assess whether I have time to be involved enough to be competitive and keep it fun.

I want to see more games in person in 2008. Whether I go to a Sox game in Chicago or even check out the Braves' single-A team in Rome, I'd like to have a few new sports experiences. Getting to a college football game or two would be a lot of fun.

Relax and enjoy it when my teams do well and understand when they do not that I have virtually zero impact. I'm just along for the ride. Sometimes I overemphasize the negative (like Missouri's defense) and forget to enjoy the positive, like the Titans getting home-field advantage for the second time in franchise history. The White Sox were a playoff team last year but it felt like they finished in last with the way they tormented their fans in the final month. Results are what matters, not style points. OK, style points do matter if you're in college football.

Finally, congrats to Vanderbilt for winning their first bowl game in 43 years. The SEC really took it to the ACC last year. Boston College and Georgia Tech were probably the second and third best team in the conference and they lost to teams that finished 7-6 and 8-5. Where's Duke when you need 'em? Actually Vandy lost to Duke and Wake Forest, yet they had enough luck and timing to beat a pretty solid BC team.