As the calendar turns the page to a new year, many of us are guilty of making resolutions we either cannot or do not keep.
Let’s try a different approach.
Instead of setting lofty goals that border on the impossible, let’s make an earnest attempt at trying to be a better person going forward into the coming year and beyond.
If you are able to accomplish goals that may include losing weight, eating healthier and exercising, more power to you. That is admirable, to say the least. However, most of us will slip up, leaving us feeling more miserable and downright mad at ourselves for breaking our resolutions yet again.
I am not saying we shouldn’t set certain goals for improving our lives, but the one goal we can set and actually be successful at is to be a better person. We can all be more thoughtful of others and be a kinder individual. It doesn’t require a great deal of effort, we will feel better about ourselves, and the world will be a better place because of it.
Here’s hoping and wishing for a much better year than 2024 for everyone reading this blurb, and may you be happier and healthier than you were last year!
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STILL A LITTLE HOPE FOR BENGALS – You say there’s still a chance?
Yes, somewhat remarkably, the Cincinnati Bengals are still clinging to the remote possibility that they can make a trip to the playoffs after winning a wild overtime thriller over the Denver Broncos on Saturday evening. When the team was limping along with a 4-8 record, most of us (myself included) gave the Bengals no chance of making a run to the postseason.
But here we are.
The conundrum for Cincinnati is that it will take more than a win at Pittsburgh Saturday night to get there. Denver would have to lose to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Mile High City, and the Miami Dolphins need to unexpectedly lay an enormous egg to the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium as well. (Both of those games kick off at 4:25 p.m. on Sunday.)
That’s where things get iffy at best.
The Chiefs are expected to rest their starters since they have the top seed wrapped up, giving the Broncos an even better shot at getting the victory and moving on to the playoffs. It is also difficult to see the woeful Jets knocking off the Dolphins.
First things first however.
The Men in Stripes will roll into the Steel City riding a four-game winning streak, while the slumping Pittsburgh bunch has dropped three in a row. Oddsmakers have noticed, and installed the Bengals as a slight favorite, but longtime Cincy fans know history has been unkind to their team when they visit the land of Iron City beer and the terrible towels.
If quarterback Joe Burrow and his arsenal of weapons continue playing the way they have in recent games, the Bengals should prevail. The Steelers’ offense has several question marks, and this game could come down to Cincinnati simply having more incentive. Pittsburgh is fortunate they already clinched a playoff spot before their recent downturn.
The way Burrow and company are performing, there aren’t many teams who would relish the opportunity to see the Bengals in the playoffs, but getting there remains problematic.
Counting on the Chiefs to win in Denver without its top players on the field and hoping the Jets defeat the Dolphins is a mere wish at this point, and the way things are setting up, Who Dey Nation will likely be suffering one more disappointment in a disappointing season, even with a win at Pittsburgh.
The Bengals should’ve already clinched a postseason berth, but their porous defense let them down time and time again. Dropping close games became a bad habit in the early season, but there is still a razor thin chance heading into the final weekend of the season, something very few of us expected a month or so ago.
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CATS LOOK TO BOUNCE BACK – After the embarrassing 20-point loss to Ohio State on the Saturday before Christmas, the Kentucky basketball team has had to endure finals week before preparing for their New Year’s Eve afternoon opponent, the Brown Bears.
Unfortunately for the purposes of this column, the game will be played tomorrow afternoon as I am writing this due to the holiday deadline, but it will be yesterday afternoon as you’re reading this. Got that?
Brown University, located in Providence, Rhode Island and a member of the Ivy League, heads into Rupp Arena coming off an 87-53 loss at Kansas last Saturday that snapped a six-game winning streak. The Bears kept the score respectable in the first half but were outclassed and overmatched coming down the stretch while dropping to 7-4.
The game represents the final non-conference tune-up for the Cats, who begin the Southeastern Conference portion of their schedule on Saturday in an 11 a.m. tip at Rupp against undefeated Florida. You read that right, the game begins in the morning. Thanks, ESPN.
The high-flying Gators have looked extremely impressive, they have made a steady climb in the polls and Florida lifted their record to 14-0 after a 40-point win over Stetson on Sunday.
Coach Mark Pope should have his squad’s full attention after the dreadful performance against the Buckeyes. The Cats should be more than ready for the Bears, and anxious to show the home crowd they’re a much better team than the lackluster one that played in Madison Square Garden against OSU. Looking ahead to the Florida matchup while not being focused on Brown is always a concern in these types of matchups, but that is unlikely.
The UK bench boss would undoubtedly enjoy seeing his team improve on its recent trend of poor 3-point shooting, and the interior defense also needs to show a lot of growth before the brutal SEC schedule begins.
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“Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better man.” – Benjamin Franklin
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“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.” – Albert Einstein
*************** “Now there are more overweight people in America than average-weight people. So overweight people are now average… which means, you have met your New Year’s resolution.” – Jay Leno
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“New Year’s Day – Now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual.
Yesterday, everybody smoked his last cigar, took his last drink, and swore his last oath. Today, we are a pious and exemplary community. Thirty days from now, we shall have cast our reformation to the winds and gone to cutting our ancient shortcomings considerably shorter than ever. We shall reflect pleasantly upon how we did the same old thing last year about this time.” — Mark Twain
