New Year!

     Happy New Year everyone! It's now 2013 which means we survived the predicted disaster of Winter Solstice 2012. That almost sounds like some kind of event like the Olympics. It is and it isn't, and in this case the most important thing was that it wasn't. Anyway, now people can focus on new achievements and goals to not live up to. What New Years Resolutions will people try for 3 weeks and ignore the rest of the calender year? I'm kidding, so to those who will keep it up; go for it! Good luck with your tasks!
     So what will 2013 have for us in the world of sports? Well that chapter is yet to be written, but based on 2012, sports will still be at an all time high.
     One unfortunate thing will be that the 2013 NFL season will be without one of the iconic figures of this generation, Ray Lewis. Lewis will go down as not only one of the best linebackers to play the game, but also one of the most imposing figures the game has known. He could affect the game in so many ways. He could read offenses and make the correct decisions, as well as get his guys into the right plays. He had tremendous talent, and although he was undersized coming out of Miami (FL); you couldn't have asked for a better building block to start a brand new franchise if you are a Baltimore Raven fan. As long as Baltimore had Ray Lewis, you could count on a dog fight all day long if you were an opposing offense. Nothing would come easy, and often success would not come at all. Lewis is a first ballot Hall of Famer and I'll be sad to see him not a member of the Ravens and the NFL next season.
     After Hockey became the third of the "Big Four" professional leagues to have a lockout, it appeared that the players and owners were quickly approaching the point of no return. This would mean the second cancellation of a season in 8 years for the NHL. However, as of Sunday morning, January 6th, it appears both sides have finally reached a deal to end the lockout and get things going. Season length is TBD at this point, but we can all hope that the NHL does a better job than the NBA with their shortened schedule. Let the Puck drop!
     The NBA seems to be off to a pretty nice start. I'd say it is in safe hands with the collection of young talent leading the league and after the lockout showed how much people would miss the sport, chances are the league be popular for some time to come. The young stars are emerging and the current stars like Lebron and Carmelo are carrying the league to a new level. The key to sustained success is setting the bar high for future generations and continuing to raise it year after year.
     Inspiring performances in the NFL were not uncommon this past year. Peyton Manning and Adrian Peterson are both coming back from severe injuries to dominate the sport and the votes for MVP. But, how can anything overshadow Chuck Pagano and the Indianapolis Colts? I know Peterson's run at history put the Vikings, who were 3-13 last year, in the playoffs, but the Colts had many more to overcome. Coach Pagano was diagnosed with Leukemia after week 3, Andrew Luck is a rookie, and the Colts won just two games themselves last season. So what does that mean? Why a trip to the playoffs of course! And to battle Ray Lewis in his final home game in Baltimore no less.
     The last year has shown us that their are some stories that can't be made up in Hollywood. These stories are just so unreal, they have to be real. Here's to those stories of 2012, and to many more in 2013!