10 things I hope happen in 2013 in no particular order:

Kersey/Getty Images via BleacherReport.com

1. The US men’s national team controls four of their five hex home games (Mexico excluded) on their way to qualification for Brazil 2014. Many of the road games will be unpredictable. I am hoping Klinsmann’s men progress in tune-ups and produce a larger number of quality scoring chances over these five 90 minute tests at home (well, the Mexico one, too, but controlling that one won’t be in the cards). The dates for these home contests are: Costa Rica on March 22, Panama on June 11, Honduras on June 18, Mexico on September 10, and Jamaica on October 11.
2. All three branches of the U.S. government get behind a ban on assault weapons and high volume magazines. First, this is one of my solutions to a multi-, multi-faceted problem regarding gun violence in the United States. With some more thought and research, I’ll share that ‘solution’ at a later time. I can even wrap my brain around ‘concealed carrying’ based on the Constitution. Civilians owning military style guns and these sleeves of ammunition that carry unnecessary amounts of bullets is an easy fix. Cross your fingers, America.
3. Someone in a major men’s sport currently on a roster comes out of the closet. It is time. Shake up the locker rooms, let everyone write their reaction columns, and we can scratch this one off the ‘social implications on sports’ stories waiting to be covered – and then move on.
4. The Chicago Bears spend six of their seven draft selections on offensive lineman. There just has to be some strength in numbers here. 10-6 is good. 3-5 after a 7-1 start is not. I’d much rather be a Bears fan than Jaguars, Chiefs, Jets, Dolphins, Titans, Raiders, Lions, Cardinals, Buccaneers, Rams, or Bills. The other should be on a linebacker to replace Urlacher/help Briggs and Roach or a tight end to catch a ball and put stress on the opposing defense’s secondary/linebackers. The team might be turning a big page in this chapter of the franchise after Emery is done with this off season shakeup. Lovie was the first. I’m curious to see who is next to go and who replaces him.
5. No one recreates a decent movie from my childhood (and ruins it). Looking at you, everyone in Hollywood. Total Recall comes to mind. And probably more so, my angst is directed at anyone that unnecessarily did something in 3D instead of taking a chance on a decent script no one has heard of. (Titanic, Monsters Inc., Raiders/Lost Ark).
6. CNN truly balances out Fox News and MSNBC without schtick. I’d really like someone to give me in depth news – the good and the bad, on television, without a partisan slant or gimmicks for silly entertainment ratings. The opportunity is there, and yet they leave me feeling unsatisfied almost every time I turn them on. Adding Bourdain will also bring me in as a viewer. Let him do his thing, please, suits.
   1. No one screws up as badly as many news organizations did with the SHES/Newtown names, numbers, victims, shooter’s name. What a disgrace to the profession that 6 hours of television was.
7.  Major League Soccer moves to the single table format. Not gonna happen, but I have to put it on the list. It is a dream of mine. East/West, three rounds of playoffs, All-Star game, all these other ploys for the ‘average American sports fan in the key demographics’. I have a lot of wishes for the league, but this seems easiest to enact. The FIFA calendar would be a close second. NWSL success is an indirect soccer #3. And leave Sepp Blatter alone. As a U.S. soccer fan, I take very little from anything he ever says. Let’s get our house in order first, then take on big, bad, corrupt FIFA bosses.
8. The under-4 minute TV timeout in NCAA basketball goes away. Three automatic stoppages in each half and the impending team timeouts down the stretch are plenty! My gawd! If it is a close game at that 4-ish minute mark, we don’t need the extra 90 seconds for a commercial – the teams will use the timeouts they’ve hoarded to let you pay your bills. If it is a blowout, we just want it to be over anyways. The first three ruin the flow of the game as it is. At least down the stretch, I expect some game/clock management to come into play.
9. I learn to cook more dishes…and read more. Not a lot more, just enough for a few people – and my stomach/pallet – to notice. Then, I’d like to knock out a few good books a year. I’m starting 2013 with ‘The Signal and the Noise’ by Nate Silver.
10. Matthew scores 326 goals in his summer soccer leagues this year. He’s four years old in 2013 for those scoring at home. A guy can dream, can’t he?