The 2025 Sports Resolutions

Happy 2025! Sports operate on a calendar different from the traditional one.

You cross off dates on the wall with months to signify the seasons- “fall” isn’t “fall,” it’s the dawn of football and basketball and hockey and postseason baseball. “Spring” isn’t “spring”.

It’s the end of football, March Madness, the Masters, and so on. As fans, we have a beautiful mindset.

However, the change in the date allows us to encapsulate what happened as we turn over a new leaf. Resolutions are usually being made around this time, and it feels like in every single sports league, the die-hard fans are constantly figuring out ways to grow the game, make it better, or fix an issue with it now that we have the most access to it. When more people watch, more criticism is made.

Here are some resolutions (or wishful thinking) that we can implement into our leagues going forward and that we can hopefully all agree upon.

No More Ratings Talk

The talk surrounding viewership has never been higher since so many of us are watching sports at all times with our access always in our pockets. Do you know what isn’t an indicator of the product on the field, the amount of entertainment people involved, the morale of those that are watching, or even the ways that it’s consumed outside of standard television? Ratings. However, that’s what makes money. Therefore, it’s seen as an indicator of success. The NFL is event-viewing television with the fewest amount of games with implications in ways outside of just the product on the field due to fantasy and gambling, and the product is simply better to watch on TV; it’s permanently going to win the ratings war and shouldn’t be some crowning achievement every time it breaks a record!

Plenty of basketball fans are buying sneakers, playing NBA2K, and watching YouTube highlights on their phone as they practice their jump shots all across the globe to mimic stars. There are still college football fans who will tailgate with strangers for hours in the frozen tundra. In 2025, let’s stop looking at the ratings to indicate the states of the leagues and rather celebrate when it feels like there are more positive storylines and entertaining games.

Bring Back Physical Tickets at Stadiums

Long ago, we used to keep physical pieces of art in a chest or a binder at home to commemorate memories, sometimes even with an autograph if we were lucky.

Now, those memories are often a QR code that will vanish in the blink of an eye within a day. Bring back the romanticism that comes with those memories.

Alternate Uniforms Should at Least Match the Color Scheme of the Team Playing

We should all be for creativity and trying new things, and I’m not going to be the “everyone should only have two uniforms ever and wear what they’ve always worn” old man; they make a ton of money off of the merchandising rights, and there’s no point trying to stop them from making new ones. However, there should at least be the “walk into the bar” rule- that is, when you walk into a sports bar and see two teams playing, you should immediately know the teams that are playing. If the Magic and the Bucks are playing, under no circumstances should you see a blue team, and it actually is the traditionally green Bucks and not the historically blue-white and black Orlando Magic.

The purple Colorado Rockies have been as bad as it gets, and now I have to squint to find out they’re the team with green uniforms? You can create, but allow the dumb sports mind to still know what’s going on. (Unless it’s a circumstance like the Washington Nationals, where the Cherry Blossom uniforms are actually better than what they usually wear)

Stars in Each Sport Should have Signature Sneakers

This should not be limited to just basketball, where it’s become an entire part of the fabric and culture of the conversation surrounding the game.

One of the best ways to promote the exciting young faces of the games is to have shoes that people can identify you with when you’re walking down the street or in the halls at schools to younger audiences is to have sneakers that can be worn, not just cleats or skates in their respective sports. Anthony Edwards, for example, is becoming one of the most well-known athletes in the world because of the AE 1 shoe. Why can’t we get an AE 1 vs Puma Lamelo Ball shoe debate for hockey players like Connor Bedard vs Macklin Celebrini, or if quarterback Lamar Jackson had a signature sneaker? You’re telling me fans wouldn’t wear a Paul Skenes Nike high top?

Every Sport Should Have Their Own Equivalent of NFL Redzone

The Scott Hanson-hosted model to give you the biggest moments of each game on Sunday is perfect and allows you to not feel like you’re missing any of the big plays; it’s the perfect model for casual viewing to get the landscape and see everyone involved as he whips around to see the biggest names make the highlights and never miss a story.

It’s challenging to replicate this formula in other sports that are faster-paced- we’ve seen attempts like the NHL Frozen Frenzy, where there’s every game on at staggered times and flips to games that are on power plays or in OT. We’ve even seen baseball talk about adopting the Golden At-bat rule to have more opportunities for the stars to get more at-bats in the future. With entertaining hosts, each league should give us that kind of opportunity to catch the can’t-miss moments live at any given second rather than just hoping to be watching the right game at the right time.

Hire More Voices That Actually Like the Games and the Products They Cover

The best way to get the most in-depth stories from people who will watch the games and connect with the players, coaches, and cultures of the teams to drive conversations that will grow the sport is by hiring the people who like the product, plain and simple.

Every Team Should Have One Assistant Coach That Frequently Plays the Video Game Version of the Sport

Do you know who likely has the best time-management skills in those high-leverage situations? The common man who has played the sport virtually for hours on end could potentially be yelling at you to be fired from their couch because they knows exactly what to do.

You want to listen to that voice before it’s too late (that’s right! I know when you should and shouldn’t go for two, not some computer!)

More “Fun” Corporate Sponsorships if There Has to Be Some

PHOTO: @Big12Conference/Twitter/X

They will do if leagues can get a quick buck from a business. You see that on the increasing amount of jerseys, helmets, courts, or naming rights attached to every little thing now. If you’re going to do something shameless to make that money, fans should at least be able to say, “Hey, that makes sense, and that’s kinda cool!” or “Wow, that actually sort of rocks?”

The Pop-Tarts Bowl was the king of marketing, having an actual mascot selected to be put into a toaster and eaten by the victors. Their social media management deserves an award, but there are also some other great examples of this. The Brewers used to play at Miller Park, and having a midwestern Wisconsin team sponsored by a big beer brand was so perfect. Or you could look at the Toronto Maple Leaf’s Milk jersey ad and be grossed out, but when you see that they also have Oreo as the helmet sponsor, Milk’s favorite cookie, you think, “Hey, that’s not too bad now!”

If you put your product into the sport to make some money, do it with love and care.

That’s what we all hope for in our stupid games, which bring us all together.

PHOTO: @Big12Conference/Twitter/X