Five things I'm thankful for this year.

New Years is usually a time of year to look forward to things you want to see happen in the next year. I will get to resolutions in the next article, but this article is going to be about looking back and appreciating all the wonderful things that happened to me and all other sports fans in a wonderful year that was 2009.

1. The NFL Redzone network.

The NFL network decided to add this channel at the beginning of the season and my life hasn't been the same ever since. The man anchoring the channel Scott Hanson is an actual football fan. Not some guy who comes up with obvious nicknames (Chris Berman) or some ex player that has a hard time putting sentences together (most everyone else). Furthermore you can watch every single game at the same time and not really miss anything. It's like I already own the Sunday ticket for pennies on the dollar, but someone else is switching in between games for me.

2. The big screen TV.

This might not be a new invention for 2009, but it is the first year I've been able to have this marvel in my living room. I guess I have the economic downturn to thank for my ability to posses this amazing addition to my life (thank you, JImmy Carter!).

3. The month of October.

This month does come along every year, but it is so special that it deserves acknowledgement anyways. My two favorite sports in full swing in one special month. Major League Baseball playoffs are a special time and top that onto football season hitting its stride. Put those two things together and October is the best month of the year. Now only if Bud Selig could figure out how to end the fall classic, in the fall.

4. 2009 not being an Olympic year.

The Olympics are all fine and good but NBC tries to ram that stuff down our throat and I'm tired of it. Thankfully their weren't any Olympics this year, but that won't stop NBC for churching up ice skating during my football games in December. At least I didn't have to hear about how MIchael Phelps is the greatest athlete ever in 2009.

5. Tiger Woods.

As if watching Tiger bury 30 foot putts to win tournaments isn't enough this guy has to go out and have extramarital affairs for the whole world to see. Not just extra marital affairs this guy has to go huge and sleep around with at least 15 goomahs. On top of that their are many gruesome details that are too graphic for me to mention, and by gruesome I mean extremely entertaining and hilarious. Thank you Tiger Woods.