THE FRONT WITH ERIC PLUMMER: Sunday, January 3, 2016

Happy 2016 to all, and with it the good old New Year’s resolutions. Some last a few hours, others a few days, weeks, months, or years, and some forever. Some are ambitious, some modest, but each made with the best of intentions.

Mine falls into the latter category: Drinking no more than two cups of coffee per day. While it might not sound like much, it’s attainable, and most self-respecting reporters know that ingesting copious amounts of caffeine comes with the job.

Folks in the sports world no doubt have their own brand of resolutions. Maybe college hoops coaching legend Jerry Tarkanian resolved to stop chewing on towels during games. Hopefully not, as it was one of the best idiosyncrasies in sports history, and his UNLV juggernauts from back in the day remain among the greatest teams ever. RIP Tark the Shark.

There are certainly some resolutions that would be great to see in the sports world, and with the new year just a baby at three days old, let’s offer up a few.

HERE’S HOPING Russell Wilson’s resolution is to wash the bad taste of last year’s Super Bowl away with some champagne when Super Bowl 50 ends in February.

Sorry Brady, Rodgers, Brees, Palmer, Newton and Roethslisberger, but DangerRuss is the best quarterback in the NFL, period. He does everything well, especially win, and save for a brain freeze by the Seahawks’ coaches last year on the one-yard line, would be gunning for a third straight Super Bowl this year.

There is no more entertaining player in football for my money. Appreciate him now, and avoid the rush.

HERE’s HOPING big man Przemek Karnowski’s resolution is to return to Gonzaga next season, providing the NCAA grants him a medical redshirt after a season-ending back injury limited him to just five games this season.

His 7-foot-1 size and skill set will no doubt be coveted by NBA execs come draft time, but another year at the Zags’ prestigious School of Bigs could propel him into lottery status.

Speaking of the NBA lottery, here’s hoping teammate Domantas Sabonis’ resolution is to join Karnowski in the Zags’ front court next season, giving us one more year of the dynamic duo together.

Is there a more polished low post game in college hoops than the skilled 6-10 lefty possesses? Power drop steps, jump hooks, the old Kevin McHale up-and-under, the Olajuwon dream shake and fall away jimmy . . . Sabonis has it all. Oh yeah, he likes to step out on occasion and remind defenses that he can hurt them from 3-point land as well.

That drool dripping from the mouths of NBA scouts can wait one more year, giving us a full year of the Southpaw spires in Zags’ blue and red.

HERE’S HOPING high school officials’ make a resolution to call fewer fouls/penalties in 2016. Ever seen a football game where there is a flag every other play? Or a basketball game where teams hit the bonus in the first and third quarters? They can slog along.

I’ve always thought the quality of officiating in North Idaho is among the best in the state in both hoops and football. That said, I’ve suffered through a regulation girls basketball game that featured 78 free throws. The best officials call what needs to be called, not every by-the-book infraction, and the games always seems to flow better.

On the heels of that, here’s hoping fans, players and coaches take into account the logistics of officiating in North Idaho the next time they hurl some vitriol at the zebras.

Unlike Boise, where officials need only drive across town to ply their trade, up in the panhandle said refs often travel hours to get to and from the venues to be yelled at, and for very little in the way of compensation. So it goes when you wear the whistle.

Let it be said here, if nowhere else: Thanks for your time, refs.

HERE’S HOPING the girls basketball coaches at state-ranked Lake City, Sandpoint and Timberlake have a resolution to bring home state basketball banners in the 5A, 4A, 3A ranks, respectively.

Timberlake has played in three of the last four state championship games, and will be looking to finally break through to bring home a banner.

For Sandpoint, boasting its best team in recent memory, it would mark the team’s first ever banner. While the Bulldogs boast thick stacks of state volleyball, wrestling and soccer banners, neither the Bulldog boys or girls cagers have ever even advanced to a state title game, let alone won one.

This year marks as good a chance as ever for the Bulldog girls, and here’s hoping North Idaho brings home three girls championship banners from state.

HERE’S HOPING Vandal football coach Paul Petrino made a resolution to continue to try and sign more in-state talent as he nurses the program back to respectability.

When Chris Peterson had Boise State contending for national championships, he did so with a host of Idaho natives starting on both sides of the ball, so we know it can work.

Petrino has done better than previous coaches to bolster the in-state numbers, but more can and should be done.

With the likes of Georgia Southern, Louisiana Monroe, South Alabama and Texas State littering a schedule that does little to pique fans’ interest, featuring home-grown talent gives Idahoans a reason to care where one is desperately needed.

Eric Plummer is the sports editor of the Daily Bee in Sandpoint. For comments, suggestions or story ideas, he can be reached at [email protected].