The Morning ... According to Us

An image that resonates for 2009.

Getty Images

This man, and his new friend, could save us all in 2009.

In many respects, one can argue that this compromising Kodak moment may very well merit the cover of Time. (Some would argue the Weekly World News.) The photographer was suspended by his employer for insensitivity toward the imperiled Vail skier. This indelible image is a chilling (frostbitten, for sure) exclamation point encapsulating the troubled times of 2008 and a human harbinger of the rocky road ahead in 2009.

The ancient adage, "The more things change, the more they stay the same," resonates through sports and society. An enervated economy, crippled consumer confidence, Middle East mayhem, Pacman's pathetic plight, and Oprah's weight woes have all crossed the bridge to the New Year. The Yankees continued their monopolistic march on MLB, surveying a fertile free agent landscape and plucking a bumper crop to adorn their pin-striped palace. Welcome to the Big Apple, C.C., A.J., and Tex. Note to Tex: Despite your gentlemanly mien, you've become Public Enemy No. 1 in Boston. Move over, A-Rod.

Vail Man hung helplessly from the chairlift for seven minutes before he was rescued. Must've seemed like a year. A really bad year. He escaped physically unharmed; his pride probably took quite a punch. So, maybe there is reason to hope and cheer for 2009, what with Tiger back on the prowl, LeBron continuing to leave mouths agape, and a new leader of the free world tirelessly pushing to turn this economy around. He even has a superhero friend! Hell, even Jack's back on the tube, our fellow "24" fans!

Half naked, dangling hopelessly in the air, embarrassed as all get up. A raw reminder of what it must be like to be a Detroit Lions fan the last two years. The more things change…

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