The new year yields the same empty promises. Some promise to stop drinking soda, while others vow to lose weight. For sports fans, the promises are just as empty and just as quickly forgotten. Here are seven New Years resolutions for sports fans to ditch by February.

1. I will not yell at the television during the game.

Many fans get immersed in the game's intensity, so sometimes a play here and there can be frustrating. Rather than a fiery demonstration of your vocabulary, try keeping the yelling and vulgarity to a minimum.

2. I will not complain when someone changes the channel during a commercial.

Everyone else has to put up with the game for nearly two hours, it seems fair to allow them to browse the channels for a few minutes. Missing thirty seconds of the game isn't the end of the world.

3. I will not drink too much during the game.

Everyone loves drinking a cold one while watching the game, but when you're drunk and trying to do back flips off of the couch then that's a sign of having one too many. Keep the drinking to a minimum so that you can wake up the next morning and remember the score.

4. I will not cry if my team doesn't make the playoffs.

Missing the playoffs can be heartbreaking, but there's always next year. Just be prepared for your team to let you down during the offseason as well. Now wipe those tears away and watch a different sport.

5. I will not place bets on any games.

It's not that you're bad at it. Well, actually it is. To make matters worse, you make bets with your friends as well. Those dares never turn out well. There are other things money is good for, like paying for food and bills. Don't let your gut put you on the street.

6. I will not get mad at friends for cheering against my team.

You may want to kill them by the end of the game, but just imagine the sort of trouble you'd get into. How would you explain that to your mother from inside a jail cell? Take a deep breath and let Joe's comment about the score go.

7. I will not get upset with what Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless say.

Much of what they say is intended to contradict popular belief. It may be ridiculous at times, but that's television.