The First Friday Off-Topic Thread of 2014

The new year is upon us and a new year presents new opportunities, new challenges, new Plaza parades. The Royals are coming off their most successful season since Justin Bieber was born in a log cabin in upper Manitoba and we look forward with giddiness at all the championships in store for us, beginning this year.

Before we continue on in 2014, let's take a moment to look back at those Royals we lost in 2013.

Luis Mendoza

Chris Getz

David Lough

Elliot Johnson

Jamey Carroll

Bruce Chen

J.C. Gutierrez

Ervin Santana

Irving Falu

Carlos Pena

Miguel Tejada

Jeff Francoeur

Thank you.

Onward and upward. This is going to be greatest year since 2013.

Four new off-topic questions.

1. A new year brings new laws going into effect like marijuana legalization in Colorado and a repeal of the prohibition on walking your pig across the street on Sundays in Kansas. If you could change one law - federal, state, or local - what would it be? It has to apply to everyone, not just "I can speed whenever I want."

2. What free agent signed this winter will be the biggest bust?

3. What was the best...thing of 2013? Movie? Album? Book? Twerk?

4. Predict one surprising baseball story for 2014.

BONER: Would you rather be funnier or smarter?*

BONER 2: Any New Year's resolutions?

*-hat tip to Slate's "Conundrums"