By My annual sports predictions for the upcoming year. Due to some unknown reason, I skipped doing this a year ago. What matters is I came back, right?
Please note I’m from the state of Florida. Accordingly, my list is heavy on predicting sports teams from that area.
1 Cleveland beats the LA Lakers for the NBA Championship
2 Indianapolis defeats Arizona in the Super Bowl 
3 San Jose defeats Washington for the Stanley Cup
4 St. Louis beats the Los Angeles Angels in the World Series
5 Tiger Woods returns to golf, wins at least one tournament but no major championships. That is a risky prediction in light of the fact that Tiger has won majors on 3 of this year’s host courses.(Augusta National, Pebble Beach, St. Andrews)
6 Phil Mickelson wins the US Open
7 Michelle Wie wins at least two tournaments, one of which is a major championship
8 Ji Yai Shin is LPGA player of the year
9 A non-Korean golfer will be LPGA rookie of the year
10 Yu-Na Kim wins figure skating gold at the 2010 Olympics
11 The Miami Dolphins don’t make this year’s playoffs but have a winning 2010 season
12 The Miami Heat make the playoffs but lose in the 1st round
13 The Florida Marlins have a winning record but don’t make the playoffs
14 Urban Meyer doesn’t return as coach of the Florida Gators
15 Joe Paterno announces his retirement to take place after the 2010 Penn State season is complete
16 The Florida Panthers don’t make the playoffs
17 The Florida Panthers trade Goalie Tomas Vokoun
18 Manny Pacquiao loses to Floyd Mayweather
19 Kansas defeats Purdue for the NCAA Basketball Championship
20 Texas defeats Alabama in the BCS Championship game
21 Army has a winning football season and gets a bowl invitation
22 Washington Redskins fire Coach Jim Zorn
23 Serena Williams wins at Wimbledon
24 Versus and Directv finally settle their dispute
25 A North American horse racing track closes its doors.
26 Sebastian Vettel wins the Formula One World Drivers Championship
27 New York Rangers fire Coach John Tortorella
28 The New Jersey Nets don’t finish with the worst record in NBA history
29 Connecticut defeats Tennessee for the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship
30 At least half these predictions are wrong
We’ll come back on December 31st 2010 and see how I did.
9:32 am on December 31st, 2009 1
Happy New Year!
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2:29 pm on December 31st, 2009 2
2010 at last! March, I’m going back to the PI.
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10:19 pm on December 31st, 2009 3
I lurk here all the time, but this is my very first post. And the reason I decided to come out of hiding is to say that its not going to be Lebron vs Kobe like everyone wants it to be. ( I rooted so hard for it to happen last year, but alas it just wasn’t meant to be). Instead its going to be Boston vs. L.A round 2, depending on if the Lakers can shut down the Suns (they are hot this season, I guess getting rid of ShaQ was a good thing jk!)
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January 1st, 2010 at 8:21 am
I can see the Lakers going back to the finals and the only ones I see maybe beating them in the Spurs do their style of play and experience. In the east I like the Celtics going to the finals over the Cavs as well. Orlando could probably knock offs the Cavs again in the playoffs as well.
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10:50 pm on December 31st, 2009 4
Colts win the SB.
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11:17 pm on December 31st, 2009 5
If the Cardinals go to the Super Bowl, again, Kurt Warner should go directly to the Hall of Fame. No waiting for retirement. Here you go, Kurt. I suspect it’s going to be SD vs the Eagles. Have you SEEN DeSean Jackson?
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January 1st, 2010 at 8:25 am
I think Kurt Warner should go to the Hall of Fame even if he doesn’t lead the Cards to the Super Bowl again this year. I am leaning towards the Eagles going to the Super Bowl but will have a better opinion of them after seeing them play Dallas this week. In the AFC it obviously either Colts or Chargers. Both teams are very easily matched and I would have to lean towards the Colts simply because of home field.
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2:28 am on January 1st, 2010 6
Hey Bill:
Happy January 1st ‘10
Just found your list and it made me smile. I agree with you on the arenas I know about i.e. #7 thru 10. Very shrewd analysis I think. AAAND I loved the wit of #30.
Thanks for the smiles.
Mary
PS I shuddered at your prediction #25 cuz I think horse racing is one of the most beautiful sports to watch (not very happy with the back stories though). Horses running full out — all four hoves flying off the ground simultaneously — is a thrilling site to my eyes. I hope it’s not one of the beautiful old major tracks but I suspect that is what you have in mind.
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January 1st, 2010 at 11:28 am
Mary,
Happy new year to you too.
I love horse racing too. From an early age my Dad took me to standardbred races(aka harness racing)at state fairs and eventually the tracks(first visit to one was Monticello in 1970 when I was 9). I learned to read a race program at an early age.
Horse racing in America is in very precarious health. Racing associations, track owners, legal off track betting parlors have all gone bankrupt in the last few years. Dog racing is almost dead as I write this, and I fear horse racing of all types has 20-40 years to go.
Bill
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3:58 am on January 2nd, 2010 7
#26??? Are you really from Florida. Jimmy starting off the quest for 4 in a row with a win at Daytona in February, I can buy. Who winning what again in #26?
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5:43 pm on January 4th, 2010 8
I have to disagree on #18, I think Pacquiao is the best boxer in the world and will knock Mayweather out by the 9th round. The results may have been different a few years ago but at this point in Pacquiao’s career I think he has speed and power to beat Mayweather.
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