Predictions

It's been awhile folks and for that I apologize. Not only am I temporarily crippled from trying to stop a moving car, but I work at a job where I am able to be on a computer and I still haven't posted lately. Some predictions:

Prediction #1. Ubaldo Jimenez will win at least 26 games this year for the Rockies while losing less than 9....but his ERA will rise to over 2 by the end of the season. In the long term he will go on to win 2 Cy Young awards, and probably won't make the Hall of Fame because he will eventually test positive for Performance Enhancing Drugs. Gotta love the MLB, right?

Prediction #2. This isn't much of a stretch but.....Derek Fisher's elbow is going to find the face of someone from the Celtics sometime during the NBA Finals. He has been known to be one of the toughest and most physical (sometimes looked upon as cheap) players in the game and won't back down if he feels that he needs to stick up for himself or one of his teammates. Luis Scola knows how this works firsthand.

Prediction #3. If the Celtics win the championship: Kevin Garnett will not give another interview where none of us can understand what he is saying because he's screaming the whole time. However, I don't rule out a few random screams in the middle of the interview. Here's his interview after his first championship. Notice he does give a shoutout to us Minnesota fans. "This is for everybody in 'Sota"

Prediction #4. If the Lakers win the championship: Kobe will cement his place in history as one of the winningest players in history and Phil Jackson will retire despite the rumors that will pair him with Lebron in who knows what town. We will also see another ridiculously dumb celebration by Adam Morrison like these that he has done in the past.

Prediction #5. The Lakers win the championship. Adam Morrison cries.

Prediction #6. Getting my hourly wage that I am getting here at work while writing this is going to be the most someone ever pays me to write. 1) I am just not that good.. 2) In this economy, people like spending their money on more reasonable things like large SUV's and Kit Kat bar's... 3) Rick Reilly isn't old enough for me to take over his job yet... 4) I won't seek a writing job because I am going to replace Andrew Bynum as the Lakers center. I hear my knee is better off than both of his are and I would actually try during the game.

Prediction #7. Garrett Wittels won't break Robin Ventura's 58 game hit streak. He will get drafted in the next MLB draft somewhere before the 20th round because of this hit streak.

Prediction #8. In desperation after Favre retires, the Vikings bring Jamarcus Russell in for a tryout and think they see a franchise quarterback in him, sign him to a multi-year deal, and move him to guard where he becomes a Pro Bowl player.

Prediction #9. Tiger Woods doesn't win a Major within a year of his 'accident' that has made him more famous than his golfing ever did.

Prediction #10. Not so much a prediction but just a thought....does anyone else wonder what went on at the after party last night for Duke's Lacrosse team after they won the championship yesterday? After all of the different scandal and allegations in 2006 I can't help but be curious.....

Random Rumblings

Been a while since I put up a post so I thought I would post on some of the recent happenings. Maybe I've just been in a stupor since Duke actually escaped with the championship but looking back, that was an amazing game and perhaps I would enjoy it more if Heyward would have sunk the shot. Butler is going to be the team to beat next season if no one enters the draft and will finally get the chance at being a favorite in one of the games. The Heels should be back strong next year and hopefully my Gophers will make the tournament as well. I was nervous that Tubby was going to leave but it is great he is coming back. Justin Cobbs and Paul Carter are both set to transfer to other schools. Its too bad that Cory Joseph is going to Texas but it seems like he is going to go the Longhorn way and be a one-and-done player. Its too bad because he could have fit in perfectly in the back court for the Gophs.

I think that Phil Mickelson may have passed Tiger as the most popular golfer in the PGA. With all the hardships for him (uncreated unlike Tiger's problems), it is remarkable how well he played at the Masters. Tremendous win and so far in the Quail Hollow tournament, he is looking very strong again. Callaway Golf has to be the happiest company in the world with Father's Day quickly approaching. When a wife is searching for a nice golf gift for the hubby or a child for their dad, Callaway is going to be the equipment of choice over Tiger's Nike. This could be the first time in 10 years that Tiger isn't the highest grossing athlete for the year.

The NFL draft was certainly interesting and there were two teams that really stood out to me as failing. The Jags and the Broncos. The Jags just screwed up the first round and the Broncos got a 3rd round player in the 1st round. I enjoy my FSU Seminoles so I'll try to keep this as unbiased as possible but what were the Broncos thinking? Tebow, even with his "new and improved" throwing motion, still is inaccurate, has a slow throwing motion, is small in NFL standards, isn't that fast, and won't get by on athletic ability like he did with the Gators. It is just shocking to me that a high character guy like Tebow is a first round selection because he is a great guy yet Myron Rolle, a genius and great guy in his own rights, was a 6th round pick. If he had come out last season, he could have been a late first to second round pick but because he went to Oxford for a season, he is looked at as a high risk pick when players with high character problems are 1st or 2nd round picks. Absolutely foolish. My prediction for Rolle this season, he starts half way through the season and competes for Rookie of the Year awards and is an eventual Pro Bowl player within his first 5 seasons. Great pick by the Titans.

On to the Viking's selections. A good call moving down in the first round and they got a player that they wanted in Chris Cook. I think that he will be a solid player and has a bright future in the league. Toby Gerhart was my favorite selection and if he wasn't white could have been a first round choice. This man has wheels and hits like a car. You can ask Aaron how that feels (get better soon). Everson Griffen was a solid value pick and should contribute if he gets his ego in check and becomes a great team player. Speaking of Griffen, he helps show some of the reasons why I despise USC football - Pete Carroll and the rest of the coaching staff. Carrol and his crew were so hellbent on selling to recruits that USC makes them great pro prospects that they completely forget about the kids. Carrol, now head coach of the Seahawks, passed on Taylor Mays in the first round to take a different safety even though he told Mays that Mays was the choice if he fell to him. Here is a great article on what I'm talking about. USC players are rarely prepared for the NFL yet they keep selling it to the kids. Griffen, Mays, and Joe McKnight are players that also have been affected by Carroll's irresponsible preparation. Also, for some reason I have a feeling that Lane Kiffin won't change that now that he is coaching USC.

The Minnesota Twins are off to a great start and I have to say that Target Field is absolutely stunning. I was lucky enough to get tickets for the opening series from a friend's dad. It is great to actually feel the sun and wind rather than the fake lights and fans from the Metrodome. Let's hope that the Vikings can soon escape the Teflon baggy soon enough as well. Back to the Twins. Liriano is back to looking like the Franchise that he was back in his rookie season and the acquisitions of Hudson, Hardy, and Thome are all paying off nicely. Here's to hoping they keep it up and we can find out what baseball is like with snow come October and November.

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Well that's all I've got for now and with classes almost done for the summer, hopefully I will be able to post more actively. Until next time...