Bold predictions for 2006
All the talk and media hype about Reggie Bush and a Bush/Gore
ticket in the backfield for the 49ers last year all went for naught
with the win over Houston last Sunday.
Now instead of a potential No. 1 pick it looks as though the
49ers front office will be coin flipping this spring with Al Davis
to see which Bay Area team gets the No. 6 pick.
Bold predictions for 2006
All the talk and media hype about Reggie Bush and a Bush/Gore ticket in the backfield for the 49ers last year all went for naught with the win over Houston last Sunday.
Now instead of a potential No. 1 pick it looks as though the 49ers front office will be coin flipping this spring with Al Davis to see which Bay Area team gets the No. 6 pick.
Talk about picking the wrong time to win a game. But hey at 4-12 the young Niners equaled the talent-rich Raider roster, which gave the best display of underachieving on a football field that I have seen in a long time.
The next big game for each of these non-playoff teams will be the NFL Draft.
The Niners need to draft either a big receiver like a T.O., without the rap sheet, or the biggest, baddest offensive lineman they can find. Alex Smith is bad but he won’t look as bad with a few more seconds to throw the ball off of a linemen’s helmet.
The Raiders on the other hand need to draft a new coach to replace recently fired Norv Turner, who went 9-23 over the last two seasons. But since it’s not possible to pick a coach on draft day, look for the Raiders to make a move at the quarterback position. And don’t be surprised if former 49er and Detroit Lion coach Steve Mariucci gets a call from big Al this off season to turn things around.
While I’m in a predicting mood here are a few predictions for 2006. They may be a little off the wall, but at least I’m having fun. And if they happen I’ll actually look like I know what I’m talking about.
Let’s start with the Giants and Barry Bonds. He won’t break Hammerin’ Hank’s homerun record but he will surpass the Bambino in early May.
T.O. winds up in Oakland – not as a spectator at a Warrior playoff game. He goes there as a wide receiver playing side-by-side with Randy Moss. It’s would be deep-ball Al Davis’ dream. But Kerry Collins won’t be the one fighting with these two stud troublemaker receivers over who gets the touchdown toss. Instead, former Green Bay Packer Brett Favre will be the guy calling the plays in the huddle for the silver and black in his final two seasons in the NFL.
Try this one on for size. The Seattle Seahawks will win their first Super Bowl Championship while Indy and Payton Manning get knocked out of the playoffs in their first postseason game.
Oakland A’s Vice President and General Manager Billy Beane slashes his already low budget by 10 percent for a personal challenge and his squad still makes the post season thanks to their strong pitching staff.
Speaking of pitching…
In the event that Roger Clemens heads back to Beantown to finish out his career, the Red Sox pitching rotation would be so solid that they could probably get back to the World Series without the bats of Manny Ramirez or David Ortiz.
Thirty-year-old Tiger Woods will start to get bored with dominating on the PGA Tour and will announce that he plans to cut back on his schedule to focus on his next venture: politics. This decision will please the many fans of Jack Nicklaus.
Although it looks pretty bleak now, the San Jose Sharks will win the Stanley Cup. The Warriors on the other hand will be eliminated from the NBA playoffs in the second round.
How ’bout a couple local predictions?
Gilroy High wins the CCS wrestling championship for the fourth time in a row, which doesn’t really classify this as a prediction at this point but more like a factual statement.
Sticking with Gilroy High, the Mustangs girls’ basketball team will win the CCS and the Gilroy High boys’ team won’t be far behind.
When it comes to boys’ soccer, Live Oak will cruise to a CCS title.
Champ car driver and Live Oak Class of 1983 graduate Jimmy Vasser will announce his retirement from the series that he helped put on the map.
The Gavilan College Board of Trustees will approve plans to build a football stadium on the campus by the year 2012.
All of the Live Oak High School sports teams will miss the old Tri County Athletic League rivalries so much next fall that they will re-file with the CCS in 2007 to leave the Blossom Valley Athletic League and come back to the TCAL, which will by then be a reshuffled MBL.
And this writer will have carpal tunnel soon if he doesn’t stop making these predictions.
Until next week…
