Welcome to the first Sports Scope of the 21st century. By now you've probably read a zillion stories about the sporting year in review. Have no worries; this column looks toward the future. Here are 13 fearless predictions for the Year of the Snake. Wager at your own risk!
Oklahoma will win the national championship -- The Orange Bowl is slated for Jan. 3 in Miami, so I'll either be eating crow or gloating real soon. Florida State has the Heisman Trophy winner in Chris Weinke and a ruthless defense to boot, and they're favored by a whopping 12 points. So why go with the Sooners? It's been 15 years since they were in a position to win the national title. Oklahoma is hungrier than the spoiled Seminoles, who seem to play for the title every year. Oklahoma 24, Florida State 21.
The Titans will capture the Super Bowl -- There weren't many dominant teams in the NFL this season as parity was the name of the game. With the Rams and Colts now out of the playoffs, the Titans are arguably the most dangerous team still alive. They have the league's top-ranked defense and clutch players in Eddie George and Steve McNair on offense. No other team has more useful playoff experience than Tennessee, which fell a yard short against the Rams in last year's Super Bowl. This time around it won't be that close. Titans 35, Vikings 17.
Dennis Miller will join the ranks of the unemployed -- If you haven't heard this comedian-turned-TV commentator rant and rave, consider yourself lucky. When I watch a football game I want to hear the announcers talk about football -- call me crazy. Half of the time we don't get his titillating analogies (what do Greek tragedies have to do with the on-side kick?). The other half we get, but we've missed the entire third quarter trying to figure it out. He's gone before next season.
Anna Kournikova will bag her first WTA singles title -- Every year the Russian starlet claims she's poised for a bust-out season and every year she falls short. Well, kind of. Last year the busty 19-year-old did sign a $5 million contract to market a line of sports bras. But she managed to reach only one WTA singles final in 2000. There are signs Anna is maturing. She's ranked higher than ever before -- eighth -- and she even won a few doubles titles last year. The pressure has been on for a while, but now she's old enough to handle it. I'll go one step further and predict she'll win the Pan Pacific tournament later this month in Tokyo. Just a hunch.
A golfer will come along and make everyone else on the PGA Tour look like hackers -- Oh wait, that's already happened. The question now is whether or not Tiger Woods will have another year like he had in 2000. Until someone raises his game a few billion notches, expect to see Tiger Rules, Part II. My crystal ball tells me he'll win the Masters, which will mean four majors in a row when you toss in the three he won last year. A Grand Slam sweep in 2001? That's a little too ambitious for my blood.
Beijing will be awarded the 2008 Summer Games -- Can you say volleyball in Tiananmen Square? That's where the Chinese have said they'll stage the sport if they win the right to host the Olympics. Paris or Toronto seem like more reasonable choices. After all, these two cities would actually build stadiums for the volleyball competition. But the IOC will have a hard time ignoring the world's most populous nation (and the pressure from sponsors worldwide to host the Games there).
Yao Ming will be selected in the top five at the NBA draft -- If you're asking yourself who Yao is, don't worry -- you're not alone. The 20-year-old Chinese center hasn't played a college game in his life. But he's 7-foot-6 and has been leading the Shanghai Sharks to glory. Some NBA scouts claim he has a better feel for the game than Shawn Bradley. That's not saying much since Bradley was a bust as a pro. But NBA teams go gaga for big men with potential and they're willing to risk high drafts pick on them (see Shawn Bradley).
The Lakers won't reach the NBA Finals -- There are so many good teams in the Western Conference this year, and all are on a mission to dethrone the world champions. The Lakers are tied with the Blazers for the third-best record in the NBA, but the Jazz, Suns, Spurs and (surprise!) Mavericks are mere percentage points behind. The red-hot Kings even have the conference's best record at 21-8. As long as Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant keep bickering about who should be the go-to guy, L.A. will be watching the Finals on TV.
Michael Jordan will retire for the third time -- When MJ bought into the Washington Wizards and signed up as the team's president of basketball operations, he never dreamed the game could be so stressful. This season Jordan has lashed out at his players for under-performing on the court and misbehaving off it. By now he probably feels more like a baby-sitter than an NBA executive. Unless Mike suits up (wishful thinking, indeed), the woeful Wizards are headed for the cellar. He'll still keep his financial stake in the team so he can be close to the NBA, but he'll give up his day-to-day duties.
Bonus prediction for 2002 -- Bored with playing golf all day long, Jordan will come out of retirement for the third time.
The Yankees will win the World Series, and then fold -- In the offseason the Bronx Bombers went out and signed Mike Mussina for a cool $88.5 million. He joins a rotation that already includes Roger Clemens, Orlando Hernandez and Andy Pettitte. But this will be the last year the Yankees dominate. Expect the aging Clemens to retire after winning another ring, and Paul O'Neill says he'll hang it up as well. If Derek Jeter is re-signed, the Yanks won't have much cash left to ink free agents. Yanks over Cardinals in five games.
Overpaid Alex Rodriguez will be made to feel underpaid -- When A-Rod chose the Texas Rangers for a cool $252 million over 10 years, he claimed his choice was "never about the money." Yeah right. If that were the case, A-Rod wouldn't have sought a clause that guaranteed he always be the game's highest-paid player. At the end of next season, Jeter will be a free agent. His numbers at the plate are comparable to A-Rod's but there is one enormous difference between the two shortstops: Jeter has four World Series rings to Rodriguez's none. He'll be made baseball's richest player if he tests the free-agent market.
Ichiro Suzuki will win the American League Most Valuable Player Award -- It's nice to dream big, isn't it? The Rookie of the Year Award is a much safer bet.
Well, there you have it! Remember what I said about wagering.