Joe Palmquist : You can always count on the unpredictability of sports
Trying to predict the future in the sports world is pure folly.
That’s precisely why our business is so enjoyable. There is routine, but there are enough surprises tossed in to keep things interesting.
This past year is a perfect example. Last Dec. 30, imagine if I would have predicted the following for 2006:
“The Seahawks will dominate the NFC playoffs, make it to the Super Bowl in Detroit and be favored to win their first title.
“Nick Holt will resign as the Idaho football coach to be an assistant with the St. Louis Rams for a couple of days before deciding to be the defensive coordinator at USC.
“Idaho will shock everyone by hiring Dennis Erickson, who started his amazing head-coaching career at Idaho 25 years ago. Erickson will instantly add excitement and boost ticket sales, but he will leave 10 months later for Arizona State.
“A group of four young buddies will pony up the cash to get an arenafootball2 franchise. Determined to do it right, the ownership group will hire an experienced coach, get a good mix of local and national talent, market the snot out of their product and draw nearly 10,000 fans a game and win the af2 championship.
“Gonzaga basketball star Adam Morrison will lead the nation in scoring, lead the Zags into the Sweet 16, announce his decision to skip his senior season in favor of the NBA and get picked No. 3 overall in the NBA draft by the Charlotte Bobcats.
“In other college sports news, EWU phenom Rodney Stuckey will be the first freshman to win the Big Sky Conference MVP award; Rogers High grad Rebekah Noble, a freshman at Oregon, will win the 800 meters in the NCAA championships; and Whitworth football will celebrate its 100th anniversary with a rare win over Linfield and a trip to the NCAA Division III playoffs.
“In prep sports, Northwest Christian boys will win the final true State B basketball tournament in Spokane and Lake City will conclude a perfect season with the 5A Idaho State football championship.
Admit it, you would have thought I was nuts.
And yet I expect 2007 to be every bit as surprising. Would you believe:
“Within a week after Gonzaga bows out of the NCAA tournament, losing to Arizona in the Sweet 16, assistants Billy Greer and Leon Rice will both accept head coaching positions elsewhere, believing Mark Few will stay forever at Gonzaga. Oregon coach Ernie Kent will unexpectedly resign and No. 1 Oregon donor Phil Knight will personally fly to Spokane to convince Few to coach the Ducks. Gonzaga, now without an entire coaching staff, will hire former coach Dan Monson.
“Washington State men’s basketball team will get snubbed by the NCAA, but regroup and win the NIT.
“The Spokane Shock sell out every home game, win another Arena Cup and entertain offers to join the big boys as an Arena Football franchise. The local owners ultimately turn it down, knowing what a good thing they have going.
“In the preps, Ferris wins the 4A boys basketball title, Lewis and Clark girls repeat and Van Troxel will coach his final football game at Lake City and take a job with a GSL school.
“Bobby Brett, buoyed by the success of his guarantee of season-ticket refunds to Chiefs fans, offers Spokane Indians fans free beer at every game in which the team is worse than .500. The Indians set the all-time attendance record for Single-A ball.
“Ty Willingham is fired at Washington after another losing season and Atlanta Falcons head coach Jim Mora is at the front of the line to replace Willingham. Instead, the Huskies hire Everett native Dennis Erickson.
I know, those are crazy predictions. But probably no crazier than what will really happen.
Happy New Year.