There’s plenty to look forward to during ‘06
If ever there were a year for Chicago Cubs fans to get excited, 2006 is it.
No, they didn’t make any moves you haven’t heard about and really, they’re not any better than they were a year ago. But what should get Cubs fans excited is mojo.
I mean, just look at what’s happened the past two years: The Red Sox overcame the Curse of the Bambino and won their first World Series title in 86 years, then the White Sox turned around and cleared the Curse of the Black Sox off the books.
It’s gotta be the Cubs’ turn this year, right?
OK, maybe the thinking isn’t all that logical. You might as well believe your daily horoscope or fortune cookies. But for Cubs fans, it’s at least something, a smidgen of hope for fans who have been hoping since that last World Series title 97 years ago.
But enough about wishful thinking. Let’s look ahead to some stuff that might be a little more realistic.
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What better place to start than football? USC is gunning for a third straight national title, the NFL playoffs are about to start and the Super Bowl is weeks away.
The Rose Bowl has the makings to reach best-of-all-time status. Heisman Trophy winners Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush in the same backfield leading the Trojans against the talented Texas Longhorns? The BCS is about to wet itself over this one.
The biggest question in the NFL is whether Peyton and the Indianapolis Colts can ride their near-perfect season to a title. They certainly have the talent, but history – in the form of years of playoff disappointments – is against them.
Maybe Indy will do it. But don’t be surprised if the New England Patriots find a way to add another trophy to their case or if someone from the NFC, like the well-rounded Seattle Seahawks or the stingy Chicago Bears, find a way to do it.
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Get past the Super Bowl and there’s not much breathing room before the Winter Olympics start in Turin, Italy – a week, in fact.
Though the U.S. team has never had much success in Winter Games and even the bigwigs at the U.S. Olympic Committee aren’t venturing a medal prediction, don’t be surprised if the Stars and Stripes get plenty of air time on the podium. With stars like Bode Miller, Shaun White, Apolo Anton Ohno and Jeremy Bloom, the Americans should make some noise in the Alps – and not the kind the U.S. hockey team did in Nagano in 1998.
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Get through the Olympics and it’s already time for spring training (didn’t baseball season just end?).
The White Sox have an unbelievable rotation and should be the favorites. The New York Yankees always find a way to stay competitive, and their cross-borough neighbors the Mets are hoping another spending spree and a roster filled with All-Stars will work better than it did a few years ago.
And the Cubs? Curses!
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Get through spring training and March Madness will be in full swing. Seems everyone outside of the Triangle hates Duke now, so imagine what it’ll be like if the Blue Devils pull out another title. J.J. Redick will make Bobby Hurley and Christian Laettner seem like fan favorites if Duke does it.
Whew! The year’s not even half over and there’s already tons of stuff to talk about.
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Move on to April and it’s time for Magnolia Lane, the Masters and talk of Tiger Woods winning the Grand Slam after another easy win at Augusta National. Or maybe Phil Mickelson adds to his green jacket collection.
Either way, it’s going to be a different year in golf, particularly at the end of the year, with the NASCAR-type points system making sure the big names don’t skip out on the 84 Lumber Classic and the Southern Farm Bureau Classic. I know you’ll be tuned in to those.
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April and June, best time of the year: hockey and basketball playoffs.
The NHL has been revitalized with new rules and parity following the lockout. But will it make a difference in the playoffs, where it seems nearly every team gets in? Don’t be surprised if the Ottawa Senators and Detroit Red Wings keep up the pace and end up facing in each other in what would be a wide-open, exciting Stanley Cup Finals.
The NBA? The shock there would be if there isn’t another snooze-fest in the finals between the San Antonio Spurs and Detroit Pistons. Nothing like a showdown between Tim Duncan and Ben Wallace to get fans to tune in.
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Get to the summer and things will have heated up on the track.
NASCAR has its biggest race – the Daytona 500 – at the beginning of the year, but things don’t really get rolling until late summer, when The Chase gets into full gear. Tony Stewart sped away from his bad boy image and the competition last year and could make it a repeat.
Danica Mania won’t be as big the second time around in the IndyCar circuit, but she’s always going to draw attention. Watch out: She might just win a race.
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Tennis also gets into full swing in the summer months. Of course that means wins in the Australian and French by players few of us in the United States have ever heard of and more hardware for Roger Federer in the final two majors.
The women? It could be another big year for the Williams sisters and the possibility of Maria Sharapova solidifying her status as a star with another major.
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Fall brings about the pennant races and the start of another NFL season.
Last year’s baseball playoffs had plenty of amazing moments and will be hard to repeat. One thing we don’t need to see again is another sweep in the World Series. Watching the St. Louis Cardinals and the Houston Astros the past two years makes you wonder if it wouldn’t be better to have the two best A.L. teams play in the Fall Classic.
As for football, it’s going to be fun to see if Bush can work his magic down in Houston and not so much fun (at least outside of the New England states) to hear about those dynastic Patriots trying to make another run.
Then, poof! Another year is gone.
Here’s hoping it’ll be just as good as the last one.