Bold sports predictions for 2016 – Ontario Argus Observer
2015 is nearly in the books, and what a year it was.
With 2016 just around the corner, I thought now would be the perfect time for me to play the role of Nostradamus and tell you all what to expect in the world of sports for 2016.
Here are my 10 bold predictions for the new year.
1. Kansas City wins the Super Bowl. With nine straight wins, the Chiefs are the hottest team in the AFC right now, but no one is taking them seriously as a Super Bowl contender. Granted, the Chiefs are not a trendy pick, but that doesn’t mean they are not a serious contender. With the AFC in a bit of a turmoil with the Patriots hurt, the Bengals without their star quarterback and the Broncos’ inconsistency, the Chiefs’ consistency could pay huge dividends in the end.
2. Washington wins the Stanley Cup. This one seems like a long time coming. For years, the Capitals have had one of if not the best player in all of hockey in Alexander Ovechkin. This season, Washington has the best record in the NHL and looks to have finally taken its place as the best team in the league. Look for Ovech-kin to get his first Stanley Cup.
3. Michigan State wins the College Football Playoff Championship. Yes, the Big Ten goes back to back in the College Football Playoff Champion-ship. The Spartans have found ways to win games all season long. Whether it was a crazy punt return block to beat Michigan or a come-from-behind win over defending national champion Ohio State, Michigan State has found ways to get the job done. Expect the Spartans to do it again when it matters most.
4. Cleveland wins the NBA Championship. It’s been 51 long years since the city of Cleveland has won a championship of any kind. That drought ends in 2016. While Golden State has gotten all the attention, Cleveland has quietly accrued the best record in the Eastern Conference. In last year’s NBA Finals against the Warriors, the Cavs won two games without stars Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving. If Cleveland can stay healthy through the playoffs, expect LeBron James to finally bring a championship to his hometown team.
5. Roger Federer wins Wimbledon in his final year. At 34, Federer has played for a whopping 17 years. During that time, he has established himself as one of the all-time greats with a record 17 Grand Slam championships in singles competition. He also has another 10 runner-up finishes, including two this year alone. While it’s clear Federer can still beat the best, I think he knows his time is running out and wants to go out on top. What better way to do that than by winning the tournament that has come to define him? It would his record eighth Wimbledon Championship and the perfect way for him to ride off in the sunset.
6. San Francisco wins the World Series. I’ll keep this one short and sweet. It’s an even year. The Giants have won world championships in 2010, 2012 and 2014. That’s just something you don’t bet against.
7. Rousey is upset again. It was one of the biggest upsets of all time, and it’s going to happen again. Look, there’s no denying the greatness of Ronda Rousey, but this loss took something out of her. Over the past month and half since, I haven’t liked the way Rousey has handled the defeat. I fear this loss may have shaken her confidence, and that’s something she’ll desperately need in the rematch. But more importantly, Holly Holm is for real. There’s a reason why she’s a multi-champion boxer and has only ever lost three times.
8. Tiger Woods wins a major championship. All right, I’ll admit this is the biggest stretch on my list, but I just can’t help but remain optimistic with this guy. Even with his fall from the top, Woods is still one of the greatest golfers of all time and still has the talent to win. You just don’t forget something like that. I’m hoping he comes back re-energized and eager to show the world why we fell in love with him in the first place.
9. Oklahoma wins the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship. First things first: Predicting the NCAA Tournament is like winning the lottery, only you have a better shot at winning the lottery. Predicting the winner in December, when a single conference game has yet to take place, is a total shot in the dark. But based on what I’ve seen so far this season, I think the Sooners have a legitimate shot of cutting down the nets in April. They are the third-ranked team in the country, undefeated and bode one of college basketball’s best players in Buddy Hield. I’ll take my chances with them. Boomer Sooner.
10. Peyton Manning plays his final season with the Chicago Bears. With what has transpired this season in Denver, one thing is for sure: Manning is on borrowed time and out of Denver. I honestly don’t think we are going to see Manning play another game this season due to the success of Brock Osweiler. With that being said, I don’t think Manning will want his disappointing injury-riddled 2015 season to be his last, so expect him to head north to Chicago. If you think about it, the move makes sense. His former head coach John Fox and offensive coordinator Adam Gase are both there. Manning thrived in their system and put up career numbers. He’ll have solid weapons surrounding him in Alshon Jeffery, Matt Forte and Martellus Bennett. But what about Jay Cutler, you ask? Let’s just say Houston will solve that problem.
Brandon Walton is a sports reporter at The Argus Observer. Contact him at (541) 823-4806 or email him at [email protected].
This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service – if this is your content and you’re reading it on someone else’s site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php#publishers.