Sports > December 6, 2007

By James Burnett | Staff writer

After much soul searching and a couple of glasses of bourbon, I have come to the realization that I should never make sports picks.

As if it is my lot in life to destroy everything I love, I may have singlehandedly ended Oregon’s chances at a BCS game, the Rockies’ miraculous run and worst of all the Deacons’ shot at any bowl besides this Car Care thing in Charlotte.

After choosing the Rockies to beat the Red Sox in 6, the Bosox exploded to outscore the suddenly tired Rockies 29-10 in four games.

I believe Dinger the Triceratops, perhaps the last of his kind on earth, went extinct as the Sox clinched in Colorado.

College football turned out no better.

After defiantly picking Oregon to play in the BCS title game, star quarterback and Heisman contender Dennis Dixon injured himself while routinely cutting to the left.

To make things worse, his backup was none other than Ryan Leaf’s younger brother Brady.

The two will be co- authoring the book Losing the Leaf Way: A Beginner’s Guide to Being Benched.

Oregon’s season turned sour (Leaf did get benched) and now the offensively inept Ducks will face South Florida in the Sun Bowl.

Ironically, both teams were once in the driver’s seat for the BCS title game, but now will be playing in Empathy Bowl 2k7, where the biggest story of two “has been” teams could be the potential rumble between the feisty Duck and the stoic USF bull (I would pick the Duck but he would probably break his leg walking to the field.)

Perhaps my biggest mistake was my aversion to the Meineke Car Care Bowl in Charlotte.

The glitz and glamour of Nashville blinded me. I wanted Dolly Parton; I got an injured Adam Morrison. I dreamt of the Grand Ole Opry; I got the Charlotte Convention Center.

However, Deacon Fans, I will not falter, I will gladly cheer on the Deacs as they face the surprisingly efficient and just plain surprising UConn Huskies.

Will I pick the winner?

Probably not, but in light of this semester’s streak, I submit the following picks for next year as some early Christmas presents:

1. Duke or UNC will win the NCAA title in basketball.

2. The Patriots will go undefeated and win the Super Bowl.

3. Tom Brady will not suffer a minor injury (broken toe while tripping over Josh Beckett?) on his way to winning the NFL MVP award.

4. Ohio State will win the BCS title game.

5. Wake Forest will not waive all tuition fees and send me to the Car Care Bowl for free.

6. A Zaxby’s Chicken will not open in Winston-Salem.

7. John Daly will not win a Major PGA Championship.

8. The NHL will have something of a renaissance, becoming the major sport with the highest viewership in the United States.

9. NASCAR will die out as people begin to realize that it is just cars driving in a circle.

10. Wake Forest will not return as a national powerhouse in any sport.

So happy holidays Deacon Fans, enjoy the Bowl season and maybe I’ll see you in Charlotte.

Feel free to e-mail me or my editor (preferably my editor) any other picks I should make for next semester.