2011 Sports Preview
January 1, 2011 Leave a comment
Husky forward Mathew-Bryan Amaning looks to bring the Huskies to the Big Dance in March.
2010 was a great year full of sporting events. 2011 is sure to have exciting NFL playoffs, the rest of the NBA season, and the start of the next great MLB season.
2011 Winter Classic
Sidney Crosby and the rest of the Penguins will host Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals in the annual Winter Classic, which is to be played outside at Heinz Field. The forecast calls for a high of 50°, which is the same as the forecast in PHOENIX, ARIZONA. Along with unusually warm weather, there is also a chance of rain. Due to the weather threats, the game has changed from 1 p.m. EST to 8 p.m. EST. Crosby recently had his 25-game point streak snapped against the Islanders. The two of the best players in the NHL will go against each other in one of the biggest hockey games (aside from the Stanley Cup Playoffs) in the year.
NFL Playoffs
As the NFL regular season is about to come to an end, one cannot forget what all has happened in 2010. 2011 is sure to not disappoint. The MVP of the season is to be chosen and it is most likely between Tom Brady and Michael Vick, one of the most intriguing athletes of 2010. Those MVP candidates have a chance to lead their teams to the Super Bowl in Dallas, Texas. Along with great teams, there are some disappointments. In the NFC West, also known as the NFL Worst, a 7-9 team could make the playoffs. Also, some high profile teams had some upsetting seasons. The preseason Super Bowl favorite Dallas Cowboys lost their “star” quarterback Tony Romo early in the season leaving the team to only have one win heading to November. The Arizona Cardinals had a disappointing season after their Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner retired. The Cardinals had three different quarterbacks (Derek Anderson, Max Hall, John Skelton) start a game, and two of them were rookies, one being undrafted. The Cardinals finish their season in San Francisco and will most likely receive a 10th overall draft pick and will seek for a franchise quarterback.
2010-11 NBA Season
Many people expected the Miami Heat to have the best regular season record of all time and easily make it to the NBA Finals after they got LeBron James and Chris Bosh in free agency and resigned Dwayne Wade, creating their own Big 3. After a slow start, many people questioned their decisions to take their talents to South Beach, but they quickly got their act together. They have won 15 of their last 16 with the lone loss coming to one of the best teams in the Western Conference, the Dallas Mavericks. The Heat are currently .5 games behind the Eastern Conference leading Boston Celtics. In the West, it seems that the season will be a race between three teams: Spurs (28-4), Mavericks (24-7), and the back-to-back champions Lakers (23-10). However, the young OKC Thunder (Sonics forever!) led by Kevin Durant can be a threat in the playoffs.
2011 MLB Season
The next MLB season does not start for a few months, but it is never too early to talk about baseball. The Giants surprised everyone and one the World Series. They were able to win it all with Cody Ross, a normal outfielder from free agency, and Edgar Renteria along with some of the best pitchers in the MLB. The question is… can they repeat? The LeBron James of baseball this offseason was Cliff Lee, the man everyone wanted. Lee ended up with the Phillies, the team he played with 2 years ago in the World Series against the Yankees. Another star free agent was Jayson Werth, previously with the Phillies, who took $126 million for 7-years with a team who has never had a winning season, the Washington Nationals. The Nationals will also have the 18-year-old star Bryce Harper most likely start in the minor leagues but will probably play in the majors by the end of the season. However, “star” pitcher Steven Strasburg will be out for the season from recovering from surgery. The 2011 baseball season is far from starting and predictions will be made later.
BCS Title Game
On January 10, 2011, Auburn and Oregon will play each other to see who is the best team in college football. Click here for previous coverage of BCS Title game.
Husky Basketball
The Huskies ended 2010 on a high note by beating USC and UCLA in Southern California. They are currently 10-3 (2-0 PAC-10) with 2 of their losses coming from the Maui Invitational against then #9 Kentucky and #2 Michigan State. Though the Huskies are no longer ranked, they are still one of the best teams in the country and the best in the PAC-10. 16 of their next 17 games will come against the other PAC-10 schools and they will play Seattle U. The Huskies should easily make the enlarged NCAA Basketball Tournament and have a chance to be a ranked team by the end of the year. Currently they are 3rd in the country in points per game with 87.9 and are no lower than 26th overall in rebounds per game (40.5), assists per game (18.1), and field goal percentage (.483). Senior forward Mathew Bryan-Amaning has developed into a strong post presence and Junior guard Isaiah Thomas has become one of the best guards in the PAC-10.
Aaron Munson
