Now that the summer is coming to an end, I figure I should give everyone who still checks out this blog a quick update. It's been a pretty big couple of months.
I guess the biggest thing that happened was that one night, I took Tracy down to the beach, got down on one knee and asked her to marry me. After about 5 minutes of weighing the pros and cons, she decided "what the heck" and said YES. So that was pretty cool I would say.
We are getting married April 1, 2011. Definitely my top moment since I formed the My Super Fun Times blog.
But my upcoming nuptials was not the only big time event of the summer. I would have to say the second biggest deal of the summer would have to be the 1st Ever Wes Bradshaw World Cup Pool.
The 2010 World Cup was not the great success that all England fans (myself included) had hoped for. After an early goal tending blunder allowed the United States to steal a 1-1 draw in the opening match, England never fully recovered. After crashing out to Germany in the Round of 16, the Three Lions headed home with their tail between their legs and a tricky job for Euro 2012 qualifying. But that is something to explore at a later date.
The winner of the World Cup Pool was Baseball Britt Johnson. All in all the pool was a great success and I look forward to bringing it back in 4 years. But if anyone is up for a little Euro 2012 action, let me know.
On the Red Sox front, it's starting to resemble the Western Front of literary fame. Injuries have rocked the Sox 2010 campaign, and somehow, today they still stand in striking distance of the American League Wild Card. I must say, I don't know how they have survived this long. The starting pitching has been up and down, the hitting has been spotty and the bullpen is hanging by a thread. Yet the Sox keep fighting, day by day. You might want to, but you can't count them out.
The summer has been a firestorm for the NCAA on the football front. It gets tiring day in and day out turning on the radio and instead of hearing about upcoming seasons and players to watch and the usual fun of late summer, we hear about agents and violations and potential ineligible stars. I'm not going to be one of those people that try to tell you what should happen or what the coaches and players should do to fix the problem. All I know is that there is a problem. The only solution I can come up with is personal responsibility. The players know the rules. Just grow up and follow them.
As for my fearless predictions, here ya go:
1. Alabama will be undefeated late into the season. They will be cruising along, and get ambushed by an under the radar Auburn team. They will bounce back to win the SEC Championship Game, get into the BCS Championship Game and knock off an undefeated Virginia Tech team to win their second straight BCS Championship. But wait, there's a twist.
2. The Twist. USC, with the lure of post-season play out the window, plays the 2010 season like a pissed off Pitt Bull. The Trojans will blow through the regular season, taking names and kicking ass along the way. With a team that is loaded with talent, a chip on their shoulder, and a manageable schedule, the Trojans will finish the season 13-0, the only undefeated team in college football, and be awarded the AP National Championship. Nice twist huh.
3. Miami takes a big step toward their return to dominance. After surviving an early season Death March with road wins at Ohio State, Pitt and Clemson, the Canes cruise to a November 20 showdown with Virginia Tech. The matchup between undefeateds comes down to a last second field goal and the Hokies will escape South Beach with the W and the inside to the BCS Championship Game. But their strong season will earn the Canes an Orange Bowl berth and a big win will propel them into 2011 as the pre-season #1.
4. East Carolina will surprise many by being a .500 team this season. With a new staff, new offensive philosophy, and a new defensive group, many predict this to be a big time rebuilding season in Pirate Country. I am here to tell you that the Pirates will rebuild, but with a plethora of playmakers on the offensive side of the ball and a scheme built to put points on the board, the Pirates will find a way to outscore people. Look for a slow start as ECU travels to Virginia Tech, North Carolina and Southern Miss in consecutive games. Then, it's a home game against NC State. After that, watch out. I look for the Pirate offense to take off and for sparks to fly.
5. My surprise team of the year is Stanford. The Cardinal are unranked coming into the season and expectations are not high after the loss of Heisman Trophy runner-up Toby Gerhart. But Andrew Luck is the real deal. Forget Jake Locker, Luck is the best quarterback on the Left Coast. Look for Stanford to finish in the Top 12 as Jim Harbough garners some attention as National Coach of the Year.
National Champion: Alabama (BCS) USC (AP)
ACC: Virginia Tech
Big East: West Virginia
Big XII: Nebraska
Big Ten: Iowa/Ohio St.
Pac 10: USC (Oregon will get BCS berth)
SEC: Alabama
BCS Championship Game: Alabama vs Virginia Tech
Orange Bowl: Miami vs West Virginia
Rose Bowl: Oregon vs Iowa
Sugar Bowl: Florida vs Texas
Fiesta Bowl: Nebraska vs Ohio State
Heisman Trophy: Matt Barkley, QB (USC)
Those are my fearless predictions. Let's see if I have any idea what I'm talking about.
A quick nugget before I finish this up. Congrats to Baseball Britt on not only winning the World Cup Pool, but also on his new job as an assistant coach for Lander University. I always predicted Britt would be a top head coach if he went that direction. After 2 seasons at Nash Central, he continues the journey. Congrats buddy.
Well that's it for this one. I promise it will not be 2 months until my next post. Have a great weekend.
