Congratulations to the Florida State Seminoles and Auburn Tigers on one of the closest and well-played Bowl Championship Series National Championship games ever Monday at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif.
The Seminoles won the game 34-31and it was thrilling all they way.
Since sports writers throughout the country are making predictions of what they think will happen in the sports world in 2014, I thought that maybe I should throw in a few of my predictions.
Well, for what it’s worth, here they are. Since baseball is by far my favorite sport, lets start with a few predictions about the Atlanta Braves.
More particularly, I’d like to talk about Braves center fielder B.J. Upton. As a high-priced free agent coming over from the Tampa Bay Rays, prior to the 2013 season, Upton never got his average much above the 200 mark. There is no way to go for him but up in 2014, and I think he will soar.
I also look for former Braves catcher Brian McCann to have an outstanding season with the New York Yankees, who signed him to a lucrative free agent contract. By going to an American League team, he can both catch and be a designated hitter.
I think the Atlanta Falcons football team’s defense will show improvement, but they will have to. Quarterback Matt Ryan and the offense scored their share of points despite the injuries to wide receivers Roddy White and Julio Jones, but they just could not match what the high number of points the defense was giving up week in and week out.
Turning to local, I think coach Jeff Littleton’s Bainbridge High School Bearcats football team will continue to build a strong foundation for the future. He started laying it during the 2013 season.
Coach Rickey McCullough’s Bearcats basketball team should continue to get better in 2014 with Tyree Crump leading the way.
In college football, I think the Alabama Crimson Tide will return to national championship form with head coach Nick Saban and defense coordinator and former Bainbridge High School Bearcat Kirby Smart, the 1993 Region 1AAAA Sportswriter’s defensive player of the year under his father, former Bainbridge High School Bearcats head coach Sonny Smart, and 1994 Bainbridge High School graduate, leading the way.
I also look for coach Larry Cosby and coach Tandria Phillips to again field strong Bearcats and Lady Cats track teams this spring.
I also look for former Bearcats defensive back Rohan Gaines to have another strong football season with the University of Arkansas Razorbacks.
I don’t know what teams will reach the World Series in the fall, but I think former Bearcat, Climax resident and major league shortstop and third baseman Earnest Riles will successfully predict its outcome, again.
This past year, he predicted that the American League champion Boston Red Sox would defeat the National League champion St. Louis Cardinals in six games in the seven-game World Series, and that is exactly what happened.