Today, we bring you the conclusion to the often imitated, RSS Decade Series! At the close of the 2000's, we examined several Top 10's of the past decade, including games, athletes, flops, soundbytes, D'Oh moments, and stories. Now, we finish it off with 10 predictions for the next decade in sports! Some are certain to happen, others are a little zany, but hey, you never know! Join in the fun!
(1) Tiger Woods will rebound from his scandal to break Jack Nicklaus's record for career majors at the 2014 Masters while embracing his new bad boy persona, which will include dressing in all black, sporting a scruffy stubble, and firing Steve Williams as caddie in favor of the Playmate of the Month. But, he'll fall just short of breaking Warren Beatty's new record for number of sexual partners, set at 13,000. Don't worry Tiger, you'll still have plenty of time for that one!
(2) The U.S. will not win a World Cup in soccer this decade. But, soccer will grow in popularity that is only surpassed by the Big 3 (football, baseball, and basketball). The growth will be in large part to the success of the English Premier League and international soccer televised on ESPN. Unfortunately, the domestic league, Major League Soccer, will remain as popular as competitive eating and timber sports.
(3) Speaking of ESPN, they will finally gain the "crown jewel" of sports television by acquiring Olympic rights away from NBC. In the process, ESPN will officially become large enough to make Bristol, CT the 51st state in the union. At least this guy would have a good prescription drug plan...
(4) As steroids has been the story of the past decade, concussions and head injuries will dominate the next decade, especially in football. As a result, innovations to helmets and other equipment will change the look of football as we currently know it. Rules will also be changed in Pop Warner and other youth leagues to limit contact between lineman. These changes, along with a prolonged labor dispute in 2011, will lead to a slow decline in popularity for the once mighty NFL.
(5) The career home run record will be broken twice this decade, first by Alex Rodriguez, then by Albert Pujols. Barry Bonds will keep his single-season record, although not without an official asterisk to signify the suspicion around his 73 home runs. Still, steroids will haunt baseball through the Hall of Fame induction process when Bonds, Clemens, Sosa, Sheffield, Ramirez, and Ortiz are left out of the Hall. On the bright side, at least Pete Rose won't be lonely at his autograph signings in Cooperstown anymore.
(6) College football will finally introduce a playoff after Congress actually produces a piece of worthwhile legislation to pressure university presidents and conference commissioners. By the end of the decade, one of Boise St., TCU, Utah, or BYU will win a national championship. In response, the entire SEC, USC, Notre Dame, Texas, and Oklahoma secede from Division I and label themselves the WGFC, or World's Greatest Football Conference, playing their "World Championship" in the newly renamed Jerry Jones Stadium.
(7) Coach K wil finally leave Duke...to take over for Phil Jackson as head coach of the Lakers. Together, he and Kobe will combine to win a whopping 1 title this decade. On the flip side, Dick Vitale will audition to become the oldest, and most revolting Laker girl in history.
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(8) After leaving the Cavs in the summer of 2010 for the Knicks, LeBron James will fail to win a title in the next decade. His failure on the court will lead to a shocking retirement before the start of the 2016 season at the age of 31 to pursue a multi-platform empire more powerful than Oprah and Michael Jordan combined. Meanwhile, Brett Favre in 2016, will sue his alma mater So. Miss to grant him another season of eligibility at 47 years old.
(9) In NASCAR, Jimmie Johnson will break the hallowed record of Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty by winning a record 8th championship. Of course, the record will come under scrutiny when Johnson is revealed to be a robotic creation designed to appeal to race fans outside the deep South.
(10) And last, but not least, the Cubs will win a World Series this decade at the very end of it in 2019! Of course, it'll only happen after the predicted apocolypse in 2012 destroys all baseball teams except the Cubs and the Kansas City Royals and makes the billy goat extinct...but when you're the Cubs, you can't complain!
What are your predictions for the next decade in sports? Let us know by posting a comment below. Feel free to speculate whether this blog will be alive and kicking for a 2nd Decade Series! Check back for our NFL Wild Card Preview. Until then, it's bye for now!
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