I am the last person that should ever make predictions.
You know this to be true if you follow The Morning Star NFL Picks in the sports section in every Friday edition during the NFL season.
Usually, while out in public, I will get asked by a follower of the column, something to the effect of, “How the h— could you pick the Falcons to beat the unbeaten Panthers,” which I did a couple of weeks ago when Carolina beat Atlanta to the tune of 38-0.
Or I’ll get “What have you been smoking?” Or, my personal favourite: “Do you know ANYTHING about the NFL?”
As is my custom, I fell behind, needed to try and catch up to the leaders, failed, and ended up in a tie for last place with NFL Picks rookie Tammy Holland.
That was before gloriously getting 12 correct in Week 16, the second-to-last week, to win the week, which included me being the ONLY competitor correctly picking Atlanta to again beat Carolina.
I can’t catch the leaders, and it’s looking like I’ll finish in fifth place or maybe sixth, which is where I usually end up.
I bring this up because we have reached the end of yet another year.
Today is the final day of 2015, a time of reflection and a time where everyone makes resolutions about what they want to do in the New Year (though I never hear anybody say they’re going to stop going to the gym or start smoking).
It’s also a time to look ahead and predict what could happen in the next 366 days (it’s a Leap Year, happy birthday to those born on Feb. 29!).
Predictions can be tough. It’s not easy to try and pick the winners of 15 NFL games every week.
Since I’ve been a part of NFL Picks, none of the competitors has had a perfect week.
How about predicting the weather? We love to poke fun at Environment Canada because, even with all of their technological gizmos and expertise, they hardly seem to get the weather correct.
Can you predict the unpredictable? Seriously, how many of us thought the Liberals would form a majority federal government back on Oct. 19?
So here we go: 16 brave predictions for 2016. Please, everyone, have a safe and happy New Year!
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will be named People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive;
Canada will not win gold at the World Junior Hockey Championships;
Canada will win the World Cup of Hockey;
Wally Buono returns to the sidelines and leads the B.C. Lions to a Grey Cup win over the Hamilton Tiger Cats;
Charo, at age 65, makes a stunning comeback by winning Dancing With The Stars;
The Canadian dollar will not rise above 70 cents US;
Will Smith wins Best Actor Oscar for Concussion;
Star Wars: The Force Awakens wins Best Picture Oscar or, at the very least, Best Visual Effects;
My son will get his N on his first try;
Vernon Mayor Akbal Mund ends his habit of asking and answering his own questions in media scrums;
Vernon Vipers squeak into BCHL playoffs, upset Penticton in seven games in round one on an overtime goal from Odeen Tufto, then lose the conference final in Game 7 to Salmon Arm; the Silverbacks go on to win the Fred Page Cup;
The Spoons and Zappacosta play retro Saturday night at Funtastic;
It will be a record-setting August in the North Okanagan…for rain;
The Morning Star Word Nerds finally crack the Okanagan College Eggheads and win the Junction Literacy Centre Spelling Bee;
Some media outlet – but not us – states Coldstream and Vernon have agreed to amalgamate… on April 1;
Jenn Thatcher becomes the first woman to win The Morning Star NFL Picks.
