last Friday I was prepared to post a ranting "sports predictions for 2003" entry, but decided on a last-minute veto when I figured most of You don't really care too much about my protracted sports-related ramblings.

However, one of my key predictions was "a US soocer player will make a Major impact on a top European club team." As vague as that seems, I was incredibly encouraged to hear of Brian McBride's debut with English Premier League side Everton over the weekend. McBride is "on loan" from Columbus during the MLS off-season, and the top US target man is greating a great chance to show more of his stuff we got to see at Japan/Korea on a better-than-average side in perhaps the World's top domestic league. He scored just 10 minutes in to Everton's most recent match against Tottenham -- putting it by US golakeepe Kasey Keller, from Lacey -- and later assisted on Everton's 3rd tally in the 4-3 loss.

Another bold prediction I intended to make was that a Northwest team would make a Serious championship run. But not the Mariners, Seahawks, or Sonics -- rather the Vancouver Canucks. Of course, they responded to my never-published-prediction by losing two straight over the Weekend... but store it away. This team has all the Tools -- including perhas the best winger combo in the NHL right now in Markus Naslund and Todd Bertuzzi, and their biggest Doubt, goalie Dan Cloutier, is getting better.
(on a side rant here, the fact that Naslund, the leading goal scorer in the League at the moment, was not voted as a starter demonstrates the Criminal Fallacy of "fan ballotting" to decided All-Star game starting lineups. Take a look at the lineups here, and tell me how many players from Canadian teams are on the list... it seems to me that Naslund should be starting for the West, and Marian Hossa, of the Ottowa Senators, should be starting for the East, as evidenced by the League-leading Goal-scoring chart seen here-- wingers score goals, that is their job and the single-most signifgant stat to lok at when deciding All-star selections. Now, as far as Defensemen go, so-called "Fans" seem to ignore the plus-minus stat -- in this man's opinion the single most telling gauge of a defenders efectiveness is goals scored For minus goals scored Against while that player is on the ice. I especially chortle with the selection of one Sandis Ozolinsch, widely known as a defensive laibility who, when with the Colorado Avalanche, was kept Off the Ice in the closing minutes of close games!)