Sunday, April 29, 2007

Feeling Blue (and Orange)

AS PRINTED IN THE WHITWORTHIAN:
(the last column)

Blue and orange is quite possibly the worst color combination ever. Which makes it unfortunate that in the sporting world 2007 is the year of blue and orange.

Let’s take a closer look.

January 1 – Glendale, Ariz. It is the end of the 2006 college football season, but the beginning of 2007 when an unheralded team from Idaho took the national stage by storm.
The Boise State Broncos, with their blue and orange team colors, used hooks-and-laterals to sneak past Oklahoma 43-42 in overtime. Disgusting and yet remarkable, this game opened 2007 with style.

January 8 – Back to Glendale for the BCS Championship game. The undefeated No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes drew first blood on the opening kickoff, as Ted Ginn Jr. returned it for a touchdown. But afterwards, Florida’s blue and orange took over. The Gators dominated all facets of the game and won 41-14.

February 2 – Miami was the host to a soggy Super Bowl XLI. In a historic setting, the Indianapolis Colts (blue) defeated the Chicago Bears (blue and orange) 29-17. Dungy became the first black head coach to win an NFL championship and Peyton Manning got rid of the "loser" label-throwing for 247 yards and winning the MVP award.

April 2 – Atlanta was the site for the long awaited rematch between the Gators-Buckeyes, this time on the hard court. While the baby-Buckeyes, anchored by center Greg Oden, put up a valiant effort the game was not really ever close. Florida and its blue and orange would not be denied back-to-back titles.

So what does the rest of 2007 have in store? Here are some predictions:

NHL – The Atlanta Thrashers and the New York Islanders both have blue and orange as their team colors. But both teams were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. So a void has been left.

However, the Buffalo Sabres will hoist the Stanley Cup as champions of the hockey world. Why? The Sabres have the closest colors to blue and orange of any team left in the playoffs. They also knocked out a blue and orange team.

NBA – With only one playoff team donning blue and orange this year, the NBA will not be the exception. Sorry Golden State, you will play valiantly against Dallas, but will not prevail. The Mavs are going to have to go the distance in at least two playoff series, but with blue as their dominant team color, Dallas will win the NBA title (like in August).

College Baseball – Sorry Gators, you are not going to win this title too. Omaha will witness the Cal State Fullerton Titans, with blue and orange colors, win this year’s title in mid-June.

MLB – The National League will finally win an All-Star in early-July at AT&T Park in San Francisco. So, in the sixth game of the World Series in Detroit, the Tigers (with mostly blue and sometime orange team colors) will clinch the World Series title over the New York Mets (blue and orange). What a finale it will be.