2009 Predictions -- Update

We’re halfway through the year, and what better time to see how my 2009 predictions are holding up. As you can see below – PITIFULLY is the correct answer.

1. San Jose Sharks will win the Stanley Cup. INCORRECT. Here’s my direct quote from January when I made this prediction: “I usually predict this every year. One of these times I'm going to have to be right.” Obviously not.

2. Leeds will get promoted to the Championship. INCORRECT. They made the playoffs this year, but lost to Millwall in the first round. And my friend Aled weeps some more into his pint of lager.

3. Fidel Castro will die. No way he’ll last the year. Right?

4. A new British Election will be called for. A poll from The Guardian on May 22 said that 2/3’s of voters think Brown should call for a new election before Christmas. This hasn’t happened yet, but I have no doubt it will.

5. The Dow Jones will finish below 9,000 for a 2nd straight year. It’s around 8,400 right now, and even though it’s bounced back from a low of 6,500 in March, I don’t think we’ll see consistent gains the entire year.

6. Barcelona will win the Champions league. CORRECT. Thankfully Manchester United forgot how to play defense in May, and with them selling/letting go 2 of their best players (Ronaldo and Tevez), I think their run atop the EPL will end next year.

7. Tiger Woods will win the British Open AND PGA Championship. I’m glad I predicted he’d win the last two majors instead of the 1st two. He hasn’t looked great yet this year, especially his short game, and he’ll need those to be on to have any chance at these last 2 majors.

8. Joe Girardi will not finish the season as manager of the Yankees. I just wish the entire organization would go away. But if they keep playing the way they have been lately, his job is safe.

9. Meryl Streep will win Best Actress Oscar for Doubt. INCORRECT. My thought process was spot on when I blogged about this in January…except for one thing: I didn’t think that Kate Winslet would get a leading actress nomination for The Reader. If I did, no way would I have predicted that Streep would win over her. Oh well.

10. Cuba will win the 2009 World Baseball Classic. INCORRECT. From my January blog, I quote: “Because Japan won't.” But Japan did. Again.

So far I’m 1 out of 5. PITIFUL.