Leaving the predictions to others

Before the season started, I told a friend I didn’t think the Omaha Storm Chasers were going to make the playoffs. Looking at their lineup, it was missing the big bats that has led the team to two straight conference championships.

I should have known better. Predictions aren’t my thing.

In the final week of the season, as I was leaving a church service, my pastor asked me if the Storm Chasers were going to make the playoffs. They had to win their final two games and the Memphis Redbirds had to lose their final two. I told him I didn't think so.

Of course, the Storm Chasers won their division, even though they had a 70-74 record. And then they went on to sweep the Oklahoma City RedHawks (the team with the best record in the league) in the conference championship. Who could have seen that coming?

For some, making predictions is part of the fun of following a team. But that’s not the case for me. I’m terrible at making predictions. That's why I try to avoid making them publicly. Not only am I terrible, but it also zaps some of the fun out of the game for me. I’d rather watch the game and enjoy each moment as it unfolds than worrying about my predictions coming true.

Besides, I’m a reporter at heart. I would much rather watch the game and tell readers what happened, doing my best to bring them the story behind the score.

I’ll leave the predictions to somebody else.