A year of sports has gone by, which means I've had a year of opinions, stances, and predictions. After a run-in with Clemson Nation two months ago when I wrongly put Oliver Purnell on the hot seat, I made it clear I'd own up to any mistakes I've made.
Many main-stream-media members ride their high horse and won't admit their mistakes (I'm looking at you T.J. Simers).
So this my attempt to own up to all my wrong-doings.
First and foremost, Oliver Purnell, you aren't on the hot seat. You never were, you never have been. Why in the world I ever put you on the hot seat, I don't know. Actually, I do. Never rely on preview magazines for all your background. Usually I use them as a start and then hit the Internet up for more background, but for that article, I didn't have the time.
Take my advice wisely. DO NOT rely solely on preview magazines for your information. They are bad news...because you'll end up like me.
Next up is Memphis basketball. I decried for months you would win the NCAA Tournament and that your free-throw troubles wouldn't be your downfall. For the entire season, trips to the charity stripe never cost the Tigers a game. But the National Championship game was a different story. Missed free throw after missed free throw ultimately led to my misjudgement being turned into this:
Hmmm, what's next in what I screwed up in 2008. Oh wait, remember when the Phillies traded for Joe Blanton? Well, you probably remember that, but I'm guessing you don't remember my reaction. I was not a happy camper the Phillies gave up some of their best prospects for a pitcher that I thought was a waste of space.
Well Mr. Blanton decided he was going to be impossible to beat down the stretch and even hit a home run in a playoff game.
Back to the hard courts for my next mistake. I labeled Georgetown a top 30-35 team, but certainly not a top 10 or even top 25 team. Well, after the Hoyas restored "Hoya Paranoia" with a win over second ranked UConn in the Big East opener, John Thompson III's team appears to be much better than I pegged them to be. Whoops.
In football, I argued for weeks that the Eagles, if healthy, would compete with the Cowboys for the conference title and ultimately go to the Super Bowl (again if healthy). I thought for sure the Eagles could win at least 11 games and the Cowboys would do the same.
Considering the Eagles knocked the Cowboys out of the playoffs in a regular season game that was essentially a playoff game, I'm going to go ahead and say I was pretty wrong.
I also thought for sure New England was going to win the Super Bowl. My Bad.
Onto baseball again. After the ridiculously hot starts Chase Utley, David Wright, and Derek Lee, I declared the MVP race essentially closed. I thought for sure as long those three consistently put up good numbers, and their teams performed, the MVP would come from one of those three.
Well those three trailed off a little, one team choked, and Albert Pujols emerged as the real MVP of the league (though Ryan Howard has some legitimate beef with that).
Finally from the diamond, before the season began, I thought the Phillies would be battling it out for the N.L. East title with the Braves. I figured the Mets would be good, but the real competition was going to be from Atlanta. A gaggle of injuries later and the Braves were sinking to the bottom of the league quite quickly.
I also said the 76ers would win 50 games this year. There's still a lot of time left, but I'm still going to go with an oops on this one.
I didn't get everything wrong. If I did, I probably should be considering a different profession. So what did I get right?
I pretty much nailed my first three bold predictions for the Eagles. Reggie Brown didn't catch 40 balls for the Eagles this year and has likely played his last regular-season game for the Birds.
Out of homerism, I picked the Phillies to win the World Series (then again, almost no one picked them before the postseason started, so I'll take pride in that call).
I said Syracuse would be much improved on the hardwood this year and contend for a conference title.
I pencilled in Davidson's upset of Georgetown in the NCAA Tournament and the Wildcats run through the NCAA Tournament.
I thought for sure South Alabama didn't deserve to be the NCAA Tournament for its lack of quality of wins, despite their gaudy record. Butler railed South Alabama pretty badly in the first round.
In early August, about two weeks into his stint with the Dodgers, I said Manny Ramirez deserved serious consideration for the MVP award. Commenters disagreed big time. But Manny finished fourth in the voting, just one vote behind Ryan Braun for third. Point me!
So here's to 2009, one more year of dumb predictions, idiotic statements, and a few gut calls that miraculously went right. Happy New Year to everyone.
9 comments Last one added 6 months ago — Leave a Comment
Christian Karcole 6 months ago
Another thing you were wrong about...Charlie Manuel. You trashed him in my piece, but you cannot tell me you still feel the same way after hearing all the support from the players and oh yeah, the World Series Championship.
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Jameson Fleming 6 months ago
I've always thought Charlie was a good manager, not great; therefore, I was disagreeing that he was underrated. Second I didn't trash him. He's great with his bats. I still think he's somewhat inept at handling his pitching staff. I also don't think he's the best motivator. He's good, but when you are in a pennant race and the playoffs, those things tend to motivate themselves. So I won't call myself out on that.
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Christian Karcole 6 months ago
Ah yes, I suppose I was thinking of someone else. Yet, I still disagree with you. I think he's a great motivator, one of the best in the game. I think there's tons of life in this team (you said there wasn't before).
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BabyTate 6 months ago
Great article.
Purnell doesn't need much talent, he recruits racehorses and turns them into basketball players. If he were at St Johns the Red Storm would be a contender in the Big East very quickly. He is a superior coach and well respected in the Tobacco Road basketball community.
You nailed the World Series, and that is the hardest pick in sports.
You and I are riding in the same back of the bus on Georgetown, great win at UConn.
My Pick of the Day as an article.
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Jameson Fleming 6 months ago
Thanks BT. Yeah I completely missed the boat on Purnell. I've learned my lessons. I've moved on and accepted it for what it is. He would be an interesting fit at St. John's. If he could keep NYC kids home, you're right, they would be a powerhouse.
GTOWN might prove me right just yet after that awful performance today against Pitt.
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Nathan B 6 months ago
Wow, those Clemson fans were ruthless! Yikes ... nice article Jameson.
I am finally forced to say Pitt will play for the Big East title after that G'town game ... and that maybe Notre Dame won't after getting embarrassed by St. John's. What a day in CBB!
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Jameson Fleming 6 months ago
I was doing a story on gas prices that day for class. After I got back to our editing suites, I got out my computer, checked my email and saw all the hate mail. Let's say that article gave me a lot of ways to procrastinate that day haha. They were ruthless for no reason. What sucks about it is, if you google my name, that website they trashed me on comes up on the second page.
Pitt looked really good today against Georgetown. The Panthers are sunk though if Blair gets in foul trouble against good teams. If he does what he did against Rutgers today, GTOWN wins that game.
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J.C. Hagan 6 months ago
The Clemson fans might have trashed you - Hawaiian driver's licenses, really? - but it makes for a great story and a lesson learned. Down the road, it pays to have a few of those, no matter how embarrassing.
It's really nice to see a columnist up front about what he got right and wrong.
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Jameson Fleming 6 months ago
Thanks JC. The Hawaiian driver's licenses was actually the one from Superbad- McLovin. So that's where that came from. I did learn a lesson...never write about Clemson!
After an email exchange I had with TJ Simers, its only right to admit what you got wrong
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