10 Sports Scenarios That Are Absolutely Impossible
Look, I'm not here to even pretend that I'm Nostradamus and can predict the future or anything, but I am here to take an educated guess as to some things in sports being almost so certain that it would be more shocking if they didn't happen.
While part of the beauty of sports is the unpredictability, every so often, things are just too obvious to bet against—and these are 10 of those scenarios, as they are obviously all going to happen.
Larry Fitzgerald Does NOT Make a Reception During an NFL Game
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It might not sound all that impressive, but if you ever see a game in which Arizona Cardinals' future Hall of Fame wideout Larry Fitzgerald doesn't make a catch, you'd be witnessing a bit of history ending.
Fitzgerald, who is 11th on the league's all-time receptions list and still climbing—had made a grab in each of the past 167 games he played in as of Week 4 last season, which, according to the team's VP of Media Relations, Mark Dalton, is the best active streak in the NFL.
With Dalton's tweet coming in Week 4, and with Fitz hauling in a reception in each of the team's remaining contests, his current streak sits at 179 straight regular-season games, so the guy has some serious hands.
Alabama Crimson Tide Does NOT Reach the College Football Playoff
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It has been two seasons since the NCAA incorporated the College Football Playoff into D-I, and the only team to reach the knockout round both times has been the Alabama Crimson Tide. Really, though, is anyone shocked?
While Bama has won one national title since the new format began in 2014, Nick Saban and his Tide are the preemptive favorites to win it all again this season, which would continue their long range of success since the head coach took over in T Town in 2007.
Loaded with top recruits and future NFL players, there isn't a college football program more dominant or annually prepared for a deep postseason run like Alabama under Saban.
Clayton Kershaw Does NOT Finish in the Top-3 in NL Cy Young Voting
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Even after being sent to the 60-day disabled list this season with a bad back, Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw should still be considered the best hurler in the game and a candidate for the NL Cy Young Award...again.
Posting a 11-2 record with a 1.79 ERA in 2016 might look amazing to some pitchers, but for Kershaw, it's just more of the usual.
That's because the lefty has finished in the top three in NL Cy Young voting in each of the past five years, winning it three times during that span—2011, 2013 and 2014—while also claiming an NL MVP in '14 for having one of the best pitching seasons in MLB history.
When healthy, no one has it like Clayton Kershaw does.
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Mount Union Football Does NOT Reach the Division III National Championship Game
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There are impressive streaks in sports, but, my goodness, is there any more insane than the one that the Mount Union football team has put together since the 2000 campaign? Let me rephrase that, actually, there isn't a more impressive one than the Purple Raiders'.
That's because the D-III school has reached the national title game 15 times since 2000—including the past 11 consecutively—while claiming right national championships during that same span. Talk about true dominance, huh?
It's a true staple of excellence. No sports fan should ever bet against Mount Union not at least reaching the Stagg Bowl.
Golden State Warriors Do NOT Win at Least 60 Games
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I was originally going to go really bold and say that there's no way in hell the reloaded Golden State Warriors would win less than 65 games next season, but figured I would be a little more "conservative" by saying 60.
Following a record-setting 2015-16 regular season in which they finished with a 73-9 record and reached the NBA Finals for the second straight campaign, the Dubs added former league MVP Kevin Durant to the mix to team him with two-time reigning MVP Stephen Curry and All-Stars Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.
That's a pretty good recipe to win at least 73 percent of their games, in my opinion, even if it's a tall task for other groups.
The New England Patriots NOT Winning the AFC East
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Just when you think this might be the year that the New England Patriots might slip down the AFC East division, history tells us that we should never overlook the Bill Belichick-led team.
Even with future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady sidelined for the first four games of the season because of the Deflategate punishment, the Pats still have the luxury of knowing that they've won their division the past seven years and 13 of the past 15 with Belichick and Brady together.
So, even as Tom Terrific is restricted to watching from afar, expect New England to go ahead and run away with the AFC East crown by the time the season ends.
Cleveland Cavs NOT Making the Playoffs
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Even in a worst-case scenario, the Cleveland Cavaliers are still likely to be a top-three seed in the weaker Eastern Conference in the NBA. That's as much of a compliment to their title-winning roster as it is a knock on the other teams in the conference, though.
As long as Cleveland has some guy named LeBron James steering the ship, other stars like Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love will follow his lead, with other players contributing when their names are called because, well, James makes his teammates that much better.
Following their first franchise title, the Cavs are the prohibitive favorites to reach a third straight NBA Finals, and there's about a zero percent chance they don't even make the postseason no matter how hard you try to find a reason.
Detroit Red Wings Do NOT Reach the Postseason
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That was the last year the Detroit Red Wings found themselves at home during April while the rest of the NHL were playing in the postseason, as the team's streak of 25 seasons in a row to reach the playoffs stands as one of the most impressive in all of sports.
While records and streaks all, eventually, come to an end, until further notice, the Red Wings should always be slated to make it back to the postseason until the realization that they're not there.
UConn Women's Basketball Does NOT Reach Final Four
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As I was researching some of the amazing stats of the UConn Huskies women's hoops program, one of the (funniest?) was the fact that 2005-07 were considered "rebuilding years" after the success the team has had throughout history.
That's because, during that three-year span, the Huskies "only" reached the Elite Eight two times and the Sweet Sixteen once, failing to go to the Final Four as many became accustomed to them doing.
Since then, though, head coach Geno Auriemma has run off nine straight Final Fours, winning an insane six national titles.
With crazy stats like that, if a girl plays hoops at UConn, there's a good chance she'll leave with at least three championship rings and multiple Final Four appearances.
Team USA Men's and Women's Basketball NOT Winning Olympic Gold
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While anything can certainly happen—especially when it comes to a stage as big as the Olympics—for all intents and purposes, the USA men's and women's hoops teams will not be knocked off their quest for gold medals.
Comprised of some of the best talent in the sport, both squads feature current or future Hall of Famers on both the sideline and on the floor, leaving the opposition searching for how to shut either team down.
The U.S. women haven't lost a game since 1992 and the U.S. men have captured the past two Olympics gold, so good luck, rest of the hoops world.
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