Colulmn by Ken Cohen
January 3, 2014 —

It's time to look ahead in the world of sports
What will happen on the fields, fairways and courts?
Let's start with Florida State against Auburn
I like the War Eagles, but their defense is a concern.

A new golf season has prematurely begun
That was in October and five guys have already won.
So now the season stretches for almost a full year
They take six weeks off, but still too long I fear.

The NFL is coming to New Jersey for its big show
The question is not who will win, but will it snow?
Everyone seems to like Denver, New England and Seattle
But I'm going with the Carolina Panthers in a defensive battle.

The Olympics comes to the Russian city of So-chee
And the story is already the heightened security
All those attending can be quite certain
They will need to get past an Iron Curtain.

The NBA trudges through winter and leaves little to wonder
The Finals will come down to the Heat, Pacers, Spurs or Thunder.
I'm afraid time has caught up with Kobe and Dirk
They used to make it look easy and now it seems like work.

Three super freshman are proving too much to handle
What will March Madness bring for Wiggins, Parker and Randle?
Don't look past Wichita State who made last year's Final Four
SCCC's Cleanthony Early has the Shockers headed back for more.

Come April and the Masters, the oddsmakers will like Tiger a lot.
Not me – I'm going with back-to-back green jackets for Adam Scott.
Tiger is still great and will win another major or two
A little shy of Jack, but probably what he's meant to do.

The Yankees spent freely on Ellsbury and McCann
Then lavished more on 36-year-old Carlos Beltran
Do they really think that's $300 million well spent?
Give me the Rays and A's and their meager investment.

The Kentucky Derby gets the Triple Crown underway
Sadly, they had to retire 2-year-old champ New Year's Day.
That means the early favorites are Havana and Honor Code
Past history suggests they will likely be down the road.

Not much will change on the tennis front
Serena will dominate and the rest will grunt.
Novak and Nadal will vie for number one
While Roger Federer is likely done.

The NFL will kick off again with Johnny Manziel
Will he be successful is hard to tell
He’s special, there’s no doubt about it
But like RGIII, can he take hit after hit.

Come December, college football will let four teams play it out
To decide a ntional championship that leaves little doubt
It’s still flawed as computers and humans will make the four picks
And some deserving teams will be left out of the mix.

So there you have it, the year in preview
Who knows how much of it will be true

Ken Cohen brings 30 years of publishing experience, many covering sports and working for sports companies, His column, “Further Review” appears every Friday.