Misguided sports predictions

When you have worked in journalism for more than 30 years and have lived a lifetime of sports like I have, you make a lot of mistakes, say a lot of stuff you shouldn’t have said and make a lot of stupid predictions.

 As my Christmas present to all of you, here are my 10 all-time most embarrassing predictions:

 

10. On Oct. 12, 1989, the Minnesota Vikings basically gave away the house to obtain Herschel Walker from Dallas in a trade that involved 18 players and draft picks.

 I remember defending the Vikings vigorously.

 Now considered one of the most lopsided trades in sports history by many, the fleeced Vikings featuring Walker went on to averageness while the Cowboys used their newfound gain to win multiple Super Bowls.

 

9. Willis Reed was severely injured in a 135-113 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 6 of the 1970 NBA Finals, tearing a muscle in his thigh.

 When he limped out of the tunnel at Madison Square Garden in uniform for Game 7 on one of the three TV channels we sometimes got on the farm, I remember yelling at my family:

 “What is Willis doing? What are the Knicks thinking? He can’t play.”

 Reed started the game, scored the Knicks' first two field goals on his first two shots. It was his only points of the game, but his presence spurred an emotional New York team to a 113-99 win over the Los Angeles Lakers and an NBA title.

 

8. Earlier this summer, I said, “I think that the Twins having that young catcher (Ryan Doumit) learn to play the outfield is a good move.”

 On Sept. 12 in a 10-5 Twins’ loss to Kansas City, the eighth inning couldn’t end for Doumit fast enough. With the Twins trailing 6-5, Eric Hosmer singled and Johnny Giovatella reached base when Doumit misplayed a fly ball hit to left-center for an error. Alcides Escobar singled to left, and Doumit misplayed that one too, for an error, allowing Hosmer to score. Doumit picked up the ball and threw wildly home for another error, allowing the runners to move up a base.

 Doumit became the first Twin to commit three errors in one inning since Danny Thompson on Sept. 3. 1973, in Kansas City against the Royals.

 Don’t feel bad, Doumit. In a Midget tournament at Canistota with the bases loaded and two outs in the final inning of a game Bridgewater was leading, I as a 11-year-old third baseman, fielded a ball cleanly and promptly threw it over the fence between home plate and first base to allow the winning runs to score.

 

7. Soon after Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson tore his ACL and MCL against Washington on Dec. 24, 2011, Peterson predicted he would be back bigger and better for opening day of the 2012 season.

 “Yeah right,” I said at the time. “He is done. NFL running backs don’t return to form after major reconstructive knee surgery.”

 This season, Peterson is making a strong case for himself as league MVP.