 It's the new year and ESPN's sultan of sports trivia, Howie Schwab, gives me his take on 2007, the National Football League, college basketball and a little more.
What were some of the biggest stories in sports in 2007?
Too many negative ones. Michael Vick, Marion Jones, steroids and the Mitchell Report, and Tim Donaghy (the NBA ref in the gambling scandal). On the positive side, the New England Patriots going 16-0 and the Florida men's basketball team going back-to-back as national champions, plus the usual Roger Federer and Tiger Woods successes.
The New England Patriots went 16-0, the first team to go undefeated in the regular season since the 1972 Miami Dolphins. Should there be an asterisk next to their record given the off field issues?
No. Give them credit for what they did. Like they needed video help against the Jets!
Who will be playing in Super Bowl 42 in Glendale , Arizona and who wins it all?
I picked New England vs. Seattle before the season, so I will stick with it. Patriots win it all. What a great story.
The start of the regular season for college basketball has begun. What team(s) will be the one to watch out for?
I like North Carolina , Memphis , UCLA and Tennessee for the Final Four. There have been a lot of great stories already, like great play from freshmen, and some schools doing well like Mississippi, Vanderbilt, Rhode Island, Dayton and Drake. Yep, Drake and Illinois State have looked great in the Missouri Valley while favorites Southern Illinois and Creighton have been disappointing.
With all the steroids talk in baseball, do you think it will affect fans coming out to the games in the spring?
Nope. Fans will come out in droves.
Thanks for your time, Howie , and one can only imagine what 2008 has in store for us.
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