2008 Could be Great

This week in the news business is all about lists, looks back at 2007 and gazes ahead toward 2008, so I might as well add mine. Here, a look at what might take place in local sports in the coming year in somewhat chronological order.

Chargers: The Bolts will likely open the playoffs at home against Cleveland and should win. Then comes a probable road game at Indianapolis. While the Colts were the much better team in the first match between the two, oddly won by the Chargers, San Diego has improved so much since that you have to like their chances. While the road could very well end in the dome, it wouldn't surprise me to see them advance to play either New England in chilly Foxboro or host a contest vs Jacksonville. I honestly don't see the Chargers going any further than the championship game. Not out of the realm of possibility. I see a 55-45 shot at winning at Indy, but no more than a 25 percent chance of winning the AFC title.

Buick Invitational: Tiger Woods draws Torrey Pines South on the first day and, despite having a decent day, falls 12 strokes behind someone on the North course who you've never heard of. By the time the second round is over, he's 10 strokes ahead of the unknown and among the leaders, ready to shoot it out with Phil Mickelson.

SDSU Basketball: The conference schedule would appear to have the Aztecs men posed for a hot start, maybe as much as 8-2, but tough road games down the stretch will tell the tale. This team appears to be lacking some mental toughness, so my bet would be a rough end and a 10-6 Mountain West Conference record. At 21-10, you're talking NIT unless they win the MWC Tournament. The women, on the other hand, could have a tough go early. Where the NIT would be something of a letdown for the men, it would be a huge boost for the ladies.

USD Basketball: Hard to judge where the Toreros sit, after going 5-8 with a couple terribly uninspiring losses, they go out and beat Kentucky -- no matter how bad the Wildcats are -- on the road. My read on this team, which could very well be wrong, is that while the record tells no lie, the tough non-conference slate has put some backbone into these guys. Opening West Coast Conference play vs USF and interim-coach Eddie Sutton, then on the road at Gonzaga and Portland, could mean a tough start. The women look pretty good, maybe not as good as last year. NIT at minimum.

US Open: The course is what the course is, you can't get away from it, so Tiger and Lefty will be there on Sunday. More than anything, the PGA is going to learn that they ignored San Diego for far too long and will want to return in another five years or so.

Padres: I can't see how the Friars can recover from this off-season. Unless another deal brings some lightning into the lineup, I don't see how the Padres can keep from battling the Giants for last place. The lineup could arguably be less productive in 2008 and the pitching rotation is asking for too many questions to be answered positively. This is no return to the bad old days. They might even challenge for 80 wins. But no more. One chance for me to be wrong: Kevin Kouzmanoff hits for whole season the way he did after his poor start, and for Khalil Greene to be consistent all season, not just the last month.

SDSU Football: Cautious optimism. Maybe 7-5 and a bowl game. I'd be surprised if they failed to at least reach 6-6. The non-conference schedule is easier, maybe 3-1 easier. In conference, those games you expect to lose -- BYU, TCU, New Mexico -- are on the road, where you expect to lose anyway. An improved team loses in Provo and Fort Worth, but splits between New Mexico on the road and Utah at home. Gotta steal one of those. Then win the rest, with Wyoming on the road and everyone else at Qualcomm Stadium. New quarterback and three new starters on the offensive line. But so many young players are back with a year of experience that it's hard not to be a bit positive over what coach Chuck Long and his staff is doing.

Who knows? By this time next year, maybe I'll be writing about the Chargers being favored to reach their second Super Bowl, the Aztecs getting ready to build on an NCAA Tournament appearance and the Padres returning to contention behind rising young stars. Hey, how about a new women's tennis tournament to replace the Acura Classic? Hope springs eternal when you're a sports fan.

All in all, I see our major teams and events starting to hit on all cylinders. The hard work put in on the Chargers and SDSU hoops is close to paying off, the SDSU football coaches are doing the right thing, and if the Padres are simply using this season to buy time, they might have a point. If I'm right, next year's predictions ought to be pretty fun to make.