2006: Los Angeles Returns to Dominance

Here are my fearless sports predictions for 2006:

- USC Trojans football win third consecutive national championship. Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart are taken No. 1 (Bush to Texans) and No. 2 (Leinart to Jets/Raiders after a trade) in the NFL Draft.

- Kobe Bryant wins his first NBA MVP award. Phil Jackson wins coach of the year.

- The No. 3 seeded Los Angeles Lakers push the San Antonio Spurs to a 7-game conference final series. Kobe passes to Sasha who hits a three on final play of the game to win the series. (Who knows if the Lakers win the NBA Finals, the Pistons are darn good...)

- The Los Angeles Dodgers win the NL West behind the resurgent bats of Nomar Garciaparra and JD Drew. Brad Penny wins NL Cy Young. Gagne has 65 saves. The Dodgers advance to the NL World Series after outdueling the Cardinals. After an earthquake disrupts the freeway series, the Dodgers beat the Los Angeles Angeles of Anaheim in a 7-game series.

- Both USC and UCLA basketball teams make it to the Sweet 16 in the big dance. USC, surprising everyone, loses to Duke on a last second shot. UCLA reaches the Final Four before losing to Illinois.

- Los Angeles Kings stay healthy all year and win the NHL Stanley Cup. Pavol Demitra wins playoffs MVP.

- USC football wins first 10 games of 2006 season before losing to Notre Dame. Finishes the season off with another wallopping of UCLA. After 2,000+ yards and 35 touchdowns, Lendale White (if he stays) becomes 3rd consecutive Trojan to win the Heisma