DP Seniors offer some thoughts

When I initially sat down to write this column, I thought it would be appropriate to write something emotional. Something about my experiences at DP Sports. Something that summed up my "college experience." But after sitting at the keyboard and finding nothing inspiring to write about, I decided there is one thing I have never done in my four years as a DP sports writer. I have never just talked sports. Not necessarily Penn sports. Just pro sports. I mean, this is the sports pages, right? Shouldn't people expect sports talk? Anyway, this is an area I know I can provide some words of wisdom. When it comes to talkin' sports, I'd say I'm rather confident. All right, not rather confident. To put it bluntly, I'm a regular cocky SOB. But here's the lesson: that's how you have to be when talkin' sports. You've got to have your opinion, and you've got to be confident you're right. So let's get down to it. One final disclaimer before I begin. Unfortunately, I realize this column won't be printed for more than a week after I write it. So I'm on the honor system. I pledge this column was written on Monday, May 9, 1994, and not altered since. I mean, I'll be too busy/drunk during Senior Week anyway, right? · HOOPS Gotta start with hoops. Write it down: The 1994 NBA finals will be Phoenix against New York. Here's my reasoning. I think Charles and the Suns were basically on cruise control during the regular season. They learned from last season that letting it all hang out to get the best overall record during the regular season doesn't add up to a heck of a lot, and will cost you during the playoffs. Especially in the Western Conference, which was absolutely stacked with heavyweights at the top (Seattle, Houston, Utah), and woeful teams at the bottom (sorry Dan, but Dallas defines this category). So the Suns took it easy. Finished third in the conference. Finished the season healthy and rested. Then there's the Knicks. It's almost like a choice by default. There just aren't any other teams in the Eastern Conference that are solid enough at playing playoff style basketball (halfcourt offense and defense). New York is the antithesis of the Suns. They needed to play the regular season hard. That's their makeup. They are a tough, gritty, defensive-orientated team. They need 110 percent every night or they will lose (see loss to Philadelphia). Of course, they have a guy named Ewing. Patrick is a great player. Not a good player. A great player. However, Ewing is great enough to take the team to the finals. But I think the Suns' 1993 Finals experience will win out. · HOCKEY A brief seven words on a great sport that is unfortunately unappreciated by most sports fans: No more 1940! Rangers win Stanley Cup!! · BASEBALL Let's get to hardball. This is my favorite sport to discuss and make predictions about, because there is so much room for error. There are 28 teams. There are more than 700 active major league players. And then there are the minor leaguers. All in all, it's not easy to be right predicting baseball. A week or two prior to the baseball season each year in college, I have e-mailed John Perney, an old friend from home who attends Drake University in Iowa, a complete synopsis of the upcoming campaign. It is perhaps the most comprehensive set of predictions anyone this side of The Sporting News or Baseball America. In the American League, I picked Toronto to once again win the American League East. (It's simply become a reflex action.) In the AL Central, I picked the Chicago White Sox. In the AL West, Seattle should rise above the rest. The wild card in the AL will be the Yankees. All right, call me a homer, but in my opinion they have the best starting pitching in the AL East. Here are my individual award winners for the AL: MVP -- Ken Griffey Jr. (First Mariner pennant, First of many MVPs for Junior.) Most home runs -- Juan Gonzalez. Most RBI -- Junior. Cy Young -- Ben McDonald. Now to the senior circuit. I think the division winners in the National League are extraordinarily easy to pick. In the NL East, there's no one even remotely close to Atlanta. In the NL Central, I picked Houston on top. In the NL West, I picked the San Francisco Giants to run away with it and have it wrapped up by late July. As for my wild card team, I picked Montreal, a team filled with young studs. The individual award winners in the National League: MVP -- Bonds. (Again! Nobody's even close.) Most home runs -- Matt Williams. Most RBI -- Matt Williams. Cy Young -- John Smoltz. Quick playoff predictions. Atlanta again overcomes the Giants, this time in the playoffs. Chicago emerges in the American League. This creates my dream pitching matchups. Game 1: Maddux vs. "Black Jack" McDowell; Game 2: Glavine vs. Fernandez; Game 3: Smoltz vs. Alvarez; Game 4: Avery vs. Bere. · FINAL THOUGHTS 1. Shawn Bradley (goofy Sixer center) will one day become a dominant force in the NBA. 2. Darren Dreifort (LA Dodgers) will one day be the all-time major league save leader. 3. The Arkansas Razorbacks will repeat as NCAA basketball champions in 1995. Michael Lief is from White Plains, N.Y., and a sports writer for The Daily Pennsylvanian.