FanNation - The Republic of Sport

We asked a group of interesting people to answer the following question: What will be the biggest story in the second half of 2008?

"The biggest story of 2008 will be when the Chicago Cubs win the World Series!" -- Danica Patrick, Indy Racing League

"I think the selection of Brett Favre as John McCain's running mate will be the biggest surprise of 2008. At this point, they both need something like that. The second half of the year is probably a Favre story, I'll be damned to know what it ..." -- MSNBC host Keith Olbermann

"Well, I got to tell you, it's going to be baseball. Because you've got the Florida Marlins, the Tampa Bay Rays, the Yankees playing well, the Red Sox, the Brewers coming on strong, the second half of the baseball season is going to be more exciting. I would love to see a White Sox-Cubs series, because the Cubs have a legit chance of winning the World Series. I'm a sports junkie so I'm a little bit different, but I think the second half of baseball is going to be the best we've ever seen to be honest with you." -- Charles Barkley, TNT basketball analyst

"My first thoughts were all so pessimistic: Something terrible happens in Beijing, Barry Bonds goes to jail, legendary NFL quarterback Brett Favre retires. So let's go with a little optimism: The Chicago Cubs win the World Series on the 100th anniversary of their last title. Steve Bartman leads the parade through downtown Chicago." -- Erik Rydholm, executive producer, ESPN's Pardon The Interruption

"The biggest sports story in the second half of 2008 will be the Rays winning the World Series, turning the notion of checkbook championships on its ear yet again. The Rays will beat the Cubs in a seven-game series, despite the fact approximately 80 percent of the stadium will be filled with road-tripping Cubs fans for Game 7, in which Scott Kazmir will have a perfect game through 8 2/3, then get pulled because of his rising pitch count. The Cubs then will score eight runs in row to draw within 9-8, but lose it when Steve Bartman, sitting down the leftfield line, inexplicably leans away from a foul pop, allowing the Rays' leftfielder to lean into the stands and make the game-ending catch." -- Neil Best, sports media writer, Newsday

"Kind of need to use process of elimination on this one.  The year ends a little too early for it to be a football story. Tiger's hurt, so that rules out golf. Early-season NBA or college hoops? Don't think so. NHL? It's just not the same without the Quebec Nordiques. The Olympics collectively will be a big story, but I'm hard-pressed to think of any individual story that will emerge from the clutter. To me, the Olympics have become more of a global event than a sports story. So, that leaves me at baseball. And, while it's a tad painful to say it as a die-hard Chicago White Sox fan, I think the story will be the Cubs ending their World Series drought that dates back to 1945. Notice, I didn't say I think they'll break the one that dates back to 1908 -- as I'm beginning to see holes in this team that lead me to believe they won't win it. But, recent struggles aside, I think the Cubs will make the Series. So, get your affairs in order.  The world as we know it is coming to an end." -- Dave Revsine, lead anchor, Big Ten Network

"Beijing and Michael Phelps. I love betting on an underdog. My imperfect survey has 7 out of 10 people at the MLS All-Star Game festivities in Toronto picking Brett Favre. Shockingly, football's still king. The other votes went to a Chicago Cubs World Series win and Cristiano Ronaldo's transfer from Man U. My vote? It's on the Beijing Games and its stud athlete, Phelps. Those two stories will transcend sports media (also known as SportsCenter) in August and get play on every network from CNN to Fox News." -- Tripp Mickle, SportsBusiness Journal staff writer

"The Cubs win the World Series and they are sold later in the year, marking the second time in six years that an MLB champ has been sold after winning the title (Angels, Disney/Moreno)." -- Darren Rovell, CNBC

"I think Mark Spitz's record goes down and I think that will be very exciting. The whole nation is in a funk and we need something. It will be him. You know what it feels like to me? It feels like 1980. Remember that. Yes, it's not an underdog situation. It's not Jesse Owens going to Germany but I think our country is in a huge funk and we need someone who just breaks all the records and reasserts our dominance. The American psyche is that the Chinese passed us. That somehow the Chinese are a greater nation than us. And that just feels like we go there and we break swimming records. We break Spitz's record. That's big. I think it could be huge. We go to China and we kill them." -- CNBC Mad Money Host Jim Cramer

"Former vice-president (of the United States!) Dan Quayle once predicted that 'the future will be better tomorrow.' We're not so sure about that: Minutes after winning the World Series for the first time in 100 years the Chicago Cubs will be sold by their beloved owner Sam Zell to Internet mogul/wanna-be-jump-shooter Mark Cuban. The Cub-Cuban honeymoon lasts barely 24 hours before Mr. Cuban reveals that Wrigley Field will be re-branded Yahoo! Yards and its iconic ivy removed to accommodate field-level luxury boxes.  An ebullient Cuban also unveils a new Cub logo described as an 'homage to the past which looks to the future.'
In a tearful farewell press conference Mr. Zell, after lamenting the demise of American family-owned sports franchises -- and newspapers -- announces his purchase of the United States Treasury which he vows to turn into a lean-yet-compassionate money-making machine." -- Frank Coffey, editor, eTrueSports.com

"I think the New York Knicks will end up buying out Stephon Marbury. Then, one-upping Josh Childress, Starbury will sign with a professional basketball team on Mars, where he will become the planet's sixth-most popular player. Even martians can appreciate $15 shoes." -- Matt Dollinger, SI For Kids intern

"What will be the biggest sports story of the second half of '08? Hard to say because what generally makes the biggest news is scandal and its hard to predict a scandal. If it was a good heartfelt story it would be if Dana Torres wins a gold medal. She would be all over the place if she wins medals. But I don't know. Roger Clemens? The stuff with the NBA referees? It's too hard. I think I'm going to go with a scandal. Whatever big scandal comes up, that's my answer." -- Sue Bird, Seattle Storm

Now I want to hear from you.