Seven things this Cajun wants to see in 2011

What a magical year 2010 was for sports both nationally and throughout the Tri-parish area.

I think it’s safe to say we will all remember where we were the day the final seconds ticked off the clock and the Saints were officially Super Bowl champions.

Likewise, I think we’ll all remember the acid indigestion we felt when LSU lost to Tennessee, then the feeling of jubilation we felt soon after when we saw that flag on the field and the Tigers cashed in on their second chance.

Locally, we’ve crowned state champions and sent several athletes to college to continue their athletic careers.

We’ve said hello to new coaches, goodbye to old coaches and welcomed a whole new batch of freshmen to the athletic scene in August, while saying farewell to a slew of outgoing seniors.

But before that champagne settles in the pits of your stomachs and before the final piece of confetti falls onto the humid-soaked ground on Bourbon Street, let’s look forward to 2011 and hope that this year will be as fun as the previous 12 months have been.

Here’s a list of seven things I’d like to see in the next 12 months n trust me n these aren’t exactly meant to be taken seriously. Have a Happy New Year and may 2011 be your best year yet!

7. Brett Favre to retire, unretire, retire again, then sign with the New Orleans Voodoo n We know for sure the old man will retire in 2011, because he’s said multiple times he will retire at season’s end. Will he unretire … again? If history repeats itself, one would have to think so. But this time, it won’t be to the NFL, but rather to the Arena league where he will sign with the New Orleans Voodoo. He will take advantage of the league’s laid-back rules and play each game in Wrangler jeans, which will spark him to 73 touchdowns and just four interceptions n all four of which will come in the second half of the Arena Bowl to cost his team the title.

6. Tiger Woods to be back in a big way n I don’t know about you, but I miss me some Tiger Woods. In late 2009 and all of 2010, he traded his customary Sunday red shirt for a giant red “A” across his chest. But America is a forgiving country and a 12-month sentence in the doghouse is long enough. I want Woods to come back strong in these coming months. I want more green jackets, Mr. Woods. Look for Tiger to deliver about five or six tournament titles and a major or two in the coming months. His game really was rounding into shape at the end of 2010 and I expect Woods to storm up the leaderboard and into the cellular phones of single women worldwide. Look out ladies, Tiger’s on the prowl n literally.

5. Reggie’s career with the Saints to come to an end n After another poor season this year (which I’ve predicted), the Saints will hopefully finally cut ties with Reggie Bush. There’s just simply no use paying Bush what he’s due in 2011 ($11 million). He’s often injured and just simply doesn’t perform. The Saints would be better served splitting that cash in three or four ways and moving Bush out of town.

4. Patrick Peterson to remain an LSU Tiger n Oh, I know there is no chance of this happening, because Peterson is sure to be a Top 5 pick. But why not have one last dance at LSU, Pat? Hey, better yet, why don’t you come back to school, take a redshirt, then play one season with your little brother in 2012? OK, OK, that’s too much to ask, but seriously, Mr. Peterson, LSU needs a Heisman Trophy in its display case and you’re the best chance the school has.

3. The Hornets commit to staying in New Orleans long-term n This one is a big one for me. I’m not a Hornets fan and I’m actually a fan of the team’s division rival the Houston Rockets. But I do know how important the team is to the state’s economy and ultimately the pride of the people of Louisiana. If we can support the Saints as strongly as we do, then we can adopt a basketball team, too. Come on, what else is there to do on a Tuesday night, seriously?

2. Nicholls’ to make the NCAA Tournament n This is the best team Nicholls has had in a very, very long time. I’m not supposed to cheer or show bias toward any one school, but it sure would be nice for the Colonels to make a run to the NCAA Tournament. Sure, the team’s stay in the Big Dance probably wouldn’t last very long, but the berth would still go a long way to show the world n and the state that Nicholls does indeed exist in lieu of the current economic crisis.

1. The NBA and NFL avoid strikes and continue playing n This year could potentially be very, very dull, as labor struggles are encompassing both the NBA and the NFL heading into 2011. So I beg please, pretty please do something to make this work. I’ll be the first person to admit that I love baseball. But having that and hockey as the only major professional sports? That doesn’t sound like a fun year to me. It actually sounds like a disaster n or like watching a rerun of Matlock n whichever is more boring. And plus, I need the work. What’s a sports guy to cover with no basketball and football?