I decided that after ending 2011 with a depressing look back at the Penn State atrocity, how about I give you the top 10 reasons why 2012 will be awesome?  Sound good?  Perfect, let's do it.

But before we get there, a special shout out to Bobby R. for writing in to call the Broncos to win the AFC West at 50 to 1.  Well done sir.  Well done.

Ok, the list:

10.  2012 Summer Olympics

I love the Olympics.  I love any reason to be patriotic.  The World Cup is my favorite sporting event but the Olympics are great as well.  Remember the country hanging out in sports bars at midnight to watch Michael Phelps swim a few years ago?  Yes, we waited up til midnight to watch a guy swim.  There's just something about that U.S.A. chant.  Who will it be this year?  Who knows?  (Sorry Michael Phelps, it's not going to be you.  It turns out you're a complete tool and we just hadn't figured it out yet)  And the best part is, even if we don't find someone to rally around this year, we can just adopt Usain Bolt.  How can you not love this guy?  So it's either U.S.A. chant or the Usain Bolt chest pound, or both!

9.  FC Barcelona

This may be the best soccer team put together in my lifetime, and I don't mean up until this point.  Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta, Xavi Hernandez, David Villa, and Francesc Fabregas are all in the Top 20 Players in the World, with Messi a clear #1.  Yes, half of Barcelona's starting field players are in the top 20 players in the world.  And their goalie is top 5.  Watching Barcelona play is like watching live art.  I'm looking forward to another year of watching the magicians in red and blue.

8.  March Madness

You need an explanation here?

7.  The Situation Gets Into a Fight and Decides to Give Himself a Concussion by Voluntarily Running Into a Wall

Yes, I know this happened last year, but here's hoping it happens again.

6.  2012 Football Playoffs

How awesome are these next four weeks going to be?  The Tim Tebow show (for one week) followed by Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, and Tom Brady all clicking and clicking on all cylinders.  There's a ton I could say here, but with Pittsburgh hobbled, I am very excited for the 41-38 Super Bowl between New England and the New Orleans/Green Bay winner.  Aren't you?

5.  LSU vs. Alabama for the 2012 BCS Championship

Just kidding.  It's the BCS, had to throw a little negativity in there just to keep you on your toes.

5.  The Return of the Boys in Blue

This should really be my #1 but I was too excited about it to wait.  NO MORE FRANK MCCOURT!!! WOO HOO!!!  If Mark Cuban buys the team I may have the sports equivalent of an orgasm, or an actual orgasm, who knows?  All I know is, it will be fun again to be at Chavez Ravine.  I have never seen Dodger Stadium as dead as it was this past year.  Dodger fans united in boycotting McCourt.  Now that he'll be gone, it will be 3,000,000 fans again this year and a great atmosphere (minus the gang fights).  Please Mark Cuban.  Please!  Either way though, it'll be great.

4.  The Masters

For those who didn't watch Tiger at his tournament at Sherwood, let me fill you in . . . he's baaaaaack.  I love golf and I will always love watching The Masters.  Heck, my favorite yearly sporting experience is going with my Dad to watch the pros live at Riviera every February.  But golf with Tiger in contention?  High drama.  He's golf's Kobe now.  He will elicit all sorts of reactions but when he's in contention, it's compelling.

3.  Floyd Mayweather, Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao

We can all hope for this generation's Hagler/Hearns.  Will it happen?  1 in 4.  But if it does, it will be the fight of my generation.  Everybody will be watching.  Everybody will be talking about it.  And then . . . Floyd will win unanimously as Manny will get flustered and go 12 rounds without solving Floyd's defense, like everybody else before him.  On the bright side, Floyd's out of jail until June.  Who's the judge?  The BCS or NCAA commissioner?

2.  Caprice Bourret Tells the World She's Looking for a Vertically Challenged Guy With Glasses Who Writes for a Site Called Rudin Weekly

Google her.  You'll see.

1.  The NBA Finals

I don't know if they'll top last year, but the playoffs will be must see TV again this season.  Charles Barkley and the TNT crew will lead us from the regular season and drop us off at the Finals.  And then it will begin.  The annual LeBron collapse.  This year's beneficiaries?  Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder.  This will be the year of Durant.  That three pointer to win against Dallas was only the beginning.  I've been saying it for a while but I think Durant will be the best player in the NBA very soon.  I know you want me to say Kobe and the Lakers will be there, but, they won't.  Western Conference Semi-Finals (sorry Clippers fans, you're not getting there, just like the Knicks aren't getting there in the east).  No, the Lakers will hopefully pick up the pieces of the broken Nets/Magic Dwight Howard trade.  I'd give Bynum and Gasol to them in a second.  So that's what I'm looking forward to.  Thunder over Heat in 6 and Dwight and Kobe in 2012-2013.

Note:  In case you were wondering, I have Houston, Pittsburgh, New Orleans, and the Giants.  In the next round I'll have the Patriots, Ravens, Packers, and Saints.  Patriots over Ravens.  Saints over Packers.  Saints 41.  Patriots 38.  Happy New Year.