The beauty of sport is its unpredictability and yet, when you guess right, you feel invincible, a know it all.  In just a few short moments, you will experience my greatness. Get your wallets out.  Call your Bookie.  Buckle up.  Listen.  Bet with your head and not your heart and learn from the master.  After a disastrous start to the year, I know now what I’m writing about.  Go ahead.  Ask me the question.  Who do I think will win?

Regular readers of my blog remember my first post of 2015 on the very first day of the year.  It was a tongue in cheek piece of artistry where I predicted the outcome of 12 diverse sporting events.  I promised a quarterly review of what actually happened versus my outlandish predictions and so far I have not disappointed.  Two unashamed reviews and now we have the third summary of actual performance.  The first 6 months of 2015 resulted in a disastrous oh for six.  Not one Sports prediction right.  Oh, but Quarter 3, came to Papa.  I am the God of Hell Fire.

Let us start with July, shall we?  I predicted the United States of America would win the most medals in the Pan American Games and I was 100% correct.  Yeah!  The 265 Medals (103 Gold) earned by the USA outdistanced Canada by 48 Medals and almost doubled 3rd Place Brazil’s measly 141 Medals.  I was so proud of the correctness of my prediction I sadly realized not one American gave a shit, just as I also predicted.   No parades.  No coverage on ESPN.  No nothing.  The Pan American Games are the world’s third largest international multi-sport Games; they are only surpassed in size and scope by the Olympic Summer Games and the Asian Games.  The Pan American Games have been held since 1951.  Did you know that?  Why doesn’t the USA care?  I have no idea but it is what it is.  So, I’ll say I was spot on with this one despite my wish for more Pan Am Games coverage.

The Australian Netball Diamonds were honoured with a Victory Ceremony in Sydney after winning their third-consecutive World Title in August.  Oh yeah, I got that one correct too because I’m a fucking sports genius.  I even predicted a public reception and Victory Ceremony.   Right and right! The Honourable Mike Baird MP, hosted a public reception for the Netball World Cup Sydney 2015 Champions, with Stuart Ayres MP, Minister for Trade, Tourism, Major Events and Sport, also in attendance.  The Diamonds capped off a dream tournament for the host nation, clinching a three-goal victory over New Zealand’s Silver Ferns in front of a World Record crowd of 16,849 at Allphones Arena, in the first time netball’s pinnacle tournament has been held on Australian soil in 24 years.  Seriously?  You didn’t watch the Diamonds vs. the Ferns? Are you not a sports fan?  OK, I admit, I copied and pasted the results right off the Netball World Cup website.  I’m not proud.  I’m just right.  Again.  I don’t have a freaking clue what Netball is but I predicted the World Cup Champion.  Uh huh.  Uh huh.  Uh huh, uh huh, uh huh!

Which brings me to this glorious of all Q3 months.  September.  I knew Russia’s Yana Kudryavtseva was something special.  Kudryavtseva, the reigning two-time World champion, claimed the series All-around Rhythmic Gymnastics title.  And it’s a good thing.  Back home, Yana, the 17-year-old Muscovite, faced a life of mandatory military service if she landed anywhere but in first.  Now, she can avoid the potato farms and drink Vodka like it were water.  Just like me.  I have created my own Rhythmic Gymnastic moves which seem only to get better with alcohol but I better stop there.

I’m three for three this Quarter.  I should go play the Lottery.