And that's why they play the games ...

Sporting Goods

Before the baseball playoffs, ESPN ran a column called "ESPN experts: Who's going to win?" Follow the link if you want to have a laugh. And don't think you can go to the ESPN site and just browse for the article. Not surprisingly given the accuracy (or lack thereof) of the predictions, it is impossible to find. Here are my favorites:

• Of the 19 "experts", all but one picked the Padres over the Cardinals. Clearly, not a series in the bag as of this writing, but the number of Padres picks is not indicative of what has actually happened on the field.
  
• 14 picked the Twins to beat the A's, and of those 14, 7 thought the Twins would win the World Series.
  
• All picked the Yankees in the Division Series and 6 had the Yankees winning the World Series.
  

Look, obviously these are some bad predictions. And if brought back to the prognisticators, I'm sure we would hear the tired cliche, "That's why they play the games." Indeed it is. But, like in so many other areas, I want accountability. I'm tired of watching so-called sports "experts" give me their opinion, be horribly, horribly wrong, and be absolutely unaccountable for what they previously said. It is simply obnoxious, especially because of the near certainty in which all of these opinions are given and the back and forth screaming that now passes for reasoned argument on sports shows.

I Want Accountability!

And no, I'm not holding my breath.