There is very little good that comes out of being forced to sit through bad romantic comedies by your significant other. Usually, the only good thing that could come out of it would be earning the brownie-points to re-enact the climactic love scene later that night.

However, occasionally, there can be other benefits. For example, falling in love with the heroine of the story.

Such was the case, several years ago when the Mrs. forced me to sit through Serendipity. An OK film, I guess, but it was never going to win any Oscars. The one thing it did have going for it was Ms. Kate Beckinsale in the lead role. Whether the Brit is anything like her cute, quirky character in the movie or not, I didn’t really care, I was in love.

So, it was with great regret that I watched Kate go on to star in both wretched fantasy movies directed by her husband and big time films with big-time directors and stars. Suddenly ‘my girl’ was everyone’s girl. Though thankfully not in a The Bachelorette kind of way.

Anyway, Kate’s ascendance was complete last year when Esquire named her the Sexiest Woman Alive over #1 seeds and presumptive favorites like Megan Fox and Jessica Biel.

Looking back at the day that issue arrived in my mailbox a few months removed, I have started to see that day as the initial sign that things as we know it were beginning to change.  

2009 was the year of the favorite. In fact, a year ago I wrote a post called Cinderella Can Suck It, in which I whined (shocking I know) about the lack of cinderellas and upsets not just in March Madness but in the sports world as a whole.

The calendar year 2009 saw the Steelers win another Super Bowl, the UNC Tar Heels win the college basketball title, the Lakers win the NBA title, the Yankees win the World Series and the Mandalay Bay casino take my money at the blackjack table. Not a favorite or upset in the bunch.

However as overdog heavy as 2009 was, 2010 has seen the rise of the underdogs.

The first major champion of 2010 was Alabama. Not a true upset in the national championship game, I recognize, but maybe their shocking defeat of his holiness Tim and the Gators back in November was the true tipping point.

I mean, if a team can defeat God’s Youngest Son then what excuse does any other underdog have to not play with the big boys?

With inspiration from well-paid Nick Saban and his well-paid Crimson Tide players, it has been all upsets since.

First, the Saints won a Super Bowl for the ultimate underdog city that has been conspired against by mother nature, Dubya and Roger Goodell.

Then curling became the most fascinating thing to watch at the Olympics that no one could understand (barely edging out trying to figure out how Steve Holcomb got into his bobsled suit)

Then Jamie Jungers won the Tiger Woods Mistress Pageant. (I had $20 on Jaimee Grubs)

And now we are being inundated on a daily basis by upsets in March Madness:

- The number one overall seed is gone

- Half of the top 16 seeded teams have lost

- Arguably, the most dominant team of the tournament so far has been Cornell.

- Kansas State is the only team from Kansas still playing in the tourney (and with the NCAA investigation into their recruiting practices and subsequent expunging of this year’s wins still years away, the Wildcats are finally able to laugh at their nemeses from Lawrence).

So what does the rest of the year hold in store for us?

Let me gaze into Kate’s big brown eyes and take a guess.

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Oh, sorry I got distracted thinking of other things. Back to my predictions for the year.

- Men’s college basketball: Just imagine the coming Northern Iowa vs. Cornell championship game. It would be like watching that quarterfinal game from Hoosiers all over again. Let’s just hope Kurt Warner doesn’t come stumbling on to the court, mid-game.  

- Women’s college basketball: UConn wins the title again. Not an upset you say? Did I mention that they only win by 7?

- The Masters: Phil Mickelson wins the green jacket and files a sexual harassment lawsuit against Tiger who once again apologizes by saying he regrets his actions but has been going through withdrawals and upon seeing Phil’s chest jiggling up the fairway just couldn’t control himself any longer.

- NBA Finals: Sorry Lakers and Celtics fans, it just isn’t your year. How could you be expected to compete with a team that has both a player from Australia (like St. Mary’s) and a kid who didn’t want to go to college and instead went to play on a professional team not in the NBA (like Kentucky). Your 2010 NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks.

- Major League Baseball: In 2010, the Yankees won’t buy another World Series. Because the Mariners beat them to it.

- College Football: No Tim Tebow. No Colt McCoy. No Pete Carroll. Other than the semi-pro team in Tuscaloosa, college football is wide open this season. This is the chance for a team to step up and shock. Iowa Hawkeyes, now is the time to take the mantle from Ohio State and use the overrated Big Ten as a spring board to the National title game. Before planning for your BCS title game appearance though can one of you pick up the Shadow off the floor?

- NFL: There are two types of upsets. Those by teams that have always stunk and come out of nowhere to win and those by teams that have been consistently successful but always fall short in the big spot (think Chargers and Eagles). It seems way too impossible to say ‘Detroit Lions, Super Bowl champions’. But marginally less improbable to say ‘Minnesota Vikings, Super Bowl champions’.

Unfortunately, Vikings fans, the Super Bowl doesn’t happen until 2011.

Who knows how the fates will feel about Brett Favre by then.

Tagged as: college basketball, college football, kate beckinsale, nba, nfl, underdog, upset