Okay. I admit it. I have a crystal ball.Well actually it’s a marble I found lying under my bed for who knows how long.

Upon doing some spring-cleaning one weekend, I began thinking about what the sports world is going to be like in the next couple of years. And so I let the thinking begin.

I looked into my trusty marble to see if it possibly possessed the answers I needed and asked it the many questions that constantly race through my head.

Things such as: Will the Saints be in a Super Bowl sometime before I die? Is Paris Hilton really my future wife? And finally, how long before I become rich?

Although the marble didn’t respond to those particular questions, I still feel certain eagerness when it comes to thinking of the sports world five, maybe even 10 years from now.

As we enter a sports world full of steroids, crying overpaid athletes and alcohol related fan brawls, I wonder if things will ever just be normal again.

Looking into my marble, I discovered the answer to many questions I had about sports by predicting what the marble would have said.

Upon first glance I discovered the topic of professional football, and the Saints immediately came to mind.

When it comes to their future, the marble showed me an image of Los Angeles, which can only mean goodbye.

The ongoing talks between the state and the Saints have been lingering on little or no progress, so if nothing is to come about within the next couple of years, the Saints will find themselves in Los Angeles by the year 2010.

Following the image of Los Angeles came the image of Peyton Manning wearing a Super Bowl ring.

I was clear at what this meant. The Colts will win the Super Bowl in the near future. If I had to predict, I would say this feat would be accomplished within the next four years.

Once my NFL insight was complete, I decided to ask the marble about the NBA, about which it provided very interesting information.

Through the marble I learned that Shaq, Dirk Nowitski, Vince Carter and Alan Iverson would all win rings within the next seven years.

Immediately following this image was the image of an aging Michael Jordan at a press conference during his 50th birthday. I was unsure what this meant, but possibly another comeback isn’t out of the question. I know it sounds ridiculous, but seeing a 50-year-old Michael Jordan play is probably more fun to watch than anyone on the New Orleans Hornets.

Once my basketball trivia was complete, I decided to put the marble to the test and asked a hockey question. The response I received was an empty arena, which can only mean good riddance to the league. If hockey doesn’t straighten up, I could seriously see this happening.

My next question certainly had to be about baseball.

The marble was quick to respond as I was given the image of much smaller players, nearly the size of college and minor league ball players.

This must certainly mean the steroid issue has been taken care of and baseball can get back to just playing the game.

Among the small players was a much smaller, yet still fit Barry Bonds who appeared to be celebrating something. Might it be the all-time home run record? We may have to wait and see about this one.

At this point I began to have a little fun with the marble and decided to ask Nicholls sports questions.

I’m not sure if the marble was just joking or not, but the image came back of Nicholls football, baseball, men and women’s basketball, softball and soccer teams all celebrating.

After careful pondering, I realized what it could all only mean.

The football team will win the Southland Conference and make a deep run at the playoffs, while head Coach Jay Thomas wins coach of the year.

The men and women’s basketball teams will not only make the conference tournament but will advance to the NCAA tournament with both scoring first round upsets over their opponents.

The baseball team will continue to compete and will earn a spot in the regionals where it will upset LSU at Alex Box Stadium, and the softball and soccer teams will each win the conference sometime in the near future.

I’m not saying it’s all going to happen this year, but the trusty marble can’t be wrong. I believe Nicholls athletics can only get better as time progresses.

The marble has enabled me to see things no other sports fan has seen before. I could continue with my questioning of the marble, but I have a test tomorrow. The marble won’t give me the answers, so I have to go “study.