It’s beginning to look a lot like 2008. After careful consideration and consulting the oracle, I’ve decided these will be the 10 best sports wagers (both teams and single events) in the New Year.

Indianapolis Colts (9-2) to win the Super Bowl: Fading the Pats is fashionable.

San Antonio Spurs (3-1) to win NBA title: Fading the Celtics will be, too.

Toronto Raptors: Still ignored and undervalued against the spread.

Drake Bulldogs, NCAAB: Already 7-0 ATS and far better than expected.

Chelsea (6-1) to win English Premiership: Just six points back of Arsenal.

Germany (8-13) to win Euro 2008 Group B: Croatia is their best opponent.

Rafael Nadal (6-1) to win Australian Open: Will pass Federer soon.

Ottawa Senators (2-1) to win Eastern Conference: Great team, shaky conference.

Phil Mickelson (10-1) to win 2008 U.S. Masters: Great odds for 2004, 2006 champ.

Frank Mir (+145) over Brock Lesnar at UFC 81: Classic anti-public pick.

As expected, the Mitchell Report has turned Major League Baseball on its ear. Dozens of players have been implicated in steroid use, from big-league sluggers to journeyman scrubs.

With tongue planted firmly in cheek, we humbly suggest these four athletes, if they haven’t done so already, join the parade and grab a bottle of “Vitamin B-12.”

Brandan Wright, Golden State Warriors: Generously listed at 6-foot-9 and 205 pounds. Needs significantly more bulk to play the post in the NBA.

Martin Biron, Philadelphia Flyers: Those rules limiting the size of goalie equipment aren’t helping this 6-foot-3, 163-pound beanpole.

Garrett Wolfe, Chicago Bears: Get this man some HGH. Listed at 5-foot-7 and 186 pounds, the rookie RB has had trouble staying healthy on the football field – go figure.

Randy Johnson, Arizona Diamondbacks: If you want to extend your career another few years, think Roger Clemens. Plus, imagine the fastball you could throw at 6-foot-10 and bigger than your current 231 pounds.

The terms hero and professional athlete don’t seem to go together very often anymore. The classy career athletes only seem to show up these days at oldtimer events or Hall of Fame inductions that include gentlemen like Cal Ripken Jr. and Tony Gwynn, while excluding the Mark McGuire types.

The list of pro athletes that have embarrassed themselves, their teams and their sports just over the last year is a very long one. This summer alone the NFL is dealing with felony allegations against Michael Vick, the NBA is trying to distance itself from point-shaving referee Tim Donaghy, the PGA Tour has an estimated 10 steroid users according to Gary Player, and the Tour de France is still stocked more heavily with drugs than a laboratory full of test rats.

That short list doesn’t even include troublemakers like Pacman Jones, Chris Henry, the other dozen Cincinnati Bengals players who are familiar with the back of a police car, Stephen Jackson, Ron Artest, etc., etc., etc. The list is endless and seems to be getting new names faster than ever before.

So, is the problem that athletes are spoiled, overpaid cheaters and criminals, or has this kind of behavior always been going on but the media is now much more aware of it in our global village? The best answer is probably a little bit of both.

The number of athletes wrapped up in illegal activities isn’t exactly a new thing. Just look into past performers like Darryl Strawberry, Dwight Gooden, Steve Howe and Ben Johnson to see that. However, when Strawberry or Gooden were arrested it wasn’t beamed across the globe in seconds and covered by the half-dozen cable news and sports networks that dissect every move a pro athlete makes these days.

Professional athletes may make tons of cash, have the admiration of millions and play a sport for a living that normal people play just to relax; but they’re still human beings who make mistakes, and just like you and me take the easy way out most of the time. Anyone who says athletes don’t toe the line or act like they did in the ‘good old days’ might want to delve into the real Mickey Mantle, and the human frailties of Babe Ruth, and – scraping the bottom of the barrel – the character of Ty Cobb.

History tends to gloss over certain things, and in 50 years don’t be surprised if you’re telling the next generation about a time when athletes were much more civilized.