New Year’s wishes for sporting scene

Wishes and dreams for the 2018 sports year:

Steve Kerr: He wakes up one morning feeling unusually good. Like old times, the day passes without a hint of pain. His entire week goes that way, and then a month, and finally he realizes: It’s over. Full health at last. And we can all look back on what it took for Kerr to be so accommodating, witty and perceptive among people asking so much of his time.

The Warriors: Renewed health all around. It’s no longer an isolated incident or two; virtually every key player on the team has been sidelined at some point. This has to change, because if Cleveland awaits once again in the Finals, LeBron James will be 118 percent.

Madison Bumgarner: Last year’s opening day — so promising, and then so dreadful — set the Giants’ tone for a season. How about a no-hitter this time around? Maybe throw in a two-run homer.

Bobby Evans: A dynamic trade for the Giants’ general manager. Something unexpected and gloriously productive. He’s working with only a halfdeck of desirable talent, but stranger things have happened. And let’s add Bruce Bochy right here; the man deserves a peace-of-mind season that restores a sense of relevance.

Dave Kaval: A big comeback on the stadium front. Something definitive announced by the end of the A’s season. If we’re still at this point next winter — haggling over the Laney site, balking at a return to the Coliseum — why would anyone have faith?

John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan: At least two major scores in the draft. It’s one thing for the 49ers to make a late-season rush under no pressure. Realistically, they need help at a number of positions. A big relief: Not having to worry about drafting a quarterback.

Derek Carr: Rallying behind Jon Gruden’s energy and some much-needed veteran leadership added to the roster, he gets back to normal. It’s a curious state of affairs when a dynamic quarterback regresses to mediocrity and nobody can figure out why.

The World Cup in Russia: At least a semblance of how things work in a more favorable setting. No violence in the stands, no ugliness from openly racist fans, and precious few signs of a culture so backward in social tolerance. As if that will happen. Easier to fancy that Bumgarner gem.