ooohh... i saved my posting... luckily... my little predictions might be fun in the coming months:
Just to vote against the odds, Highside, and because these damn "voting" systems are so boring, I need to spice up the gambling with some story telling... I'll toss in a little intuition, craziness and magic to work...
First off... to blow it all wide open, Rossi will crash and burn at least twice during the season (!! - what are the odds of that dude! - pretty good, i'd say because Capirossi and/or Biaggi will punt him off the track) thus sending the championship wide open by midseason...
my old-time Yama-man, Edwards, will begin to rail just after the first quarter of the season.
That Honda wildman Nicky will be putting down blackies like never before and really look like king at the half-way point... of course only king for a day in MotoGP
Gibernau - will be consistent, like Corser superbike, and many will vote for him to win, but something will tangle his toes... engine gremlins
Kenny Roberts will win at least ONE DAMN race... maybe two because Suzuki will finally pull the rag out of the exhaust system which has been clogging up the left rear cylinder for about 6 years... of course soon thereafter the bike will explode or something.. ok... maybe KR will simply kick "O Ring" on some tracks he knows well... and Suzuki will never figure out what to do in GP.. boo hoo hoo...
Capirossi -- win a few, lose a few; crash and burn, never learns.
Biaggi -- the "O Ring" will crash in the pits doing something stupid, or blow his lid, etc... ultimately he will finish down the order, crying, sniveling, bit***** and moaning...
some new guy will go well.
Tamada - nothing special

ok -- a couple wins and good consistent finishes.. unfortunately this will prove to be a formula that is 5 years out of date for the current level of competition.
so...
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
1 - Edwards (by 2 points)
2 - Nicky (by 10 points)
3 - Rossi (by 5 points)
4 - Giber (by like 3 points) and a squirrels tail between him and Capirrosi crashing at round 4
5 - some damn fast Aussie that we all forgot about for a bit... unless he breaks a bone kicking Biaggi in the nuts after a crash in Italy

unless Erv Kanemoto kicks him first -- remember you read it here first.
nahh... something will go wrong there with Troy boys team... he'll be like 8th.
so...
5 - maybe Capirossi, or let's try Barros, he's been pretty good in general for several years. yeah.. i take Barros for fifth, and would even concede he can take 4th)
welll -- it' not like there aren't another 5 really really really fast guys to turn those predictions to mud really quick...
i like those "predictions" --- at least they are worth using the crystal ball... now, on with the circus!
--- where is someone in Europe to throw in there 2-cents, 2-pence, 2-pickles or 2-euros, being so much closer to the action and all???
and, my vote for Laguna Seca is................ (oooooooh, dats tough)... ummmmmmm.... Aussie man

Troy Bayliss again gets a vote for having Ducati do something as stupid as fire the guy... give 'em the guns man!