By the next morning, the streets of Manhattan had already been drowned in the clamor of sports papers and media outlets.
On its front page that day, ESPN published an authoritative prediction for the first-round playoff matchups in the Eastern and Western Conferences in huge, bold type. The report was absurdly detailed—not only did it list the winners of every series, but it even gave exact final scores.
"The Eastern Conference powerhouse New York Knicks will dispatch the Milwaukee Bucks 3:1 without much bloodshed. Li Fei's dominance cannot be shaken."
"The Indiana Pacers will edge out the Chicago Bulls 3:2. Reggie Miller's ice-cold three-pointers will be the final straw that breaks the aging Bulls."
"The Miami Heat will defeat the Toronto Raptors 3:1. Alonzo Mourning's ironclad defense will make young Vince Carter pay a costly tuition fee."
"The Philadelphia 76ers will beat the Charlotte Hornets 3:1. Allen Iverson will shred the Hornets' defense with his unstoppable drives."
Over in the Western Conference, ESPN's predictions were equally bold and controversial.
"The Los Angeles Lakers will sweep the Sacramento Kings 3:0. The 'OK Duo' will display overwhelming raw power, and the Princeton system will be worthless before absolute talent."
"The Portland Trail Blazers will defeat the Seattle SuperSonics 3:1. The Jail Blazers' stacked wing lineup will completely lock down Gary Payton."
"The Utah Jazz will narrowly overcome the Minnesota Timberwolves 3:2. Though Karl Malone has grown old, Stockton's experience will help the Jazz survive the danger."
"The San Antonio Spurs will defeat the Phoenix Suns 3:1. Tim Duncan's steady production will be the Spurs' greatest guarantee of advancement."
The moment these predictions were released, they caused an uproar across the United States. Fans argued until their faces turned red in streets and alleys, bars and restaurants, all for the teams they supported.