Varsity Athletes

And the Emmy for most predictable awards show ...

Emmy countdown week continues--only three more days until The Sopranos finally takes home the trophy for Best Drama! Or doesn't. You never know.

For now, I'll try to improve on my abysmal record from last year by predicting this year's winners.

Best Supporting Actress, Comedy: In a just world, Carrie's gal pals on Sex and the City would have owned this category for years. Instead, Doris Roberts takes home the statuette every year for her work on Everybody Loves Raymond. The end of Sex should bode well for the show, though. I would predict Cynthia Nixon's Miranda, but she didn't submit the last episode of the show, in which she takes care of her husband's mother, so I'll go with Kim Cattrall, whose vampy performance as Samantha found new depth when she battled cancer.

Best Supporting Actor, Comedy: I don't have a dog in this fight. Sean Hayes has played Jack on Will & Grace into the ground. And I don't watch Raymond. But I'll predict Peter Boyle as Ray's father, Frank, if only because he's the last cast member who hasn't won anything for the show.

Best Actress, Comedy: I loved Friends, but Ms. Aniston has her trophy, thank you. This has gotta go to Sarah Jessica Parker for her six years as Carrie. Is it a lifetime achievement award? Yeah. But she deserves it.

Best Actor, Comedy: Larry David is responsible for one of my greatest joys in the world as the creator of Seinfeld. That's why, even though I usually miss Curb Your Enthusiasm, I'm hoping he'll take this home. But I'd bet instead on Kelsey Grammer's final episode performance as Frasier Crane, during which he decides to go after the woman he loves. If any of the other three win, you'll be able to hear me howling from wherever you are.

Best Comedy: Sex and the City. They gave Raymond a trophy already. Friends isn't nominated. Unless it's HBO's Curb, it's about time for Sex to bring home the big one.

Best Supporting Actress, Drama: Did you watch Sopranos this year? If so, you know that Drea DeMatteo MUST win this category. She submitted her death episode, for heaven's sake! If they toss this one to Tyne Daly, or decide to honor Robin Weigert for Deadwood, I won't be surprised, but I will be disappointed. Adriana's character was played perfectly by DeMatteo; her death made the news. Please, give it to Adriana.

Best Supporting Actor, Drama: I'd like to see Chris and Adriana reunited with a win for Michael Imperioli, but my gut says Steve Buscemi gets this for his portrayal of Tony Blundetto. Note to Emmy: Do not give this award to John Spencer. His Leo on The West Wing was an obnoxious crank--and he didn't pull it off all that well.

Best Actress, Drama: Allison Janney submitted a Wing that revolves around her for the second year in a row and she still won't win. The writers have ruined her character. Meanwhile, Edie Falco submitted the episode in which she sends A.J. to live with Tony. She wins again in a walk.

Best Actor, Drama: The time for Martin Sheen to finally win has passed. There are rumblings that Anthony LaPaglia could win for Without a Trace, but I'm going with the safe bet here: James Gandolfini for The Sopranos. Every episode I watch convinces me that he's an acting genius. The out-of-character episode he submitted, the one where Junior can't stop talking about Tony's failure to be a varsity athlete, is not only an emotional tour-de-force for Tony, it's the source of today's Sopranos headline.

Best Drama: It's a sweep! HBO wins everything. (Don't forget how they're going to clean up for Angels in America.) The time has come, as I've been saying all week, to end the run of West Wing and give the trophy to the best show on television, The Sopranos. And here's hoping that next year, with Tony on hiatus, the second-best show takes the prize. Six Feet Under in 2005!