Well there are only four teams left in the mighty NCAA Men's tournament and the four remaining teams have made NCAA history. The four remaining teams are the four one seeds and it is the first time ever that all four one seeds have made it to the Final Four.
I know that seems shocking right, but it's true. I guess these four teams are really the elite teams in the NCAA or the selection committee made the right choices. I don't know if any of you remember back to the end of October when I made my preseason basketball picks, but you can check them out here and see that the first five teams I picked are either in the Final Four or played in the Elite Eight. The other three made the tournament, but let me down in the end.
What I think it came down to was the Final Four teams were just the elite teams of the nation and proved it all season long. All four won their conference tournaments and continued their march on into the NCAA tournament. UNC, UCLA, Memphis and Kansas are the best teams in the nation and now the four teams will battle it out for the right to play in the National Championship to be crowned the champion.
I know I only got two of the four right in my bracket, but when it comes down to it I'm sure there were millions out there that picked all four one seeds to make it to the Final Four for the first time ever, just because they are the best teams in the nation.
But when Saturday night comes around I think UNC will knock off Kansas and UCLA will slow down Memphis to make it to the Championship on next Monday for the right to be crowned national champion in 2008.
As college basketball and March Madness comes to a close, April approaches and everyone knows what that means. It's officially spring time and time for the MLB season to get back to the grind. Opening night kicked off last night in the Nation's Capital in the Nationals new ballpark when they faced my Atlanta Braves.
But earlier last week, the season "officially" began in Japan with Boston taking on Oakland in two games that counted towards their record, when each team winning a game. But opening day is today to begin the long regular season march from now until the end of September. I'm going to skip right into my season predictions and then I'll share some thoughts.
American League-
East winner: Boston Red Sox
Central winner: Cleveland Indians
West winner: LA-Anaheim Angles
Wild Card: Detroit Tigers
National League-
East winner: Atlanta Braves
Central winner: Chicago Cubs
West winner: Arizona Diamondbacks
Wild Card: New York Mets
World Series 2008: Cleveland Indians over New York Mets in 6 games
I'm taking a very balanced Indians team to get over the hump and make it to the World Series to face the Mets and bring home the crown. The Indians came up just short last season against the Sox and will be back with a vengeance on their way to the championship.
I've been doing a little bit of reading about the upcoming season and many feel that the Yankees will be back in the playoffs this season. Me on the other hand don't see it happening this year. A new manager, weak pitching, it's not going to happen. Many think they are under the radar behind the mighty Sox, but that is not the case. As long as they have Yankees on their jersey and the classic pinstripe uniforms, everyone will be out to take out the Yankees.
What? You picked the Braves over the Mets and Phillies? Yes I sure did, Cox has rebuilt his young team and their pitching staff is back in order having brought Tom Glavine back, they will cause trouble in the National League East this year. Bobby Cox has been under slight scrutiny the past two seasons, but he has his team back in order and they will be hanging around the top of the division all season long as long as they don't suffer any major injuries.
It will be a tight three way race all season long, but the Braves will pull through and win the division over the Mets by one games and the Phillies by two games. Yes, it will be very tight.
As for the NL West division, that is probably the hardest division to pick because four of the five teams in that division could win the division. I choose the Diamondbacks due to their success from last season and their strong pitching, but one could make a claim for the Rockies, Padres or even new look Dodgers as well. That is a stacked division as well.
That is why I love baseball so much. The balance of power is so Topsy-tourvey these days. It is hard to pick who will win just because teams are so good and balanced. It's no more expecting the Yankees to make it to the World Series every season like in the 90s. Now it's anybodies game. The Yankees are now without a World Series Title since the Subway series in 2000. Their last appearance was in 2003 when they lost to the Florida Marlins.
So here's to the 2008 season, looking forward to a good, long season.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Friday, March 28, 2008
Carolina advances, UCLA too
Yesterday was the first day of the sweet 16 round and two of the one seeds have won to advance to the elite 8 on Saturday.
In the West, UCLA faced Cinderella Western Kentucky and opened up a big lead in the first half with stingy defense and forcing Western Kentucky into bad shots. They couldn't get anything to fall and were trailing by 20 at halftime.
It was a good run by a tough Western Kentucky team but their luck ran out against one of the nations elite. UCLA is a tough team to face due to their balance on both ends of the floor. UCLA will face Xavier who held off a late push by West Virginia and won their game in overtime giving them their 30th win this season, a school record, and advancing to the elite 8 round to take on UCLA.
In the East, UNC gave Washington State a taste of their own medicine. UNC held the Cougars to 21 first half points and led by 14 at halftime and once the second half started the Cougars didn't stand a chance for a comeback. UNC played tough defense and of course they are impossible to stop on the offensive side as UNC cruised to a 21 point victory and will face Louisville in the elite 8.
Yup, Louisville knocked out the Volunteers of Tennessee with their own style of stingy defence. So the story for the winners of the night was defense, and personally I think that's what it takes to be crowned the national champion of Men's College basketball.
UNC vs. Louisville should be a very, very close game. Both have been playing tough defense and that leads to points on the offensive side. I'm looking at this game being played in the 60s with the winning margin no more than 6 points. Of course I'm rooting for Carolina to win, but they will have to fight tough and not let what happened last year happen again this year.
Tonight the other four games of the sweet 16 take place in Detroit and Houston. In the South, it's Memphis taking of Michigan State and Texas vs. Stanford. And in the Midwest, Kansas taking on Villanova and Wisconsin and Davidson. Should be in store for some more great college basketball tonight and continued into the weekend on our way to deciding the Final Four.
As always please leave your comments or suggestions!
In the West, UCLA faced Cinderella Western Kentucky and opened up a big lead in the first half with stingy defense and forcing Western Kentucky into bad shots. They couldn't get anything to fall and were trailing by 20 at halftime.
It was a good run by a tough Western Kentucky team but their luck ran out against one of the nations elite. UCLA is a tough team to face due to their balance on both ends of the floor. UCLA will face Xavier who held off a late push by West Virginia and won their game in overtime giving them their 30th win this season, a school record, and advancing to the elite 8 round to take on UCLA.
In the East, UNC gave Washington State a taste of their own medicine. UNC held the Cougars to 21 first half points and led by 14 at halftime and once the second half started the Cougars didn't stand a chance for a comeback. UNC played tough defense and of course they are impossible to stop on the offensive side as UNC cruised to a 21 point victory and will face Louisville in the elite 8.
Yup, Louisville knocked out the Volunteers of Tennessee with their own style of stingy defence. So the story for the winners of the night was defense, and personally I think that's what it takes to be crowned the national champion of Men's College basketball.
UNC vs. Louisville should be a very, very close game. Both have been playing tough defense and that leads to points on the offensive side. I'm looking at this game being played in the 60s with the winning margin no more than 6 points. Of course I'm rooting for Carolina to win, but they will have to fight tough and not let what happened last year happen again this year.
Tonight the other four games of the sweet 16 take place in Detroit and Houston. In the South, it's Memphis taking of Michigan State and Texas vs. Stanford. And in the Midwest, Kansas taking on Villanova and Wisconsin and Davidson. Should be in store for some more great college basketball tonight and continued into the weekend on our way to deciding the Final Four.
As always please leave your comments or suggestions!
Monday, March 24, 2008
New Website Address
Hey everyone, I edited my website URL to make it a little bit easier to remember.
Here is the new URL for my blog.
http://mjsportssmak.blogspot.com/
As you can see I just switched up the mj and took out the dash. So it's mjsportssmak instead of what it was.
Sorry for any inconvenience. Just trying to make some improvements.
Here is the new URL for my blog.
http://mjsportssmak.blogspot.com/
As you can see I just switched up the mj and took out the dash. So it's mjsportssmak instead of what it was.
Sorry for any inconvenience. Just trying to make some improvements.
And then there was 16
Well the first two rounds of the NCAA Men's Tournament have officially come to a conclusion after a fun and eventful four days of action. We are now down to the Sweet 16 remaining and as I doubted, there are several surprises.
Who is left playing in the Sweet 16:
From the East Region:
1. North Carolina
2. Tennessee
3. Louisville
4. Washington State
From the Midwest Region:
1. Kansas
3. Wisconsin
10. Davidson
12. Villanova
From the South Region:
1. Memphis
2. Texas
3. Stanford
5. Michigan State
From the West Region:
1. UCLA
3. Xavier
7. West Virginia
12. Western Kentucky
So as you can see there are three double digit seeds playing in the Sweet 16, which is a shock to me. Basically my bracket is shot, so all I have left is rooting for my Tar Heels, who averaged 110 points in their first two games of the tournament. But now it is time to get down to the business.
Now I want to address the two comments left from the other day and boy am I shocked to see comments from these two. I thought they feel off the bandwagon or something, especially Mr. John. Anyways I am all happy when any leaves comments, it always gives me something extra to talk about.
First T's comment about the Georgetown "choke" Hoyas. As most of you know the Hoyas got upset in the second round by a mighty Davidson team lead by sophomore stud Stephen Curry who scored 30 huge points in a winning effort against the Hoyas, just days after he torched Gonzaga for 40.
Yes I picked Georgetown to make it to the final four, just because I didn't want to have all four 1 seeds in there because that has never happened. But what can you do, evidently the Hoyas weren't ready to big it and got shocked by this year's Cinderella.
I don't think they let me down last season though, they upset my Tar Heels in the Elite 8 in an overtime game that they never should have won, only to go on to lose in their final four game. Most of the time I don't consider making it to the final four a let down. Anyways, tough lose, tough pick. I'll survive.
Now to get onto the business of John's comments. Where have you been man? No E-mail, no comments in like 2 weeks, not even any bracket talk. It's okay, I know you are a busy man. But now I have to Smak ya.
I don't know who that lose friend was who said Georgetown was going to tear it up and if it was me, then I must have been losing it, but it is sad that they lost in the second round. I had better expectations, but I don't think I said they would tear it up.
As for Skip Bayless, I don't even want to talk about that fool. I can't even watch that show he is on because he just makes the worst points. Especially when he has the nerve and calls Lebron the Queen and KG the softest power forward in the league. That is just plain ridiculous. If I ever have the chance to go 1 on 1 with that guy in the future, (probably won't since he is like a 60 year old bum) but I would have to pull a Stephen A. Smith on him and talk a million words a minute and just rant him out. That is the only good time to watch Skip, when he is going against Stephen A. because he makes him look like the fool he is.
I'm sure Skip called Roy Hibbert a weak, slow center, blah, blah, blah. Which is something he would say but Roy will be a legit center in the next few years in the NBA. He will do a lot better than any of the Florida bums from last year who have stunk it up this year, with the exception of Al Horford, he is the only legit player out of that group.
I'm telling you, people are sleeping on Greg Oden and Roy Hibbert. But they are true centers and will be the face of the league for the next 10 years mark my words. Yeah the NBA has become a guards league, but they will keep the center game around because both of them will be studs.
Pacers? Only 1.5 games out, yeah there are several teams trying to get that 8 spot in the East, even the Bulls are in the mix and when it all comes down to it, I think the Bulls will win that 8 spot. It doesn't really matter who gets the 8 spot in the East because they will just get swept by the Celtics in the first round anyways. Hawks, Nets, Pacers, Bulls all fighting for the 8 spot, Bulls will get it and will be swept in the first round by the Celtics.
Oh and the Pacers just need to let Jermaine O'neal go, because he is causing them problems with his injuries and not so hot play. The stars on the Pacers are Dunleavy and Danny Granger. So build around them and part ways with O'Neal.
What's the deal with the Wizards? I just can't figure them out. They lose 5 games, then they win 5 games, all without Gilbert Arenas. They're one of those teams that can beat the Celtics and Pistons one night and then turn around and lose to the Bobcats or Heat the next. They're just one of those confusing teams to understand, but Antwan Jamison has been playing great during Arenas's absence and has kept them around in the East.
I saw when Dirk injured his leg, I thought he was done for the year, it just didn't look pretty at all. But two weeks, that's going to be huge. I really don't think the Mavericks are going to be able to hang out to survive the playoffs. The Warriors are playing some tough ball and the Nuggets will make that push and to get and the Mavericks and reigning MVP Dirk will miss out on the playoffs after a 67 win season last year.
The Spurs are fine, they are still settling in their their new pieces and will be in tip top shape when the playoffs come around. Whether their a 1 seed or the 6 seed, they will be a tough challenge for any team in the West.
I don't see why you are a Rick Carlisle fan anyway, he chocked with a good Pistons team and he chocked with the Pacers, why would you like him as a coach. I think he should coach the Bulls though, maybe he can do something with them, since there wouldn't be high expectations right away.
I don't know what this Larry Bird riddle is about, but I'm looking forward to hearing about it. I heard that Jerry West wanted to move from Memphis to New York. Not really sure why, but I saw a little excerpt about it on SI the other day.
I also saw a website has been created to help bring Lebron to New York. That's right, the Knicks fans are already trying to convince Lebron to come play in the Big Apple. Check out www.nycforlebron.com and you will see their little campaign to try to get Lebron to come to New York when his contract runs out in 2010.
Personally, I could see Lebron playing in New York, but only if they were a team competing for a Championship. And of course with Lebron and any one's team you have a chance to compete for a championship, but the Knicks have just to many situations going on and as long as Isaiah Thomas is there, I don't see it happening.
Wow, that was a lot of information. I hope you all enjoy it and I'll be back in a couple days with more information.
Take it easy.
Who is left playing in the Sweet 16:
From the East Region:
1. North Carolina
2. Tennessee
3. Louisville
4. Washington State
From the Midwest Region:
1. Kansas
3. Wisconsin
10. Davidson
12. Villanova
From the South Region:
1. Memphis
2. Texas
3. Stanford
5. Michigan State
From the West Region:
1. UCLA
3. Xavier
7. West Virginia
12. Western Kentucky
So as you can see there are three double digit seeds playing in the Sweet 16, which is a shock to me. Basically my bracket is shot, so all I have left is rooting for my Tar Heels, who averaged 110 points in their first two games of the tournament. But now it is time to get down to the business.
Now I want to address the two comments left from the other day and boy am I shocked to see comments from these two. I thought they feel off the bandwagon or something, especially Mr. John. Anyways I am all happy when any leaves comments, it always gives me something extra to talk about.
First T's comment about the Georgetown "choke" Hoyas. As most of you know the Hoyas got upset in the second round by a mighty Davidson team lead by sophomore stud Stephen Curry who scored 30 huge points in a winning effort against the Hoyas, just days after he torched Gonzaga for 40.
Yes I picked Georgetown to make it to the final four, just because I didn't want to have all four 1 seeds in there because that has never happened. But what can you do, evidently the Hoyas weren't ready to big it and got shocked by this year's Cinderella.
I don't think they let me down last season though, they upset my Tar Heels in the Elite 8 in an overtime game that they never should have won, only to go on to lose in their final four game. Most of the time I don't consider making it to the final four a let down. Anyways, tough lose, tough pick. I'll survive.
Now to get onto the business of John's comments. Where have you been man? No E-mail, no comments in like 2 weeks, not even any bracket talk. It's okay, I know you are a busy man. But now I have to Smak ya.
I don't know who that lose friend was who said Georgetown was going to tear it up and if it was me, then I must have been losing it, but it is sad that they lost in the second round. I had better expectations, but I don't think I said they would tear it up.
As for Skip Bayless, I don't even want to talk about that fool. I can't even watch that show he is on because he just makes the worst points. Especially when he has the nerve and calls Lebron the Queen and KG the softest power forward in the league. That is just plain ridiculous. If I ever have the chance to go 1 on 1 with that guy in the future, (probably won't since he is like a 60 year old bum) but I would have to pull a Stephen A. Smith on him and talk a million words a minute and just rant him out. That is the only good time to watch Skip, when he is going against Stephen A. because he makes him look like the fool he is.
I'm sure Skip called Roy Hibbert a weak, slow center, blah, blah, blah. Which is something he would say but Roy will be a legit center in the next few years in the NBA. He will do a lot better than any of the Florida bums from last year who have stunk it up this year, with the exception of Al Horford, he is the only legit player out of that group.
I'm telling you, people are sleeping on Greg Oden and Roy Hibbert. But they are true centers and will be the face of the league for the next 10 years mark my words. Yeah the NBA has become a guards league, but they will keep the center game around because both of them will be studs.
Pacers? Only 1.5 games out, yeah there are several teams trying to get that 8 spot in the East, even the Bulls are in the mix and when it all comes down to it, I think the Bulls will win that 8 spot. It doesn't really matter who gets the 8 spot in the East because they will just get swept by the Celtics in the first round anyways. Hawks, Nets, Pacers, Bulls all fighting for the 8 spot, Bulls will get it and will be swept in the first round by the Celtics.
Oh and the Pacers just need to let Jermaine O'neal go, because he is causing them problems with his injuries and not so hot play. The stars on the Pacers are Dunleavy and Danny Granger. So build around them and part ways with O'Neal.
What's the deal with the Wizards? I just can't figure them out. They lose 5 games, then they win 5 games, all without Gilbert Arenas. They're one of those teams that can beat the Celtics and Pistons one night and then turn around and lose to the Bobcats or Heat the next. They're just one of those confusing teams to understand, but Antwan Jamison has been playing great during Arenas's absence and has kept them around in the East.
I saw when Dirk injured his leg, I thought he was done for the year, it just didn't look pretty at all. But two weeks, that's going to be huge. I really don't think the Mavericks are going to be able to hang out to survive the playoffs. The Warriors are playing some tough ball and the Nuggets will make that push and to get and the Mavericks and reigning MVP Dirk will miss out on the playoffs after a 67 win season last year.
The Spurs are fine, they are still settling in their their new pieces and will be in tip top shape when the playoffs come around. Whether their a 1 seed or the 6 seed, they will be a tough challenge for any team in the West.
I don't see why you are a Rick Carlisle fan anyway, he chocked with a good Pistons team and he chocked with the Pacers, why would you like him as a coach. I think he should coach the Bulls though, maybe he can do something with them, since there wouldn't be high expectations right away.
I don't know what this Larry Bird riddle is about, but I'm looking forward to hearing about it. I heard that Jerry West wanted to move from Memphis to New York. Not really sure why, but I saw a little excerpt about it on SI the other day.
I also saw a website has been created to help bring Lebron to New York. That's right, the Knicks fans are already trying to convince Lebron to come play in the Big Apple. Check out www.nycforlebron.com and you will see their little campaign to try to get Lebron to come to New York when his contract runs out in 2010.
Personally, I could see Lebron playing in New York, but only if they were a team competing for a Championship. And of course with Lebron and any one's team you have a chance to compete for a championship, but the Knicks have just to many situations going on and as long as Isaiah Thomas is there, I don't see it happening.
Wow, that was a lot of information. I hope you all enjoy it and I'll be back in a couple days with more information.
Take it easy.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Happy Anniversary to me!
What anniversary am I talking about?
Well on this day a year ago I launched this site and the revolution of Sports Smak was created.
Here is a link to my First Blog Post and you can also find it in the achieves section located on the sidebar.
Writing on this blog had become one of my favorite hobbies, though I don't update and much as most true blogger's, I still enjoy writing and sharing my thoughts and opinions. Sports is one of my most favorite things in life. I just wanted to give my appreciation to those loyal readers and thank you for all the support. I am still just a "beginner" when it comes to blogging, but this year has been a learning experience and I only hope to improve into the future.
So I thank you all again for the support!
Well the NCAA tournament is underway and playing the second day of round one games and like I doubted there has been a big upset. 13 seed San Diego took down 4 seed Connecticut with a 1 point win in overtime this afternoon. I was shocked when I saw this happening as I felt UCONN had been playing good ball as of late, but you never know what can happen in the NCAA tournament.
It's one and down if you lose and if you win you get another chance to win another game. So you have to be mentally focused and play your heart out.
As of right now, I have only missed four games on my bracket picks, but with the current games playing that number will probably grow to six misses which makes me sad, but it's all good.
The other "shocker" upset would have been 12 seed Western Kentucky beating 5 seed Drake on a game winning shot at the buzzer in overtime. That was en exciting game to watch with my mid-major teams battling it out. But Western Kentucky did show any love to the Drake and sent them home.
I actually picked Western Kentucky to win this game, it was the highest upset I had on my bracket so I was excited about that.
The shocking game of last night had to be 2 seed Duke facing 15 seed Belmont and boy oh boy Belmont pushed them to a last second shot that just missed to allow Duke to escape back to back loses in the first round. Duke won 71-70. I was going to be the happiest man in America if Duke would have lost, but I have to deal with them for at least another game.
Anyways, so far the NCAA tournament has been exciting and we are just in the first round. I expect more excitement coming tomorrow and Sunday in the important second round games.
Until then, thanks again for the support and I always encourage comments and thoughts. Also if you have any suggestions on how I can improve the features on my blog I would be more than welcome to hearing suggestions.
Enjoy the Madness everybody!
Well on this day a year ago I launched this site and the revolution of Sports Smak was created.
Here is a link to my First Blog Post and you can also find it in the achieves section located on the sidebar.
Writing on this blog had become one of my favorite hobbies, though I don't update and much as most true blogger's, I still enjoy writing and sharing my thoughts and opinions. Sports is one of my most favorite things in life. I just wanted to give my appreciation to those loyal readers and thank you for all the support. I am still just a "beginner" when it comes to blogging, but this year has been a learning experience and I only hope to improve into the future.
So I thank you all again for the support!
Well the NCAA tournament is underway and playing the second day of round one games and like I doubted there has been a big upset. 13 seed San Diego took down 4 seed Connecticut with a 1 point win in overtime this afternoon. I was shocked when I saw this happening as I felt UCONN had been playing good ball as of late, but you never know what can happen in the NCAA tournament.
It's one and down if you lose and if you win you get another chance to win another game. So you have to be mentally focused and play your heart out.
As of right now, I have only missed four games on my bracket picks, but with the current games playing that number will probably grow to six misses which makes me sad, but it's all good.
The other "shocker" upset would have been 12 seed Western Kentucky beating 5 seed Drake on a game winning shot at the buzzer in overtime. That was en exciting game to watch with my mid-major teams battling it out. But Western Kentucky did show any love to the Drake and sent them home.
I actually picked Western Kentucky to win this game, it was the highest upset I had on my bracket so I was excited about that.
The shocking game of last night had to be 2 seed Duke facing 15 seed Belmont and boy oh boy Belmont pushed them to a last second shot that just missed to allow Duke to escape back to back loses in the first round. Duke won 71-70. I was going to be the happiest man in America if Duke would have lost, but I have to deal with them for at least another game.
Anyways, so far the NCAA tournament has been exciting and we are just in the first round. I expect more excitement coming tomorrow and Sunday in the important second round games.
Until then, thanks again for the support and I always encourage comments and thoughts. Also if you have any suggestions on how I can improve the features on my blog I would be more than welcome to hearing suggestions.
Enjoy the Madness everybody!
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
2008 NCAA Tourney Picks
Here is my bracket with my picks. I know it is hard to read but you can click on the bracket to view it larger, I will give you the down low on what I think will happen.
This year's tournament will certainly be interesting, but I don't think there will be many upsets this year just because the top seeds are just that good this year.
As I mentioned, this year's 1 seeds are North Carolina, Memphis, UCLA and Kansas. The 2 seeds include Tennessee, Georgetown, Texas and Duke.
I think the national champion will come out of that group. There might be a 3 seed, either Louisville or Wisconsin that has a shot to win it too. This year's top seeds are just that good and won't falter to any "Cinderella" teams. Basically, don't count on George Mason to make it to the Final Four again this year.
One of the biggest headlines was the snub teams that didn't get the chance to make it into the tournament. The biggest snub this year was probably Arizona State. There argument is their RPI rating and strength of schedule weren't strong enough. Then again, they did beat Arizona two times and Arizona made it in as a 10 seed with a worse overall record and a worse conference schedule.
I don't know about you, but I would have put Arizona State in the tournament over Arizona, plain and simple. Arizona is 19-14, that is not an acceptable record to be put in a tournament that is supposed to be the top 65 teams in the nation. 19-14 is not a top record in the nation. I would have put Virginia Tech in before Arizona, who won 20 games this year and nearly upset North Carolina.
Anyways, on to my picks. As you may have noticed I chose UCLA to be the National Champion winning over North Carolina. My Final Four was North Carolina, Georgetown, Texas and UCLA. I know my bracket doesn't have any major surprises, that's just because I feel that the top seeds will hold up this year and there is a good chance all four 1 seeds could make it to the Final Four, although that has never happened, there is always a first for everything.
I know there will be people out there that might pick a higher seed to make it far in the tournament, such as a USC or a Michigan State or even a Pittsburgh, or heck even those loyal George Mason fans that think they can make that run again. But when it all comes down to it, I just feel the top 1 and 2 seeds will come out on top and the Champion will be a 1 or 2 seed.
The reason I chose UNC and UCLA to make it to the title game is because these two teams have been playing great ball lately and clearly have the talent to win games. UCLA has been to the Final Four the past two seasons losing to Florida both years, so right away you know they have plenty of experience to go along with their talented team on both sides of the ball.
As for UNC, yes they are my team, but I chose them because I know that Hansbrough is out for blood this year and will not be denied like he was shockingly upset last year in the Elite 8 to Georgetown. I am looking for them to come out of a tough East region and face either Georgetown or Kansas in the Final Four.
Either match up will be exciting to watch, either a rematch with Georgetown or getting to see Roy's Alma Mater take on his previous team in a talented Kansas team. Anyway, UNC is clearly talented on offense their only question is will they play team defense the whole tournament. They have been playing defense lately, they just need to keep it up on the way to the Final Four.
I think the best first round match-up is between (7) Gonzaga and (10) Davidson. Two of the top mid-major teams, Gonzaga once being a Cinderella, now just a normal top team taking on the new Cinderella in Davidson. I am looking for Davidson to squeak by Gonzaga in a fun game.
I think the best potential Final Four match-up could be UNC taking on Kansas. Roy's Tar Heels facing his previous team in a battle of offense versus a strong defensive team would be an exciting match-up.
Alright, there you have it, my picks and thoughts on this year's tournament. My final score for the Championship game will be...
UCLA 77 - North Carolina 71
Enjoy the Madness and good luck with your picks!
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Selection Sunday!
Well Selection Sunday has officially come and gone and the 2008 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship Tournament is set and gets underway on Tuesday with the opening round game.
The four top seeds are: North Carolina, Memphis, UCLA, and Kansas.
Here is a link to view the Bracket...
I will be back in the next few days to give you my break down of this year's tournament and post my picks for who I think is going to win.
Until then, good luck with your picks and using your "bracketology" skills.
Let the Madness begin!
The four top seeds are: North Carolina, Memphis, UCLA, and Kansas.
Here is a link to view the Bracket...
I will be back in the next few days to give you my break down of this year's tournament and post my picks for who I think is going to win.
Until then, good luck with your picks and using your "bracketology" skills.
Let the Madness begin!
Friday, March 14, 2008
Conference Tournies
We are officially into the mix of March Madness with Conference tournaments on the way and there have been some good games.
Sunday at 6 p.m. sharp is the NCAA selection show on ESPN to reveal this years NCAA tournament teams playing for a shot at the National Championship. Will there be any Cinderellas this year? How many of the top seeds will get upset or breeze through the tournament? I know I can't wait until Sunday so I can begin my construction of my tournament bracket.
In NBA news, the leagues hottest team is the Houston Rockets who have won an amazing 20 straight games, which is tied for the second longest win streak in NBA history. What is the most shocking thing is they have continued to win without their big man Yao Ming who was lost for the rest of the season with a knee injury.
How much longer can the Rockets keep this run going, my guess is not to much longer. They might win 1 more game, but then they face a tough Lakers team on Sunday.
I'll be back on Sunday for my NCAA tournament break down, until then enjoy some college basketball.
Sunday at 6 p.m. sharp is the NCAA selection show on ESPN to reveal this years NCAA tournament teams playing for a shot at the National Championship. Will there be any Cinderellas this year? How many of the top seeds will get upset or breeze through the tournament? I know I can't wait until Sunday so I can begin my construction of my tournament bracket.
In NBA news, the leagues hottest team is the Houston Rockets who have won an amazing 20 straight games, which is tied for the second longest win streak in NBA history. What is the most shocking thing is they have continued to win without their big man Yao Ming who was lost for the rest of the season with a knee injury.
How much longer can the Rockets keep this run going, my guess is not to much longer. They might win 1 more game, but then they face a tough Lakers team on Sunday.
I'll be back on Sunday for my NCAA tournament break down, until then enjoy some college basketball.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Wisconsin in shock
It's been 17 seasons, 3 MVPs, 2 Super Bowl appearances with 1 victory and many, many, many, records broken. Green Bay Packer great Brett Favre has officially called it a career, stating he is just mentally exhausted.
I have grown up watching Brett play and seen all of his famous moments and exciting play. To watch the Packers play next season without Favre at the helm of quarterback is going to be hard to deal with. They will not be a number four in Green Bay probably ever again, seeing as I think they should not only retire his jersey but his number too. No other quarterback should be able to don the great '4' for the rest of Green Bay history.
I have grown up watching Brett play and seen all of his famous moments and exciting play. To watch the Packers play next season without Favre at the helm of quarterback is going to be hard to deal with. They will not be a number four in Green Bay probably ever again, seeing as I think they should not only retire his jersey but his number too. No other quarterback should be able to don the great '4' for the rest of Green Bay history.
Favre will be known as one of the best quarterbacks of all time and I know he will most certainly be in my top five of all-time just because I have grown up watching him play. From the mid 90s when Favre become the only NFL player to win three MVP awards, he did it in three consecutive seasons, 95, 96, and 97. Then on to the 2000s having moderate success before facing criticism in 05 and 06 and then having one of his best seasons in 07 leading the Packers to a close shot at another Super Bowl birth.
He led the Packers back to the reign of champions in 1997 winning his first NFL Super Bowl and then leading them back the next year to lose to fellow NFL great John Elway. If I had to pick my five favorite quarterbacks of my generation, being the 90s to the present, here's what my list would look like:
- Joe Montana
- Brett Favre
- Steve Young
- Peyton Manning
- Dan Marino
That's not my all-time quarterback list, just my favorite quarterbacks I have been able to watch play in my generation so far. But I know there would be many people that would agree with me that Favre deserves to be in just about anybodies top five greatest quarterbacks of all time.
Even if Favre isn't the "conventional prototype QB," he is surely one of the best to watch do his job just because he always has fun an always has a smile on his face because he loved to do what he did.
I think I can speak for everyone when I say, Brett you will be missed and we have all enjoyed watching you do work at the quarterback position during your career in Green Bay. I know you will enjoy your retirement and will surely be inducted into the Hall of Fame five years from now in your first year eligible. Take it easy man, hopefully I'll see ya around some day...
NCAA Championship week is approaching quickly as conferences are finishing up their final games and some conferences have already started their tournaments. There is already 1 team that has qualified for the NCAA tournament, that is Cornell, their first appearance ever.
I got my game face on for this Saturday night when UNC heads to Duke for the second game to close out the season. Lawson is back and the Heels have been playing well during his absence and look to finish the regular season strong with a much needed win in Durham to claim the ACC regular season title for the second straight season. Let's go!
In NBA news, the hottest team in the league right now, not the Celtics, maybe the Lakers. How about the reigning champion San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs are tied for best record with the Lakers at the top of the Western Conference and are riding a ten game win streak, including winning 14 of their last 15.
Have you seen them play lately? Well now that Tony Parker is back healthy and the additions of Damon Stoudemire and Kurt Thomas, Duncan and his Spurs look like they are in the middle of playoff form. And all I have to say about that is everyone in the league are in trouble. The Spurs mission is to win a championship and they are on course to do so for the first time in back to back seasons.
All I have to say is man, all those Spurs are boring guys out there, doesn't matter how boring you are, you want excitement go watch the Harlem Globetrotters or go to the streets of New York. The Spurs play fundamental execution basketball. Duncan, Parker and Ginobili are firing on all cylinders, and when Ginobili is hot he will just go off on you. He is having a great season on the offensive side of the ball having scoring games in the 30s and 40s.
So if the Spurs are shutting you down on the defensive end and then coming back and putting up numbers, then it's lights out. Spurs will repeat this year!
Saturday, March 1, 2008
It's that time of the year
It is officially March and it's about time to be tournament time. With some teams starting their conference tournaments already, other major conferences still have a week left to make a late push towards extending their chances to play late into March.
With only a week left until I go on spring break, I am especially looking forward to next Saturday night at 9 on ESPN live from Durham, North Carolina. Of course I am talking about none other than UNC taking on Duke to close out a fun ACC season.
Of course most of you know Duke pulled out the victory a month ago in Chapel Hill, but this time will be a different story. With UNC finally starting to play better without their point guard Ty Lawson, the Heels are expecting his return later on today when UNC visits Boston College. So with Lawson getting back into the line up with two games this week before next Saturday, the Heels should be ready to go looking to win for the third straight year in Durham.
Also March is a big month for NFL free agency and the sound of back, back, back, back, outta here. That's right, it is officially MLB spring training time.
And as spring time approaches and the Easter bunny comes a hopping, this is probably one of the best months of the year for sports. With the biggest part of the month being none other than March Madness and filling out your bracket and entering into office challenges.
Don't forget about the NBA, there are only two months left in the regular season as the tough, close Western conference are battling for seeding.
So I just want to wish everyone a Happy March and I'll be talking with you soon.
Check out this monster jam by the 'the Bulldog' Andres Nocioni...
With only a week left until I go on spring break, I am especially looking forward to next Saturday night at 9 on ESPN live from Durham, North Carolina. Of course I am talking about none other than UNC taking on Duke to close out a fun ACC season.
Of course most of you know Duke pulled out the victory a month ago in Chapel Hill, but this time will be a different story. With UNC finally starting to play better without their point guard Ty Lawson, the Heels are expecting his return later on today when UNC visits Boston College. So with Lawson getting back into the line up with two games this week before next Saturday, the Heels should be ready to go looking to win for the third straight year in Durham.
Also March is a big month for NFL free agency and the sound of back, back, back, back, outta here. That's right, it is officially MLB spring training time.
And as spring time approaches and the Easter bunny comes a hopping, this is probably one of the best months of the year for sports. With the biggest part of the month being none other than March Madness and filling out your bracket and entering into office challenges.
Don't forget about the NBA, there are only two months left in the regular season as the tough, close Western conference are battling for seeding.
So I just want to wish everyone a Happy March and I'll be talking with you soon.
Check out this monster jam by the 'the Bulldog' Andres Nocioni...
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