Frustration with the Media (ESPN) - Part 1

When I was little, I used to adore ESPN. I'd stay up late on weekend nights watching essentially the same SportsCenter over and over. Scott Van Pelt, Neil Everett and others cracked me up (in fact, they still do, but now they never seem to be on for some reason). The network could do no wrong in my eyes; only reporting sports in a fun, casual way.

Sad to say, that's far from true.

Here's the bottom line: they care only about ratings, and not the quality of their content. They only focus on big markets and express a love affair toward the "superstar" athletes.

Here's their list:

Athletes - Tim Tebow, Brett Favre, LeBron James, Tom Brady,  Danica Patrick, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Tiger Woods, Dwyane Wade, Blake Griffin, Michael Vick

Teams - Miami Heat, New England Patriots, Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Red Sox, Philadelphia Eagles, New York Knicks, Los Angeles Clippers, New York Jets, Duke Blue Devils, North Carolina Tar Heels, and the entire SEC football conference.

Much more on this topic coming soon.

Just Like Old Times

Let me start off by saying I couldn't be happier for Andre Iguodala. For those of you outside of the Philadelphia area, Andre has been one of the most underappreciated athletes I have ever seen. I've written a post in the past explaining the situation. For Dre to sink two clutch free throws after struggling all season from the line to cap off a productive series, one in which he led his team past the Bulls (and completely neutralized down Luol Deng), just makes me so proud of him as one of his biggest fans.

Enough with the gushing for Andre, though. The Sixers have moved on to Boston, and split a pair at the Boston Garden. The series is now headed to Philly, and the Celtics are considerably weaker on the road.

I am a diehard Sixers fan, but that does not factor into my picking them to win in six (I am willing to face the music if they run into a full strength Miami). Here's why:

Iguodala has been able to take Paul Pierce completely out of his rhythm, and Boston needs him if they want to win the series. Having the Paul Pierce of five years ago might have made the difference in the series, because right now, he simply can't get by the more athletic Iguodala.

Spencer Hawes is not enough of an athlete to handle a rejuvenated Kevin Garnett down low. That's what makes Lavoy Allen's emergence so crucial. He's given KG all he can handle down the paint, and is averaging 11 points and 7 boards through the first two games. In last night's one point Philadelphia win, he posted a +21 +/- rating in 30 minutes (meaning when he was in the game, the Sixers outscored the Celtics by 21 points). A rookie who was ranked the worst player in the NBA by ESPN before the season, Allen is showing signs he can have a productive career. His coach believes it too, comparing him to Indiana's David West...

This has been repeated time and time again, but Philly's ability to run against Boston's age has really worked to their advantage. A lousy half court-team, the 76ers must hit the jets off of steals and defensive boards, because Boston's defense can stifle them in the slower-paced game.

Evan Turner is doing more than making the occasional spectacular play. During these playoffs, he's shown he can be a 16-8-5 type guy for a long time. Much improvement from the bust status he had begun to acquire during his rookie season.

Even if my Sixers fail to win this series, though, it's still reassuring to see these two feisty old rivals get back at it like they've done throughout their storied histories. Knowing my team is on the upswing will suffice for now, but this 76er team certainly has aspirations of ousting their northern foe, and whoever comes next.

How to Improve the Mavs

It has been a tumultuous fallout in Dallas: NBA champions to being swept in the first round at the hands of the Thunder. With an aging roster and this current roster's championship window essentially closed, an overhaul will need to take place if Dirk Nowitzki's crew will make it back to last season's stage. Here's three suggestions.

1) Let Jason Terry and Jason Kidd walk (and consider O.J. Mayo and Deron Williams).

Terry is the engine that makes this team go, and Kidd remains on of the best passers in the league. But both aging players require more money than they are worth at this point. Terry's role as a spurt scorer off the bench is replaceable, and Kidd has become a liability on defense and shooting the ball (36%). O.J. Mayo is a guy who needs a change of scenery, and Dallas could be a place where he could play Robin to Dirk as a Terry replacement. And I know it is far-fetched, but all signs are saying that Deron Williams wants out of Brooklyn.

2) Take a flyer on Greg Oden.

Many of you will stop reading here. But hey, why not? Centers are at a premium and Dallas doesn't have a capable starter at the position. While Brendan Haywood is a stellar defender, 5.2 ppg won't cut it for an NBA starter. Oden will be a no-risk option: they can pay him under a million at this point, and if he ever gets healthy, he could be a double-double machine. Odds are he won't, but why not try?

3) Sign Landry Fields.

This is a guy who in New York will never have a chance to break out as long as Carmelo is there. Sure, he's friends with Jeremy Lin and all, but Fields will use his head that got him into Stanford and realize there would be an opportunity in Dallas for him far greater than the one in NYC. He's a young gun who could average 15 a game.

The Madden Curse: Fake or Legit?

I'm not the superstitious type. The side of the couch I am sitting on does not effect my team's chance of winning the game in my mind.

Dallas Mavs guard Jason Terry wears the next day's opponent's team shorts to bed every night, and he is coming off an NBA championship ring. So maybe these superstitious folks are onto something.

After all, the Curse of the Billy Goat is still going strong, isn't it?

But still, these two are just by chance, right? Probably. Here's another one that really grabs some attention: the Madden Curse. Not only do some of the players have a career-worst season while gracing the cover, but some seem to have their careers entirely derailed after appearing. It simply seems like too much to be a coincidence.

The fan vote for this year's game is down to Cam Newton and Calvin Johnson. Will the winner succumb to the curse? Let's take a look at previous cover boys to see their chances.

2012: Peyton Hillis, Cleveland Browns RB

To earn his place on the cover, Hillis came out of nowhere to rush for over 1,100 yards. Many claimed he would be a one-year wonder, and after his cover appearance, those people seem to be right. Last year he complained about a contract, had phony injuries and only rushed for 587 yards with just 3.6 yards per carry. Cleveland let him walk and he's now behind one of the most versatile backs in the league, Jamaal Charles, in Kansas City.

Curse: 1 Success: 0

2011: Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints QB

Brees played well individually, and even though the Saints got upset by Seattle in the first round after winning the Super Bowl, his stellar season warrants a pass.

Curse: 1 Success: 1

2010: Troy Polamalu, Pittsburgh Steelers S, and Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals WR

Before the fan vote idea (how Hillis won), the Madden franchise considered putting on a player from each Super Bowl team. How did the two fare? Fitzgerald had his typical productive season, but Polamalu wasn't so lucky. He played just five games due to lingering knee problems, and the Steelers missed the playoffs a year after winning the Super Bowl.

Curse: 2 Success: 2

2009: Brett Favre, Packers/Jets QB

I won't get into this.

Curse: 3 Success: 2

2008: Vince Young, Tennessee Titans QB

He led the Titans to a playoff berth, but had a fallout with the fans shortly after. His career has been a mess since. He's now also hated in Philly for the "Dream Team" remark.

Curse: 4 Success: 2

2007: Shaun Alexander, Seattle Seahawks RB

Alexander was the reigning MVP and a downright beast the year before the cover, rushing for 1,880 yards and 27 TDs. But then he fractured his foot, missed six games the cover season, and was never the same. He retired two years later.

Curse: 5 Success: 2

2006: Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia Eagles QB

He missed seven games due to a sports hernia, had the infamous clash with T.O., and missed the Pro Bowl for the first time in five seasons. And never went back.

Curse: 6 Success: 2

2005: Ray Lewis, Baltimore Ravens LB

Lewis broke his wrist his cover year, but only missed one game. It marked his first year without an interception, but he still had 146 tackles and a solid year overall.

Curse: 6 Success: 3

2004: Michael Vick, Atlanta Falcons QB

The day after the game was released, Vick broke his leg in the preseason and had to miss eleven games that season. We all know what happened after that.

Curse: 7 Success: 3

2003: Marshall Faulk, St. Louis Rams RB

Faulk was hampered by an ankle injury all season, but still rushed for 953 yards. The cover did mark the start of his decline though, as he never did rush for 1,000 yards again after accomplishing the feat seven out of the eight years prior. He rushed for 10 TDs the next season, however, and age was becoming a factor, so a generous no decision here.

Curse: 7 Success: 3

2002: Daunte Culpepper, Minnesota Vikings QB

He had a poor season, and had it cut short after eleven games, needing knee surgery. His Vikings were sitting at 4-7 when he left.

Curse: 8 Success: 3

2001: Eddie George, Tennessee Titans RB

He had a tremendous season, but did fumble the ball crucially in the playoffs, leading to his top-seeded Titans being upset in the first round. That being said, his numbers overall warrant a pass.

Curse: 8 Success: 4

2000: Barry Sanders

Retired, by fax, a week before training camp. John Madden appeared on the cover instead. Eddie George would be the first player to appear on the cover of the video game.

So there you have it. If you are a fan of Newton or Johnson, you might want to consider voting against them in the cover vote. History has spoken.

Larry Doby: The Second Pioneer

It pays to be first.

Today is Jackie Robinson Day in Major League Baseball, a terrific celebration in which baseball recognizes Robinson by having all of its players wear his number 42 in his honor.

I'm sure you've heard Robinson's story, and the courage and willpower he exhibited when facing constant hatred from the baseball community and beyond.

What we forget, though, is while Robinson was the first African-American in Major League history, other men had to go through essentially the same experience.

For example, if you are only a casual baseball fan, you might not have the slightest clue of who Larry Doby is.

On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson made his Major League debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Eleven weeks later, on June 5, Larry Doby stepped onto the field donning a Cleveland Indians uniform. Like Jackie Robinson, Larry Doby was an African-American - the second in Major League history, and the first to play in the American League.

During the 1997 season, when Robinson's number 42 was being retired throughout baseball, and the still-living Larry Doby was being virtually ignored by the media, an editorial in Sports Illustrated pointed out that Doby had to suffer the same indignities that Robinson did, with nowhere near the media attention and implicit support.

Doby was still recognized for his play on the field though: appearing in seven All-Star games, and being selected by the Veterans Committee in 1998 into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Instrumental to Doby's success was Bill Veeck, the Indians owner who signed him in 1947. Veeck signed Doby for a second time in 1959, where he finished his playing career with the White Sox, and again in 1978, to become the second African-American manager in MLB history (with the ChiSox. Frank Robinson was the first African-American manager, in 1975.) Veeck was for Doby was what Branch Rickey was for Jackie Robinson: the man who gave him a chance.

While racial slurs were being hollered at Robinson, Doby was serenaded with hatred as well. It would have been the proper gesture by baseball to recognize Doby in a similar fashion as Jackie Robinson, but what the two of them accomplished cannot be taken away.

Time to Panic?

We're only four games into this season. A four game stretch in a 162-game MLB marathon seems like nothing during the middle of the year. But this is Opening Week. So when a fan's team starts slowly, s/he usually does what is only natural: panic.

In most cases, panicking this early is premature. But a few teams that are projected to be playing in October have exposed some gaping holes early. Let's take a look.

Atlanta Braves: 0-4 start

The days of Smoltz, Glavine, and Maddux are long gone. If Braves fans should be worried about anything, it should not be the 0-4 start, but rather the roster holes in the starting pitching. That being said, this is a ballclub I didn't see doing much more than contending for one of the wild cards.

Their start doesn't reflect that projection. The opening should be viewed no differently than a four-game losing streak in the middle of the season. The class of their division, the Phillies, are only one game better, sitting at 1-3. And guess what NL East foe is 4-0? The Mets, who we all know will likely be mathematically eliminated from contention next week.

Atlanta possesses essentially the same offense that was in playoff position heading into the final day of last season, and then of course the collapse happened.... Maybe they headed into 2012 reminiscing about that fateful night, maybe not. But with the extra wild card a season ago, they would have been in the postseason anyway.

If Jason Heyward continues his struggles at the plate, however, the playoffs could elude this team...


Philadelphia Philles: 1-3 start

Philly has what Atlanta doesn't: a surefire ace. Three of them, in fact.

But through these first four games, and much of last season, no offense to help carry them. And that is worrisome.

These first four games should be a sign of things to come in Philadelphia, particularly until Chase Utley and Ryan Howard return: 3-2 and 2-1 games.

Thanks to the spectacular pitching, many of these close, low-scoring affairs will be won by the Phils. Duplicating last season's 102-win regular season? Not likely. But winning the NL East for a sixth straight season? You can still count on it.


San Francisco Giants: 1-3 start

Barry Zito just pulled them out of a ditch. Wow.

I won't even get into their past few games. Just a fluke is all. San Fran's starting pitching will be in tact for the season, despite being shelled to start. As has been the case the past few seasons, the offense will suffer. Melky Cabrera's acquisition will help....

But honestly, the optimism surrounding a fresh slated baseball season should end quickly for the Giants. Not because of the 1-3 start, but because this isn't a playoff team. And because the Diamondbacks show all the signs of a repeat. And because the Dodgers appear rejuvenated. I hope San Fran enjoyed that World Series run while it lasted.


New York Yankees: 1-3 start

No. No. No. Whatever the New York papers are saying, it is by no means time for panic, or even concern, in the Bronx.


Boston Red Sox: 1-3 start

Just like last year, on paper their star-studded roster looks fantastic. Their closer situation doesn't, but that's fixable...

No, it isn't the skill of the players that should be a cause for alarm.

It's the mindset.

Word on the street is the players are having a rough time adjusting to Bobby Valentine, and they haven't appeared to come out with any sense of urgency. If the first week of the season mattered most to one team, it's Boston. Because of how they finished. Because of Tito's departure. Because of the beer and wings in the clubhouse. Because of players throwing each other under the bus, questioning leadership, and generally feuding in the clubhouse.

They may say it's all behind them, but a nice start would certainly have been reassuring.

Prima Donna Battle

The NBA is turning itself into a joke.

The "superstars" are the main cause. And the fact that the league's paid officials treat some of them like their long-lost children.

The latest episode includes the air-headed DeMarcus Cousins, and a guy shoved down our throats: Blake Griffin.

See, basketball is supposed to be a physical game. In the days of Bill Russell and others, it was, to an extent. Nowadays, not so much. Some contact to role players goes unnoticed, but so much as blink an eyelash at a superstar; a foul is called.

Couple that with the fact that many players, particularly Griffin, routinely fake being fouled (number 2 in the video) to get calls. Now we have a problem. There's the saying, "If you don't cheat, you ain't trying," but NBA players take this to a whole new level.

Now, part of the reason that DeMarcus Cousins yesterday fouled out in eighteen minutes is because of his own play. But he was matched up with Griffin, a circumstance the NBA ensures will get you into foul trouble. After all, this is a league that rigged its dunk contest for him to win...

Following the game in which the two engaged in occasional pushing and shoving, Griffin, when asked about it by the media, said he would leave it all on the court. Probably because he got all the calls.

When Cousins was informed of Griffin's comments, he said what many other of the league's big men have probably wanted to all season: "Of course that's what Blake is going to say because he's in L.A., where actors belong."

Then, later, Cousins to Sports Illustrated: "He's babied. He's the poster child of the league. He sells tickets, but he's babied. Bottom line. The refs, the league -- period. He gets away with (everything). He taunts players. Nothing is done. He's babied."

Now, a lot of idiotic things have come out of Cousins' mouth. But his evaluation of Griffin is spot on.

And how are the rest of the league's superstars doing? I'm sure you remember: Deron Williams getting his Hall of Fame coach, Jerry Sloan, fired, only to leave the team anyway. Carmelo Anthony, after forcing his way out of Denver, coming into the season overweight and quitting on the team in New York to get the coach ousted. Dwight Howard and his ridiculous ongoing escapade...

The league is a mess.

What if Kobe Gets to Seven?

The NBA's greatest player of all time is pretty much undisputed. If you know what a basketball looks like you probably know it is Michael Jordan. His biography on NBA.com states: "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time."

There's no use getting into his stats; we already know what kind of player he was and how he revolutionized the game of basketball. And he won six titles.

1991. 1992. 1993. 1996. 1997. 1998. Michael Jordan's Bulls, supported by Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman and others, achieved basketball dynasty status. Jordan, as any avid NBA fan would know, won the Finals MVP all six times.

Would Jordan still be regarded as the best ever had he only won, say, two titles? No doubt he would still be considered in the class of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, and others. But would he be regarded as the singular greatest ever, in a category he shares with himself?

Probably not. Actually, definitely not.

Of course, Michael Jordan was as great a regular season player as anyone. But what defined him was his performances in the Finals: the 1997 "Flu Game," the 1993 Finals where he averaged a record 41 a game against Charles Barkley and the Suns....and so on.

So what am I getting at? Well, here is Kobe Bryant, who many consider the closest this generation will ever come to watching another Michael Jordan, sitting at five titles (one less than MJ), with three or so years left in the league on an always competitive Lakers team.

Don't mistake this as me calling Kobe Jordan's equal. What I am saying, though, is if Kobe can find a way to win another title (or two), his already legendary legacy would take a jump into Jordan's range.

But they would never be equals. Of Kobe Bryant's five championships, he has won the MVP Award in two of them. The other three were won by a fellow by the name of Shaquille O'Neal, who you might've heard of.

Jordan, with Scottie Pippen as Robin, won the Bill Russell Finals MVP Award all six times. That alone should anoint MJ untouchable status in basketball history.

Kobe may be statistically comparable for his career. Jordan does have the edge by a margin, but Kobe is up there. And in terms of revolutionizing the game, MJ beat the Black Mamba to it.

Let's just put it this way though. If Kobe finishes his career with five championships, (the way things are looking right now), that would be perfect regarding his comparison with Jordan. The way it should be.

2012 MLB Preview: AL East

The emergence of a fourth team. Just what the AL East needs, right?

"Toronto is the next Tampa," Yankees G.M. Brian Cashman says, "They have a system that's ready to pop. When you have that kind of talent, it can come very quickly. And it will."

And the Rays G.M., Andrew Friedman, essentially echoed that statement. "They're absolutely legit. [The Jays] have the talent to be really good. It wouldn't surprise me if they were playing meaningful games in September."

Not that the Yankees or Rays should be worried about their Canadian foe just yet. With the new wild card instilled, both should be playing in October. Of course, the Red Sox are out with a vengeance after last season's collapse, and the second-place division finisher out west (either Angels or Rangers) will probably take one of the wild cards.


Of the Yankees, Red Sox, Rays, and Jays, someone, or maybe two teams, is going to be left out. This year, the Blue Jays are probably one of them. Their emergence in the next few years, however, will make baseball's best division even better.

Projected Standings

1. New York Yankees      97-65
2. Boston Red Sox           94-68
3. Tampa Bay Rays          92-70
4. Toronto Blue Jays        86-76
5. Baltimore Orioles        61-101


1. New York Yankees

Projected Lineup

SS Derek Jeter
CF Curtis Granderson
2B Robinson Cano
3B Alex Rodriguez
1B Mark Teixeira
RF Nick Swisher
DH Raul Ibanez
C Russell Martin
LF Brett Gardner

Projected Rotation

LH CC Sabathia
RH Ivan Nova
RH Huroki Kuroda
RH Michael Pineda
RH Phil Hughes

Before the offseason began, the Yankees looked like they would heading into 2012 with two starters and three question marks. They addressed it in an nontraditional Yankee manner: without any major signings. Trading hot prospect hitting prospect Jesus Montero for young flamethrower Michael Pineda and inking consistent vet Huroki Kuroda to a single-year deal suddenly bolster the club's rotation to one of the more feared in the bigs.

Of course, Hughes still has question marks, and Pineda was only a rookie last year. Handling the Big Apple will be quite the change from half-filled Safeco Field in Seattle, and he faces the vaunted "sophomore slump." But Pineda is a talented pitcher with unlimited potential, and consistency from him could help propel the Yankees to the Series.

David Robertson's emergence makes the Rafael Soriano signing look even worse. He may bounce back to have a productive season, but 35 million is ridiculous for a 7th-inning guy. Robertson remains the heir apparent to Mariano Rivera, if there ever is going to be one.

Save Raul Ibanez' acquisition to play DH in place of retired Jorge Posada, the lineup remains essentially the same. Which means dangerous.


2. Boston Red Sox

Projected Lineup

CF Jacoby Ellsbury
2B Dustin Pedroia
1B Adrian Gonzalez
DH David Ortiz
3B Kevin Youkilis
LF Carl Crawford
SS Mike Aviles
RF Ryan Sweeney
C Jarrod Saltalamacchia

Projected Rotation

RH Josh Beckett
LH Jon Lester
RH Clay Buchholz
RH Daniel Bard
LH Felix Doubront

All the attention is on Bobby Valentine this season and how he will handle his players coming off of last year's perceived lack of discipline and of course, the September collapse. Practically all the talent remains that had everyone making them their World Series pick a year ago; the talent isn't the question though, but the sense of urgency is.

Acquiring Andrew Bailey was a far better option than paying Jonathan Papelbon 50 million like Philly did. Plus, his time in Boston was finished anyways. Mike Aviles is a solid low-cost option at shortstop while they await Jose Iglesias to be ready for the show.

Daniel Bard's addition will be key: he can add to rotation depth they desperately needed in last year's 7-19 fall down the stretch. In a complete season in the rotation, 12-10 with a 3.80 ERA seems the area he will be in.

Carl Crawford returning to form could be the weapon that pushes Boston past the Yankees and Rays and into the postseason as a brute force. The Fenway Faithful may be well on their way to watching what Boston left unfinished a season ago.


The remaining three teams will be finished later tonight.

The Great Unknown: Matt Flynn Signs With Seahawks

Matt Flynn could be the next Aaron Rodgers -- stuck behind a franchise QB for a few years until he gets his own chance to shine and breaks out into stardom. Oddly enough, Flynn held the clipboard for Rodgers in Green Bay, and as you know, Rodgers did the same for Brett Favre.

Or Flynn could just as easily become the next Kevin Kolb or Matt Cassel -- signed for big money because of a sample size of a few games. Cassel had a full season under his belt before Kansas City broke the bank to make him what they hoped would be their franchise quarterback, but was handicapped by playing in Bill Belichick's offense. And Kolb was signed for $63,000,000 by the Cardinals based on a few 300-yard starts in Philadelphia, in which he still threw an alarming amount of picks. But potential was there.

The thing is, while Rodgers is obviously an All-Pro, Kolb and Cassel haven't yet lived up to their billing.

Kolb's sample size of seven starts, and Cassel's of a full season, however small they are, are reassuring when you see that Flynn was just inked for $26 million based on a mainly a single game (he had two other starts in 2010, one of them impressive, but would not have been enough to get him a payday).

You might remember Week 17 of last season when Aaron Rodgers' unknown backup came in for the Packers' meaningless game against the Lions, and went on to throw for six touchdowns and 480 yards. That was Flynn.

Sure, that was just one game, but many are saying Seattle got a bargain with the potential franchise QB: "only" ten million guaranteed on the three-year deal.

Flynn comes into 2012 as a giant question mark with a ton of upside. Aiding him will be a top five running back in Marshawn Lynch, and an excited receiver Doug Baldwin.

"Just got off the phone with Matt Flynn. And he's ready to WIN!!," the excited wideout tweeted.

We'll see if he can.

Prepare for the Finale

The pencils are out (pens if we're overconfident) for this March's tournament, with as little confidence in our bracket predictions as always. Last year I essentially got lucky with my selections, finishing in the top 2,000 for the entire country on ESPN's Tournament Challenge. The event had over nine million entrants, and I will never finish with as high a result again. I will proudly say, though, that my bracket generated more points than every talking head on the selection shows.

I didn't have any money invested in that bracket.

Looking at this year's field, there is really only one legitimate snub: the Drexel Dragons. It's a shame teams like West Virginia and USF get in simply because they are in a power conference, and maybe have a few more top 50 wins. But let's face it: coming down the stretch, Drexel was as hot as anyone: they had nineteen straight wins until they ran into tournament-bound VCU, and lost in a heartbreaker. They basically accomplished down the stretch what Murray St. did with that 23-0 streak to start the year, which ranked them in the top ten. Sure, the strength of Drexel's schedule was lousy, but watching them play VCU in the Colonial Championship sure made me a believer they could make some noise come tourney time.

The Iona Gaels enter as last year's VCU: the team no one thought should be in. Many claim they stole the spot that should have gone to Drexel, and there is really no argument against it. The Gaels are a dark horse, and if they get through BYU in the play-in, could potentially give heavy favorite Marquette some trouble. Iona's roster features star forward Mike Glover (18.5 ppg, 9 rpg, 64.4 field goal %), and the dazzling passer Scott Machado, who leads the nation averaging ten assists a night. Don't sleep on the Gaels.

A great matchup that I really hate is Wichita State vs. VCU. This would be a pleasure to see in the Sweet Sixteen, but having it in the first round bothers me. Wichita State should be seeded higher, probably a four, and VCU is extremely dangerous as a twelve. Both of these teams have plenty of potential, and it's a shame that one will make an early exit. As is, I have VCU upsetting both Wichita and Indiana, but falling to Kentucky in the Sweet Sixteen. How great would it be to see VCU knock off the one-and-dones (UK), if Iowa State or UConn can't pull it off first.

Remember "Who's Kilpatrick?" If you don't know what I'm talking about, don't worry about it. But teams, particularly ACC champ Florida State, should watch out for Mike Cronin's Bearcats, a team coming in hot after a run to the Big East final. As a six, they are my lowest seeded Elite Eight team, though I could just as easily see them falling to Texas in the first round.

Here's where I lose my credibility: my upsets. My bracket features Long Beach State in the Sweet Sixteen. Yes, I am aware they need to get past New Mexico and probably Louisville, but I picked it to happen anyway. I have Murray State getting past Marquette, and I wouldn't be surprised if they knocked off Missouri as well. I have a seemingly always dangerous Belmont team getting past Georgetown (ever notice how the Big East teams always make unusually early exits every year?), as well as Harvard over Vandy and Wisconsin.

I usually fill out my bracket not having the slightest clue of my selection to win until I see the matchups. Michigan State wasn't even one of the teams that crossed my mind until I sat there satisfied with a complete bracket. In a Final Four that features Baylor, State, Kansas, and Cuse, Izzo's bunch ends up winning in my crazy edition. If you haven't noticed, Michigan State always comes in far from a favorite, but always executes in extraordinary fashion. With one of the nation's toughest schedules to prepare them, Draymond Green and the Spartans are a force to be reckoned with.

Why do I have Baylor in the Final Four? Quincy Miller, Quincy Acy, and Perry Jones III give the somewhat under-performing Bears the most talented team on paper. Basically, I am banking on the fact that they get hot at the right time. And none of their matchups really scare me. They should dispatch of South Dakota State, UNLV/Colorado, and Duke if they don't hit all their threes, fairly easily.

But that can only be assumed, as with all else come March Madness.