After a weekend that might have been the best in March Madness history, the Sweet Sixteen is set, and it is loaded with questions. Can Bradley continue their improbable winning streak? Will Connecticut finally start to dominate? Is Memphis a worthy #1 seed? Can JJ Redick possibly be any more hated? With these questions and more in mind, here are my rankings of each of the Sweet Sixteen teams in order of their likelihood of winning the nation title:
The 2006 Major League Baseball season is finally upon us. The front offices have stopped worrying about signing that key free agent or making that blockbuster trade. Now, they are just focused on spring training and preparing their teams to make a run at the playoffs. Who will take the division titles? The pennants? Who will be visiting the White House next year?
For answers to these questions, look no further, because I have them. Here are my predictions and analysis for the 2006 Major League Baseball season, American League version.
*Denotes my wild-card prediction
— Rosters current as of 3/20/06
Olympic dreams of capturing gold were more akin to reality ever since NBA players represented the USA basketball team. The 1992 Dream Team in which the average margin of victory was forty points and head coach Chuck Daly never called a single timeout was a testament to the superiority of American basketball. USA would continue to dominate basketball in following games until the Athens Olympics in 2004. The USA team captured a disappointing bronze and was considered by many failures. Two reasons accounted for the outcome: the world basketball teams vastly improved and the group selected were chosen based on individual skill. As a result, the USA incurred heavy losses to foreign ball clubs that played as a team. USA basketball had dominated for so long that not much thought was taken to select an Olympic squad.
Now knowing that the Olympic team can no longer be composed of just the best players but role players as well, a committee under Jerry Colangelo has decided to undertake the responsibility of creating a team that will commit to three years, compete in the World Championship and the Beijing Olympics, and restore USA’s basketball reputation. Last week, twenty-three players were selected to compete for the twelve spots. Project Redemption had begun.
In what ended to be a cruel irony, horseracing took a giant step backwards yesterday as its national television coverage was reduced one hour by the network the industry entrusted to bring it to the forefront of the American public. It wasn’t the first time and it most likely won’t be the last time, either. Desperate for exposure, the horseracing industry as a whole was inadvertently and innocently, but soundly humiliated by ESPN programmers and their sense of priorities, as racing took a back seat to powerhouses such as exhibition baseball and college wrestling. A sad statement of affairs, indeed. The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), who represents the industry, now finds itself in the unenviable position of starting its season playing catch up like a late breaking horse out of the gate.
Asking the NFL to stay out of the headlines during the offseason is asking a lot.
Unlike most football fans, my expectations for the Arizona Cardinals (yes, THOSE Cardinals) were high for the 2005 season. Kurt Warner was signed to be their quarterback, running back J.J. Arrington and defensive back Antrel Rolle were part of Arizona’s draft class, and receivers Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin were coming back to the desert. Things were looking up.
But, not all was what it seemed. The Cardinals stumbled out of the gate, losing their first 3 games, with the defense allowing 86 points in those losses. Arizona would struggle to a 5-11 record for the 2005 season. While Kurt Warner would show bright spots and Fitzgerald and Boldin would combine to catch 205 passes, J.J. Arrington, the rookie running back, would rush for just 370 yards and 2 touchdowns. He would be second on the depth chart to Marcel Shipp. Meanwhile, Rolle would finish with 28 tackles and no interceptions.
USA beats Mexico by two in soccer and loses to them by one in baseball. What is this world coming to?
So I’m pretty mad at Bud Selig right now. He made do something that I though I would never do…root for Alex Rodriguez (or any Yankee for that matter). Looking back at the beginning of March when the World Baseball Classic started I was pretty skeptical. All the pitch count regulations and the sense that it was going to be an exhibition made me a little hesitant to jump on the band wagon. But I will admit it last night…I watched Team USA lose to Team Mexico. Wow has this world turned upside down. Remember when Charles Barkley said, “It’s a weird world we live in when the best rapper is white, and the best golfer is black.” Well it’s a weird world when the United States beats Mexico at soccer, and Mexico beats the United States at baseball.
Dear Mr. Brown,
I would first like to say congratulations for being the only coach to ever win a championship in college and professional basketball. That is quite a feat. There is no doubt in the basketball community that you have earned everyone’s respect for what you have done on and off of the basketball court. You have a great ability to go into a situation with a franchise and be able to make incredible turnarounds through your coaching philosophy. Sometimes you don’t have all-stars on your team, but you are able to get the best out of the players you have. You have over 1,000 wins as an NBA coach, and quite possibly could be one of the greatest coaches of all time. You weren’t given superstars to work with that often like Phil Jackson was (Jordan, Pippen, Shaq, and Kobe) but in places like Philadelphia, Indiana, and Detroit you managed to teach a team concept and got those teams to win. However, it is with great regret for me to inform you that you are a jerk!
In the past, the NFL has lagged behind sports like baseball and hockey when it comes to the activity that occurs in the offseason. There weren’t many trades or many free agent signings. In fact, the most activity was coaches for bolting for new teams and new surroundings. Those days are gone, and the NFL is now experiencing a free agency period that parallels (and perhaps passes) that of baseball.
Much activity has occurred this offseason, and some teams will be enjoying seasons that surpass those of seasons past. The most dramatically changed division, thus far, is the AFC East, where the Patriots may have their work cut out for them.
If you are a fan of a team in the AFC East, put your seat belt on and enjoy the ride that is the offseason in this wild division.