Ryan and Vin run through this week’s top stories focusing mostly on the NCAA tournament and jail time. You can download this week’s podcast directly (running time 90 mins) or subscribe to the feed.

If you use iTunes, just click here and then click subscribe and iTunes will take care of the rest.

This week’s topics include:

• Recap of the NCAA tourney and Final Four talk
• Donte Stallworth vs Plaxico Burress: who will spend more time in jail
• Michael Vick’s construction job
• Jay Cutler to the Bears
• 2009 MLB betting odds
• and a tremendous audio guess the state

I used to (and still do) daydream about what would have happened if Joe Carter doesn’t hit that home run, if Ronde Barber doesn’t intercept that pass, if Robert Horry doesn’t make that three in game 2 of the 2001 Finals, if Scott Stevens doesn’t leave Lindros in a crumpled heap on the ice.  I daydream because I can only hope for those things not to have happened in a (better) alternate universe.

But now things are different.  I think about the wicked line drive off the bat of Zobrist that hangs just enough to settle easily into Jayson Werth’s glove.  In my nightmares, that line drive gets past Werth for extra bases.  I think about Levance Fields’ desperation 75 foot heave that clangs off the  backboard and  ricochets harmlessly to the floor.  In my nightmares, that ball goes straight into the hoop.

It’s so much better to imagine the worse case scenario knowing that in reality, the good guys win. As some wise man once said (on this site, no less), it’s easier to write joy and anger.

The Phillies might have started the ball rolling but the Villanova Wildcats  are adding on more snow.   Or should I say sand?  Because all of the sudden, it’s like California coast sunshine around here.

I’m  not a big believer in sports juju and all that nonsense (I’ll leave that up to  Pedro Cerrano) but now I’m starting to believe that perhaps this winning thing is partly affected by the psyche of the fans.    I think the 2008 Cubs are a prime example.  They felt so much pressure going into their NLDS series against the Dodgers that the minute things started to go poorly, they had no rebound in them.   When your players start thinking, “oh no, here comes that curse again,” perhaps that doubt and negativity does crawl into their minds and the next thing you know, they’re making errors and swinging at terrible pitches.

In a sense, the Villanova Wildcats have the Phillies to thank.  Instead of expecting the worst when going up against Duke, they have a fan base knowing that good things can happen in this city.    And maybe, just maybe, that has an effect on the outcome of the game.

Or maybe, it’s just because this is the best team in the NCAAs.

Don’t get me wrong, I clearly recognize the superiority of the talent on UConn and UNC.  And Tom Izzo might be the most underrated college coach even though he’s won an NCAA title.   But  Jay Wright and the Wildcats are the best team left in the tourney.   Team play is often overrated.  Two future NBA players will usually win you the NCAA tourney.  But when you get to watch it in action, it makes you appreciate the beauty of a team sport played the right way.  (I apologize for sounding too much like Larry Brown.)

Villanova has no sure fire NBA stars and no first or even second-team All America players.   They are practically anonymous.  And yet, hard-nosed team basketball has gotten them to a place that very few thought they could get to.  Along with the Michigan State Spartans, they are the team that you should root for if you have no other rooting interest.  There’s plenty of space on the bandwagon, and for once, I’m advocating letting jumpers get on.

Buying a championship
As I’ve explained before, the Gambling Gods hate me more than the Sports Gods.  So as a sacrifice to them, I put a small bet on the opposing team.  My thinking is that since I often lose sports bets, I’d rather lose a few bucks but celebrate my team’s victory.   I did it all postseason with the Phils (down go the Brewers, Dodgers, and Rays) and I’m now 2 for 2 betting against Villanova in the tourney.

So how much is enough of a monetary sacrifice?  Well, that’s between me and my bookie.  But it shouldn’t be so much that you’re actually angry when your team wins.  But it should be a significant enough amount that if your team does lose,  the money you win from your bet will allow you to drown your sorrows in a few beers.

The 3-1 odds on UNC present a slight problem but since I would rather lose the bet, I guess it doesn’t matter what the odds are.    My (bad?) luck might run out at some point but hopefully not until Jay and the boys  cut down the nets in Motown.

The call
11 seconds left.  The shot clock is turned off.   Carolina has just taken the lead 85-84 on two clutch free throws by Tyler Hansbrough.   Reggie Redding inbounds the ball to Scottie Reynolds.    Scottie dribbles around a screen, attacks the lane, kicks it out to Reggie Redding, 4 seconds left,  pump fakes as Ty Lawson comes flying by.  2 seconds.  Launches a 3.  It’s good!  It’s good! Cats win! Cats win! Cats win!

It’s not likely I know.  But in today’s Philadelphia, it seems to be the only ending that fits.  And hey, if it doesn’t turn out that way,  it’s been a great season for Villanova basketball.   And the Phils defend their World Series championship under beautiful blue skies the next day. Optimism? So this is what winning feels like.

By Ryan McGowan

If, as T.S. Eliot once wrote in The Waste Land, “April is the cruelest month,” then March is the second cruelest, but only if you happen to hate basketball.

(Which, since basketball was invented in Springfield, Mass., makes you un-American and probably a Communist.)

It is somewhat cruel that college basketball’s signature event, the Final Four, generally occurs in April these days, when the more universally watched and followed part of the Tournament, the first two weekends, occur in March (hence the “madness.”)  It’s too bad that casual fans with their amateurish brackets usually check out of tournament viewing after the first weekend when their brackets are already busted (like my friend Katie who picked Binghamton to beat Duke simply because she’s from upstate New York).   Then there’s always the person in your pool like my friend Jodi who has stopped paying attention to the games after Day 2 and thus has no idea that she still has a chance to win some money if certain scenarios play out.  It’s too bad that they miss out, because the true human drama and beauty of the Tournament always comes during Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight weekend.

The Boston Globe ran a feature last weekend (since Boston was hosting the East Regionals) spotlighting the five best regional final games in history.  The number one, of course, was Duke’s legendary 104-103 defeat of Kentucky in the now- recently-retired Spectrum in the 1992 East Regional final, which spawned a generation of both Laettner impersonators and Duke-haters around the country.

Saturday night gave us a game to rival that Devils-Wildcats masterpiece, and if Villanova’s 78-76 win over Pittsburgh officially busted my bracket (as I had the Panthers winning it all), it certainly reminded us of why we all love college basketball.

The Final Four this weekend should be quite entertaining, even though Pitt’s loss to Nova ensured that, for the 31st consecutive year, I will not have picked the eventual tournament champion, so I’ll have to make an updated pick now.

Unfortunately, you’re going to have to listen to Poor Man’s PTI Thursday night (8 PM EDT) to find out.

What’s interesting about this tournament is that three out of the four teams have some serious baggage or pressure on them this weekend.  Michigan State, despite having knocked off defending champion Kansas and top overall seed Louisville within two days, has the pressure of playing on its home turf in Detroit.  At least the Spartans have the advantage of being slightly more familiar with the mean streets of the 3-1-3 than, say, the Tyler Hansbrough’s of the world.

Speaking of Hansbrough, this will be a bittersweet Final Four for me, as this will most likely be the last time we will see his hot mom get valuable air time, at least until ESPN8 (the Ocho) comes out with a “Pros vs. Joes” style “Hot Moms and their Sons” competition show featuring the Hansbroughs, Jayson Werth and his mom, Bridget Moynahan and JET Brady, and Joakim Noah and his Miss Sweden 1978 mom engaging in chicken fights, three-legged races, and an obstacle course with a tricycle like at the company outing in Mr. Mom.

North Carolina has their own pressures this weekend, as they were the preseason favorites, a team with more weapons than Neo in The Matrix and the collective desire to get Hansborough a championship before he takes his goofy haircut to the NBA and five years of obscurity and eventual induction into the Ron Powlus/J.J. Redick/Anderson Hunt Hall of Fame.  And let’s not forget that until Roy Williams inherited Matt Doherty’s stud recruits like Sean May, Rashad McCants, and Raymond Felton and cut down the nets in 2005, he was labeled as the guy who couldn’t win the big one when it mattered.

UConn has been surprisingly resilient so far, seeing as how their school is under investigation for a scandal that could eventually topple the Mighty Masshole Jim Calhoun, the Duke of Braintree.  And now that Louisville and Pitt have been dismantled, the Huskies hold the added pressure of being the highest-rated team carrying the banner for the mighty Big East, a league which garnered seven tournament berths and three top seeds with anything short of a championship being seen as a letdown for the league.

The only team that is playing with “house money” so to speak is Villanova, who played the games of their lives in destroying Duke and outlasting Pitt in Boston and will have to duplicate that two more times to repeat Rollie Massimino’s 1985 miracle.  Although the Cats are not an 8-seed this time, a Nova title would be just as sweet, since they were no better than the fourth or fifth-rated Big East team coming into the tourney.  Plus, it would mean that Vin Diec would owe more money to his bookie, since it’s obvious that he’s going to try to buy a Villanova championship the same way he bought a Phillies World Series title last October.  This one, though, won’t be against the Devil Rays, and hence will cost him a little bit more.

I watched, in person and on TV, roughly 40-50 basketball games this past month.  I watched high school tournaments, college conference tournaments, Celtics-Hawks, Cavs-Mavs, American’s bum-rushing of Holy Cross and subsequent double-digit league choke job to eventual regional champ Nova, hell I even watched part of a UConn women’s game.  (I sat part.  It was a slow TV day.)  I just put on the end of the NIT semifinal between Butler and San Diego State.   To me, there is no better sports time of year than March and April.  I can’t get enough basketball and I’m sorry that it’s almost all over, with only the grind of the NBA playoffs remaining to give us our hoop fix until next winter.

It’s been a great run.  Savor this weekend and all the greatness of the college game, despite the annual rantings and ravings from the Jay Mariottis and Woody Paiges of the world pointing out of the flaws and warts in the sport.  I will personally be watching every second remembering that this is not Madness… but is just the way life should be.

We discuss the top news stories of the week along with a breakdown of the NCAA tourney. You can download this week’s podcast directly (running time 60 mins) or subscribe to the feed.

If you use iTunes, just click here and then click subscribe and iTunes will take care of the rest.

This week’s topics include:

• Ryan Moats and the worst officer in Texas
• The Wonder Years
• Charlie Villanueva’s in game twittering
• brackets brackets brackets

Ryan and Vin quickly run through this week’s top news stories because the tourney is on! You can download this week’s podcast directly (running time 60 mins) or subscribe to the feed.

If you use iTunes, just click here and then click subscribe and iTunes will take care of the rest.

This week’s topics include:

• Lots of NCAA tournament talk
• Obama vs Coach K and why Duke sucks
• Bobby Bowden vs the NCAA
• Jay Cutler vs Josh McDaniels
• Oh and did we mention Duke sucks?

This was my Monday night at Costco….

Meltable Cheddar Cheese……going to need some of that…….chili…..better grab three cans…..buffalo wings…..that’s a check……blue cheese dressing…..gotta go back and get some blue cheese dressing……hmmmmm….mozzarella sticks…welcome aboard…..jalapeno poppers….gotta get some sour cream…..tortilla chips….are we sure two bags are enough…..salsa…..a given…..guacamole…..that’s a check…..wow…….tough decision…….Yuengling……..Sierra Nevada Pale Ale……Yuengling…..Sierra Nevada…….Yuengling….Sierra Nevada……gotta go with the Yuengling…..better stop and apologize to the Sierra Nevada and promise them a trip to my refrigerator at the A’s impending World Series victory……..

Wait for it…..MARCH MADNESS IS HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  God bless the NCAA Tournament.  Is it just me or do you just walk with a hop in your step knowing that the greatest month of sports has finally shown up at the doorstep?  In my opinion there is not a finer sporting event on the planet and not a fairer way to determine a champion.  I know what many of you will say and I do submit that the NFL Playoffs are also an enjoyable time.  Perhaps we can all get together and admit that as a sporting nation we like playoffs that are one and done.  The sheer drama which is 65 teams filled with college kids competing for one of the grandest prizes is about to unfold and it is time to do our yearly breakdown of the field.  We begin our preview with………..

The Danny & The Miracles Award (annually given to the player most likely to put a team on his back and carry them through the tourney):  Blake Griffin is an absolute horse.  He is built like Carlos Boozer but he gets off the ground like an old-school Kenyon Martin.  His hops are just quick and explosive.  What makes Griffin even more dangerous is that he has an outstanding motor and he plays like a tough guy.

The First Round Matchup That Caused Me To Spend Thirty Minutes On The Sh*tter at Work Award:  Siena versus Ohio State.  In my opinion, Siena is the better team in this matchup.  The problem is that the game is in Dayton, Ohio and that should benefit the home state Buckeyes.  This game along Washington-Mississippi State, California-Maryland and VCU-UCLA are all ones you need to split if you are entering two sheets.

The 1,000 Pound Gorilla:  North Carolina returned Tyler Hansbrough, Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington and Danny Green along with a host of others from a team that made the Final Four last season.  Quite simply, this year will be a disappointment if they do not win the Big Dance. 

The Mouse McFadden Award (annually given to the small-school player most likely to go nuts on the big stage):  If North Dakota State upsets Kansas; it will be because Ben Woodside went off.  Woodside has a sixty-point game this season and is one of the best outside shooters in the country.  North Dakota State is a lively sleeper and should not be underestimated. 

The Billy Packer Award (annually given to the biggest asshole involved with the NCAA Tournament):  For the first time in years, Billy Packer is not going to win this.  Can I just mention again that Billy Packer will not be involved with this year’s tournament?  How great is that? 

The UW-Milwaukee Award (annually given for most predictable upset call):  With Chester Frazier out, Western Kentucky will beat Illinois.  Take it to the bank.  I could see the Hilltoppers really putting it on Illinois as people forget that Western Kentucky made the Sweet Sixteen last season.   

The Hampton Award (annually given to the team most likely to pull a mind-blowing upset):  From a seeding standpoint it is mind-blowing when a thirteen seed upends a four seed.  However, I love Mississippi State over Washington.  The Bulldogs looked outstanding in the SEC Tournament and Jarvis Varnado is a stud.  Washington is only a .500 team on road/neutral courts.  I think Mississippi State wins a tight one.

The Indiana “Don’t Forget The Name On The Front Of The Jersey” Award:  Everybody is writing off UCLA and I think that is a mistake.  People forget that UCLA has made the last three Final Fours and plays a hardnosed brand of defense. 

Trevor’s Elite Eight:  Duke, Pittsburgh, North Carolina, Syracuse, Memphis, UConn, Kansas, Louisville.

Trevor’s Final Four:  Louisville, Memphis, Duke and North Carolina.

Trevor’s Final Two:  North Carolina and Louisville.

Trevor’s Champ:  Louisville.

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to e-mail me at trevor.freeman@realityfanforum.com. 

By Trevor Freeman

With March Madness right around the corner….God Bless the NCAA Tournament, we decided to do a little preliminary analysis for those of you pining for the moment that the bracket is revealed.  Over the past month, I have sat down and watched as much college basketball as humanly possible.  I formulated the sixteen teams that I think look Sweet Sixteen worthy.

As you all know, the sixteen best teams in the NCAA Tournament more often than not do not comprise the Sweet Sixteen.  That is the beauty of the NCAA Tournament.  Just when you think you know everything there is to know, George Mason is defeating a Connecticut team with four future NBA players in its starting five.  However, we are going to take our best shot below.  Without further ado, here are the sixteen teams that we think represent the sixteen teams most likely to get to the Sweet Sixteen.

North Carolina

The Tar Heels are going to be the Championship pick in 50% of the brackets this season.  With Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington and Tyler Hansbrough leading the way, the Tar Heels will be the safe pick the masses flock towards.  Their depth and variety of offensive weapons is scary as Danny Green and Deon Thompson are also NBA players in waiting.

Duke

I have a feeling this might be the year Coach K makes a run back into the Elite Eight/Final Four.  Duke is sneaky good and might actually be underrated right now.  Kyle Singler and Gerald Henderson are both having tremendous seasons.  Jon Scheyer allows Duke to stretch the floor and Greg Pawlus has been steady at the point guard spot.

Connecticut

I have this team in the Sweet Sixteen because I cannot see how one can exclude a team with the likes Hasheem Thabeet, Jeff Adrien and A.J. Price.  However, I still cannot shake the haunting image of watching them get beat by the University of San Diego last year in the first round.  This team could have problems if matched up with somebody that has athletes on their perimeter.

Oklahoma

This team is legit and it is not just Blake Griffin.  I like their backcourt as Tony Crocker and Willie Warren can both heat up in a hurry.  Maybe they lost that game to Texas on Saturday night, but you had to be impressed at the way they played without Blake Griffin on the road.  Oklahoma will make a deep run this season.

Pittsburgh

I feel like I pick Pittsburgh every year to get to the Sweet Sixteen and they let me down.  This year, I cannot fathom how this Panther team could possibly do that.  While the Panthers are always rugged defensively, I feel like the offense is better with DeJuan Blair being an absolute animal.

(I’m just throwing this out there, but does anyone else think DeJuan Blair is missing his true calling.  Doesn’t he have elite Defensive End written all over him?)

Michigan State

A classic Tom Izzo squad that will lock teams down on the defensive end.  Kalin Lucas and Raymar Morgan give the Spartans a nice one-two punch.  Goran Suton is a solid player for Michigan State as well as he can hit that mid-range jumper and will bang down low.

UCLA

The Bruin defense is a constant.  There is a reason why UCLA has found itself in the Final Four the past three seasons and why they are an underrated bet this season.

Wake Forest

The Demon Deacons are as athletic as any team in this field.  Jeff Teague, James Johnson and Al-Farouq Aminu are all capable of having a big night.  The only lingering doubt about this team is their experience as their best players are all underclassmen.

Gonzaga

On paper the Zags have as much talent as anybody in this field.  Jeremy Pargo, Josh Heytvelt, Austin Daye, Matt Bouldin and Stephen Gray could all be playing in the NBA someday.  Offensively, Gonzaga has as diversified attack as any team in the field.  The question will be on defense.  The Zags are going to have to be able to get stops in pressure situation.  Can they is the question.

Villanova

Everybody seems to be sleeping on the Wildcats, but I love their chances to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.  Guard play might be the most crucial component in having NCAA success and I love the Nova guards.  Scottie Reynolds, Corey Fisher and Corey Stokes can all handle the ball and create their own shot with the shot clock winding down.  Dante Cunningham has been superb this season and can get a double-double on the board any time he wants.

Marquette

The Golden Eagles are another team that is loaded on the perimeter.  Guard play is the most important factor in NCAA success and Marquette has a true point guard in Dominic James that can handle anything he sees.  His backcourt mates, Jerel McNeal and Wesley Matthews can also handle the ball and can create their own shot.  Marquette can really knock down the threeball as McNeal is around 44% on the season while Matthews is just a shade under 40%.

St. Mary’s

This will be my most controversial selection, but people forget that St. Mary’s was 18-1 before Patty Mills broke his hand.  If Mills is healthy, St. Mary’s probably has the second best guard in this whole tournament behind Stephen Curry and the best point guard in the field.  Mills is a surefire NBA starter (reminds me a lot of T.J. Ford) and is expected back before the WCC Tournament. He gets adequate help from Omar Samhan and Diamon Simpson who combined with Ian O’Leary give the Gaels a very strong frontcourt.  St. Mary’s biggest hurdle will be getting an invite to the Dance.  I hope the Selection Committee evaluates this team on what they did when Patty Mills was healthy.

Louisville

The Cardinals attack in waves and they have two extremely talented forwards in Earl Clark and Terrence Williams.  While Edgar Sosa’s numbers are not great, he has shown some big-game moxie in the past.  Rick Pitino’s teams always fare well in the Big Dance and this year will not be an exception.

Arizona State

I love teams that have a dominant player that can create an opportunity with the shot clock winding down.  James Harden can do that for the Sun Devils and that is why they feel Sweet Sixteen bound.  Harden reminds me a lot of Brandon Roy, except left-handed.

Davidson

There’s just no way I can leave them off this list.  Stephen Curry is too good.  Having the best player on the court means something in basketball and Curry will be the best player on the court in just about every game played.  There is no substitute for having been there before and this team has the experience of an Elite Eight run last year.

Memphis

The Tigers have quietly been playing some of the best basketball in the country.  The way they took Gonzaga behind the woodshed at Gonzaga was stunning.  Tyreke Evans is quietly putting up a better freshman year than people are giving him credit for.

by Trevor Freeman

Jalapeno Poppers.  Glass Slippers.  Yuengling.  Bryce Drew.  Chili Cheese Nachos.  Harold Arcenaux.  Chicken Wings.  Rumeal Robinson.  Budweiser.  Bill Raftery.  Mozzarella Sticks.  Bracket Busters.  Tequila.  Jeff Fryar.  Are you filling out your bracket right now?  Is today the most unproductive Monday you have had in weeks?  Don’t be concerned.  It is that way for everybody.  It was an excruciating wait between now and the end of the Super Bowl, but it is finally here.  Ladies and Gentleman……….the Madness has arrived.
With March Madness kicking off this Tuesday, we are all officially under the bracket gun.  For all of those who have not watched more than ten minutes of college basketball this season, but want to fill out their bracket with confidence, I have taken the ball and run with it.  Preview the Big Dance on a Sunday night I have.  Instead of going with the standard “Best Player, Best Team, Sleeper” approach by region like every other newspaper/website does, we will once again take a more unique approach.  Without further ado, let us begin our preview with………..

The Danny & The Miracles Award (annually given to the player most likely to put a team on his back and carry them through the tourney):  

There is only one player we can give this to and it is not just because we are currently pressuring our beloved Sportscolumn editor Vin Diec into letting us nominate his mother as a Woman We Love.  ”Psycho T” has simply been the best player in college basketball this season and could easily carry North Carolina to a National Championship.  

Here’s one thing I don’t get.  Every mock draft site, I see has Tyler Hansbrough listed in the mid-20s if at all.  Has everybody been sleeping on Carlos Boozer’s career?  Does anybody not see what Al Horford is doing in Atlanta?  There is no doubt in my mind that Hansbrough is going to have a career arc similar to those two.  

The Eliot “I would prefer not to wear a condom when throwing down with a prostitute” Spitzer Award (new award which will be given to the team most likely to implode down the stretch):

Clemson’s piss poor foul shooting is going to rear its ugly head and it is going to happen early.  I could easily see them being the fifth seed that goes down in the first round.  Should they get by Villanova, I can’t see them and their horrendous foul shooting getting by a disciplined team like Vanderbilt.

The Ashley Dupre Award:

No award here.  I just need to point out that a great anecdote just came out on this case and needs to be commented on.

Apparently Charlie Sheen used the services of Miss Dupre (see link at the end of the article).  This may well go down as the greatest news tidbit in history.  The question I ask…..if you are a prostitute and you haven’t slept with Charlie Sheen, should you be offended?

Oh and if you’re Eliot Spitzer you just slept with every woman Charlie Sheen slept with.  You may want to mull that one over.  I would also keep any newspapers discussing this out of the house for the next week or so.  This may be what pushes the missus over the edge.

The First Round Matchup That Will Cause Me To Spend Thirty Minutes On The Sh*tter at Work Award:  

The Gonzaga-Davidson matchup is absolutely terrifying.  Gonzaga has been flying under the radar all season long but they have incredible offensive talent in Jeremy Pargo, Matt Bouldin and Austin Daye.  On the flip side, Davidson played North Carolina, Duke and UCLA all close and have the nation’s premier marksman in Stephen Curry.  This game will be going down to the wire.

The 1,000-Pound Gorilla:    

UCLA is without a doubt the easiest/safest pick to win this tournament.  The only team in their region that can beat them is Xavier.  I see UCLA coasting through to the Final Four.  

The “Slapped In The Face” Award:    

The Bulldogs of Butler have to be ready to flip over tables after receiving a seven seed despite being ranked in the top fifteen all season long.  Toss in that the Committee also forced them to play South Alabama in Birmingham and I think Butler is feeling slighted.  This should serve as a motivating factor for a team that has five seniors making their last Dance including two studs in A.J. Graves and Mike Green.  Not only do I think Butler will beat South Alabama but I could see them giving Tennessee problems in Round Two.

The Mouse McFadden Award (annually given to the small-school player most likely to go nuts on the big stage):  

Stephen Curry of Davidson is without a doubt the best three-point shooter in this tournament.  It is obvious to see that Curry spent a lot of time with his father Dell Curry learning how to get open off screens and how to quickly free himself for the triple.  He is going to hang at least 30 on Gonzaga in the opening round and will give Georgetown fits in Round Two.

The “I Don’t Believe CBS Doesn’t Have Anything To Do With The Draw” Award:  

There is nobody who can convince me that setting up a North Carolina-Indiana Round Two matchup wasn’t done purely to boost second round ratings.  The Notre Dame-George Mason and USC-Kansas State both feel like first-round matchups that were made purely for the purposes of increasing ratings.  

The UW-Milwaukee Award (annually given for most predictable upset call):    

Temple over Michigan State is going to be the upset de jour call from just about everybody.  The Owls are hot having won eight of their last nine games while Michigan State’s tournament history has been a little dicey (see a first round loss as a 6 seed to George Mason in 2006).

The “I Don’t Want To Encourage Gambling, but……..” Award:  

Friday is providing an incredible two-team teaser right now.  St. Mary’s is currently getting two against Miami and St. Joseph’s is getting 2 ½ right now against Oklahoma.  Tease the Gaels and Hawks.  I think both those teams are going to win outright.  The points are just a bonus.

Rip Van Winkles (by region):  

East:        St. Joseph’s
Midwest:    Davidson
South:        St. Mary’s
East:        San Diego

The Christina Ricci Award (annually given to the most overrated team):  

Washington State is extremely shaky.  Outside of Kyle Weaver they do not have a lot of athleticism.  I wonder what will happen to the Cougars if they fall behind by 10-12 points and are forced to play faster.  I do not like this team as I saw both games where they lost by double digits against Arizona.  Washington State could easily lose to Winthrop in the first round and I do not see them getting by whoever wins the Notre Dame-George Mason tilt.  

The Sarah Jessica Parker Award (annually given to the most overrated conference):  

The SEC got six teams into the field and the only one I see getting out of the first weekend is Tennessee.

The Michael Myers Award (annually given to the scariest team):    

Right now the team I would not want to play is Pittsburgh.  They grinded out the Big East Tournament and look like they may do the same thing in this NCAA Tourney.  If all the teams were dropped into a steel cage and had to fight their way out, I think Pittsburgh would emerge.  The Panthers seem physically tougher than anybody else in this Dance.  

The Hampton Award (annually given to the team most likely to pull a mind-blowing upset):  

The San Diego Toreros are playing great basketball and may pull UConn’s pants down in the first round.  Rob Jones is the best player you’ve never heard of and Billy Grier is doing an outstanding coaching job.

The Indiana “Don’t Forget The Name On The Front Of The Jersey” Award:  

This goes to…..Indiana.  Everybody is picking against the Hoosiers in Round One.  Let’s not forget that Indiana should have the best two players on the floor in Eric Gordon and D.J. White and that Arkansas was 2-8 on the road this year.  Not only do I think Indiana gets it together and beats Arkansas, but they will test North Carolina.

Trevor’s Elite Eight:  

East:        North Carolina versus Tennessee
Midwest:    Kansas versus Georgetown
South:        Memphis versus Texas
West:        UCLA versus Xavier

Trevor’s Final Four:  

East:        North Carolina
Midwest:    Georgetown
South:        Texas
West:        UCLA

Trevor’s Final Two:  

North Carolina versus UCLA

Trevor’s Champ:  

UCLA.  The Bruins will be giving John Wooden another reason to smile as they will be celebrating a twelfth national title in Westwood.

Relevant Links:

Spitzer and Sheen

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to e-mail me at trevor.freeman@realityfanforum.com.  

By Trevor Freeman

Goosebumps.  That was what filled my arm down the stretch of the Georgetown-North Carolina game as I watched the Hoyas rally back to deliver a revenge punch that had been twenty-five years in the making.  And I’ll be quite honest…….I was worried that this Elite Eight was going to leave us wanting for more.  I thought the only goosebumps I was going to get all weekend was from a second viewing of last Wednesday’s “Friday Night Lights” (“friends……friends….Texas forever….Texas forever man”).  Then the last seven minutes of regulation and overtime gave us the stirring comeback we had been dying for all weekend.  
People will argue in the coming days that North Carolina choked away that game and quite frankly the argument has validity considering they missed twenty-two of their last twenty-three shots.  However, in my estimation Roy Hibbert, Jonathan Wallace, Jeff Green and the rest of the Hoyas took that game from them.  They stifled them on defense down the stretch and executed their “Princeton” offense to perfection.  With the Final Four looming in under a week, we have broken down the matchups and provided our predictions.  We begin with…….

Georgetown versus Ohio State

Frontcourt:

The matchup everyone will talk about this week is Greg Oden versus Roy Hibbert.  Freshman versus Upperclassman.  The guy who entered high school as the big hype versus the guy once labeled “The Big Stiff”.  

Let the record show that at the beginning of this season I wrote about Roy Hibbert getting lost in Greg Oden’s hype and that Hibbert could become a star in his own right.  I wrote that it is odd a guy with his hands, his size, his footwork and his post moves is just getting lost in the shuffle.  Saturday night, the most undervalued 7′2″ 280 pound center I have seen come through college in a long time will play Oden to a draw (if not win the matchup).  Book it.  Yes, Greg Oden may eventually become a dominant NBA center, but as of this moment right now…Hibbert is the more polished big man with more polished post moves.  Do not sell on the fact that this is the first time in Oden’s life there will be somebody looking down on him on every single possession.  

While the Hibbert-Oden matchup garners the attention, the reason why Georgetown has a great chance of beating The Ohio State University is because of the play of Jeff Green.  Outside of “Barney Stinson”, I can’t think of a smoother player currently getting airtime on CBS.  There is nobody on the Buckeye roster with the combination of size and speed that can play Green.  In fact if Green doesn’t get 25 and 12 on Saturday night, I will be surprised.  This is the game where Jeff Green cements his status as the second most NBA ready player in the college game (behind Kevin Durant).  The Hoyas have a lot of frontline depth behind Green and Hibbert, as DaJuan Summers and Patrick Ewing Jr. are both capable of having big games.

The other Ohio State frontliners are kind of like the girl you convince to come home with you at 1:00 in the morning.  Not sloppy, but spectacular either.  Othello Hunter may have to play a bigger role here, as his size will be necessary on Jeff Green.  Ivan Harris can step out and shoot it, but he’s too undersized to guard Green.  Matt Terwilliger is just a body that can get you five fouls.

Backcourt:

This is where Ohio State has to make some hay.  Mike Conley Jr. and Ron Lewis give them a clear edge over Jessie Sapp and Jonathan Wallace.  Conley Jr. is a guy that will be starting NBA All-Star games in about five years.  He is one of those players who doesn’t even have to be scoring to be effective.  Ron Lewis not only stretches defenses but as shown in the Xavier game…hits big shots.  The Buckeyes have great depth along the perimeter as David Lighty, Daequan Cook, and Jamar Butler are all very capable players.  Especially Cook.  While he seems to have regressed during the season (my friend argues that his legs are probably gone because the amount of times he is getting laid has dramatically increased from high school to college), Cook has explosive athleticism and at times has displayed a great jump shot.

While Georgetown’s guard play has improved throughout the course of the season, they don’t have the athletes that Ohio State does.  Jesse Sapp is one of those guys who does a little bit of everything, but he is not star caliber.  Jonathan Wallace is tremendous jump shooter.  What he lacks in quickness he makes up for in intelligence.  If either of these two players get in foul trouble and Jeremiah Rivers sees a lot of playing time…….well that would not be a good thing.  

Intangibles:

There are two giant intangibles in the Hoyas favor.  First off, the caliber of women at Ohio State is much higher than the caliber of women at Georgetown, which means the Hoyas should have fewer distractions this week.  Can’t discount that during a hyped up party week like the one preceding the Final Four is.  Also, when John Thompson III goes to breakdown film, I am sure he will enlist the services of his father and Pete Carril.  When Thad Matta goes to breakdown film……..he will get…….yeah….and ummmmm….yeah.

Bold Prediction:

Georgetown    67
Ohio State    54

Florida versus UCLA

Frontcourt:

Huge advantage for the Florida Gators in this matchup.  Look for the Gators to get a lot of second chances and to dominate the points in the paint battle.  Al Horford is as skilled a big man and Joakim Noah is as athletic a big man as there are in college basketball.  Together they are just a devastating combination.  At the 3, Florida comes with Corey Brewer.  Brewer is probably the best defensive small forward to play college basketball since Stacy Augmon.  Look for Brewer to spend a lot of time shadowing Arron Afflalo.  There is depth in the frontcourt as well as Chris Richard could start for just about any other team in college hoops.

UCLA’s frontcourt is solid.  Josh Shipp and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute lead the way.  Shipp missed last year’s game with Florida and is one of the reasons why UCLA thinks they will win the rematch.  Shipp is a gifted scorer who should see a favorable matchup against Lee Humphrey due to the fact that Florida will use Brewer on Arron Afflalo.  UCLA could use recruit Kevin Love for this game though.  If Lorenzo Mata gets into foul trouble they could be completely screwed.  Mata has to stay on the floor, as he is probably their best post defender.  Luc Richard Mbah a Moute is a tremendous athlete who can guard both the 3 and the 4.  He has quick hands and is great in transition.  Alfred Aboya is serviceable.  Look for James Keefe to see a good amount of time in this game, as the Bruins may need his body.

Backcourt:    

This is where UCLA should make some hay.  Jordan Farmar declaring for the draft was a blessing in disguise (which I boldly predicted at the beginning of the year) as Darren Collison brings more speed and athleticism to the table.  Collison is also a better decision maker with the basketball out in the open court.  Arron Afflalo is Brandon Roy all over again.  He could walk into the NBA right now and hold his own at the 2.  Maybe he doesn’t have a ton of upside but he does possess a complete all-around game.  Needless to say you can expect to see him get passed on by about 26 NBA teams in the upcoming NBA Draft and wind up in Miami, Dallas, Detroit or San Antonio.  Backing them up are Russell Westbrook and Michael Roll.  Westbrook in particular could do some damage as he has shown the ability to score in bunches.

Florida’s backcourt is Taurean Green and Lee Humphrey………..and…….ummmm……well Walter Hodge isn’t terrible……but you get my drift.  Everybody talks about attacking Florida’s bigs and getting them into foul trouble, but I think Florida is most susceptible at the guard spots.  UCLA is the kind of team that can exploit this, as Collison likes to put the ball on the deck and go towards the basket.  If Green gets into any kind of foul trouble then the Gators are more screwed than “Ari Gold” was when “Bob Ryan” sold the rights to “I Wanna Be Sedated” on “Entourage”.

Intangibles:

The biggest one here is the most obvious.  Florida beat UCLA in last year’s national title game.  Do the Bruins return the favor………….I say yes.

Bold Prediction

UCLA        74
Florida        73

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to e-mail me at trevor.freeman@realityfanforum.com.    

By Billy Fellin

    Welcome to article number 357423 written about March Madness here on Sportscolumn written within the past week or two. Two rounds into the tournament and Cinderella has yet to show her face. Two rounds in, there are hot trends emerging and things we just want to stop now and be done with. Here are some of those; here is Hot or Not.
Hot: Facebook’s March Madness Pool- This may seem an odd way to start off a sports column, however I think this is a point to be made. For those that are unfamiliar with Facebook, it is basically Myspace only better. It’s a global social network, recently gone public, but started out as just college students, eventually growing to high schools as well. It is the thing in college, and it seems that nothing is official if it’s not visible on your Facebook profile. As I found out a couple days before the tournament started, Facebook also runs a March Madness pool, where you can fill out your bracket on Facebook. Initially I was skeptical, not knowing what to expect from this pool since more times than not Facebook has absolutely nothing to do with sports. So I filled out my bracket, joined a few pools and waited for the tournament to start. After the first day, and a quick check of my bracket, I was surprised at how good of a job they did with the system. A basic point system of a point being given if you get a pick right, and bolding the pick on your bracket. An incorrect pick and you get a strikethrough on the bracket. They also have a ranking system where you are ranked within your network (in my case CNU, the college I go to), and within Facebook as a whole. I’d have to say all in all good job, Facebook! You’ve given college students yet another reason to be completely obsessed with you!

Not: Facebook Rankings- While it’s all well and good that Facebook is kind enough to show how you rank against your peers at your school and others, its disheartening at the same time. It’s a sad day when people are excited that they are ranked in the top million. Or even the top 200,000. I guess that’s why pools exist, to give an ego-boost. You can say “Hey I’m 5th in my pool!” Yea, well you’re still ranked 257,456th overall. Get a move on.

Hot: Top seeds- Cinderella must have gotten tired with carrying George Mason to the Final Four last year, because she hasn’t shown up to the Big Dance in ‘07. All four number one seeds are still alive. The only high seed that has been kicked out is Wisconsin, the 2 seed that was sent packing by UNLV. So all those classy upset picks? Not happening this year. VCU over Duke was a slight upset, but then again its Duke. I wasn’t surprised. In the first round only 5 teams that were a lower seed than their opponents won: VCU, Michigan State, Purdue, Winthrop and Xavier. For the Sweet 16 and beyond, look for these top seeds to continue to hold strong.
Not: Wisconsin and Villanova- Going into the tournament, it seemed to me that these two teams were very sexy picks to make it to at least the Elite Eight. Gotta love how they fell flat on their faces. `Nova lost in the Battle of the Wildcats against Kentucky, and the Badgers were, suitably enough, run over by the Rebels. Bracket busters of the year, go team.

Hot: Overtime games-There is a reason this time of year has come to be called March Madness. I’m pretty sure that everyone was holding their breath if they had watched the scores or the game itself of the Ohio St.-Xavier game. I was one of those people, glued to the futon in my dorm room hoping that the Buckeyes would survive. Ohio St. dropped some key threes and then took off in OT to move on. I’m pretty sure that I heard the entire East Coast breath a sigh of relief. Pitt and VCU took it to extra minutes and the Vandy-Wash ST game needed two extra sessions to decide that one. There has been no lack of madness thus far in the Tournament.

Not: Virginia teams- I know this has nothing to do with overtime games, but I have to say this. Living in Virginia and going to college in Virginia, you spend a lot of time hearing about how well Virginia Tech or UVA are doing in sports and such. Well that’s great, but if you are like me, you don’t understand the hype and I frankly dislike Tech and UVA as much as Duke. I couldn’t wait to pick against them in the tournament. ODU fell in the first round and the other three in the second. VCU was a feel good story, borderline being called the George Mason of the ‘07 tournament, but they really didn’t have a shot. I’m glad that there will finally be some piece and quiet around here; except for the morons at my school who foolishly picked one of the four Virginia schools to do well in the tournament, though I doubt their cries of anguish and stupidity will get old.

And the last one goes to:

Hot: Mac commercials- I have to say that the newest Mac commercial that has that security guard asking if he will allow or disallow everything coming in or out was very funny. Those guys over at Apple have a good advertising department, and obviously did their homework on Vista’s security measures. Not that its exactly rocket science.

Not: Dick Vitale- Yes, Dick, it’s not delivery. As Vin has already said all that really needs to be said about Dickie V, I’ll just say this: Have his vocal chords blown yet?

So that’s my March Madness edition of Hot or Not. Hope your brackets aren’t limping toward the Georgia Dome for the Final Four and enjoy the Sweet 16.