Well, There's Always Next Year

I just want to start this by telling you, I am a genius. In a manner of speaking.

I predicted at the start of the NCAA Tournament that 2 number 1 seeds, a number 2 seed, and a number 3 seed would advance to the Final 4 in Detroit. Genius, right?

Now to the manner of speaking part. I predicted that Pittsburgh, Louisville(both #1 seeds), Memphis(#2 seed), and Syracuse(#3 seed) would go to the Final 4. North Carolina, UConn(#1 seeds), Michigan St(#2 seed), and Villanova(#3 seed) are the teams headed to Detroit this weekend.

So really, not so much the genius.

The regional semi's and finals were great for this tournament because it was going to much to form in the first 2 rounds for my liking. I know I said last week that it's good for ratings, but that doesn't mean I like it.

Villanova's appearance in the Final 4 brings back memories of the Wildcats upset victory over Georgetown in the NCAA Finals back in 1985. That is still considered one of the biggest upsets in sports.

Common sense tells us North Carolina and Connecticut will play for the NCAA Championship on KTAB on April 6th, but basketball is a funny sport. You should not be surprised if you are watching Michigan State and Villanova on the 6th.

The Final 4 is this Saturday in Detroit. Michigan St. and UConn start the night at 5:07. The 2nd game between North Carolina and Villanova tips at 7:47.

Enjoy the games on KTAB.

Okay Through 2 Rounds

After the 2nd day of the NCAA Tournament on KTAB, I was thinking about throwing my bracket away, but the weekend made me rethink.

I missed 10 games in the 1st round, but I picked it up in the 2nd round. I picked 13 of the 16 games correctly. I am proud of that, and more importantly, I go to the 2nd weekend with all of my Elite 8 teams still alive and kicking. 

Contrary to popular opinion, I am not doing well because I am a genius. The tournament is going pretty much according to form. The lower seed won just 7 times in the 1st 48 games of the Big Dance.  Arizona is the lowest seed at #12. Purdue is next with a 5th seed. Every 1, 2, and 3 seed are in the Sweet 16.

While that may be kind of boring for casual viewers, it works out pretty well for those of us who are trying to pick these games. 

It also works out for the folks at CBS. When the top teams advance, more people watch the tournament. People say they like the underdog, but almost without exception, ratings are higher when the top teams like Louisville, Kansas, North Carolina, and UConn are playing. The top teams are the names you know, they are the teams with more fans, and they are the teams that get better ratings. 

CBS is loving this tournament because they have the big names from the big conferences playing in the Sweet 16. I am loving this tournament because I have a great chance to do well on my bracket. It's a win, win for us. 

We start to knock it down to the Elite 8 on Thursday on KTAB. Enjoy the tournament.

It's Madness

The MADNESS is here. Basketball, basketball, basketball and more basketball.

The 1st weekend of the NCAA tournament is being played in 8 cities around the country. 64 teams started the day with a shot at the national championship. I say that, but that's 1 of the myths of the tournament, not all 64 teams had a legitimate chance to win the tournament. American, Northern Iowa, Binghamton, and the like DON'T have a shot at the championship.
They MIGHT win a game in the tournament, but they are not going to win the whole thing.


That said, it's still fun to watch teams like Akron and Morgan St. take on the teams from the Big 6 conferences to see how they do. Sometimes those teams surprise us. Sometimes, they prove they belong among the top teams in the nation.

Or do they? Are they that good, or are the teams from the Big 6; Big East, Big 12, Big 10, SEC, Pac-10, ACC, and SEC, over-rated? Probably a little of both. Quite often, good or bad, teams get seeds based on their conference or reputation.

I love watching the little guy win games in sports, that's one of the reasons I love the NCAA Tournament. The little guy gets a shot, and they come thru every now and then.

F.Y.I., I picked Louisville, Memphis, Pittsburgh, and Syracuse to go to the Final 4. I picked Louisville to beat Pitt for the title.

Enjoy the tournament. I know I will.

Put the Popcorn Down

It's been awhile since I wrote on my blog, but leave it to the NFL to give me motivation. 

The Dallas Cowboys are releasing Terrell Owens, and I say good. I have been a T.O. apologist for the last 2 years. I believed that his antics were worth the headache since he could produce so well on the field. 

Now, the antics are a distraction and Terrell is old. In the past, T.O. could take a swing pass to the sidelines, make the first guy miss, and get 10 to 20 yards. That is not the case anymore. He can still give you the big play, on occasion, but they are not nearly as common. 

The Cowboys are sending him out the door along with his troublesome ways. I am sure some team will pick Owens up, but he's not the same player. He is older, slower, and weaker. That's a bad combination if you are a receiver in the NFL.