As you read this, the NCAA Tournament is in full swing, with all kinds of wild action.
In the days leading up to the start of this Tournament, I heard the ‘experts’, at various, times tell us a) each Region was ‘the toughest of the four’, b) that there are at least eighteen different possible ‘Cinderella schools in this tournament’, and c) at least forty-two of the sixty-five teams are either ‘hot’ or ‘on a roll’.
Please, people...give us a rest, won’t you?
I am so tired of all these media-types who come right out of the woodwork every year as experts telling us who is strong and who is weak, who should’ve gotten in and who shouldn’t, and what teams are favored to win it all. It has gotten way out of hand, but unfortunately I have to be subjected to all of this since it is indeed my job.
Look, there will be upsets, because the chances of all four #1 seeds making it to Atlanta are indeed very slim. On the other hand we could easily see at least two #1’s, a #2, and then one other squad that can put together a nice string of contests to get thru to the Final Four. If I am to sit here and guarantee anything, that would be it. It seems to be the way things shake out every single year.
So, I suggest you sit back, chill out, and enjoy the next three weeks of games that, from a competition standpoint, beat the college football championship system to a pulp, thank you very much.
As you know, Spring Training is in full swing, as all teams have gotten things rolling with the players they have. While we always hear about the ‘name’ guys in what they’re up to, we rarely ever hear about the guys coming up who are trying to possibly snag one or two spots available for the final twenty-five man roster to start the season.
Of course, rarely are those spots available, especially on a team like the Yankees, where all slots were filled and ready to go before camp even opened. But for the smaller market teams like Royals, Twins, Devil Rays, etc., there certainly are spots available. In fact, team management is almost counting on some of their younger players to come through and make things very, very interesting to say the least.
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With the Titans signing former Colt CB Nick Harper to a deal, the status of Pacman Jones is certainly in limbo. Without question, the Titan management cannot be happy at all with all the crap Jones has been up to off the field, as it brings a tremendous amount of negative publicity to himself AND the team.
While talent and ability certainly are powerful in determining whether a team keeps a guy, there is only so much that a coach, GM, or owner will take before its time to say ‘enough’. Perhaps the titans are ready to pull the cord on their relationship with a guy who is extremely talented, yet also very stupid.
After racing on a track almost every NASCAR driver described as treacherous because of the lack of traction, the boys now head to Atlanta to race on a much more comfortable, familiar environment.
I don’t know about you, but if I was driving 185 miles an hour, I certainly would want my car to have a good grip on the surface I’m driving on. But that wasn’t the case last week in Las Vegas, as either the track, or the tires, made a huge, huge difference. Tony Stewart and others felt the Goodyear tires were awful, with a very hard rubber compound. Others felt the new track surface was bad. Whatever the case, NASCAR should give consideration to the drivers’ feelings before they go back to race there.
Meanwhile, a guy who has said he only wants to drive part time, Mark Martin, is actually leading the points race, which in itself is entertaining. If Martin continues this, perhaps he might re-think his decision on semi-retirement.
There aren’t very many hockey fans around here, so I’ll keep this short and sweet.
This League, which is known for its plethora of fights, has one nasty battle going on in the Eastern Conference for the eighth and final playoff slot. There are no less than four teams going after it, including the Rangers, Hurricanes, Maple Leafs, and Canadiens. Every single day and night, they are only separated by one or two points, and it makes things interesting, if you are a follower of any of the four.
Plus, there is no way you can handicap the race, since all four seem to have both positives and negatives. With only a few weeks and about ten games left to be played, this homestretch should get extremely competitive. In a way, for these four squads, the playoffs have already begun.
Tom Weppel talks trash with Greg Larson, Tom McManus, Ron Duguay, and Lonnie Marts on SportsAvengers.com 24/7.
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