Sports hangover

The transition between college basketball to pro baseball is always the most difficult for me. The steroid infested slow moving sleep walk that is MLB will become ok as the weather warms up and I return to the outdoors. The opening night game between the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers had about as much appeal as a warm glass of water on a 90 degree day so i decided to skip it. Eventually i will start to watch baseball simply because there really isnt anything else. Baseball im really not happy your here but as soon as basketball is over i suppose your better than nothing. College basketball is one big dance party full of excitement and now that the party is ending baseball will ease the hangover untill football next fall.

Bracket busted.

Final 4 time and this year and there are plenty of surprises. Louisvile the hard charging #1 seed looks like the favorite with lightning speed and precision. Syracuse the long tall athletic team that frustrates opponents with defense and rebounding are a definate threat.  The Shockers definately are shocking and rugged and will pound the boards with a vengence.The Wolverines are there too with a young and talented group that can compete with anyone if they bring their A game. My bracket is officially dead but i really have enjoyed the tourney this year.To all the people who fill out 87 brackets and now say hey i told you so.....To you I say your a genious. For the rest of us who are now humbled and humiliated by all that has happened I say wasnt it a blast?!!!

March badness.

March madness has been exciting and troubling at the same time.The games have been exciting and my tournament brackets are an absolute mess. What ive noticed from a negative point of view is that the shooting in the tourney has been absolutely horrid. The statistics do speak to the truth of the bad shooting not only in the tourney but throughout the season. Only a handfull of teams even shoot 50% from the field and good free throw shooting teams shoot slightly over 70% from the line. The athletes are bigger stronger and faster but the basketball is definately not better. The mid range shot is not practiced enough and free throws are obviously secondary in a players skill level. The blame should be directed at the advent of the 3 point shot and the glamourization of the slam dunk. The basketball would again become better if there were no 3 point shot and the goal of offenses was to get to the rim. The inside out offense that is common now would revert back to attacking the rim and higher percentage shots. Bigger stonger faster athletes would not only be more entertaining but also better basketball players.

Big Ten overated.

All the college basketball experts have said the Big Ten is the premier conference in the nation this year.Call me crazy but lets wait and see if  its true before we crown a national champion. Indiana is very good at the transition game but when a team slows them down their half court offense is average. Michigan is really athletic and very good as well when the tempo of the game is fast but their defense is bad. Ohio State is solid with Craft at the point and a solid frontcourt but last years squad with Jared Sellinger was better.Minnesota has athletes but there lack of scoring and deplorable defense is really NIT worthy. Wisconsin is solid defensively but they lack the star power to make a deep run in the post season.Michigan state is really physical and they have terrific experience and atheticism but they have trouble scoring at times. Everyone seems to love Indiana and Ohio State and coach Izzo is always a threat at this time of year but i dont share everyones optimistic outlook. The Big Ten is certainly good this year but  I believe a bit overated. My picks for the Final Four this year are Florida Duke Gonzaga and Miami. My national champion is Miami.GO Caines!!!  Everyone enjoy the roundball its in my opinion the best time of year.

Bear Down #54

The Chicago Bears announced today that Brian Urlacker will no longer be a Bear.Let me say i really loved watching Brian play football for the Bears. He always gave 100% and was the face of the franchise for many years.I know alot of bears fans will be upset he didnt end his career in Chicago but i dont have any bad feelings about the decision. As a fan i cant help but feel a sense of graditude and appreciation toward both the Bears and Urlacker for 13 years of fantastic football. Like #51 before him Urlacker will always be a favorite of mine and as long as he doesnt end his career with OMG i cant even say it!!!  Anyway GO BEARS!!

Kentucky blues.....

I know nobody cares about the NIT but seeing Kentucky lose in the first round is really awesome. Pretty boy coach slinks to the microphone and has to admit his team is uh BAD. Seeing Louisville go into Rupp Arena has got to make BIG BLUE NATION cringe. Robert Morris? Last year the K had the magic formula to form a dynasty this year they STINK. Big blue gets to watch their hated rival blow through town and use their beloved arena to advance. After last years nightmare of seeing a bluegrass revival I can now grin and think of all the sadness that is CRUSHING Kentucky fans everywhere.

My rules.

A couple of basic rule changes would seem to make sense when choosing the field of 68 for the NCAA mens basketball tournament. We shall call them rules to avoid being a complete moron when rewarding basketball teams for successful seasons.Rule #1 If a team does not maintain a .500 record within its conference they do not get an invite to the tournament.Rule#2 games later in the season carry more weight when determining wheather a team is deserving of a birth to the tournament. Im sick to death of seeing teams play crappy basketball down the strech and still be rewarded for early season success. Beating 2 ranked opponents in november shouldnt be ignored but  it shouldnt be rewarded past its merit either. I propose the selection committee choose the top 60 teams in college basketball and then choose 36 other teams via automatic tournament births or successful record throughout the season. There should also be tighter control over who plays who by the NCAA.  There has to be a fairer method by which teams with lesser schueduling opportunities can play an occasional ranked opponent  Untill then the strength of schuedule freaks can stop hammering teams for not playing better opponents during the season.The womens game is also tremendously limited because of both a lack of parity and popularity within their sport. There are possibly   7 schools within womens hoops that that have a legitimate shot a championship. Why should I support womens basketball at Iowa if i know they cant ever beat a connecticut or Baylor? There doesnt really need to be an answer to these criticisms as long as the basketball is exciting and Rick wins his tournament pool.