Ramble On...

What a wild, wild, wild weekend in College Hoops, WBC, T.O. saga, NFL Free Agency, 24, The Gauntlet and a lot more that is on my mind…

I hope Derrik finally goes home on the Gauntlet. He is such a Mary. What, he thinks he’s so tough for breaking a table?

Alton is the Jim Thorpe of The Gauntlet…he does everything

Another thing about MTV and The Gauntlet --- These people that keep coming back, do they have actual jobs? I mean, are they going to live off these Inferno and Gauntlet programs for the rest of their lives? Take that old dude Mark for example, the one from the first Road Rules cast….he’ll be near his mid 40s in 10 years. How is he going to be able to keep doing these Physical Challenges (as in the words of Marc Summers)

Speaking of which (Double Dare), I bet my family would have taken the obstacle course in Double Dare at least 70% of the time. I think the most troubling part of the obstacle course was finding the flag in the extremely large PB&J.

24 is not living up to par this season. It was nice when they killed off Edgar, now all they need to do is kill of Chloe.

Onto sports….

Congrats to Japan for winning the WBC. I just wish that all the stars had participated in the event which includes but no limited to Hideki Matsui, Vlad, Pedro, Wagner, Hudson etc… Mike Francessa has a pretty good solution for the next WBC for which they cancel the All-Star game and play the WBC during a 10 day period for when the All-Star break would take place, and then cut the season down to 154 games (like the old days). Not a bad idea, but it won’t fly.

Alfonso Soriano needs to stop whining about playing in the outfield. You got traded to a team that already has a second baseman. You are going to make $10 mil this year, you play where they tell you to play. End of story. And then for yesterday’s spring training game, Soriano was penciled in Left Field. But when the Nats took the field, Soriano was no where to be found. If Soriano doesn’t report to the field by Thursday, Nats GM Jimmy Bowden has said he will put Soriano on the DQ List, which means he will be inactive and will not receive any pay. This won’t go over well next year when he becomes a Free Agent, that is, if he becomes a Free Agent, because in order for him to qualify, he needs to play in 93 games this season. Or else he’s stuck with the Nationals next season. So Alfonso, I have one piece of advice for you. You are not bigger than baseball. You are not bigger than the Washington Nationals organization. Get out on the field and do your job. Do what you are being paid to do.

I can’t believe Bud Selig is actually thinking about investigating into Bonds’ use of steroids from 99-2003. You can’t put a witch hunt onto Bonds. No, I do not like him and I, just like 90% of everyone else feels as though he took steroids. But you can’t just investigate Bonds. You need to investigate everyone else who are under the suspicion of tainting the records and taking performance enhancing drugs. And yes, it kills me to say, but that also includes Mark McGwire.

It is being rumored that the new big drug that the players will be taking this upcoming season will be Ritalin. They are testing for “greenies” this season, but won’t be testing for Ritalin. Players will do and take anything to keep them up and going and energized throughout the long baseball season. But hey, Manny will at least be able to make a few bucks on the side selling his stash.

A’s are looking good this year. They are filled with very good arms in the starting rotation (Zito, Harden, Haren, Blanton, Loaiza) and a very good pen and a bright, young, up and coming closer in Huston Street. If the A’s lineup can produce more in the beginning of the season, and get off to a good start unlike their wretched start a year ago, they should be able to clinch the very tough AL West. And don’t worry, I will have a column dedicated to just the baseball season.

I have my first fantasy baseball draft taking place tomorrow night. First two players that should be taken in the draft will be Pujols and A-Rod. After that you are looking at Ortiz, Vlad and Mark Teixeira. I really hope I end up with one of the top 5 picks. I will also have a column dedicated to fantasy baseball and how my drafts went.

T.O. signs with the Dallas Cowboys after the Cowboys released Keyshawn Johnson. I would have loved to of seen Keyshawn and T.O. play together. See some cat fights between the two, fighting over who doesn’t get enough love from Drew Bledsoe. But this could be a very good signing for the Cowboys as long as the Tuna can keep him in line. Should be interesting.

Culpepper was traded to the Dolphins last week. I agree that he is an upgrade at QB, but what makes everyone think that Culpepper makes the Dolphins instant contenders? He wasn’t very good last year with the Vikings. His knee can go at any time. I just don’t understand all the hype. Yes, he makes them better, but instant title contender? We’ll see.

Nets are on a 5 game winning streak. I don’t think there is a streakier team in the NBA than my beloved NJ Nets. Vince doesn’t show up for every game, and when he stinks up the joint with his atrocious shot selection, he then falls down and blames his back for giving out quicker than it takes Joe Paterno to forget where he’s at. Coach Frank needs to allow RJ to start taking big shots in big opportunities. He wants that responsibility, I think its time to give it to him.

Speaking of the Nets, I was at the game on Sunday, and my buddy Jimmy and I attended a Nets autograph session. But of course, as I called it, the Nets donated the 2 worst players to sign at this autograph session, Zoran Planinic and the new guy, whatever his name is (he literally can not speak English). But good thing they at least Chocolate Thunder Darryl Dawkins signing as well. As my buddy Jimmy stated “Chocolate Thunder couldn’t stop the boos, but he at least stopped a riot from breaking out”

Quick story on this autograph session. I loathe Zoran. Just 30 minutes earlier, I was leading a chorus of boos towards Zoran when he was in the game, and yelling at Larry to take him out and that we, the fans, wanted an explanation for why he was in the game and getting important minutes. (For the record, Zoran shot 2-7 from the field and 2-6 from the free-throw line.) Anyway, I brought a ball with me to get signed, hoping that even if the Big 3 weren’t signing, I was at least hoping for either Nenad, or Jacque Vaughan, or Uncle Cliff or even Scott Padgett. But I knew for some reason we’d get stuck with Zoran. But I was at least happy Chocolate Thunder was signing (like Jimmy said, no riot broke out). So Zoran is the first player to sign, but I didn’t want him to devalue the ball. So I passed over a booklet for him to sign. He looks at me, sees the ball, gives me a dirty look and refuses to smile or say anything to him. I think I offended him. I did the same thing with Nachsalkealkjfa Bomadjlkjt (I don’t remember his name. He just came over in a trade and has played maybe 2 minutes). But then there was Darryl Dawkins. 7’ tall wearing a purple suit. After asking my buddy Jimmy if he “got game”, I told him I wanted to take him, the Darryl Dawkins, in a 1-on-1 game, and that I would out rebound him and outscore him and claim victory over the former NBA star. He didn’t buy it, but instead cracked some jokes and took a picture. Good guy. He at least made it worth while to stand in that line for 30 minutes.

This is the greatest NCAA Tourney that I have been alive for. I can not think of another tourney that has produced more drama than this one taking place now. From Northwestern St. upsetting Iowa on a last second shot, to Bradley upsetting two heavy favorites in Kansas and Pittsburgh, George Mason’s run from beating Michigan St., UNC and Wichita St, now looking to knock off heavy favorite to win the National Championship, UCONN. What a story book tournament for that team. Georgetown has also been impressive, looking to knock off Florida. Just a ton of remarkable stories and games. Let’s hope it can continue.

Until next time….

NCAA Tourney...

Boy, do I question some of the teams that received at large bids over other teams. And I still don’t understand how the committee placed some teams with higher bids over other teams more deserving (i.e. #5 Nevada getting a better seed that #6 Michigan State and #6 WVU). That’s pretty much saying they believe Nevada is one of the top 20 teams in the nation. Well, there’s no reason to complain about it now (although, I do like to complain), but instead, the brackets are finalized, now it’s my time to pick the winners. But I will show my picks Wednesday. But before that, let’s go through this tourney Region by Region.

Atlanta

Overrated: Duke
If J.J. Reddick is off his game, who takes over the game? Who becomes the go-to-guy? Shelden Williams is a beat, but that is only on the boards and defensively. Offensively, there isn’t a consistent 2nd option, and that will pose problems in this difficult bracket.

Underrated: LSU
I would have said George Washington, but with an injured Pops they become just a mediocre teams. But LSU has the right players and big men to get them into next weekend with a potential matchup against Duke. If they can out-rebound Duke (primarily Williams) and keep them from second chance shots, LSU could upset Duke, who many believe is the favorite in this Region.

Spoiler: West Virginia
They’ve been here last year. They surprised everyone a year ago, but now they are getting props, but still are heavy underdogs heading into the 2nd round. If Gansey and Pittsnogle can catch fire consistently, they could beat Iowa and make a run for the Elite 8 and then to the Final 4.

Best Matchup: N.C. State/California
N.C. State had a very tough conference schedule, where Cal had an easier Pac-10 conference schedule. But this should be an interesting matchup. N.C. State will live and die by the 3. But they surprised many by making it the Sweet 16 last season, but that was also with Julius Hodge. It will be interesting to see them up against a very young Cal team.

Double’s Pick: Texas
Yes, I am biased. But I think this Texas team is built for the tournament. They have the pieces to win. 1) Rebounding – Aldridge, Buckman and P.J. Tucker dominate the boards. 2) Scorers – P.J. Tucker, Aldridge and the X factor, Kenton Paulino. 3) Defense – They are a tough and aggressive defensive team.
The keys though for them is Gibson not turning the ball over, Abraham making smart decisions off the bench and Aldridge/Tucker/Buckman staying out of foul trouble. This team can go deep in the tourney if they play smart, fundamental ball.


Oakland

Overrated: Gonzaga
They play in a weak WCC conference and were unable to close out games against some of their weaker opponents. Batista and Morrison have to be on their A game. But their lack of defense could still result in poor results against Xavier. And it could be an interesting matchup against Indiana with Killingsworth and Morrison.

Underrated: Arkansas
Ronnie Brewer is capable of carrying this team on his back as he helped late in the season and through the conference tourney, before bowing out to Florida 74-71. They’ve had impressive wins against at Florida, at Tennessee and at Alabama. If there starters can stay out of foul trouble and remain on the floor, they could become a tough out.

Spoiler: Arkansas
Read the above.

Best Matchup: Indiana/San Diego St
Indiana has been up and down all season. Marco Killingsworth has been a monster and has given Indiana some toughness. But he can’t do it alone. With White out for the season, that puts too much responsibility on Killingsworth. Can he carry them on his shoulders? SD St. has 3 players in double digit scoring (Brandon Heath, Marcus Slaughter and Mohamed Abukar). If Slaughter can battle with Killingsworth and get him in foul trouble, San Diego State has a good change of pulling off the upset.

Double’s Pick: Kansas
Yes they are a very young team, but they spread the ball around and don’t rely on just one player to carry the load. They are coming off an impressive win against Texas in the Big 12 championship and if they can carry that over, they have a very good chance of pulling off some upsets against possible opponents Pittsburgh and Memphis.


Washington D.C.:

Overrated: 3 Way Tie: UCONN, Kentucky, Tennessee
UCONN: They have the talent to win the tourney. But do they have the passion and drive and determination to do so? Josh Boone is one of the most overrated players. The problem with UCONN is they will have to settle for outside shooting throughout the tourney because they can’t count on Boone to be a dominant big man.
Kentucky: In the tourney based on their reputation. Yes, they played much better down the stretch, but still, too many bad losses and only 3 wins against top #25 teams during the season (WVU – beginning of year when WVU was playing horrible, Louisville – I could beat Louisville in a pick up game, Tennessee – end of season when Tennessee starting to show true colors)
Tennessee: They showed lots of promise until the end of the season when they had some really bad losses (Bama, Arkansas, Kentucky and South Carolina). Won 2 of their last 6 games against Florida – Not a huge win, and Vandy. They aren’t deserving of a #2 seed.

Underrated: Illinois
Yes, it’s questionable to say a #4 seed is underrated, but it seems as though no one is talking about Illinois. I think everyone forgets how good they really are. They have experience from a year ago and Dee Brown is playing exceptionally well. When he is on, they are tough to beat. And James Augustine has been a nice surprise to the front line. Illinois is tougher than most people think. Look for them to be a problem against UCONN.

Spoiler: Seton Hall
This is a tough bracket, but if the Hall can get past Wichita St. they could become a nuisance for Tennessee. If the Hall can find their mid-season form again they could become a dangerous team. They were 9-7 in the toughest conference in the nation and beat some really good teams (at Pitt, WVU, at NC State, at Syracuse). Watch out Tennessee.

Best Matchup: Kentucky/UAB
Kentucky has been very inconsistent throughout the season, but they can put points up on the board. But UAB’s Squeaky Johnson will do what he can to make sure that Rajon Rondo doesn’t allow Kentucky to get into a rhythm. That should be a great matchup to watch which should make it into a very good game.

Double’s Pick: UNC
They’ve impressed me all season. Young team that just continues to play hard and wins. The first matchup against Duke I thought they were going to get blown out due to them being a young team and not understanding the magnitude of that rivalry. But they hung in there the whole game and only lost by 4. Later, they beat Duke at Duke. A very impressive win. Tyler Hansbrough is the real deal and David Noel has provided leadership to this young team and does the little things. Look out D.C., UNC is looking to take it by storm.


Minneapolis:


Overrated: Nevada
The whole season Nick Fazekas was getting love around the country. Nevada was even ranked. But they didn’t impress me. Yes, they are on a 14 game winning streak, but that doesn’t impress me, since the majority of those wins were against weak teams. Too many times they couldn’t put teams away (like Gonzaga) when they should have allowing. If Fazekas is off, they don’t stand a chance.

Underrated: Georgetown
How is Georgetown a #7 seed? Beyond me. Yes, they have some bad losses (South Florida) but they also have impressive wins (Duke, Pitt, at Marquette). This is a team that can do some damage in the tourney, especially being in one of the weaker regions.

Spoiler: Georgetown
Ohio State will pose the biggest threat to Georgetown, but Georgetown can beat anyone in this region. If they can get past Ohio St., they have a great shot at beating what looks like Oklahoma or Florida in the Sweet 16 and advance on and possibly play Big East opponent Villanova or possibly BC. Georgetown has been tested. Playing in the Big East is a big advantage come tournament time. In order to survive the Big East, you have to play the best.

Best Matchup: Arizona/Wisconsin
I don’t know what to make of these two teams. One game they look like good teams, the next they look like they should have been headed to the N.I.T. But either way, this should be a good matchup. What I mean by that though is it should be a close game which makes for a good ending. What happens from the start till about the last 5 minutes could be ugly. But isn’t the fun of the NCAA first round purely based on last second buzzer beaters and upsets?

Double’s Pick: Villanova
Ever since Curtis Sumpter went down I became very skeptical of Nova. I didn’t think they could hang with the big boys without another true very good big man. But their 4 guard lineup has made it work. They are extremely tough to guard and they can rebound. Their bench has been playing well as of late which is a huge benefactor. Their biggest challenge will probably come from B.C., but B.C. is known to fall short in big games. Nova should have beaten UNC a year ago, but lost due to a traveling violation. I think this is their year to advance to the Final 4.