Sorts of Sports

It's been a long day and I don't feel like putting in tons of effort, not that I do often, on an article today. But I did put effort into reading this article from the wallstreetjournal.com and it makes too much sense to not exist. I remember Craig, the former SOS soccer guy, telling me all about relegation and how it worked int he EPL and how American sports should have it. Well Craig wasn't good at convincing me but this article from WSJ and college football has really got me thinking.

Editor's Note: Introducing ZZ to the team...

The chatter over major conference re-alignment in Division I athletics has risen to all-time highs this past week with the confirmed reports of Big XII schools Nebraska and Colorado moving to the Big Ten and Pac-10 respectively. The Colorado move coincides with the rampant speculation that the Pac-10 will be issuing invites to five other Big XII schools --Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State-- to form a “super conference” of 16 teams, and two divisions. Let’s recall though that the Big 10 initially got the ball rolling months ago with discussions that they may raid the Big East of teams such as Rutgers, Pittsburgh, and Syracuse, in addition to various Big XII teams to create their own 16 team “super conference.” To top it off, Ms. Independent (Notre Dame) has created its usual buzz contemplating, not-contemplating, then contemplating again the move to a power conference, with the Big 10 being its logical destination.

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Name 3 teams in the Mountain West Conference.... maybe I set the bar too high, name 1? If you didn't realize that the MWC included TCU, New Mexico, San Diego State, Air Force, Utah, UNLV, and BYU then maybe you should get on your mid major conference knowledge. Now think of those teams and add Boise State. Boise State gets media attention every year for the past few years and it would only make sense in every way, except for the MWC.

... It goes in. Trust me Gordon Hayward hits it. It would have been a lot easier had he hit the 12-foot baseline jumper just before but you can't script this stuff. Last night's NCAA Championship game was amazing. I don't know if it was the best ever, I haven't been around for ever, but it was one of the best I have seen, with the exception of Duke winning.

This year's NCAA Tournament is unpredictable and exciting, unlike any year of recent memory. We won't have the four No. 1s cruising to the Final Four but we do have four teams ranked 9th or lower still in the tournament. So is this good, and for whom?

I enjoy an upset as much as the next person. I sat and looked at my brackets 100s of times second guessing myself because I could make a case for that 14 seed winning in the first round, and then that 9 seed winning in the 2nd round, but as much as I could convince myself, it wasn't worth taking the risk that ou figured no one else would. Each to their own.

2010 March Madness is here. No real complaints this year on snubs or incorrect seeding. Whether Illinois got in or Virginia Tech or Rhode Island, Florida, Mississippi State, it doesn't really matter because none of those teams are serious contenders. I think there are only a half dozen teams that can really go the distance and win 6 straight games. Here's Bracket Madness A-Z.

Sort of like August, historically February serves as a sort of lull on the sports calendar.  In August, Major League Baseball’s trade-deadline drama has come and gone, playoff races are beginning to shape up but the picture is still hazy.  Simultaneously, many sports fans begin to anticipate the coming months as both college and pro football looms in the month ahead.  February offers that same lack of interest.  The Super Bowl will be over and done with, and midseason NBA action doesn’t offer much as teams are settling down before the stretch run of March and April.

For the casual fan, college basketball still hasn’t entered the stratosphere – and won’t until at least conference tourney season.  Fine.  But if you’re looking for some intriguing story lines in February, college hoops should be abundant.  At this point, the top eight or so programs seem pretty settled into their likely roles as Regional No. 1 or 2 seeds.  After that it’s anyone’s best guess. Many of the BCS conferences are still wide open in the top half, most having some bottom-feeders fighting for a chance to dance in a recognizably weak year.

With that, let’s take a look at some questions, possibilities and scenarios that will play out before Tournament season a month from now.

About half way through the season and nearly a 1/3 of the way through conference play. We have 2 months until the brackets start and I figured that I have waited long enough to start talking about the best thing in all of sports, March Madness.

Here's a breakdown of the top 20 and who to keep an eye out for and who is doomed for a first round upset. Rankings based on ESPN/USA Today Poll for the week of January 18.

1- Texas. There is no way that this team makes it to the Final 4. Put it down on paper and in fact I might even go out on a limb for a 15 v 2 upset. I don't see them even getting a 1 seed by the time the tournament starts. They won't win the Big 12. Their problem is free throws. I feel bad letting the cat out of the bag and sharing my secret of my bracket but if you can't hit free throws you won't win big games.

2- Kentucky. They still have to play Tennessee twice but other than that it should be a breeze going all the way through. They could have a trap game versus South Carolina later this year but otherwise as long as they are healthy they will make the Final 4.

3- Kansas. At the time of this article they are tied with a very good Baylor team, yet I looked at their schedule and it already had penciled in a 30 point win. Does ESPN know something I don't? Kansas is deep and should win the Big 12. I like their chances going to the Championship.

4- Villanova. The only thing that keeps me on the fence about this team is that they are in the Big East. With the new layout of the Big East Tournament, it hurts the top 4 teams as they have to play an extra game before the tournament and thus I think it will wear them down. Look out on Feb 2 for Seton Hall to upset them. I don't see this team making it to the Final 4 because of the Big East Tournament.

5- Syracuse. A team that was on no one's radar at the start of the year and for good reason. This is a team that has risen too fast, too soon. Sweet 16 maybe, but find a team in the tournament that can penatrate the zone and Cuse is done.