NCAA March Madness Bracket

I always join a pool for March Madness with some of my friends from high school. I've won it a few times and generally do pretty good. Here's my bracket for the 2012 tournament. I really like Florida State to do well coming off of a hot ACC tournament, and I really like Kentucky's big man. Even without Fab Melo, I believe Syracuse can make it to the Elite Eight, but that is when they will run into a brick wall. I love Coach Tom Izzo, but I firmly believe that Missouri is just too fast for his Michigan State team. Comments are welcome


my 2012 Bracket

Third Time is the Charm

It has been a long time since the Texas Rangers celebrated winning the ALCS last year in Arlington. Little did they know, they would be sorely disappointed later after a heartbreaking loss in game 6 and subsequently in game 7 to lose the World Series to the Cardinals. As a Rangers fan that hurt, but I can only imgane how the players and coaches might feel. That was the second consecutive loss in the World Series for them, but I fully believe that 2012 will be the year they finally break through and win a championship.Not only do we retain the core of the team that came within a strike of a title twice last year, but we have also added many valuable pieces.  Last year, we lost Cliff Lee to the Phillies and still made it to the fall classic, so I don't put much stock losing C.J. Wilson. Not only that, we will have relievers Koji Uehara Mike Adams for a full season, Neftali Feliz will be moved to the rotation, added Joe Nathan to an already deep bullpen, and Japanese phenom Yu Darvish will be taking his talents to Arlington. Returning other pitchers such as Colby Lewis, Matt Harrison, Alexi Ogando, and others will make a solid pitching staff with plenty of youth in the minors that are poised to take their place in the majors if they need to. Backing up that pitching is some of the best fielders in the league and a downright deadly lineup for opposing pitchers to navigate. During the offseason, Nelson Cruz, Mike Napoli, and Elvis Andrus all received a vote of confidence and signed contract extenions with the Rangers. Joining them will be Michael Young, David Murphy, Ian Kinsler, Mitch Moreland, Yorvit Torrealba, and Josh Hamilton. Having to decide who to play would be a problem I would love to have as a manager. This is the same group of hitters that made up one of the most potent offenses in the big leagues last year, and they ALL return. As for Hamilton and his relapse this offseason: I firmly believe it will have no impact on his game and that few off the field problems do...except for Tiger Woods but that is something entirely different. One of the most important moves, however, was the re-signing of Manager Ron Washington. He has managed two straight World Series teams and has

withstood countless criticims and come out on top. Other factors that will contribute to another Rangers championship is the relative weakness of other teams. The only team to get significantly better was the Angels (whos seriously lack depth) and the Marlins (who lack pitching). With all this working in their favor, it has become a perfct sotrm for the Rangers to make the World Series, and I fully believe the third time is the charm for the Claw and Antler Nation.

Still not sure about Yu Darvish

As you might have heard this winter, the Texas Rangers have made a giant gamble Japanese ace Yu Darvish, and today he made his first start for them in a spring training game. He made a strong first start when he pitched two scoreless innings against the San Diego Padres. After signing a $56 million contract this winter, that is exactly the kind of start I expected, however, I am still not convinced. While, yes, he did not give up  a run and only two hits, those two hits were doubles and Darvish had to make a play himself to save one of those runs. It goes without saying that Rangers fans like myself are wary of Japanese pitchers coming to play for us because we have been burned before, but it is fair to bring up Colby Lewis that made a successful transition from Japan a couple years ago. Despite this good start to his Texas Rangers career, one must wonder: which path will Darvish take? Will he shine in the states like Lewis did? Or will he fold like Daisuke Matsuzaka did for the Red Sox? The reason I am not convinced is that Daisuke made phenomenal starts to start his U.S career, but he just could not keep it throughout the heat of a MLB summer and postseason. No matter how you spin it, pitching in Japan is different than pitching in the U.S. The only question that remains is will Darvish be able to make the transition? I'm still not convinced, but I am fully prepared for him to prove me wrong.

Why you can't blame Colts, Irsay

The Colts and Peyton Manning have finally parted ways after months of speculation and rumors. My opinion? It's about time. While Manning has been one of, if not the, premier passer in the NFL for majority of his career, I believe this is the best move the Colts could have made. Consider their current position, you are about to pay a large sum of money to a guy who is getting up there in age (35) and whose best years are behind him and who has undergone four neck surgeries and missed the season directly after he signed a $90 million extension. Yes, he will go down as one of the best passers in history, as he currently ranks no lower than 5th in all major passing categories, but the Colts already got a tremendous value from him. Two super bowl, four MVPs, and a new stadium. Their commitment to him is over. It is about the future of the franchise. That future will either be Andrew Luck or Robert Griffin III. If whoever the Colts pick pans out as well as they are expecting (and by all projections, they will) the colts will have a competitive team for at least the next decade. I have great respect for the business acumen and foresight that Jim Irsay shows with this move. His ability to act only on the smartest move without any personal feeling is what will guide his team to another Super Bowl in no more than 3 to 4 years. I'm calling it now. As for Peyton, he will get another huge payday soon enough because there are plenty of good teams that are ready to make the next leap that are only missing a quarterback (Jets, anyone?). This decision was easily the best for everyone involved, and everyone knows it will make for some compelling story lines for the 2012-13 NFL season.