Bloopers of the Week...

This was a great week for bloopers...here are two of the best:

Ben Higgins, Sports Director for ABC 10 News in San Diego, almost becomes road kill during his post-game coverage of San Diego State's win:

And, this is ultimate proof that karma does exist:

Links...

The Pac-10...er, Pac-12 unveiled its new logo today.

Michael Jordan thinks Derrick Rose should be the NBA MVP, and so does Celtics coach Doc Rivers.

Tennessee's Athletic Director Mike Hamilton let it slip on a radio interview today that Bruce Pearl may not return as the head basketball coach next year.

President Obama made his NCAA picks today...he went fairly conservatively as he picked all four #1 seeds in the Final Four, with Kansas winning the title.

The "tweet" of the day goes to Torii Hunter of the Anaheim Angels...why again was Twitter invented?

NCAA Tourney Costs Employers...

If you notice a slight decline in attendance at the office over the next few weeks, the NCAA Tournament is probably to blame.  According to Challenger Gray & Christmas Inc. the tourney costs American companies countless hours and dollars in worker productivity.

Thanks to online viewing of the dance, workers can now stream games live at their desk, hidden behind the array a spreadsheets and emails.  Challenger estimates that viewers will likely spend 8.4 million hours watching games online, and end up costing their companies around $192 of lost productivity.

Now I don't think workers slacking off is the best idea, but come on, the NCAA Tournament should be a national holiday.  Even this guy took some time off the job last year to fill out his bracket with ESPN's Andy Katz.

Final Four Predictions

EAST: Ohio State


It's hard not to pick the #1 team in the country, and a team that cruised to a Big-Ten Tournament title over the weekend.  The Buckeyes are one of the deepest teams in the field and have the ability to dominate the paint with Sullinger and Lauderdale. What makes them the team to beat is that they can also step out and shoot the three at will.  Diebler leads the team in  3-point shooting, and David Lighty's senior experience should carry the Buckeyes to the Final Four.  The only issue I see for Ohio State is the difficulty of their bracket.  Teams like Syracuse, North Carolina, and Kentucky all have the talent and the potential to send Ohio State packing early.



WEST: Duke...maybe?


The West was arguably the hardest region to pick in this years tourney. Duke is definitely the favorite in this region, but Texas, San Diego State, UCONN, and even Arizona all have strong chances to come out of the West.  The key for Duke will be their 3-point shooting, and staying out of foul trouble.  When Duke knocks down their three's, they are almost unbeatable, but when they struggle from behind the arc they tend to lose games. (eg. Against North Carolina, Florida State, Virginia Tech, and St John's)


SOUTHWEST: Kansas


Kansas, like Ohio State, looks to be one of the teams to beat.  After a disappointing early departure from last years tournament at the hands of Northern Iowa, Kansas looks to rebound. Their solid inside play with the Morris twins, and the great guard play of Brady Morningstar, Josh Selby and Tyshawn Taylor should be too much for anyone in their region.  They may face roadblocks however, in a dangerous Louisville team, and potentially against Notre Dame in the Elite-8.  I think the Irish have the best chance to beat the Jayhawks, but I am still confident that Kansas will make a run to the Final Four.


SOUTHEAST: Umm...Pitt....no, Florida...no, St. Johns...?


When I said the West was arguably the hardest region to pick, I meant it was pretty hard.  This bracket on the other hand was just brutal.  There are potentially 7 teams that can come out of this region and move on to the Final Four.  I'm going to go with the Red Storm of St John's, based on their great play against ranked teams this year.  Their inexperience scares me a little bit, but I don't like Pittsburgh after their early Big East Tourney departure, and Florida is a very overrated 2-seed.  St John's was 6-5 against Top-25 teams this year, and are 11-1 in their last 12 games.  Steve Lavin has done a tremendous job in his first year at St John's, so look for the Red Storm to move on to Houston....That is, unless Gonzaga beats them in the first round...

Pre-Tournament Primer

First off, the NCAA selection committee created some great match-ups as usual, but at the same time teams like Virginia Tech, Colorado, Alabama, and St Mary's got robbed.  Virginia Tech was fresh off a semi-finals appearance in the ACC tournament, and defeated Duke only two weeks ago.  Colorado defeated Texas, and Kansas State 3 different times, both of whom are in the field of 68.  VCU and UAB, the letter teams, do not deserve bids in the tourney, especially due to their weak out of conference schedule, and record against top-50 teams.

First round games to watch:

(8)Michigan v. (9)Tennessee- This match-up features 2 middle of the road NCAA teams, but should provide a great and entertaining first round game. The Wolverines have no seniors on the roster, and their youth may be a hindrance, although they have found a go-to-guy late in the season in Tim Hardaway Jr.   Tennessee has responded nicely to a rough early start, and the 8 game suspension of Coach Bruce Pearl.  Both these teams average in the high 60's or higher in scoring, and like to attack the basket.  This is a very hard game to pick, but Tennessee probably has the experience to prevail.

(7)UCLA v. (10)Michigan State- Michigan State and UCLA had only mediocre seasons by their standards, but both teams should fare well in the tourney, as long as they can win this first-round game.  UCLA has won 9 of their last 12, and has great wins during the season in BYU, and their trouncing of Arizona at home.  The Spartans have struggled at times, but when March comes around they seem to always shine.  Bad years, by Michigan St. standards, tend to turn around as soon as the tournament begins. The team that wins this game should match up well with an overrated Florida team, so don't be surprised if the Bruins or Spartans find themselves in the "Sweet-16."

Other games of note:
(5)Kansas State v. (12)Utah State
(7)Texas A&M v. (10)Florida State
(6)Georgetown v. (11)USC or VCU (Should be USC)
(5)Vanderbilt v. (12)Richmond (*Upset potential!)

Look for the Snider Sports Network's Final Four predictions that will come out later in the week.