A Wonderful Time of Year

On Saturday, there was plenty of college football.

On Sunday, the Patriots and the Colts managed to make their game really interesting in the final minutes.

On Monday, more football, even though it wasn’t that interesting.

On Tuesday, ESPN did their 24 hours of college basketball.  I forgot how much fun college basketball is.  And both #1 and #2 in the nation found themselves in tight games as the clock wound down. 

On Wednesday, I took a break — I’m not that in to the NBA.

On Thursday (tonight) I was able to switch between college basketball and college football.  After watching Colorado return a kickoff for a TD, I saw Ohio State cut a 19-point deficit to 2 points in the final seconds against North Carolina.

Gotta love the variety.  And that’s why, despite the colder temperatures, earlier sunsets and biting wind, this is a wonderful time of year. 

Brackets

The Brackets have now been out for just over 48 hours, time for me to digest it all and start seriously analyzing…

First, I would like to see a mid-major in place of Arizona.  And probably a couple other teams, but I’m thrilled that the Big Ten has 7 teams, so I won’t say too much.  Beyond acknowledging that I am openly biased.

Second, although I really don’t like some of the regions and matchups and travel, I must admit that there’s tons of potential for fantastic games from the first tip of the first game. 

Third, I’m ashamed to admit that my first crack at picks is annoyingly chalky.  It’s the upsets that make the tournament so much fun, but since I pick more on personal preference than anything out, I end up chalky.  At the moment, I don’t have all the 1-seeds in the Final Four, but that is subject to change in the next 36 hours.

I wish I could guess who will be a Davidson or George Mason this year, but because of the parity in the field, I actually expect the Elite Eight and Final Four to hold to the seeding fairly well.  All things considered, the teams at the top of the brackets earned those spots.  However, the first and second rounds could belong to anyone.

Although I firmly believe that a 16 will win someday, I don’t think that’s very likely this year. 

A few rambling thoughts, by region:
East:  Given the pairings, it’s hard to see options beyond Pitt here.  Duke probably earned their 2-seed, but they aren’t that strong.  I don’t expect many shocking upsets here, although I’m picking a 12-5 upset just for Big Ten respectability.

South: As much as it pains me to admit, UNC looks good.  However, Oklahoma with a healthy Blake Griffin is a force to be reckoned with.  My Illini are popular picks for a 12-5 upset, and I understand that.  I’ve said all season that the Sweet Sixteen would be overachieving for Bruce Weber’s club.  However, they have exceeded expectations all year, so out of loyalty, I’ll take them that far.  However, that sets up a rematch against UNC, and I’m not sure I could bear that…  Syracuse is another interesting possibility here.  Any club that competes in 5 games in 4 days deserves respect.  The Orange played Louisville tough in the Big East Championship game, and Flynn deserved the tourney MVP. 

Midwest:  There are some intriguing possibilities here.  Wake Forest is a popular pick, and given the number of separate sources that have verified that Wake is an offensive firepower, I’m inclined to agree.  However, Tom Izzo consistently has his team ready to go in mid-March, regardless of the personnel.  He’s hard to pick against.  Although Bill Self has improved, NDSU could prove to be a Bucknell or Bradley (or maybe that’s wishful thinking on my part).  And yes, Louisville is very good.

West:  This region is a bit more wide open, in my opinion.  Conneticut hasn’t been the same since Jerome Dyson got hurt.  They could make a run, but they could also bow out early.  Memphis is a great team, but they will have to prove they can play anyone — they haven’t done that just yet.  I like Purdue, a team that is finally healthy and playing their best.  Mizzou is also interesting (and they lost to Illinois and now have a respectable coach, a few things in the favor in my rating system). 

But really, once the games start, I can’t help but cheer for exciting games and good basketball.  Bring on the Madness!

Tournament Talk

Selection Sunday is tomorrow, so it’s time for intense predictions about bubbles and seeding and bracketbusters.  But because the talking heads started analyzing such details with the beginning of conference play, I’ve really had my fill. 

Yes, March Madness is the highlight of college basketball.  It is one of the reasons people love to watch.  But apparently, like Christmas merchandise, every year the tournament speculatuion has to come out earlier.

Now I love March Madness.  But I love the rest of the season, too.  And I would be perfectly happy focusing on the game itself until mid-February, when it seems reasonable to start focusing on the NCAA fun, just like I don’t need Christmas music until after I’ve enjoyed my Thanksgiving turkey and pumpkin pie.

Gearing Up for March

March Madness is on the way!  But as we anticipate the unpredictability of The Tourney, college basketball is giving us glimpses of what it’s in store.

Maryland upset North Carolina in overtime after coming back late.  Michigan State needed a rally at home to beat Wisconsin.  Kansas held on over Oklahoma on the road, although they probably owe Texas a thank you for putting star Blake Griffin on the bench with a concussion.  Pitt dominated Conneticut, and injuries have put question marks everywhere. 

College basketball.  Anything can happen on any given day.  And my anticipation is building as conference play nears an end.

That Was Fun!

Super Bowl XLIII delivered.  Or at least, the game did.  The commercials weren’t all that impressive, but the game itself was all you could ask for, with a few extra flags thrown in.

The Cardinals proved they could play, and that their offense was legit, making up a 13-point deficit to take the lead in the 4th quarter.  And the Cards defense made a very impressive goal line stand. 

The Steelers proved they have a defense, which we knew, and that there’s a bit of offense in them, as well.  Their final TD drive was all you could ask for from a Super Bowl Champion team.

Plus, Carey Davis made a couple contributions to the Steelers, including the prevention of a near interception, and the Cardinals kicking game looked good.  That means the Illini held their own.

Oh, and the Illini men’s basketball team beat Iowa, too.  That’s not bad for one day.

Unpredictably Entertaining

The Big Ten basketball season.  Unexpected upsets, great runs, close games.  Lots of fun.

Unpredictable:  Minnesota is a contender.  Indiana isn’t.  Penn State is dangerous.  Iowa seems to be struggling, but they still beat Wisconsin.  Northwestern got their second conference win at the Breslin Center.  Michigan State lost at home.  Wisconsin is on a 4-game conference losing streak. 

Entertaining:  Lots of overtime games and big comebacks.  Lots of games decided by narrow margins.  Passionate players and fans.

I’m really enjoying the conference this season, although it helps that my Illini have gotten off to a strong start.

The sidelines look much different, with many recent coaching additions in the conference.  I’ll admit I miss having coaches to make fun of (Alford, Sampson), but I like having quality coaches that respect the game all around the conference (Crean, Tubby, etc.).

But more so than in recent years, Big Ten basketball has become lots of fun — and worth watching.  And that’s my plan for the next several weeks!

Big Time Basketball

Big Ten basketball hasn’t gotten much national respect in recent years, despite the noted Final Four runs of some teams.  And although I love the Big Ten, I must admit that critics have grounds for their comments.

But this year looks to be different.  The Big Ten opened conference play with a very, very impressive non-conference record, including victories against top 10 teams, and very few embarrassing losses against smaller schools.  Indiana was an exception, but they will be back on track soon. 

And as Big Ten play opened this week, the season promises to be very entertaining.  Illinois beat the pre-season favorites, Purdue, in West Lafayette.  Michigan State knocked off undefeated Minnesota at the Barn.  And Wisconsin beat the Michigan Wolverines on the road, as well.  Penn State and Ohio State both just barely held on at home against Northwestern and Iowa, respectively. 

If these games are any indication, nothing will be a given in conference play.  Home court may not be a very big advantage.  Top 25 rankings may not matter.  And whoever survives will be in good shape to make a strong run come March.

Happy Holidays

Christmas means many different things to people.  And while I’ve been overdosing on Christmas music and lights and shopping and wrapping and parties and more, Christmas also means sports.  The holiday season also includes New Year’s Day, a time to make resolutions that you probably won’t keep, and enjoy more sports…

• College football bowl games now start even before Christmas, and the Day itself means we have just a week to go before the really good bowls start.
• Just before Christmas, one of the best non-conference college basketball rivalry games takes place in St. Louis.  Illinois v. Mizzou.  Fans split the arena down the middle.  And I try to have a Braggin’ Rights party to watch.  Good times.
• Apparently some NBA teams play on Christmas.  But since MJ retired (the first time), I have a hard time caring.  Want to see his son play?  See the bullet above. 
• This year, Chicago has a special holiday treat.  The Blackhawks will play an outdoor game at Wrigley a week after Christmas.  And I’ll have to pay a bit of attention. 
• Oh, and just on the heels of the BCS bowl games and the New Year comes conference play in college basketball.
• And TheSassyOne can tell you how many days until pitchers and catchers report…

So, with all that in mind, happy holidays!

The Challenge

The ACC – Big Ten Challenge is a great marketing tool created by ESPN to make college basketball fans care about early season, non-conference game.  And they’ve done a great job with that marketing, even though the ACC has completely dominated the event.

As much as marketing ploys annoy me in sports, as a fan I must admit that they make it easy for me to watch and decide who to cheer for.  For example, just a few hours ago I was cheering for Wisconsin to hold off an aggressive Virginia Tech team that came from as many as 13 down to tie the game with about 6 or 7 seconds left.  And then the Badgers hit a little shot in the lane with .9 on the clock.  Exciting game.  Really legitimate competition, which is relatively rare early in the season.  And a made-for-TV battle between conferences that really didn’t care much about each other until March before they invented this deal.

I’m going to be optimistic that the Big Ten is a much stronger conference than they were last year, and I’m anticipating their first victory in the event.  Sure, Michigan State can take North Carolina.  Maybe.  But it will be fun to cheer for them. 

Anyway, in my mind, this week of basketball signals that the season is really underway.  So tune in to ESPN for some quality games this week (I hope), pick your conference and cheer!

Another Day, Another Draft

The NBA draft is quickly approaching.  I really can’t get very excited about it, even with — or maybe because — the Bulls are going first.  Beyond seeing where the one-year wonders end up, I’m finding it hard to get into the manufactured drama of the draft.  Will Rose go first?  Will Beasley or Mayo go second?  Does it matter?

The majority of players projected to go at the very top of the draft haven’t graduated from college.  So what difference does the age minimum make in the NBA? 

I believe the age thing has become a useful marketing tool for both college and pro basketball.  Trojans knew they had one year with Mayo, and Hoosiers knew Gordon would be gone after a year as well.  But both fan bases savored the numbers and star power, and coaching staffs use these players to boost their stock in the eyes of other one-year-wonder wanna-bees who are still in high school.  At the same time, the players can use their markets, college fans and the craziness of March Madness to boost their stock to both pro scouts and marketers looking for endorsements.  And struggling NBA teams can draw fans and interest with well known college names.   

Is the age limit good for the game?  I don’t know, but the brilliant minds behind the players are learning to turn the rule into cash.  And that keeps the industry going.

So whoever the Bulls take in the first round, just watch for how long it takes for that guy to appear in a local — or national — commercial.