IT'S MADNESS!!!! YOU CAN TELL BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS IN CAPS!!!!

So, arguably the best sporting event of the year takes place this week in the "Big Dance", the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament. An even that has produced and crushed more dreams than possibly any other sports championship in history. I'm not gonna break everything down because you can find roughly 23097823509 other blogs/sites that discuss this in much greater detail, but I'm gonna give you some of my feelings as the tourney starts up.

How many REAL upsets will there be?

This is pretty intriguing. For me, upsets stop in the sweet 16, unless its an obscene difference in seeds, and the 8-9 matchup is never an upset. Also, these are the potential upsets I see by seed, not by point spread. Listed in the order of likeliness.

1. Davidson (10) over Gonzaga (7)
2. Siena (13) over Vanderbilt (4)
3. St. Mary's (10) over Miami, Fl. (7)
4. Baylor (11) over Purdue (6)
5. Kansas St. (11) over USC (6)
6. Temple (12) over Michigan St. (5)
7. St. Joseph's (11) over Oklahoma (6)
8. South Alabama (10) over Butler (7)

The big one on my sheet will be Siena over Vandy. I think Vandy is over-ranked, and in reality, I think they aren't that good. They were crap on the road, and Siena plays well away from home. Cheering for OSU, I saw way too much Big 10 basketball for any human being this year and it was horrendous. That being said, I like Tom Izzo as a coach, but if you shut down Neitzel, they struggle from the perimeter. Purdue is good but another team that doesn't play well away from home. Oklahoma got shellacked and you just never know how a team will bounce back from that, plus St. Joe's is getting a lot of support. Butler got shafted in this seed and then has to play South Alabama IN Alabama. Just has trap written all over it.

Which of the #1-3 seeds has a chance to lose before the first weekend is out?

So taking a look at the four #1's, 2's and 3's which might lose in the first two rounds. Again, listed in an order of likeliness that I think it could happen.

1. Stanford
2. Tennessee
3. Wisconsin
4. Xavier

Stanford, I just don't know about them. I mean, all I've heard is about the Lopez brothers, but I just don't see them as a powerhouse. Lone benefit to me for them is they are playing in Cali. If Marquette is knocking down the jumper they are dangerous, and whoever Stanford plays in the 2nd round will be bringing their defense to Anaheim.

I can't say this enough but Tennessee is undependable. Last year they choked down the stretch to OSU. This year they've looked mortal since beating Memphis, losing on the road at Vandy, and should have lost to Kentucky. Then bounced by Arkansas (an 8) who got run off the floor by Georgia (a 14) in the SEC championship. I just don't like em and a pissed off Butler would have all the non-Tennessee fans cheering them on in rival SEC country.

Wisconsin. You won the Big 10. It's comparable to getting dumped but getting the last scathing remark in. In the long run, it didn't do anything for you, but at that time, you felt much, much better. They play defense. That's all I can say, they have no go to scorer or dependable shooter in my opinion. I watched them in the game hold Michigan to 34 points, but the scarier thing to me was they didn't hit a shot for nearly 8 minutes in the 2nd half! I like Kansas St. matching up bodies, and if it's against USC, the PAC-10 schools are just stronger, period.

I like Xavier a lot actually. But they play a potentially hot Georgia team, and then a potential trap against Purdue-Baylor. Both have shown good things through the year, and you just hope they hype of "walking to the sweet 16" doesn't go to Xavier's heads.

Which teams look like they could win it all, but are too terrifying to trust?

This one is simple for me. Scariest teams (in my opinion) rated first.

1. Kansas (1)
2. Texas (2)
3. Memphis (1)
4. Georgetown (2)

I love Kansas. LOVE. Rock Chalk Jayhawk. And I think Bill Self is a real swell guy. But I do not trust Bill Self one bit in a big game. I just can't do it. Just too scary.

Texas, well, I don't like Texas to begin with. But they are one helluva team this year. The problem is, Rick Barnes coaches them, and he might be worse than Bill Self. No bueno for me.

Memphis...if I was up by 2 possessions against them with a minute to go, I might just foul them. Not even let them run their offense, just let them go and shoot their 62% from the line.

Georgetown can definitely win it all, but Roy Hibbert NEEDS to be on the floor. If they get in foul trouble and he has to spend time on the bench, thats Barney Rubble for them.

So smart guy, who is going to the Final Four and who is winning it all?

Here is my Final Four: East - UNC, Midwest - Georgetown, South - Pitt, West - UCLA

Yes Pitt. I watched them play a few times and now that they are healthy, they are hitting full stride. I mean, this is a team that can play with ANYONE in the country right now and they are full of confidence. The rest can't be that surprising.

I have UNC beating Georgetown and UCLA beating Pitt, with UNC taking home the title.

UNC is just too strong, and too good. They run the floor exceptionally, can handle any defense you throw at them, with playing some tough defense of their own. Rebound the ball better than most, and have outstanding shot blockers. They also have guys that can knock down the 3 with consistency and inside presence even with others on the bench. Just can't see anyone beating them at this stage as long as everyone stays healthy.

Last one, what teams are good enough to win it, without getting as much love from the public?

Here is a quick list of teams, in no particular order and ranked #3 or higher, that can win it all.

Louisville (3)
Pittsburgh (4)
Marquette (6)
U Conn (4)
Xavier (3)
Clemson (5)

We'll find out in a couple weeks how everything turns out, but no matter what, it makes March a wonderful time of year.

Top 10 Boxing Knockouts

So I started thinking about the upcoming fight on Saturday between Roy Jones Jr. and Felix Trinidad and thought it might be interesting to think of some of the best knockouts I've seen. Both these guys could throw some bombs in their day, and even now that they are a little older, I wouldn't be surprised to see either one one get put on the canvas.

So I decided to make a top 10 list with some ground rules.

Rule 1 - The knockout MUST be on YouTube so you can see it today. I'm sure the greatest knockout ever happened in front of 200 people in some dinky hall, but it doesn't count if I can't YouTube it.

Rule 2 - To make the list, it had to involve at least one significant fighter. Believe me, I love watching undercards and little no name guys just throwing haymakers at each other, but for this list, we needed some name recognition.

Rule 3 - Bonus points are awarded for viciousness, ridiculousness, and unbelievableness in knocking the opponent out. This helped decide the top 3.

Also, I will try to give you key points to look at in the video, but feel free to watch them all, they all have something fun to see.

So without further ado, here is my not even a little bit of boxing expertise, Top 10.

10. Lennox Lewis defeats Mike Tyson (2:00 minute mark)



This was basically the end of Iron Mike. And I loved Iron Mike before he started raping and biting people. He was the scariest human being on the planet. YouTube the Michael Spinks fight. It lasts about 2 minutes, and he had never been knocked down before. Scary.

The bonus greatness of this clip is the weird British announcers. It was a peach of an announcing job.

9. Antonio Tarver defeats Roy Jones Jr.



Roy Jones Jr. does not see this coming. However, he felt it for about 3 months afterwards. Just a wicked blind hook that knocks out one of the best pound for pound fighters of all time.

8. Felix Trinidad defeats Fernando Vargas



Trinidad basically had this fight barring Vargas knocking him out, but he leaves absolutely no doubt in round 12. The ref gave Vargas a shot at finishing it, and all he did was walk face first into another left hook from Trinidad to end it on a TKO.

7. George Foreman defeats Joe Frazier



Just a domination, Foreman didn't throw bombs, he threw nukes. I mean, it was unreal. And bonus points for producing one of the most famous sports calls of all time.

6. Marvelous Marvin Hagler defeats Thomas Hearns



You have to watch this entire clip. This was why boxing used to be so incredibly popular. Because you had two guys like this, just going toe to toe in an absolute war with each other, and ending on a vicious hook by "Marvelous"Marvin.

5. Bernard Hopkins defeats Felix Trinidad (0:50 mark)



Absolutely wicked punch. Just a haymaker that lands right on Trinidad's jaw and gives him a 3 month long concussion.

4. Thomas Hearns defeats Roberto Duran (6:30 mark)



I know this is past Duran's prime, but this ending is still vicious. I'm sure he was wishing he would have yelled no mas before he got in the ring if he knew that was about to happen to him.

3. Sugar Ray Robinson defeats Gene Fullmer



This goes down as one of the top 5 punches I've ever seen landed. I mean it's a left hook that hit probably as square as possible and was just wicked. Beastly.

2. Diego Corrales defeats Juan Luis Castillo



This is honestly one of the most amazing rounds of boxing I've ever seen. If this fight is ever on ESPN Classic, it is a imperative to watch. I can't believe these two guys walked out of this ring, and with the death of Corrales in his motorcycle accident not long ago, it helps put this fight, this round and this knockout on another level.

And Number 1.......

Rocky Marciano defeats Jersey Joe Walcott



And then just for good measure..........



By all accounts, Marciano was gonna lose this fight. He needed a knockout, and Walcott got cocky. He didn't protect himself, and he wasn't worried about Marciano. And then Rocky proved why he went undefeated and did it in vicious style. I'm pretty sure if he did this to a normal person, it would have resulted in a decapitation.

And there you have it. My Top 10. Hope you enjoyed it.

And just because I can't help it, one other video I found along the way.

Uncoordinated Tall White Guy defeats Uncoordinated Short White Guy

Enjoy.


Big Time Knock Out Punch - Watch more free videos

We Need a New Nickname!

As many people may know, Jacobs Field no longer exists. Oh the stadium is there, but under the new name of Progressive Field. I saw on another blog about someone that found the irony of the "Indians" playing at "Progressive" Field. And I can't lie, I see it too.

But irony is not what this is about. When Jacobs Field was stripped away, we lost something important to our stadium. A nickname. That's right. Now, don't get me wrong, "The Jake" wasn't the best in sports, but it was something...it was Cleveland. And I'll be damned if I'm going to say that I'm going to "The Prog" for a game. It sounds like the new club that Britney Spears was caught without underwear and throwing up in.

So that is where I'm enlisting the help of all the loyal Internet readers out there. Cleveland has a ballpark, and now we just need our nickname. If we can get enough good ideas, I'll set it up for a vote and I will do everything in my power to have all the fans calling Progressive Field, "_________".

Leave any of your ideas for a nickname in the comment section.

Chris Bosh, Former Used Car Salesman???

Chris Bosh wants your vote for the NBA All-Star Team, and he's not afraid to campaign. Check the video yourself and see how good the deal is that Chris and Bubba are ready to make.



I think if more politicians campaigned this way, more people would actually vote.

Credit Yahoo! Sports NBA Blog with the original finding

Jason Kidd to the Cavs? AND No Larry Hughes?!?

So a story came out recently that Nets PG Jason Kidd is angry with the New Jersey Nets and has basically all but demanded a trade. You can read the story here from Yahoo! Sports Adrian Wojnarowski.

Personally, I don't trust anyone that looks like that guy talking about sports, but he made some good points. It didn't take long, but Jason Kidd came out and denied the reports, his agent saying he was "hurt" by the comments people were saying. You can read that article here from ESPN.com.

Now, personally, I try to be an optimist. I mean, being a Cleveland sports fan, you have to be, otherwise you'll be jumping off the Terminal Tower. So I decided to head to the trade machine on ESPN.com to see what we could do to get us that point guard we all want. Here was my favorite scenario and one I think would work:



(click the image for a larger view)

The key though is, we'd have to give them Larry Hughes, or dump draft picks which I don't want to do, but that might not be such a bad thing. Larry Hughes might fit there, a different set-up with guys like Jefferson and Carter who will take care of all the scoring necessities, I think it frees him up to be a better 1 or 2. And it also gives them cap help by being able to dump an extra 6 million with the contract differences between Kidd and Hughes, and then they can get rid of Ira and Shannon and save more cash. So I think it works well for them.

And with the Cavs, do we even need to speak why this trade would be immaculate?! A true PG, a guy who plays hurt, knows how to get the ball to his teammates, and shows LeBron, we really do love you, please don't leave us. If this trade is even remote, I think it has to be done. Hell even if we have to keep Hughes, how many guys are untouchable on the Cavs? One. Do it Danny Ferry. You owe us.

For All Those People That Say.....

That Ohio State doesn't deserve to play in the National Championship game because they don't play in a conference championship game, shut up. You can't blame them for something they have no control over.

For those that don't know, the SEC is the one that started the conference championship business back in 1992. In 1996 the Big 12 thought what the SEC was doing sounded super and jumped on board. The ACC was the last major conference to jump on the bus and that happened in 2005 when they expanded (The MAC and Conference-USA also play conference championship games but they won't be considered for the rest of this blog). But in 1999, to try to finally settle a true champion, the #1 vs. #2 debate each year, they created the BCS. And the real debate began.

Now, the first question we need to answer is, how do they decide to play a conference championship game? The Big 10 doesn't do it, the Pac-10 doesn't, Big East doesn't. But why do the other 3 big conferences do? Well a bunch of Athletic Directors get together and take a vote. If they want a conference championship game they play it. If they don't, there isn't one. Oh by the way, don't forget the money that is involved either, because, really that's what its about. Look at the areas that play them...the south, south eastern coast, and the Midwest. Areas that don't have the same professional sports draws and factors that areas like the north/north east and the west coast has. And honestly if you've been to those areas, college sports is held on a much higher level, with football elevated well above anything else.

Okay so lets look at some numbers. Here is how many teams from each conference that have played in the BCS title game since 1999. All years reflect year the game was played.

Big 12 - 5 (Oklahoma '01, '04, & '05, Nebraska '02, Texas '06 two wins, three losses)
SEC - 3 (Tennessee '99, LSU '04, Florida '07 all champs)
ACC - 3 (Florida St. '99, '00, '01 one win, two losses)*
Big East - 3 (Virginia Tech '00, Miami '02 & '03 one win, two losses)**
Pac 10 - 2 (USC '05 & '06 one win, one loss)
Big 10 - 2 (Ohio State '03 & '07 one win, one loss)

*Pre-Conference Championship game
** Virginia Tech and Miami are now both members of the ACC

So lets take a look together. The two conferences that I hear complaining about the most are the ones that lead this list in championship appearances and champions. The ACC and Big East stat is an anomaly because those programs, sans Va. Tech, have lost an immense part of their luster in the last 5 years. So what does this tell us? I think a few things.

First, it says the Big 12 and the SEC know how to win when they get there. A combined 5-3 record (3-0 for the SEC) is impressive. Aside from 2000 and 2003, a member from at least one of the conferences have played in the title game.

Second, I think it says the Big 10 and Pac 10 are good, but have few teams in the way of championship contenders. It doesn't mean an Illinois can't beat an OSU or an Oregon can't make a run, but the jury is still out if they can have the non-perennials make runs. There are 5 teams from the ACC, Big East, Big 10 and Pac 10 combined in the championship games while the Big 12 and the SEC sent 3...each!

Third, and most importantly, I think it shows this conference championship business might be blown out of proportion. I mean look at the stats that are there and it shows that chastising OSU is unnecessary. It's not their fault how the system is set up, and for those that say they play cakewalks, I'll give you partial credit. Do we forget the Texas home and home? What about the USC home and home the next two years? And Miami after that and tentative schedules for Cal in '12 and '13, Va. Tech for '14 and '15 and then Oklahoma in '16 and '17. Give all those schools credit for taking the chance, but keep it in mind for the Buckeyes for the next 6 days or so.

And as Ohio State gets put down and slammed in the media this week, and they wait to see if Missouri or West Virginia even allows this conversation to matter on Saturday night, keep in mind what they did and what they are going to do. 11-1 this year, the Rose Bowl no matter what, and waiting for an opportunity to go to New Orleans for some redemption, if it happens. But don't blame them for doing what was asked and what was on their schedule. Just buckle up and enjoy the ride...it's really the only thing you can do with the BCS anyhow.

Larry Hughes...Your Killing Me Smalls!

It came out that Larry Hughes is gonna miss 4 weeks with a deep knee bruise, in yet another case where he ends up with a seemingly nagging injury. The thing that kills me is in 2 seasons he's played in 112 of the Cavs 173 regular season games since he's been a part of this time. He's missed 35 percent of all the regular season games they've played. That is simply unacceptable. I've seen way to much of Larry Hughes like this:









Instead of how it should be, like this: