Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Quick Hits: Volume XXIII (All Sports edition)

-After this past weekend, the NCAA men's basketball tournament has been dwindled down from 68 teams to 16. This year I actually got involved in an office pool with nine other individuals and am currently sit in second place!

With that, here is the Good, the Bad and the Ugly with my bracket.

Good: I correctly selected two of the double-digit seeds (#11 Marquette and #10 Florida St.) to qualify for the "Sweet Sixteen."

Bad: Number six seed St. John's University was my sleeper pick to make the Final Four out of the Southeast Region. They were routed in their opening game by #11 seed Gonzaga.

Ugly: My entire Southeast bracket. No matter what happens, I will obtain zero points from that region the rest of the tournament. Of the four remaining from that region, Florida was my only correct choice but I had them losing in the region semifinal to ----- St John's.


-The show must go on. Despite the labor unrest in the National Football League, teams are busy scouting for the upcoming NFL draft taking place next month.

Everything I've been hearing about my favorite NFL squad indicates that they are looking seriously at the many quarterbacks available in this draft. Obviously the physical tools are important, but so too is a player's character. In fact, ESPN Twin Cities guy Tom Pelissero sent out a "Tweet" today regarding one of the aspects of the Vikings' vetting process.

Frazier said the #Vikings have talked to at least 1 janitor about a QB prospect to see how the guy treats those he may feel are "below" him.


As I began to read that tweet, I was half-thinking that the Vikes were considering a janitor as a possible QB prospect. Heck, give the perilous situation the Vikings are in at the quarterback position, it may not be all that far-fetched. Hey, if a stock boy at a Hy-Vee grocery store can lead a team to a Super Bowl win........


-Opening day of the Major League Baseball season is a mere nine days away, though you wouldn't know it by the weather in the Twin Cities today.

For my favorite MLB squad, their home opener in their second season at Target Field will take place Friday, April 9! Personally, my first game will be the following Tuesday against the Kansas City Royals.

As far as how teams will fare in the American League this season, I have the Twins winning the AL Central division once more, with the Chicago White Sox finishing a close second (but making the postseason as a wildcard). The Boston Red Sox will conquer the AL East and the Oakland Athletics will prevail in the AL West. That would be the ideal scenario for so many reasons, not the least of which is we wouldn't have to endure the incessant bitching from some Twins fans on how the club has no shot against the Yankees. That's because the Yanks won't make the postseason!!!!

I'm still mulling over my National League picks, but I'll post my predictions for them prior to Opening Day.

PLAY BALL!!!!!!

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