Hope You Didn't Bet On The Field Negro's Picks

So what am I left with? Six out of sixteen, six out of freaking sixteen! So I was wrong about Wisconsin, and Va Tech, and Texas. Turns out these teams were frauds. But hey, at least I have three of the final four teams still in the mix. Maryland and Virginia really weren't fraud teams, they just lost tough games. Still, this tournament has not had any real upsets, the lowest seed left is a seventh seed for crying out loud.

So let the Madness continue. We are down to sixteen, and soon there will be eight. I am scared to make picks again, so I will just stick to my final four and keep my fingers crossed. As for the remaining picks, just go with the little old lady from accounting, I bet she got more than six out of sixteen.

Did the Sixers just lose by fifty to Yao and the Rockets? Geeez! The wort ever loss in Sixer home history. I don't care what anybody says, there is no way a team with A.I. would have lost by fifty. That cat has too much heart. Yep, these are the times I miss A.I. I don't care if they had just won twenty in a row, you can't lose by fifty to anybody.

I'm out.

It's Madness!!!!

So March Madness is finally upon us. I must confess, along with the Super Bowl, the NBA finals, and the Penn Relays, this has become my favorite American sporting event. I love where we all get our office pools and pretend at least during the next couple of weeks, that we are smarter than all those ESPN analyst and paid basketball gurus out there. Forget that the winner of the pool will be some clueless old lady who picked her favorite teams because she liked their uniforms or she thought their coach was cute. Every year we mull over our picks as if this will be the year where we get all sixteen of the sweet sixteen teams right.

So what the heck, I will play along with everyone else in America and make some picks. Rather than bore you with all of my picks, I will give the you my sweet sixteen and my two finalist. Everything else is just up in the air as far as I am concerned.

So here goes:

EAST REGION: I am going chalk with North Carolina, check out my man Wayne Ellington, his game is all Philly. Then there is too much Durant and Texas, a minor upset with the 11th seeded George Washington, (Yeah Jimmy Calhoun isn't in this tourny, but his best recruiter ever, Karl Hobbs coaches down at GW and he has some athletes) and another slight upset pick with the 7th seeded Boston College. (I love Al Skinner)

SOUTH REGION: I am starting by going chalk again and picking Greg Oden and OSU. ("With the first pick in the draft, the [insert team here] select Greg Oden out of Ohio State University") I like Virginia to also shine in this region. (Check out their guards, one is a Philly guy, Sean Singletary, so you know they are nice) Texas A&M (Sorry Rick Pitino), and Memphis who I have loved all year and should have been a one seed.

MIDWEST REGION: Mmmmm minor upset here. I like Arizona taking out the Gators in the second round, I also like Maryland, Oregon, and Wisconsin who just might have the best player (Alando Tucker) in the country right now.

WEST REGION: Ahh I hate to do this, but I am going with Tubby and Kentucky over Kansas in the second round. I am also going with Va Tech (don't ask why just a gut feeling),Pitt, I know you didn't seriously think I was going to pick Duke did you, and UCLA. Ben Howland is an underrated coach and always gets it done come tournament time.

Your final four is; UCLA, Maryland, North Carolina, and Memphis.

So that's it folks. In a few days I am either going to look like a genius or a goat. But hey, at least I know I won't be alone. I bet only that little old lady in the office will be smiling.

Hoops hoops and more hoops!

Break up the Sixers! Six in a row, are you kidding me? Who would have thunk it. Caught them at the "Wach" last night against Mr. Elbows AKA Kobe and the Lakers, and I swear I think they can make the playoffs now. That behind the back slam dunk that the other A.I. threw down was worth the price of admission. I can't believe I am saying this; but they are actually playing much better without the real A.I.

Speaking of the real A.I.. Yeah I saw the sick cross over and bucket last night against the Pistons, but they still lost. They are five and ten when Melo and A.I. are on the floor together. I am starting to think that they can't co-exist. And I am hearing that Melo is starting to grumble about more shots. Why didn't I see this coming? I was one of the few people saying that A.I. will adjust his game, and will start dishing dimes in the Mile High city, but it seems I was wrong. Looks like my man is back to being the same old ball hawk that has to get his thirty shots a game. Still, I hope the Nuggets make the playoffs, because at the end of the day, A.I. is still the most fun player to watch in the league.

Yes I am caught up in March Madness. I told you everybody that will listen to watch out for Memphis, but no one is listening to the field. I am telling you right now they will be a final eight team, I don't care where they are seeded or what region they are in. With all due respect to "Joey Brackets" from ESPN, they should be the number one seed in the West and not UCLA.

And can someone tell me just what the f**k Tubby was doing calling his player from the free throw line. (Tubby it's called over coaching) They lost the possession and the game to a Mississippi State team they should have beaten. I am telling you Tubby, you had better put your crib up for sale in Lexington, cause your days are numbered in blue grass country.

So the beast of the east is baaaack. The "nice" John Thompson is doing a heck of a job, and G-Town might actually make some noise in the tournament this year. I am not crazy about their guard play, but their big men play well on both ends of the floor. And speaking of big men, I see Greg Oden is stepping up his game for the Big Ten tournament. I think Oden will be an even better pro, because the college game is guard oriented and in the modern college game big men just don't dominate like they used to. Heck Shaq never made it pass the second round when he was at LSU. I am saying all that to say this; if they draft were held today and I had the first pick, I would have to go with the big fella, Mr. Oden.

Before I go I have a couple of more things on my mind: I think the AD at LSU is being a real weasel by not either coming out and supporting Pokey Chatman, or telling us just what the f**k is going on. Yeah I know there has been whispers of a sexual relationship between her and one of her past players, so step up and tell us what the University really thinks instead of playing bull sh** games with a great coaches career. And Bobby Knight, please shut the f**k up! Is it any ones fault that you are stuck out in nowhere Texas with no shot at getting quality recruits instead of doing your screaming on a great Big Ten stage in Bloomington? Your little outburst against that reporter was uncalled for: "You need to get some exercise boy" Ahhh look who is talking? Have you seen your fat gut lately General ?

I'm out.