The Sports Watercooler

I will first start by saying that I was wrong. Yesterday I was lamenting how the championship game of the tournament always fails to match the awesomeness of the first weekend.

Well, last night's overtime thriller essentially killed that. It was a beautiful game, executed perfectly. A game marked not by mistakes and sloppy play, but by great basketball.

So hats off to Kansas for the last second shot to send the game to overtime, and for sealing the deal in overtime. NCAA Men's Basketball Champions.

Yet, I can't help but wonder, did Kansas win the championship, or did Memphis lose it? I remember watching those last 3 minutes in regulation and thinking (and possibly saying out loud) "This game is over."

How could they let Kansas back into it? Was it the terrible free throw shooting? They shot 1 for 5 from the line in the last 1:15. Or maybe it was their poor shot choices in OT. Instead of playing the game they did the first 38 minutes of the game, they panicked and hoisted up ill advised shots.

Then there is the forever on going debate...if you are up three with less than ten seconds to go (as Memphis was), why do you even let the other team attempt a 3 pointer? If they had fouled as Kansas brought the ball up, Chalmers wouldn't have had the opportunity to shoot the ball. Sure, there is a chance a Jayhawk could hit the first free throw, miss the second, Kansas could rebound and then have 8 seconds down 2, but isn't that more attractive than just letting them run a play to shoot a 3?

Anyways, whether Memphis choked it away, or Kansas simple took matters into their own hands, the last 10 minutes plus overtime were a glory to watch. Almost as much as this....take it away Luther!

The Sports Watercooler

Well its finally here, the most anti-climactic championship in the world of sports--the NCAA basketball finals. After the best 4 days in sports, the tournament ends with a whimper on a Monday night.

Sure the matchup should be great. Kansas has arguable the most stacked line up of any team in the tournament, Memphis has the best freshman point guard who could do pretty much anything tonight and no one will be surprised.

Tonight's game should be fun though. Memphis has an exciting style of play, patterned (sort of) after the Phoenix Suns. Its fast, aggressive and fun to watch. Kansas is just straight up good. Both teams are just full of "athletes". Those types of players who can each play 2 or three positions.

On to baseball, with one week underway lets get some immediate reactions:

The Tigers and the Red Sox suck! Sitting at 0-6 and 3-4, these are two teams most picked to win the World Series. Yet they are both in the cellars of their divisions.

The Orioles are amazing! Sitting in first place in a loaded AL East, they just can't lose! All hail the power of Kevin Millar!

Speaking of hot teams right now, I present to you the Bandwagon Team of the Week!

Last week we chose the New York Rangers. The Rangers won dramatically against division leader Pittsburgh in OT on Monday, smoked the Islanders 3-0 on Thursday, but then lost to their rivals on Friday (I didn't know hockey played back to back games). And the ended their reign as the Bandwagon Team by losing a nail biter to the Devils last night.

So the New York Rangers finished 2-2, but locked up a playoff spot in the process, beat the first place team, split with their rival, and lost to a rival. Not too shabby.

This week, I would like to introduce you to the team tied for first place in the AL Central, your Bandwagon Team of the Week: The Kansas City Royals!

There is a lot to like about this team. After being one of the dominant teams of the 80s, hard times came fast. And for the last 20 years, the Royals have been somewhat of a joke. But with a new manager, a new GM and some smart moves, the Royals are closer to competing than ever before.

How are they sitting at 4-2 right now? Well their pitching staff has stepped up. People mocked the huge Gil Meche signing a year ago. Since he got his big paycheck though, the man has been producing. They also have a core of some young pitching (Brian Bannister 3 hit the Tigers last week), and a closer who will be dominant in years to come (he struck out the side against Minnesota yesterday for the save). They even got a win and a sub 2 ERA out of Brett Tomko!

The young hitters are coming into their own. Alex Gordon started the season on an All Star pace. Billy Butler is finally showing signs of his endless talent, and steady vets like Jose Guillan and Mark Grudzielanek are playing well. I believe this is the beginning of a new time for the Royals. Remember when they had an outfield that was Jermaine Dye, Carlos Beltran and Johnny Damon? I think the days of a Royal having a good year and leaving are over. Fans can embrace these players now because they will be wearing the blue and white for a long time.

The Royals have a rough week this week, and my bandwagon cheering may be hampered by the fact that they play my 2 favorite non-bandwagon teams (Yankees Tues through Thursday and Twins Friday to Sunday), but I will for sure be watching every one of their games this week, and I am pretty excited about it.

Let's Go Royals!

The Sports Watercooler

Doesn't it feel good to have the tournament back after taking those few days off? And although none of last night's games were extremely revetting except for the West Virginia/Xavier overtime one, it was all just good basketball.

And, since my picks in yesterday's Watercooler were 75% right, I have no choice but to let that go straight to my head and offer more today. It also may be because my brackets are tanking and its a lot easier to pick after I have seen the teams play in the first two rounds.

Today's matchups feature:

Davidson versus Wisconsin. This game is the hardest for me to pick. On one hand, I have Wisconsin in my final four, and would like to see them win. On the other hand, who doesn't love watching a mid-major make a deep run in the tournament?! This one will be closer than everyone thinks. Wisconsin loves to slow the game down, yet a slower paced game means the starters won't get tired as quickly. And the more time Curry and Richards spend on the court for Davidson, the more they have a chance to win this thing. With a gun to my head, I am picking Wisconsin. Should be a great game.

Stanford versus Texas. Stanford has the inside presence, with the Lopez twins (twin Robin is dating Michelle Wie! No joke!), while Texas has the guards (most notably Augustine, I do not know who he is dating). I think Stanford should take this one fairly easy, but you never know. If Texas gets some hot hands shooting the rock (cliches!), the will score a ton. Official pick: Stanford.

Villanova versus Kansas. Most people are already writing Villanova off. Well, don't. Remember, even though Kansas has arguably the most talented team in the tournament, its still coached by Bill Self, and its still, well, Kansas, both of which are known to flame out in the tournament, and never meet expectations. I am still picking Kansas to win this, but it will be closer than you think.

Michigan State versus Memphis. This is the last of what should be 4 stellar games tonight. I have no idea what to expect from Michigan State. I had them losing in the first round. And now they have toppled my Final Four pick of Pitt. Nietzel is in his, what, 8th year of college? Memphis always gets a rap for only being good because they play in a weak conference. Well, I will give them some props. They have a solid team and a scumbag coach. Thats good for at least the Elite 8. My pick: Memphis.