It's that time again........

Ladies and gentlemen, it is that time again. Yes, it is time for me to make a royal fool of myself in going through the NCAA basketball tournament. Now I know this is not a science, but in past years, I just have not done well in picking this thing. Picking the 3/14 and 2/15 upsets is close to impossible, and the 8/9 games are a crapshoot. This year, I took the brackets and used it as bird paper. Where Simon pooped is who I picked, so if Simon pooped wrong, it is all his fault.

Here are the picks for this year:

Duke to win it all as with JJ Reddick, they simply cannot be stopped. Reddick has a great supporting cast behind him, and if they lose, I will be shocked. The rest of the Final Four should be Kansas, 'Nova, and North Carolina. I pick North Carolina mainly because as a college basketball nut, I REALLY want to see Duke and Carolina play in the final.

Upsets:

Southern Illinois over West Virginia as the Salukis are one of those mid-major teams that will surprise some people. They played a tough non-conference schedule, and have one of the best defenses in the game.

San Diego State over Indiana as the Hoosiers just don't impress me. I don't think they have it in them to win one for departing coach Mike Davis, and SDSU has been impressive this year.

Air Force over Illinois, yes you are reading that right. Air Force really has no business being in this tournament, but I think they will come out and win this game as they have something to prove. If they win, the naysayers are silenced, and a program that has come a long way will have a chance to be stomped by U-Conn in the second round.

Gonzaga is just overrated. Yes, they have Adam Morrison, but not much in the way of balance. I see them being knocked off by UCLA in the Sweet 16.

Best game of the first round will be Montana/Nevada. These are two teams from mid-majors who play lights out basketball. Despite the fact this is a 5/12 game, I really think it will be the best of the bunch.

Fire away everyone!!

I have been warned.........

I have been warned that due to the fact I e-mailed the blog address to Corrie over at Women Helping Battered Women, I will get harassed. I have this to say to you Corrie.......BRING IT!!!! I CAN TAKE IT!!!!

In the news today......

Well, not much as nothing really that exciting is going on in our own little world known as Vermont. One thing I do need to mention is now that the voters in Burlington have spoken on Measure Two, this measure still needs to be approved by the state. I know that many do not like the idea of having another one percent added to their purchases, but remember that there are loopholes in this. Mainly, this will be added to purchases over $100.00. Now really, how many of us on a regular basis buy things over $100.00? For those who have bottomless pits for wallets, this simply adds $1.00 per hundred on purchases. Think about it, is an extra buck per hundred really that much? Even with as poor as I am, I can afford that. The key thing with this is that without this tax, the City of Burlington faces a 1.2 million dollar deficit. What that means is cuts in police, fire, public works, and other city services. Folks, our public safety could be jeopardized in some ways, and I know we don't want to see that!!

A couple of things...

First of all, I would like to thank the Special Olympics of Vermont for inviting me to do the PA and hand out awards for the Winter Games at Bolton Valley. I am a long time supporter of the Special Olympics, and being able to do some of the announcing was a great experience. Some of the athletes(well, actually all of them) just amazed me. Their spirit, their determination, and the raw emotion and happiness from winning a medal never fails to put a smile on my face. I think I was bear hugged a couple of dozen times, and high fived so much that my hands hurt. Trust me, I am not complaining in the least.

Secondly, after seeing Barak Obama speak on Friday, I have to say I am more impressed than I was before. Obama has the ability to take a crowd in the palm of his hand, squeeze, and keep them captivated. His speaking ability is incredible, his sense of humor fantastic, and he has amazing ideals. I would love to see him run for president in 2008, but I wonder if the US is ready for an African American president. I know one thing, if he runs, I sure am voting for him.

Hey Center City..I'm baaaaaaaaaaaack!!

This one will be short and sweet as I have a ton to do before I cover Barak Obama's speech over at the Ira Allen Chapel. Last night was registration and a "workout" for Center City and man alive I am glad to be coaching again. Where with working for Helldelphia last year, I did not have the time to coach, I hadn't seen most of those kids in over a year and a half. Yowzers, I forgot how much kids grow over a year!! Although I wasn't able to do much with my bum knee, it was really nice to be coaching again. I love coaching mechanics, the art of the two handed catch, and seeing how thrilled kids are when they make the slightest improvment. When coaching this year, I won't be "Fells", "The Radio Guy", or "The moron who said tonight's title game between BURLINGTON and Spaulding was South Burlington/Spaulding" (Hey, I got it right today), I am simply "Coach". Man, I love coaching.