1st and 2nd Round Wrap-Up

Forget Christmas. MARCH is the most wonderful time of the year....at least for sports fans. It's the time of year when everyone can come together, share predictions, yell at the television, and win/lose money. Hearts are crushed and dreams are made as 64 college teams from around the country battle to become #1. Brackets are handed in, and the first 2 rounds are completed. The sweet 16 is set. Although, nothing too unusual in the first weekend of play.

The only big back breakers were courtesy of #12 seed Arizona, #13 seed Cleveland State, and #12 Wisconsin, all in the first round. Both Cleveland State and Wisconsin were huge shockers. Cleveland State could have played their bench, and still beat their opponent, # 4 Wake Forest, who might as well not even have showed up. Same goes for Arizona. They whooped up on # 5 Utah whose defense did not live up to reputation. This does not come as a huge surprise considering everyone thought Arizona deserved a better seed to begin with. Wisconsin, however, won an overtime nail-biter against Florida State who actually made it to the ACC Championship this year against Duke. Many thought Florida State would have no problem beating a #12 seed such as Wisconsin, but it's called March Madness for a reason.

Despite 3 big upsets in the first round, nothing too crazy happened in the second round of play. Arizona did wind up playing Cleveland State, and winning. Duke, a #2 seed this year, managed to narrowly escape Texas towards the final minutes of the the second round. Also, #4 Gonzaga, a team that roughed up Akron in the first round, barely squeezed out a 2 point win with .9 second left on the clock against a possible Cinderella in Western Kentucky.

What really concerned everyone is the intensity of the higher seeded teams. Pittsburgh, a #1 seeded favorite to possibly win the tournament has trailed late in both games they have played. Pittsburgh came together in the final minutes, but it is really scary seeing a #1 seed scratching and clawing to beat a lower seeded team. DeJuan Blair is able to dominate the glass, but I'm not sure if that will be enough for the Panthers against a tough #4 Xavier.

Preview of Sweet 16

Some very hard match-ups are coming up, and can make or break anyone's bracket. An aggressive #3 Villanova will take on #2 Duke. It's Coach K's opportunity to prove President Obama wrong. North Carolina will have to prove that they are the nation's best team with Tyler Hansborough and Ty Lawson against #4 Gonzaga. Syracuse looks like they are barreling through everyone in their sight, especially after their 6OT win late in the season. That seems like trouble for one of the best athletes this year in Blake Griffin, who averages 22.5 points per game for #2 Oklahoma.

Other games include #1 Louisville who has been looking like Pittsburgh, but it should not be anything to worry about considering they are playing #12 seed, Arizona. Michigan State vs. Kansas is another battle between a #2 and #3. Kansas won the national championship last year, and they are looking to defend their title, and are looking to play a seriously aggressive game against State. The last two match-ups between UCONN/Purdue, and Missouri/Memphis will most likely be overlooked this weekend, but I think they will be something to talk about.

Who will be this years hero? Which teams will crumble and fall? How many buzzer-beaters, or Overtime wins will there be? When will the next bracket buster come? Anything is possible in College Basketball. Welcome to the Sweet 16!

FREE TICKETS IN 2009!!

It's already March, which means another baseball season is around the corner. I know it is a little early to be talking about how many games under .500 the Orioles will be, but lets face it, nothing else interesting is happening. I could talk about how Lebron once again put up 35 points, an effortless 10 rebounds, and 7 assists. BORING!

It's always new and exciting to think how well your home team will be this season. With high hopes, young players, and a better pitching staff the Orioles actually have a shot of reaching a winning record. However, as long as we are in the same division with the Yankees, Red Sox, and Rays then we will never make the playoffs. Eleven straight losing seasons can really crush your soul and dignity as a baseball fan. But, every April is the start of a brand new season and anything can happen. It's up to the fans to really bring enthusiasm and excitement into a fresh, new team.

Fans are already raving about how the organization changed the away jersey's to read: Baltimore. This is the first time since the 1970's that the Orioles have represented Baltimore on their uniforms. The fans have been wanting this for over 30 years, and they finally got it. It says, "We are from Baltimore, don't forget it." We are not just the Orioles, we are The Baltimore Orioles. It is little changes like this that really make the fans feel as though this will be a great season, and the beginning of something great. If the Rays can take the Devil out of their name, and then reach the World Series, then we can add Baltimore and do the same thing.

Lately it has all been about the fans. The Baltimore Orioles public relations field have finally been coming up with new ways to get the fans more involved in their home team. They want to draw larger crowds and put Baltimore back on the map as one of the greatest sports cities in America. This season they are trying something new. The Baltimore Orioles invite all fans to attend a game in 2009 FOR FREE!!! They are inviting all baseball fans to celebrate their birthdays at Orioles Park and attend a game for free in 2009. All additional information is listed on the Baltimore Orioles Press Release.

I am so glad the Orioles are finally doing something to bring Baltimore back. With the growing problems of the economy it is hard for fans to attend sporting events because the ticket prices are sky high. I think this is a brilliant idea on the Oriole's part. This will bring in more fans, more enthusiasm, and more excitement to a fresh, new team. I have a feeling this is the start of something great for the city, and the organization. Lets keep our fingers crossed.