How's Your Bracket Looking?

Most people are doing fine on their brackets right now, I'm sure, unless you picked a lot of upsets. No double-digit seeds in the Sweet 16 for the first time in 10 years? But Texas (Trojan revenge for the 2006 Rose Bowl?) and Wisconsin both going home had to screw up some people up.

I'm still doing pretty well in my pool. I got 13 of the remaining 16 correct, which has me in second place. Though two of my Elite Eight are already gone, thanks to the Longhorns and Badgers.

But my main man Bruce Pearl has me looking good, after a 77-74 victory over Virginia, in what was the best game I watched yesterday. I took some ribbing over that pick (Crazy? How about crazy delicious?), but being right makes it all worth it.

Tennessee's run might come to an end against Ohio State, but the Vols certainly have a chance against a Buckeyes team that just squeaked by them earlier in the season and also came damn close to losing on Saturday.

I might have to ask Dr. Lil' Sis' fiancee to get me a Vols t-shirt. I'd probably keep it in the closet during football season, though. Unless I needed something to work out in.

Happy Hour 03/12: Read This Now, and Believe Me Later

Okay, my friends. It's tournament time. March Madness. The Big Dance. Cinderellas, Sweet Sixteens, Elite Eights, Final Fours, and Shining Moments. Quite possibly the most wonderful time of the year.

Yep. I don't know anything about it.

When I got home last night, I tried to watch the selection specials that I DVR'ed, but after about 10 minutes, I realized I hardly knew a damn thing about any of these schools. And right then, a small part of me cried because it occurred to me that I may have been a more knowledgeable sports fan in my teens and twenties. I would've been all over this thing 10-12 years ago.

Even back in high school, I knew so much more about college basketball than I do now. I actually took the time to watch other conferences play. This past weekend, I actually reminisced about how I used to set aside time on a Saturday or Sunday to watch an important Big East or ACC match-up. Nowadays, with the exception of a handful of SEC games this year (which probably involved either Florida or Tennessee), it's been quite a while since I watched a regular season game that didn't involve a Big Ten team.

Despite what I just confessed in the previous two paragraphs, however, I'm going to make some NCAA tournament predictions anyway. And you might just want to read this post through to the end. Wanna know why? Do you wanna know? Because last year, I won the Super Blogger Tournament Challenge Extravaganza.

Yeah, that's right. When it was all over, I barely beat crushed Complete Sports by one point to take the trophy that doesn't really exist I still drink ice-cold beer out of one year later. And after I wipe off my chin, I look at my reflection in the silver and laugh at how totally #@$%ing lucky I was awesome that victory was.

Essentially, I was the sports blog equivalent of the secretary winning the office pool.

So here's what I'm going to do: I'm not going through the entire bracket. Tony Kornheiser did that with a handful of experts on his radio show this morning, and after one or two repetitions of the bracket, I opted for my iPod. If I couldn't stand listening to it, I don't know how in the hell I can write it all out. Especially when you can find several dozen people in the blogosphere who know what the #@$% they're talking about. What I will write out are my first-round upsets and my Final Four picks. 'Cuz that's what the big boys like Dan Shanoff do (except a full nine hours earlier).

First-round upset winners:
Davidson, Georgia Tech, VCU, Gonzaga, and Creighton.

You might notice Michigan State isn't on that list. I couldn't pick the Spartans, as much as I wanted to. (Besides, is picking a #9 seed over a #8 really picking an upset?) Unless Tom Izzo pumps up his kids by taking them to a showing of 300 the day before the game, and/or kicks his old buddy Tom Crean into the deepest, darkest well in Winston-Salem after screaming "THIS IS SPARTA!" MSU ain't beatin' Marquette. Sorry, Sparty. (That movie totally kicked ass, by the way.)

Final Four:
Florida, UCLA, Georgetown, and Tennessee.

Yeah, that's right- Tennessee. Either my sister's fiancee (Yes, Dr. Lil' Sis' boyfriend proposed to her last week. We're all happy about it - thanks for asking) has completely corrupted my objective opinion, I've been mystified by bare-chested coaches who paint themselves orange, or I might just have one of those hunches.

Did I mention that I won my bracket contest last year? You might want to take this post very seriously, my friends. I'm kind of a big deal with this stuff.

EDIT (03/13): I didn't pick an overall winner, did I? I really should do that. But it's a boring pick, which is probably why I forgot to post it originally. I have Georgetown and Florida in the finals, with the Gators repeating as national champions.

Cracks in that crystal ball

Okay, I'm probably about a week late on this, but now that all of the Major League Baseball awards have been announced, I figured it might be funny to go over the predictions I made for the 2006 season, which I posted two days before Opening Day. (Because you know if I'd gotten 'em all right, I'd be bragging about that...)

The one pick I'm thrilled to have been dead wrong on was the Detroit Tigers' won-loss total. At the time, I thought I was being far too optimistic by predicting 85 wins, and a third-place standing in their division. What a homer, right? Well, the Tigers actually won 10 more games, finishing 95-67 and winning the AL Wild Card spot.

(I did say, however, that the Tigers would be competitive if they got good play in center field from Curtis Granderson. I didn't have solid numbers to back that up, just kind of a belief based on a lifetime of watching Detroit baseball.)

Here's how my AL Central picks compared to reality:

1. Chicago Minnesota
2. Cleveland Detroit
3. Detroit Chicago
4. Minnesota Cleveland
5. Kansas City

Hey, at least I got the Royals right. And I thought the White Sox would repeat as World Series champions. Oops.

But I also picked the Yankees and A's to win their divisions. Actually, my success rate was the same in the National League, where I picked the Mets and Cardinals, but missed on the Dodgers in the AL West, who finished behind the Padres. Not bad. Yet I had Atlanta getting the NL Wild Card spot (Why? Because they always make it to the playoffs!), and Toronto in the AL. Not so good.

When it came to the individual awards, that's where I did my worst work. Got 'em all wrong, in fact. And I may very well have established a curse with my Cy Young Award predictions. Get some rabbits' feet for the poor schmucks I pick next year.

AL MVP: Alex Rodriguez Justin Morneau
NL MVP: Carlos Delgado Ryan Howard
AL Cy Young: Rich Harden Johan Santana
NL Cy Young: Mark Mulder Brandon Webb

Wow, that stinks. Did I really pick someone other than Johan Santana? And Mark Mulder? What the #@$% was I thinking? See where trying to be different gets you? Thankfully, I didn't try to completely embarrass myself by predicting the Rookies of the Year in each league. (But if I pick a Florida Marlin in the NL next year, I might have a shot at being right.)

So I guess I'll try again next year. And maybe try to pick up a different crystal ball at a garage sale. Bah.

Two days 'til Opening Day

With Major League Baseball's Opening Day on Sunday, it seems like the right time for some preseason picks for the 2006 season. (And to be completely honest, I saw Complete Sports' MLB Predictions, and wanted to say my piece on the subject.)

Since we mostly deal in Detroit sports here, I'll begin with some thoughts on our beloved Motor City Kitties.

▪▪ This might be drunk with homerism, but I think the Tigers will win 85 games this season. They're good enough to finish over .500, and Jim Leyland's a strong enough leader to push his guys past that threshold. The biggest obstacle to a winning record, however, might be the other teams in the AL Central Division, each of which look improved. It's possible that the Tigers could be better, yet still find themselves in fourth place.

So where does an 85-77 record leave the Tigers? I see them finising behind Chicago and Cleveland in the AL Central. But it'll be a tough race with Minnesota for that third spot. If Detroit's pitching improves, and the Twins still struggle with the bats, that could be the difference.

AL Central Standings:
1. Chicago
2. Cleveland
3. Detroit
4. Minnesota
5. Kansas City

▪▪ I think the Tigers' most important player this season will be Curtis Granderson. Obviously, a healthy Carlos Guillen and Magglio Ordonez will go a long way toward dictating Detroit's success. But when Detroit's had quality play in centerfield - Remember Brian Hunter in 1997? - the Tigers have been competitive. And if Granderson can be a suitable leadoff hitter, giving the big bats someone to drive in, while also displaying good range and glove in centerfield, things could look good this summer at Comerica Park.

Other predictions for the season?

▪▪ In the American League, the division winners will be the New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox, and Oakland Athletics. The Wild Card will be the Toronto Blue Jays.

▪▪ In the National League, the New York Mets, St. Louis Cardinals, and Los Angeles Dodgers will win their respective divisions. And because it wouldn't be the playoffs without them, the Atlanta Braves will be the Wild Card.

▪▪ Most Valuable Players: It's a boring pick, but Alex Rodriguez will repeat as AL MVP. This year, we might notice how great a season he has. And though we'll hate it in the Midwest and West, we'll have a New York sweep, as Carlos Delgado will love playing for a contender, and win the NL MVP with the Mets.

▪▪ Cy Young Awards: Oakland's pitching should carry them to the postseason, and if Rich Harden can stay healthy for a full season, he'll lead the way. In the National League, Mark Mulder is playing for a new contract, and if the Cardinals win the NL Central, their pitching will have to cover for their diminished hitting.

▪▪ And though Dave Sheinin pointed out that Major League Baseball is in an era of parity in Wednesday's Washington Post, I think we'll see a repeat World Series champion. The Chicago White Sox were largely dominant last season, holding off a last-minute regular season challenge by the Indians, and then just plowing through the playoffs. And with the additions of Jim Thome and Javier Vasquez, this year's team could be even better. So why won't they win again?

Shining moments? BAH!

Previously on Sweaty Men Endeavors:

"... after the first day of games, I'm doing pretty well, going 13-3 with my picks, tying me for first place with Complete Sports."

"Along with Boston College, I have UCLA, Iowa (Is that a homer pick, now that I'm living in Michigan?), and Connecticut..."

"But things can change, of course, and change fast."

Well, so much for that. How's your bracket looking right now? Are your Final Four picks still intact?

It's a good thing yesterday was St. Patrick's Day, and there was beer easily on hand. After Jermaine Wallace's fadeaway baseline 3-point prayer went in with 0.5 seconds left to send "my" Hawkeyes to an embarrassing first-round defeat vs. a #14 seed, I curled up in the bathtub for almost an hour while the shower washed away my pain.

Wallace had his visions before the game. I'll be having visions for months after the game. And the clock's already running on the Steve-Alford-to-Indiana countdown.

I didn't even watch college basketball for the rest of the night. It was too painful. And, um, I zonked out early in the evening. So, of course, I was very surprised to see Michigan State go home, too. A 10-point loss to George Mason? Oooh, I bet nobody sat near Coach Izzo on the team bus afterwards.

Didn't I learn enough about karma from My Name is Earl? Don't go bragging about picks after the first day of the tournament, when all of the opening-round games haven't even been played yet.

On the bright side, I can now just sit back, watch the games, and enjoy them, rather than fret about how the outcomes will affect my bracket and chances of winning a pool. That's what I'll tell myself, anyway, as the taunting phone calls and e-mails pour in.

The life: college basketball and green beer

As I said last week while "NIT-picking" at the Michigan basketball team (who showed some passion against UTEP last night, in a 82-67 victory), it feels a bit strange to be writing about college basketball when I've barely paid attention to the sport all season.

For bloggers who really know what they're talking about on this subject, check out Complete Sports, which has been doing a great job covering the sport over the past few weeks, along with The Gatorade Dump, the live-blogging Deadspin, and of course, the one-stop shop for college basketball, Yoco Hoops.

But like most sports fans yesterday, I turned in my NCAA tournament brackets before noon and had the TV on most of the day to keep tabs on the opening games. And within a couple of hours, I came close to losing one of my Final Four picks in the first round. Oh, Boston College - you made me hug and bite things unnecessarily for most of the afternoon. I'm glad I was alone in such a vulnerable moment.

I'm also glad Bruce Pearl wore a darker suit for Tennessee's nail-biter against Winthrop. (Why can't I find a picture of Pearl completely sweating through his suit when I need one? Maybe it's for our own good.) And former Michigan coach Steve Fisher came oh-so-close to sticking it to an old Big Ten rival that often had his number.

(Speaking of Coach Fisher, if you missed it, the New York Times ran a feature on him in Tuesday's edition. His Aztecs have been through quite a bit. Incidentally, since I love making things all about me, I'd like to mention that our Ann Arbor phone number was apparently very similar to the Fisher household's. So when Fisher was fired by Michigan in 1997, we got a bunch of wrong-numbered calls from reporters.

I sometimes regret not working on my Fisher imitation so I could've fed quotes to the press, such as "Tom Goss #@$%ed me right up the @$$, man," "I use blush and apple butter to get my cheeks that rosy," or "Oh yeah, the baggy shorts and shaved heads were my idea. That's how I rolled in college." C'est la vie. I'm digressing, aren't I?)

Along with Need4Sheed, The Wayne Fontes Experience, Leelanau Sports Guy, Mickey Tettleton Memorial Overpass, the aforementioned Complete Sports, and a few others, I'm participating in Kevin Antcliff's Yahoo! tournament pool. And after the first day of games, I'm doing pretty well, going 13-3 with my picks, tying me for first place with Complete Sports.

I got the two upsets (Texas A&M and UW-Milwaukee) right, but wasn't exactly stretching with those picks. The one game I got completely wrong, thus exposing my shallow knowledge of college basketball, was Wichita State's 20-point victory over Seton Hall. Oops. (Oh, I'll pick the Big East team - that's a good conference!)

But things can change, of course, and change fast. Since I'm more than willing to brag when I do well, I'll post my Final Four picks here, so you can point and laugh when I'm wrong later. Along with Boston College, I have UCLA, Iowa (Is that a homer pick, now that I'm living in Michigan?), and Connecticut, with the Huskies my pick to win the tournament. Pretty safe picks, I suppose. But picking a UConn-Duke final didn't seem like too much fun.

How did I not follow this sport all season... ?

Okay, I'll be watching "my" Iowa Hawkeyes play at noon, here in Michigan. (Hopefully, the Lions won't sign another quarterback today and I can just enjoy some hoops.) Northwestern St. is going down, and going down hard. Hawkeyes fans are free to crash at my place this weekend, but it's B.Y.O.F, because my refrigerator is empty. And I hope you brought your own fried pork tenderloin sandwiches, 'cuz you ain't finding that around here.

Carry on with your bad selves and have a great weekend. Be safe with that green beer.