BUCKET BRACKETS 101

Charles Barkley said the Mountain West Conference is better than the Big Ten. Hurry, you want to get into Barkley’s bracket pool.
— steve rosenbloom (@steverosenbloom) March 19, 2013

Johnny J

Everyone may know how to fill out a bracket, but I'm here to help you keep an open mind about when making these selections. As we know, all teams are capable of losing at anytime. I take all match-ups in the tournament serious and with that said, there is no such thing as an "easy" match-up, regardless of the seeding (Unless of course a match-up involves a #16 seed--Ed). For instance, looked what happen to Kansas in 2010. They were the number one seed overall and they lost to ninth-seeded Northern Iowa in the second round.  No one saw that coming and it teaches everybody a lesson: it's always smart to do research on these small schools that no one has never heard of. When you look at match-ups, you have to take into play everything. I mean EVERYTHING:  where is the game going to be played? Are any of the key players injured or in a slump? And how did this school I never heard of make the tournament?

With that said, let's take a look at the top seeds:

• Kansas 
• Louisville 
• Gonzaga 
• Indiana 

Now in my opinion, Indiana shouldn't be a number one seed. Miami, who just won the ACC tournament, as well as the ACC regular season crown, should have been rewarded with the #1 seed. Indiana, on the other hand, lost three times in six games. Three times!  They got crushed by Wisconsin, in the Big Ten. Not to mention they lost three times as a number one seed (Hotter than a Hot Potato--Ed).  Another thing I don't understand is how is Louisville number one overall in the tournament? Gonzaga--hello?--they've only won 14 in a row; going a perfect 16-0 in their conference and only losing two games all year. No love for the small institutions.  I'm sorry, "mid-majors."

With the tournament starting on Thursday, now is the time to fill out your brackets. You wanna be able to take your time and do research on these teams. You don't wanna rush into it, because every mach-up is harder than it looks. The seeds that are in the middle are always the hardest.  If you just look at the match-up you realize it can go either way. For example my favorite team is North Carolina.  Currently, they are an eight-seed playing ninth-seeded Villanova. Of course I want North Carolina to win, but Villanova is tough. I had them to win the Big East tournament. They were 4-2 against top 50 RPI teams. That is a tough match-up if I've ever seen one. I definitely have to think about some of these picks. So starting early is beneficial.

Looking at team stats is a plus as well. If a team ranks fifth in scoring in the country, I know they can score anywhere, anytime, and at any place.  The thing is, "can their opponent keep up? Can they score?  Can they play defense?" All these things come into play. Here's a good example: the Creighton Blue Jays of the Missouri Valley Conference, is not a ranked team, but they can score. They are ranked 24th in the nation averaging 75 points per game. And they make shots consistently ranking 1st in the nation at almost 51% from the field. They are a dangerous seventh-seed. If they get past Cincinnati, they could face two-seeded  Duke in the third round, which would be a very tough match-up for them.

You should now have a better understanding of filling out your bracket. Look at all angles of each game: who has the "home advantage" at a particular "neutral site?" Who can score? What teams are hot? Most important of all, start thinking about these match-ups early. Oh yes, there will be upsets!

I already hate my bracket.

— Barry Rozner (@BarryRozner) March 17, 2013

More NCAA is available here.

THE GREAT AMERICAN BALLPARK: The Name Says It All

One of the coolest ballparks in the MLB. 

The Cincinnati Reds were awarded the 2015 All-Star Game last week.  So we asked our sports panel If they have ever been to the Great American Ballpark; what did they think of that stadium?  If not, would they ever consider going there to see their favorite team play against the Reds?  Here is what they said.

"Yes, I would go just to check out the stadium. If I went to see the Seattle Mariners, I might be able to lay-down in the seats due to vacancy"--Johnny J

"Chicks dig the long ball: see Todd Frazier in 2012 hit a home run by throwing his bat at a pitch."--Dan P

"If Pathological Hate covers my expenses, I'll drink at any ballpark."--Donny R

"No. The only thing great in OHIO left for South Beach years ago."--C. McLain

In response to Donny, "nice try."  

And from what I hear, Ohio can be a pretty boring place and I really didn't take advantage of checking out the tourist sites in Cincinnati, but the ballpark is simply majestic.  I absolutely loved it when I went there in 2009 when the Chicago Cubs were finishing up their series against the Reds.  Driving there was another story.

See, it's about a 5 hour drive from Chicago to Cincinnati.  Even worse, one must drive through I-65 through Indiana.  If anybody out there wants to see a total wasteland, go ahead and drive through I-65 in Indiana.  Simply depressing.  There were more stalled, abandoned cars on the side of the road than houses adjacent to the freeway.  

One would think that once you get to Indianapolis, things would get better in terms of city views and signs of life--it's not.  Indianapolis, when driving right through its heart, is just as depressing as I-65.  There are all of these small to medium, old, rustic, buildings that can be spotted from the freeway.  It was like going back in time 30 years--no, it was more like being in a set of a movie where the setting takes place in the 1970s.  And then--BOOM!  The enormously, gigantic Lucas Oil Stadium appears on the horizon.  It just simply, in a comical way, overwhelms and blankets the rest of the city.  It truly is a magnificent sight to see, but it's funny that when driving on the highway, the "House that Peyton Built" becomes the default largest artificial structure in town.  

In terms of the scenic view, things get better once you get closer to Ohio as rolling hills and deciduous woodlands fill the surrounding landscape on I-74/I-465.  I love road trips, but the idea of driving back to Cincinnati kind of makes me cringe, simply because one would have to drive through Indiana.  Nevertheless, the destination is a major reward in itself.

Cubs vs Reds; June 7, 2009--"The Rubber Match"

Located nearby Paul Brown Stadium, home of the Cincinnati Bengals, and adjacent to the Ohio River, the ballpark is simply an architectural beauty.  Yes, it has a theme park feel to it, but that's ok. The aesthetics more than make up for it. 

It feels like a theme park because the day I went, there were these video game trucks that were set up just outside the ballpark.  Technically, there's this area by the Ohio River where its still part of the ballpark, but it's outside the view of the field.  There's a food court, the video game trucks for the kids who were bored by the game, and for an extra fee, you can pay an admission fee to check out the Reds Hall of Fame. 

Portions of the center field stands is shaped like a riverboat and I believe that structure doubles up as an exclusive restaurant to certain ticketholders.  In right field, there's an area where fans can go to cool off.  About 30-40 fans can fit underneath the "cooling area" as cool, mists of water sprinkle down on people standing underneath the water apparatus.  

You cannot walk around the entire concourse of the park as certain areas are only accessible for fans designated at those seats.  However, you're never too far from a view of the city.  We were sitting in the centerfield bleachers and as I was getting hot dogs and beer, I could get a great view of the Ohio River: I can even see Kentucky from my vantage point.

That's the other thing I didn't realize: Cincinnati is kind of "redneck-y" due to its location on the Ohio-Kentucky border.  As a minority citizen, when I hear people scream out "yee-haw!" I kind of start to panic.  But we were not once harassed by any of the locals and they proved to be friendly.  Then again, I would say 30-40% of Cubs' fans made up the attendance figures on that day so we were well represented.  

Overall, I definitely wouldn't mind going back to Cincinnati to catch a Cubs/White Sox game.  I hate the idea of driving back through Indiana, but The Great American Ballpark lived up to its reputation.

Cubs won 6-3 as Alfonso Soriano the game-winning homerun.
The Cubs would add two more insurance runs before
closing out the Reds. 

All pictures courtesy of Ed Mancia. 

For more on the Reds, click here. 

For more on MLB, click here.