Bracketology, A Day of Rest for Those Chosen 64

Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism and Scientology, are all very popular religions, but they are not getting practiced this Sunday, today we practice Bracketology! While some are taking this Sunday as a day of rest, College basketball fans worldwide are filling out their brackets. Selection Sunday is finally here. Post your Final Four, Winner, and Sleeper for this years NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. Selection Sunday........ Yeah It's Awesome BABY!

Can the Giants shed the Weight?

The San Francisco Giants enter the 2010 season with a little extra weight this spring. No, I am not talking about Operation Panda going haywire and ending up at the Panda Express. I am referring to the weight of playoff expectations. While surprising many critics, the offense anemic 2009 squad improved on their 2008 win total by 16 games. The mix-in of youth gave the veteran happy Giants a much needed shot in the arm. The 09 Giants relied heavily on the pitching arm of Tim Lincecum, and the bat of Pablo Sandoval.

To improve from 88 wins last season, once again the 2010 Giants will rely heavily on the arms of their pitching staff. Lincecum might not be able to carry the weight of going for his third straight Cy Young, but look for Matt Cain, the now longest tenure Giant to lend him a hand. The recently married Madison Bumgarner, will not only carry the burden of his ball and chain, but the highly touted pitching prospect will be looked upon to contribute every fifth day or from the bullpen. After losing 12 pounds this off-season the 5-foot-11, 245-pound panda is not only looking to improve his figure, but he is looking to improve upon his 2009 stats. 330 Avg. 25 HR 90 RBI was not enough to tip the scales for NL MVP in his direction, but look for slight improvements in the Panda’s second full season in the bigs.

Look for Buster Posey to have a huge Spring Training. This will make the decision hard for the Giants’ brass to put him back down in the minors for more seasoning. The 22 year old lost 15 pounds last season and admitted to being worn down during a lackluster Arizona Fall League. Posey regained those 15 pounds — he's at 215 now — after a winter spent working out six days a week and enjoying his wife's southern cooking.


To take some of the weight off these younger players shoulders, the Giants will look upon a few veteran players who have experienced playoff baseball. With Aubrey Huff and Mark DeRosa coming on board, Manager Bruce Bochy has said he envisions Aaron Rowand as the new leadoff hitter. The CF said he has lost 10 pounds in the off-season, and he owes it all to his new hobby. Rowand became an avid bike rider, cycling four times a week around his Las Vegas home. Rowand hit .294 in 50 games as a leadoff hitter in 2009, so he seems most comfortable in that spot. Although Aaron estimates he rode about 2,200 miles, don’t look for him standing on a podium wearing the yellow jersey anytime soon. The 2008 Silver Slugger Award winner, Aubrey Huff, looks to rebound from a career low year in 2009 where he split time in Baltimore and Detroit. A lifetime .282 hitter with an on-base percentage of .340 and slugging percentage of .472, Huff is not the answer to the Giants' offensive woes. His job in 2010 with the Giants will be mentoring the younger players, and more importantly, protecting cleanup hitter Pablo Sandoval. If the former Devil Ray can put together a season closer to his 2008 numbers, then the Giants' offense arguably should be more productive than 2009.

The addition of Mark DeRosa this off-season might just be the straw that tips the power scales of the NL West in the Giants direction. In DeRosa, the Giants have found a versatile veteran who can hit for power and give the offense some much-needed punch. I am not saying he will match his career-best 23 homers to go along with 78 RBIs for Cleveland and St. Louis. I am saying he is a professional hitter that will take pitches and extend the line up. DeRosa will be an important player on a team that was a bat or two away from making the playoffs last year. He is a player that is used to wining. Having made the playoffs 6 out of 12 seasons. "He's a winning player and any organization wants as many players like Mark on the ballclub, especially ours, that has a chance to turn the corner and get to the playoffs next year," GM Brian Sabean said. " The former University of Pennsylvania quarterback will bring that winning attitude to the Giants, something the team has been missing in this post Bonds Era.

With the 2010 season fast approaching. It’s up to the Giants to be the biggest losers this season and shed that weight of playoff expectations, and turn those expectations into reality.

The Olympics are Over. What Now?

As Sidney Crosby's wrist shot slid past goalie Ryan Miller Sunday, my mood changed for the worse not only because Team USA lost. The two weeks leading up to the greatest hockey game ever transpired perfectly in culmination. Great Olympic moments were abound. Lindsey Vonn took gold in the downhill, Bode Miller wasn't a complete embarassment, and how about the German speed skater who swam across the line after cramping up in the team pursuit. Sunday's hockey game trumped them all, but it was a great two weeks for a patriotic sports fan.

Unfortunately, we won't get to enjoy the games again until August 2012. So what do we do in the meantime? Here are the top five sporting events to look forward to in the near future (in order of awesomeness),

5. NFL Draft

April 22nd. Not everyone's cup of tea, but if you are a die hard NFL fan, or a die hard college football fan, it can be fun. The drafts of previous years are more important, because Raider fans can validate their skepticism and sheer embarassment when looking back. But draft day itself gets the blood going as your team's clock slowly expires.

side note--The Draft beat out the NBA Playoffs. Mostly personal preference on this one...the Warriors are 17-41 at press time.

4. Stanley Cup Playoffs

April 13th. This would be higher on my list, but I am a Sharks fan and my undying interest usually dissipates after they take their early exit. Most casual hockey fans say "call me when the playoffs start", and there is good reason. Every posession is magnified. Teams do whatever it takes not to lose, and it shows. The Cup tournament is the best playoff system in sports.

3. The Masters (yes, even sans Tiger)

April 8th-11th. Ok, I admit, The Masters might have been number two on my list if I knew Tiger was playing. Nevertheless, the tournament at Augusta National will once again captivate golf fans for four days. It has received the tagline "a tradition unlike any other", and rightfully so (Sorry Rose Bowl, that Washington State Oklahoma matchup really bit you in the arse). The stunning beauty of Amen Corner and the drama thick storylines on Sunday make it the best tournament around.

2. NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament

March 18th. There are nothing like the first two rounds of March Madness. Madness truly is the only word to describe it. People who haven't watched a single game all year fill out brackets, which is a good indicator of its Super Bowl like qualities.

1. MLB Opening Day

April 4th. It isn't so much the entertainment value that vaulted this one to the top... no chance I'm watching all nine innings of whatever game ESPN throws on in the morning. It's the idea of baseball being back. It symbolizes the changing of seasons, and re-establishes eternal hope in even the most pessimistic of Cubs fans. After all, Opening Day means next year is upon us.