Well....I got one right....

And one of my darkhorses turned out to be a winner as well. So I didn't do too bad.

For the first time since 1980, no number one seeds advanced to the Final Four. How appropriate considering how competitive this tournament has been. Not one of the traditional powers is winning this thing.

I had a feeling Villanova would be overwhelmed by a bigger team. I just thought it would be Boston College because of upperclassmen experience and size. And they would have done it, had the officials not thought Villanova was Dook and decided to give them the game. Granted, BC had a ridiculous amount of turnovers, but the officiating down the stretch of that game was awful. If you're going to let them play, then let them play, don't pick and choose your spots.

That being said, I'm not at all surprised that Florida beat up the Wildcats in the way that they did. I had a chance to see them at the Garden last November. They whupped up on Syracuse in a way that isn't indicative in the 75-70 score. Despite their youth, I was very impressed with their poise and athleticism. I didn't pick them in my Final Four, but I'm not at all surprised they're there.

You have to be able to get some easy baskets to take the pressure off your backcourt. If not, and your guards are off, it's going to be a long night. Simple as that.

The problem with this tournament and people's selections is that they look at names and not at matchups. Noone is saying that a team like George Mason is better in UConn. But if you look at the matchups and ask yourself...."If we're playing one game for all the marbles, do they have a chance?" Then you realize that they weren't as much of a Cinderella as we initially thought.

There's a reason why when teams look at building a team, they always look for a quality big man. Not guards. Michael Jordan was an anomaly. Maybe picking Sam Bowie over Jordan was a mistake. But remember who was chosen first overall, Hakeem Olajuwon.

It's probably going to be an all SEC final. I'm rooting for Florida, but I wouldn't bet the ranch.

No KeyShawn, But Big Blue Keeps Tim....But I Want Lavarr!!!!!!

It's put up or shut up time for Mr. Auburn. From ESPN.com.

Unrestricted free agent wide receiver Tim Carter, one of the most star-crossed players in recent league history but a young veteran whose deep speed still makes him an intriguing prospect, on Friday afternoon reached an agreement to return to the New York Giants, ESPN.com has learned.

The four-year veteran, who was also in negotiations with the Tampa Bay Bucs earlier in the day, will sign a two-year contract worth $2 million. The contract includes $500,000 in upfront money and allows Carter the opportunity to earn an additional $300,000 per year in incentives.

A second-round choice in the 2002 draft, and the 46th player chosen overall that year, Carter's progress has been stymied by a number of injuries. In fact, the former Auburn star has finished three of his four seasons in the league on the injured reserve list, and has started only three games in his career.

So rare is Carter's speed, though, that he remains a prospect on whom the Giants didn't want to give up. His mere presence on the field can dictate secondary coverages because defenses have to honor his big-play potential, and the feeling is that Carter can still become a viable No. 3 wideout.

In 37 games, Carter has 49 catches for 714 yards and one touchdown. He had just 10 receptions in 2005 but his 18.6-yard average was reflective of his potential to get deep. Carter's best season was in 2003, when he had 26 catches for 309 yards.

Once again, Carter will go to camp this summer with an opportunity to win the No. 3 job behind starters Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer.

The problem for Carter, 26, hasn't so much been nagging injuries, but rather disastrous ones. He suffered a torn Achilles tendon in his 2002 rookie season, limiting him to five games. In '03, a December concussion prematurely ended his season. And then in 2004, after only five games, he sustained a hip injury that was thought to be potentially career-ending.

Through it all, Carter has maintained the breathtaking speed that made him one of the fastest risers on NFL draft boards in 2002.

If Carter could stay on the field, the Giants would have one of the two or three most terrifying receiving corps in the NFL. As it stands now, they're very good, but with Burress, Toomer and Shockey and a healthy Carter...they would be virtually indefensible with Tiki coming out of the backfield. With Manning a year older and a solid offensive line in place, I really like our chances to make serious playoff run this year.

I'd like our chances even if we were to get Arrington and or strike gold in the draft with either a D-Tackle or a linebacker. With the improvements in the secondary, the one concern we have on defense is depth at D-line and linebackers. How do we prevent what happened last year from happening again. While it's impossible to stockpile talent in the way teams did in the 70's because of the cap, there are ways to maintain depth without breaking the bank.

That being said, I want LaVar...bad. Let him freelance and wreak havoc like he did under Marvin Lewis. I've never like Gregg Williams as a coach. He was horrible in Buffalo and anybody who can't find a place for someone like Arrington in their defense is doomed to failure. I hate these rigid coaches who don't know how to coach to their talent level.

Ernie, Tom...make it happen...please!!!

Am I watching the NCAA's or Love Story??

Because that's what it felt like watching the end of Gonzaga/UCLA game. The next great white hope Adam Morrison didn't even wait for the game to end before he did his Demi Moore imitation. I felt like I was watching Steel Magnolias or the Hours with a bunch of women on fertility hormones.

I can understand crying after the game. But there was still about two seconds on the clock. Anything can happen in that time. And your best player should still have his head in the game. Not crying in the middle of the court with all the world (and more importantly your teammates) to see. Way to inspire confidence in your teammates, Adam.

You think you would ever see Larry Bird, Magic or Michael crying before the game was completely out of reach? Never. It was a shameful display. As the team's best player and leader, your teammates are looking to you for inspiration and guidance in moments like that. What do you thinking was going through their minds as Adam's bawling like Amidala when Anakin finally turned to the Dark Side?

"UCLA, stop it...you're breaking my heart!"

He needs to keep his ass in school. Don't think after that incredible display of bitchitude that the boys in the NBA aren't waiting to take his lunch money and put him in touch with his feminine side.

Hopefully the scouts took note of that as well. Although I doubt it. The owners are so obsessed with finding the next Great White American Hoops Star that they'll overlook any flaws that they might see in his game or makeup.

That's what I love about the NCAA's. All the pretenders are eventually exposed and disposed of with a efficiency Darwin would obseve with marvel. As much as Vitale and company want to shove Morrison and Redick down our throats, the deficiencies in their games and their teams are displayed for all the world to see as teams with equal skill and greater athletic ability advance.

Greater athletic ability is in bold for a reason. The amazing thing about those Duke teams from the early 90's was that as skilled as they were, they also had some incredible studs in Grant Hill, Hurley and Laettner. The teams with Battier, Brand, Dunleavy, Williams and Maggette weren't exactly slouches either.

Noone says that every player on your team has to be a first round-blue chip-can't miss prospect. But when the situation warrants, they have to be able to make an athletic play that there is no defense for against a defender who is their athletic peer.

Morrison and Redick have shown flashes of that. But neither of them will make anyone forget about Bird, Mullin, Stockton, Price, Chambers, Vandeweghe, West, McHale or Barry. Much less foreign imports like Nash, Novitski and Stojakovic.

Both will be decent pros. But neither of them will be perennial all-pros or franchise players that you build a team around. I don't see the competitive-refuse to lose-determination that you saw in Bird. Redick is the closest in atttitude. But I don't think he has the athletic ability to back it up over 82 games plus playoffs. Morrison is comparable in ability. He might be a better athlete than Bird was. But he doesn't have the assassin's heart like Bird did. He had several chances to put UCLA away in the final minutes of that game and failed each time. Bird or Mullin win that game by 15 points.

The bottom line is this. For whatever reason, the nation's best white athletes are not playing basketball. They're playing football and baseball. So instead of trying to create a white hope where none exists, they should spend their time covering players who are actually going to be difference makers at the next level.

UConn has finally arrived.

Why do I say that? After they've won two national titles under Jim Calhoun, why have I declared that the Huskies have finally arrived?

Because they're getting Duke-like calls in their tournament games. They were this close to getting blown out until the refs call a technical and a personal foul on Brandon Roy. In college, a technical counts as a personal, so he went from two to four fouls on one play. Since five means buh-bye, Roy had a reservation on the bench in his future. And even with Roy out for most of the second half, it took an amazing shot by Anderson to take it to overtime. With half of Washington's team fouled out, you knew how this was going to end.

Not to take anything away from UConn, they were given an opportunity and they took advantage of it. But being given the benefit of the doubt by the officials didnt exactly hurt their chances despite 20 plus turnovers. But unlike Duke, they had the athletes who could make plays even against the best defenses. I don't know if they'll win it all, but they're going to be a tough, tough out.

Keyshawn Or LaVarr?

It's a nice problem to have. Being able to choose between those two. But as much as the Trojan in me wants to say Keyshawn and see him balls across the middle for the Jints. I have to say that we need LaVarr more. We need the big boy from Penn State just a little more. He would wreak havoc on the defensive side of the ball. Plus he's several years younger than Johnson.

He's also going to be more expensive, but I think he's worth the investment. With Strahan getting up there in age, it would be nice to have Umenyiora, Pierce and Arrington as the cornerstones of our defense for the next couple of years.

If the opportunity presents itself. Get the big man. Most definitely.

I can't believe Jets fans are griping about "only" getting a late first round pick for John Abraham.

Is he one of the best pass rushers in the game when he's healthy? Absolutely. The key term being "when he's healthy."

But he also has some baggage and has shown an unwillingness to play hurt. He was not worth all the money he was looking for.

The Jets now two first round picks and three picks in the first 35. They can either use it to trade up or stay put and get three young players to help rebuild this team. Pretty good situation.

We'll see how good Tannenbaum and Mangini are at player personnel. If they mess this up, then they deserve all the grief they get from Gang Green.

Two first round picks and Jets fans act like they don't have a pick until the third. The sad thing about it is that they might justified in their angst.

Imagine Mo In A Red Sox Uniform?

I know it sickens me to think about it as well. So how do you think Patriots fans feel when they read this? From ESPN.com...

In a move fraught with irony on any number of fronts, the most accurate field goal kicker in NFL history is about to be replaced by one of the most clutch placement specialists in the game.

Unrestricted free agent Adam Vinatieri, who provided the winning field goals in two of the New England Patriots' three Super Bowl victories, has reached a contract agreement in principle with the Indianapolis Colts, ESPN.com has learned.


Complete terms of the contract were not immediately available, but league sources told ESPN.com that the multiyear deal includes a signing bonus of $3.5 million and that it averages $2.5 million over the first three years of the contract.

There remains some detail work still to be done on the contract, but sources said that it could be completed by late Tuesday night. Vinatieri is scheduled to fly to Indianapolis for a Wednesday news conference.

Vinatieri played the 2005 season for the Patriots under the one-year qualifying offer for a kicker, in his case $2.6 million-plus. The Pats opted not designate Vinatieri as a franchise player for a second consecutive season, because it would have cost them more than $3 million.

That decision could end up costing New England far more, since Vinatieri will be difficult to replace, both on and off the field.

Vinatieri, whose performance under fire had come to be symbolic of the Patriots' excellence under coach Bill Belichick, and whose departure will be a significant blow to New England, will replace longtime Colts kicker Mike Vanderjagt. Though most recently remembered for his last-second miss against the Pittsburgh Steelers in a divisional-round playoff defeat two months ago, a 46-yard attempt that would have sent that game into overtime, Vanderjagt is the most accurate field goal kicker in league history.

But Vinatieri has become famous, and nearly iconic in New England, for converting such clutch kicks over the course of his 10-year career. And at age 33, he might become even better, given that he will be kicking much of the time in a domed stadium now, after a career often spent in blustery conditions.

Let me be clear. There is no "Tom Brady" without Adam Vinatieri. Just like there is no "Derek Jeter" without Mariano Rivera. What are the Pats thinking about? McGinest, I understand, somewhat. But you don't grow clutch kickers on trees. Noone was more accurate than Mike Vanderjaght in regular season games. But when it came time to get his team over the hump, he folded like a graphic novel.

Maybe Belichick has something up his sleave. He better because knowing New England fans, they won't tolerate going 6-10 because their kicker can't make extra points or 35 yard field goals. And they will turn on you in a second.

Ask the Red Sox.

George Mason 65, UNC 60....One of the reasons Darth Marc doesn't do brackets anymore...

I'm tired of giving my money to these pools. All I end up doing is donating to someone's vacation fund or all-night bender since I never win. This year, I decided to look at each bracket and decide who was coming out of it as their final four representative.

I choose UConn, BC, UCLA and Texas as my final four picks. I had UNC, Georgetown, LSU and West Virginia as my darkhorses. It's a lot easier doing that than filling out a bracket and then pulling your hair out after Northwestern State hits a fallaway tray to beat Iowa or watching the Heels spit the bit versus George Mason.

I wish I could say that I was surprised that UNC lost. But having watched them all year, I knew that they had a bad habit of playing up or down to their competition. That's why I couldn't put them in the Final Four. As much as I hate Duke, I respect the fact that they don't lose to teams in the tourney like George Mason. You have to bring your A game to beat them.

But UNC's loss also highlights another trend. That's the emergence of mid-major teams going from the occasional spoiler (Richmond vs Syracuse, Princeton vs UCLA)to legitmate contenders. And I think the tourney committee acknowledged that trend in some of the picks and seedings.



The Major conferences are going to continue to get the best athletes, get the most at large bids and win the whole thing most of the time. But I wouldn't be surprised to see one of these mid-majors get to the Final Four or win it all in the not so distant future. When you can keep a team together for three or four years, it's always going to help your chances of advancing in the tournament....even if your competition has better athletes.

That's where the big teams are at a slight disadvantage. The blue-chip propects don't stay in school for four years anymore. And the really special players aren't going to college anymore. Yeah, Stern raised the NBA age minimum to 20. But kids who don't want to go to school are going to find ways around it. Some will probably play overseas for a couple of years before coming back.

This all means that the playing field in the NCAA will continue to level over the coming years. Which means that we could very well see a mid-major conference team win it all in the not-too-distant future.

Hell, although Mason's win was at the expense of one of my favorite teams I love the fact that Mike and MadDog have major egg on their faces. They were killing the choice of George Mason for an at-large bid over local team Hofstra. I wonder how they'll wiggle out of this one?

Imperial Points Of View

A couple of quick points on the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame inductions.

Sex Pistols. Way overrated as a group. More image than substance. But I can see why they're in.

Black Sabbath. Their induction was wayy overdue. One of the most important and influential bands in the history of Rock. The most important hard rock act after Led Zeppelin.

Miles Davis. One of the most important artists this country has produced this century. One of the few people that could say that he changed the face of music several times and mean it. Nuff said.

Lynyrd Synyrd. Great Southern Rock Band. But not as good as the Allman Brothers. Even after Duane Allman passed. But a great band.

I liked Blondie and Debbie Harry....but take a look at some of the acts that have been around longer that are still waiting to get in the Hall.

1)Dionne Warwick
2)The Spinners
3)The Carpenters
4)Barry White
5)Genesis
6)Neil Diamond
7)Bill Withers
8)Diana Ross (as a solo artist)
9)Smokey Robinson (as a solo artist)
10)Steve Winwood (as a solo artist)
11)Hall & Oates
12)Chicago
13)Electric Light Orchestra
14)Deep Purple
15)Roberta Flack
16)Donnie Hathaway
17)Minnie Ripperton
18)KISS
19)Carole King (as a solo artist, she's in as a songwriter)
20)Quincy Jones

Just to name a few. I could name more if I really tried but those were the ones that I named off the top of my head.

All of these acts predate Blondie. All of them have had commericial success. All of them are as influential as Blondie was in their way. What did they lack that Blondie has? Aside from a hot blonde lead singer? Some of them were too commercial for the writers taste. Some weren't cool enough for the writers to consider.

When will these voters start voting for artists that people actually listened to instead the ones in their CD collection?

Just wondering.

I was at last night's double overtime game at the Garden was a perfect example as to why the Nets need to move to Brooklyn.

In a meaningless regular season game, the building was rocking in a way that Meadowlands can only come close to sounding like during big playoff games.

The Nets can win 70 games a year and they won't attract the sort of interest the Knicks can on a regular season game on a Wednesday night.

I went to a Nets-Spurs game at the Meadowlands last month. You'd think that that game like that with two playoff teams (a rematch of the 2003 NBA Finals) would have had a live amped crew right? On a Friday night?

The turnout was weak and so was the crowd. Didn't come close to what the Garden had last night.

Hell, when the Knicks were playing Kobe and the Lakers at the Garden, Jay-Z was in the house...even though the Nets had a home game that night!!!

Can imagine if George Steinbrenner was at Shea Stadium for a Mets/Braves game while the Yankees were facing off with the Red Sox in the Bronx?

If Bruce Ratner ever needed an excuse to get out of the swamp. He's got it.

Big Blue Moves...Never Too Early to Talk Football

A subject that I actually want to write about....

Giants Announce Signings
The Giants today began the promised upgrade of their secondary while also bolstering their special teams when they signed cornerbacks Sam Madison, R.W. McQuarters and Jason Bell, plus safety Quentin Harris. In addition, the Giants re-signed punt and kickoff returner Chad Morton, backup tackle Bob Whitfield and reserve quarterback Tim Hasselbeck. The team was also awarded cornerback Brandon Williams off waivers from the Atlanta Falcons.

Loving these moves. We've got a nice mix of veteran leadership and youth on our defense to complement the guys we have on our offense. The NFC East is going to be tough once again. But I think whoever comes out of that division this year has a good shot at going to the Super Bowl. I really do. Eli will be a year older and hopefully wiser and the skill guys will have another year under their belts.

Baring any major injuries, a bar we haven't been able scale the last couple of years, I really feel good about our chances. If we can draft a solid player at either Linebacker or Defensive Tackle, that'll give us much needed depth on that side of the ball.

Now if I can just get my Strat-O-Matic team together....I'd be in business....

Imperial Points On Bonds

I've been resisting writing about this guy. But here it goes.

I hate Barry Bonds and what he's done to distract from the game. All this talk about him and what he might or might not have done is taking away airtime from the most important thing...the games themselves.

But even if it's proven that he did do steroids, and there's yet to be a shred of hard core physical evidence produced to say that he did, what exactly are you going to do to him? Answer...not goddamn thing.

It wasn't illegal to do steroids in baseball until 2003. And unless someone can come up with a positive bloodtest of his in the last three years, there's nothing you can do to punish him. Nothing.

Yeah, maybe you can turn him into baseball version of OJ. A pariah who will never be able to make the sort of money an athlete of his stature should be able to make off his name and exploits after his career is over. But that's unlikely.

You're not going to keep him out of the Cooperstown. Any honest baseball fan has to admit after 1998, that Bonds was a first ballot Hall Of Famer if he was hit by a truck the day after the season was over. The last eight seasons have been icing on the cake and more cheddar in his bank account. You might be able to keep him out the first year. But eventually, he's getting in.

Outside of a possible perjury charge, and that's shaky at best, Bonds is getting off. A witchhunt turns Bonds into a martyr and that's the last thing you want to do.

To paraphrase a line from Full Metal Jacket "This is a big shit sandwich and Bud and MLB is going to have to take a bite."

Bonds got away with it. Just like OJ. Deal with it. Let's just hope the measures put in place will prevent another Bonds, McGwire, Sosa or any other abuser you want to name from taking their place.

Baseball waited too long to deal with the problem. Now it must deal with the fallout.

Congrats On Winning The ACC Tournament, Duke

But I'll always have this....





Carolina goes farther in the Big Dance than Dook. JJ goes home crying. Doesn't Williams look a little like the autistic kid who hit all those three-pointers a few weeks ago in Rochester?

Get used to that look on your face, Sheldon. You're going to have it lot for the rest of your basketball career....

Giants Move

Like us getting Sam Madison. Don't like giving up Clancy. Now we have to hope that Joseph will stay healthy or this stud tackle Brodrick Bunkley out Florida State is everything they say he is. Provided he's still around at pick 25.

Another option is doing what I wanted them to do after the their playoff debacle versus the Panthers. And that's draft a linebacker. A couple of sites say they're targeting Sims from Florida State. Haven't seen the kid play so I don't have an opinion one way or another about him. But he has to be an upgrade over what we had out there the last couple of weeks of the season.

I would love for us to go for LaVar Arrington. With him and Pierce, we could make a real run at a title next year. Cross your fingers.

White Boys Are Running The Roost...For Now

G-Mac makes the Garden his own version of the Rucker, JJ Redick turns Greensboro into the tournament at West 4th. Hats off to both of them. PTP'ers both of them.

Too bad both of them will be gone after the round of 16. The NCAA's has a way showing of the warts in your game. Call it the Anti-Clearasil. Basketball's version of kissing of a toad.

Although I'd take either one of them over Rudy Gay late in the game. Maybe he'll have a better pro career. But he needs to develop a spine in the worst way.

My picks tomorrow.

The Knicks....The Light At The End Of Tunnel is the Reflection of your Flash Light off a Steel Wall

Before I get on the Bricks, I want to make two statements.

First, Stacey Kiebler got robbed on Dancing With The Stars!! I knew there was a reason that I don't watch anything involving audience/viewer participation. Now I know why.

Second, I'm not a big coffee guy, but Starbucks sucks. Dunkin Donuts kicks its ass in taste any day of the week.

Back to your regular scheduled programming.

Here's how down I am about the Knickerbocker situation. I'm this close to walking away, to asking for a divorce. At least until the Dolans sell the team. They've taken one of the jewel franchises of the NBA and turned them into the Clippers East. I can't even call them the Clippers. They're making the playoffs!

What's the situation feel so hopeless is not the fact that they're 15-41. I've watched bad NYK teams before. The hopeless feeling comes from the fact that there's talent on this team. A lot of talent. This isn't the mid eighties. When Bernard King blew out his ACL and we were waiting for Patrick Ewing to become the franchsise. Those teams were suppose to be bad. But this team has playoff caliber talent.

The problem is that they're not a team in the way the Pistons or Spurs are a team. The Knicks are a assemblage of players and spare parts. The pundits keep saying that if Larry had the right sort of players, he could win. I take a different stance. If we had the right sort of coach, the right sort of management, we could win.

I'm so disgusted...I can't even finish this post.