Final Four Predictions

The weather is getting warmer, the sun is shining daily, baseball is almost here, and the Final Four is this weekend. Spring is by far my favorite time of the year and I cannot wait to watch three great basketball games this weekend, with a couple baseball games in between.

There may not be an exciting underdog to root for like last year's George Mason, but you really could not ask for a better Final Four. All four teams are very talented and all three games should be exciting.

My bracket is awful this year, two out of four Final Four teams, but my champs, the Kansas Jayhawks, let met down once again. So this year I don't really have a team to root for, but Georgetown is really growing on me. As a UConn and Big East basketball fan, I'd like to see the Hoyas back at the top of the nation.

I think that whoever pulls out a win in the Ohio State-Georgetown game will win the National Championship. Florida is a very talented team and I think they will get by an equally talented UCLA squad, but I think the size of the Hoyas and Buckeyes will stop the Gators try for a second straight National Championship.

Here are my predictions for Saturday night's games.

Ohio State vs. Georgetown:

This is a very tough matchup. Both teams have good players at almost every position and two very big guys in the middle who play similar games. Roy Hibbert of Georgetown vs. Greg Oden of Ohio State is a very intriguing matchup, but I think Hibbert may be able to shut down the freshman sensation.

Mike Conley Jr. is another extremely talented Buckeye freshman. I have been impressed with his play all tournament long and think that he will eventually be a good NBA point guard, because he has the ability to drive, shoot, and pass.

The Hoyas need a big game from Jeff Green, who has size and the ability to take defenders off of the dribble. His drive to win the game against Vanderbilt was amazing. The Hoyas showed me a lot in their win over UNC, I thought they were done, but instead they came back and won big. I picked Georgetown to make the Finals on my bracket and I'm sticking with them now.

Georgetown Wins

Florida vs. UCLA:

Another very good matchup. I really dislike the Gators, but you can't deny how talented they are. I am picking Florida to win, but in a very close game. If Aaron Afflalo can shoot like he did against Kansas and the tough Bruins defense can lock down Florida, they have a chance to win as well.

Billy Donovan is going to have the 1 million dollar offer from Kentucky hanging over his head, but I really do not think it will affect him or his team. The Gators are experienced and have been in this position before but so was UCLA.

The difference is, the Bruins no longer have Jordan Farmar, who probably wishes he could get back with Afflalo and his teammates to try and get revenge on the Gators for last years finals loss. The Bruins need a big game from Darren Collison, who is Farmar's replacement. He has picked up a lot of experience this year and looked good against Kansas, but it will be tough for UCLA to beat the Gators.

Florida Wins

Check back tomorrow for my baseball predictions, starting with the American League tomorrow and the National League on Sunday. Also look for a breakdown of Monday's National Championship Game.

AFC and NFC Championship Predictions

Its come to that point in the year where football is the focus of the sporting world. March Madness is close but still far, baseball is a few months away, hockey is heading into its All-Star break, the NBA is nearing midseason, and college football already has crowned its champ. For many sports fans football has been their focus since the season started, but for some the playoffs are when they put aside everything else and are zoned in on football.

The AFC and NFC Championships are both intriguing matchups this year, with the AFC featuring a huge rivalry between the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts, while the NFC features the leagues best team in the regular season and a team that is carrying its city on its back. The Bears will look to prove they are the best in the NFC, while the Saints try and continue a feel good story.

My predictions:

Brady's time to shine: The playoffs are when Tom Brady and the Pats are at the top of their games. I don't think it will be any different this year. The Colts are a very talented team, but the Patriots will not be stopped. Peyton Manning will throw two touchdowns and Mr. Clutch Adam Vinatieri will kick a couple field goals, but Brady will still lead the Patriots to victory.

Prediction: Patriots 31, Colts 27

Saints go marching into Miami: It has been a storybook season for the New Orleans Saints and we all know how a story ends, with a happy ending. While they Bears will prove to be a difficult task for the Saints, I don't believe that Rex Grossman and the Bears offense will be able to put enough points on the board to beat the Saints, who are playing with house money and have all the confidence in the world right now. Sean Payton will draw up a good game plan that Drew Brees, Deuce, Reggie, and the rest will execute well, doing just enough to stop the Bears' mighty D.

Prediction: Saints 24, Bears 17

No matter what, we can look forward to two great games tomorrow.

Red Sox News

Christmas is almost here and baseball is still 4 months away, but the Red Sox are still the talk of Boston, especially with the signing of Daisuke Matzusaka. Here are a few quick notes about the Sox:

D-Mat's Here!: Boston is buzzing with excitement over the signing of Matzusaka, who is being compared already to Pedro Martinez, before he's even thrown one pitch in the States. His flight from LA to Boston was tracked online and he was greeted by media and fans when he got to the airport. Today almost 100 media members, including about 50 from Japan are in the city for D-Mat's first Boston press conference. Tonight he drops the puck at the Bruins game, it will be interesting to see the reaction he gets.

Mirabelli is back too: The Sox made their second biggest signing of the off-season, resiging back-up catcher Doug Mirabelli, who will again catch every five days for Tim Wakefield. No matter what, Jason Varitek has to stay healthy this year, we can't deal with Mirabelli as the regular catcher.

Rocket's Red Glare?: All Dan wants for Christmas is Brian Leetch, but while Leetch back in Rangers' blue would be nice, I want to see Roger Clemens back for the Red Sox. Its time for him to stop teasing Sox fans and come back for a final go. Schilling, Clemens, D-Mat, Beckett, Wakefield, that would be the perfect gift. Jon Papelbon can close again, settling that issue.

Back to writing a Latin paper.

For the Penguins, the future is now

Tonight one of the most intriguing matchups in the NHL this season took place, as the Washington Capitals, led by Russian phenomn Alexander Ovechkin took on the Pittsburgh Penguins and Sidney Crosby, the new face of the NHL.

Hockey normally does not get a prominent place on ESPN.com, but today it was one of the top stories. If the NHL is ever going to become popular again in America, it will take players like Crosby, and his Pittsburgh pals, Evengi Malkin (left), Jordan Staal, and Marc-Andre Fleury, as well as Ovechkin.

The Penguins are having unexpected success and Crosby is leading all NHL players in All Star votes, proving that he is already the most popular player in the NHL. Crosby and Malkin, who each scored goals, led the Penguins to a thrilling 5-4 victory over the Capitals. The only problem is, not many could see it. In the pre-lockout days of the NHL, this game would have been on ESPN and the NHL could have promoted it well. But for now, the only wau to follow a game like this is through a post game article on ESPN and maybe a few brief clips on ESPN.

The NHL has the players and a new style to build it back up to a prime spot in America, but it will take awhile. No matter what, I will be looking forward to more battles between Ovechkin and Crosby.