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I know it’s not March yet. I know conference tournaments haven’t started. I know the word “bubble” is just now coming into play. However, I’m ready for the NCAA Tourney! It’s by far my favorite time of the year. Since we’re about a month away from Selection Sunday, I thought I’d make a few predictions on what I see happening. Yeah, I’ll probably be wrong and you can let me know when I am. But here’s a few things I forsee when March and April come around:

Kansas and Kentucky will play in the National Championship
If you asked me to make a list of my most hated basketball teams, Kansas and Kentucky would come in at 2 and 3 (behind Duke). Even though I can’t stand either team, they’re good. Really good. I don’t see how any team in the tournament can match up with their dominant guard play and inside play. Some teams may be able to match up with one element, but not both. With Kansas, Collins and Aldrich are incredible. At Kentucky, Wall and Cousins are only getting better. These are the 2 best teams in college basketball. Kansas is a lock for the Final Four. Don’t be surprised if Kentucky is there too…and in the Championship game.

North Carolina will miss the tournament
That prediction is like saying the Saints will win the 2010 Super Bowl. It’s already determined. Barring a miracle run in the ACC Tournament, my heart will be a bit broken come March 14.

Connecticut will make a strong run at getting into the tournament
Their road record and record against Top 50 teams (1-5) is awful. However, they played Syracuse tough at Syracuse. And now, Jim Calhoun is coming back. This team has talent…they just haven’t put it together yet. Don’t be surprised if Dyson, Robinson, and Walker start rolling and the Huskies get on a hot streak. It would be tough for them to get an at-large bid, but don’t be surprised if they make a run at the Big East title. The Big East isn’t as strong as last year.

The A-10 will surprise people
If you get in the tourney, you do NOT want to get matched up against an A-10 team. Whether it’s Charlotte, Dayton, Rhode Island, Richmond, or Xavier, all of these teams are tough. They haven’t been given much respect or TV coverage this year, which could make them even more dangerous!

The Big 10 will collapse in the tournament
Sorry if you’re a Big 10 fan, but I just find the conference a bit overrated. I’m impressed by Evan Turner and Ohio State, but I just don’t have much faith in Wisconsin or Purdue. Michigan State could show up, or get knocked out in the 2nd round. I just can’t figure them out. The Illini could make some noise, but I could easily see them getting knocked out in the 1st round.

Texas will be a force in the tournament
They’re sliding right now. Don’t expect that to continue for long. Kick them while they’re down because come March, this could be a different team. James and Pittman have the power to lift this team far in the brackets.

Be ready to say “Who?”
This could be a big year for the “smaller” basketball schools. Schools like BYU, Butler, Old Dominion, Northern Iowa, Cornell, and Siena could possibly make Cinderella runs in the tournament. However, if you take a look at the Top 25, some of these teams aren’t even Cinderellas. They’re actually college basketball’s best kept secrets. Don’t be surprised to see one of two of the listed teams in the Sweet 16.

The 1 Seeds will be Kansas, Kentucky, Syracuse, and ???
The first 2 are givens. Syracuse is hot right now. Even when faced with close games lately, they’ve overcome and won. This is a really really good team. Even though Jonny Flynn left, this team is better than last year. Wesley Johnson is a great player. If Rautins is hitting the 3, they can’t be stopped. As for the 4th team, this is a toss up right now. Villanova could take it; however if they sputter in the Big East tourney, they may get a 2 seed. If Duke finishes strong and wins the ACC tourney, they could also take it. I would also say Purdue, West Virginia, Georgetown, and Michigan St could make late runs.

Mizzou will make the tournament, and no one will want to play them
Yes, a personal prediction, but Mike Anderson and the Tigers will make the field. Because of their aggressive style of defense (40 minute of…) no team will want to play them.  When you have to play 2 games in 3 days, the last thing you want to see is an overaggressive full court pressing team that is relentless.

A 16 will finally defeat a 1
Just kidding.

Names you need to know come tournament time
John Wall- Kentucky
Wesley Johnson- Syracuse
Evan Turner- Ohio State
Jon Scheyer- Duke
Scottie Reynolds- Villanova
DeMarcus Cousins- Kentucky
Dominique Jones- South Florida
Damion James- Texas
De’Sean Butler- West Virginia
Cole Aldrich- Kansas

Kansas wins the National Championship
Yuck.

Last night I was pulling for the Indianapolis Colts. Unfortunately, they got taken down by the New Orleans Saints. In all honesty, I’m very happy for the Saints and city of New Orleans. It’s a great win for them. I’m especially happy for Drew Brees. Yesterday afternoon, I heard Brees talking on the radio about how he’s a strong Christian and he feels God placed him in New Orleans for a reason. As I did a little more research about Brees today, I came across this video. It’s extremely uplifting and there’s a calm and joyful attitude within Brees that really seems to make itself known in this interview:

This post might offend some people. If it does, just try to hear me out before you get angry and vow to never read my blog again. I have this theory that there are a lot of things that are popular in this culture simply because we think we’re supposed to like those things. For instance, when I was in high school, some friends and I made up a fake band and started raving about them to some of our other friends. Within a short time, some of our oblivious friends were raving about how awesome that band was. They even claimed to have all their albums and songs. Unfortunately, that band was made up. They simply liked them because some of their friends did.

Just because something makes this list does not mean that you’re a poser and only like it because your friends do. In fact, most things in life are “liked” because of a chain reaction. I truly believe that there are genuine fans of these shows, movies, products, etc. The following list (in no particular order) contains things that I think our society has overrated, simply because people think they’re supposed to like those things.

1. Coldplay
And here come the hateful comments. I do think a lot of people like Coldplay for their music. However, I think a lot of people buy into Coldplay because “everyone” thinks Coldplay is “cool” and let’s face it, we all want to be cool.

2. Dane Cook
He’s not funny! But somewhere along the way, someone really popular said he liked Dane Cook. And the snowball effect has taken place.

3. Lost
Too soon? I will admit that I’m a fan of Lost. However, sometimes I think Lost gets overhyped because people think they are supposed to be obsessed with it. It’s a great show…but some go just a little bit overboard with it.

4. The New York Yankees
You either love them or hate them…and a lot of people that love them came to love them by jumping on the bandwagon. They’ve almost become more of a fashion accessory than a baseball team. If you see someone wearing a flat-billed cap turned sideways, chances are it’s a Yankees hat.

5. Avatar
It was in 3D. It featured blue people. But is it really a “great” movie? Is it Golden Globe worthy? Academy Award worthy? I think the media made a lot of us buy into this one.

6. Lady Gaga
People call her a freak, yet her music sells. Someone must be buying it. I guess she could be the very opposite of this last and everyone buying her music is a closet fan afraid to admit it.

7. The North Carolina Tar Heels
This one is tough to put on here because I’d like to think of myself as one of the biggest Tar Heel fans on the planet. (I even came home from the hospital wrapped in a Tar Heel blanket when I was born.) However, much like the Yankees, the Heels have become a bandwagon-ridden team. This is mostly in part to Michael Jordan. Nonetheless, there’s a lot of Heels fans out there who are Heels fans simply because they want to fit in with their peers and culture.

8. Kim Kardashian
I’m pretty sure she’s only popular for being popular. Yet Kim, as well as any other “reality-TV” celeb on the E! channel have become overnight sensations. Their shows and stories are pitiful, materialistic, and vain, yet their popular keeps growing. Do we really like this people, or do we simply like them because our friends like them?

9. Hot Wings
This probably applies to guys more than anyone. Wings are a “guy’s” food. And to be honest, they’re good. But there’s a level of pride in guys that says they have to eat the hottest wings possible to keep their standing as “one of the guys.” Anything mild makes them a wuss. So even though they’re mouth is on fire, they’ll swallow their pride (literally) and pretend like everything is fine.

10. Rap music
A lot of people truly enjoy rap music. But a lot of people only listen to it because their friends are listening to it. You know who I’m talking about too. They’re very easy to spot.

11. Alcohol
If none of your friends drank alcohol, would you? Even more, if all of your friends thought alcohol was disgusting and detestable, would you touch it? Probably not. You’d have no need to.

12. The Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is much more than a game these days. It’s 2 weeks of media coverage, and a 3 hour social gathering for most people. There’s nothing wrong with that. In fact, it’s fun for people to get together for the game, even if they care nothing about the game. But since a lot of people show interest in it just to blend in with the crowd, it makes this list.

13. MMA
UFC has a huge following, as well as the rest of MMA. It’s a sport that’s on the rise. But in a sport that’s becoming so popular, you know there has to be a large chunk of the audience that only watch because it’s the “cool” and “manly” thing to do. Also, wearing Tapout and Affliction t-shirts fits in here too.

14. Abercrombie & Fitch
Why do people buy overpriced clothing? Because they’re friends are buying overpriced clothing and because the media says that is what we need to wear to be cool.

15. Dave Matthews Band
See Coldplay

16. American Idol
For many of us, we watch because our friends and co-workers watch. After all, we don’t want to be left without a word during the talk around the water cooler.

17. Political Activism
Whether it’s a fight for social justice or politics, a lot of people take a side they know nothing about and march, protest, complain, etc because that’s what everyone else is doing. This really seems to spring up around election time. If you really want to see it in action, wait until October 2012. Whether people love Obama or hate Obama, they will be out in full force…with absolute ignorance as their guide. Any guesses on how many of those people actually read the newspaper or watch Fox News and/or CNN regularly?

18. President Barack Obama
I’m not bashing or endorsing the president here. However, in many circles, it’s fairly obvious that people make up their opinions about the president based on the opinions of their friends or others in their “social group.” Very few people actually know how to think politically for themselves. Instead, they either hate or love the president based on what they think they are supposed to do to be accepted in certain circles.

19. Twilight
Need I say more?

20. Michael Jackson
It’s sad that Michael Jackson died at an early age. It’s amazing how many people became fans after he died. Some people just couldn’t stand to fall behind a trend.

Thanks for those that contributed. I want to give you credit, but I don’t want to put your name down if you wished to remain anonymous. So, feel free to claim your submission. If there’s anything to add, feel free. If you disagree, I would love to hear about it.

As I write this, Kurt Warner is speaking in Arizona and announcing his retirement. For football fans, especially fans of the St. Louis Rams and Arizona Cardinals, this is a bittersweet day. It’s sad to see Warner retiring, but it’s great to see him leave the game healthy and on his own time.

On the football side of things, Warner has had an incredible story. He wasn’t highly recruited out of high school. He didn’t immediately break into the NFL. In fact, after college, he found himself stocking shelves at a grocery store to make money. When he couldn’t make it in the NFL, Warner started with the Arena League. He then became the backup in St. Louis. After a season-ending injury to Trent Green, Warner was given the role of starter in 1999 for the St. Louis Rams. While no one expected greatness out of him, Warner went on to win the MVP that year and lead the Rams to a Super Bowl victory. In his career, Warner won 2 NFL MVPs, a Super Bowl, a Super Bowl MVP, and has the 3 highest passing games in Super Bowl history.

Unless you’ve lived in St. Louis or Phoenix, it’s difficult to understand exactly what Warner has meant to those teams and towns. Even though he hasn’t played for St. Louis since 2003, he is still beloved and followed. In fact today’s press conference is being shown on TV in St. Louis and heard on all St. Louis sports radio stations. Maybe this sounds obsessive, but as a fan, I have 2 Kurt Warner plaques in my living room, 2 Kurt Warner Christmas ornaments, 1 Kurt Warner Rams jersey, and 1 Kurt Warner Cardinals jersey. That’s how much of an impact he’s made.

Perhaps the reason he is so beloved is because of what he has done off the field. He has created the “First Things First” Foundation, a charity dedicated to impacting lives by promoting Christian values. He has started the “Winter Warm-Up” which collects coats for the homeless. Kurt and his wife give scholarships to teenagers and young adults looking to go on service-based mission trips. He has also helped flood victims in Iowa, as well as many other things involving charities. And when Warner left a town, he didn’t forget about the charities. He continues to go back to St. Louis and Iowa to do charity work for the community.

Maybe the thing that stands out about Warner the most is how outspoken he has been about his faith. While this may bother some, those who have been around him (both Christians and non-Christians) have said he is the finest man they have ever met. After winning the Super Bowl, before Warner would even talk about the game, he made sure he gave all the glory to God. Being lucky enough to hear Warner speak/preach, I can tell you he believes what he says. In his interviews and press conferences, he makes sure to give glory where glory is due. In fact, in most press conferences, Warner can be seen carrying his Bible to the podium. Today is no exception. He’s always been confident in his abilities, but he’s always made sure to tell where that confidence and those abilities come from.

Warner opened today’s press conference by saying, “The Bible is filled with a bunch of stories about average, ordinary people, where God came in and did something extraordinary in their lives.” He then remarked that God took an ordinary person like him and did something incredible in his life.

Thank you Kurt for letting tag along on your incredible ride!

Here’s a list of 10 Sporting Events I Want to Attend. Some of them are very specific and some are very generic. If there are things that would make your list, add a comment and let me know what that would be.

10. A basketball game at Madison Square Garden
I’d love to be there for the Coaches vs. Cancer college basketball tourney or even a Knicks game. Just want to sit in that building.

9. See LeBron James play in person
At some point I want to go to a Cavs game. Or who knows…maybe in a couple years that will mean attending a Knicks game…at Madison Square Garden…hmm… By the way, Kobe was a close second. Not a Kobe fan, but he’s an incredible player.

8. A major college football rivalry
I got to attend an Oklahoma-Oklahoma St. game at OU years ago, but I was working the game for the first half. Long story. Anyway, I want to attend a major rivalry game where the stadium is rocking and team pride is at an all time high.

7. The Olympics
Winter or summer…doesn’t matter. Just want to attend an event.

6. Yankees-Red Sox game (particularly at Fenway)
If I can’t see these 2 teams play, I’d at least like to see a game at Fenway and new Yankee Stadium.

5. Cardinals-Cubs series at Wrigley Field
I’ve seen plenty in St. Louis and they’re amazing. Before they tear Wrigley down, I’d love to attend a weekend series between my Cards and the baby bears.

4. North Carolina-Duke game at the Dean Dome
Greatest rivalry in college sports. The Tar Heels are my favorite team in college sports. It doesn’t get much better than this!

3. World Series
If the Cardinals are playing, this might jump to number 1. If not, it actually might move to 5 or 6. Therefore, I tried to find a median. I’ve been to an NLCS game, but not the World Series.

2. Final Four and NCAA Championship Game
Since you usually get tickets for both, I’d love to attend the 2 Final Four games and then the National Championship game. If the outcome is like 2009, it only makes it sweeter!

1. Super Bowl
This is perhaps the most prolific event in all of sports and maybe the number 1 sporting even in the world (the Olympics and World Cup would be at the top too). No matter who is playing, the Super Bowl is always incredible. If it happens to be your team…simply amazing!

Like many guys, I enjoy sitting in front of the TV and watching Sportscenter. It’s great seeing highlights of your favorite team win and keeping track of your fantasy football players without having to change the channel.

But lately I’ve been getting pretty sick of Sportscenter, ESPN, and most sports coverage. It’s seems as though the Worldwide Leader in Sports has turned into TMZ rather than a highlight real.

Case in point: Tiger Woods

Since Friday, all of sports coverage has been dedicated to Tiger Woods. If he just won a major, a Grand Slam, broke a record, etc I could understand. But no. Coverage has been dedicated to him because of his minor car accident that has resulted in information about an affair or affairs.

Sadly, our media can’t get enough of it probably because we can’t get enough of it. We love the coverage. We love the rumors. We love the allegations. We love seeing a falling star. Gossip feels great because it’s fueled by speculation and up-to-the-minute updates.

But let’s be honest: IT’S NONE OF OUR BUSINESS!

Are extramarital affairs wrong? Yes. There’s no doubt about it. But would you want your dirty laundry aired on cable TV 24/7, discussed by radio hosts across the country, written about in every paper and online site, and a trending topic on Twitter. No way. We need to get out of it. It’s not our battle. It’s not our fight. This is between Tiger Woods and his wife.

The solution to stop the nonsense is easy: Quit talking about it. But that doesn’t happen in our society. Some may even argue that I’m fueling the fire by writing this. But my point is simple: this is none of our business. It doesn’t need to be talked about on TV, radio, the newspaper, etc.

Let’s pray for these people; not broadcast their personal lives across the wire.

It’s time for ESPN to get back to what it does best: Sports. For some reason, the network seems to think we all deeply care about are Tiger Woods, Derek Jeter, the Lakers, and Tom Brady. Sadly they may be right.

But when it comes to tabloid mania, it still remains none of our business.

This article comes from Aaron Kuriloff of Bloomberg.com. You can find the full story by clicking here. My thoughts are after the story.

Nov. 9 (Bloomberg) — Playing team sports increases teenage boys’ likelihood to binge drink and fight, while reducing unhealthy behavior in girls, a study found.

Teen girls who played team sports said they fought less, were depressed less often and didn’t smoke as much, according to a study presented today at the American Public Health Association’s annual meeting. Male athletes who played team sports also reported some benefits, such as less depression and smoking, the organization said in a news release.

“Sports team participation appears to have both protective and risk-enhancing associations,” said the study’s author, Susan M. Conner from the Injury Prevention Center at University Hospitals’ Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital in Cleveland, in the release. “These results indicate that healthy lifestyle benefits are not universal and do not apply equally across genders.”

The study surveyed 13,000 U.S. high school students to evaluate links between team sports and risky behavior. About 60 percent of the boys reported they played team sports within the last year, compared with 48 percent of girls.

The boys playing team sports reported binge-drinking rates 40 percent higher and fighting 30 percent more often than nonathletes, according to the news release. The athlete boys also showed 30 percent lower rates of depression and 20 percent less smoking.

The girls showed no link to drinking in the study, the research reported. The athletic girls showed 10 percent lower rates of fighting, 30 percent less depression, 50 percent less smoking and 10 percent less unhealthy weight loss habits compared with nonathlete girls, the study found.

This study doesn’t come as a huge surprise to me. I think parents, teachers, coaches, and teenagers have had a pretty good idea about these results for a long time. For many teenagers, especially guys, sports is associated with popularity and popularity is associated with alcohol. In my high school, many of the popular guys were athletes who also drank.

Less smoking among both genders seems obvious as well. It’s difficult to be an athlete at the top of your game if you’re smoking.

It’s also no surprise that sports seems to boost or at least sustain self-esteem. When teenagers have a hobby or something they can spend time doing, it helps self-esteem, especially when a teen can find reason to feel good about sometime. Self-esteem is also built when relationships are built through activities such as sports.

The increase in fighting among athletes vs nonathletes doesn’t seem to be surprising concerning boys. I’ve seen fights break out among fans at hockey games. Guys take a lot of pride in their teams, even if they’re not the ones playing. If guys are playing, that pride increases even more. When someone talks bad about their team, they take it personal. That’s when fists get thrown and fights ensue.

Although much of this information may seem obvious and predictable, it is saddening and scary and something parents should take note of. While athletics can have many positive effects on the lives of teenagers, it can also lead them to take part in things that are unwholesome.

Teenagers will do almost anything to be liked, popular, or just fit in. For some, this is turning to sports. If sports was as far as this went, the problem would not be so complicated and detrimental. Unfortunately, the drive for popularity leads many teens (especially guys) beyond the field and to the bottle. Maybe the boys should take a note from the girls on this one…

If you don’t mind, I’d like to take just a second to vent: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok. I’m done. The St. Louis Cardinals were embarrassed (to put it lightly) by the Los Angeles Dodgers and swept 3-0 in the NLDS. Now that the season is over, I have a few items on my wishlist I’d like to ask for:

1. Re-sign Matt Holliday. I know he didn’t perform well in the playoffs, but the guy is an all-star. There’s no telling what kind of numbers he could put up in the NL in a full season. This is where it starts. Cards can’t pay like the Yankees or Red Sox, but hopefully Holliday will compare his NL to AL records and remember the 47,000 forgiving fans and take smaller pay to be a Card. Remember Holliday, Scott Boras works for you!

2. Sign Albert Pujols to a long-term deal. This should probably be #1 on the list, but it won’t happen immediately unless Holliday returns to the team. Pujols wants to make sure the team is committed to winning. This man is the face of the organization and arguably the greatest right-handed batter to ever play the game. He made us forget about McGwire and Tino Martinez (ugh!). Do not let him walk away!

3. Let Ankiel and Glaus go! I know loyalty is a big thing in the Cards organization, but there’s no reason for these guys to be on the team next year. They were high cost, low production. Their time is done in St. Louis. Sorry guys.

4. Find a way to keep Mark DeRosa. This is a tough one! David Freese is ready to take over 3rd base. Where does DeRosa go? There’s several possibilities. If Holliday doesn’t re-sign, DeRosa can play OF. Or, move Skip back out to the OF and put DeRosa at 2B. The guy is a hard-nosed, give-it-your-all, player. He’s exactly what Cardinals’ fans love. I would love to see him wear the birds on the bat for a few more years.

5. Use Rasmus! He is the up and coming superstar on the team. He struggled against left-handed pitching this season (.160 average) but showed in the playoffs that he’s learning. In fact, he was probably the best hitter in the playoffs. It’s time for Colby to be the every day CF and time to shine.

6. Utilize our young pitches in an appropriate way. I understand that Duncan likes renovating veteran guys. I also understand he’s struggled with some young guys (Reyes, Marquis, etc.). However, it’s time to give some of the young guys a chance. I want to see what Jaime Garcia, Blake Hawsworth, and Mitchell Boggs can do. They’ve earned an opportunity to compete for the 4th and 5th spots in the rotation.

7. Bring back John Smoltz. He struggled at times, but showed flashes of greatness at times. I think he can still be a major contributor, whether out of the bullpen or as the 5th man in the rotation. He still has something left in that arm.

8. Fortify the bullpen. It’s pretty solid as is, especially with Miller against lefties. I still believe Franklin can be an effective closer. However, I would love to see the Cards adopt the Dodgers philosophy of having a 7th, 8th, and 9th man. I think Motte could fit one of those positions. Possibly Smoltz as well. Nonetheless, I like what I see in the pen.

9. Bring back La Russa and Duncan. I know some are ready to see them go. They might not even return. However, they can’t go out like this. I still believe they are the right 2 people for the job.

P.S. Not letting Todd Wellemeyer pitch should be a given.

As much as I would love to blog, I have no time today. So, instead, let me provide you with a reminder to listen to The Brink Podcast by visiting www.thebrinkonline.com/podcast or clicking on the magazine logo above.

In this week’s episode (8/14) we discussed Michael Vick, saving money for college, Ouija Boards, and the question that is bound to make you uncomfortable: Do Christian women dress too sexy?

Also check out the previous podcasts while you’re on the site. You can download them from iTunes, put them on a CD, and take them with you in your car. It’s like we’re sitting in the passenger seat with you…but with more room!