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Bracket breakdown
So, everyone has a bracket these days, right?
Heck, my kids are in multiple bracket pools this year.
(Side note: If AU does not make a run to San Antonio, welp, there will be a lot of broken hearts at the 5-at-10 compound. If/when AU falls, the entire 5-at-10 clan (the Mrs. 5-at-10 may zig while the rest of us zAUg) will look like bitter Nancy Pelosi at the State of the Union a few years back.)
With that, we’ll break down half the field this morning. Deal? Deal.
And before we get there, looking over the brackets, man, it feels like a chalky draw this year, dontcha think?
SOUTH
1 seed — Auburn;
Double-digit seed to fear — UC San Diego (narrowly over Yale);
Best first-week game — Texas A&M in a dog fight with Yale in round one;
Regional final — Auburn over Michigan State
Thoughts: So, did you know that UConn last year was the first time in 15 years, the top overall seed won the whole shebang? Auburn — rightly or wrongly — carries that No. 1 burden this year, and will get a scare from Louisville in Lexington on Saturday. But depth matters, especially on the back end of the two-tournament-games-in-three-days scenarios over the next three weeks. But know this: I’m a heckuva lot more nervous this morning than I was two weeks ago.
WEST
1 seed — Florida;
Double-digit seed to fear — Colorado State, which is 12 in the region but is favored by 2.5 points over 5th-seeded Memphis, so there’s that;
Best first-week game — Arkansas topping St. John’s as Coach Cal derails the Rick Pitino lovefest;
Regional final — Florida over Missouri;
Thoughts: Florida is playing better than anyone in short pants, with the possible exception of the Oklahoma City Thunder. In fact, the Gators in this region feels like the easiest region to fill out in ink, you know? St. John’s story is awesome, but they can’t make enough shots to get to San Antonio, and that’s true whether it’s round two of the back end of week two. UConn is washed, and Kansas is broken. This region is Gator bait.
Thoughts?
In need of a governor, governor
We need a lot of things in college basketball.
We need coaches to act like they expect their players to act. Looking at you Nate “Clipboard Killer” Oats.
We need NIT brackets because “more brackets being better than fewer brackets” is as pure as a 4 a.m. January snow and a mother’s love.
We need an experiment in exhibitions of a four-point shot. Hey, if MLB can alter its game dramatically and have dramatic success, why not? (While we are toying with rules, let’s see if a wider court is viable too. Deal? Deal.)
We need fewer trips to the replay monitors, better referees and some sort of replay challenge system so the last 4:00 on the clock do not consume 4:30 (as in four hours and 30 minutes) anymore.
We need more Bill Raftery, less Seth Greenberg and Charles Barkley on the call for Auburn’s first-round NCAA tournament game.
The thing we don’t need? That’s easy.
We don’t need political grandstanding by goofy politicians who should be frying much bigger fish.
In these parts Monday, we concurred with the masses that a) UNC should not be a tournament team, and b) West Virginia has only itself to blame for not crafting a strong resumé.
But now the West Virginia governor is threatening legal action against the NCAA after WVU was the first team out in the eyes of the selection committee.
Oy vey. Where do we begin?
West Virginia is 49th among states in per capita income (a smidge less than $33K per person), No. 1 in obesity rate (a staggering 41.7% of its population is obese), and 48th in education.
But let’s make sure that the dishonorable Patrick Morrisey gets his soundbite protesting the Mountaineers being denied the chance to play a game in Dayton and then shooting 37% from the floor in a nine-point first-round loss.
Nice job, Patty M. (Uh, that’s sarcasm, Mr. Governor.)
And they are off
While you were sleeping, MLB opened with the Dodgers beating the Chicago Cubs 4-1 in Tokyo. In their return to Japan, Shohei Ohtani (2-for-5, two runs scored) and Yoshinobu Yamamoto (5 IP, win, 1 ER, 4 Ks) were the stars.
Side note: Does that take away anything from the traditional Opening Day? Discuss.
But the Dodgers are really the main story in the MLB this year, no?
For MLB fans of the other 29 teams, the Dodgers are one of two things.
They are either the postcard of an ownership collective proving that their only care is winning titles.
Or they are the Steinbrenner Yankees back in the day on enough PEDs to choke Roger Clemens and to increase Barry Bonds’ cap size to 14-7/8s.
(Side note: Not sure how many folks know this, but the Dodgers only have the No. 2 payroll in baseball at $308 million. The Mets are No. 1 at $312.8 million.)
But it feels like the Dodgers bid on every free agent and, with the exception of Juan Soto, lands every one it bids on.
On that payroll scale, the Phillies are third, and the Braves are eighth at $201 million.
But the reality there is even though the Braves have a top-10 payroll, the difference between Los Angeles and Atlanta is the entire payroll of the Washington Nationals.
Yes, you read that right.
Tuesday morning’s opener had the Dodgers and the Cubs, who feel like a big-market team with one of the sport’s sweeter team-specific TV deal.
But Chicago spends $183.5 million on its roster, so the difference between it and the Dodgers is St. Louis’ budget for its entire roster.
True or false — it’s a Tuesday, right? — MLB needs to install a salary cap.
This and that
› Rory McIlroy is pretty good at golf. That is all.
› Mel Kiper’s Mock Draft 3.0 dropped this morning. Here’s the top five: Titans take Cam Ward, Cleveland grabs Abdul Carter and the Giants get Shedeur Sanders at 3 with Travis Hunter going to the Pats at 4 and Michigan DT Mason Graham going 5 to Jacksonville. Also of note, Jaxson Dart has jumped all the way to No. 9 overall to New Orleans. Wowser, that’s a monster jump if Mel hits a bull’s eye with Dart. (Spy?)
› Looks like the movie theater folks are still limping along in the post-COVID haze. Here’s more.
› Speaking of movies, here’s the official trailer of “Happy Gilmore 2.”
› Here’s the latest podcast I sat in with Southeastern16.com on SEC baseball. Enjoy — we try to do several a week.
› Speaking of college hoops, Bruce Pearl said Monday that Chad Baker Mazara could return next year. Man, that dude would be booed at every place from Baton Rouge to the Buc-ee’s of I-75, you know?
› South Alabama got invited and then uninvited to the NIT basketball circus. Wow, how does that happen?
› A Michigan baseball player who celebrated a triple by pretending the foul line was cocaine has apologized. Weird stuff.
Today’s questions
True or false, it’s Tuesday. Morning, Ernie.
True or false, MLB needs a salary cap. True or false, the MLB will never get a salary cap.
True or false, Auburn makes the Final Four.
True or false, the SEC loses at least four first-round games.
True or false, Rory ends his majors drought.
True or false, you know someone who fills out a women’s bracket.
True or false, Jaxson Dart will be a top-10 pick.
You know the drill, answer some T or F; ask some T or F.
As for today, March 18, let’s review:
Vanessa Williams is 62 today. MJ returned to the Bulls on this day 30 years ago today.
Queen Latifah is 55 today.
Rushmore of “Queen” and have a little fun.