Could Northern Iowa...

"Northern Iowa can win the NCAA tournament." - Me.

I said it right after they beat Kansas. Yes, after they beat them. No, I did not predict that #9. Northern Iowa would knock off Kansas, the #1 seed of #1 seeds. I did not pick it in my bracket. I did not bid on Northern Iowa in any of my six auction drafts. You want to know why I didn't? Not because I didn't think Northern Iowa was good, Tom Izzo as my witness I did, I thought they were real good, good enough to win more than a few games...but Northern Iowa drew the seed of death. That's right. The #8 or #9 seed in the region with the prohibitive favorite -- The seed of death. It's bad enough to get an #8 or #9 in a different region (I would much rather be a 7, 10, 11, 12 or even 13), playing a #1 in the second round is a great way to not do anything special in the tournament. It's a great way to not be remembered.

So if you picked Northern Iowa to knock off Kansas in the second round, congratulations, you made a HORRIBLE PICK! Sometimes the worse team wins, that doesn't mean it was the right pick. Northern Iowa might have been the 7th best team in the NCAA tournament this year -- behind Kansas, Kentucky, Syracuse (pre injury), Duke, WVU, Kansas St. and Baylor (not in this order)-- but they played Kansas in the second round and although it may have appeared that they were the better team, they would lose that game 8 out of 10 times. That said...

"Northern Iowa can win the NCAA tournament." - Me. I just said it again.

Hindsight is 20-20, but if Northern Iowa had been the right #10 seed, I would have put them in the elite eight. I would have had them beating any #7, either #2. Villanova or #2 Ohio St. (the games would not have been close) and #3 Georgetown, #3 New Mexico or #3 Pitt, then I would have had them losing to any of the #1 seeds because even if it doesn't happen, it was the right pick. You probably hate me by now, but... BUT... In the NCAA tournament, shit happens, it always has and it always will. That is what makes it so great. But upsets rarely help the team who actually makes the upset. In English, teams who pull great upsets usually get knocked off in the next round. Who do upsets help then? Besides Michigan St. every @#$^%&* year, upsets help the next two or three best teams in each region. Do to match ups they probably couldn't have pulled the same upset the lesser team did, but now the bracket has opened up, now they can make a run.

What are you yelling about, Tom? You're the luckiest man on the planet!

This in a sense is what has happen for Ohio St., Tennessee, and naturally Michigan State. They now have a chance to get further than they should and you can see it in their eyes. What is rare about this case is that the team that pulled off the improbable upset, Northern Iowa, is the best team left in the bracket. Miss-seeded, Northern Iowa should win this region. THEY SHOULD WIN IT! Then what? They would play Butler or Kansas St. in the Final Four. If it happens to be Butler, not taking anything away from a very game Bulter team, Northern Iowa should win and thus should make it to the finals. If it's Kansas St... I wouldn't pick Northern Iowa, but as we know, anything can happen.

Could Northern Iowa knock off Kansas and Kentucky in the same tournament?

What would it look like in the finals? Kentucky, WVU, Duke/Purdue or Baylor. Again, I wouldn't pick them, but who knows. Will they win it all? Probably not. Almost certainly not. THEY ARE DOWN 42-43 to Michigan State late in the second half as I write this. But based on skill, team work, heart and the sheer weight of Ali Farokhmanesh’s balls... they should get to the Final Four, and after that... Who knows?

Falling in Love with March Madness

March Madness is down to 16 teams. So unless you went to undergrad (yes, only undergrad) at one of the schools left, are in the mix to win some serious money, or are a huge douche, it's time to throw away your bracket and start rooting with your heart (or mine if yours doesn't steer you towards Cornell, Northern Iowa and St. Mary's. Did I forget a team? No. I do not believe I did.).

I'll be the first to admit that each year on Thursday afternoon as the tournament begins, I sit down with my bracket and I root for the teams I've selected. How can I not? The bracket is a major reason why the tournament is so special. However, as large cross outs start to fill up my bracket my mindset changes.

This year, as per usual, as the sweet sixteen rolls around my bracket doesn't give me much to root for. Unfortunately, Siena, UTEP, New Mexico St., Marquette, Oklahoma St., Texas and Richmond didn't make it to the sweet sixteen. In fact, NONE OF THEM EVEN MADE IT TO THE SECOND ROUND! Add the fact that I cheered as my National Championship pick (Kansas) got knocked off and you have someone who doesn't really care about his (2.3% on ESPN) bracket any more... WHICH IS GREAT! Honestly, it's like walking in on your controlling girl friend cheating on you -- You finally have a reason to be free of this unruly succubus. It's time to follow your heart.

If you haven't already, it's time to fall in love. First round upsets are great, but they happen, and if you blink they've been knocked off in the second round two days later. Realistically, a team needs to make the sweet sixteen to fully capture our imagination. The teams that have done that this year? Northern Iowa, St. Mary's and Cornell.

 With a win against Kentucky, Cornell could finally afford some new jerseys.

The reason I don't include #11 Washington in this group is because I hate them. I hate any major conference team that sneaks into the tournament and then thinks they are a Cinderella Story when they win a few games. In my opinion, all under achieving major conference teams should be given 8 or 9 seeds (the seeds of death). Let them play a game and then get bounced by a one seed. Let's look at the past few years of #1 seed action. Yes, Alabama knocked off a horrible #1 in Stanford in 2005, but the other two upsets, both over #1 overall seeds, Northern Iowa over Kansas this year and UAB over Kentucky in 2004. Two scrappy hardworking TEAMS! Those are the teams we want to see more of. Screw off underachieving major conference teams.

So this year we have Northern Iowa, St. Mary's and Cornell. We already fell in love with Northern Iowa last weekend, but she's a real chill girl and lets us be in an open relationship. St. Mary's is more of an on-the-side-lover. We love her when we're with her, but when she's out of sight...she's out of mind. Finally, we have Cornell, ohhhhhhh Cornell how I love thee. Cornell is that girl you are so fucking close to asking out. You want to love her with all the passion of your heart, but part of you knows she couldn’t love you back. Something deep down inside of you knows that if you give her everything you have and she doesn't give you anything back...you may never be able to love again.

That is what makes Kentucky v. Cornell the most compelling game of this NCAA tournament and probably the most compelling game since #1 UConn played #11 George Mason for a spot in the Final Four. No one will blame Cornell if they can't keep up with the size and strength of Kentucky. They made a great run, they don't give scholarships, they're thinking about their homework that's pilling up back on campus, but what if they do?!?!?!?!?! What if they aren't scared? What if they hit their threes and play scrappy “nothing to lose” defense? What if they make it a game and have a chance to pull off the greatest upset in the history of March? What if they do love you back?

What if Cornell does love you but you were too big of a pussy to ask her out? Could you live with that?

Each and every year the NCAA tournament delivers. There are always upsets and Cinderella stories (cough) except last year, but this game is different. It's better! An Ivy League school with two NCAA tournament wins, both coming this year, against an SEC team that has the most tournament wins of all time, 104. Kentucky has two top 5 picks in the upcoming NBA draft and 4 potential top twelve picks (Wall, Cousins, Patterson and Bledsoe)! Cornell players are scheduling job interviews from the team bus.

If you're not putting your heart and soul behind this Cornell team (that it appears hasn't had funding for new uniforms in 120 years) then maybe you should be watching something else. I think there’s bowling on ESPN2…