2007-03-11 - 5:03 p.m.
My Final Four picks are Ohio State, Oregon, USC and Pitt. I think the Pac-10 is the best conference this year and six teams in out of ten proves that. Oregon will beat Pitt and Ohio State will beat USC.
Here's where things get dicey because I want the Buckeyes to do well and compete. If they are to lose, however, I hope they keep it competitive. You can score a ton of points in basketball is all I'm saying.
It is the torment of the Northern Ohio sport fan to root on in spite of what could happen. Did anyone think Ernest Byner would fumble on the goal iine? How about Jose Mesa, paid to get three outs, not getting those three outs? Michael Jordon took his shots on the Cleveland cavs and except for a doctored commercial that hurts to even think about, he made them all.
I think it's me sometimes. I moved to Tucson, root for the Wildcats and they blew a golden chance for Rose Bowl one year by allowing 24 second half points to the Cal Golden Bears. The Wildcats broke through in 1997 in basketball and I paid for it in October when Cleveand blew it against the Florida Marlins.
No way an Ohio sports fan feels two champinoships in one year and he should be damn thankful that he felt one through an intermediary like the Arizona Wildcats basketball team to even know what it feels like to root for the team who wins the last game of the season.
Then the Wildcats couldn't cover Mike Dunleavy in 2001, couldn't make a late three against Kansas in a 2004 classic and couldn't stop turning the ball over to Illinois in 2005.
That's why sports are great because all of you have great sport disappointment stories. I will put mine up against any, here's another one:
I rode with my aunt to see the MicKinley Bulldogs play in the Ohio State Football Championship. A couple of hours in the car to drive from Canton to Columbus to watch the Bulldogs get annihilated by Cincinnati Moeller.
That one no good? My freshman year of high school, the Sahuaro football team is undefeated going into the state championship game. I was there in Scum Devil Stadium, I had to be because I was in the band.
Yes, the marching band all of you snickerers out there.
Mmm, Snickerers. Uh, anyway, the Cougars got shut out by Agua Fria. Huh, I travelled South for a beat down and also travelled North for a beat down. It can only mean one thing...
Never leave the house. You got it, I'm just going to go to Metro grill real quick but after that, oh voice in my head who makes the bad jokes because I have yet to write any of the crap here that is really crap, I'll stay put. Although...
It seems like East and West are safe, for now. Chuck Norris could be waiting in both directions at once.
