IMPO

A groundhog does not tell when Spring begins and nor does a calendar. The one true measure of seasons is baseball. When the grass is green, the smell of hot dogs fills the air, and Tim Kurkjian's voice fills the ESPN airwaves, you can bet that spring is on its way. This year Spring begins on April 3 as the Cardinals and Pirates lead the way into the 2016 MLB season. Since it is about to begin, I feel that it is time for some quick predictions. Here we go: AL East The contenders this year are the Orioles, Red Sox, and Blue Jays. Not much change but the Yankees will be plagued with age and the Red Sox will find their stride after a difficult 2015 season. I still expect to see the explosive Toronto Blue Jays in the postseason although I think it will only be as a wild card. Either Boston or Baltimore will win the division. AL Central Only one real change will happen in this division this year and it comes in the form of the Detroit Tigers. After an awful year, the leadership of ...

This is the greatest tournament in all of sports. With all of the upsets and unknowns, it even beats out the World Cup (though I love the World Cup and feel it is the best "world" tournament.) Looking at the bracket there are a few things you should know before you finalize your bracket. Lucky Numbers This year the lucky numbers are 9 and 11. Every team with those seedings seems to have a favorable match-up. For instance, UConn is hot right now and as a 9 seed will face a mediocre Colorado team. Also, Gonzaga is a perennial tournament committee favorite. Of the 11 seeds, they may have the easiest taking on a Seton Hall team that is only in because they (surprisingly) won their conference tournament. Though the 'Zags had a rough season, I have no doubt that they will pull off the win. Of the games in the First Four, three out of the four teams vying for two 11 seeds are rather strong teams. With the exception of Tulsa, these three teams (Michigan, Vandy, and Wichita Sta...

Yesterday I was planning on jumping on and writing about baseball and spring training but that is going to have to wait because I now have to pay tribute to one sports figure who has impacted my "love of the game" more than any other professional. Though I did not catch much of the media coverage, I feel like the retirement of Peyton Manning has been downplayed a bit. It is very possible that it isn't downplayed at all. It could be over-stressed at this point. But from my personal perspective and the impact that Manning had on my life (yes, my life), there is no way that such an amazing player and human being could ever receive enough credit. As a child, I was a flip-flopper. A bandwagoner. I had a hard time choosing a favorite team in any sport. I liked the Bulls, Jazz, Suns. The Braves, Diamondbacks, Angels. The Red Wings and Avalanche. The 49ers, Broncos, and even the Patriots (I regret that). It wasn't until a young QB got drafted first overall to a 3-13 team ...