What can I say; my picks were way off this year, unfortunately. Despite my bad picks, this year’s March Madness tournament has proven to be yet another set of exhilarating battles between the best college basketball teams in the nation. With multiple upsets, incredible last second buzzer-beaters, and record-breaking blowouts, its no wonder millions of Americans tune in to watch these athletes give everything they got.

Now that there are only four teams left, be sure to tune in on these final matches, which are set to take place on April 4th and April 6th on CBS.

The biggest change of these new rules is the fact that any defender attempting to sack a quarterback may only do so if they are standing up. Supposedly this new rule was integrated to prevent another Tom Brady incident, where he was tackled by a DE who was crawling on the ground.

To learn more about these new rules, visit this yahoo sports page.

Japan played vs S. Korea in the World Baseball Classic (WBC) championship on Monday night and won in the 10th inning, thanks to Ichiro Suzuki,  who batted in the the go-ahead runs. Ichiro did not hit as well as he usually does (.331) in the MLB, but was the cause for all 5 of the runs Japan scored in the championship match, where they won by a score of 5-3. Japan had to oust the United States in the semi-finals in order to reach their arch rivals, S. Korea. This is the 2nd time Japan has won the WBC (won vs. Cuba last year) and it looks as if they are seeking after a three-peat.

I’ll get straight to it. These are my final four picks:

Semifinals:

Louisville vs. Memphis

North Carolina vs. Pittsburgh

Finals: Louisville vs. Pittsburgh

Winner: Pittsburgh

Things to consider:

Kobe Bryant -  28.1 PPG, 4.9 APG, 5.4 RPG, FT % .868 – Team Record: 52-13

LeBron James – 28.2 PPG, 7.2 APG, 7.5 RPG, FT % .771 – Team Record: 51-13

Dwayne Wade – 29.7 PPG, 7.7 APG, 5.1 RPG, FT % .766- Team Record: 35-29

As March Madness approaches us (only one week away), the top four teams that seem most likely to reach the finals are the following:

1. North Carolina
2. Pittsburgh
3. Memphis
4. Connecticut

Of these top four teams, only two of them seem likely to reach the championship round, and my money would be on North Carolina and Pittsburgh. Here’s why: North Carolina reached the final four last year with practically the same team they have this year. If anything, they will be better than last year, especially since they have another year of experience as a team under their belt. Tyler Hansbrough still dominates the paint and most teams don’t have an effective way of stopping him. I’m not going with Memphis because they are without their superstar, the man who led them to the NCAA finals last year, the man who is going to win rookie of the year for the NBA (Derrick Rose).

Pittsburgh has dominate big men who draw double-teams and leave their shooters wide open. They have already proven themselves this year, knocking off the #1 team (UConn.) twice without any problems. They have shown that they mean business and they are seeking nothing less than a championship secured under their belts.

Anyone care to share their two cents about who their favorites are?

Only two days later, T.O. decided to sign with the Buffalo Bills and agreed to a 1 year deal for $6.5 million dollars. Owens said he was happy to leave ‘America’s team’ and play for ‘North-America’s team’.

Personally, I think this was a smart move for Buffalo, especially since it’s only a one-year deal, so in case anything goes wrong, it would be short-lived. I’m excited for the bills (especially since they are my favorite football team) because they seemed to be lacking an offensive weapon last season. Hopefully, he and Lee Evans will get along and help push the Bills back into the playoffs.

Late last night, Terrell Owens was suddenly released from the Cowboys and now lurks as a free agent. For some reason this kind of release reminds me of the Stephon Marbury case, only not as extreme. Both of these guys seem to have a terrible time getting along with their teamates and both have been dismissed from their teams multiple times. Things are looking like Owner Jerry Jones didn’t want to have to deal with all the controversy anymore and that he wanted QB Tony Romo to be the leader.

So what of this pro-bowl receiver now? No one really knows for sure, although there have been speculations that he will play for the Giants, Vikings, or Raiders. I guess we will find out in a matter of days, possible weeks, but I think he would be a good fit with the bucs.

After a long and aggravating wait for the Dodgers, they were finally able to convince Manny “the predator” Ramirez (and his agent, of course) to agree to a 2-year, $45 million deal, with the option to opt out after the first year. I suppose part of their strategy was to squeeze every penny possible out of the Dodgers, hence the lengthy duration of his signing.

The Dodgers did well last year with the late addition of Manny (making the semi-finals of the playoffs) and look to go even further this year. As for you Mr. Ramirez, speaking on behalf of the Los Angeles citizens, “Finally!”… as if that didn’t take long enough. How much money do you need to play baseball, Mr. ‘Predator’? (Apparently 25 million bucks a year) At least the Dodgers can relax now and the fans can rest easier, while anticipating their bright future.