Let the Madness begin

One of the best times of the year for sports is upon us: March Madness. This officially kicks off a time in the sporting calendar where we'll get three weeks of exciting college hoops, followed by Opening Day, and then the Masters. Sign me up. All that's missing is the mid-April start of the NBA Playoffs, which will happen in May this year.

My school, Syracuse, plays tonight against San Diego State. After a fairly mediocre season, I wasn't so sure they'd make the Tournament, so I was happy with an 11-seed at large bid. They could lose by 20 points tonight, or go on a Final Four run, and neither outcome would surprise me. 

Over the past few weeks, I've acquired a few small card collections, and some of the cards in the boxes consisted of early '90s basketball. Outside of plucking out the Jordans, Shaqs, and other Hall of Famers, I also set aside the Syracuse guys. I have nice stack going, but no clear direction. I don't know if I want to have a "Syracuse Binder" or display them in a frame or something. Regardless, I have been adding to that stack.

My next Syracuse card pickup will hopefully be a Carmelo Anthony autograph. I'm on the hunt for one.

In the latest boxes of cards that I went through, here are a few who left their mark on Syracuse and played at the next level:

Good luck to your respective schools if they are dancing this week. Who are you pulling for?

It all begins today

Today is one of my favorite days of the year - the NCAA Tournament begins. I love college basketball as much as I do baseball, so this, plus Opening Day just around the corner, is a great time for me in the sports calendar.

I do have to admit, I'm a little less excited this year since the news that Syracuse's starting center, Fab Melo, will miss the tourney with eligibility issues. The team was primed for a Final Four run, and while it's not out of the question still, their chances are certainly diminished. It's been a long and trying season for Syracuse basketball. Despite an impressive 31-2 record heading into today's game, distractions like the Bernie Fine saga and a recent Yahoo! report have really taken a lot of the focus away from this team's accomplishments on the court.

As disappointing as this week's news about Melo is, I'll still stand by the team and cheer them on. All fanbases deal with adversity. Ask the Mets. Or the Dodgers. Or the Knicks. You still stand by your team.

Good luck today, guys! Go get 'em.

Coach Izzo auto - sorry Michigan fans

I love college basketball. I'm as passionate about Syracuse hoops as I am Yankee baseball, and I love the game as a whole. March Madness is my favorite time of year. I love coaches who have been at their schools for a countless years, passing up numerous "bigger" job opportunities...guys like Mark Few at Gonzaga and so far Brad Stevens at Butler.

One of these guys is Tom Izzo. I feel like he has constantly been linked to NBA teams, but year after year he is back on the sidelines at MSU. Outside of a disastrous year last year, they've been one of the top college hoops programs the last few years with several Final Four appearances and a National Championship in 2000. His teams are always prepared come tournament time, despite what they do in the regular season.

I sent an email LOR to the MSU Athletic Dept and about two weeks later, I received a signed photo of Coach Izzo. Definitely a cool addition to my collection. Hope my friends and Michigan alum still read the blog after seeing this!

Happy March Madness/St. Patrick's Day!

Happy First Day Of The NCAA Tournament and St. Patrick's Day! Wow, what a day! As you may or nay not know, I am as big of a college hoops fan as I am a baseball fan. I went to Syracuse and was there for the National Championship in 2003. To me, there is nothing better than the first four days of March Madness. Even though Syracuse doesn't play until 10pm on Friday (pure torture), I believe my co-workers and I are heading to a bar early this afternoon to have a few adult beverages and watch endless games. Best. Day. Ever.

So....whose in your Final Four? I'll gladly say that I have Syracuse, Duke, Purdue, and Pitt...two 1 seeds and two 3 seeds. Works for me. Leave me a comment with your Final Four, I'd love to hear!

I'll leave you with this little number that I added to my collection - $.18 on sportlots ooooh yeah. I think I'll send it to Jimmy B after the season and hopefully he'll sign it. Enjoy the games, and stay safe today you Irish hooligans!