Thoughts on the NCAA's

I love this time of year. The weather is finally improving, and the NCAA Tournament is about to get underway. What could be better? (Well, for me, maybe a job!) Here are some random thoughts as we head into "March Madness."

-I have no problem with Louisville getting the number one overall seed. They won the toughest league in college basketball, and they won the Big East Tournament. Pitt, UCONN, UNC, and Memphis had their chances, but how can you not give it to the Cardinals?

-Save your arguments about teams like Arizona and Maryland getting bids while St. Mary's and Creighton stay home. These teams have a track record, they've been to final fours, and they've won national championships. When in doubt, I believe the selection committee goes by one simple rule: Go with what you know!

-Any of you Pitt fans out there that think that the Panthers tanked their Big East Tournament game against WVU to get a little extra 'R and R' before the Big Dance are only fooling yourselves. Pitt was merely outplayed by the 'eers, and they lost, end of story!

-Don't tell me conference tournaments don't mean anything. Pitt could have been the top overall seed if they had won the Big East, (same could have been said for UNC and UCONN)and Syracuse was no more than a 4-6 seed before that tournament began. But they played hard at MSG in the Big East, beat UCONN, and gave Louisville a scare in the final. The committee fell in love with them and now they're a 3 seed. These tournaments can improve your profile greatly.

-I hate the term "The Big Dance!" Stop saying it!

-I'm not filling out a bracket, but I will give you a national champion: Oklahoma. Of course, I hope I'm wrong and either Syracuse or Pitt wins! Enjoy the tournament. I know I will!

Pens Should Keep Staal

The Penguins are fighting for their playoff lives, which is rather hard to believe after watching this team make it all the way to game six of the Stanley Cup Finals. As the trade deadline nears, GM Ray Shero will no doubt field several offers for young forward Jordan Staal. My advice to Mr. Shero: ignore them. Staal has certainly been inconsistent since his spectacular rookie season three years ago, one which saw him score 29 goals. Staal is an All-Star in the making and the Penguins would be foolish to give up on him. Staal has the ability to take over hockey games which he's done a few times in his career. The problem? He's should be playing wing, not center. The Pens top two centers, Sidney Crosby and Geno Malkin, are playmakers. Staal is a sniper. He presents matchup problems, especially when he goes hard to the net. The Penguins need to accept the fact that the center project isn't working and put him at wing on the second line with Malkin. The other NHL teams know that Jordan Staal would be a fine addition to their lineup, they know the potential this kid has, but the Penguins should not trade him under any circumstances; even if it means missing the postseason. Yep, he's that valuable.