Michigan wins March Madness tournament

 The Michigan Wolverines are college basketball champions for the first time in 37 years, beating the Connecticut Huskies 69-63 in the national championship. Eliot Cadeau was named the game's MVP, scoring 19 points. 2 years ago, the Wolverines went 8-24 and fired Juwan Howard, who played for the team in the 90s and was a top 5 pick in the NBA draft. They hired Dusty May from Florida Atlantic, where he reached the final 4 in 2023. They reached the Sweet 16 in 2025, but came up short against Auburn. They won 29 games in the regular season, a program record, but lost the Big 10 championship to Purdue. They still were a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. They dominated Howard in the first round and St. Louis in the second round. They beat Alabama in the Sweet 16, led by Big 10 player of the year Yaxel Landenborg who had 23 points and 12 assists. They then embarrassed Tennessee in the Elite 8, winning by 33 points, the biggest blowout in an Elite 8 matchup since Michigan themselves in their only other title in 1989. In the Final 4 they blew by Arizona, led by Aday Mara, who had 26 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 blocks. They then beat Connecticut in the championship led by Cadeau's 19 points.

I'm glad that Michigan got the win here, especially because I can't stand Connecticut. I'm sick of them. But I'm also happy because of how much improvement this Michigan team has shown in the last few years, going from an 8-win team to the kings of college basketball. It's been fun to watch this team play, and I'm excited to see what this team has in store for next year.

That concludes the 2026 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball tournament. I hope you all had as much fun as I did watching this.

Final Four preview

 The NCAA Final Four is here, and we have no new participants, although we have a team that's in their 3rd Final Four in the last 4 years (UConn). Illinois, UConn, Michigan and Arizona will attempt to bring home the title in Indianapolis, Indiana. Let's meet the teams.

Illinois has made March Madness the past 6 years, but hadn't got farther than the Elite Eight, and were knocked out last year by Kentucky in the second round. Brad Underwood's crew went 24-7 in the regular season, but lost their first game of the Big 10 tournament to Wisconsin. They made the tournament as a 3 seed, defeating Penn in round 1 and VCU in round 2. They made the sweet 16, beating Houston, and then beat Iowa in the Elite 8 to advance to their first Final Four in 21 years. They will be taking on the University of Connecticut, or UConn for short. UConn won the championship in 2023 and 2024, but lost in round 2 to eventual champion Florida in 2025. The Huskies went 27-4 in the regular season, and made it to the Big East Championship before losing to St. John's. They made the tournament as a 2 seed, and took care of Furman in round 1 and UCLA in round 2. They squeaked by Michigan State in the Sweet 16, but were down 15 at halftime of the Elite 8 against Duke. After fighting very hard in the second half, they found themselves down 3 with 10 seconds left. Silas Demary Jr. hit 1 of 2 free throws, then stole the inbound from Cameron Boozer, who is projected to be a top pick in the NBA Draft in June. Braylon Mullins hit a deep 3 pointer to send the Huskies back to the Final Four. The Huskies have the talent to dismantle Illinois, and they probably will. But this is March Madness, and I really don't want UConn to win, so I will take Illinois here.

Now we get to the battle of the top seeds: Arizona and Michigan. Arizona lost in the 2025 Sweet 16 to Duke. They went 29-2 (!!) during the regular season, and won the Big 12 title. They dismantled Long Island and took out Utah State after a bit of a scare. They then smoked Arkansas and took care of Purdue to make their first Final Four in 25 years. They have been DOMINANT this tournament thanks to a dominant frontcourt led by Brayden Burries and Jaden Bradley. They'll need a lot of points to take down Michigan. The Wolverines lost in the Sweet 16 last year, and this team was determined to bounce back. They did. They went 29-2 in the regular season, but lost the Big 10 championship to Purdue. They were still a #1 in the NCAA Tournament. They also rolled over all their challengers (Howard, St. Louis, Alabama and Tennessee) by double digits to earn their first Final Four berth in 8 years. They are led by the Big 10 player of the Year in Yaxel Lendeborg. What Arizona is, Michigan is more, and I think they ride that wave to the National Championship.

That would set up an all-Big Ten national championship between Illinois and Michigan. I have Michigan taking that and becoming champions. I'll see you after the games are done for another preview or recap.

Iowa dethrones reigning champion Florida

 The Iowa Hawkeyes defeated the Florida Gators 73-72 last night, eliminating the defending champion Gators from the 2026 NCAA Division 1 Men's Basketball Tournament. The Hawkeyes advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time in 27 years, and will play their biggest rivals, the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

It was a thrilling game. Iowa jumped out to a 23-13 lead in the first 13 minutes, but Florida narrowed the gap to 2 by the end of the first half. The Hawkeyes were up by as many as 12 points in half 2, but the Gators stormed back and took a 3 point lead with 2 minutes to play. The Hawkeyes got a floater to bring them within 1. The Gators got the ball back, and threw up some 3-pointers. But they were no good. They got the rebounds and Iowa fouled to get the ball back. Isaiah Brown missed the first free throw, but hit the second. The Gators called timeout, and gave the ball back to the Hawkeyes for them to try to send it to overtime or go for the kill. Iowa drove down the court. Alvaro Folguieras shot a 3, and it went in, sending the Hawkeyes to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1999 and denying the Gators of a repeat champion.

This Iowa team is something special. Many people didn't think they deserved to make it into the dance, but they proved us all wrong. And they are hungry for more as they take on their archrivals in the Sweet 16. I can't wait for it.

Bam Adebayo scores 83 points, second most in NBA history

 On March 10, Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat scored 83 points in their win over the Washington Wizards. Adebayo's 83 points were the most by a Heat player in history, and the 2nd-most in NBA history, behind Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game in 1962. Adebayo overtook the late Kobe Bryant for 2nd place. The Mamba famously scored 81 points in 2006. 

Adebayo's performance has been praised by many NBA legends, such as LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Dirk Nowitzki and so many more, but many critcized his high number of free throws, his low field goal percentage, and the fact that the Heat should have pulled Adebayo out of respect for Bryant. 

Personally, I think this is great. I never thought I would see the day Kobe's record would be broken. I understand that he took over 40 free throws, but at the end of the day, an 83 point game is an 83 point game. It's impressive no matter how it's done. And I am sure that if Kobe were here today, he would be thrilled watching Adebayo overtake him. 

Adebayo's performance will live on forever, and people will remember where they were when they heard about it. Criticize it all you want, but he's just set foot into immortality.

US men's hockey wins gold at Milano Cortina 2026

The United States men's hockey team won the gold medal in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. They defeated Canada in overtime 2-1. No, this is not the same article from 3 days ago. This was the US's first gold medal since the famous "Miracle on Ice" 46 years ago to the day. The US started the scoring 6 minutes in from Matt Boldy of the Minnesota Wild. Canada responded in the 2nd period via Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche. Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets made a fantastic save to keep the game tied, where he saved a goal with just his stick.

The game went into overtime, where Jack Hughes of the New Jersey Devils scored a "Golden Goal" to end the 46-year drought and get revenge for the 2010 gold medal game where Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins did the same. 

This was a great game. I am so happy for the US team for a fantastic game, and they represented our country very well. I saw some parts of the game (I was bowling) but I was very happy when the US scored to win it. I felt very proud to be American at that moment. It's great that both the women and men won gold in the Olympics and I hope they win it again in 2030.

And with that, the 2026 Winter Olympics come to a close. I thought it was fantastic, and I am excited for 2028 in Los Angeles!

US women's hockey wins gold at Milano Cortina 2026

 The United States women's hockey team won the gold medal in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. They defeated Canada in overtime 2-1. The Canadians were leading 1-0 with under 3 minutes left in the game before Hilary Knight scored a backwards between the legs goal to tie the game. Megan Keller won the game in overtime on a beautiful goal that just slid past the Canadian goalie. 

It was an absolute thrilling game. I didn't watch the first 2 periods because of school, so I turned the game on when I got home. I was frustrated that the US couldn't score and I thought there was no way they were going to win. I am so glad I was wrong. Knight's goal was absolutely beautiful and shocking. I was very impressed by the way she was able to score without looking at the net. It was beautiful. When the game winning goal was scored, I jumped out of my seat. I was so happy and fired up. 

The US men's hockey team will attempt to do the same thing, as they play Slovakia in the semi-finals tomorrow afternoon. We may very well get a US-Canada rematch. I will be happy if we do.

2026 MLB season predictions

 The 2026 MLB season is right around the corner, and so I think it's time to do some predictions on how I think it'll go. Will the Dodgers 3-peat? Will the Blue Jays rebound from last year's heartbreaking loss? Will the Phillies finally get over the hump? We'll see. Last year's predictions....didn't age the best. Let's see if I'll do better this year.

NL East

1. (3) Philadelphia Phillies- 90-72

2. (5) New York Mets- 90-72 (lose tiebreaker to PHI)

3. Atlanta Braves- 86-76

4. Miami Marlins- 75-87

5. Washington Nationals- 64-98

The Phillies are coming in as the 2-time defending NL East champions, but are also coming off back-to-back quick playoff exits. Their offseason was disappointing. They lost out on Bo Bichette to their biggest rivals, the New York Mets. They let go of Ranger Suarez, Harrison Bader and Nick Castellanos. They re-signed Kyle Schwarber and JT Realmuto, and brought in Adolis Garcia and Tim Mayza. They made some decent moves and decent resignings, but overall this was a lackluster offseason. I still think they're a good team, but they're not a great team. I'd love to be proven wrong though. The Mets were in solid position to make the playoffs in July, but collapsed at the end and squandered their playoff spot to the Reds. To follow that up, they had a busy offseason. As previously mentioned, they signed Bo Bichette, but lost Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo, Edwin Diaz and Jeff McNeil. They brought in Marcus Semien, Luis Robert and Freddy Peralta, among others. They still have Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto. They should be an interesting team, but we'll see if they're title contenders. The Braves had a dismal 2025 season, finishing 76-86 following 7 straight playoff appearances. Their off-season was okay. They added to their bullpen with Robert Suarez and re-signed Raisel Iglesias. They added Jonah Heim, Mike Yastremszki and Mauricio Dubon to add some pop with the bats. Let's see if things are looking up in the ATL. The Marlins had a mediocre year last year, finishing 79-83 after losing 100 games in 2024. They eliminated the Mets on the last day of the year, though. They didn't have a huge offseason, signing Peter Fairbanks and Owen Caissie, while trading away Edward Cabrera. The Marlins intrigue me. They're not a team that is a World Series contender, but they're not a team that is one of the worst in the league. They might make some noise next year. The Nationals had an off-season of changes. In July they fired general manager Mike Rizzo after 16 years and Dave Martinez after 7 years. They got a new president of baseball operations, a new manager, a new general manager, a new assistant general manager and a new pitching coach, all of which are under 40 years old. This is an interesting tactic, and I'm curious as to whether it will pay off or not. As for the actual roster, the Nationals signed pitcher Forest Griffin out of the Nippon Professional Baseball league. That was the only signing they made in free agency, and they didn't change too much about their roster. I don't think they're going to be very successful. 

NL Central

1. (2) Chicago Cubs- 93-69

2. (6) Milwaukee Brewers- 89-73

3. Cincinnati Reds- 84-78

4. St Louis Cardinals- 81-81

5. Pittsburgh Pirates- 77-85

The Cubs reached the playoffs for the first time in 5 years, and won a playoff series for the first time in 8 years. They eventually lost to the Brewers in the NLDS, but there was reason to be hopeful in the Windy City. They had a fantastic offseason, signing 3rd baseman Alex Bregman for 5 years and $175 million, as well as retaining Shota Imanaga. They still have Pete Crow-Armstrong, Seiya Suzuki and Ian Happ, and Craig Counsell is an excellent manager. I'm excited to see what the Cubs have in store for this year. The Brewers, after eliminating the Cubs in the NLDS, were promptly swept by the Dodgers in the NLCS. They had an interesting offseason, getting rid of Freddy Peralta and Caleb Durbin. They signed Akil Baddoo and Gary Sanchez. I am curious to see what this team will look like this year. The Reds made the playoffs for the first time in 5 years, then were promptly swept by the Dodgers in the Wild Card. The future is looking bright for the Reds, but their offseason was meh. They did bring back Eugenio Suarez from the Mariners, who hit 49 home runs last year, but they didn't do much else. They re-signed Emilio Pagan as well. Not much else. We'll see what happens. The Cardinals had a lackluster season, going 78-84, 4th in the NL Central. They traded away Nolan Arenado and Brendan Donovan, and it is clear they are rebuilding. I am not expecting much from them as a result. The Pirates finished last in the NL Central with a record of 71-91. They had a busy offseason, signing Brandon Lowe and Marcell Ozuna. Pitchingwise, they boast arguably the best pitcher in baseball, Paul Skenes. I expect improvement from Pittsburgh, but not a playoff appearance.

NL West

1. (1) Los Angeles Dodgers- 102-60

2. (4) San Diego Padres- 91-71

3. San Francisco Giants- 88-74

4. Arizona Diamondbacks- 79-83

5. Colorado Rockies- 48-114

The Dodgers won the World Series for the second straight year, becoming the first team to go back-to-back since the Yankees of 1998-2000. They will attempt to be the first team to 3-peat since that same team. And they had a great off-season, signing Kyle Tucker and Edwin Diaz. They also extended Max Muncy and brought back Kike Hernandez. They're serious about a 3-peat, and baseball fans everywhere are hating them for it. The Padres went to the playoffs for the second straight year but were knocked out in round 1 by the Cubs. They had an off-season to forget, signing Nick Castellanos, but losing Luis Arraez and Dylan Cease. I'm not going to write them off because of the talent they have (Fernando Tatis Jr, Manny Machado, etc.) but this off-season wasn't good. The Giants had a mediocre season, going .500 (81-81). They had a solid off-season, headlined by signings of Harrison Bader and Luis Arraez. Their new manager is former Tennessee Volunteers manager Tony Vitello. He hasn't had an MLB coaching job before, but he has had success in college, winning the NCAA championship in 2024. It'll be interesting to see how it'll go down. The Diamondbacks had a lackluster season, finishing 80-82, 4th in the division. They had an interesting offseason, including trading for Nolan Arenado. 10 years ago that would've been a huge deal, but now, it's meh. There were rumors that Ketel Marte would be traded away, but that never happened. They did resign Zac Gallen, but not much else happened. We'll see what happens, but I'm not expecting big things in the desert this year. The Rockies were.....not good last year, going 43-119, one of the worst seasons in modern MLB history. They had the worst run differential in 125 years, giving up over 1,000 runs. Their off-season was headlined by making Paul DePodesta the president of baseball operations, who was the Dodgers GM for a while. This team needs significant work, and I'd be shocked if it were to happen.

AL East

1. (1) Toronto Blue Jays- 92-70

2. (4) Baltimore Orioles- 88-74

3. (6) New York Yankees- 85-77

4. Boston Red Sox- 81-81

5. Tampa Bay Rays- 74-88

The Blue Jays shocked everyone by making the World Series after missing the playoffs in 2024, and although they lost in heartbreaking fashion to the Dodgers, there is hope again in Canada. They kicked off the off-season by signing Dylan Cease to the biggest free agency deal in Jays history (7 years and $210 million). Then they signed Japanese star Kazuma Okamoto to a 4-year, $60 million deal. Losing Bo Bichette and missing out on Kyle Tucker is going to hurt, but I can assure you this team is going to be fun to watch again. The Orioles had a dissappointing year, to say the least, going 75-87, bottom of the AL East following back-to-back playoff trips. They wound up firing their manager in May, and replacing him with Guardians bench coach Craig Albernaz. They signed Mets 1st baseman Pete Alonso to a 5 year $155 million deal, and new owner David Rubenstein isn't afraid to spend money. I'm excited to see what this year's team will look like. The Yankees lost in the ALDS to the Blue Jays, and didn't change much, although they retained Cody Bellinger, which is important because he was strong last year. The Red Sox were eliminated by the Yankees in the Wild Card. They let Alex Bregman walk to the Cubs, but signed Ranger Suarez from the Phillies, which is a big acquisition to their rotation. They also added catcher Caleb Durbin. The Red Sox are a team I am interested in. The Rays had to play their season at the Yankees spring training field due to Hurricane Milton, and it didn't go very well, as they finished 77-85. They had a busy offseason, signing Cedric Mullins, Gavin Lux and Steven Matz among others. I find it an interesting move to go after veterans, but we'll see if it pays off. I'm not convinced it will. 

AL Central

1. (3) Detroit Tigers- 89-73

2. Cleveland Guardians- 85-77 (lose tiebreaker to NYY)

3. Kansas City Royals- 78-84

4. Chicago White Sox- 68-94

5. Minnesota Twins- 65-97

The Tigers had an....interesting 2025. They had a 15.5-game lead on the AL Central in July, but squandered it at the end. Somehow, someway, they won a playoff series over the Guardians. They were knocked out in the ALDS after taking that series the distance. Their off-season was surrounded with rumors that they'd ditch Tarik Skubal, and Skubal wound up winning an arbitration case worth $32 million. Detroit signed Framber Valdez to a 3 year $115 million deal to be alongside Skubal, and Justin Verlander returned to his old team (likely to retire as a Tiger). The Guardians, as previously mentioned, came back to win the division down 15 games, only to lose to the Tigers in the wild card. Their offseason was quite uneventful, and time is ticking for their window. The Royals had a disappointing season, going 82-80, and missing the playoffs. Their off-season was quiet, signing Lane Thomas and Isaac Collins. They didn't do much else. The White Sox lost 102 games a year after losing 121. Their offseason was actually pretty productive. They signed Japanese phenom Munetaka Murakami, and traded Luis Robert to the Mets for LuisAngel Acuna. They had a busy off-season, but will it translate to winning? We'll see. The Twins sold at the trade deadline, and they suffered because of it. They went 70-92 and the team was a mess. Their off-season was one from hell. They made almost no changes, their payroll sank to an all-time low, and they waited until late January to fire their president. It's a mess in the Twin Cities and it'll take a miracle to fix.

AL West

1. (2) Seattle Mariners- 90-72

2. (5) Texas Rangers- 87-75

3. Houston Astros- 81-81

4. Los Angeles Angels- 72-90

5. Athletics- 69-93

The Mariners were another surprise, as they were 8 outs away from their first-ever AL pennant before giving up a 3-run home run to an old enemy in George Springer. They spent this offseason trying to get back to the playoffs, signing Brendan Donovan and re-signing Josh Naylor. Julio Rodriguez and Cal Raleigh are still there, and that's a lot of talent right there. Let's see how far it takes them. The Rangers finished at .500, 2 years removed from a World Series win. They signed Brandon Nimmo, traded for Mackenzie Gore and got rid of Marcus Semien, Adolis Garcia and Jonah Heim, who all played a big role in their World Series win. This might be a dark horse playoff team. The Astros missed the playoffs for the first time in 9 years, going 87-75, and losing a tiebreaker to the Tigers on head to head. Their offseason was dull. They lost Framber Valdez, but made no real moves to replace him. They made no real moves at all. I think they're back to mediocrity for a while. The Angels had a rough 2025, going 72-90. They hired Kurt Suzuki as a manager. They signed Jordan Romano, Drew Pomeranz and Kirby Yates. I just don't think they'll be good this year. The Athletics played their first season in Sacramento, and it went alright, as they finished 76-86, and had the Rookie of the Year in Nick Kurtz. Their off-season was one to forget. They didn't sign a lot of people. The ones they did sign are past their prime. Although there is still talent there, I'm not expecting a big year for the A's.

NL Wild Card

(4) Padres over (5) Mets

(6) Brewers over (3) Phillies

AL Wild Card

(5) Rangers over (4) Orioles

(6) Yankees over (3) Tigers

NLDS 

(1) Dodgers over Padres

(2) Cubs over Brewers

ALDS

(1) Blue Jays over Rangers

(2) Mariners over Yankees

NLCS

Dodgers over Cubs

ALCS

Mariners over Blue Jays

World Series

Dodgers over Mariners