A Few Sports Notes

NCAA:

Not getting to watch much from down here in Costa Rica (see the post which will follow this, or precede this if you're reading down the page). I am very interested in this year's tourney, primarily because of Louisville, which seems to have peaked at the right time. If we can just get UNC out of there, it should be a wide-open Final 8.

The fact that everything is following form so far is no issue; it just means there's a bit bigger gap between the top 10-15 teams and the rest this year. Previous years, with all the hurrah over bracket busting, it was because there were lots of teams about equal in positions 9-32 (roughly).

NBA

I'm hoping for something other than a Celtics-Lakers rematch (we've had enough of those for one lifetime). I think that means I'll be rooting for the Spurs and/or Cavs, though I'm not too enthusiastic about those teams, either. Clearly, though, I'll be rooting for the not-Lakers in the Western Conference finals, and in the finals should the n-L's win.

WBC

That's World Baseball Classic, for those not following (who apparently number in the billions). Japan-Korea final seems totally appropriate, as they are the countries who have best mobilized their talent (and which have enough to mobilize); Venezuela clearly was next best at that task. I guess I'm rooting for the upstart Koreans to upend the defending champs.

Soccer

Chelsea blew what appears to have been its last chance to get into the Premier League race down the stretch. Now, the matchup with nemesis Liverpool in the Champions League makes me gloomy and thinking that the FA Cup is their best chance to win something this year. I hope I'm proven wrong, but it will probably mean scoring at Anfield, something they have no track record of doing.

Bring back The Chosen One! Or, if not him, Claudio Ranieri!