NFL Stealing the Madness This March

I can't recall a time in my sports-watching history where the 3.5 days between the first and second round of the NCAA Tournament was completely dominated by the NFL....in March. Anyone who has ever had any illusions about where the NFL sits in the pecking order of sports in this country can look no further than those 3+ days.

Let's keep this odd trend going - my quick thoughts on this eventful NFL off season...

• John Elway must be sleeping quite well these days - this was literally the only scenario that would allow him to get out from under Tebow without being run out of town by Denver fan. This move just makes sense on so many levels - good for Manning, good for the Broncos, and good luck Denver fan. Oh, and by the way, we STILL don't know what Manning can actually do on the football field.
  
• Let's talk about the flip side of this deal - Tebow to the Jets. I like this on a number of levels. It's a low-risk move for the Jets. They aren't deeply invested with Tebow and they aren't paying him tons of money. He's a great locker room guy, he won't embarrass the program and frankly he can do things that Sanchez can't do. I don't see him taking Sanchez's spot anytime soon, rather as a nice complement to Dirty Sanchez. Meanwhile, they aren't terribly invested in Sanchez either - don't let the recent contract extension fool you - he didn't get a ton more money, rather the Jets paid him a little more to allow them to restructure his contract. So, if Sanchez continues to be inconsistent, or even regresses, they have a backup they can turn to who's got experience and who is a great leader - they wouldn't be handing the offense over to a, let's say, Matt Moore. And finally, and a little redundant, the Jets can make some sweeping changes at QB should they need to in the next year or two without eating tons and tons of money. Not a bad move...now let's just see how the coaching staff handles it.
  
• Tony Sparano (new O-coordinator for Jets) is the master of the Wildcat (see Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams in Miami). If he's smart, he'll find a way to work in Tebow for a few plays a game as a change-up player and to keep defenses on their toes.
  
• You have nothing to bitch about Saints' fans, so don't....
• The Niners have had quite a good off season so far - it wasn't always looking this way with the team courting Manning and Smith courting Miami. But all is good in NoCal - they've fortified their receiving corps by adding Manningham and uh-hum, Randy Moss. And, they just added Brandon Jacobs which will beef up that running game, allowing them to better control the clock and games. Good moves by the Niners.
  
• Is there anyone more giddy in this year's draft than Ryan Tannehill? This guy is going to fall ass backwards into a pick that is way, WAY above his head. Take the money and run Tannehill. Look, he's not a bad player at all, but two things are working for him: 1) there a LOT of QB-needy teams this year and the pool of (seemingly) good QBs is small. 2) The restructured rookie pay scale allows teams to take more chances on players in the first round. 3) The Miami Dolphins. If you don't know what I'm talking about than you haven't been paying attention to this team for a while. They'll take him....
• Personally, I just don't see Parcells coaching the Saints this year. They just need a care taker to get them through the season and as much as I love and respect Parcells, you don't need HIM to be that caretaker. Maybe he'll do it, but it would be purely a favor. Oh, and he's 71.
  
• I'm not suggesting the Browns stick with McCoy as THE guy in Cleveland, but I would suggest you start putting better pieces around the QB (whomever it may be) before you start looking for a savior. They were clearly interested in RGIII at 2, who wouldn't be, but they were willing to give up a king's ransom to get him - what were they going to do then? The only other arguable weapon was Peyton Hillis and he's gone. Now it would appear they are interested in Tannehill at #4? Keep your eye on the ball Holmgren...
• Great signing Dallas, getting Orton as a backup QB - a little puzzled that Orton would do that when he could probably get a starting gig somewhere, but I still say backup QB is one of the best jobs in the world.
  
• Headline: "Sanchez had no say in Tebow decision" - oh, no shit? Guess what, Mark Sanchez ain't Peyton Manning or Tom Brady or Drew Brees - he doesn't get a say in things like that.
  
• Looking forward to this year's draft....

NOW let's touch on this year's NCAA Tournament (and a little general college bball)....

• VEEEERY much looking forward to Kentucky/Louisville. Honestly, you couldn't ask for a better match up than this. These teams HATE each other; these coaches HATE each other. Sprinkle all that together and you've got yourself a hell of a game. It's an intriguing one: Kentucky has the better talent, but Louisville is just one of those tough teams that can beat anyone. Plus, and more importantly, they are a bit more battle tested - couple that with the fact that it's a bitter, in-state rivalry and you've got yourself a hell of a game.
  
• Ohio State vs Kansas? Certainly doesn't live up to the hype as the first game, but I'm most interested in seeing how Kansas handles Sullinger. Kansas has been playing with fire for a few games and that can be both good and bad. They know how to battle through adversity and win games, but you get up against the right opponent and it could spell danger. We'll see...
• What I love most about this year's final four? You've got four REALLY good coaches who are seasoned and have solid tournament/championship experience. Great coaching usually means great games - Kentucky will need theirs the most with so many freshman.
  
• Tough, tough loss for Kstate losing Frank Martin. GREAT coach who got more out of his players than most coaches. Good for S. Carolina....and good for Texas, who can't seem to solve the Kstate enigma.
  
• Texas basketball will be very interesting in the coming year - Kabongo staying is big. Don't blame Brown for leaving - he wasn't going to really improve his draft stock by staying one more year. We'll see what happens, but Barnes has been hurt by players leaving early. If the pinnacle this year was making the tournament, fine, but I think Barnes is going to need to see the sweet 16 next year to keep things from heating up.
• I'll take Kentucky to outlast Louisville and Kansas to hold off a tough Buckeye team - with Kansas knocking off Kentucky in the championship game.
  

That's what I got folks - enjoy the games this weekend.