Guessing Game
Posted March 11, 2012, 10:46 PM ET

It's time for March Madness.

It delivers two things.....one, a chance for all of us to fill out a bracket and watch with anticipation of the next upset or buzzer-beater.....and two, a chance to show how damn dumb we are in trying to pick winners.

This year's tournament has the potential to make you look foolish.

All you have to do is take a look at this past weekend's conference tournaments in the SEC, Big East, ACC and Big XII. The top seeded teams in America all belonged to those leagues last week....we had Kentucky, Syracuse, North Carolina and Kansas. Every one of those teams could close the deal on a #1 national seed by just winning their respective conference championships.

Every single one of them lost.

Now those are just #1 seeds.....how are we supposed to pick the winners of this upcoming tourney?

Well, here goes nothing:

Every year on this blog, on TV and radio I make my picks and I always mention that I spend no more than 2 minutes in making my selections. It's all about gut feelings and reactions.

I'm tired of reading the stats, press releases, media guides, you name it.

Let's make the picks and get this over with.

So, here we go.....

In the South, Kentucky is the #1 seed. I love them....I love the way they play defense and their fanbase is absolutely insane. They have youth and that includes Mr. AD inside.

Despite Kentucky's sloppy SEC Tourney display, I like the Wildcats, Wichita State, Duke and UNLV to survive the weekend, and I'm going with Kentucky over UNLV in the regional final.

In the West, Tom Izzo and his Michigan State Spartans are the top seeded team. Every year Izzo is a #1 seed, he has made it to the Final Four. He is a brilliant coach and Sparty is a difficult out, every single year.

Making it to the Sweet 16 from the West, I'll go with Michigan State, New Mexico, Missouri and Marquette. I believe this regional has a chance for numerous upsets and surprises the first two days....there are some great match-ups. In the end, I'll take Missouri and their amazing collection of experienced guards to knock off Michigan State in the regional final.

In the East, Jim Boeheim and his Orange should feel rested after an early exit in the Big East Tournament. Seven times Syracuse has been the #1 seed in the Big East Tourney, and they have yet to win it from the top spot. So how will they handle being the team to beat in the East region?

I'm going with Syracuse, Vanderbilt, Gonzaga and Florida State to make it thru the first weekend. I'll select the Cuse to knock off FSU in a great game in the regional final.

In the Midwest, the Tar Heels landed the #1 seed for the 14th time in their amazing history. That's the most of any school in NCAA history. The Heels were also the top seed in the ACC Tourney, and they failed to capitalize.....can this team finally put it all together, or are they going to tease us all year long?

Playing in Greensboro makes this easy for UNC.....I'm picking the Heels, Temple, Kansas and Georgetown to make it to the Sweet 16. Even though the scene shifts to St. Louis for the regional finals, I'm picking North Carolina over Georgetown for the right to go to New Orleans.

So there you have it....Kentucky, Missouri, Syracuse and North Carolina in the Final Four. Three #1 seeds and a #2 seed make it.....I think there's just a handful of teams that can win it all.....but teams ranked #8 thru #40 are all pretty close. There should be many surprises, but at the top there is a difference.

In the end, I'll take Kentucky over UNC for the national championship.

The two most talented teams playing for the title....and in the end, just like this past football season.... a SEC team that didn't win their conference championship will find a way to be called the National Champions.

Good luck in filling out your bracket.....I'm promising you it will be a train wreck.

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Tiger Woods is hurt again?

Good thing he works out like a warrior every day....can you imagine how messed up he'd be if he were a couch potato?

This is the same guy that told the media that he was feeling great last week and then got upset when somebody asked him about his desire to be a Navy SEAL?

We know about Tiger's four surgeries on his left leg....and now he apparently has an issue with his achilles.

Ask the Panthers' Jon Beason how difficult it is to rehab an achilles injury.

With the Masters just a few weeks away, this is the last thing that Woods or the PGA Tour need to see or hear....they desperately need him back in the fold.

The Tour might be loaded with upstart flat-bellies, but it needs the guy that moves the meter. Without him, the rest of the world will have to live vicariously through Rory McIlroy or some other European guy. Not that there's anything wrong with McIlroy; I love his game and demeanor, but the casual fan will find something better to do.

I hope the injury isn't serious, but with an achilles, there is no rhyme or reason for an easy healing process other than to stay off your feet.....and that's the last thing Tiger wants to do, these days.

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I haven't laughed as hard as I did after reading the latest from my girl, Danica.

After the sport threw itself at her pampered and pedicured feet leading into Daytona....she proceeded to suck out loud to the point that she finally came clean.

Last week she was quoted as saying, "I think I need to remind myself every now and again of really where the expectation level should be and where mine should be. I can't let all of the exposure and hype and hope.....I'm serious when I say hope....I can't let that be something that makes me feel like I have to do well."

Well said, Danica.....I couldn't agree with you more. It's precisely what I've been barking about for the last month about your arrival full-time to NASCAR.

Darrell Waltrip is still a complete suck-up and moron for calling her the "Face of NASCAR", but that's what happens when a sport is desperate to regain an audience....it reaches for quick-fix promotions instead of selling you the real product.

I applaud Patrick for coming clean.....I don't need to hear predictions from her about winning Daytona or a Nationwide championship.....just compete, get better and produce.

All the other stuff will come your way....if you are good enough.

Darrell Waltrip is still an idiot.