2014 March Madness: #3 Syracuse vs #14 Western Michigan

We are picking every NCAA Tournament game in an effort to help you fill out your bracket and win your office pool.

Syracuse was the best team in the nation for most of the season. After their overtime loss to Boston College, they just fell off a cliff. C.J. Fair and Tyler Ennis haven’t played well and head coach Jim Boeheim made an ass out of himself in the Duke game.

Western Michigan won the MAC tournament to earn an automatic bid. They haven’t been tested all season and benefited from a cake schedule.

Which Syracuse squad will show up in the first round, the team that won its first 25 games or the the team that lost to 8-24 Georgia Tech?

Who do you think will win? We help you fill out your bracket.

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2014 March Madness: #6 Ohio State vs #11 Dayton

We are picking every NCAA Tournament game in an effort to help you fill out your bracket and win your office pool.

Ohio State came into the season with high expectations. They started off hot, but had issues during the Big Ten schedule. Aaron Craft is the kind of player that excels in the guard-driven NCAA Tournament.

Dayton plays in the Atlantic 10. The toughest mid-major conference. They have over a dozen wins against teams in this year’s NCAA Tournament.

These teams are less than an hour apart from each other. The game will be played in Buffalo, so if you live in the area, expect a lot of ‘O-H’ & ‘I-O’ chants all weekend.

Who do you think will win? We help you fill out your bracket.

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2014 March Madness: #4 UCLA vs #13 Tulsa

We are picking every NCAA Tournament game in an effort to help you fill out your bracket and win your office pool.

UCLA had to crawl and scratch to get through a difficult PAC 12 conference schedule. They are battle-tested and new head coach Steve Alford has them playing really well.

The Tulsa Golden Hurricanes hit ‘restart’ after the new year. They had a hellish non-conference schedule and lost every game against a team from a major conference. They rebounded to win the Conference USA tournament. The conference took a hit when may of the top schools joined the American Athletic Conference.

Is UCLA a legit contender in the South Region?

Who do you think will win? We help you fill out your bracket.

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2014 March Madness: #5 VCU vs #12 Stephen F. Austin

We are picking every NCAA Tournament game in an effort to help you fill out your bracket and win your office pool.

VCU seems to outperform their seeding in every NCAA Tournament. Head coach Shaka Smart has had every opportunity to leave town, yet it stays in town.

Stephen F. Austin could be a popular upset pick since they are coming into the tournament with only two losses. The Southland Conference isn’t exactly the Big Ten, so their undefeated conference record should be taken with a grain of salt.

Does VCU have another deep run left or will the Lumberjacks find themselves in the second round?

Who do you think will win? We help you fill out your bracket.

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2014 March Madness: #8 Colorado vs #9 Pittsburgh

This is the first of many NCAA Tournament games we are picking to help you fill out your bracket.

The Big 12 and ACC were both strong conferences this season. Colorado and Pittsburgh faced elite competition and have a few marquee wins to hang their hat on.

Colorado is a different team than the squad they dressed in November. Injuries have caused players to step up.

Pittsburgh is playing great right now. They didn’t look like a NCAA Tournament team for a period of time, but turned this around late.

Who do you think will win? We help you fill out your bracket.

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2014 March Madness: Which Bubble Teams Didn’t Get In?

There are 345 Division-I teams in college basketball eligible for the postseason 2014 NCAA Tournament. Obviously, not every team can get an invite.

These teams were all on the bubble, but failed to make it into the field of 68.

There were some big upsets (NC State) and a few teams that deserved a nod, but were passed over. I honestly can’t believe the Wolfpack made it into the tourney.

Here is a list of bubble teams which had their bubble burst.

Southern Miss Golden Eagles (27-6) – Southern Miss was on the bubble last season as well and didn’t get in. The were the Conference USA regular season champions, but the 2/3rds of the conference was horrible. The don’t have any marquee wins and had a cake non-conference schedule.

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2014 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Top 100 Outfielders

Since most of us play in fantasy leagues that start five outfielders, I decided to super-size my rankings for outfielders. We all know Mike Trout is the best fantasy player in baseball, but the rest of the field is very deep. There are a dozen guys who can help you in every category in a 5×5 standard roto league.

My outfield fantasy baseball rankings are based on a standard 5×5 league. If you have any specific questions about a different league, email me BobbyMcrib@gmail.com.

1. Mike Trout – Los Angeles Angels – Trout is the consensus #1 overall fantasy player this season. He’s a yearly threat to be a 30/30 player and who knows, he could be a 40/40 player at some point. He’ll be an MVP candidate and be near the top of every major offensive category.

2. Andrew McCutchen – Pittsburgh Pirates – The reigning National League MVP should meet or exceed last year’s numbers. He’s in his prime and could even top 30 home runs this season.

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Sports Crush: WWE Diva – Paige

We’ve written a handful of ‘Sports Crush’ posts since we launched AmericasWhiteBoy.com a few years ago. We’ve spotlighted sportscasters, female MMA fighters, Olympians and WWE Divas Summer Rae & A.J. Lee. The response was so great, we decided to profile another WWE Diva, current WWE NXT Women’s Champion, Paige.

Paige (her real name Saraya-Jade Bevis) has been wrestling since she was 13. She comes from a wrestling family. Her parents (Saraya and Ricky Knight) were both wrestlers in England. Her brother Zak Knight is currently wrestling for his father’s wrestling promotion ‘World Association of Wrestling’.

She was known as Britani Knight before she came into the WWE in 2011. She is only 21 years old and her future is bright. She should be on the main WWE roster at some point this year.

Once you see Paige, you’ll know why we’re crushing on her. We’ve added some photos and a very special .GIF for you to enjoy.

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2014 MLB Team Preview: San Diego Padres

The injury bug bit the head off the San Diego Padres last season. It started with Cameron Maybin and just started taking out every position player one-by-one.

They couldn’t even make it through Spring Training injury-free. Maybin will start the season on the disabled list with a ruptured biceps injury. Also, Chase Headley suffered a calf strain, but should be ready for Opening Day.

San Diego didn’t make many offseason moves. Their roster is nearly identical to the one they ended the season with in 2013. It’s hard to evaluate your team when most of them are in the trainer’s room getting treatment. If they have similar issues again, expect changes to be made.

Here is the 2014 MLB season preview for the San Diego Padres.

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2014 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Top 40 Shortstops

It was once hard to find power at the shortstop position, but now there are a dozen options who could hit 20+ homers this season. You have all the usual suspects (Hanley Ramirez & Troy Tulowitzki) and a few emerging stars (Andrelton Simmons & Jean Segura).

This will be Derek Jeter’s farewell season. Does he go out with a relevant fantasy season?

My shortstop fantasy baseball rankings are based on a standard 5×5 league. If you have any specific questions about a different league, email me BobbyMcrib@gmail.com.

1. Hanley Ramirez – Los Angeles Dodgers – Before the injury bug hit Ramirez, he was once the #1 overall fantasy player. He has missed an average of 50 games each of the last three seasons. He only appeared in 86 games, but he hit .345 and smacked 20 homers. If he can stay healthy, I expect some big numbers from Ramirez.

2. Troy Tulowitzki – Colorado Rockies – Tulo had a few injuries that kept him from playing, but they were random injuries. His injuries weren’t any associated with someone breaking down. He came back from core muscle surgery last season and put up decent numbers in only 446 at-bats. If he gets near 550 at-bats, he should have another 30/100/.305 season. That is worth #1 or #2 on this list.

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2014 MLB Team Preview: Pittsburgh Pirates

The Pittsburgh Pirates ended their 20-year streak of finishing under .500. They were close the last two seasons, but ran out of gas at the end of the year.

Andrew McCutchen lead the team into the playoffs and won the National League MVP. He’s entering his year-27 season, which is when most players begin to hit their peak. If McCutchen puts up the same numbers he had in 2013, he could easily win another MVP.

The Pirates bring back most of their starters this season. The Cardinals and Reds made a few moves, but Pittsburgh chose to wait for their top prospects to eventually appear in the Majors. Was that a mistake or the right move?

Gerrit Cole was brought up last season and looked like a future ace. Is he ready to replace A.J. Burnett in the rotation?

Here is the 2014 MLB season preview for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

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2014 MLB Team Preview: Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies championship window has officially closed. Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins may be playing their last season together. They should be busy at the trade deadline this season, because they need to get younger.

Manager Ryne Sandberg took over after Charlie Manuel mid-season. He’s great with younger talent, which leads me to believe they are about to blow up this team. I doubt Ryan Howard is going anywhere with his bloated contract on the books through 2016.

Can Rollins and Sandberg squash their beef and get along this season?

Here is the 2014 MLB season preview for the Philadelphia Phillies.

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