March Madness Predictions...

First, let me gripe again about the Butler seeding. I understand that they lost their conference championship game, but not by much against a pretty decent Cleveland State team. And I grant that would hurt the seeding a bit, but to get a 9 seed and to play LSU is really rough. Further, if they win, they get North Carolina in North Carolina...that sucks. I figured a 7 was likely and a 6 was hopeful, but a 9 seed is really an injustice. Oh well, it's a young team that should consider this a learning experience.

Here are my predictions:

1) All 4 number ones won't make the final four. It's never happened...except for the fluke that was last year. I really don't anticipate it happening again, especially since Memphis deserved the spot over UConn.

2) First rd upsets: 11 Dayton over 6 West Virginia, 10 Maryland over 7 California, 11 VCU over 6 UCLA, 10 Michigan over 7 Clemson [8-9 matchups don't count as upsets]

3) 12 over 5 upset special (it seems to happen every year), Arizona over Utah. I'm of the opinion that Arizona didn't deserve the spot, but since they are in, I'm guessing they take all the hoopla about not deserving the spot and turn it into a motivation to win the game. (WKU over Illinois is also probable)

4) The Big East is overrated and crazily got 3 number 1 seeds in the dance. However, the Big East is good and I anticipate only 2 representatives in the Elite 8 and 1 in the final 4.

5) Surprise Sweet 16 appearances: 6 Arizona St., 11 VCU

6) Surprise Elite 8 appearances: 4 Wake Forest, 5 Purdue

7) My Final Four: 2 Michigan St, 2 Memphis, 1 Pittsburgh, 1 UNC (NOTE: I never, ever, get the final four right)

8) National Championship: Memphis defeats Pittsburgh

9) First number 1 to lose: UConn and Lousiville in the Sweet 16. (However, if Ty Lawson is injured/can't play, then UNC may not see the Sweet 16.)

10) I'm guessing that 80% of these predictions are wrong (including this one).

There you go. My NCAA predictions. Tournament tips Thursday at noon with the most anticipated matchup of the first round...Butler v. LSU...go BU!

Who Watches the Watchmen?.... I did

First, let me apologize for being a square and having not posted for over a month. Geez, you'd think while not working I'd be capable of posting daily. Anyway, I figured I'd try and get back on track by doing a movie review. I've seen several in the theater recently, and many more on DVD, but instead of doing a recent release, I'm going to do a brand spanking new release. And if you weren't quite paying attention with the title, the movie I am referring to is Watchmen.

Plot: Originally a comic mini-series from the late '80s, Watchmen takes place in an alternate 1985. Superheroes (not really super-powered, but just normal people who wore costumes and battled criminals) exist. The US won Vietnam and Richard Nixon is still in office. The Cold War is at an all-time high and nuclear war is imminent. The movie starts with one of the heroes being killed. The remaining heroes (having since been driven underground due to a law that made vigilantism illegal) try to figure out who is responsible and try to prevent nuclear holocaust.

Review: First off, let me claim to have read the graphic novel many a year ago. However, due to my age at the time and the years since, I really couldn't have told you anything about the story, so this review will not focus on accuracy to the source material. (On a side note, I did a wikipedia check after watching the movie, and it appears that the film stayed pretty close to the comic).

On the whole, I really enjoyed the film. It is a visually spectacular movie, and a superb job is done making the setting feel real. I had no trouble believing the film was set in 1985. The action was intense and brutal, but not quite as continuous as you might think. Much of the film is spent as flashbacks giving you background on the heroes and the setting. While very well done and really is the meat of the movie, it is also my main area of complaint. Keep in mind that this is minor, but the main plot (finding the killer and preventing nuclear war) often takes a back seat to the flashbacks. It is a long movie, but I never felt like the movie was dragging and I certainly was never bored. Overall, I am a fan, and feel like the movie lived up to my expectations.

It was a well-deserved "R" rating with plenty of violence, cursing, and some nudity (male and female).

I give Watchmen 4 out of 5 stars, and highly recommend the big screen treatment.

Best "Hero" in the Film: Rorschach (played by Jackie Earle Haley)

Also, Director Zack Snyder is doing a darn good job for himself. 3 major releases and 3 awesome movies (Dawn of the Dead remake, 300, and now Watchmen). That's all for now. Until next time....and it might be sooner than 1 month.