The Pitching Affect

It is a pitchers league and we are just living in it.  From Yu Darvish's one hitter to Samardzija's 13 strike outs.  It seems that the bats just are not firing yet.  And maybe they won't have a chance to if the pitchers can get into their groove.

The weather is one of the biggest reasons why this is, but there is no reason not to give it up to great starts to the Major League pitchers.  I almost hope the pitching does't stop.  Sure the everyone likes to see the long ball, but what these pitchers have started off with this season is just incredible.

I mean seriously, Clayton Kershaw has gone 16 innings and has yet to surrender an earned run.  If this keeps up I think it is very safe to say that baseball has very much so become a pitching league again.

Sure, some of the pitching has been a little disappointing. Such as Roy Halloday's just under 15 ERA.  Also, I would like to see Stephen Strasburg fix his just over 4 ERA.  He proved last year that he is a better pitcher than that.  And, It was so exciting to see such a young team go as far as they did with him as the ace.

But I think that the great pitching out weighs the bad starts by others.

So until the weather warms up a bit the bats shouldn't get firing, but until then, keep the great pitching coming.  I know I am not the only fan that enjoys pitching duels, and this season has the makings to have several of them.

Louisville Wins NCAA Men’s Championship

Kevin Ware looked on from the sideline like a proud brother. He was so excited after his team’s big win that he cut the net down from the rim himself. #Win4Ware tweets began flooding my timeline on Twitter. The “13 toughest guys” coach Rick Pitino said he’d ever coached had just become champions.

The win wasn’t easy. In fact it was a very physical game. The Cardinals came back from a 12-point deficit to defeat the Michigan Wolverines 82-76. The game started off with some major plays by Michigan. Freshman, Spike Albrecht, had everyone talking as he continued to sink three-point shots with ease. Michigan built their 12-point lead in the first half but Louisville remained relentless.

Luke Hancock came off the bench with a vengeance. In an online article published by USA Today, Hancock shared his thoughts about his team trailing in the first half.

"I was nervous, how much momentum they had, how well they were playing," he said. "They had all the momentum going for them."

However, he didn’t let that uneasy feeling cripple him. Instead, he had one of the best nights on his career, scoring 22 points in the game.

Steals and turnovers really worked in the Cardinals’ favor last night. Peyton Siva managed to get right down to the rim every time he had the ball. The aggressiveness displayed by both teams was remarkable. Fans of both teams were on their feet almost the entire time during the second half.

But, the win was so much more than just a championship for the Cardinals. It was a chance to display their love for one another as a team. With one down, they brought this one home for their brother.

"It's not about me, I've never been that type of guy," Ware said in an article by the Washington Post. "These are my brothers. They got the job done."

Blackhawks clinch a playoff spot

If any Blackhawks fans were looking to buy tickets this weekend, they may have noticed a slight price increase.

The Chicago Blackhawks were the first team in the NHL to secure a playoff spot for next month's Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Blackhawks currently stand at 29-5-4 for a total of 62 points, making them number 1 in the Western Conference, 3 points ahead of the second place Anaheim Ducks.

The spot was secured after beating the Nashville Predators 5-3 on Sunday.

After falling behind the Predators early in the 3rd, 3-2, Blackhawks' rookie Brandon Saad and Jonathan Toews scored 55 seconds apart, sealing the victory.

2013 marks the 5th consecutive season the Chicago Blackhawks have made the playoffs. Currently the Blackhawks remain undefeated in regulation against teams in their Central Division; 13-0-1.

While the Blackhawks have made the playoffs, the Ducks are lurking close behind. The Hawks still have work to do to secure the number 1 overall Western Conference spot.

Hopefully Tuesday night's game against the Minnesota Wild will help the Hawks put some distance between themselves and their Western Conference foe.

Louisville, Ware, Win Big With Third National Title

Winning is sweet.

But winning a third national title is even sweeter.

And when that win is powered by a group of brothers looking to make not only their school proud, but their one fallen brother, Kevin Ware, as well, who can stop them?

The Louisville Cardinals used Ware's gruesome injury as inspiration to not only knock Duke off the map in the Elite Eight but also came from behind to beat Wichita State in the Final Four.

All of that lead them one step closer to their goal: beat Michigan and bring the trophy back home.

It wasn't easy and it wasn't pretty but it was done.

Michigan gave Louisville a run for their money once Wolverine backup, freshman Spike Albrecht, gave an explosive performance with 17 points leading into the half.

But in the end, it was Louisville who came out on top.

The night ended with Louisville players singing what they weren't able to last year: "We Are The Champions."

Great seeing Louisville come full circle and finishing what they came here to accomplish. 

You just can't make something like this up. It truly is a Cinderella story. 

The Shamrock Shuffle

Thousands of people woke up bright and early Sunday morning to lace up their sneakers and take part in the world's largest 8k.

The Shamrock Shuffle hit capacity for the 9th straight year in a row, with 40,000 people registering to race. The race has kept its local roots, with over 90% of the racers registered living in the Chicago area.

The weather turned out to be perfect conditions for the racers; it was bright and sunny with temperatures reaching the low 50's.

Many people were surprised by just how nice it was outside, since we've been seeing temperatures as low as the 20's lately this spring.

The Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle is a special race for many people because it's seen as a kick-off to the running season. For many people, running this race is a yearly tradition, while for others it was their very first time.

Occurring shortly after St. Patrick's Day, thousands of the racers don green clothes and themed outfits in honor of the race's shamrock theme. 

Whether they were running for the great skyline views, the post-race party, or just to get in some exercise it seemed like all of the racers were in high spirits and had a great time at the race.

The Playoffs, College style

The Playoffs! Where the best of the best teams play to determine the champion.

The NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL have a playoff system. Heck, even College Basketball has an equivalent to the playoffs with the NCAA Tournament.

So can you imagine if there wasn’t a NCAA Tournament? No Bracket’s to fill out, no March Madness and more importantly no tournament to determine the champion.

The NCAA National Championship Game would be between Louisville and Indiana and it would be over by now. Well, would it be between Louisville and Indiana? We don’t know for sure, but if it were based off of the Bowl Championship Series system, then the top two regular season teams would play for the National Title.

Speaking of the BCS, why is College Football holding out on the playoffs?

The Bowl Championship Series, BCS, determines which two teams will play for the National Championship. Two teams are to play for the BCS National Champion Game based on the their record, AP Top 25 Poll, Coaches Poll, and the BCS rankings.

Frankly, that’s too many polls because this isn’t an election. The BCS will remain in place for another season, but the playoffs are coming in 2014. 

College Football will finally determine a true champion with the playoff system. It's been long overdue. 

College Basketball found its niche with “March Madness” so now it’s time for College Football to do the same.