CRAZY HORSE

the Kahrman Ghia? Or the Pacer, or the Fiat, or the Renault, or the Chevette... Now that the car companies are in dire straits it made me think of all the cars that met their time match a bit ago. Experts are saying that the US failed to meet the energy goals of consumers and are being swallowed up by the Japanese and Korean auto makers. Very interesting...Is this not the same countries that are swallowing up the US in baseball? Is there a similarity? Now I know the KG is German, and the Fiat is not US and so on, but the fact is the cars built here are not being bought and may face the same fate...extinction. There mus be a demand for the car and it can't only be...buy in the US by a US...a better product must be made. Is it not a truth that the US car was made in such a fashion that it would fall apart in a limited amount of years...thus you would have to buy a new one? How many US made cars last longer than 5 or 6 years? On the other hand, how many Toyotas and Hondas do...

The Crazy Horse pick, Japan, upended Korea for the top seed as they march on to the finals in LA this weekend. They play the USA on Sunday. Venezuela and Korea vie on Saturday. Most of the scribes, including the Dr. sect, are picking Venezuela as the champ. Here...and only here...I have Japan over Korea in the finals game... I got 12/16 out of the Big Dance yesterday, including all 4 of my big picks...today I have USC over BC, Utah over Arizona, Kansas St. over NDS, and Utah St. over Marquette...some interesting point spreads, Ohio St. only 3 over Sienna, and watch this one, Portland St. getting 10 1/2 against Xavier...tread lightly here... BYU beat the SDS nine yesterday in a huge upset...Strasburg goes today or tomorrow... Turn away fast on this, it is hideous...the Padres Baek goes a bit more than 4 innings and gives up 6...where is the pitching going to come from? To continue the negative, Kooz committed his 3rd error already...the positive? AGonzales and Floyd hit the ball well.....

Regardless of how you think they got here($), it has begun. I put my bracket in the national Around the Horn pool. I took anywhere up to 3 minutes filling it out and picked UNC as my champ. I know nothing. Is Billy Packer still on the tube. Not a fan. The WBC final 4 is set. With my Japan upsetting Cuba (again), they qualify with Korea, USA and Venezuela as the possibles for the crown. I think both Korea and Japan are the favorites. The US of A has a severely depleted team to injuries (?) with the latest victim, 1b Kevin Youklis going down with a bum ankle...to me a very embarrassing set of circumstances for this country. The Padres continue to get whacked in the Cactus league. Their pitching has been totally dismantled and it is very disconcerting. It is spring training, but only 4 wins is worrisome...Kyle Blanks is still lashing the ball and I have negative beliefs that the Pad's management are gonna screw this up... One person hit the pick 6 at Santa Anita yesterday...

OK Around the Horn "Stars"...you are wrong big time! Your rant about the WBC being a waste and should be abolished...tell that to the USA team that was celebrating in a pile on the ground after David Wright's clutch walk off single...or to the Koreans who used outstanding pitching and defense to out duel their Asian rivals the Japanese. Yes, Horn Stars, you are so wrong. You even said you watched it... The Korea/Japan game was a thing of beauty. The Korean fans in particular, had their baby blue outfits, their chants, their noise, their passion, that made the game as much fun as I have ever witnessed! Both of the teams had wonderful pitching and awesome speed, both defensively and offensively...tonight elimination game for Japan/Cuba...Cuba has been in 50 of these world games and have won 43 of them, and playing in the finals in the other 7...which history means that they will beat my Japanese... SDS won their first NIT game last night versus Weber St. and moves on ...

I knew I would get your attention now...yes this is Cheryl Burke of Dancing With The Stars fame. Her dancing partner, whoever, is battling against the dumped Bachelor gal...for the title. I know it's way early to say that, but the pickings are slim this season. Yea, Snook , this is for you... In the WBC, Japan plays Korea tonight for an auto spot in the LA semi's...I am a Japan believer and am fully on board for a big V...In the other bracket the US of A is in a must win situation against Puerto Rico...just don't like the vibe coming out of the American camp...Venezuela is the big team emerging there...stay tuned... I'm still bummed about the D-1 hoops thing but will submit my bracket...I'm usually way off...it's so hard to figure what league is going to be dominant because wading through all the sportswriters crap is difficult... St. Patrick's Day! My favorite green things: The old Boston Celtics (Bill Russell, Sad Sam Jones, KC Jones, John Havlicek, e...

I can't believe it but I am biased...for Japan! With Dice K pitching like the best in the world, Japan easily disposed of the mighty Cubans 6-0. The level of play they showed, their willing to move runners up, their fervor, and their fans ultimate devotion, make them so easy to like and follow. Just as impressive is the Koreans who brought the same game to SD and demolished Mexico in the nightcap. If there is a negative, it is the length of the games, that border on 4 hours...Cuba is painfully slow...I think the Tuesday Japan/Korea game will be much more in line with how it should be done... Lefty got it done at Doral...even with the dehydration problem the night before. He won in a head to head with Nick Watney and proved he is on his game this season. Not to be lost Watney has moved up in the echelons to be considered a force...believe me on this...and Tiger finished up at 11 under and can only blame his balky putter...just timing folks...he is back! The NCAA picked its hoops...

The WBC begins here in SD this afternoon with Japan playing Cuba , with the Cubans as the favorite...speaking of a favorite falling...the USA took a 11-1 drubbing at the hands of Puerto Rico, who actually ten run them in a little league rule to save a team from embarrassment...and who is not more embarrassed than Jake Peavy as he was destroyed for 6 runs in two innings...SDS continues to destroy UNLV in baseball...UNLV hosted the MWC hoop playoff and SDS fell just 2 points short at the hands of Utah...the Jazz who lost in a double OT last night and helped out Portland is the NBA...which continues the longest season in professional sports...as Lefty battles it out in the PGA with Watney, out of San Diego at Doral...speaking of smoking, if there is anyone hotter than Garret Gomez in horse racing I'd love to see it...who I'd love to see Kyle Blanks in a major league uniform this season...and why does the Boston uniform have more national appeal than any other?...why does Dustin Pe...