Hopefully, all these self proclaimed experts have watched one or two college basketball games this season.  Let's go with the premise that they have.  In doing so, they would have seen countless upsets of ranked teams by the unranked masses.  Time and again a ranked team was put down by the unexpected underdog.  The rankings were as shifting as the ocean sands.  Chants of we're number 1 went on for about a day or two before another school picked it up because they were number 1 now.  

As the selections come out, so called experts will tell you that this college or that college has the edge in winning it all.  They will try to guide your decisions towards the bracket promised land.  The temptation to pick the higher ranked team in a match up may prove just too great.  Some years this strategy might have paid off well.  But have you been paying attention?  This is not that kind of year.

I usually attempt a bracket or two.  I usually do well until picking the Sweet 16.  The first two rounds are usually pretty straight forward.  But this year not so much.  In a year where upset seems to be the pattern how then do you pick the winners?  Do you go with an all upset pattern or do you just pick only a few?  It truly is not going to be easy and it may be impossible.  Although every year there is somebody out there who gets almost all of them right....probably with a computer program.

But for the rest of us, we have to go off a little research, a little luck and a lot of guessing.  What if it all goes wrong though?  What if the pattern of upset comes to a complete halt during the tourney and we have all been led down the primrose path only to find out the winners are the higher ranked teams?  What then?  

For me it will turn out much like it always does, good for a while and then a complete tragedy of epic proportions.  And yet I will persist.  I keep thinking I will get luckier than the year before.  Perhaps you do too.  

Whatever your reason, good luck with that.

The post season wild card match ups begin this Saturday and in general lend themselves to being very unpredictable. So many things can affect how a team plays in the post season and it is always hard to pick the winners. On paper games look like they will be close and then some of them will turn into blow outs. You just never know. One thing we do know, which teams will be playing.

The first wildcard match ups feature the Cincinnati Bengals vs the Houston Texans and the Minnesota Vikings vs the Green Bay Packers. The Bengals are the team many are discounting right from the start, which is a mistake. Quietly under the radar, the Bengals have had themselves quite a good season. They are a balanced team and to discount them out of hand sets teams up for failure. The Texans have struggled the last few games and definitely are lacking momentum going into the post season. If the Texans take the Bengals lightly, they will come out on the losing end of things.

The Vikings/Packers game is a rematch less than a week later. The game was close but the difference was Adrian Peterson. He gashed the Packers defense over and over and over. Come Saturday if the Packers have no answer for Peterson, the outcome will be the same as it was on Sunday. I look for Aaron Rogers to come out and try to build a big lead or at least put up a lot of points to make the Vikings have to keep doing the same. This could be a high scoring affair and a great game to watch.

The Sunday wildcard match ups include the Indianapolis Colts vs the Baltimore Ravens and the Seattle Seahawks vs the Washington Redskins. These games are filled with rookies. Three rookie quarterbacks, rookie running backs. Youth rules in these games for the most part. The Ravens are the veteran team here and they have been to many post seasons. Many an expert is relying on the return of Ray Lewis for the Ravens to be the difference maker in that match up. I think there is too much putting all the eggs in one basket with that train of thought. I think the Colts are excited, exciting and inspired, which could be a deadly combination for the Ravens.

All bets are off in the Seahawks/Redskins game. These teams are explosive and have a lot of unknowns. How will these rookies perform on this big stage? Can the Seahawks win on the road? Is RGIII the best rookie in the league? One thing is certain it will be exciting to watch!

I hate picking winners in the post season, it is just too unpredictable. I love watching though. Some of the best games are those that lead up to the Super Bowl and I think this year is no exception. Who's ready?? Let's get wild!

NFC teams that have already clinched are the Falcons, who also have home field advantage, the Packers, the Seahawks, and the 49ers. The Packers play the Vikings on Sunday and their playoff scenarios are as follows. The Packers clinch a first round bye with a Packers win, a Packers tie AND a 49ers loss or tie, or a 49ers loss AND Seahawks loss or tie.

The 49ers can clinch the NFC West with a 49ers win or tie, or a Seahawks loss or tie. The 49ers can clinch a first round bye with a 49ers win AND a Packers loss or tie or a 49ers tie and a Packers loss. The 49ers play the Cardinals on Sunday.

The Seahawks play the Rams on Sunday and they can clinch the NFC West with a Seahawks win AND a 49ers loss. The Seahawks can clinch a first round bye with a Seahawks win AND a 49ers loss AND a Packers loss.

The Redskins play the Cowboys Sunday night in what may be one of the biggest games of the year, even including the upcoming post season. The Redskins can clinch the NFC East with a Redskins win or tie. They can clinch a playoff spot with a Bears loss AND a Vikings loss. The Cowboys can clinch the NFC East with just a win.

The Giants play the Eagles on Sunday and the Giants can get a playoff spot with a Giants win AND a Cowboys loss or tie AND a Bears loss AND a Vikings loss.

The Vikings play the Packers on Sunday and the Vikings can get a playoff spot with a Vikings win or a Vikings win AND a Bears loss or tie or a Cowboys loss or tie AND a Bears loss AND a Giants loss or tie.

The Bears play the Lions on Sunday and can get a playoff spot with a Bears win AND a Vikings loss or tie or a Bears tie AND a Vikings loss or tie.

The NFC scenarios are many and many of the games on Sunday are uncertain as to who the winner will be. Redskins/Cowboys, Giants/Eagles, Vikings/Packers maybe even Bears/Lions are in the pile of either team could win. The 49ers and Seahawks SHOULD both win their games but their post season seeding depends on what other teams do. Many teams are trying to get in but every one of them need help to do it. Sunday is going to be a BIG day in the NFC.

Teams that have already clinched their post season berths are: Patriots, Broncos, Colts, Texans, Ravens, and Bengals. The AFC field is set, however the first round byes and home field advantage is still up for grabs. The Texans can clinch a first round bye with a Texans win or tie, a Patriots loss or tie or a Broncos loss. The Texans can clinch home field with a Texans win, a Texans loss AND a Broncos loss or tie or a Patriots loss or tie AND a Broncos loss. Are you still with me? I know it's maddeningly confusing. The Texans play the Colts on Sunday.

The Broncos play the Chiefs and their scenarios play out as follows. The Broncos can clinch a first round bye with a Broncos win or tie, a Patriots loss or tie. The Broncos can clinch home field with a Broncos win AND a Texans loss and tie or a Broncos tie AND a Texans loss.

The Patriots play the Dolphins and they can clinch a first round bye with a Patriots win AND a Broncos loss or a Patriots win AND a Texans loss. The Patriots can clinch home field with a Patriots win AND a Broncos loss AND a Texans loss. That's a lot of losing that needs to happen.

The Texans/Colts game is not an easy one to pick a winner. The Texans have an up and down defense and the Colts have their beloved Coach Pagano back. I tend to lean towards a Colts win, so a Texans loss may be in the cards.

The Broncos SHOULD win handily, so that probably eliminates a Patriots home field. However, the Patriots SHOULD also win, so if the Texans loss that would give the Pats a 1st round bye.

It gets very murky at this time of the year. The scenarios can become head spinning. Some years the last regular season game doesn't mean a whole lot but in recent years the last regular season game has decided many aspects of the post season and this one will be no different it seems.

There are some teams for which this NFL season is over already. Regardless of what they do in the last five games (6 games if they didn't play Thanksgiving Day), their seasons are done. Some of them, their seasons were done from about week one. The Eagles, Panthers, Rams, Jets, Browns, Jags, Raiders and Chiefs. They are done. Some through injury, some by the fact they were never going to have a good season to begin with. These teams could pack it in now and not be that much worse off. Several of these teams will lose their head coaches. For some it may make a difference, for others the head coach isn't going to fix what ails them.

The two teams where a change of head coach is not going to fix all that ails them are the Eagles and the Jets. These teams have far bigger problems than their head coach. I believe Andy Reid is a good coach. I think he's got two serious team problems. One, his quarterback in the way he plays the game is not durable. He cannot be counted on to be healthy week in and week out. The second, players on the team do not believe in the quarterback they have. Without this, a team cannot be successful regardless of who is coaching. This leads me to the Jets. Rex Ryan is NOT a good football coach. He believes that his job is to get the NY media and fans talking about anything other than what the team does on the field. So they bring in Tim Tebow NOT to play but to be a distraction. That was the only reason he was brought to the Jets. Rex Ryan creates controversy off the field with everything he says and does so as to move the spotlight from the field to the press room, to the tabloids. Mark Sanchez is not even a serviceable quarterback. He attempts far too many passes with far too few completions. The team does not believe in him as a leader. And Tim Tebow is not an answer for the Jets or anyone else at quarterback. This team needs a complete overhaul and it's not likely to get one. So NY Jets fans can expect more of the same. The Eagles may make changes but I doubt they will be the ones they truly need to make.

Teams in the middle with an outside shot at the post season include the Cowboys, Vikings, Redskins, Saints, Seahawks, Steelers, Bengals, and Colts. These teams could make the post season at the outside with everything else going their way. Some wins, some other teams losing, some luck. But for most of these teams luck seems to be in short supply. The Cowboys continue to be the team they've been the past few years. One with a mediocre quarterback who folds when he should lead, star players who are all about themselves and not the team, an owner who would cut off his nose to spite his face to remain owner and GM. The Cowboys will never be any better. They will probably fire Jason Garrett, a mistake. They will give Romo a big new deal, Jerry Jones will still be there, Dez Bryant and crew will remain. No leadership, mediocre, failing in the spotlight. Nothing will change. Saints will continue to pay the price of their legal woes and woeful defense. Steelers are too banged up and too old. Vikings, Seahawks and Bengals will fail down the stretch. That leaves two - Redskins and Colts. Both teams led by outstanding rookie QBs. There's already talk of MVP awards. Premature, but if either team makes the playoffs, definitely a possibility for MVP. These are two teams to watch.

That leaves the top of the heap. Giants, Packers, Bears, Falcons, 49ers, Patriots, Ravens, Texans and Broncos. The Giants are atop their division with a 6-4 record. That's not exactly awe inspiring despite the media's constant adulation of Eli Manning. The Bears have to get past the Packers and they have to do it with a QB that has a hard time staying healthy. The 49ers are in the midst of a QB shift and it remains to be seen if Kapernick can keep bringing the firepower. That leaves Packers, Falcons, Patriots, Ravens, Texans and Broncos. In the end, these will be the teams that will be fighting it out for a trip to the Super Bowl. If these teams keep winning, this is what the post season will come down to. Can you look at these teams and tell me why they are playing so well? It's not one thing. It's not one person. These teams play....as a team. They play on offense, they play on defense, they play on special teams, they play on the sidelines, they play in the stands. These are teams from the owners to the waterboys. Teams that believe in themselves and each other. These are the teams that win championships.

So to sum up here's what you need to know about the NFL. Some teams were done from game 1, some are done now. Some teams can be fixed and some teams will never be fixed. Some teams are playing well and some teams are just better at being teams. Five weeks remain in the regular season, but only a fool can't see the post season.

These three teams are so much better than their records and so much better than what a lot of the sports media would have the viewers believe. These three teams are most assuredly going to win their divisions. The current records are irrelevant. The teams are better than most of the rest of the NFL regardless of what some would have you believe.

The Patriots have lost the games they have by a total of 4 points. Yes, they lost but they didn't lose by wide margins. They were not playing awful football. The team is still the team. The team is still probably the best team in the NFL. They have all the weapons times 2 at almost every single position. It's not like this team is going to do anything other than win their division and find themselves back in the playoffs. It's just that simple. These losses do not diminish their talent and their ability to do what is necessary to finish at the top.

The Packers had some tough losses this season and then they go to an undefeated Houston team (over rated for certain) and beat them in such a way as to make them seem like a college team. Aaron Rogers is most probably the best quarterback in the NFL. Yes, even better than Brady. The reason why is his release. It is almost super human quick. No other QB in the league can compete with his ability to get the ball from the snapper to the receiver. It's almost blindingly fast. The Packers will win their division just as they should.

The 49ers are a little more complex but still they are better than their record. The 49ers have the best defense in the NFL. And as many a football great has said, defense wins championships. The NFC contender for the Super Bowl will come from either the Packers or the 49ers. One of these teams will be in the big show. Barring some major injury to a key play such as their QB, these two teams will be there at the end of the season looking for a ticket to the big dance. Harbaugh is treading very close to dangerous ground in how he is trying to MAKE Kapernick play but the team is still very, very good.

All the talking heads who say things like, the Patriots are just not working on all cylinders or the Packers are struggling or the 49ers are not as good as we had predicted before the season started....child please. These three teams will win their divisions and they will all be in the playoffs and most likely two of them will be in the Super Bowl. Anything else is just so much air time and page ink filler.

From the NFC East: The NY football Giants. I am not on the Eli Manning is an elite quarterback bandwagon but out of the 4 teams in this division, the Giants are the most balanced and will likely see the playoffs yet again.

From the NFC North: A no brainer, the Green Bay Packers. Aaron Rogers is just too good for the team not to be in the playoffs. He could probably get them there all by himself but he doesn't have to. They will definitely be a contender again this year.

From the NFC South: The Atlanta Falcons. They have been very close the last few years but seem to find themselves just a step behind the Saints. This year though I think will be their breakout year and they will take the division.

From the NFC West: The San Francisco 49ers in a runaway. In fact, the 49ers, may be the team in the Super Bowl from the NFC when all is said and done. They had a great season last year and I think this year will be even better. This team is for real and are back in a big, big way.

From the AFC East: The New England Patriots all the way. The Jets will suffer from an identity/soap opera crisis of epic proportions that will put them out of any contention. The other teams in this division don't stand a chance. The Patriots will make it look easy.

From the AFC North: This one is a bit tougher. Pittsburgh is a perennial contender but last year I saw signs of decline on offense and defense. Unless they pick it up they will not be able to take this division from the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens are aging on defense but are still very good. They unfortunately have an average QB. This could be a close race to the playoffs but I'm going with the Ravens.

From the AFC South: The Houston Texans. Much like the Falcons, the Texans have been inching ever closer to a breakout year and I think this one is going to be the one. They will be in the playoffs and there are even those who are predicting them into the Super Bowl. I'm not going to go that far, but they will be a force to be reckoned with this year.

From the AFC West: IF and I said IF Peyton Manning is back to the real Peyton Manning, then the Broncos are into the playoffs again and not with an 8-8 record. It's just that simple. If he's NOT the real Peyton Manning, then the Chargers stand a chance at this division. Until we see which Peyton has come back to life, a prediction really can't be made in this division.

There you go folks, my very own "you're such an idiot" post for the NFL 2012 season. Agree or disagree? Post your comments below!

There are those in the sports community, fans and writers alike, who believe naively or in a deluded fashion that steroid use in baseball is mainly confined to the "steroid era." There are those who believe that it might still be around but it's isolated or only in eager naive minor league players. There are those who would try and convince themselves and you that steroid use in baseball doesn't exist at all. That every player in Major League Baseball right now is playing clean. All of these people are wrong.

If every single player in baseball were tested right now, this minute, today, more of them would turn up positive for PED use than would turn up negative. To believe otherwise is naive and delusional. This Pandora's box of ruination once opened will never again be shut. Especially since MLB's testing policies are so incredibly lax. For those of you who do not know or choose not to learn, MLB's policy is as follows: 1st test: 1 season. 2nd test: Lifetime. Do you understand how lax this is and how many players can get around this every single day of the year?

The use of PED's has caused the ruination of baseball for all time. Even if by some miracle, MLB decides to actually start testing in a fashion that would expose most of the use, the game is forever tainted. It is forever ruined. For all time, players will be questioned. Accomplishments will be questioned. Records will be questioned. Hall of Fame membership will be questioned. Nothing will ever again be clean, ever.

Cabrera is just the latest. Once again, there are those who say well he's just an isolated case. There are those who say, well he came out and owned up to it that makes it better. There are those who say, well this will clean things up better. Naive and deluded. It's not isolated. The testing policies just make it appear so. Did he own up to it when the test was revealed to be positive to him (probably months ago) or when it became public? Will he own up to his part in the ruination of baseball and making the Hall of Fame and baseball records irrelevant? Doubtful. This will clean up nothing. In fact, it just pollutes the sport even further.

There is nothing that will ever clean up baseball ever again. Without real testing policies, players will continue to use steroids. They have only incentive to perform better. They don't have sufficient deterrent to stop using. The ruination of baseball is ongoing and this is just the latest rock on the path that leads in only one direction - further down.

Chad "Ochocinco" Johnson or whatever his name is this week, finds himself on the wrong end of a choice once again. I'm not going to address the allegations specifically because one, all the facts are not out and two, they are irrelevant to my point. My point being that once again Ochocinco makes a choice that costs him the same price, finding himself on the unemployment line.

He has made this choice time and time and time again over his NFL career. The choice to say the wrong thing. The choice to do the wrong thing. The choice to put celebrity ahead of his job. The choice to put himself above the team. The choice to not learn the playbook. The choice to not perform on and off the field the way his coach (and by proxy his employer) expects him to. In making these choices time and time again, he finds that the price doesn't change and neither does he. Therefore, he repeats the same choice, pays the same price and never learns to make a different choice.

Of course, he will say it's not his fault. That it is someone else's fault that he now finds himself with a habit. He will say that someone else's actions compelled him to make whatever choice he made. By not taking responsibility for his own choices, he is doomed to repeat them and repeat them he does. Habit then becomes character. After this much repetition, these kinds of choices are who he is and anyone looking to offer him another job needs to realize that this is what they are going to get. He will not miraculously become a different choice maker if he is given XYZ job.

Can he make different choices? Of course he can, he's not dead. As long as he's still living, he can make different choices. He can choose the direction of his life. He can make choices that take him towards a different outcome and a far different price. The question is not can he make different choices, it is of course will he make different choices and not one person on this planet knows that answer except Chad Johnson. Anything else is just speculation.

I think even at 34 he can still be a very good football player. I think he can offer some team out there a viable wide receiver option. I think that he also does a lot of good things off the field. He is constantly doing things for the fans. He can also be very uplifting at times online. He has his detractors, millions of them, but he's not a completely bad guy at the core. But that hasn't compelled him to make different choices.

He went to the Patriots and made choices that caused him not to play and then found him out of a job. He went to the Dolphins and has made choice after choice that then forced the Dolphins to release him. Will this be the thing that compels him to make a different choice? I don't know that answer and neither do you. Only Chad Johnson knows what choices he will make and only he can decide if he wants to continue this habit or form a new one. Time will show the answer as it always does and time will show the facts of his latest news headline. So what's it going to be whatever your name is?