That’s the best part of running an internationally reknowned Web site. When you’re right like I was on the Final Four (and really, who didn’t see Marquette, Kansas, Syracuse and Texas coming?) you can brag about it. So, I’ll just take a moment to bask in the glow of…

huh? What is this? Illinois (surely, I meant Kansas), Kentucky (even I’m not that big of a front runner), Xavier (Xavier? Was I stoned?) and no, it can’t be Mississippi State (wow, hide the sharp objects.)

Alas, I may never repeat the performance I had in 1998 when I not only picked the Final Four correctly, but also the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight. I ended up in the 99.9 percentile on the ESPN Tournament Challenge, and yet, didn’t even win something as cheesy as a t-shirt or one of Chris Berman’s old toupee’s.

And you know what? I kind of like it that way. The best part of the NCAA Tournament is that none of it makes any sense. You just sit back and watch the unexpected happen every night. It’s great stuff, and that’s why we love it. I mean, it has to be good if we’re willing to put up with Jim Nantz and Billy Packer just to enjoy it, right?

If you’re like me, and come on, you know you are, you watched Dwyane Wade go nuts on the best defensive team in the league and you just kind of thought (hmm…Crawford, Rose, Wade, Curry, Chandler with J-Will, Fizer and Donyell on the bench=playoffs.) Of course, I also got the same feeling when watching Luke Walton, so call me crazy.

ESPN has a story on Yugo-star Darko Milic and in it, we find that when he was a growing young boy his parents bought him a cow so he’d have milk to drink. You can’t make this stuff up. Oh, and Darko’s dad’s name is Milorad, and if you think you’ve never heard of a guy with that name before, you’ve never heard of Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich (who’s real name is Milorad). I know this paragraph has nothing to do with nothing, but I couldn’t resist the pet cow story.

NBC is hiding Ed on Friday nights now. But if you watch the show you need to set the VCR for the next two weeks. They might just be the last two in the show’s history (though a fourth season seems at least possible, if not likely), but if you missed Carol showing up at the bowling alley in her Knight suit last week, you really missed something. Just some advice, is all.

Don’t forget to join us today starting at noon for our live coverage of the Cubs season opener in Queens against the F@#$ing Mets. Not only do we get to root against the F@#$ing Mets, but Tom Glavine at the same time. Just think, if we could find a way to get Chip Caray a job there, the gates of hell would likely open and finally swallow New York once and for all.

Anyway, this will be our first gamecast since we added the discussion database to the site. So all you have to do is keep reloading the gamecast article (which will appear at noon) and you can enter your own pithy comments whenever the spirit moves you.

The Tribune writes their 234th article of the spring on the Cubs pitching. Can you tell the Cubs can’t hit?

Phil Rogers says the Cubs abused Jon Lieber and that’s why he got hurt. How about the fact he’s 33 and has thrown about 45,000 sliders in his life? Maybe that had something to do with it?

Rosey says Fred McGriff is raining on Sammy’s parade again.

Rick Morrissey makes some Cubs predictions.

Mike Downey predicts a typical Sox season. Big expectations with a late run at .500.

Groucho says the Bulls are after Hedo Turkoglu (for Dalibor Bagaric and a draft pick–sure), Mike Dunleavy (for Jay Williams–no f’ing way) or Shane Battier (for Marcus Fizer–what’s the point?)

Eddy Curry is leading the league in field goal percentage. Really.

Terrell Suggs can’t run, but he can fight. I say draft him!

Always angry Andy Bagnato breaks down the final four. Dick Vitale just picked a final of Kansas-Texas, so I’m looking forward to Syracuse-Marquette.

Mariotti puts down the doughnut to announce that Sox fans are better than Cubs fans. What do we have to do to change that perception? Take our shirts off, run on the field and beat up a 60 year old first base coach?

First there was Karry Ling, now everybody wants to take a shot at Larry King. Elliott Harris does the honors today.

Moises Alou likes Dusty Baker. That’s nice.

The Sun Times’ staff takes a crack at their predictions. They’re a little too Dodger-y for me.

Mike Imrem with some entertaining predictions.

Jayson Stark will eventually pick every team in the league to win the World Series.

Will ESPN please stop it with the Cubby love! You’re killing me. Stark, Gammons, Caple, Dibble, Huckabay and Lipman all picked the Cubs to win the Central. Why?

Tim the unpronounceable on really, really likes Mark Prior. What’s not to like?

Those damn Canadians better leave Matt Suhey alone!

Jack’s such a swell guy, I’m sure he’ll be nice to the doctors and nurses. Right?

Spanish-yes.com’s Peter King can’t figure out why the NFL didn’t “fix” overtime.

David Letterman is back tonight. We missed him. Especially when Megan Mullalley hosted. Ouch.

Oops, NBC just fired Peter Arnett.

Yet another Sideshow Bob lookalike American Idol contestant has a rap sheet. Nice show.

America’s finest news source breaks down some of the new military technology we have at our disposal.