General: This n'That on... World events and the week in sports

The world is a much different place since the last "This n'That" column. With a war being fought in Iraq (and Afghanistan), the world of sports goes on, with March Madness heading into its first weekend, a great tennis tourney in Florida and the AVP beach volleyball season just two weeks away, and more.

So let's get started...

* First, and most significant -- the war. After months and months of countries negotiating, bickering and more, at the United Nations, President George W. Bush finally said -- enough! In one fell swoop, the war in Iraq began, and sometime in the next few weeks we'll all know if Saddam Hussein has been hiding weapons of mass destruction. Meanwhile, this is also the first time in history that a war is being shown "live" on TV, 24 hours a day, with coverage that seems, uncomfortably, like that of a sporting event. I mean, Fox News had a "pre-war special," while all the networks seemed to have some kind of "countdown to war" clock going. Very weird. Very strange. And while it is interesting to watch history happening "live," I hope it does not desensitize people to what really happens in war -- people die. War is not a video game and people don't get up after they are killed, like they do in those games. There are no "do-overs." They really die. That's the reality. So let's hope it all ends soon without too many casualties.

* Meanwhile, sports goes on and the NCAA and baseball both made good decisions this week. MLB Commissioner Bud Selig cancelled the season opener in Japan, which was a good decision. Travel might be dangerous right now, plus it allows players to stay closer to home with their families. Then, the NCAA, which had debated about what to do with their tourney, decided to let it go on, which was also a good decision. Security will need to be increased, but it will give folks a good distraction from the war -- including the USA soldiers in Iraq, who will get to watch from time to time. That helps them know that life back home is still going on and will be here waiting for their safe return.

* So, who are my picks in the tourneys?

* The men's tourney is wide open. All of the top seeds -- Texas, Arizona, Kentucky and Oklahoma -- have as good a shot as any to make it to the Final Four. But watch out for some others like Kansas, Missouri, Pittsburgh, Florida and, of course, my personal favorite, Duke... though I don't think the Blue Devils have the experience this year. This year's men's tourney is anyone's guess. Who do I pick? Not a clue, so I'll go with Kentucky just to pick a team.

* In the women's tourney, the top four seeds are probably the best teams in the nation this year. Duke, Connecticut, Tennessee and LSU should all make it to the Final Four. And, even though Connecticut destroyed the Blue Devils in Durham earlier this year, I'm picking Duke to win it all for their first NCAA title.

* Next topic -- who deserves the NBA MVP award this year? Right now, the players being talked about the most are Kobe Bryant (L.A. Lakers), Kevin Garnett (Minnesota Timberwolves), Tim Duncan (San Antonio Spurs) and Allen Iverson (Philadelphia 76ers). All great players, with great stats, which I won't go into here. It's going to be a tough decision, but my pick is Bryant, who almost single-handedly has kept the Lakers in the playoff hunt to defend their NBA title. Garnett is a close second, and while he does not have the supporting cast that Bryant does, he needs to help his team get deeper into the playoffs for once, before he'll get more consideration. Duncan and Iverson also deserve serious consideration, but Bryant should get it in my opinion.

* I'm not a boxing fan, but the recent news that new WBA heavyweight title holder Roy Jones, Jr. wants $100 million to face Mike Tyson is too juicy a topic to pass up. Is this guy hilarious or what? He wants $100 million to take a few punches from Tyson, who with one solid punch would have Jones seeing stars... or in this case, dollar signs. What a joke, but then again, it is boxing -- a joke in itself.

* Seriously, though... did you see the recent fight between Tyson and John Ruiz? I'm amazed no one complained or picked up on it, but come on... part way through the first round Tyson nailed Ruiz on his well-publicized, paper chin. Ruiz then fell to the floor and removed his mouthpiece. Come on folks, who was he kidding. Once he did that, you knew he wasn't going to get up. Heck, would you? I mean, you're guaranteed a million or more, so why would you get up to face Tyson's fists, or worse, his bite? Ruiz took the punch, took the money and went home. Smart man!

* In tennis news and players to watch -- Justine Henin-Hardenne won the recent Dubai tourney for her first title of the year. Henin-Hardenne, who is currently ranked No. 4 in the world, won two great back-to-back matches to take the title. In the semis, she defeated Jennifer Capriati 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, then came back to defeat Monica Seles in the final 4-6, 7-6(4), 7-5. A solid win for Henin-Hardenne, who with a little more confidence and a stronger mental game, has a great chance of competing against the Williams' sisters. I know, I know, you all probably think I'm crazy. How does a five-foot-nothing tall player compete against Venus and Serena? Simple. She has a solid serve, a strong forehand, an awesome backhand... and an excellent volley when she chooses to use it. She defeated Serena at the German Open last year and had Venus on the ropes at Amelia Island before she had a mental collapse -- her big weakness. If she can overcome her mental demons, she'll be a top contender. Trust me folks, I'm totally serious about this and time will prove me correct.

* As for the tennis world, this is the first week of one of the great tennis tournaments of the year -- the Nasdaq 100 in Key Biscayne, Florida. If you are a tennis fan, this is one tourney you definitely want to see one day. It is run like a grand slam event, with both the top men and women playing in a beautiful setting in South Florida. It's a great two weeks of tennis and sunshine that can't be beat.

* Best wishes for a quick recovery to former New York Mets' and Philadelphia Phillies' pitcher, Tug McGraw. McGraw recently underwent a six-hour surgery to remove a brain tumor. It is not known yet if the tumor was benign or malignant, but his doctor say his chances of recovery are excellent. We can only hope. McGraw was a fan favorite in both New York and Philly, and being from Philadelphia myself, and a Phillies fan forever, I can tell you that his pitching in the 1980 World Series against Kansas City, especially when he pitched the final out to give the Phils the title, was one of the greatest moments in Philly sport's history. In 1973 when he was with New York, he came up with a saying during the Mets' pennant race -- "Ya Gotta Believe!," he said. Well, we all gotta believe, and pray, that everything will turn out ok for Lefty!

* How about those classy fans in Montreal? Prior to the NHL game between the Canadiens and NY Islanders on Thursday night, the announcer asked fans to "show your support and respect for two great nations." Well, the majority of the fans showed just how classless they are when they booed the USA National Anthem. Really nice, huh? Well, it ticked off some of the American members of the Islanders, like Mike Parrish, who helped the Isles crush Montreal, 6-3. Parrish, who hails from Minnesota, said, "I came to the game pretty pumped up, but once I heard that, it really got me going. So I guess I can thank them a little bit for getting me more pumped up." To his credit, Canadiens' president Pierre Boivin did apologize on Friday, but he shouldn't have had to because the fans should have shown more class.

* Finally, get ready beach volleyball fans. Two weeks to go until the AVP season opener in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Kevin Wong/Stein Metzger, Eric Fonoimoana/Dax Holdren and Karch Kiraly/Brent Doble are some of the top men's teams to watch, while Holly McPeak/Elaine Youngs, Jenny Johnson Jordan/Annett Davis, Misty May/Kerri Walsh and Liz Masakayan/Linda Hanley are some of the top women's teams to watch. So get ready, the fun is about to begin.

That's about it for now. Until next time, let's say a prayer for all the men and women of the USA armed forces, our allies, and the citizens of Iraq, for a quick and safe ending to the war and a safe return home for everyone.

Until next time, we'll just keep rambling along...