4 and going on the disabled list with a bulging disc, replac

If you want pure, unbridled sporting craziness, then last week’s March Madness had it all. Our US sportswriter Alex Ferguson – who’s still trying to get his breath back – looks at the first four days of the NCAA Championships and previews the next four… Im not the only one who put all my focus in on the first day of the NCAA Mens Basketball Championship last Thursday. According to US TV website MediaPost, 8.8m Americans on average sat down to watch the first two games - 32 games of action, while advertisers spent a tidy $378.9m over the first four days.And what a bunch of games they had (I should know, I was up watching until around 4.30am on Saturday morning). We saw stunning endings including a basketball equivalent of a Hail Mary - the half-court shot thrown by Northern Iowas Paul Jesperson against Texas - and Cincinnati just failing to take their battle with St Josephs to overtime on a game-tying dunk because they were trying to be too fancy.Oh, and the wonderful athletes of Baylor were ousted by the slow and steady Wall St bankers of tomorrow at Yale. And Arizona were played out of the building by Wichita State - who lived up to their nickname… the Shockers. Stephen F. Austin, known as the Lumberjacks - chopped down No 3 West Virginia in one of the most painful games for the eyes youd ever unlikely to see. Paul Jesperson hits a half court three pointer at the buzzer But the biggest upset was a stunner. Id told everyone who would listen to me - including myself - that No 2 Michigan State were a guaranteed win, possibly a guarantee to make the semi-finals. So imagine my jaw hitting the floor when I watched No 15 Middle Tennessee State show no fear whatsoever in downing their bigger, better rivals. Such is the madness of March, eh?Round TwoRemember Stephen F. Austin and Northern Iowa from Round 1? Remember how it couldnt get any crazier for those two sides? Well, remember this isnt called March Madness for nothing. Stephen F. Austin led No 6 Notre Dame 74-73 in a ding-dong battle with just a second left….and lost to a tip-in. March Madness showcases the new generation of basketball talent And Northern Iowa? They led mighty Texas A&M by 12 points - the equivalent of a 3-0 lead - in the last 44 seconds of their clash and lost in overtime. And all they had to do was waste time. And they didnt, and instead failed with the sort of suicidal plays that would make your local lemmings guffaw with derision.You know who else made a joke at their expense? One of the best players in basketball, LeBron James, who said in an ESPN interview that he would probably quit basketball after a loss like that.Oh, and then there was Wisconsin, who beat No 2 Xavier on a last second buzzer-beater with no time left on the clock to mark their dance card for Friday. What is it about Wisconsin beating favoured teams? North Carolina are touted for future success by View From America Whats happening on Thursday and Friday?Wed like to point out that March Madness should be renamed March-Complete-And-Total-Insanity, so please dont take my predictions to the bank or SkyBet.If you do go on my predictions, take Kansas, Virginia and North Carolina - all favourites - to win on Thursday in a three-team accumulator. All three teams have looked good so far this tournament. £5 will win you £12.27 with Sky Bet. Also See: Curry reaches new NBA landmark Perfect Spurs repel Warriors Wilbert Montgomery Eagles Jersey . -- Floridas smothering defence returned to form just in time for the third-ranked Gators to keep their winning streak going. Jerome Brown Jersey .Y. - Major League Soccer is prepared to start its season this weekend even if there isnt a labour deal with its referees and other on-field officials. http://www.eaglesrookiestore.com/Eagles-Miles-Sanders-Jersey/ . The Thornhill, Ont., native, who is ranked 11th in the world, said hed hoped he would be ready when Canada begins its World Group first-round tie against Japan in Tokyo on Friday. Tommy McDonald Womens Jersey . - Doug Kalitta led Top Fuel qualifying Friday in the NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway with a 3. Mike Quick Eagles Jersey . Pinch-hitter Tommy Medica singled in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning and the Padres beat the Seattle Mariners 2-1 in their first home game since Gwynn died of cancer Monday.KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Neither rain nor the Kansas City Royals could stop the Los Angeles Angels from winning again. Albert Pujols and David Freese combined to drive in five runs as the Angels beat the Royals 6-2 on Saturday for their seventh victory in eight games. There were two rain delays with the second after the fourth inning lasting 3:58. The game didnt end until nearly 7 hours after it started. "We had a lot of waiting in between a baseball game," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. The official game time was 2:48, while the rain delays totalled 4:06. "Its a waiting game," said Eric Hosmer, who had one of the six Royals hits and scored a run. "You basically hang out. We heard it was going to be a couple of hours. It wasnt one of those things where we were thinking it could start any minute, so we had a little heads up. Its all part of the grind of the season. There are going to be days like that. Its what we all sign up for." Pujols, who has 14 RBIs in his past 13 games, singled home runs in the third and sixth innings. Freese, who had three hits, drove in three runs, two in the four-run sixth and the other in fourth. He has six RBIs in his past seven games, after driving in only three in his previous 26 games. "It was nice to come out and get some runs after the rain," Freese said. "It was almost like starting a new game so it was nice to get some runs, and nice to get the win." Kole Calhoun added three hits, scored two runs and drove in one. The Angels four-run sixth included four hits, two walks and three stolen bases. Rookie right-hander Mike Morin (2-1), who went to high school at a Kansas City suburb, allowed two runs on two hits over two innings to pick up the victory. "It was cool," Morin said. "Scioscia told me I was going to get the ball and I had all my family and friends here. They were probably the only ones left after the rain delay. Its been a great weekend. Ill never forget it. It was just fortunate that I could be in there to get the win in front of them."t; Angels left-hander Hector Santiago was not allowed to come back out after the second delay.dddddddddddd He pitched four scoreless innings, giving up four hits. "Somebody sent me a message and asked me did you make a witch angry?" said Santiago, who needed to pitch one more inning to claim his first victory of the season and losing his first seven decisions. "It seems like everything that can have an effect on me getting a win has happened. But I gave four scoreless innings and gave us a chance to win, and the team got the win, so thats what I care about." Royals rookie Yordano Ventura (5-7) took the loss, yielding two runs on seven hits over four innings. "I felt like I was in command of the strike zone, but unfortunately the rain got to me and I couldnt go back out," Ventura said with Royals catching coach Pedro Grifol acting as his interpreter. "I prepared to pitch today and I wanted to go back out, but there was no way I could go back after that long rain delay." Veteran left-hander Bruce Chen, who had not pitched since April 24 and going on the disabled list with a bulging disc, replaced Ventura after the game resumed. He allowed four runs on four hits, all in the sixth, walked two and struck out eight over five innings. Jason Grilli made his Angels debut after being acquired in a Friday trade with the Pirates and worked a perfect eighth, striking out one. Notes: LHP Brandon Finnegan, the Royals first selection and 17th overall pick in the draft, signed for $2,200,600. Finnegan, who went 9-3 with a 2.04 ERA as a junior and helped lead TCU to the College World Series, will report Monday to the Royals Class A Wilmington, Delaware farm club. ... Angels LHP Tyler Skaggs, who is on the disabled list with a right hamstring injury, threw in the bullpen and could make a start at Chicago, the Angels next stop on this trip. ... The Angels have won eight of their past 10 meetings against the Royals. ... The Royals have lost seven of nine after their 10-game winning streak ended on June 19. ' ' '