Here we sit, just a week or so away from the start of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, and I don’t have a clue how to fill out my bracket. The #1 team in the country is Gonzaga? Sure, they have a solid program and they are the conference champions, but can the West Coast Conference champ make a deep run in the tournament? That’s something I’m wrestling with right now. On St. Patrick’s Day the NCAA selection show will reveal all 68 teams in the tournament, so come Monday you can start filling out your bracket. I’m here to give you some handy tips to help your cause (and chances of winning your bracket). I’m no bracketologist, but I’ve done a little research and come up with the following 5 nuggets to improve your chances:

1. No #16 seed has ever beaten a #1 seed. Don’t get cute and try to pick a #16 seed to beat a #1 seed.
2. 2008 was the only time all four #1 seeds advanced to the Final Four. Chances are they all won’t make it this year…
3. Only six times have two #1 seeds faced off for the championship. You can’t pick all “chalk” for your bracket. Upsets will happen.
4. Since the tournament went to the 64 team format, the #8 seeds have a losing record against #9 seeds (54-58). Don’t hesitate to pick at least two #9 seeds to upset #8 seeds.
5. The dangerous #5 vs. #12 matchup produces an upset roughly once every three games. Only twice in the last 23 years have all #5 seeds advanced to the round of 32. Make sure to pick a #12 seed this year.

Once the field is announced, make sure to hit our NCAA Tournament page for fresh tourney gear and everything you need to cheer on your favorite teams this March (and April).

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The NFL offseason seems to last longer than any other sport, but it is packed with plenty of activity. All of the offseason activity centers around the NFL combine and the draft. The combine is now underway, with exams, tests, interviews, and all sorts of prodding and poking of future NFL players. After just a few days of drills, we are starting to see some movement on the draft boards. Here’s a quick update on who’s stock is going up before the draft:

Running Back – Knile Davis (Arkansas). Knile dominated the running back group at the combine. He ran the second fastest 40 yard dash, but he’s no little speedster. This running back has NFL size at 6 feet tall and a whopping 227 pounds (picture Adrian Peterson’s size with close to Chris Johnson’s speed). Injuries cut his collegiate career short, but he’s got to be awfully intriguing to a team that is looking for a running back.

Quarterback – Geno Smith (West Virginia). Geno pretty much crushed the other quarterbacks in the combine. His speed and athleticism have NFL executives optimistic that he will develop into the next RG3 or Russell Wilson. No one questions his passing ability, but the jury is still out on whether or not he can run an NFL offense. We’ll find out in the upcoming seasons, as Geno Smith is probably the first QB off the board, and almost certain to be drafted in the first round.

Wide receiver – While Cordarrelle Patterson (Tennessee) is widely recognized as the best receiver in the draft, Marquise Goodwin (Texas) is quickly becoming a household name. His football skills are legit, but it’s not just his football ability that has people buzzing. In the 2012 Summer Olympics, Marquise represented the track team in the long jump. He qualified for the finals, leading many to realize what a rare athlete he is. He ran a 4.27 40 yard dash, which puts him in rare air as the fastest of the combine, and one of the fastest 40 times ever recorded. In addition, he’s got great hands, and runs excellent routes. Now, a receiver who only caught 26 passes last year with Texas has vaulted up the board, and it is only a question of how high he will be drafted in the first round.

Linemen – The draft may be light with stud running backs and quarterbacks, but it is definitely heavy in linemen. The discussion starts and ends with Luke Joeckel (Texas A&M). Luke is widely projected to be the top overall pick in the draft. A dominating tackle who rates up there with Jake Long, Ryan Clady and other top NFL tackles. The combine is a great venue for small team players like Terron Armstead (Arkansas-Pine Bluff) to showcase their skills. While it is rare for linemen to run sub 5 second 40 yard dash times, Terron set a big man record at 4.71! He was in the top tier of all linemen for the measurables and probably just earned himself a few extra million dollars on his rookie contract.

Whichever team you root for, make sure to follow the draft April 25-27. Check in with us for new player jerseys, NFL draft hats, and other gear to update your collection.

I can’t talk NBA basketball these days without discussing the ridiculous run that LeBron James is on right now. As I write this article, LeBron’s run of 6 straight games with 30+ points and over 60% FG just came to an end last night. Sure, he led his team to a big road victory in Oklahoma City and shot 14-24 (58%) from the field, but one of the great streaks in NBA history came to an end. No one else in NBA history had more than 5 consecutive games with 30+ points and 60% FG. It’s a really tough feat to accomplish even two games in a row, yet alone six consecutive games, because you have to be a great scorer and shoot a high percentage from the field. Big men can shoot the high percentage, but not get the point total, while true scorers can get the points, but at the expense of the shooting percentage. Michael Jordan never did it. Wilt Chamberlain never did it. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar never did it. Get my point?

While the debate rages over who is the best ever, it seems that Kobe Bryant’s career is falling into the shadows of LeBron’s career. Now the debate centers around MJ versus LeBron. Most fans and analysts give the nod to Jordan, but the book on LeBron is still being written. Love him or not, you have to give him props for playing at such a high level right now.

It seems that All Star games are losing momentum and popularity these days. The NFL almost canceled the Pro Bowl after last year’s debacle, and other leagues routinely see lethargic play by uninspired stars. I’m not so sure that’s the case with the NBA All Star game. The NBA gets it right by allowing the fans to select the starters. The fans are the ones who are paying to see the game and watching on TV, so it only seems fair to me that they are assured their favorite players start the game. The league then picks the reserves, and the rosters are set. No need to worry about players backing out because the entire league takes a break over All Star weekend. It’s just the league’s best players putting on an exhibition for the fans, with nothing at stake but bragging rights.

Over the years, the NBA has done a real nice job of making the All Star game an entire weekend experience. There’s the ever popular slam dunk competition, the three point shootout, the skills contest, the celebrity all star game, and the increasingly popular Rising Stars game, which pits the top rookies against the top second year players. This year’s game is in Houston, and should be no different.

For the die hard NBA fans, we carry a selection of NBA All Star tees, with more new gear on the way to commemorate the game. Make sure to check in some time before the game, or shortly thereafter to pick up an All Star name and number tee, or other related gear.