Tony Cutillo
The NCAA Tournament is underway and the many brackets are still waiting to be busted. Even one full day of perfection would be a big accomplishment. While digging up some analysis, I found that only 273 brackets were perfect after day one in 2015’s ESPN’s Tournament Challenge. Did I forget to mention that was out of 11.6 million brackets that were filled out?
This year will be more of the same, which is why this tournament is truly unique. From the color of the jersey or the mascot for which they represent, no stone is left unturned when compiling your own bracketology report. Let the madness begin!
Fantasy Sports Expert and Real Sports Insider Tony Cutillo uses his expertise to answer the questions of who could be first to lose and who will surprise us by staying alive. He offers his unique insight and opinion on what he thinks could happen. Along with March Madness, he gives us a wide variety of topics that will keep all the Fantasy Sports, Real Sports and Sports Entertainment Fans sparking up a debate.
* NCAA Bracket is set … Sleepers? Winners?The NCAA selection process went a lot smoother this year with its new condensed format. However, there were still some questions as to how and why that continued to be a storyline. Here are some of my observations.
- Villanova and Duke in the same bracket? Not to mention Wisconsin as a #8 seed?
- Notre Dame and Iona.
- Final Four: Kansas, Arizona, Villanova, Kentucky.
- Arizona.
Who is your favorite team this year? What does your Final Four look like?
* The NFL and the rebirth of the one-year deal … Why all the prove it deals? The free agency period in the NFL always comes with a few surprises and this year it was the tremendous amount of “show me” deals given out by teams looking for a diamond in the rough. With the elevated cap space and past history of large contracts, I have to say that this was an unprecedented and unexpected move.
Guys like Alshon Jeffery, Bennie Logan, and Terrelle Pryor are all proven commodities that decided to bet on themselves this year in the hopes of signing long-term in 2018. For some players, such as Eddie Lacy, we understand why teams were hesitant to sign them long-term. Lacy even has a weight clause in his contract with the Seahawks, which could be a first for the NFL. Will these moves work out? Which ones will or won’t?
*MJ or Vinsanity … Who was the best dunker of all time? When we think of the dunk contest, I think we can all be in agreement that it circles around Michael and Dominique. However, as the years went on more and more youngsters came out to defy the odds and show they can be just as creative, if not more. This brings me to Vince Carter, aka Vinsanity. At a time when the dunk contest was fading, a man named Vince opened our eyes to dunks we had never seen. He decided to create his own style instead of recreating Michael’s.
That being said, it is really hard to pick who gets the nod. I still think it’s MJ due to the sheer smoothness about his style and practically effortless slam dunks. Vince undoubtedly had more pop and power, but MJ had Wheaties and Gatorade. How can you top that?
*Hardaway or AI … Who had the best crossover? When you think of the crossover in basketball, two guys come to mind. Tim Hardaway and Allen Iverson. The topic was discussed on television the other night and definitely peaked my interests. Here’s what I think: Tim had the killer crossover and definitely invented the style. At a time where jump shots and alley oops were the topic of excitement, a speedy guard who could break the ankles in a flash became headline news. Tim had the quickness, but when AI came along the speed turned into finesses. Whether you want to call it a carry or not, AI’s effortless fall back jumper in the face of his defender whose shorts were just ripped off was must-see TV. My pick … AI.
*NFL Draft dilemma … What happens to Joe Mixon? We are all aware of the Joe Mixon story and now his name continues to pop up because of the draft. I am going to make this short and sweet. We forget about or push away past stories and mistakes when it has to do with sports. This guy made a mockery of the female gender and used his self-made power to cause damage to another human being. Sorry or not, that tape says enough. Sometimes you have to take a stand and this is the perfect opportunity. Let him go undrafted so he knows what he did didn’t go unnoticed. Where do you stand?
*Fantasy Football … David Johnson the top pick in 2017? DJ gave everyone a scare last season going down with an apparent ACL tear. However, it was reported that there was no tear and he is ready to go today. His offensive prowess and production is a combination that guys like Priest Holmes were known for. He has reinvented the running back position in fantasy and looks to keep the momentum building. He does have Le’Veon Bell and Ezekiel Elliot to contend with, but if you factor in the catches and number of offensive snaps, I still think he is the clear-cut No. 1. Agree?
*Fantasy Baseball … Clayton Kershaw the top pitcher this year? I think this is an easy one. Clayton is fresh off the injury list and has been lights out so far this spring. His size and power is something that hasn’t been seen since Randy Johnson. Besides Chris Sale, there really is no other match. He is the top guy for sure. Do you think otherwise?
*Brandin Cooks the newest Patriot … Is Bill Belichick just toying with everyone? When does the Super Bowl winner have $50+ million in cap space and multiple high draft picks? The answer to that would be in 2017 with that team being the New England Patriots.
In this day and age of free agency and multiyear contracts, Belichick continues to refuse to dish out huge money and still finds a way to build a powerhouse. This year, he decided to go after the best wide receiver on the trade/free agency market in Brandin Cooks. It’s not every day that a 23-year-old receiver who makes NFL Prime Time his own show becomes available. But when his name was put out there as a trade possibility, Belichick called Sean Payton and made the deal happen. Will Cooks have more success in New England? Do you trust he was moved over money and not control issues?
* WWE’s WrestleMania 33 takes shape … Is the lineup starving for excitement? It’s the “Super Bowl of Wrestling.” WrestleMania is a few weeks away and the card is less than stellar. Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar for the WWE Universal Championship isn’t a main event that will be remembered for years to come, and the company’s best wrestler in AJ Styles will probably be in a gimmick match that holds very little clout. How can that be? Is the roster that slim? What will be the match you are most looking forward to seeing?
The Sum of All Sports Report has been running throughout the general media world and now it is a part of Philly Influencer. Its purpose is to utilize the various sports associations and bring them all into one specific theme. Debating and conversing the various opinions of the people continues to be the heart of sports media. Now it can all be done in one place.
Tony Cutillo has been using this report to gain traction all across the United States. From California to Colorado, his interviews, articles and weekly segments can be heard all across the media sector. He welcomes all opinions and debates. Now is your chance join in the fun!
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Meet Tony Cutillo:
* As Heard and Seen on ESPN, NBC, Fox Sports, Vice News on HBO, Fox Business, Live from Seattle, Sun Coast Live, The Stuph File, Epoch Times, Prime Time Sports and many more!
* Fantasy Sports Expert/Writer for PhillyInfluencer.com.
* Lead Professional Wrestling Reporter and Writer for Ewrestlingnews.com.
* Fantasy Sports League Designing Expert with over 10+ years.
* Real Sports Insider.
* Creator and Reporter for fantasysportsaddiction.com.
* Football News Columnist for Footballnation.com.
* Wrestling Columnist for 411Mania.com.
* Youth Sports Specialist.
* Social Media Strategist and Facebook Fanpage Analyzer.
* Weekly Radio Guest on Many Live Sports and Lifestyle Networks.
As always you can stop by my Facebook page (FantasySportsAddiction) or tweet me (@TCutillo23) for questions or some nice fantasy debates. I can also be heard weekly via the internet stream live at WengRadio every Monday at 4:00pm EST for a weekend sports wrap. But most importantly, you can catch me here at Pi!
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For fantasy purposes, all my articles are predicated upon a PPR-based system.