Yet the opening game that everyone should be anticipating is the U.S.-England match set for tomorrow. That should be obvious given that Team USA will test itself against a Cup favorite.

But just imagine what a win would mean for the U.S.

In addition to giving Team USA the ultimate momentum boost, a win would put the U.S in the driver’s seat of Group C with its toughest opponent in the rearview mirror. If that’s not enough, beating England would be Team USA’s biggest accomplishment since upsetting the Brits in 1950.

What better way to generate interest at home than ending a 60-year slump against America’s only soccer rival and one of the world’s best teams? There really isn’t one and the possibility alone is a great reason to watch.

But that doesn’t mean we saw this coming. Just last month, a Lakers-Cavaliers showdown seemed to be what everyone wanted and expected. After all, they were the two best teams during regular season. It would have put the league’s two biggest superstars, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, on the same court to decide a championship. That’s something that the Finals have lacked since Larry Bird and Magic Johnson headlined the great Celtics-Lakers rivalries over 20 years ago. But those certainly weren’t one-man teams, which is exactly what the Cavaliers proved to be in their series with Boston.

Neither team will be accused of that in this series. While Bryant is LA’s best player and undisputed leader, his teammates are much more than sidekicks. Big man Pau Gasol can dominate games under the basket and will take pressure off Bryant by doing so. Role players Ron Artest and Derek Fisher will also be vital in this matchup. Not only can both guys can hit outside shots, but they will be called upon to match Boston’s signature defensive intensity with physical play of their own.

The Celtics play team basketball better than anyone in the league, relying on a trio of future hall-of-famers that promotes defense and toughness above all else. That mentality was created prior to the 2007-2008 season, when veterans Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett left struggling teams to join Paul Pierce in Boston. All three were established superstars without NBA titles, but put individual concerns aside for the ultimate goal. Eight months later, they claimed the championship trophy by defeating Los Angeles in the rivalry’s latest chapter.

Quite frankly, there has been a little too much emphasis put on the last 50 years and not enough on the previous three. This is not your father’s Celtics-Lakers rivalry. Any fan younger than 30 was too young to appreciate the days of Magic-Bird, let alone the Vietnam-era clashes between Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russel.

Just look back to the 2008 Finals. Although the Celtics embarrassed the Lakers on their way to a 4-2 victory, the series served its purpose. If nothing else, it gave Los Angeles the motivation it needed to win a title last season and set up this year’s rubber match with Boston. There is nothing that heats up a rivalry like a little revenge.  

As far as picking a winner, it’s almost too close to call. Boston has four All-Star quality players, including point guard Rajon Rondo, who went from being the team’s weak link in 2008 to perhaps the it’s best player this year. But what they don’t have is Bryant, The Most Competitive Person Alive and a player as clutch as anyone. But that was supposed to give the Lakers an edge in 2008, when he was shut down by Boston’s suffocating defense. If it can happen once, I believe it can happen again. As much as the Lakers are focused on getting even, I’m picking the Celtics to win in seven games.

With that, Bradford has been handed keys to the NFL’s version of a family station wagon-or the lamest team in town. There’s a reason why the team plays inside, where nobody can see.

After witnessing a 6-42 record over the past three seasons, “fans” everywhere have either taken their faith underground or given up completely. Now it’s been left to a rookie quaterback to bring them back and at least lose with some dignity.

That’s a lot of pressure on a 22 year old kid, even if he is a former Heisman Trophy winner.

(Before you send him a sympathy card, consider that Bradford will recieve a $50 million bonus just for signing the contract. He’ll get over it.)

Things will be tough at first as the Rams will struggle to put a quality team around their newest star player. Most likely, he’ll take a pretty good beating before seeing any dramatic improvement.

Luckily, he won’t have a problem affording health care. Or at least a nicer car.

After receiving the press release announcing his First-Team All-State selection, I paid a visit to the Commons to get his reaction. It was the second consecutive day he took time out of lunch to answer my unoriginal questions about “leadership” and “hard work.” And he didn’t mind one bit.

More suprisingly, his friends knew nothing about the prestigious and well-earned honor. Either he had forgotten to mention it, or, more likely, it just wasn’t important to him.

“All these awards reward individual play. But it’s really about the team,” Messer said.

Is it possible an athlete can be as talented as Messer and still be humble? These days, it almost seems too good to be true. With him though, you better believe it.

 He truly believes that basketball is a team-first game.

In games where he was forced to take over, it had nothing to do with padding his stats or looking good for recruiters. His only concern was sending his teammates home with a victory.

“You kind of expect your senior leader to do that and Michael did.  He’s a real good player and made plays for us when we needed him to,” Coach Scott Allen said.

Now we can only hope that some of Mike’s greatness rubs off on his brother, sophomore Nick Messer. There are some indications that it already, like a 6.4 scoring average which ranked fourth on the team.

But there will never be another Mike Messer.

Whether he is remembered for his signiture baseline drive or Kobe-like pullup jumpshots, one thing is for certain. SIU-Edwardsville will be lucky to have him.

For the average fan, it’s easy to pick the top seeds or teams with the best uniforms. Anybody can do that. The fun part is challenging yourself to find upsets and predicting which teams will make a surprise run.

It’s easier said than done.

What makes it tough is that there are so many unfamiliar schools. Old Dominian? Wofford? You can’t find them on a map, but they might be the teams that eliminate your Final Four picks. Not knowing the entire field could leave you thinking “why didn’t I pick them?”

Another challenge is identifying the best teams. In college basketball, records are misleading because some teams pile up wins against weak competition while others improve by going against the best.

That’s why stats like strength of schedule and RPI are used in an attempt compare teams. I know, huh? It’s really just a complicated bunch of numbers that offer little help in deciding which players will shine under pressure. I’ve seen math problems that are less complex.

The fact is that human athletes can’t be measured by odds and probability. ESPN has thousands of simulations for each game and they are usually right, but nothing can calculate which players will have the hot hand or step up in the clutch.

Unpredictability makes March Madness the most entertaining event in sports. The chance of an upset will put any fan on the edge of their seat, but will also drive one crazy if it costs them the office pool.

The basketball will be great, but that $5 bet will always be somewhere in the back of my mind. At this moment, I’m still debating between Kentucky and West Virginia to reach the Final Four in Indianapolis. That and about 10 other games.

Enough about me though. How’s your bracket?

For most people, it was most dramatic hockey game they had ever seen. That’s because it might have been the only hockey game they had ever seen. Our country is different than Canada in many ways, the most obvious being that America isn’t exactly full of hockey diehards. Even so, the Olympics have a funny way of turning people into diehard followers of something.

Without the Olympics, we would never have that incredible urge to cheer for athletes we’ve never heard of. And what’s better than debating between curling and ice dancing?

The same goes for hockey, which is easily the least popular of America’s four major sports. But every four years, Canada’s game attracts the world’s attention during a dull period in the American sports calendar. Sometimes, the excitement carries beyond the two-week tournament and creates just the kind of buzz that the National Hocley League needs.

So it should be shock that the league is debating whether to send its players to the games in 2014. This would mean that college and other amateur players would be forced to take their place. Considering that both teams in the gold medal game consisted entirely of NHL talent, the policy would create an incredible drop off in quality of play.

The reasoning behind this change is that it costs money for the NHL to suspend league play during the games.

What a surprise.

Even during a recession, the NHL is a money-making machine just like the other four major professional sports leagues. Here’s a rule of thumb, any company that can afford to pay six figure salaries is doing just fine. Team owners should be happy to increase the game’s exposure, even if it means owning four houses instead of five.

And doesn’t national pride matter anymore? America should want to send its best just for the sake of sticking it to Canada and beating our neighbors in their own game. Especially after coming so close to gold, revenge should be the only motivation that the NHL needs. But players seem to be afraid to stand up to the league when they should be outraged. It shows what really matters to them.

The league also claims that an internationally televised tournament doesn’t create any extra buzz for hockey.

Really? Want proof?

Facebook statuses don’t lie. When several of my friends, many of whom never watch hockey, were sharing their geniune interest during Sunday’s game, it was pretty apparent that the Olympics caught their interest more than the NHL ever could. And I know there’s a reason why I’m suddenly excited for the Blues making a run to the playoffs.

The league needs to capitalize on this popularity instead of taking the heartless buisness approach. Russia will host the 2014 games and there’s no reason why America shouldn’t be there in full force. Team USA’s nail-biting loss to rival Canada was painful. But not having a game to put our hearts into at all?

Now that would be heartbreaking.

The answer is yes, of course. But for Lafayette students, it might as well have taken place in a foreign country.

Without attending the meet, I was told that the event was one for the ages. The Lady Lancers fell behind in the standings after seven races, but mounted an incredible comeback to claim their 10th State championship

We may never understand the intensity of that final 400-yard relay when .35 seconds separated first and second place, but it was probably one of the greatest sporting events in school history.

Most likely, it was breaking news when Activities Director Steve Berry made the announcement at lunch. The Lady Lancers may have been lucky to get scattered applause and it would be a surprise if the victory is ever celebrated by average fans.

For most high school kids, traveling to St. Peters to watch swimming on a Saturday just isn’t a  priority, even if it is for State. And they weren’t exactly motivated by anyone to go either.

There couldn’t have been less hype around such a big event. There were no posters, no announcements and certainly no pep assemblies to rally the school around this incredibly decorated team.

It’s a shame because this should have been the swim team’s party. The Lancers dominated every meet this year and showed us that teamwork is still critical in sports. Instead, a perfect season was, for the most part, ignored. We as a school failed to honor them properly.

Unfortunately, there’s no real solution for increasing the exposure of State meets and tournaments. Not surprisingly, these events include teams from, well, the entire state. It’s simply impossible to allow one school to play host while everyone else travels hundreds of miles to compete.

And it wouldn’t be fair either. Lafayette may have been the favorite this year and every other year, but giving one school home-pool advantage wouldn’t make sense with so many other deserving opponents.

But what if Conference and District meets were held at the school of the participating team with the most wins? This could raise morale for all sports, not just swimming.

Obviously, this wouldn’t benefit the Lafayette faithful in basketball this year, as Washington enters Wednesday’s basketball playoff game with a better record.

Next season, however, could be the opposite. Imagine the atmosphere in our Front Gym as the Lancers earned home-court advantage and put their season on the line for the whole school to see.

Not only would people finally get fired up about the regular season, but it would create an incredible buildup for postseason play.

Maybe then the Superfans won’t be alone as they follow the Lancers to wherever the playoff road leads. What true sports fan could resist making that trip?

It’s amazing how one game can symbolize the journey of an entire season, but the Lafayette’s regular season finale did just that. When the Lancers faced Mehlville on Feb. 19, the Panthers found out the hard way that there’s no stopping a team on a roll. After falling behind by double digits in the first half, the Lancers did exactly what they’ve done all season: fight back.

It was by far the team’s most inspiring performance of the season. The Lancers didn’t just come back; they stormed through adversity to steal a 68-54 victory after it looked like their win streak would come to a disappointing end.

And the same can be said for senior Mike Messer. With 29 points, he dominated the second half and went on a mission with every drive to the basket. He wasn’t about to let his team be embarrassed by an inferior opponent.

Talk about ending on a good note. Their streak would have been impressive regardless, but the Lancers needed this win to prove they weren’t the same team that got blown out by Oakville and SLUH just last month. Losing to a 7-16 Mehlville team might have been the dagger in the heart of this rising team.

Now the Lancers has all the momentum it could ask for heading into its first playoff game against Washington on Feb. 24. One thing we know about sports is that anything can happen in postseason play and that fortune always favors the hottest team.

No matter what happens at Eureka against Washington, there’s no denying one thing. It’s been a heck of a season.

As part of Senior Night, Pinney, who has Down’s Syndrome, was announced as an honorary starter and given a chance to show off her shooting form with a ceremonial free throw. It took all of three attempts to hit a perfect swish, but it was clear the game wouldn’t start until she did. And it didn’t matter how long it took.

It was an amazing scene in the Lafayette Gym as the Lady Lancers surrounded their dedicated leader, and the fans of both teams genuinely loved every minute of it. From then on, she was the center of attention even after the game started.

Throughout the night, Superfans and Flyers fans alike waited  for the inevitable Rudy moment when chants of “Kelly, Kelly” would be too much for Coach Jennifer Porter to resist. Finally, she got her chance midway through the fourth quarter. Pinney entered the game to a heart-warming reaction from fans and players.

And thankfully, there was nothing cheesey or superficial about any of it.

Both teams played the situation perfectly, with Lindbergh intentionally sending Pinney to the free throw line for an encore of her pregame performance. This time, she got two attempts just like the teammates she inspired so much. Her second shot came incredibly close to igniting the crowd, but still got the same excitement.

The best part of the game was seeing her handle the action like it was nothing new. She kept rhythm with the offense and was in perfect position on every play. After all, Pinney knows her team as well as her coach might.

“She’s worked as hard as we did and pushed us harder than our coach sometimes,” senior Dawn Dickerson.

The whole experience reminds us that there’s nothing like the spirit of high school sports. It’s about building sportsmanship and a family out of a group of athletes. It was clear that the Lady Lancers were much more than a team when they rallied around their biggest supporter.

“It was the most incredible experience I’ve had as a coach and it says a lot about the character of our team. Her favorite day of the year is the first practice and the worst is our last loss. We made her feel like she belonged here at Lafayette,” Porter said.

The girls started things off with a dominating 17-point win that set the stage for another big night in the area’s best rivalry.

Sophomore Jordynn Martin has made a habit of taking over games lately, but her 32-point performance against the Mustangs will be the one everyone remembers. She came up huge against Lafayette’s most hated rival, and that’s how to become a hero at any school.

It would be an insult to call the game an appetizer, but the boys followed it up with the intensity we all know and love.

When sophomore Nick Messer went down with an early ankle injury, it was natural to think he’d be gutting it out on the court as soon as he could. That’s just kind of player he is and you know much the game meant to him. Unfortunately, he was unable to return, but showed as much intensity as anyone while on the bench.

And of course, it’s not a Lafayette-Marqutte game without the fans treating it like the Super Bowl. There were no Conference titles or playoff spots on the line, but it didn’t matter one bit to the sold out crowd.

Every basket, and even most rebounds, got a thunderous reaction from both sides. When the Marquette side dared the Superfans to respond, they were reminded of a certain embarassing football memory that’s still fresh after four months.

Win or lose, the Superfans are merciless, especially against Marquette. And it’s nothing short of priceless.

Speaking of priceless, Senior Principal Tim Jones played the role of honorary Captain Superfan perfectly. Imagine that, a principal was leading the charge in a section packed with students.

Even the always-calm Coach Allen didn’t hesitate share his feelings with referees about questionable calls.

Don’t be suprised though. Playing Marquette brings out the crazed fan in everyone. Overall, the atmosphere was incredible.

Think of it like school spirit in surround sound, with Marquette’s tiny gym trapping it all in. Nobody even thought about sitting either, and it wasn’t because they couldn’t.

As the Superfans raised their hands like “diamonds in the sky”, the 56-44 victory put Lafayette in basketball heavan. Like a diamond in the sky, Lancer Nation was in paradise.