Harness Racing Madness-- a first look at the tourney

It's Monday and I am still trying to figure out why Arizona is in and San Diego State is out, but here is my annual harness racing criteria to select the Final Four piece. There will be more roundball commentary to follow.

HARNESS RACING MADNESS- Every year, humble scribe attempts to predict the Final Four in the NCAA March Madness based on harness racing criteria.Our bracket, which averages over two finalists annually, looks a bit different than in past years. Eight of the top twelve seeds come into the tournament off losses, a ratio very similar to our on-track handicapping success. Harness Tracks of America Executive Vice President Stan Bergstein must hold a lot of sway over the selection committee. How else can you explain nearby Arizona getting in as the last at-large team? Unfortunately, the Wildcats are in a very strong harness racing bracket and will lose in the second round. While my heart says to pick 13 seed Cleveland State (where humble scribe’s son, a former Northfield camera operator, is a Junior) against Arizona, the Vikings drew Wake Forest in the 1st round. Wake is led by guard Jeff Teague and harness racing offers George and Brenda Teague, who train for ex-heavyweight champ George Foreman, among others. While George may not be able to shoot the three, the surname angle is enough to get the Demon Deacons to the Final Four from the Midwest. I know Louisville coach Rick Pitino owns racehorses, but they are the wrong breed,so his Cardinals will fall to Ohio State, located on the same street (High St/Ohio 23) as Scioto Downs and The Delaware Fairgrounds, home of the Little Brown Jug. The West is a very weak harness Region, where 6th seeded Marquette, from Wisconsin, which still has a loyal harness racing base, or 9th seeded Texas A & M (hey, it’s an Agricultural business) could triumph. Wake to the finals. The other side of the bracket is much tougher. In the East, you have Pitt, the gateway to The Meadows; Binghamton, the gateway to Tioga Downs; Villanova, in Chester Downs’ backyard; and Virginia Commonwealth, which is just down I-64 from Colonial Downs. Pitt gets my call here, representing Southwest Pennsylvania on behalf of fellow tourney qualifier Robert Morris and near qualifier Duquesne. In the South, underrated Temple, also relatively close to Chester Downs, gets a pretty easy draw to the Elite Eight, where the Owls will meet perennial qualifier North Carolina. The Tar Heels share a nickname with one of the sport’s greatest stallions, and as a result, they will triumph over Temple, then Pitt and, finally, over Wake Forest in the Championship tilt.