East Regional Favorites Roll into Sweet 16

While the rest of the NCAA Tournament descended into varied states of chaos, the East was a picture of order and stability, and fans with East Regional tickets can look forward to seeing each of the top four seeds this weekend in the nation’s capital.  Indiana, Miami, Marquette and Syracuse took very different paths to reach the Sweet 16, but they all managed to navigate the madness that is the first weekend of the Big Dance. Indiana had few problems taking care of James Madison in their first game, but needed a strong second half to pull away from Temple. Miami crushed University of the Pacific before outlasting Illinois. No team has lived on the edge in the NCAA Tournament more than Marquette, who beat Davidson 59-58 in the first round before squeaking past Butler, 74-72. Meanwhile, Syracuse annihilated Montana 81-34, then coasted in the second half for a six-point victory over Cal.

Dodgers Must Proceed Cautiously with Greinke

Fans with Dodgers tickets received a little bit of a scare last week, as pitcher Zack Greinke was flown home to Los Angeles to have his elbow examined. Greinke, who signed a six-year, $147 million deal in the offseason, was diagnosed with inflammation in the back of his elbow, and received an injection of platelet-enriched plasma, as well as anti-inflammatory medication. While Greinke has since pitched bullpen sessions and experienced no pain, it appears as if his timetable to start the season has been pushed back, and is no longer slated to start the Dodgers second game of the season on April 2.

Manning, Broncos Serious About Super Bowl

Despite earning the No. 1 seed in the AFC, the Denver Broncos were not able to punch their Super Bowl tickets in 2012, and will look to take it a step further this season. Of course, the signing of future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning was the key to last season’s success, as he showed little ill effects of the neck injury that derailed his entire 2011 season. Manning was phenomenal in his first season in the Mile High City, just missing out on his fifth MVP award. He quickly changed the culture and attitude of the Denver offense, helping receivers Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker blossom in the process. Of course, Manning was also lucky to step into a situation with two young, talented receivers at his disposal. The decision to franchise left tackle Ryan Clady this offseason was a no-brainer, as the fifth year pro was set to hit unrestricted free agency. The Boise State product is one of the best left tackles in the league, and his presence is vital to the continued health of Manning. The Broncos could look to add another running back at some point this spring, but the offense is in good shape heading into 2013.