Obama Picks His Final Four

... Kansas, with the Jayhawks beating Ohio State in the final game

(NEWSER) - President Obama isn't exactly going out on a limb with his Final Four picks: He's got the top seeds of Kansas, Duke, Ohio State, and Pitt advancing, reports ESPN . He thinks Kansas ("more firepower") will be the ultimate champ by beating Ohio State in the final game. Obama also picked the Jayhawks to win last year, but Duke triumphed. He did get North Carolina correct in 2009. More»

President picked winner in ESPN entry last year

(AP) - President Obama predicts Kansas, Kansas State, Kentucky, and Villanova to be the final four teams in this year's NCAA men's basketball tournament. Obama filled out a bracket for ESPN for the second consecutive year. This time, he's also making picks for the women's tournament, selecting Connecticut, Notre Dame, Stanford, and Tennessee. More»

(NEWSER) - Rationally, Michigan State shouldn’t have prayer in tonight’s NCAA basketball title game, writes Chris Dufresne in the Los Angeles Times. Earlier this season, North Carolina didn’t just beat the Spartans, it demolished them 98-63—and the Tar Heels have only gotten better since. “Cold hard facts say North Carolina hangs its fifth championship flag,” says Dufresne. “Clear rational thinking, however, doesn’t always get it right—especially in sports.” More»

(NEWSER) - Downtown Detroit will be hopping this weekend, as hoops fans overrun the city for the Final Four. But outside the carousing along the city’s spruced-up main drag, things look as dire as ever, the Washington Post reports. One in five residents are unemployed, and abandoned homes and factories line the streets. Officials say the NCAA tournament could inject $30-$50 million into the city and, some hope, help rehabilitate its image. More»

Omnipresent president risks diluting his brand, experts warn

(NEWSER) - Don’t look now, but President Obama’s on TV again. And gracing magazine covers, delivering a radio address, even on the Web making NCAA tournament picks. The "Everywhere President” strategy is a gamble, as evidenced by the fact that Republicans haven't retired the "celebrity" put-down. One branding expert tells Politico, “There’s a risk because he is so visible; he’s become the face of everything that happens.” More»