With the 2018 Final Four set in stone, it's time to get to know the teams. Who shouldn't be there, but is there? Who's the favorite? Let's find out who's who in the Final Four field.

• The Cinderella: Loyola-Chicago: Pulling off last-second upsets over Miami and Tennessee along the way, the Ramblers shocked the world en route to winning the South region. The main reason hasn't been because of a 98-year-old nun called "Sister Jean", although she has been a good luck charm. The Ramblers have five players averaging double figures in points per game this season, showing off a balanced attack on par with Kentucky and Kansas.
  
• The Scrappy Team: Michigan: John Beilein knows how to take three-star talent and turn them into talent for a Final Four team. Players like Trey Burke, Nik Stauskas, and Moritz Wagner have become key players for Michigan in recent years. Wagner (14.3 PPG, 6.9 RPG, .524 FG %) will especially be a player to watch for in this tournament as the dominant big man.
  
• The Favorite: Villanova: Armed with the best one-two combo in college basketball, the Wildcats are the odds-on favorite to win the tournament. Jalen Brunson (19.2 PPG, .527 FG %, .414 3-PT. %) and Mikal Bridges (17.8 PPG, 5.4 RPG, .512 FG %, .436 3-PT. %) aren't the only part of why 'Nova's been great; Omari Spellman (10.8 PPG, 7.8 RPG) has had a good tournament as well. In fact, Villanova has six players averaging double figures in points per game and are shooting 40% from beyond the three-point line.
  
• The Blueblood: Kansas: Kansas is the traditional basketball powerhouse in the tournament, having a prestigious history in college basketball. Devonte' Graham (17.2 PPG, 7.3 APG) continues the tradition as he leads the Jayhawks to the doorstep of the National Championship. Other Jayhawks of note are Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk (14.7 PPG, .447 3-PT. %), Malik Newman (14 PPG, 4.9 RPG, .415 3-PT. %), and Udoka Azubuike (13.1 PPG, 7.1 RPG, .772 FG %).
  

Washington finally chased away their franchise quarterback in a note-worthy off-season. Can Washington catch up with the Super Bowl Champions in the NFC East?

• Figure Out the QB Situation (done): Well, it has been figured out. It's just that Kirk Cousins is no longer a member of the Redskins. Bruce Allen acquired Alex Smith from Kansas City in hopes of having a quarterback who was of a similar play level to Cousins. However, they're getting an older quarterback who's already reached his peak. Washington could've rectified the situation by just paying Cousins and prevented all of this.
  
• Build Up Linebacker Depth (partially done): Ryan Kerrigan (13 sacks, three forced fumbles, 46 total tackles) is a stud for the Redskins and Preston Smith (42 total tackles, eight sacks) is a nice compliment. However, building the inside linebacker position in the base 3-4 defense will be key for Washington going forward. They got Pernell McPhee to build depth, but can do more with acquiring young players in the draft, especially after losing Junior Galette.
  
• Restructure the Secondary (done): Washington got rid of Su'a Cravens at the cost of draft picks and acquired Orlando Scandrick to play alongside Josh Norman in the secondary. Washington could also spend a little more on getting a proven cornerback this off-season or draft a secondary player.
  
• Strengthen the Defensive Line (not done): Washington can stand to build up the front lines for their defense. If they're looking to take the next step regarding their defense, addressing this issue will be key with their first-round pick.
  

The Patriots suffered a defeat at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl 52, with whispers of dysfunction among the team growing. What can the Patriots do to get back on top?

• Fix the Front Seven (done): New England allowed the second-most yards per rush and gave the most time to throw on passes. Signing Adrian Clayborn (9.5 sacks in 2017) and Danny Shelton will help the defensive line immensely. The Patriots can add even more depth by using the draft.
  
• Find a Successor for Tom Brady (not done): Jimmy Garoppolo was supposed to be the guy to replace Tom Brady once No. 12 was done in New England. However, an alleged conniption from Brady sent Garoppolo to San Francisco, revitalizing the rebuilding franchise. Bill Belichick and the Pats must look to the draft for a suitable successor to No. 12, whether Brady likes it or not.
  
• Figure Out the Issues Involving the Team (incomplete): There was plenty of news surrounding the in-house fighting going on with Brady, Belichick, and owner Robert Kraft. If the Patriots are to maintain their dynasty, cooler heads must prevail and issues must be resolved.
  

               Are you tired of people letting you down? Do you expect more from others but feel that they won’t come through in the clutch? Have you ever felt hopeless and angry after having your expectations violated? I know the pain of having someone shatter your expectations in a bad way and have experienced the pain of someone letting you down. Therefore, I have some advice that’ll help you in easing the pain from experiencing Expectancy Violations Theory.
            But before we start talking about how to handle such situations, we need to understand the very definition of Expectancy Violations Theory. Expectancy Violations Theory, or EVT, is “an interpersonal communication theory that makes the counterintuitive claim that violations of expectations are sometimes preferable to confirmations of expectations” (Burgoon, 1993). It was originally created to take on the effects of violations during interpersonal and group communication. EVT also tackles the proxemics, which “refers to the organization, use, and interpretation of space and distance” (Burgoon, 1993), of such violations in these communications. Expectancy violations can come in the form of being let down, which is a part of why our own decisions can leave us disappointed. After all, “decision making under uncertainty is part of our everyday life and humans do not always make decisions predicted by rational or utilitarian laws” (Tzieropoulos, 2011). Expectancy violations don’t have to always be bad; they can also come in the form of a pleasant surprise, such as an unexpected promotion or a compliment from a stranger. However, this is a part of why Expectancy Violations Theory is viewed in such a negative light; people often associate ‘violations’ with negative connotations.
            How should you go about reacting to having your expectations violated? What should you do to lessen the blow of having your expectations violated? One way that I feel is the best way is to anticipate and consider all possible outcomes and scenarios. One reason why this helps is that it’ll help lessen the blow for when something doesn’t go your way. Think back to when you were a child and you didn’t get that gift you wanted. Childhood helps us prepare for expectancy violations and disappointments in that “small, manageable disappointments starting early in childhood help us learn to be more realistic” (Barth, 2015). If you take into consideration what may happen if a situation goes awry, you can be more prepared if it happens. Not getting that promotion would normally be an expectancy violation, but the impact would be lessened by knowing who’s involved and what’s at stake. You gave it a try, but you knew that it wasn’t meant to be. In turn, your letdown “is helping you move toward your goals, not away from your goals as you originally thought” (Chua, 2018).
            Another way to lessen the blow from having your expectations violated is to do your research on the situation. Find out what’s going on and get a good read on who’s involved and what’s happening. Yes, this may be hard to do for some. But being informed of what’s happening and who’s involved can also help with coping with expectancy violations. We’re in an age where we have access to information at our fingertips, yet not many of us use the very information that we can easily access. We can also use the expectancy violation to learn from the event to better ourselves as people. For example, take the art of gambling. Keep in mind that “expectations are hardly ever controlled in typical gambling tasks as most studies focus on the size and the monetary outcomes without accounting for the internal reference point (subject’s prediction or expectations) (Tzieropoulos, 2011). Basically, people go to a slot machine hoping to gain more money than they originally had when they should be wary of this expectation. The experience you had “has allowed you to gain new lessons, whether about yourself, the situation, or the world” (Chua, 2018).
            One other way you can lessen the blow from an expectancy violation is to change your expectations. Since “expectancies can be conceptualized as framing devices that help both to characterize and structure interpersonal interactions and affect consequent information processing, behavior, and perceptions (Burgoon, 1993),” we usually frame our expectations from our experiences. What if we altered our expectations to lessen the blow? Another thing to consider is how “factors that lead into expectancies in certain communication situations will vary in great contrast according to the situation” (Kriskovich, 2012). What factors not only affect the expectations you have, but how you react when your expectations aren’t met? Sometimes, it’s best to shift your perception if you want to not have your expectations violated.
            Granted, gathering information and considering all scenarios doesn’t apply to all violations. Yes, getting informed on what to do if someone violates your expectations and considering the scenarios can get you aware of what may go down. However, you can’t ‘prepare’ yourself for when something completely unexpected like rape happens since you can’t read the mind of the offending party. You also can’t prepare yourself for someone randomly hugging you in public. It would also be unnecessary to prepare yourself for a positive violation, especially if the positive violation never comes. You get that promotion that you didn’t think you would get. All the sudden, you feel a sudden arousal from getting that promotion! As mentioned earlier, expectancy violations aren’t always a bad thing, which is why EVT gets a bad rap. In any case, preparing yourself for all possible outcomes can help prep you for what may happen and will lessen the blow from having your expectations let down.  
            In conclusion, preparing yourself for all possible outcomes is the best way to cope with having to deal with expectancy violations. Considering all outcomes and doing your research on what may happen can help lessen the impact of the violation and will help you not get caught off guard. Keep in mind that this advice isn’t applicable to all situations involving a violation. There are certain situations where you can’t do anything about the expectancy violation in the beginning. However, there are ways that can help you move on from having your expectations violated in those specific situations. Hopefully, you will keep this little bit of advice in mind the next time your expectations get violated.

 
References

Barth, Diane F. “Disappointed? Disillusioned? 8 Ways to Deal With a Letdown.” Disappointed? Disillusioned? 8 Ways to Deal With a Letdown, Psychology Today, 28 Mar. 2015, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-couch/201503/disappointed-disillusioned-8-ways-deal-letdown.

Burgoon, Judee. “Expectancy Violations Theory.” Expectancy Violations Theory, 1993, pp. 1–9., doi:9781118540190.wbeic102. University of Arizona.

Chua, Celestine. “5 Steps to Deal With Disappointment in Life.” 5 Steps to Deal With Disappointment in Life, Personal Excellence, 2017, personalexcellence.co/blog/how-to-deal-with-disappointment/.

Kriskovich, Tanner. “How Culture Influences Our Expectations of Others.” How Culture Influences Our Expectations of Others, 2012, pp. 1–18. University of Portland, Communication Studies, doi:http://pilotscholars.up.edu/cst_studpubs/4.

Tzieropoulos, Helene, et al. “The Impact of Disappointment in Decision Making: Inter-Individual Differences and Electrical Neuroimaging.” The Impact of Disappointment in Decision Making: Inter-Individual Differences and Electrical Neuroimaging, vol. 4, 6 Jan. 2011. U.S. National Library of Medicine, doi:10.3389/fnhum.2010.00235.
 
 
 

The Cleveland Browns became the first team since the 2008 Detroit Lions to finish the regular season without a win. What can they do in order to take the first steps to success?

• Hit Home Runs With Your Draft Picks (not done): It seems that the Browns will go with a quarterback at either No. 1 or No. 4 (more likely No. 1). They did pick up Tyrod Taylor from the Bills, but is he the long-term solution in Cleveland? Should the Browns develop a quarterback like Sam Darnold or Josh Allen? Anyways, the Browns have options and can also take Saquon Barkley with the fourth pick if he's still on the board.
  
• Get Proven Coaches on Board (done): While Hue Jackson's 1-31 record over the past two seasons is severely ugly, he didn't have much in the line of talent or coaching. The Browns got Todd Haley as an offensive coordinator to help bolster a young offensive group. Haley's track record in Pittsburgh is highly touted, for he has helped make Juju Smith-Schuster and LeVeon Bell into legitimate threats.
  
• Just Keep Building (not done yet): What does a franchise that has been utterly embarrassing for the past two seasons need to do to become a competitive force? Just keep building until the time is right. The Browns seem to have the right groundwork for success going into place; it's just going to take some time for everything to gel.
  

Welcome to another edition of "Blending Buddy", where I highlight the recipes that I use for my juicing. This edition is called the "Buy or Celery".

• 1 celery stalk, diced
• 1 carrot, diced
  
• Handful of strawberries
• 1 kiwi, sliced

As you can tell from the picture below, celery is a nutrient-packed vegetable. If you have terrible arthritis, eat celery to ease the pain. Celery can also lower cholesterol and aid weight loss. Celery has plenty of fiber and vitamins like calcium, iron, and zinc.

The Denver Broncos got off to a good start in 2017, only to peter out due to offensive issues. Here's what their checklist to getting back to the top of the AFC West looks like.

• Get a Quarterback (done): The Broncos got Case Keenum in free agency, ensuring that Kirk Cousins wouldn't be coming to Denver (he signed with Minnesota). Pat Shurmur won't be coming with him, which may be a problem for the Broncos. Still, Denver's hoping that Keenum will duplicate his Vikings magic from 2017.
  
• Clear Up Cap Space (done): Trading away Abiq Talib to the Rams will help with easing the spending spree that they partook in during the 2014 offseason. They can go and get more talent in free agency, or...
  
• Make Improvements in the Offense Overall (partially done): John Elway has stated that he wants to make improvements to the offense, but doesn't want to go on a free-agent binge, especially if the signed players don't do well in their contracts. Elway should go younger and look at offensive talent in the draft.
  

An explosive first weekend of March Madness ensued, leaving for some historic moments along the way. Here's who won the first weekend of the tournament.

• Winner: UMBC: The Retrievers made history, becoming the first 16th seed in the men's tournament to upset a No. 1 seed. But not only did they upset No. 1 Virginia in the South region, they kicked their asses by a score of 74-54. Behind Jairus Lyles's 28 points (9/11 from the field) and making half of their three-point shots compared to Virginia making only 18%, UMBC made it possible for all future No. 16 seeds to do the unthinkable.
  
• Winner: More Upsets: UMBC wasn't the only school to pull off an upset or two. Loyola-Chicago pulled off two buzzer-beaters to advance to the Sweet 16, while schools like Marshall and Buffalo also pulled off upsets against Wichita State and Arizona, respectively. Florida State knocked off No. 1 seed Xavier in the second round, while schools like Syracuse and Texas A&M knocked out tourney favorites in MSU and North Carolina.
  
• Winner: Kentucky: For a school that has underachieved all season, the Wildcats got a big break in the South region. With top seed Virginia faltering and schools like Tennessee, Cincinnati, and Arizona bowing out, John Calipari's squad now has an easier road to San Antonio. Maybe Kentucky can be forgiven for falling below expectations during the regular season.
  
• Loser: Pac-12: The Pac-12 Conference went winless in the NCAA tournament. With UCLA and Arizona State losing in the First Four and Arizona getting upset, the Pac-12 went 0-3 in the tourney. It doesn't help that USC was left out of the tournament by a school like Syracuse, who's in the Sweet 16.
  
• Loser: Blue Blood Basketball Schools: Traditional basketball powerhouses like Michigan State, Virginia, and North Carolina couldn't make it out of the Round of 32. This may be a testament to the plethora of upsets going around for the season. It may also be that schools like Michigan State have trouble containing their turnovers, which was evident by the 14 turnovers committed by the Spartans in their 55-53 loss to Syracuse (making 25% of your field goals in that game doesn't help, either).
  

We conclude the MLB preview with a look at one of baseball's tougher divisions in the NL West. Will the Dodgers continue their stranglehold on the division? Will the Giants do anything in their potential last hurrah? Can the Rockies and Diamondbacks sustain their competitive ways?

Team to Beat: Los Angeles Dodgers: The team that was one win away from their first World Series title since 1988 still has a stacked team. Young players like Corey Seager (.295 BA, .375 OBP, 77 RBIs, .854 OPS) and Cody Bellinger (.933 OPS, 39 homers, 97 RBIs) and established players such as Justin Turner (.322 BA, 71 RBI, .415 OBP, .945 OPS) and Clayton Kershaw (10.39 K/9, 202 SO, 2.31 ERA) are geared to bring Los Angeles back to the World Series in hopes of winning the title this time.
Team That May Surprise Some People: San Diego Padres: A young squad that just added some veteran leadership in Eric Hosmer, San Diego may sneak into the playoffs this season. Hosmer is added to a lineup that may produce some runs in cavernous Petco Park along with Wil Myers (30 homers, 74 RBIs) and Chase Headley.
Team That May Be Really Good or Bad: San Francisco Giants: This will probably be the Giants' last hurrah at contending for a while. Therefore, it makes sense for Brian Sabean to go all out and get players like Andrew McCutchen and Evan Longoria to boost a lineup lacking in punch.

We turn our attention to a division that should be surprisingly competitive this year. Will the Cubs lose their grip on the NL Central?

• Team to Beat: Chicago Cubs: Are the Cubs losing their grip on the NL Central? The Cubs will need Jon Lester (4.33 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 8.97 K/9) to return to form and will need extra help in their staff.
  
• Team That Can Be Either Really Good or Bad: St. Louis Cardinals: A lot will depend on how plagued the Cardinals are by injuries. Losing Lance Lynn in the rotation won't make matters easier for the Cardinals, either. Adding Marcell Ozuna should help bolster the lineup, though.
  
• Team in Rebuilding Mode: Pittsburgh Pirates: Trading away franchise staple Andrew McCutchen and ace Gerrit Cole signals a white flag for the Pirates. Josh Harrison and Jameson Taillon should expect to be traded this season as well.