I’m about four hours from boarding a plane with the ultimate destination of New York City. And after last year’s debacle in the Big Apple, this year can only be better. There’s not much worse than seeing Duke stomp your team’s face in while their football-retarded fans chant “USC” at Vince Young, then doping yourself up on Nyquil and watching Reggie Bush steal the Heisman…and apparently a house.

So regardless of results, I have a feeling that NYC 2006 will be a much better trip. Even if we somehow lose both games, I highly doubt that either one will be by 30-plus points. And since the game is at Madison Square Garden instead of Continental Airlines Arena, I won’t have to endure an interminable bus ride back with some Duke sorority girl behind me going on and on and on to her cell phone friend about how “Oh my god, Paulus had like, 10 points, and Sheldon Williams had, like, 5 blocks, and we just looked sooooo good!”

I’ll have four days in the city, and now really have no intentions of watching the big Ohio State/Michigan tilt on Saturday (thank you, K-State) which leaves me with a lot of time to explore. If any of you have suggestions for places to eat or things to do and see, feel free to leave me a note by clicking on the “Comments” link below. It’s right next to that sexy speech bubble.

Thanks in advance for your suggestions, and I’ll be back tomorrow with the Micigan State preview straight from Queens.