New column

In my new Steppin' Out Column, I take a shot at the Knicks, plug my show in Hoboken and express my enthusiasm for March Madness.

You can forget about the Knicks. There was some real basketball being played in Madison Square Garden this past week.

The Big East Tournament was full of the kind of electrifying moments that make college hoops so special and everything the NBA is not. And that’s the reason why we love it.

But just in case you missed Syracuse’s astounding victory over UCONN that took six overtimes, or any of the other great moments from tournaments around the country, don’t fret, it’s only the beginning.

If you’re just picking up this magazine on Thursday or anytime this weekend, let this be your reminder that the NCAA tournament just started… Stop what you are doing and head to your nearest sports bar!

There are few events that can match the intensity of March Madness and even fewer that provide a better reason for marathon drinking, especially on the opening weekend of the tournament.

If you’re looking for a place to kick off your tournament party, I’d recommend Willie McBride’s in Hoboken, (shameless plug alert) where my band, ‘Same Old Jets,’ will be playing on Thursday in addition to all the games live on TV.

But no matter where you go, you can be sure you’ll get great non-stop action as CBS cuts back and forth between games all over the country.

So far this year in college hoops the success of the Big East conference has been unmatched. UCONN, Pitt and Louisville all landed number one seeds, but will those teams make it through to the final four with fellow one seed UNC?

Last year’s final four consisted of all number one seeds, but this year we could see an increase in upsets. However I go with the proven commodities. That’s why I’ll be looking for a huge performance this tournament out of UNC’s Tyler Hansbrough.

The NBA bound senior who’s averaging 21-points per-game to go with 8-rebounds per-game is already Carolina’s all-time leading scorer. Now he’ll be seeking to add a compelling final chapter to his collegiate legacy, but as interesting matchups abound, UNC could be faced with the often unstoppable Blake Griffin and Oklahoma in the southern bracket’s elite eight.

But I’m attempting to predict epic matchups that will be saved for next weekend. Really, the beauty of opening weekend is the rapid fire randomness of games with endless potential for upsets. Its games like Sienna versus Ohio state, Butler versus LSU, or Minnesota versus Texas that will emerge as the unknown gems of the tournament opening round of 64.

By the end of the weekend there will only be 16 teams left. You better enjoy it while you can.