Steve Straiger's Sports Blog from the Hoosier Heartland

Good Bye Blog

2008-11-11T19:11:00.000-05:00

It was a fun run... but I just don't have time to keep this blog up to date any more.

I will continue to post my thoughts and comments on IU sports and more via my Twitter account. If you would like to follow me, please put in a request.

Steve on Twitter

IU Spring Football

2008-04-19T12:04:00.000-04:00

For those IU Football fans that can't make it to Bloomington today, or don't have the Big Ten Network... and yes I know there are at least 2 of you out there...

The BigTenNetwork is making streaming video of the games available today.

IU Spring Game Video

“Because it’s Indiana basketball.”

2008-04-01T23:59:00.000-04:00

Amen Coach Crean! Welcome to Indiana Basketball.

Crean's rationale: 'Because it's Indiana'

With that kind of attitude, IU most definitely made the right hire. I think I can proudly put the IU Basketball clothing back on and I don't have to paint my family room.

Here's hoping some potential walk on talent was on display at the HPER tonight. Crean will need it next year. And I don't think IU's sanctions prevent him from recruiting at the HPER.

Whew! I was terrified of this hire. Glad I can sleep well tonight.

Go Hoosiers!

IU's Season ends in Raleigh

2008-03-21T23:56:00.000-04:00

Why am I not surprised with that performance in the NCAA. DJ and Armon showed up on Offense. No one showed up on Defense. And Eric Gordon remained the biggest disappointment in years.

Thank you DJ. I appreciate all you did for IU. I hope your hard work over 4 years and your overall improvement get you a nice contract in the NBA.

Good riddance Eric. I hope potential gets you a large contract in the NBA. Your current game sure won't get it done. 8 pts, 3-15 from the field, 0-6 from 3 and 2-6 from the FT line.

Note to Billy Packer. If Thomas, Tabor and Stemler aren't the answer inside to compliment DJ... call me crazy, but I don't think Dakich could add a 7 footer to his team during a game. You might want to look at IU's lineup before making a stupid comment like that again. And we can thank Mike Davis for not having that compliment inside for DJ. There was this kid who wanted to come to IU, but Mike wouldn't have him... I think his name was something like Luke Harangody. He might have made a difference.

Well it is now time to blow it up and start over. I want a clean start. I want a young coach who can stabilize the program for the next 25 years. I want a guy who stresses solid basketball fundamentals. I want a team that plays team oriented basketball, not one-on-one matchup basketball. I want to recruit Indiana kids that will be with the program for longer than a year.

Note to the Blue Ribbon Selection Committee. If you go with an NBA guy like Scott Skiles, Randy Wittman, or god forbid Isiah Thomas... I am done. My back room will get a makeover quicker than you can announce Scottie as the next IU head coach.

And one last thing. Thanks Sampson! You ruined a great thing for you, but sadly you ruined what could have been a great year for these kids and us fans. Glad to see you had no problem taking IU's buy out and then quickly taking on another job in the NBA while leaving the IU program in Shambles. I didn't think I could have a bigger dislike for a former IU coach than my feelings for Mike Davis, but I think my dislike for you has far surpassed that of Mike.

Off to the Golf Course!

IU an 8 seed!

2008-03-16T21:48:00.000-04:00

An 8 seed? Oh and not just an 8 seed, but the "worst" 8 seed since UNC was the top 1 seed. #32 overall. 25-7, 3rd in the B10 and you end up an 8 seed? IU finished ahead of MSU in the B10 regular season and split with MSU and MSU gets a 5 seed. IU beat Purdue and finished 1 game back of them in the regular season and Purdue gets a 6 seed. Hmmm... guess they truly do only look at your last few games instead of the whole season.

For fun, take a look at some other teams seeded ahead of IU. Tell me that West Virginia's schedule is tougher than IU. USC has 11 losses and is a #6. They also went 6-4 their last ten. #6 Oklahoma also had 11 losses, finished 9-7 in the B12 with a 28 point loss to Texas in their Tourney. But they did go 7-3 in their last ten... and 7-6 in their last 13.

No matter what you think of Joe Lunardi, he actually has this "bracketology" thing understood. He pretty much nails the seeding every year. Yet this year he missed pretty handily on a few teams:

Wisconsin - 2 seed from Lunardi, 3 seed from the NCAA
Duke - 3 seed from Lunardi, 2 seed from the NCAA
MSU - 5 seed from Lunardi, 5 seed from the NCAA
Purdue - 6 seed from Lunardi, 6 seed from the NCAA
IU - 5 seed from Lunardi, 8 seed from the NCAA
Butler - 5 seed from Lunardi, 7 seed from the NCAA

Looks like Wisconsin got booted in favor of Duke... who didn't win the ACC regular season or conf tourney like Wisconsin did in the B10. Granted Duke beat Bucky in Cameron, but that was back in early December.

IU was definitely penalized for their late season losses at MSU, at PSU and to Minny on that last second shot.

Purdue wasn't penalized for their late season loss at OSU and to Illinois.

MSU wasn't penalized for their losses at Iowa, at PSU, at Purdue, at Indiana, at OSU and to Wisky on Saturday. Guess that Exhibition loss to Grand Valley State wasn't factored in either.

And Butler got absolutely HOSED! A 7 seed? Are you kidding me? 29-3, Great Alaska Shootout winner, beat OSU, Outright Horizon League Champ, Horizon League Tourney Champ, ranked in the top 20 all year including being #10 in the last coaches poll. The only negative, a "Bracket buster" a last second loss to Drake in the worst officiated game of the year. Guess the Bracket Buster moniker is correct, cause that single loss absolutely busted their bracket.

What about Kansas State? 3rd in the B12 at 10-6 and they end up as an 11 seed? That really makes no sense. And Wisconsin has to face the winner of Kansas State vs USC as a 3 seed... ouch!

Go Hoosiers! Beat the Razorbacks!

IU's B10 Tourney Ends with a tough loss to Minny!

2008-03-15T22:22:00.000-04:00

Wow! What an ending.

IU had no business winning this game. They didn't show up for the first 10 minutes, just as they haven't shown up all season long. You gotta play 40 minutes every night out and this team hasn't figured that out.

The guys did show great fight to come back and have a chance at the end. Too bad they couldn't hit free throws or they would have won straight out. But it did make for a phenomenal ending if you were a college basketball fan.

How often do teams need to miss a free throw, and get a put back to extend the game and how often do teams execute? It is a rarer feat than hitting a shot at the buzzer. And IU was able to do it... and yet they still didn't get the win.

Thanks to Blake Hoffarber ESPN has another highlight to run for the next week. And it was a heck of a catch and shot. But where was IU's defense? Crawford put no pressure on the in bounds pass. Gordon followed his guy into the backcourt. DJ overran the pass and ducked under it. Armon stood and watched. Only Ellis made any attempt at the ball. And Blake took advantage of it. A rather simple buzzer beater compared to his ESPY winning shot from his backside in 2005.

It will be interesting to see where IU gets seeded now. They should probably get a 5 or a 6, but I could see the NCAA penalizing them and giving them a 7.

IU's Regular Season Ends with a loss at Penn St.

2008-03-09T16:25:00.000-04:00

And I must say that I have not seen a more talented team play such a lazy, lackluster combination of offense and defense. And it wasn't just after the Sampson Saga ended. It has been this way all year long.

That was a fitting end to the regular season.

I hope these kids can make a nice run in the B10 Tourney and again in the NCAA Tourney... but if they continue to play like this, it will be 2 short tourneys.

Time for IU to get a coach that goes back to getting smart players who are willing to leave it all out on the court every night out! It sure is working up the road at West Lafayette.

Sadly Greenspan will probably go for a flashy coach that can promise all kinds of Micky D AAs. I hope I am wrong.

Great win for the Team!

2008-02-24T11:40:00.000-05:00

It wasn't easy and Kevin Coble played an outstanding game, deserving of the B10 Player of the Week with his 37. But bottom line, the kids came together and pulled out a key B10 victory on the road in Evanston.

One thing I noticed early on in the game, Kellen Sampson sitting behind the bench fulfilling his role as a graduate assistant. Kudos to Kellen for being there. I wouldn't have questioned him at all if he chose not to be there, but he gained my respect by being there.

Now maybe this team can get out of the spotlight and just play basketball.

IU 85 - NW 82 - IUHoosiers.com

Dan Dakich Post Game Audio - Insidethehall.com

What a Mess at IU!

2008-02-22T20:38:00.001-05:00

Today was butchered from 8am on. If Greenspan had control, this would have been done at 8am, announced via a press conference and the team would have been collectively at practice preparing for Northwestern. But no... rumor central ran rampant from 8am to 7:30pm.

But at least 1 thing happened correctly today... Sampson is GONE!

Now it is time to clean up the mess. Where to start?

First start with firing Greenspan. He took a chance by giving a cheater a second opportunity. I had issues with that decision at the time, but was willing to give Sampson a chance as long as he was on a short leash and those that made the hiring decision would be on the hook if anything went bad. As soon as Sampson cheated and lied, Greenspan should have paid the price. If that wasn't enough to warrant getting rid of Rick, the way today was handled should scream for the need to remove Greenspan. From stringing this along all day and finally dealing with the resignation via a leak to Andy Katz, to not being able to adequately convince the players that they don't run the University, Greenspan showed a lack of institutional control. Not a good thing in the eyes of the NCAA.

Second, leave the 6 players who didn't attend practice behind tomorrow. Win or lose, the 7 kids that came to practice today should travel and play. They understand that the name on the Uniform is Indiana University. Not Sampson U. Kudos to Eric Gordon showing the maturity the other 6 did not have. The other 6 can spend Saturday reflecting on what the man they support so ardently did to them. He cheated and lied, then took a $750,000 payout and ran from them. What are the 6 of them getting from Sampson? Absolutely nothing. If they want back on the team, Sunday they can beg for their positions from the 7 that are committed and if they are sincere, they should be welcomed back and enjoy the rest of the season playing for a Big Ten Championship, a Big Ten Tourney Championship and an NCAA Championship. If they want to continue to support the lying cheater, then DJ can start preparing for the NBA draft where he will lose all of the positives he has achieved so far this year. The other 5 can figure where they want to go and sit out next year.

Third, McRobbie better start preparing now for the NCAA hearings this summer. Getting rid of Sampson will help, but the lack of institutional control coming out of Greenspan, and the Compliance Office is going to require a lot of fancy footwork if the principles are not removed. In fact if Greenspan and the compliance director remain, McRobbie might as well start planning for a lengthy post season ban and probably a TV ban. That is going to hurt and make a difference in item #4.

Fourth, start working on a short list of potential coaches. Yes McRobbie, you should be looking at guys like Thad Matta, Scott Drew, Tony Bennett, Brad Brownell, and Sean Miller. However, none of these guys may be willing to take a chance on coming to IU if there is the chance of Post season and TV bans. If that happens, McRobbie better come up with a plan for settling for another option. I will throw this out in this scenario, a Dane Fife may be the best bet. He would probably be willing to coach through a 2-3 year TV/Post season ban and in 5 years could be as good as those names above. Yes I don't think he is ready yet, but if IU gets hammered by the NCAA, he may be the best bet.

Finally, IU needs to get out of the spotlight for a while. Let the players make a run and get back in the limelight for their on court play. Nothing else should get in the media.

Good Riddance Sampson. I hope you enjoy your $750,000. You really blew the best opportunity of your life over phone calls. Either your stupidity or arrogance got the best of you. What a great country we live in though when you can get $750,000 for lying and cheating.

Good luck to those that stick with the program the rest of the year. And if Dakich needs extra players, I have no doubt he can fill a roster from the HPER.

Sampson and Greenspan Must Go!

2008-02-13T21:56:00.000-05:00

Are you kidding me? First Greenspan hires a cheat. But claims it was a one time deal and everyone deserves a second chance. Then this summer we learn that Sampson was a double cheat and got caught doing the same thing he did at Oklahoma. Now we find out that Sampson is a Liar and what does Greenspan do?

He fires Sampson's sorry ass on the spot today!

Oh wait, that is what I would have done. Greenspan decided to let the cheating liar coach tonight. What a great idea.

That 3 point bank shot that buried the Hoosiers tonight... that was the basketball gods telling IU what they think of Greenspan and Sampson.

I feel bad for the kids on this team. They don't deserve to be put in this situation.

McRobbie... do the right thing... fire them both!

Knight Resigns

2008-02-05T20:55:00.000-05:00

So Coach Knight resigns from Texas Tech to give Pat the chance to be the head coach for the last 10 games this year as a trial run to better prep for next year.

He currently stands at 902 Wins.

But the real question is the following: Is Coach Knight retiring? Or is Coach Knight just handing the reigns over to Pat at Texas Tech and going to take another job next year?

Interestingly the media hasn't put this possibility together yet. Those that despise him are taking shots like they will never get a chance again. Leave it to the media to miss the real story.

I think Coach Knight's interview with Jay Bilas provides the correct answer in the comments below:

"I would not be coaching certainly here after the season is over."

"The time has come here for me."

"I felt it was right to do something for Pat in lieu of winning a few more games here."

Call me crazy, but I don't think Coach Knight ends his career with 902 wins. He loves to teach the game too much.

Long Winter - Racing just around the corner...

2008-01-21T16:08:00.000-05:00

It's been a long winter and I'm just about done with my XBOX and IndyCar Series, Project Gotham and Rally Cars. I'm ready for the real thing.

The Rolex 24 is next weekend and Speed and Fox are covering all but the Midnight - 6am shift.

And IndyCar Magazine released their online Winter edition. A must read to get you ready for the upcoming season.

IndyCar Series Magazine - Winter Special 07

#900

2008-01-16T23:44:00.000-05:00

What an absolute Clinic from Bob Knight's Red Raiders Tonight.

TTU 68- A&M 53

Knight's keys to the game prior to the start were to attack A&Ms big guys inside immediately and get to the free throw line.

And attack they did. They had Jones in foul trouble 30 seconds in with 2 fouls and Tech's defense just took A&M out of everything they normally do on the offensive end.

It was a masterful 900th win.

And it helps IU out as they should leapfrog A&M in the rankings as long as they can get past Tubby's Gophers tomorrow night in the barn.

An Ugly Sports day becomes at least tolerable...

2008-01-13T19:11:00.000-05:00

as IU beats Illinois in an ugly game.

Indiana 62 - Illinois 58

And thank you CBS for continuing to employ the horrendous Billy Packer. Below are a few of the Gems he shared with us today.

"That was a blatant travel by DeAndre Thomas" - Billy, that was Eric Gordon making an incredible spin move to the basket.

"What you are going to see here is Meacham breaking down the zone with a great bounce pass. There." - Uh Billy, in order to telestrate that play, you had to have seen it before doing so. And yet you still get it wrong. That was a chest pass Billy.

"I want to see Randle on Eric Gordon... Here it is. This is a great decision by Weber" - Uh Billy, Randle was quick enough as EJ blew right past Randle on 2 straight possessions for easy assists to Mike White and DJ White.

"Randle is too tall to stay with Eric Gordon" - No shit Billy? You just see Randle get destroyed by Eric and come up with that? But weren't you calling for that matchup?

"Oh this is trouble" - Billy, it is okay for IU to throw the pass back over the 10 second line and Eric can go back and get it.

"I love this Gordon - Randle matchup" - Um Billy, that is Mike Davis guarding Eric Gordon. Weber took Randle off of Gordon after he blew by him twice.

"Eric Gordon has really pushed the Illinois Offense away from the basket." - Eric Gordon was on the bench Billy.

"Watch how he pinches this off with the release. There is no way you can make it when you pinch it off. See. - As Pruitt drained a free throw with a nice fluid release to complete a 3 point play.

"There is no question a foul should have been called there because a definitive advantage was gained." - as Pruitt and Stemler collided with the ball going out of bounds. Who gained that advantage Billy?

Billy was in rare form. At least he kept me entertained since the game wasn't the most entertaining.

Time to Blow it up!

2008-01-13T16:24:00.000-05:00

The RCA dome that is.

The Colts lost the first game they played there... and probably appropriately lost the last game played there.

OUCH... today's loss really hurt.

At least next year starts off in a new stadium and hopefully ends with 10 home wins (not counting preseason) and a Super Bowl Championship!

Big 10 3-4 in Bowl Games

2008-01-11T22:42:00.000-05:00

Can you say WEAK??? The B10 was incredibly weak this year. Only Purdue, Penn State and Michigan won their Bowl Games. Michigan State and Ohio State lost fairly close games and IU and Illinois got blasted.

And these bowl tie-ins certainly don't make for good games. With The OSU getting into the championship game, Illinois was severely mismatched with USC. And that *trickled down all the way to MSU being outgunned by BC to IU being overwhelmed by OSU. And it wasn't just the B10. Hawaii had nothing for Georgia and on and on.

It's time for a true playoff. There is no reason why you can't have a 16 team playoff. Here is how it could have happended this year.

* 16 teams with the top 8 seeds hosting home games on Sat Dec 15th.
* 8 remaining teams play with the 4 top seeds again playing home games on Sat Dec 22nd.
* The lesser bowl games can still have their games throughout December.
* The 8 teams that lose in the first round of the playoffs and the 4 teams that lose in the second round would be eligible for 6 New Year's day bowl games.
* The 2 Semi-Final games would be rotated between The Rose Bowl, Orange Bowl, Fiesta Bowl and Sugar Bowl, with the other 2 bowls getting the second round losers.
* The Championship game would become its own game that could be played anywhere the Monday after New Years.

In this example, the Bowl system could still survive and thrive and we could have a real national champion. But it makes too much sense. Instead let's have Myles Brand look into a Playoff solution. I can guarantee there will be no playoff as long as that dweeb is involved.

Big 10 2-2

2008-01-01T11:20:00.000-05:00

Ugh... IU layed an egg in Tempe. I can't say that I really expected IU to win... but I did expect them to be competitive. After 5 OSU possessions and 5 OSU TDs, the game was over. At least the IU coaching staff was able to keep the team motivated in the second half and IU's players didn't quit. They cut the 35-10 halftime lead to a final 49-33 score.

It was nice to be back in the bowl season, and for the kids to meet Coach Hep's desire to "Play 13". Now the big question is can Coach Lynch keep it going and follow up this season with another Bowl and a Bowl win?

On Wisconsin!
Go Blue!
Oskee-Wow-Wow, Illinois!

Big 10 2-1

2007-12-29T23:47:00.000-05:00

Joe Pa and Penn State beat Texas A&M 24-17 and the Big Ten is now 2-1.

Now it is up to IU to beat OSU and take that B10 record to 3-1.

Go Hoosiers!

Big 10 1-1

2007-12-28T22:45:00.000-05:00

Michigan State had their chances... but 5 TOs were their downfall as the Big Ten dropped to 1-1 in the bowl season as Boston College beat MSU 24-21.

Penn State goes for an Alamo victory tonight. With Joe Paterno's 500th game and PSU being 8-1 in bowl games since joining the B10... I like the odds of the B10 being 2-1 at the end of the day.

Big 10 1-0

2007-12-26T23:54:00.000-05:00

Purdue kicked off the Big 10's Bowl season tonight with a last minute win over Central Michigan.

The perfect trap game for the B10. Purdue dominated CMU earlier this year. CMU ended the season on a high winning the MAC and was excited about getting to play in the Motor City Bowl. PU finished the season with a loss at IU and was not excited about having to play in the Motor City Bowl.

While I pull for the B10 every Bowl season just to shove it back on the "experts" who fawn over SEC and Pac10 Football, the Hoosier in me did kick in during the 4th quarter and I was pulling for CMU.

But in the end, PU pulled it out and the Big10 is 1-0.

Up next is the Champs Sports Bowl where MSU is an underdog to Boston College.

Perfect Weekend! Snow and Basketball

2007-12-15T12:04:00.000-05:00

Mother Nature didn't disappoint this morning as I woke up to an inch of fluffy white snow... And with another foot forecasted for the next 24 hours... I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to sit here and watch it snow while also watching basketball all day long.

My Uverse Basketball lineup:

Pitt - Oklahoma State
Temple - Drexel
Presbyterian - Ohio State
UAB - Kentucky - Yes after enjoying a week of IU smacking UK, I will be rooting for UK to put a little smack down on Mike Davis' self proclaimed final 4 team and their 2 "All-Americans" At least per good 'ol Mike
Sacramento State - Marquette
Central Michigan - Michigan
Colorado State - North Dakota State
Texas Tech - New Mexico
Arkansas - Oklahoma
Ohio - Kansas
Louisville - Purdue
Florida State - Butler
Boston College - Maryland
Xavier - Arizona State
St. Johns - Niagara
Georgia Southern - Florida
Portland - Washington
Texas State - Texas
Wisconsin Green Bay - Wisconsin
IPFW - Michigan State
Memphis - Middle Tennessee State
Southern Illinois - St. Louis
Idaho State - UCLA
Western Carolina - IU
McNeese Sate - Missouri
George Washington - Virginia Tech
Tennessee - Western Kentucky

Thank you AT&T!

The Big Ten Network is Awesome Baby!

2007-12-04T21:49:00.000-05:00

Tonight they aired IU vs Kentucky from 1990.

What a joy it was to watch Calbert Cheaney play. So smooth. So fluid. Beautiful.

I had much better seats this time. As a senior, I had 46th row seats for this game. I wouldn't have traded them for anything as the atmosphere alone in the Hall made up for the bad seats.

If IU doesn't miss a dozen bunnies and a bunch of free throws, this wouldn't have even been a game.

I forgot how much I liked the lower angle of the cameras back in the 80s and early 90s. So much better than the camera location these days.

Damon Bailey was a stud as a Freshman. Too bad he really maxed out his talent and couldn't make that next step as Calbert did.

The final for those that don't have the Big Ten Network, or a good memory, IU beat UK 87-84.

Playing 13!

2007-12-02T21:13:00.000-05:00

Congrats to the IU Football Hoosiers! Off to Tempe AZ and the Insight Bowl on New Year's Eve to play the Oklahoma State Cowboys.

Wish I could be there, but fortunately I have the NFL Network and will be able to watch the game in HD!

Go Hoosiers!

Back from Ireland!

2007-12-01T17:36:00.000-05:00

Had a great Thanksgiving in the Emerald Isle. Travelled from Indy to Chicago via American Air, Chicago to Dublin via Aer Lingus, via Volkswagon Golf from Dublin to Killiney through the Wicklow Mountains to Waterford to Dungarvan to Ardmore to Dunmore East to Cahir to Cashel to Kilkenny to Trim and back to Dublin, then to Chicago via Aer Lingus and finally to Indy via United. Over 1000km, 4 different B&Bs, 20 pubs and a lot of Guinness and Smithwicks I am back and refreshed.

See my Pics on Facebook.

Ireland 2007

The Kick!

2007-11-18T20:29:00.000-05:00

A great video on You Tube of the Kick from the BTN, with Fish's radio call.

IU going Insight Bowling?

2007-11-18T19:40:00.000-05:00

The early returns have IU off to the Insight bowl in Tempe AZ on New Year's Eve. Hmmm... very tempting if it comes true.

IndyStar Bowl Prediction

CBS Sportsline Bowl Predictions

Scout Bowl Predictions

Star Tribune Predictions

Livin' on a Prayer!

2007-11-18T19:04:00.000-05:00

During a time out during each game this year, IU has been playing Bon Jovi's Livin' on a Prayer and the student section has been quite loud. But yesterday's bucket game was outstanding... the whole stadium rocked out.

The Bucket is back in B-Town!

2007-11-17T21:39:00.000-05:00

About time... but it wasn't easy.

IU's Defense was stifling, especially against the run. At the half IU had held PU to 130 total yards including -12 on the ground. IU jumped out to a 24-3 lead halfway through the 3rd quarter. But then IU got conservative both on Offense and Defense and with 4 minutes left in the game, PU had tied the game at 24. Fortunately, IU was able to get aggressive on Offense again and was able to drive down to the PU 32 where they set up Austin Starr for a 49 yd FG with 30 seconds to play. Starr was the Star as he drilled it for a 27-24 lead and ultimately the win.

IU 27 - PU 24

It's a great day for the IU players, coaches, alumni and fans. The bucket is back in Bloomington!

And IU should now realize Coach Hep's Play 13 Mantra.

I'll address the Coaching situation tomorrow in a separate post.

Colts lose a second game...

2007-11-11T23:49:00.000-05:00

I'm not surprised the Colts lost to SD... but the way they lost was unbelievable.

Special teams gives up a opening kickoff return for a TD. Then a punt return for a TD. Peyton throws 4 1st Quarter picks and 2 more for a total of 6 on the game. And Vinateri missed 2 chip shot field goals, one at the end of the first half and one at the end of the game.

And yet through all of that, they only lost 23-21. I don't know if I should be encouraged for discouraged.

However, the injuries have to stop and these guys need to get healthy. I sure hope that Freeney's injury is not as bad as it looked.

IU Exhibition Game #2

2007-11-10T23:59:00.000-05:00

I was able to make it down to Bloomington Saturday night. Nothing like a BBQ Strom at Nicks, followed by an absolute blow-out in the Hall.

IU 111 - UNC-Pembroke 62 - IUHoosiers.com

This team can score. The true question will be how quickly they can learn to play defense.

IU Football Takes a Dump at NW...

2007-11-10T23:38:00.000-05:00

Thanks Andy for calling this one. Once again IU had chance after chance and kept just blowing them. 3 turnovers killed them. Lynch or Canada, what were you thinking having Chappell throw a short out at that point in the game? Up 14-3 at the half is a heck of a lot different than 14-10.

And I still have no idea what the replay official was looking at on that last play. It was either an in the grasp sack as Lewis' knee never touched down, or it was an incomplete pass with the potential for grounding to be called, but it was NOT a fumble. Can't wait to get another apology on Sunday from the Big 10 for a blown call.

NW 31 - IU 28 - iuhoosiers.com

IU Basketball gets started...

2007-11-04T14:08:00.000-05:00

thank goodness we are back to on the court action and not off the court cheating.

I hate the crap that goes on off the court... how refreshing to finally see this team in action today.

I like what I saw. This team has all kind of offensive ability. The ability to drive and finish, drive and dish, hit from inside, hit from outside. If they can learn Sampson's defense quickly, this team has the potential to be VERY, VERY Good!

EJ... WOW! What a first game... 24pts and a missing front tooth.
Jordan Crawford... smooth from outside... 7-7 from 3 land and 24 pts as well
Jamarcus Ellis... solid in his first game as a Hoosier, but was overshadowed by EJ and JC... he will get his chance to shine.
Deandre Thomas... big and strong... and able to foul... but if he can give 10 minutes of inside play, he will be a difference maker.
Eli Holman... long and lean and the potential to be a defensive stopper in the lane.
Brandon McGee... reminded me a lot of Joey Shaw... and I liked Joey alot.

And the returning players all looked good as well. This could be a great season... I hope it isn't overshadowed by Sampson's stupidity off the court.

IU 121 - North Alabama 78

IU Football Bowl Eligble...

2007-11-03T23:32:00.000-04:00

but not Bowl bound... yet!

IU smacked Ball U around earlier today to get to 6-4 overall with 2 games to play. 2 wins over Northwestern next week and Purdue the week after and IU is going to be bowling for the first time since 1993.

Go Hoosiers!

IU 38 - BSU 20 - iuhoosiers.com

Thank you AT&T and the BTN!

2007-10-31T23:28:00.000-04:00

I was able to enjoy my first College Basketball game of the year. Quincy at Illinois. It wasn't much of a game as Weber was playing his Freshman to get a good look at who he might want to redshirt. But it was College Basketball and that is 2 teams I can mark off my list. Between the B10 network, ESPNU, YES, SUN, NESN and all the Fox Sports Channels I'm hoping to watch every Division I team in the country at least once this year... and a few Div II and III schools.

I can mark Illinois and Quincy off the list. If not for work keeping me late I could have marked Ohio St and Ashland as well... oh well.

More IU Fallout...

2007-10-31T22:27:00.000-04:00

IU severance: $66Kfor coach Senderoff - indystar.com

I think IU got off rather cheaply in buying Rob's silence. Had they not paid him, I can only imagine what he could share.

IU coaches took part in 3-way calls - indystar.com

Hmmm... so Sampson states that he never knew Senderoff was on the line, yet recruits and their parents say that both Sampson and Senderoff both talked on these calls.

IU Report to the NCAA Infractions Committee - Heraldtimesonline.com

There are so many things in here that bother me. I'm not even going to start.

Scapegoat?

2007-10-29T23:24:00.000-04:00

Nice to see IU found their scapegoat for phonegate #2... Rob Senderoff. Sampson couldn't possibly have had any influence or control over his assistants. Sadly this just highlights a lack of institutional control. Exactly what the NCAA goes after.

Very strange that they waited 2 weeks before forcing his resignation...

Could it be the administration heard that the NCAA was leaning to dropping the hammer and had to make another move? Not the move that will make any difference to the NCAA if you ask me.

Could it be the IU big donors demanded a head... and IU wasn't willing to give up the man in charge? Big mistake in my mind.

I'm sure more will come out tomorrow... but for now, here are the early articles:

Senderoff out as IU assistant - Heraldtimesonline.com

Indiana basketball assistant to resign - indystar.com

Rumors of Senderoff''s resignation surface - idsnews.com

Sources: IU asst. to resign over scandal - foxsports.com

Colts Playing for Next Year!

2007-10-28T23:42:00.000-04:00

I'm pulling for the Colts to lose every game the rest of the year. Maybe they can still get a decent 1st round pick at 7-9. They need a quarterback so that maybe next year they could compete with the best team to ever play in the NFL.

Forget the fact that Peyton was the first quarterback to beat all 30 other teams. Kudos to Tom Brady for duplicating the feat 3 hours later.

Forget that the Colts are the Reigning World Champs.

Forget the fact that the Colts are 7-0 this year.

Forget the fact that the Colts have won the last 3 meetings between the Colts and the Pats including 2 in Foxboro.

Forget that the Colts have won at Houston, at Tennessee, at Jacksonville and at Carolina back to back on 6 days of rest.

Forget that Bob Sanders is healthy.

Forget that the Colts have Tony Dungy on the sidelines.

The Colts have absolutely no chance of beating the Pats on Sunday. They are a finesse team with no chance against New England. Heck they opened being a 4 point dog at home. I don't know why the NFL even plays out the rest of the season. I mean just give the Pats the Trophy and lets all hibernate.

College Football Play of the Year!

2007-10-28T21:23:00.000-04:00

If you didn't see this on Saturday. Wow!

But equally impressive, is the announcer who nails every player who touches the ball.

Wildest football finish you'll ever see - MSNBC Video

IU Football... Stuck at 5

2007-10-27T23:07:00.000-04:00

Weren't we here last year? IU got to 5-4 and lost their last 3.

This year the Hoosiers were 5-1 and now sit at 5-4. And the wheels appear to be falling off. Turnovers and undisciplined penalties have absolutely killed this IU team. If they don't turn it around quickly, losing the final 3 to finish at 5-7 is a definite possibility.

As much as the media keeps talking about winning 6 to become bowl eligible, IU better win 2 as 6-6 will not get them to a bowl this year. In fact, 6-6 with a win over Ball State will put IU at 2-6 in the B10 and probably 8th or 9th. That won't do it.

How about winning all 3 and playing 13!

Go Hoosiers!

Goodbye Comcast... Hello AT&T U-Verse!

2007-10-19T19:53:00.000-04:00

I don't know which made me happier today. Getting the BigTen Network through AT&T's U-Verse, or telling Comcast to take their equipment and shove it.

First the AT&T Installation.

I was told to expect 6-8 hours and that they would arrive between 8-10am to start.

Chad called right at 9am giving me a 30 minute notice. And he arrived right at 9:30. After taking a quick survey of the house and the 3 locations needed, he headed out to the main unit on 14th street to get things started.

At 10:30, Chad was back and began working on the outside box. At 11, he had to call a line technician as my wonderful squirrels had chewed through the phone line.

While waiting for the line tech, Chad installed all the internal Cat5 wiring... very professionally I must add. He finished around 12:30 just as the line tech arrived. Sadly Chad couldn't do anything else until the line tech finished his work. 2 and half hours later, I had a hot line back into my house and Chad finished registering all 3 boxes. Fortunately they now come preloaded with their software, so this process was quick and painless and I was all set a little before 4pm.

If not for the pesky squirrels Chad would have had me set up in about 4 hours.

Next it was off to Comcast to turn in my equipment. What a wonderful thing. You can't tell me the BigTenNetwork fiasco isn't hurting Comcast. I got to their Speedway Office at 4:15 and there were 17 people in line in front of me. Over half of them were turning in their equipment. It was with great joy that when asked why I was discontinuing my service, I was able to say "I switched to AT&T's U-Verse earlier today as they have the Big Ten Network!" Much to my surprise the Comcast Employee said "You aren't alone and I don't blame you. I'm a Purdue fan and I haven't been able to see many of our games this year either."

May AT&T get Fiber into all of your neighborhoods soon as their service really does rock. I already notice a difference on my Internet access. The 6MB download is noticeably faster than Comcast's 1-2MB download speed.

Off to watch the Big Ten Network's Friday Night Lineup.

Big Ten Friday Night Tailgate
Big Ten Extra Points
Big Ten Tonight

Go Hoosiers!

Sampson, Sampson, Sampson... IU, IU, IU

2007-10-14T21:36:00.000-04:00

Thanks so much for the punch in the gut!

Just as I'm getting excited about the upcoming season...
Just as I'm dumping Comcast for U'Verse so I can see all the IU games...
Just as I'm enjoying 22 minutes of Midnight Madness on BigTenNetwork.com...
Just as I'm starting to chant Er-ic Gor-don...

Out comes Greenspan with an internal investigation into Sampson and the IU men's basketball program which revealed illegal phone calls.

I'm sorry, but what was it that Sampson was busted for at Oklahoma? Illegal phone calls I do believe. I seem to remember Sampson apologizing for the oversight and promising that it would never happen again.

So what happens while coaching at IU? More illegal calls!

I don't care how minor this is... the fact that Sampson was under scrutiny for this very topic and then proceeded to do something against the rules shows either ignorance or blatant disrespect for the rules under which NCAA coaches operate. I don't know which is worse.

And it's not just Sampson who disappoints in this situation. How can the IU assistants not know every nuance of these rules? Shame on them. And how can the IU administration not have been monitoring every incoming and outgoing call? The 10 calls were spread out... about 1 a month? How can the IU administration let that happen? Shame on Greenspan.

Maybe more details will arise that will change my mind, but right now I am disgusted that Sampson and the IU administration put themselves in this situation and put IU under the ongoing microscope of cheating.

IU Discloses New Sanctions on Men's Basketball Staff - IUHoosiers.com

IU fines, punishes Sampson for illegal calls - indystar.com

Sampson: 'We had some issues' - indystar.com

Phone Calls Land IU Coach in Hot Water Again - indychannel.com

Hoosiers lose scholarship, Sampson loses bonus over calls - espn.com

College Basketball Season is Here!

2007-10-13T22:14:00.000-04:00

Midnight Madness kicked off the 2007-08 College Basketball season nationwide last night. And the BigTen Network was in Bloomington and other Big Ten campuses. Sadly I couldn't see it as Comcast still hasn't struck a deal with the BTN yet. Oh well, the point will be moot next Friday when I kick Comcast to the Curb for AT&T's U'Verse. More will be blogged about that later.

Thank you BTN for putting 22 minutes of the Hoosier Hysteria Video on your website.

Hoosier Hysteria - BigTenNetwork.com

A few comments on the quotes from Sampson.

"I am so proud of every single player on this team. I would like to single out a couple of guys though. I want to congratulate Eli Holman for becoming eligible to play." - Sampson

That is huge for IU. While Eli won't be counted on like Eric Gordon, his size will be needed inside.

"Now I don't want to make too big of a deal about this, but this is what persistence and hard work will get you. When DeAndre Thomas got here, he weighed 356 pounds. This morning, DeAndre weighed 298 pounds. It's amazing what you can accomplish with a little hard work." - Sampson

Losing 58 pounds is an accomplishment. Another big deal for the Hoosiers as DeAndre should be able to provide more than 2 minutes at a time this year on the inside.

"We're going to have fun tonight, but at two o'clock tomorrow we start practicing. We're going to have fun this season and we're going to work our butts off to make all of you proud of us." - Sampson

I can't wait!

And kudos for Sampson and his rule about Freshman not talking to the media. What a great way to protect Eric Gordon from the feeding frenzy that can be the media. Brilliant move!

Some press coverage of last night:

Hoosier Hysteria Tips Off 2007-08 Men's and Women's Basketball Seasons - IUHoosiers.com

Photo Gallery - IUHoosiers.com

IU basketball puts on a show - Indystar.com

IU Football 5-1

2007-10-07T20:13:00.000-04:00

I was hoping for a fast start as the schedule allowed for it, but I'm still somewhat surprised that IU made it to 5-1.

The Illinois loss scared me a bit, but after subsequent wins over Penn State and Wisconsin, The Illini are for real and that loss doesn't hurt nearly as bad as it did.

The IU win over Iowa was a surprise... Kirk Ferentz stock sure is dropping rapidly with the Hawkeyes falling apart. But a win in Iowa City is always a big thing. Especially after the trip I took there in 1997 to personally witness a 62-0 shellacking.

Saturday's win over Minnesota was never close after IU's defense stiffened during the 3rd series of the game. Lewis look very comfortable in the pocket as his receivers were getting open and he was hitting them. And Payton came through with some great runs.

This week's game with Michigan State should be a good one. Too bad I won't be able to watch it thanks to the Comcast - BigTen Network debacle. Stay tuned... I will have the B10 Network prior to the first B10 Basketball game.

Go Hoosiers!

Poor ND fans... I really feel sorry for them.

2007-09-19T23:35:00.000-04:00

Well not really. 0-7 would be hilarious. Though 1-6 with a win over Purdue might be better.

If you haven't seen this yet, check it out. A very well done NDSPN site.

NDSPN: The Worldwide Leader in Undeserved Hype - NDSPN.com

I love the Basketball section.

IU Football 3-0

2007-09-15T23:45:00.000-04:00

For the first time in 12 years, IU was able to start the season with 3 straight wins. No small feat for a program that is doomed.

IU 41 - Akron 24 - iuhoosiers.com

It was the Kellen Lewis show as IU's receivers quit on their routes forcing Lewis to scramble... and scramble he did for 199 yards. If IU hopes to win in the B10, the WRs are going to have to learn to continue their routes and get open. You can't run a curl and just stop and stand there.

I am impressed by the DLine. So far through 3 games they have been able to put serious pressure on all 3 QBs. I believe they already have more sacks this year than all of last.

Go Hoosiers! Beat the Illini!

Cheaters!

2007-09-13T23:21:00.000-04:00

Leave it to those Patriots to have to cheat to compete with the Colts.

$500K for Belichick, $250K for the Pats... peanuts.

1st round draft pick if they make the playoffs and 2nd and 3rd round picks if they don't... now that hurts!

Thank you NFL for bringing the hammer down!

Belichick fined $500K by NFL for taping Jets' signals - espn.com

Colts 1-0!

2007-09-09T23:03:00.000-04:00

What an opening night for the Colts.

First the raising of the banner... then the old fashioned butt kicking.

41-10 - colts.com

The offense didn't miss a beat from last year. The defense looked better than they did all last year... even in the playoffs. And that was not a shabby New Orleans offense.

On to Nashville for a key division road win next Sunday.

IU Football 2-0

2007-09-09T22:08:00.000-04:00

IU was able to f0llow up on their ISU blow out with a solid road win at Western Michigan.

IU 37 - WMU 27 - iuhoosiers.com

Can't say I saw this game as I don't get the B10 Network... thank you B10 and Comcast... ya bastards.

Wasn't able to hear it either as I was in Rossburg, OH for the World 100.

I will be in B'Town next Saturday when the Akron Zips come to town.

Go Hoosiers!

IU Basketball Bahamas Trip

2007-09-03T21:31:00.000-04:00

What a great deal for Kelvin Sampson and the Hoosier Basketball team. A chance to have a week of practice in August and a trip to the Bahamas for 3 basketball games.

Nothing like a chance for the staff to see how Eric Gordon, Jordan Crawford, Jamarcus Ellis, DeAndre Thomas and Brandon McGee will mesh with the returning players. This experience will go a long way towards getting this season off to a roaring success.

Defense And Effort Outstanding In 106-46 Win In Bahamas - iuhoosiers.com

Defense Sets Tone Again In 103-41 Triumph Over Guatemala - iuhoosiers.com

Hoosiers End Bahamas Trip With 115-63 victory - iuhoosiers.com

Oct 13th can't come soon enough. Go Hoosiers!

IU Football 1-0

2007-09-02T20:17:00.000-04:00

Yes it was just Indiana State, but IU came out on a very emotional night and played good football.

It was great to see Hep's family as part of opening night. I really hope his legacy keeps this program motivated all year long.

IU 55 - ISU 7 - iuhoosiers.com

A couple of observations...

The big hole on the North end of the stadium is just plain odd to see. It will be interesting to watch it take shape throughout the season. Note to the IU facilities manager... you might want to water the field a bit to get rid of the dirt. The field looked brown.

The defense looked much quicker to the ball. Especially the front 4. They were getting pressure on ISU. It will be interesting to see if they can get pressure against bigger and better offensive lines.

I really like Kellen Lewis. He's athletic and can get away from pressure, but he is a throw first QB... not an ARE.

James Hardy will be a very big weapon this year. If teams double team him, IU has plenty of other receivers for Lewis to distribute the ball. If teams play Hardy straight up, he and Lewis will make them pay.

Not a fan of the B10 Network. I swear their commercial breaks are even longer. They averaged between 4 and 5 minutes... that is ridiculous. I can't wait until the November 8pm starts in 30 degree temps. Those breaks are going to be great.

Go Hoosiers!

It's Game Day!

2007-09-01T14:13:00.000-04:00

And the 2007 IU Football season is upon us. I am off to Bloomington! Go Hoosiers!

Football team opens in Bloomington vs. Indiana State - idsnews.com

Fans at Season Opener to Receive Terry Hoeppner keepsake - iuhoosiers.com

IU's 2007 Roster - iuhoosiers.com

Late coach's goal drives IU opener - Indystar.com

More on the BTN

2007-08-31T21:19:00.000-04:00

On the eve of IU's first game of the 2007 season, there is no movement on the BTN vs Comcast front. They really are trying to get me to switch to Direct-TV.

But then again from hearing from some one who has Direct TV and the BTN... maybe I don't want it... word is that they have been referring to IU since launch as the University of Indiana.

Fortunately it doesn't matter for tomorrow as I will be in Bloomington. They just better get this resolved by basketball season or there are going to be some angry mobs in Indiana.

An interesting article...

Searching for Big Ten Network - si.com

Big 10 Network vs Comcast

2007-08-28T23:12:00.000-04:00

Enough Already! This is pure BS on both sides.

I can appreciate the B10 wishing to make their network available on basic cable. I can also understand Comcast wanting to make it a part of their $4.95 sports pack.

I don't appreciate both sides being unwilling to negotiate.

Put it on the sports package and be done with it. I already plunk down the $4.95 for the NFL network... the B10 Network would be free for me.

puttingfansfirst.com - I signed the petition... not that it will do anything... but I feel better.

Finally somebody is thinking... I like the idea of a la carte pricing as is suggested in this editorial.

Not coming to your TV soon - Chicago Tribune

I'm Back!!!!

2007-08-28T23:09:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the summer sabbatical... way too much work.

A sad day for all Hoosier Fans!

2007-06-19T22:49:00.000-04:00

Rest in Peace Coach Hep. My prayers are with the Hoeppner family. Coach Sampson said it best... "This is a sad, sad day for Indiana University.''

IU football coach Hoeppner dies - Indystar.com

IU broadcaster wanted to believe in recovery - indystar.com

Coach Hep: A student's perspective - indystar.com

Coach Hoeppner Update

2007-05-08T23:59:00.000-04:00

I wish Coach Hep well and pray that he beats this...

IU Head Football Coach Terry Hoeppner Update - IUHoosiers.com

It sure doesn't look Coach Hep will be on the sidelines this fall.

Nice Legacy for IU...

2007-05-03T00:04:00.000-04:00

Thanks Mike... you did a phenomenal job while at IU.

IU basketball fares poorly on APR - indystar.com

The Hoosiers ranked 277th out of 325 Division I teams in Men's Basketball.

Great Decision DJ!

2007-04-17T22:00:00.000-04:00

What a great day to be an IU fan. Not that next year's success falls at the feet of one player... but in the case of IU and their lack of size and experience... this time it did.

IU's Sampson: White returning - indystar.com

I think DJ is going to get a lot of good looks this year and not only will he help IU, he will help himself.

And IU gets a good draw in the ACC-B10 Challenge...

Georgia Tech will visit the Hoosiers in a 7 p.m. game on ESPN on Tuesday, Nov. 27.

Colts 2007-08 Schedule Released

2007-04-11T23:42:00.000-04:00

Colts rewarded with 5 prime-time games - indystar.com

Rewarded? They have the traditional Thursday night opening season game at home as Super Bowl Champions. Then the remaining 4 are at Jacksonville, at San Diego, at Atlanta and at Baltimore. I wouldn't say having 4 prime-time games on the road against those teams as being rewarded. I guess my biggest surprise is that those 4 games aren't all at Foxboro.

Oh and no MNF in Indy. Thanks ESPN! You Suck!

Another Indiana Mr. Basketball heading to B'Town

2007-04-10T21:40:00.000-04:00

Congrats Eric Gordon. Glad to have you coming to IU.

The Indianapolis Star 2007 Mr. Basketball

Eric Gordon is a big shot - indystar.com

Sucks to be a Buckeye!

2007-04-02T23:32:00.000-04:00

Hey buckeye fans, how badly does this one hurt. You my obnoxious fans are Florida's BITCH! Again! And I for one find it HILARIOUS.

I do feel bad for Oden and Conley. They both carried this team on their backs and got absolutely no help tonight.

Nice quote on National TV from Brewer "We the Shit!" That's something to be proud of.

IU Basketball Recruits

2007-03-28T22:17:00.000-04:00

Nothing new in these articles, but it sure is nice to read about a program on its way back to the top.

Recruits make IU a Big Ten contender - indystar.com

Holman 1-and-done? - indystar.com

Life-changing transformation - indystar.com

Gordon ‘I’m just looking forward’ - newstribune.com

And if you are in the mood for a good laugh read this.

UAB's Davis almost signed Buckeye stars - al.com

Nice to see nothing has changed with Davis. All Blow and no Show.

Indy Car Season begins Saturday Night!

2007-03-23T22:41:00.000-04:00

Don't forget about the best Open Wheel racing in the world kicking off Saturday night at 8pm on ESPN2.

Indy Car Live Timing and Scoring

Indy Car Spotter Guide

Drop the Green Flag on a great season of Indy Car racing!

Sad End to the Butler Season

2007-03-23T22:35:00.000-04:00

But the Butler players should hold their heads high. They had a heck of a season.

They won the pre-season NIT after beating IU in Indianapolis.
They tied for their league championship.
Won the most games in Butler history.
Were a #5 seed in the NCAA Tourney
Got to the Sweet Sixteen.

And they outplayed, outhustled and controlled Florida for 37 minutes. Too bad the game is 40 minutes in length.

Crazy Purdue Fan gets Ripped

2007-03-21T23:06:00.000-04:00

I'm not a big fan of Colin Cowherd, but the way he handled this Purdue fan is outstanding. And kudos to the guy who put the pictures together... very nice.

Colin Cowherd on Youtube.com

Thanks Mike for sending this my way.

IU - UCLA Postgame

2007-03-18T13:03:00.000-04:00

I've seen UCLA play 4 or 5 times this year and never have I seen their defense swarm the way it did in the first half. As much as the media will make a big deal about this being an awful game, I loved the first half. Hard nosed, in your face, aggressive defense ruled the half. Neither team had open shots and when that happens, 14% from the field happens and 20-13 happens.

The second half was a game of adjustments and both teams made them. That's what happens when you have good coaches on the bench. And IU never gave up. DJ was a stud on the boards. Earl controlled the tempo in the second half. Rod struggled for 30+ minutes, but made some key shots down the stretch. Lance has struggled since the B10 season began, but made 2 HUGE 3s. But in the end, it was UCLAs swarming defense that prevented IU from having a chance at the end. And ultimately, that is how that game should have ended, with one team's defense making a HUGE play.

The IU players should hold their heads high after the season they just put in the books. It was a season-long learning experience and the improvement from day 1 to last night was monumental. I can't wait for next year. IU Basketball has a coach again and we fans have hope!

Is it October yet?

IU - UCLA Pre-game Reading Materials

2007-03-17T13:26:00.000-04:00

Just a few reading materials before tonight's game:

Cheers for Sampson - LA dailynews.com

Longtime titans get reacquainted - Long Beach presstelegram.com

White could be problem for Bruins - dailybruin.ucla.edu

Wilmont is a Jekyll-and-Hyde Hoosier - latimes.com

In Success, Sampson Gains Fans in Indiana - nytimes.com

Bruins praise Hoosiers' toughness - indystar.com

Stemler misfires but keeps ticking - indystar.com

Sampson's mission: Bring IU into present - indystar.com

Hoosiers, Bruins in mutual gush-fest - fortwayne.com

Go Hoosiers! Beat the Bruins!

IU is through to the 2nd round of the NCAA Tourney

2007-03-15T23:28:00.000-04:00

Observations from a 1st round IU victory!

IU 70 - Gonzaga 57

You think Sampson felt it was important to get Wilmont going early? You give him the green light and if he gets hot, he'll carry you and that is exactly what happened in the first half. Yes you have to live with some undisciplined shots, but tonight Rod made more than enough to make up for them.

IU's switching defense from their guard rotation kept Ravio frustrated all night long. Me thinks Ravio hasn't seen a defense like that this year.

Stemler's hustle in the first half was HUGE! Plus running the offense through him at the top of the lane led to some very easy/wide open 3 pointers.

Nice adjustments from Sampson at the half. Working the offense through DJ, combined with dribble penetration drew early fouls and got IU in the bonus at the 10 minute mark. The easy points at the line allowed IU to maintain the double digit lead.

Gonzaga definitely takes the cake in the hair category... I thought it was just Morrison last year... now they have Adam wannabees, lice victims and a dude from the late 80's with his name cut into the side of his head... Nice!

What was that I heard Seth Davis say in the lead in to tonights coverage? Gonzaga will beat IU as IU can't score and Gonzaga sure can. Note to Seth, IU was the highest scoring team in the B10 and they play a pretty solid defense as well. Seth is just proof that any idiot with the right personal connection can be an analyst.

CBS just kills me with the way they bounce back and forth from games. Maybe a little split screen would be nice so those of us that would like to watch the IU game could continue to do so.

And finally to wrap up a very nice day 1 of the NCAA Tourney... does anyone feel sorry for Duke? Not me! Great job VCU!

The night before the NCAA tourney

2007-03-14T23:11:00.000-04:00

Here are a few IU articles to get you ready for the game tomorrow night. I pulled out a few quotes from Coach Sampson... a coach that gets it. What a breath of fresh air!

Gave his heart for "glory of old IU" - fortwayne.com

“Errek Suhr’s an Indiana kid, and maybe more importantly, he’s a Bloomington kid,” IU coach Kelvin Sampson said. “I think Errek Suhr has left a great legacy here because of how he approaches the game – his heart, his toughness.

“I told my assistant coaches this: ‘Find us another Errek Suhr.’ I always want a kid like Errek Suhr on my team. I thank the good Lord that he chose to come here to walk on. He made Indiana basketball a little better. Absolutely.”

IU's success depends on 3s - indystar.com

"I know that some people think we rely on the 3-point shot too much, but we are who we are," Sampson said. "That's not something you can just flip on a switch and change. In the future, we'd like to be a team that is more diverse in its offensive approach, but for this season, one of our identities is the 3-point shot. And we've got some people who can knock it down, too. But when the shots aren't falling, it makes it a little harder for us to be successful."

Three-pointers will decide IU's fate - fortwayne.com

"Rod has an extroverted toughness,” he says. “That doesn’t mean he won’t throw the ball away occasionally or dribble it off his leg or hit a big shot. He’s capable of all that."

"Armon has a quiet toughness to him,” Sampson says. “He’s developed that toughness. Once you get put in the saddle, you have to respond. He’s a bit of a gamer."

Go Hoosiers! Beat Gonzaga!

IU vs Gonzaga in the First Round

2007-03-11T20:42:00.000-04:00

IU travels out west to Sacramento to face Gonzaga in a rematch of last season's Round of 32. A couple of things have changed... Gonzaga doesn't have Adam Morrison and IU doesn't have Mike Davis. I like IU's chances.

Should IU get by Gonzaga on Thursday, UCLA awaits. I asked for this matchup for a reason... UCLA does not have a big inside presence. They are perimeter oriented which gives IU a chance.

I hope the west coast Alumni fill Arco arena and give IU a little extra oomph! And I hope that Gonzaga fan who sat right by the microphone is not in attendence. She made my head hurt last year. Go Hoosiers!

Printable Bracket

IU - Illinois Post Game

2007-03-10T19:41:00.000-05:00

I cannot tell you how much I hate the B10 Tournament. Why does the B10 play this again? Oh that's right, it's so they can play an unbalanced 16 game regular season. Brilliant! Yeah, Yeah, I know it's all about the almighty TV Dollar.

Riddle me this basketball fans. If the foul under the basket occurs before the shot is attempted, should the basket count? What about if one official vehemently waves it off after calling that foul inside? Should the officials be able to review it on the monitor to see if the official called the foul inside before the shot attempt? What if the official makes the call inside, but is delayed by a split second to make the call due to being a human? Should the review only look at whether the official raised his arm before the shot went up? Or if you are going to review it, shouldn't you look at when the foul occurred inside relative to when the shot went up? But then again, when did the B10 put in instant replay for calls like this? Answer Key: NO! NO! NO! NO! YES! and NO they didn't, and in turn, that 3 point bucket for Illinois NEVER should have counted.

Now I'm just hoping that IU ends up with an 8/9 game or 7/10 game in the same bracket as UCLA, Memphis or Pittsburgh. I want nothing to do with Kansas, Georgetown or UNC as their size will kill IU.

IU - Penn State Post Game

2007-03-03T23:29:00.000-05:00

Kudos to Sampson for starting Wilmont, Calloway and Suhr in their final game in Assembly Hall.

Claxton is a special player... IU didn't have anyone who could guard him inside as at one point Geary had 15 of PSU's 19 points. Look out next year.

IU was on fire in the first half shooting 64% from the field including 9-16 from 3 point range for a 43 - 31 advantage at the half. If you don't pressure IU's shooters, they will light you up.

Seeing the bananas in the front row reminded me of this link...

It's Peanut Butter Jelly Time

Ben Allen had a strong game... on numerous occasions he kept the ball alive on a rebound to a teammate and played solid position defense inside. Give Sampson the offseason with him and I think he will be a much needed contributor next year.

IU 94 - PSU 63
IU 10-6 and 3rd in the B10 and 20-9 overall

Granted Penn State isn't a strong team, but it is nice to see IU go into the B10 Tourney with some momentum.

Thanks Erik, Earl and Rod, 9 more games left.

How is this okay with the NCAA?

2007-03-02T00:11:00.000-05:00

I don't get it. Did I miss something? Did LeBron go to OSU? Are Professional Athletes going to start sponsoring college teams?

Buckeye’s new uniforms will carry LeBron James logo

And what is with the form fitting jerseys?

Carb Day just got better!

2007-03-01T22:38:00.000-05:00

Kid Rock is coming to IMS.

Kid Rock to play on Carb Day at Indy - indystar.com

As if I wasn't already going to be there.

IU - Northwestern Postgame

2007-02-28T22:02:00.000-05:00

Comments from the Couch...

Terry Gannon and Stephen Bardo are a breath of fresh air. They actually were calling the game and providing interesting perspective instead of stupid stories babbling banter.

Even if IU loses every game the rest of this year, I saw enough at the 13:16 mark of the first half to tell me Coach Sampson is the MAN to lead IU back to the top.

I love the Calloway pass off the back of the NW player... smart bball! This team really missed him... I just hope he is fully healthy by the NCAA Tourney. It was obvious tonight he is not yet healthy. But good to get him some time so he can start removing the rust.

Not a huge fan of the 3 point offense... but without inside players it does provide IU with the best chance to win.

Bank! Buzzer! IU 32 - NW 28 at the half

Wilmont... En Fuego! 9 3s, a new IU single game record. 31 pts and 12 rebounds. WOW!

Bassett had a very nice game 10 pts and 8 assists. His ability to drive the lane and nail the 10 footer is big now but will become HUGE next year.

Whew... that was WAY too close down the stretch.

IU 69 Northwestern 65

Coach Knight Speaks

2007-02-19T23:03:00.000-05:00

Knight: New rule hurts college basketball - foxsports.com

Many coaches have said this new approach is a blessing for the college game, because it lets NCAA schools showcase their abilities for at least one season. But Knight, the winningest college coach of all time, said he dislikes it.

"Because now you can have a kid come to school for a year and play basketball and he doesn't even have to go to class," Knight said Monday. "He certainly doesn't have to go to class the second semester. I'm not exactly positive about the first semester. But he would not have to attend a single class the second semester to play through the whole second semester of basketball.

"That, I think, has a tremendous effect on the integrity of college sports."

Ding, Ding, Ding, we have a winner!

On the subject of officiating, Knight did not let a public reprimand by Big 12 commissioner Kevin Weiberg stop him from criticizing game officials who work five or six games a week.

"To have some guy 54 or 55 years old referee six times a week is a real disservice to the kids who are playing," said Knight, who was reprimanded last week for criticizing officiating in one of his games.

Hmmm... no wonder the officials are always out of position.

IU - Purdue Postgame

2007-02-15T21:12:00.000-05:00

A few observations from the couch

Purdue is a totally different team than the one I saw beaten by Butler and by IU earlier in the season. Amazing what good coaching does. I've said it before and I will say it again. Painter is a good coach and the rivalry will be a very strong one in the coming years.

What the heck does Boiler Up mean anyway?

23 pts in the first 8 minutes... 11 in the remaining 12 of the first half... nice in-game defensive adjustments Kelvin.

6 missed layups in the first half... 4 by Bassett, 1 by Wilmont and 1 by DJ. Argh that will come back to bite them!

Where has Sid Rodaheffer been? I swear he hasn't officiated an IU game since the late 80s. And it showed as he was WAY out of position on those 2 first half charge calls. I would expect them to go Purdue's way since the game was at Purdue... but geez... get in position to make the call Sid.

I love playing Purdue... it's the only time of the year where I get to see seed corn advertising.

Painter made a nice adjustment in the second half to keep Landry inside to keep DJ in check.

Hats off to Landry and Teague. Career nights at home against IU. Just what you would expect from your Seniors.

Nice to see Purdue students are just as unintelligent with their overrated chant. Way to cut your own team down. Were they not good enough to beat the #19 team in the country?

And once again IU plays a good game on the road, but comes up empty. It's a learning experience. Time to beat Michigan.

Daytona Qualifying

2007-02-14T21:44:00.000-05:00

Toyota opens their NASCAR experience with a Bang... or just Jet Fuel...

Severe penalties levied against Waltrip Racing - nascar.com

This may just get me watching NASCAR again. Toyota doesn't mess around.

IU - Purdue Game Rescheduled

2007-02-13T22:04:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow night's IU-Purdue game has been moved back a day from Wednesday the 14th to Thursday the 15th.

Indiana-Purdue Game Postponed Until Feb. 15 - iuhoosiers.com

Fortunately the game will still be televised on Thursday.

Safe travels to the IU team as they try to make it to West Lafayette tomorrow.

Let it Snow... Let it Snow... Let it Snow!

2007-02-13T01:51:00.000-05:00

And it is already coming down here in Indy. Tuesday could be very interesting if we get the 12-16 inches they are calling for along with 20-30 mph winds.

Indy Radar - intellicast.com

Speedway Cam - wthr.com

IU - Illinois Post Game

2007-02-10T22:50:00.000-05:00

What an outstanding game. Thanks to DK for the tix and the hospitality. The Hall was Rockin!

Hoosiers Hold Off Illinois, 65-61 - iuhoosiers.com
Boxscore - iuhoosiers.com

It was a very physical game and IU was badly outsized, but this team fought and fought and the play Sampson called to clear out the left side for the Bassett drive to the hoop late was vital. What an awesome 7-0 run to close out the game.

The students were outstanding once they got there. The blue oxford shirts and red ties really stood out, the rattles were great and the "Got Gordon" shirts were awesome.

The timing of the "Eric Gordon" chant immediately as Whiner got T'd up was priceless. Note to students... the "Stand Up Old People" chant is worthless. Illinois was 3-8 from the FT Line shooting into the "sitting old people" and 11-12 shooting into the "standing up late arrivals".

And Weber showed his true colors when he stormed off the court after the game without shaking the hands of the IU players. At least he shook Sampson's hand. It was nice to see Sampson shake hands with each and every Illini coach, player and manager.

If you are too cheap to buy your own blue oxford and red tie, here is an alternative... Shirt and Tie T-Shirt - TIS.com

Beat Purdue!

National Signing Day for College Football

2007-02-07T23:00:00.000-05:00

And Hoeppner brought in a solid class. Unfortunately Finch changed his mind from last night and decided to sign with Florida. Who can blame him... warmth... women... money... and more. But again this just shows how stupid the whole "verbal" process is. Until they sign on the dotted line, there is NO committment.

Hoosiers Sign 19 to National Letters of Intent - iuhoosiers.com

The Day After the Colts win it all...

2007-02-05T23:39:00.000-05:00

Some great links...

The Night Chicago Died - Dewitt and Lane
I love the lyrics... well done!

Ad Watch: Rate the Super Bowl commercials - foxsports.com
My favorite was the Bud Light Bottle Opener commercial with the serial killers... funny stuff.

Colts-Bears draws No. 3 audience of all time - nfl.com
What? A small midwest market bringing in a huge audience? I don't believe it.

Rhodes, Addai validate Polian's decision - nfl.com
The 2 headed back was key to this Super Bowl run! And I love how the 2 get along as if they are twin brothers.

Cheering rally welcomes Colts home - indystar.com
What a great turnout by the fans.

Colts Super Bowl XLI Champions!

2007-02-04T22:09:00.000-05:00

Wow! Unbelievable!

Colts 29 - Bears 17

It's Game Day!

2007-02-04T10:57:00.000-05:00

Some of the "experts" predictions for today:

Brandt's Super Bowl analysis - nfl.com

Carucci's pick: Manning, Colts will prevail - nfl.com

Colts need to rattle Grossman early - espn.com

Super Bowl XLI Picks - espn.com

and finally...

ESPN SportsNation Picks - espn.com

My prediction.

Colts 31 - Bears 17

Peyton Manning will be MVP and secure his legacy as one of the best to ever play the game. Until he wins 3 more and becomes the best.

IU - Iowa Post Game

2007-02-03T20:20:00.000-05:00

What (Whistle) the (Whistle) heck (Whistle) was (Whistle) that (Whistle)?

That (Whistle) certainly (Whistle) wasn't (Whistle) basketball (Whistle)!

Neither (Whistle) team (Whistle) had (Whistle) any (Whistle) chance (Whistle) of (Whistle) getting (Whistle) into (Whistle) a (Whistle) flow (Whistle).

The (Whistle) officiating (Whistle) in (Whistle) the (Whistle) B10 (Whistle) is (Whistle) AWFUL (Whistle)!

The (Whistle) only (Whistle) consistency (Whistle) in (Whistle) the (Whistle) officiating (Whistle) was (Whistle) how (Whistle) horrible (Whistle) it (Whistle) was (Whistle)!

Iowa 81 - IU 75

Let me be clear, I am not blaming the loss on the officials. They were disgusting both ways. What ticks me off is an official making a really bad call from being totally out of position. Then on the very next play, another official making a really bad makeup call for the previous call. Combine that with numerous late whistles and 56 foul calls in one game and I want to puke.

IU students storming the court...

2007-02-03T12:39:00.000-05:00

This is exactly why it was STUPID for IU students to storm the court after beating Wisconsin.

Badgers lack basketball tradition, but not skill - ESPN.com

A few of the finer comments in the article:

Given the long-term stature of Indiana and Wisconsin, this is like Lance Armstrong going all euphoric after outpedaling a neighborhood kid on a big wheel. Not only do the Hoosiers have all the history and tradition the Badgers lack, but they have absolutely owned the head-to-head matchup for more than half a century. Since 1950, Indiana leads the series 79-19, including a 31-game winning streak from 1980 to '96.

"You just can't imagine the irony of us watching Indiana fans storm the court after beating Wisconsin," said Badgers senior associate athletic director Vince Sweeney, who goes back to the 1950s with Badgers basketball. But this isn't just about Indiana. Sweeney doesn't think anyone has stormed the court after beating Wisconsin. Ever. "I can't ever recall that happening," he said.

Kudos for what Bo Ryan has done at Wisconsin, but Indiana Basketball is back... no one should beat us in the Hall. The Hall should be full and rocking 10 minutes prior to the start. But then again I guess it doesn't matter if you show up until half time, when it's all about storming the court.

Colts Win Madden Super Bowl XLI!

2007-02-02T00:52:00.000-05:00

Indianapolis Colts 38, Chicago Bears 27

Scoring Summary:

Colts- Harrison 17 yd TD Rec from Manning (Vinatieri XP), 11:03 1st
Colts- Vinatieri 42 yd FG, 4:37 1st

Bears- Jones 12 yd TD run (Gould XP), 14:39 2nd
Colts- Addai 4 yd TD run (Vinatieri XP), 10:48 2nd
Bears- Gould 33 yd FG, 6:02 2nd
Bears- Gould 36 yd FG, 0:03 2nd

Bears- Muhammad 23 yd TD Rec from Grossman (Gould XP), 13:32 3rd
Colts- Clark 36 yd TD Rec from Manning (Vinatieri XP), 10:22 3rd
Colts- Wayne 32 yd TD Rec from Manning (Vinatieri XP), 5:14 3rd

Bears- Berrian 6 yd TD Rec from Grossman (Gould XP), 12:07 4th
Colts- Addai 8 yd TD run (Vinatieri XP), 4:44 4th

Eric Gordon... Oh My!

2007-02-01T22:40:00.000-05:00

What a performance on a Prime Time National stage.

Eric Gordon had 17 pts in the first quarter as North Central took a 25 - 22 lead.

I found this quote interesting:

"Eric Gordon is an attempt by Kelvin Sampson to change what has been the mass exodus of great stars in Indiana to places like Dominic James heading to Marquette, we talked about Josh McRoberts heading to Duke, even Rodney Carney he went down to Memphis, Sean May went down to North Carolina." Doug Gottleib

Interesting that they didn't mention once the coach at IU during that time frame. Could it be because Doug Gottleib was one that kept telling us IU fans that we were nuts for not "loving" Mike Davis and the "Wonderful" job he was doing recruiting at IU.

Gordon followed up his 17 pts with another 11 in the 2nd quarter as North Central took a 50 - 27 lead.

Cool to see Michael Jordon sitting beside Quinn Buckner at the game watching Marcus and Jeff. I feel sorry for those 2. They are nice basketball players, but they aren't like Mike.

Gordon had 11 in the 3rd period for 39 as NC extended the lead even more to 67 - 41.

And in the 4th quarter, Gordon had 4 and finished with 43 pts.

North Central absolutely destroyed an undefeated the #2 team in Illinois and the #22 overall HS team.

And on a side note... Indianapolis beat Chicago... just like what will happen on Sunday.

IU - Wisconsin Postgame

2007-01-31T21:07:00.000-05:00

Some observations while watching from my couch...

This is fun basketball to watch, an absolute chess match from both coaches.

Somebody pull the plug on the mic on the rim.

When did first year College players become Rookies? They are called FRESHMAN!!!

Please tell me Tom didn't say that DJ "Learned a ton from Marco Killingsworth while sitting out last year"? Are you kidding me?

Shaw showed signs of being an absolute STUD on both the offensive end and the defensive end in the first half. This kid could be an all-american by the time he is done at IU.

Enough with the rim mic already!

I can handle poor officiating, but what really drives me nuts are guys that are out of position making calls that they couldn't possibly have seen.

Tom, you had to bring up Marco again? Tom actually said that DJ learned "a lot" from Killingsworth's defense. Now that is comical... Ole!

I love Sampson... the game plan, the enthusiasm, the on the fly changes... OUTSTANDING!

Why is it that Channel 4 out of Indianapolis has the Wisconsin feed? Every commercial begins with a local Wisconsin ad only to be switched to an Indiana commercial 1 second in. STRANGE!

Heck of an 11-0 run only to have the officials swallow their whistles on a slaughter of DJ that turned a 10 pt lead into a 6 pt lead. Then another swallow on an obvious Wiscy charge and the lead was 4.

What I said about Shaw in the first half I will say about Bassett in the 2nd half. The future is bright in Bloomington.

Bo is a heck of a coach, but come on already with the bitching and moaning over the calls. Bo, you're team got the benefit of the doubt on every call in Bloomington.

Ratliff was HUGE down the stretch.

Explain to me again why this was not on ESPN HD? It was only the premier game in the B10. I hope they liked the 50 pt UNC blowout or the 18 pt Purdue loss on the Deuce.

IU 71 - Wisconsin 66

And I hate students storming the floor... ESPN has ruined college Basketball.

IU - Illinois Post Game

2007-01-23T23:56:00.000-05:00

I present to you exhibit #163957 as to why you DON'T play a non-conference game during the B10 season. STUPID! STUPID! STUPID!

Illinois 51 - IU 43

Anybody see a Monkey running loose in Indy?

2007-01-21T23:38:00.000-05:00

He jumped off Peyton's back and took off out the doors of the RCA Dome. Good Ridance Monkey!

Right now I am spent... I'll post my Colts postgame tomorrow night after I recover.

Colts vs Bears in Super Bowl XLI in Miami. How sweet is that?

Go Colts!

Colts AFC Championship PreGame

2007-01-21T13:08:00.000-05:00

If you weren't rooting for the Colts today prior to watching this video... I think you will be after.

Brady Video - youtube.com

The lyrics are hilarious.

Thank you Anna for forwarding this. It really is sick!

IU - UConn Postgame

2007-01-20T18:15:00.000-05:00

Some observations while watching the IU-UConn game today on CBS.

I hate having late afternoon road games... you are almost guaranteed that the game before is going to run long... fortunately Texas took bad shot after bad shot down the wire and didn't have a chance to send it to overtime.

A very nice start from IU... despite the Huskies trying to spread the court and make it a one on one game, IU was able to help on the one and one moves holding UConn to 4 points in the first 5 minutes while Bassett hit 3 Threes and IU took a 16-4 lead.

Since when can you run the baseline under your own basket after the ball was just knocked out of bounds? UConn did that 3 times today.

Where does CBS get some of these ads? Celtic Woman New Journey Deluxe CD? I'm not seeing the demographics of an IU-UConn game being interested in this.

This game is great preparation for the NCAA Tourney as the officials are calling it much closer than in the B10. Unless you are Mike White who just gets killed repeatedly with no calls.

UConn definitely has speed and athleticism... once they got some confidence that was a heck of a run the last 8 minutes of the first half to send the game into the break tied at 39.

Could CBS do away with all the Clark Kellogg graphics? I have the game on mute for a reason. I don't want to hear or see about PIPs.

What the heck was up with the officals today... first Burr positions himself 2 feet behind Bassett and when Bassett steps back due to the defensive pressure, he dribbles it off Jim's foot and UConn gets a steal and layup, and then Burr gets in the way of Rod's steal and a break away layup. That's 4 points! ARGH!

I forgot how much I hated seeing players bitch and moan after every whistle until watching the UConn players today. Thank you Coach Sampson for putting a stop to that on the IU side this year.

Rebounding was a big problem today and the whole reason UConn stayed in the game. I think the Bubble drill will be worn out when they get back in Bloomington. Though it is hard for 6-4, 6-6 and 6-9 guys to rebound with 6-11, 6-10 and 6-9. IU needs more size and I think Sampson will be recruiting some size.

DJ had a great offensive game today... but I think his defense suffered a little bit. DJ is definitely a forward and playing the center position hurts him at the defensive end. 21 pts and 3 blocked shots today.

Wilmont was just HUGE down the stretch... the 3 at the 2 minute mark was absolutely needed and the drive to the lane on the next possession was key to get the lead back. 23 pts and 5 rebounds.

Nice ice water in Armon Bassett's veins down the stretch... great free throw shooting to close it out.

IU 77 - UConn 73

That was a great win in a hostile environment and will go a long way towards a better seed come March.

20-21 from the free throw line as a team today. And they needed every one of them.

Wilmont has just thrived under Sampson. If he could have had 4 years with Sampson, he'd be an All-American and a lottery pick.

And congrats to Tech today taking out #5 Kansas.

IU - Iowa Post Game

2007-01-17T21:52:00.000-05:00

Last night I thoroughly enjoyed another IU home court domination... DJ White was huge with 23 points and 12 rebounds as Iowa didn't have an answer for him. Calloway had a nice night with 8 assists and Wilmont followed up his big game with 15 and 5. IU was up 21 in the second half and Sampson cleared the bench late giving some guys some real action in which they didn't perform well leading to the 7 point win. The game was never in question and I'm sure Sampson got a lot of good tape to view and work on this week.

IU 71 - Iowa 64
IU 13-4, 4-1 in the B10

Anyone out there still think Sampson isn't the right coach for IU?

Note to Students... Your chant isn't funny and it's pretty sad when IU hits their first 3 pointer 4 minutes in and a cheerleader throws a shirt up into the student section where it falls to the floor among 5 rows of completely empty seats.

Colts Win!!!

2007-01-13T19:57:00.000-05:00

In another game that ZERO of the "experts" gave the Colts a chance, the Colts won.

15-6 in Baltimore!

The Defense came up HUGE forcing 3 TOs and preventing the Ravens from getting in the Red Zone but 1 time. Peyton struggled against a VERY GOOD Ravens defense, but came up big in 2 key series... one when the Colts took over at the 1 yard line, not only did Peyton get the Colts out of their own end, he got them in Vinateri's range for 3 points... the 2nd was with 7 minutes left he and the offense kept the ball out of the Ravens hands and drove the Colts down the field on the back of Dominic Rhodes for another Vinateri FG to clinch the win.

Kudos to the entire defense for another outstanding performance.
Kudos to Joseph Addai for some bring runs in that first series that led to 3 pts and set the physical tone of the game.
Kudos to Dominic Rhodes for some strong running while protecting the ball in that last series where the Ravens were doing all they could to get that ball back.
and most of all...
Kudos to Adam Vinateri for nailing all 5 of his kicks tonight. As Dungy said on that last kick... Adam, you are "MONEY!"

Go Pats... Indy needs to host the AFC Championship game next week.

But either way I pity the opposing team as Peyton, Marvin, Reggie, and Dallas are primed for a 5 TD game.

GO COLTS!

Pop the Cork!

2007-01-13T16:20:00.000-05:00

The last undefeated team went down today as Maryland beat Clemson 92 - 87.

And the 1976 IU Basketball team which went 32-0 remains the last team to go undefeated during an entire College Basketball Season.

IU at Penn State

2007-01-13T14:31:00.000-05:00

Random thoughts while sitting on my couch on a rainy day in Speedway.

This is the perfect trap game... IU rebounds from the close game at OSU with 2 blowout wins at home, then has to play a noon game at Penn State with their students still off campus against a team that plays zone exclusively.

And IU started off very slowly going down 5-17 while PSU hit everything they threw up 6 of 7 from the field.

I must say I like how Sampson has a quick hook and if you take bad shots, miss a defensive assignment or a block out, you are going to take a seat.

Why must the announcers always bring up Mike Davis during IU games and say "He was such a good man and did such good things at IU." What good did he do? I don't ever hear any examples. Enough already!!! We now have a coach and this team is playing so much better. He is UAB's problem now!

Glad to see DJ play with patience and instead of forcing shots, he instead went to the offensive board and got some easy put backs.

I love the "Mess with the High Life and the High Life will mess with you" commercials. "$11.50 for a hamburger? Y'all must be crazy." Outstanding commercials.

Everytime I see Wilmont with the ball I find myself saying "No don't take that... nice shot." Talk about a streaky shooter that has never seen a shot he doesn't like. And he was on fire in the first half keeping IU in the game. 6 3 pointers and a put back gave Wilmont 20 pts at the half

What a first half of runs... PSU 15-3 run, IU 8-0 run, PSU 10-0 run, IU 7-0 run

Sampson is going to be on fire at halftime... his team didn't bring the defense in the first half. I think they will in the 2nd.

Penn State can't be happy only being up 1, 41 - 40 at the half after playing a nearly perfect half of basketball.

Oh adjustments... what a beautiful thing. Sampson had IU driving into the PSU zone early in the 2nd half and got some early fouls on Penn State. Which is a good thing cause there was a foul called on every possession at both ends. Hey DK... what was it you said about the B10 letting them play? Not today. Ticky Tack Ticky Tack. And IU adjusted... amazing what a coach can do.

Nice to see Mike White come in and play solid minutes when needed today. His play inside in the 2nd half was every bit as important as Wilmonts in the first half. As was Ben Allen's in the last 4 minutes.

IU's defense in the first 10 minutes of the 2nd half held Penn State to 13 points and IU took the lead for the first time at the 10 minute mark... 55-54.

I love the Guinness Brilliant Pass of the game... brilliant sponsorship opportunity... BRILLIANT!

IU never panicked... not when they were having big runs put on them... not when they were in serious foul trouble early in the second half... not when DJ went down with his 4th at the 8 minutes mark... they just kept making adjustments and playing through it... that is a sign of a great leader under pressure. I loved the slowdown offense with the lead... until PSU started their full court pressure then it was attack with Bassett... and the zone defense to protect DJ inside was key

IU 84 - Penn State 74

That is a game IU loses last year... Thank you Kelvin Sampson.

Off to sell my timeshare and start working from home.

Go Colts!

IU - Purdue Postgame

2007-01-10T23:55:00.000-05:00

Man is it fun to watch IU basketball again! Kelvin Sampson is the PERFECT coach for IU.

For those of you that couldn't see the game due to 'ESPNU Suck', IU absolutely dominated Purdue for 40 minutes. It was one sweet ASS KICKING!!!

IU 85 - Purdue 58

But instead of talking about the game, I'm going to talk about the IU students who turned in one of the most PATHETIC and EMBARRASSING performances in the history of IU basketball. Here is a picture of the student section 1 minute into the start of the game. It finally was half full at the 10 minute mark, 3/4 full at the half and was back to half full with 10 minutes left. Note to IU... screw the students if this is going to be the effort of the "entitlement" generation. Give them their first come, first serve, student section in the one end of Assembly Hall they have been asking for... that should only account for 500 tickets. And sell the rest of the tickets to the general public.

ESPNUnavailable

2007-01-10T01:00:00.000-05:00

This just really ticks me off... even though I will be at the game and able to see it in person.

Most fans won't find game on TV - indystar.com

If you want to complain to the EspeciallySuckyProductionNetwork, please feel free to send them a note about ESPNU-can't get it - ESPN ContactUs Form

I did... I'll be curious if I get a response.