Dad's Weekend

I know I'm supposed to use this space to give my analysis of IU's 62-49 win over Purdue, but I won't be doing that here. I want to tell you about something more important, something that means more to me personally and that I hope you'll appreciate.\nCharles C. Phillips III and I could not be more different. He was raised through cold New England winters; I was spoiled by southern California's sun-splashed beaches. He stands at a stocky 5-foot-9, built like the linebacker he was, while I'm a skinny 6-foot-2 basketball player. I'm a writer that looks at a biology book and Saddam Hussein with the same level of contempt, while he's a surgeon with illegible handwriting. He's also my dad, and despite all of these barriers, there was always something we could talk about for hours -- sports.\nSince I came to IU, Dr. Chuck, as my friends affectionately call him, has become arguably the biggest Hoosier basketball fan on the planet. He's read "A Season on the Brink," proudly wears his Hoosiers gear wherever he goes and has been known to frequent sports bars near home so he doesn't miss a game. After each IU contest, he'll call and dissect the game with me, and celebrate the win or lament the loss. \nWith that in mind, for Christmas this year I gave him a brand new IU hat, with a courtside ticket to the Purdue game inside. Now before you get all upset, wondering how I was able to get him such a great seat, let me just say this -- I'm kind of a big deal, people know me ...\nSo he flew out from San Diego this weekend and got to enter Assembly Hall for the first time. Walking through the North Entrance and out to view the court, he was like a kid in a candy store. The look on his face was probably similar to mine when last week when I found "The Karate Kid" movies on sale for $29.95 at Best Buy. I mean not only did I get the best trilogy in movie history for less than $30, but I also got "The Next Karate Kid" (starring Hilary Swank) free with the purchase ... yeah, I know, free is still overpriced for that movie, but what are you gonna do?\nAs the game tipped off, it was quickly apparent it would be a struggle. Both teams played great defense, Marco Killingsworth struggled to get free down low and the Hoosiers had trouble hitting open shots. But late in the game, Rod Wilmont and Robert Vaden stepped up and put the game away. \nI sat next to Dr. Chuck throughout the game and watched him enjoy it. It made me feel incredibly good to give back something to someone that's given so much to me and so many others. See, my dad spent 24 years in the Navy, serving his country when he could have been making more money in private practice. He paid his own way through college and became the first Phillips to graduate. This is a guy who never missed a Little League game, was always on the sidelines for soccer and couldn't have been more supportive any time I made a decision with my life. When it became obvious that basketball was going to be my sport of choice, he quizzed me to learn as much as he could. He grew up on football and baseball and didn't know all the subtle nuances that went along with hoops. But he was willing to learn, simply because it interested me. Let me tell you, it is surreal having to slowly explain the basics of the 2-3 zone to a guy who does complex micro surgery every day. But he never missed a game I played in high school or AAU ball, no matter what else he had going on. He even sat down with my high school coach after I was benched for a disagreement he and I had. I thought my coach was an a-hole -- he disagreed. \nDr. Chuck has always been there no matter what I've done and I can't possibly thank him enough. So Dad, this one's for you.