109 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(06/01/05 11:32pm)
Two weeks ago, Newsweek incited a riot within the White House with its article alleging American interrogators mistreated the Koran by flushing it down the toilet, which in turn was credited for violent riots in Afghanistan. The allegations, aided in Newsweek by an anonymous source, created a backlash in the U.S. regarding the media's use of such nameless sources.\nThe Bush administration was quick to criticize news organizations for what the administration sees as an overuse of anonymous sources in attempts to generate negative attacks. Of course, this is only a problem for the Conservative Republican base when its president's administration is the subject of such stories. Where were the attacks on anonymity when totally baseless stories surfaced during the Clinton administration? Sources close to this and close to that popped up everywhere, especially during the president's controversial tryst with the infamous intern. \nBut now, as it's a Republican president's watch under the microscope, the use of anonymous sources has become a gross misuse of supposed journalistic integrity It's funny how views can shift so swiftly. \nBut like anonymous sources or not, they have changed the landscape of American journalism and even brought an end to a presidency.\nThis week, Vanity Fair uncovered the mystery of "Deep Throat," the anonymous liaison for Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. Deep Throat assisted the two in their efforts to crack the Watergate scandal for the Washington Post and his identity was to be kept secret until his death. \nHow did Vanity Fair decipher the mystery that has baffled historians, college classrooms and pundits abound? In a shocking twist of events, the magazine, working on a story with such a grand scale, declined to use an anonymous source. Who'd they use? W. Mark Felt, Deep Throat himself. \nWhew! Isn't that a relief? An anonymous source would have opened up a whole new can of worms. \nFelt told Vanity Fair he didn't think being Deep Throat was a big deal and in his position as second in command of the FBI at the time of the scandal and that leaking information was nothing to be proud of. While Felt might truly believe that, this being the main reason he has kept mum on the subject for so many decades, he now has allowed the public to place a face on the most famous anonymous source in American history. \nWe had the voice and the silhouette courtesy of "All the President's Men" and now we have a face, and perhaps a reason for Felt's divulgence of information. \nFollowing the Watergate scandal and the Post's revelations, anonymous sourcing leaped exponentially. Every news outlet wanted the next Deep Throat, the next big scandal story. Now nearly 30 years later, the Bush administration and its abhorrence for the usage of anonymity can thank W. Mark Felt, or, as he'll forever be remembered, Deep Throat.
(05/26/05 2:38am)
As suggestions for possible column topics were tossed my way, I was asked by a colleague to do the world, the IU campus and all of woman-kind a favor and impart my teachings onto young men as how to interact successfully with the opposite sex.\nWhile most women readers have already scoffed, some might linger with increasing curiosity. Ladies today have their Cosmo magazines walking them through seemingly any situation that might arise. Who can forget "How to Sound Sexy in the Sack" or "How to Turn Him on in Ten Words or Less?" \nSomething tells me the words "TV remote" and "beer" will mistakenly be excluded from the list. However, quality advice for young males is scarce. Sure, we have our Maxims and our FHMs, but this month's best advice tidbit tells desperate fellas to head straight for the hotel bar. Word to the wise: avoid hotel bars for a potentially embarrassing explanation to your parents why you got arrested for soliciting a prostitute might soon follow. \nIt has come to my attention through extensive interaction with women that many believe men to be romantically hopeless. Awkward, confused and bumbling are some of the adjectives mixed in during their explanations. Where women have been taught and well-versed in the nuances of romance, many men lack the voice to steer them in the right direction. So I have undertaken the arduous task of enlightening the throngs of awkward, confused and bumbling specimens of failed romance.\n- Too many men in a relationship take for granted what they actually have. Remember why you first started dating your girlfriend and make sure she knows how special and important she is to you. Telling your girlfriend she's beautiful/pretty means much more to her than you could ever imagine.\n- Be spontaneous. If you become too predictable some of the excitement might flee. Show up on her doorstep with flowers in the middle of any random day. Cook her dinner when you've made plans to go out. Rent "Pretty Woman." The list is endless, so there's no reason not to deviate from the standard.\n- Women are crazy. Remember this, for it could be the truest statement I make. You can never accurately anticipate her reactions 100 percent of the time. In one instance, she'll laugh and smother you with hugs and kisses, an hour later you'll receive a scowl and a punch in the arm for the same remark. Understand the difference between the time for a joke and the time to shut up and nod. Every man needs a good nod.\n- Mute the TV.\n- Make sure your personal business remains personal. Around college students, stories move swiftly through circles of friends and will eventually find their way back to the unintended. Intimacy will be lost if word gets out and her trust in you might be shaken. Her trust should be cherished and valued above anything. You need to be the person she can turn to at any moment; if you're not, fix the problem. \n- Remember women are always right and don't forget to apologize. "I'm sorry" saves lives.\n- Give yourselves space. There will be times where you just need some time to hang out with the guys or she's gotten so frustrated with you that leaving is usually the best option. She needs her friend time and you need yours, or else you'll isolate yourselves and begin to overkill a good thing. \n- Avoid jealousy. Girls have friends who are guys, and in your head you'll begin to conjure up all sorts of gut-wrenching images. Don't do it. Remember, she's with you for a reason.\nSo I've sandwiched as much info as I could for you. It's far from foolproof, but it beats making a mad dash to the hotel bar.
(05/19/05 12:43am)
It's been called the botanical nightmare, the green scourge, a monstrosity and the mindless un-killable plant, but it seems 120 years after its introduction to the United States, the despised Southern vine, kudzu, has begun to prove its worth. \nLong been used by the Chinese and Japanese as an herbal medicine, researchers at America's finest institutions began examining the plant that has gripped the country's southeastern region.\nThe most recent findings by researcher Scott Lukas and his team indicate the plant, deemed as a pest by many, might curb binge drinking and possibly alleviate alcoholism. \nLukas' experiment consisted of every college male's ideal Saturday afternoon -- a television, a reclining chair and a refrigerator stocked with ice cold beer. The appeal to participate in the Kudzu Experiment rivals last year's experiment involving the use of marijuana and the consumption of Cheetos. \nThe team's findings showed subjects who took a kudzu capsule drank an average of 1.8 beers during a 90-minute session compared to the 3.5 beers drank by those who took the placebo. \nTherefore, with kudzu's help, the always original exchange, "I didn't know you changed your major to nursing? Because you're nursing that beer," will remain ever popular.\nIt is believed that kudzu increases blood alcohol levels and speeds up the alcohol's effects within the body. In Laymen's terms, students who take kudzu pills need fewer drinks to feel drunk.\nI wonder how the people at Kilroy's and Nick's feel about this. This just might be the breakthrough that not only curbs binge drinking, but curbs the number of appearances my wallet makes in a given night out.\n"It's perfectly safe, from what we can tell," Lukas told The Associated Press. "Individuals reported feeling a little more tipsy or lightheaded, but not enough to make them walk into walls or stumble and fall."\nGoodbye, unnecessary bruises and knee scrapes.\nThe vine has long been dreaded in the southeast, clinging to everything it can, blocking out the sun and killing trees. The invasive interloper, as it is deemed by Georgians, was identified by the United States Department of Agriculture as a pest weed in 1953 because of the plant's exponential growth. Kudzu vines can grow as much as a foot per day during the summer months and can grow 60-feet per year. And "the vine that ate the south" costs the U.S. around $500 million annually in lost cropland and control expenses. However, now the plant which has cost the government so many millions can be peddled to pharmaceutical companies to make uncountable billions. \nThe plant's beneficial medical uses are not confined to simply minimizing the speed at which college students can down a case of Keystones or finish off a bottle of Maker's Mark. Research has shown kudzu's roots contain anti-inflammatory agents, cancer preventatives, an anti-leukemic agent and has been used to fight migraines. \nBut despite the plant's potential benefits, many in the southeast would like nothing more than to see the "rambunctious devil" eradicated. Yet, with new medicinal uses for kudzu popping up seemingly as fast as the vine can grow, the hated "weed" which conquers street signs, homes, vehicles and invades urban areas might finally have earned its stripes and be embraced by those who curse its existence. \nNow could be a good time to inform the audience as to avoid future embarrassment and unethical practices, I have been contracted out by the Society of Kudzu Enthusiasts to write this column, so my view on the plant might be a bit skewed. But seriously, it fights cancer, leukemia, migraines and makes you feel drunk without drinking nearly as much. \nSign me up, especially if another experiment is in the cards.
(05/12/05 12:11am)
Who said all the fun leaves Bloomington once the vast majority of the students do? Summer in Bloomington offers a tranquil alternative to the hustle and bustle 37,000-plus students bring during the fall and spring semesters. \nThe streets which penetrate campus open up like clogged arteries following angioplasty. The SRSC and HPER clear out, meaning waits for the Ab-Cruncher 3000 are minimal if at all. \nBut with a dwindling number of college-aged peers, there are certain drawbacks to spending a summer in a town which revolves around the local university. \nThey lurk in the shadows during the year, biding their time, looming and waiting for the moment when the New Jersey, New York and Illinois license plates head north on SR 37, leaving Bloomington in a cloud of dust. \nThe local community -- or "townies" as they are so eloquently titled -- take back the town once the sun is at its brightest. \nNowhere is this more apparent than in the bars that less than a week ago were filled with seemingly the entire Greek system and thousands of college co-eds looking to satisfy their addiction, albeit a legal one.\nStep into a Kirkwood Avenue bar next week and the mullets might outnumber the miniskirts. The cups which used to flow with trendy Cosmopolitans now spill over with chewed and regurgitated Skoal. \nSure, there are winter and spring breaks, but the combined month of alone-time leaves the local community's appetite unfulfilled. The winters are too cold to venture out to the rock quarries or stroll along Kirkwood and the spring hiatus remains far too short for locals to even realize the town has been abandoned. But in the summer time, those who have rarely ventured away from Wal-Mart, traverse the city and reach the pinnacle of high society all the way across town -- Target. \nPickup trucks whiz by, exhaust pipes exploding at every stop, as the Chevys and Fords fill the polluted air with country music. They howl as they drive by, letting the remaining IU students know that this is their time, that for more than a three-week period they will once again re-establish Bloomington as a southern Indiana town. \nSo how do we as the minority combat the invasion of our region? It's simple: cross the border. That's right, believe it or not, there is much more to Bloomington than IU's beautiful campus, the local bar scene and College Mall. We live surrounded by lush forests, serene lakes and countless attractions within our reach.\nTake a trip out to Griffy Lake and rent a canoe, take in the beauty of Lake Lemon or get real adventurous and sponsor a party on the water on one of Lake Monroe's countless pontoon boats. \nIf you're of legal drinking age, head a mere seven miles north to the Oliver Winery, where you're afforded the opportunity to taste up to eight different wines for free. If you find one you've liked, buy a bottle, maybe some cheese and some bread, and sit outside near the pond and enjoy a nice relaxing afternoon. \nSprinkle in road trips to nearby locales such as Cincinnati, Louisville, Indianapolis and Chicago and a summer "based" in Bloomington can rank among the finest.\nBut please, don't rebel. Don't curse the townies. Let them enjoy the four months of the year in which the city they call home will finally once again feel like it. Just take it all in, bite your tongue and bask in the sunlight by a pool, or better yet, a lake. \nDon't worry, order will be restored. Just wait a few months.
(05/06/05 2:37am)
The transition from child to adult finally has forged its way to the forefront. Sure, I've already become an adult three times. When I was 13, my faith deemed me an adult; when I came to college, my parents deemed me an adult; and when I turned 21, the law deemed me an adult. But this weekend -- for the first time in my life -- I'll really feel like the dreaded "adult." \nFor 17 years, all I've known is school. Now, I will receive my degree (later in the mail, of course) and head off into the harrowing "real world."\nHowever, I'm stuck wondering what that actually means. Does it mean no more kegger theme-parties? No more beer pong? No more taking a day off to play softball in Dunn Meadow? Are those things not "real?"\nThe answer is no. It's a dream world, a fantasy that lasts a mere four years, unless you received a D in a class that was attendance-based and didn't stipulate so in the syllabus, forcing you to spend six weeks here taking a class -- happened to a friend, I swear.\nAttending college in a college town is ideal. You become part of your own community. More than 35,000 students your age run around with a sense of entitlement. This is our place and our time, just like the generations before us. \nBut it's over now and it's time to move on, and Graduation Day is a time to reflect.\nReflect on the worst class you ever took, which for me is a rather easy distinction - Central Asian Explorers. A friend and I thought it was Central European Explorers, but instead it was a class of 10 students sitting at a round table, five of whom were graduate students, including one who wore a funny-looking Russian fur hat and another who informed the instructor she had to pick up her kids in an hour.\n To say my friend and I were completely miscast in this class is quite the understatement. This was never more apparent then when one of the students brought in his photo album of his spring break trip to Uzbekistan.\nRemember the first time you ran from a frat party when Dean McKaig and IUPD showed up and you ended up standing on the soccer field, an even greater conundrum, as you added trespassing to the list of illegal activities on the night?\nConsider the damage Taco John's and all the other dormitory eateries did to your stomach. Think fondly of the 2002 run to the Final Four, the subsequent rioting and all that it entails. \nThere was the good, the bad and then the ugly, but it was college -- a four-year party with class sprinkled in somewhere. Does the real world offer us such fond memories? \nWhat lies ahead for many is clear: work, marriage, parenthood and death. Some stuff happens in between, but the highlights might be limited to coaching Little League, showing the punk who's taking your daughter out on a date your brand new Louisville Slugger and buying a house in a nice neighborhood far away from your parents. \nI hear Uzbekistan is nice. \nLife lies ahead, but there's a reason every adult utters these cliché words: "College is the greatest four years of your life."\nTrust me, they know, just as we'll soon find out.
(05/02/05 5:26am)
Finals week isn't limited to tests, papers and projects. For many, finals week symbolizes the last time for various occurrences we have become so accustomed to: the final midnight urination in the Arboretum, the last time making out in the stacks and yes, the final time to sit down at the computer and crank out a column.\nFour years ago, I stepped onto to IU's campus, a bushy-tailed freshman resembling more of a high school freshman than that of the college variety. An avid sports enthusiast, I spent my fledgling days dispelling rumors that my father was the star of "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" and "Spaceballs." \nOnce the blood test results came in and my floormates were satisfied Lord Helmet was indeed not the guilty party of my creation, I was able to focus on my true love -- sports. \nI was unaware at the time that my freshman year would be the pinnacle of my cheering days.\nI knew of the tradition IU basketball boasted. I'm almost certain "Hoosiers" was on a 24-hour continuous loop on the IU movie channel in the dorms, except in the morning when "FernGully 2: The Magical Rescue" came on at 8:30 a.m. And the 2001-02 season was quite the introduction into the tradition of IU basketball. The regular season saw the Hoosiers share the Big Ten title with more teams than Tom Cruise has girlfriends. IU fans were unprepared for what lay ahead, especially a Florida transplant who had wholeheartedly embraced the Hoosier luster. \nIn the NCAA tournament, IU won its first two games, setting up a Sweet Sixteen tilt against No. 1 ranked Duke. \nA sizeable group gathered in my dorm room, some with painted faces and, of course, the hidden bottle of booze. The Blue Devils boasted a starting lineup featuring four current NBA players and one former member of the Association who has an affinity for motorcycles. The Hoosiers' starting lineup featured just that: Hoosiers. Take a look at Jarrad Odle, Tom Coverdale, Dane Fife and Kyle Hornsby and tell me you couldn't see them taking instructions from Gene Hackman. Down for most of the game, the Hoosiers showed resiliency and shocked the college basketball world, albeit by a missed free throw by Jason Williams on a potential four-point play. As soon as Jeff Newton secured the rebound, mayhem began. Guys poured into the hallways of McNutt-Bordner 3 jumping in near dismay. "To Showalter Fountain!" the mob exclaimed.\nThe memory of the drunken jog from McNutt down Fee Lane, through the Arboretum and finally to the fountain still brings a smile to my face. The uneasiness of Captain Morgan sloshing around in my stomach on the jog and the pure jubilation as everywhere you looked smiling faces greeted you has been etched in my mind. There were the flashing girls, the moronic chants and, of course, the crowd surfing, which I partook in, only to be dropped on the asphalt and nearly trampled when a group of girls decided my 117-pound frame was too much to handle. \nThe ride continued for a week and a half. Classes became irrelevant; they merely served as fillers between games, which culminated with the championship bout versus Maryland. \nIU took a brief lead in the second half only to have Juan Dixon snatch it away. The margin grew and the hopes of a title slipped away. The dejection lasted for an instant, and the decision to rejoin the mob for one last "celebration" was in order. A rambunctious crowd, a bonfire on Kirkwood Avenue and riot police completed the scene. \nStanding at the corner of Dunn Street and Kirkwood Avenue, I had a clear view into the perimeter the shielded police had set up. And one by one they fixed their gas masks on. Then there it was, flying in the air as if it was aimed directly at me, a canister emerged. Clank! It hits the ground no more than five feet away from my feet. \n"It's a dud," I tell the crowd. And as the final syllable is uttered, the gas explodes that would send "rioters" scurrying like deer from hunters. \nA pain I have never felt before consumed me. The eyes began to water uncontrollably, dry heaving soon followed and the burning, oh, the burning. I lost a man that night. "Go on without me, I can't go anymore," he said, reminiscent of a Hollywood war film. And so he was abandoned. Fortunately, a block away, a hose was found to douse the eyes. \nThe greatest pain to crown the greatest week and a half of my college career. Seriously, you've never lived until you've been tear gassed. \nAnd with that, I leave you. I hope you've enjoyed reading my "Takes" as much as I've enjoyed writing them. To all the graduates, good luck, and to all those remaining, I hope you'll be afforded the opportunity to forge your own victorious riots and create everlasting memories.
(04/25/05 5:22am)
As a soon-to-be graduate of this fine university, I must say I'm a bit worried. Especially if the journalism industry is as harsh to IU grads as the National Football League has proved to be.\nDuring this weekend's NFL Draft, Hoosier receiver Courtney Roby joined the ranks of professional footballers when the school's all-time leading receiver was selected at the beginning of the third round by the Tennessee Titans.\nRoby's inclusion in the NFL, and more importantly the draft, reminded those watching around the country that Indiana does in fact still wear pads and helmets. Since 1993, only four Hoosier football players who heard their names called during the televised melodrama remain in the league. They are, without further adieu: quarterback Trent Green (selected in the now nonexistent eighth round in '93), offensive lineman Chris Liwienski (seventh round in '98), wide receiver Antwaan Randle El (second round in '02) and quarterback Gibran Hamdan (amazingly chosen in the seventh round in '03).\nGreen has become an All-Pro, throwing 133 touchdowns in his career and leading the prolific Kansas City offense. Liwienski became notable when a White House intern with a similar last name enjoyed her 15 minutes of fame, but he has established himself with a string of 64 consecutive starts for Minnesota. Randle El, a former option quarterback, has made the switch to wide receiver with relative ease as Pittsburgh's No. 3 target and return specialist. Hamdan is still a work-in-progress, applying his trade overseas in NFL Europe allocated by Seattle.\nOf course, Hoosiers in the NFL aren't limited to the select few who got drafted. Although only five Hoosiers have the luxury of calling themselves draft picks, six other former IU alumni currently lay claim to an NFL roster spot. Surprising, I know. But with Roby's selection Saturday evening, the number of Hoosiers in the NFL has reached 11. Sure, it's far behind Ohio State's 45 and the 44 of Michigan, and it ranks last in the Big Ten, but 11 ain't that bad.\nNow, the numbers really would have spiked if Indiana University of Pennsylvania allowed its five NFLers to drop the "of Pennsylvania" and join our ranks. But that's as unlikely as founding an Alabama University of New Hampshire. Seriously Pennsylvania, don't name your university after another state. Trust me: There's a lot more in the Keystone State than in the Hoosier State. Get creative.\nThe list of former Hoosiers include linebacker Justin Smith, defensive end Kemp Rasmussen and cornerback Marcus Floyd, who all call Carolina home; offensive linemen Enoch DeMar and Craig Osika, who apply their trade in Cleveland; defensive lineman Kris Dielman, who is in San Diego; and Pro Bowl defensive end Adewale Ogunleye, who is chasing quarterbacks in Chicago, and who can thank Dave Wannstedt's daughter (an IU grad) for providing pops with a scouting report. \nThe route of the undrafted free agent trying to fight his way onto an NFL roster is not an easy one, and it speaks volumes of the player's character and commitment to his craft. Watching name after name, player after player receive that ever-important phone call, it's tough not to question one's place in a sport they have devoted so much time and sweat to.\nAfter the conclusion of the draft, former Hoosiers defensive lineman Jodie Clemons, safety Herana-Daze Jones, tight end Aaron Halterman, wide receiver Travis Haney and offensive lineman Chris Jahnke's resolve will be tested. They'll sit by the phone, hoping a team comes calling to extend a free agent contract and an invite to training camp. But like the other six IU survivors, they'll claw and scratch their way onto an NFL roster if their heart is in it. And if not, they'll be in the same boat as me -- still looking for work.\nI hope none of them write well.
(04/18/05 5:29am)
So who's excited about IU football?\nYeah, I didn't think so. \nWhile most of the students on campus were either getting drunk, already drunk or passed out from being drunk, Friday afforded die-hard Hoosier football fans with a glimpse of what the 2005 season and new coach Terry Hoeppner may have in store.\nAnd unfortunately for the Hoosier Nation the outlook is not as rosy as, say, a rose in crystal bowl at a press conference (such as coach Hoeppner's introduction as IU's new man earlier this year). While the ad campaign is inescapable, the PR machine that is Terry Hoeppner still has a lot of work to do on the field. He says all the right things, meets with all the potential ticket holders and is accessible to anyone who will listen. However, Hoeppner will find it's a lot harder to win games in the Big Ten than it is to win over fans. \nHoeppner's most notable achievement in the eyes of college football fans is his grooming of former Miami of Ohio quarterback and current Pittsburgh Steeler Ben Roethlisberger. Well, I'm sure this will come as no surprise, but there is no Roethislberger on IU's roster. There is a Blake Powers, a Grant Gregory, a Graeme McFarland and a Mike Vlahogeorge, which is almost as difficult to pronounce and spell as Roethlisberger, but alas no future NFL studs in the bunch. The quarterback position is wide open, and following Friday's Cream and Crimson game, not one stepped up and established himself as the clear cut No. 1. \nWhile that's a problem in itself, another one creeps up. Who are they going to throw to? In this new wide-open offensive scheme Hoeppner brings over from the MAC conference, a heavy reliance on wide receivers is needed. Only one Hoosier wideout on the roster has any type of valuable experience and that is Jahkeen Gilmore. Mix in some former walk-ons, redshirt freshmen and converted safeties, running backs and corners, and you have a motley crew of receivers with not one who calls for a double team or defensive adjustments from the opposition. \nThe news isn't all bad on offense. The offensive line is a veteran bunch with vocal leaders and will be called upon to protect the unnamed quarterback and open holes for a solid stable of running backs. With the departure of BenJarvus Green-Ellis, via transfer to Ole Miss, Chris Taylor and Yamar Washington will be looked upon to carry the load. Friday evening, Taylor showcased a more slender frame and showed a burst of speed along with some vital wiggle. Washington did what he'll be expected to do all season -- average a little more than 3.5 yards a carry. Taylor has established himself in this columnist's eyes as the No. 1 back, but in a spring game which saw Washington get 10 carries for 39 yards and Taylor amass 119 on just four, you wonder why Taylor wasn't given more touches.\nOn the defensive side of the ball, not much has changed. While the Hoosiers will show fight and tenacity and rely on opportune turnovers, the depth chart is littered with players who are still too small and too slow to compete with the big boys of college football. The strength of the defense will lie in the secondary, which boasts a number of experienced corners and safeties. Buster Larkins shined in the spring game with two interceptions and Will Lumpkin and Damien Jones look solid as a safety tandem with former Big Ten Freshman Defender of the Year Will Meyers providing depth. However, in the Big Ten, the larger, faster and better teams will grind the game out on the ground and force the smaller Hoosier defenders to wrap and tackle, something even the largest Hoosier optimist admits needs work. \nWith every season, there is new optimism, especially when a new coach is brought in with such a zest for the program that Hoeppner has shown. However, you can attend all the functions, read all the articles and scan all the quotes, but when push comes to shove, this is still Indiana University, a school that hasn't been to a bowl since 1994. The athletics department can schedule all the Nicholls States and Central Michigans they want, pad the record a bit, but once it's all said and done and the Big Ten season opens up, the real litmus test will take form. \nHoeppner might be the right man for the job and I hope he is. I would like nothing more than to come back as an alumnus, look up in the stands and see a respectable crowd in a game that doesn't feature Ohio State. I want to be forced to buy a satellite to catch the games, wear my IU sweatshirt with pride in the fall and come New Year's Day watch a Hoosier team take the field. \nIt's been a while, so I'm willing to wait at least one more year.
(04/15/05 5:41am)
The self-proclaimed "World's Greatest College Weekend" is upon us. That sounds awfully presumptuous, and I myself have doubts about Little 500. To believe that a late April weekend in Indiana has been termed the greatest of anything comes as a surprise to this Florida transplant. I would expect maybe the greatest ratio of tooth decay, but the "World's Greatest College Weekend?" Wow, that's a tough pill to swallow.\nI'm sure on some university campuses across the globe, bragging rights are being touted and questions are being raised as to how an intramural bike race in the heartland of America has reached the pinnacle of greatness. \nYoung scholars at Cambridge must be livid that the annual apple toss celebrating their famous graduate Sir Isaac Newton's gravitational discovery has been surpassed by a dirt track and left turns.\nWhat do we tell the Sherpas of Katmandu University who camp at the bottom of Mount Everest, drink fermented yak's milk and watch all the Western thrill-seekers attempt to prove their manhood? Seriously, what tops that?\nSo, in search of what actually is the "World's Greatest College Weekend," I turned to the Web and every prepubescent boy's favorite search engine: www.google.com. The skeptic I am, I type "World's Greatest College Weekend," and much to my surprise and chagrin, there it was: Indiana University and Little 500 -- 342 times to be exact.\nWell there it is; egg on the face of this unbeliever. But after three years of Little 500 parties, concerts and races, I still can't push aside the British-nancy apple throwers or the Nepalese yak wacks. \nAs a naïve freshman who heard tales of grandeur regarding the race, I attended the frat parties, stood in a circle with my other freshmen friends as we watched debauchery descend to a new level. Of course it was fun, don't get me wrong, but how is this different than any other weekend? For me, the real race was getting from one house to another, then back to McNutt without getting arrested. That was exciting. That thing they call the greatest intramural event in the world was boring, unless of course you wore the same shirt as 100 others.\nWhile this may seem like a rant on what many hold so dear, I decided to unscientifically survey 73 students and gauge their thoughts on the "World's Greatest College Weekend."\nThe four questions I asked ranged from what students look forward to most during the week, if they'll attend the race and whether or not it is a greek event. \nTo no surprise, the No. 1 answer to the question of what students look forward to most was parties, with a whopping 69 percent. The actual race itself, registered a dismal 12 percent. Only 39 percent of the students polled said they expect to attend at least one of the races. And again, to no real surprise, 62 percent believed the race is a greek event.\nThe Little 500 began 55 years ago and has been steeped in IU tradition and became a part of the Indiana fabric. Proceeds go toward charities and scholarships, yet all this seems to have been ignored by the majority of the student body. The event has been degraded by generations looking for an excuse to go nuts. Students use the week as a reason to forget classes, get wasted and let loose. But ladies and gentlemen, you're in college -- do you really need a reason? \n"The World's Greatest College Weekend," huh? I'll let you be the judge, but you've never lived until you've tried fermented yak's milk.
(04/11/05 5:35am)
Mike Davis has been frustrated over the past few seasons as he struggles to find players who can comprehend and execute his system. Davis is a system coach, and believe it or not, that offensive system that fans groan and moan about can work and has. However, Davis -- a system coach -- needs system players. It has become apparent some of his players simply haven't caught on. \nWe were promised changes and Davis wasn't joking around. Soon after the season ended, sophomore foul-machine Patrick Ewing Jr. announced he was transferring. While it's not a huge blow to the program, Ewing had somewhat of a cult following, mainly impart to the large number of New York transplants who wear his father's jersey to the game. The problem is Pat will never be his father. Ewing Sr. spent too much time in the Gold Club and not enough time teaching his son the fundamentals of the game. \nWith the inclusion of Aussie big man Ben Allen and Auburn transfer Marco Killingsworth in the mix, Ewing saw the writing on the wall, and it had him sitting on the bench, or at least standing near the bench waving a towel in the air. \nDavis has a lot of work left to do in order to prepare his team for what could be a great 2006 season, and Ewing's departure will not be the final re-tooling of the roster. \nInstead of telling ESPN's Andy Katz that he thinks Bracey Wright may go pro, Davis should be sitting his star player down and telling him why he should stay. While Wright led the Big Ten in scoring, his draft stock isn't incredibly high. It's probably safe to say that if Wright does enter the draft, he'd be looking at a second round selection at best. Sure, he may go to the Chicago pre-draft camp and impress the scouts with his shooting touch and range, but in this day and age, when shooting guards are 6-foot-6 and chiseled specimens, no one wants a 6-foot-3 two-guard. \nWright has had his eyes on the pros since he stepped foot on campus. He's made no secret about his pro aspirations, but a word of advice to the young Mr. Wright. Toiling around in the CBA, the NBDL or even across the pond in Europe, you'll be wondering, "What if I had stayed? Maybe in my final year, I can take this team with the help of talented teammates to a place where we get the national exposure I so desperately seek." \nBracey, the only people mentioning your name reside in the state between Ohio and Illinois. All the attention is on Sean May, Deron Williams, Dee Brown and Raymond Felton, just to name a few. All the focus is on the players who help their team win and get to the Final Four. \nBracey, you may not remember, but there was a time when "SportsCenter" led off its broadcast with news on Tom Coverdale's ankle injury during the 2002 NCAA Tournament. The tournament is where you make your mark. It's where you get the exposure. It's where you become a household name. Don't you want to come back for that final year and show everyone what you can do on the national level instead of struggling to make an NBA training camp roster? \nNext year, the Final Four is just up the road in Indianapolis and while it may be a far cry to think about a deep NCAA run for this team, it is possible -- especially with Wright in tow.
(04/04/05 4:57am)
So despite all the upsets, despite all the madness and after all has been said and done, the nation's undisputed top two teams will meet tonight with the national championship on the line.\nTonight's title bout portrays the classic contrast of style versus substance, glamour versus grit and all the other cliché sports jargon you can think of.\nRepresenting the substance and grit, we have Big Ten regular season and tournament champion, Illinois. The nation's No. 1 team for 14 consecutive weeks heading into the NCAA Tournament, the Illini secured their first title shot in the school's history behind stellar backcourt play and an undervalued head coach in Bruce Weber. The orange and blue made a serious run at the 1976 Hoosier undefeated season, and thanks to a three-pointer by Ohio State's Matt Sylvester, the '76 team remains atop the record books as the last team to finish a season unblemished.\nThen there is the glamour team from the glamour conference. North Carolina represents style in such a way they have attacked Crayola's monopoly on color names, forcing the switch from powder blue to the annoying Carolina blue. The Heels, in their 16th Final Four in school history, woke up during the second half of Saturday's National Semifinal against Michigan State, and moved UNC alum and long-suffering head coach Roy Williams within one win of capturing that long elusive national title.\nBoth teams start three juniors and two seniors. However, the Tar Heels start four McDonald's All-Americans (Jawad Williams, Rashad McCants, Raymond Felton and Bloomington's own Sean May) compared to the Illini's one high school All-American (Dee Brown). Then there's the presence of the potential No. 1 draft pick in this year's NBA Draft coming off the bench in the form of yet another Ronald special, Marvin Williams.\nCarolina has played in six games where The Associated Press poll's No. 1 and No. 2 teams have faced each other, and in those half-dozen games, the Heels are a perfect 6-0. \nTonight's contest marks the first final game in which the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the country will meet for the championship since UCLA defeated Kentucky in 1975.\nThis year's NCAA Tournament started with 65 teams, and for the first time in 30 years the top two have dodged the bullets, squeaked by the close calls and forged the unlikeliest of comebacks to setup the match-up America most wanted to see -- No. 1 versus No. 2.\nSo who's going to win? I would boast about having UNC win the title all along, but I feel compelled to disclose the fact I had Oklahoma State, Syracuse and Wake Forest joining them in St. Louis. \nSo am I sticking with the Heels, proving to myself that no matter how long ago I tore up my bracket, the genius that lies within still persevered? Of course, then there's the fact my AOL screen name begins with the word "ILLINI." It's also my mom's alma mater, whose request to include an essay in its admission application coupled with the omnipresent stench of horse manure forced this future writer to abandon the Illini cause. \nSo in her honor, I pick our Big Ten neighbors, and if I'm wrong, forward your e-mails to her.
(03/28/05 6:01am)
Three years ago, IU coach Mike Davis welcomed a pair of heralded backcourt recruits to Bloomington in Bracey Wright and Marshall Strickland. At the time, Davis declared that in a few seasons, the duo had the potential to progress into one of the best guard tandems in the nation. \nA mere 170 miles to the west in Champaign, Ill., Bill Self and his Illinois coaching staff welcomed a backcourt duo of their own in Dee Brown and Deron Williams. \nCoincidently, Self plucked Williams from the same high school Davis found Wright, with the latter receiving more acclaim and praise, ranking as the No. 1 shooting guard in the country according to www.Rivals.com and earning an invite to participate in the McDonald's All-American Game. \nWilliams and Brown were also highly touted, with Brown joining Wright in New York City for the 2002 All-American game. \nThe Hoosiers were just coming off a trip to the National Championship game and the perception was that more of the same was yet to come.\nDavis was dealt a blow when his All-American sophomore Jared Jeffries declared for the NBA. However, the Hoosiers raced out to an 8-0 start to the 2002-03 campaign, reaching as high as No. 6 in the country. Wright received local and national acclaim as perhaps the next great IU guard joining the ranks of Isiah Thomas, Steve Alford, Calbert Cheaney and A.J. Guyton. The sky was the limit for the young Hoosier guard and the expectations for future NCAA success grew with every win.\nBut alas, the Hoosiers leveled off, finished the season with a respectable 21-13 record and fell to Pittsburgh in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.\nConference mate Illinois suffered the same fate, falling in the second round to Notre Dame. But Brown and Williams' first taste of tournament play would leave them hungry for more. With the graduation of big man Brian Cook and the defection of coach Self to Kansas, the young guards were handed the reigns of the Illini and refused to look back. \nLed by Brown and Williams, the Illini reached the Sweet Sixteen last season before bowing out to Duke. The Hoosiers finished with their first losing season in over 30 years and failed to make the tournament for the first time in 18 seasons. \nIn their three years in Champaign, the backcourt duo has amassed a record of 90-14 compared to IU's 50-42 clip during the same stretch. The combination of Brown and Williams is now receiving the national recognition Davis had once predicted for his own backcourt tandem. \nSaturday saw Illinois trail Arizona by 15 with four minutes to play before the guard pair of Williams and Brown caught fire, leading a miraculous comeback and sending the orange and blue to a place the cream and crimson had been just a scant three years earlier -- the Final Four. \nNow, Williams and Brown are the toast of the nation, legends back in the Land of Lincoln and are two wins away from completing their journey toward greatness. \nAnd how about the Hoosier duo? \nWright has probably played his last game in an IU jersey and Strickland is left wondering whether or not his position on the team is secure with the recent influx of talent. \nSo as the Illini, buoyed by the best backcourt in the country, head to St. Louis, Wright and Strickland are left watching the games like the rest of us -- from the comfort of our own couch.
(03/23/05 6:11am)
With Tuesday's announcement by IU Athletics Director Rick Greenspan removing any doubt as to who will coach the Hoosiers next year, let's all exhale.\nMike Davis isn't going to be fired, and he's not taking another job.\nEvery year a job opens up south of the Mason-Dixon Line, and every year we hear whispers as to whether Davis is going or staying. Two years ago, it was the Georgia job; last year Auburn supposedly had interest; and this year Tulane and Tennessee are looking for a coach. \nWho is to blame for all these baseless rumors? Hello, Internet. The message boards and fan forums have revolutionized sports reporting -- any middle-aged man sitting at his computer in his underwear eating refried beans can conjure up the next explosive scenario. And as a journalist, who can afford to take the risk of missing the scoop? Every rumor, every avenue must be pursued, and once our computer-geek culprit clicks "Submit Message," a buzz is created. Speculation sells newspapers, gathers viewers and intrigues all fans. \nTrust me, if Davis wanted to leave IU so badly, he would have by now. While the pressure of coaching such a tradition-rich program that expects great things might be overbearing at times, why wouldn't Davis relish the opportunity and spotlight such a high-profile job offers? Especially seeing as how Davis has set his coaching goal a tad higher than Tulane and Auburn -- that goal being a gig someday on the sidelines of an NBA arena.\nDavis is here to stay, and we journalists thank Greenspan for putting the skids on the speculation runaway train. Of course, if the Indiana Daily Student weren't free, I might be in the business of actually selling papers and would be singing a different tune. \nBut what's done is done. The decision has been made, so stop the bickering, stop the incessant e-mails, stop the Web site chatter, and stop rooting against the head man of the basketball team you hold so dear to your heart. \nWhile the past two years have been extremely harsh on Hoosier nation, especially with Bobby Knight's recent tournament success with the wasteland-located Texas Tech, remember the General hadn't been to a Sweet Sixteen since 1994 before this season. The "Great" Bobby Knight hadn't steered his Hoosiers to within a game of winning a national title since he actually won the thing in 1987.\nFolks give Knight far too much credit for his time in Bloomington. Don't get me wrong; the three national championship banners and his 661 wins look mighty fine and shouldn't be forgotten. However, in Knight's final five NCAA tournaments as IU's head coach, the General lost three times in the first round and twice in the second round.\nIn his final go-round with the Hoosiers, Knight lost in grand fashion to upstart Pepperdine in the first round by 20 points. In 1998, St. John's embarrassed the Hoosiers by 25 points, and in 1996, Colorado dismissed the cream and crimson by 18.\nYet Knight returned to Bloomington still held in high reverence as the great basketball mind. Granted, at least the Hoosiers made the tournament, unlike these past two seasons. But just remember, it wasn't so bright and sunny under Knight. Let us not forget the emotional baggage brought on by "His Greatness." Who knew when another profanity-laced outburst, chair toss or player choke would occur? But he wins, they argued. Wins what? In a "what have you done for me lately?" business, Knight hadn't produced. Davis did, and in just his second season. \n"Well, he won with Knight's players." \nThen we should offer more applause and acclaim to Davis because whether you'd like to admit it or not, the General, with those same players, didn't. \nDavis has at least been assured of one more year. Expectations are extremely high for a team two years removed from the NCAA Tournament, and the Hoosier head coach knows he needs to win -- now. And if he doesn't, let the debate be raised then. But for now, can we just let all of this Knight talk set with the sun?
(03/21/05 5:10am)
Let me extend my most sincere "Welcome Back," to all you students who dared travel outside this wonderful region. \nWhile many IU students basked in the glaring sun, whether it was from the deck of a cruise ship or the pool of a third-rate motel in Acapulco, your friendly local basketball columnist was being held hostage by 14 men donning cream and crimson. \nI voluntarily sacrificed the sun and fun for the opportunity to traverse the nation covering one of the tradition-rich basketball programs. \nLittle did I know my travels would be limited to a single night in the Windy City. \nThe Hostage Crisis began March 11 with a trip to Chicago for the Big Ten Tournament. The quarterfinal match-up between Minnesota and IU would determine the path of the Hoosiers' spring break plans, as well as the plans of everyone's favorite student journalists.\nAccompanied by the Indiana Daily Student's two basketball beat writers and one stellar photographer, I witnessed from behind a row of freshly shaved knobs an abysmal performance from the Hoosiers that removed any doubts as to whether or not IU was a NCAA Tournament-worthy team. \nAfter the loss, the Fearsome Foursome returned to the desolate Bloomington to await word on whether the Hoosiers would play host to a NIT game or be sent to some lovely -- and more importantly, warm -- destination such as Miami or Tempe, Ariz. A potential weekend game would allow the quartet to escape the depths of the pariah and maybe fit a few days of southward travel in. \nHowever, the National Invitational Tournament put the kibosh on our getaway.\nThe powers that be thought it would be a novel idea to allow IU to hold a mid-week home contest despite the lack of students on campus to support the team, assuming students still care. \nWednesday, before a paltry crowd of 5,113, IU proved to the NCAA Selection Committee the right decision had been made to let the 2004-05 Hoosiers sit this dance out as Vanderbilt not only won the game, but unlike us hostages, left Bloomington for warmer waters.\nSo just like that, the dreams of further travel were dashed. No sunny reprieve. No more road trips. No more IU basketball. \nBut the question might be raised: Why would anyone in their right mind pass up an opportunity to lather up in SPF 40 and drown midterm sorrows away with a case of Mike's Hard Iced Tea? \nHow about a possible trip to Boise, Idaho, and the Taco Bell Arena, for first-round NCAA Tournament play? Had IU been invited to the NCAA Tournament, Boise would have been the destination. I hear they have a happening bar scene (what else is there to do in Idaho?), not to mention all-you-can eat chalupas for the media!\nHowever, I must admit the week in a deserted college town was not a total loss. We may not have known about the next great made-for-TV movie, "Spring Break Shark Attack" featuring "The O.C.'s" Shannon Lucio or expected Moose to rent a car with Enterprise for his Class of '94 High School reunion. \nIn addition, with everyone in town gone, you get a chance to really understand community and the locals who come out of hiding when the coast is clear. Pickup trucks littered with NASCAR stickers breeze by empty streets, and for once order is restored to a small southern Indiana town.\nAgain, let me reiterate my first point: Welcome back!
(03/14/05 3:43am)
Selection Sunday came and went, and the IU basketball squad was among the teams waiting, watching and praying its name would be revealed as a NCAA Tournament team. However, with a 15-13 record, the Hoosiers' hopes for an at-large bid went by the wayside with Friday's embarrassing display against Minnesota in the Big Ten Tournament.\nAn announcement of IU as a tourney team would have been very surprising. But perhaps more surprising was the Committee's decision to select five teams from the Big Ten and IU not being among them. Instead, Iowa, a team that finished the conference season with a 7-9 record, slipped in the back door.\nI had a front row seat for Mike Davis' press conference following the loss to the Gophers, and maybe it was his assertion that IU came into the conference tournament as the No. 4 seed - a fact he repeated on 18 occasions - but I don't think Davis ever imagined five teams from the Big Ten getting into the NCAA Tournament and his Hoosiers not being one of them. \nIU went 10-6 in conference play and I'm sure the presence of Iowa's Athletics Director Bob Bowlsby on the Selection Committee will provide plenty of fodder for the online chat rooms and local journalists. But Iowa's resume appealed to the Committee over the Hoosiers' profile because of one main reason: quality non-conference wins. Iowa beat Louisville, Texas and Texas Tech - all \ntournament teams, albeit with the since-suspended Pierre Pierce - compared to \nIU's ineptness against top notch opponents outside the Big Ten. \nIowa's run to the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament couldn't have hurt its case. The Committee's last impression of the Hawkeyes was a buzzer-beater loss to Wisconsin on a running, off-balance three-pointer, whereas the Committee's last glance at the Hoosiers couldn't have inspired those making the selections to extend an invitation to the boys from Bloomington.\nNow the cream and crimson will compete in the NIT, still wondering how a team that finished three games behind them in the conference could leap frog them into the pinnacle of college basketball. The head scratching will continue, some bitterness may linger, but what's done is done and the Hoosiers must move on. It will be hard for the players and coaches to get motivated for the NIT, especially when all the national focus will be on that "other" tournament. But there are still plenty of quality teams left out there. Notre Dame, Memphis, \nMaryland, Virginia Tech, Saint Joseph's and DePaul all missed out on a chance to dance. Now the 40 teams extended invites to the NIT will fight it out for the chance to storm New York City.\nThe Hoosiers have gone from the Big Dance to the Big Apple. Heck, I'd rather go to Times Square than the Arch anyways. And for a team who didn't participate in any postseason play last season, the NIT should be a welcome sight in IU's move back toward the sport's Holy Grail.\nBut the question will remain: How do you explain to Mike Davis that the No. 7 seed is dancing and, wait I forget what seed we were... Mike, a little help please.\n"How many times do I have to say it? We're the fourth seed."\nAh, that's right. How could I forget?
(03/11/05 5:53am)
Today's pre-spring break paper ranks as the equivalent of the journalism world's neglected ugly duckling. \nWith thousands of IU students flocking to regions far away ranging from Uruguay to Park City, Utah, the pre-spring break paper sits in the newsstand yearning to be read. It waits for that student from Indonesia - who can't go home because of fears he won't be allowed back in the states -- to walk by for the 10th time and begrudgingly reach his nearly frozen hand and grasp the paper, which after three days will finally get to breathe the crisp winter air.\nSo as I sat down to the computer and pondered the next great chapter of journalistic gold, I realized this just might be the least read column of my fledgling career. So do I dare waste my words of grandeur on deaf ears, or do I titillate those loyal readers of mine -- The Crumbs -- with perhaps a column so fantastic it can turn this ugly duckling into a beautiful swan? \nNow that I've set my readers up for inevitable disappointment and then just announced that I've done so, we're back to square one. \nI think I'll write of the importance surrounding today's quarterfinal contest between IU and Minnesota. A game we all know the Hoosiers need to win to -- pardon the cliché -- keep hope alive.\nThere has been talk lately that no matter who wins Friday's contest between the Hoosiers and Gophers, Minnesota (20-9, 10-6) has already staked its claim to one of the few remaining at-large bids. I'm not convinced.\nWhile the Gophers boast five more wins than IU and three fewer losses, are the Gophers really better? Minnesota, like the Hoosiers, scheduled some good to decent non-conference games; however, the garnet and gold lined up three teams, whereas IU mistakenly scheduled six. \nAnd how did Minnesota do in those three contests? Two home losses -- to Alabama and Florida State -- and a 13-point loss at Oklahoma: Not exactly the North Carolina, UConn or Kentucky the Hoosiers faced.\nThe Gophers early schedule was littered with the likes of Chicago State, St. Francis (Pa.), N.C. Greensboro, Coppin State, Lipscomb, Central Michigan, Loyola Marymount and Holy Cross, who boast an impressive 16-game winning streak but has also lost to Princeton and Bucknell.\nIU's early season slate saw Indiana State, Western Illinois, Ball State and the unlucky Oral Roberts, who saw their automatic NCAA bid go to the 12-18 Oakland Grizzlies Tuesday night.\nOn Dec. 4, the Gophers beat Holy Cross by 16 points at home as the Hoosiers blew a lead and lost to the defending national champion UConn Huskies on the road. The 22nd of the month saw Minnesota beat St. Francis while IU watched a clock malfunction cost the Hoosiers a game against Charlotte.\nSo why is Minnesota in, and IU out? I see one way to settle this: Look to the team's only common non-conference opponent.\nOn Nov. 25, the Gophers defeated the Purple Paladins of Furman by 15 points at home. A day after New Year's, the cream and crimson played host to the same men from Greenville, S.C., and beat them by 16 points. See, it's so easy. Blow up the RPI and there's no formula needed. The human eye is all that is required. We all know IU is better than Minnesota; we just need to thank the men from Furman for showing us that.
(03/10/05 5:17am)
Let the madness begin. And while the Big Ten Tournament might lack the lure and tradition of the Big East and ACC Tournaments, there is still much to be decided in Chicago this weekend.
(03/07/05 5:08am)
Mike Roberts, Ryan Tapak and Mark Johnson said goodbye to Assembly Hall Saturday -- barring a dreaded NIT game in Bloomington. The soon-to-be-departed were showered with applause, given scarce moments of playing time and then allowed to address the Hoosier faithful who had cheered them on for four years (six in Roberts' case).\nBut alas, the three Hoosiers who have graced the IU bench for so long are not the only seniors bidding a fond farewell to Assembly Hall.\nAs a four-year season ticket holder, who has missed a grand total of one game (discounting the games played during winter break), that one game being sacrificed at the hands of a spectacular microeconomics test (some supply-and-demand nonsense), I made the walk to the Hall one last time. And in my final game, the IU Athletics Department rolled out the big red carpet. \nThe game ticket read: Balcony, section GG, row 16, seat 120. That's right, the absolute corner of Assembly Hall. Alongside my IU basketball compatriot, Jimmy Antalis, I sat there, back against the wall, glancing at the thousands of empty seats purchased by those students who attend the games because it's trendy, not because they care. In the final regular season game of the year, a game the Hoosiers needed to win to keep their NCAA Tournament hopes on extended life support, we sat alone atop the arena, counting the number of empty seats, closely challenging the number set by the Follywood premiere of "Ernest in the Army."\nDespite the empty seats, the Hoosiers stormed out and stomped on Northwestern, defeating the Wildcats for the 33rd consecutive meeting at Assembly Hall. The win elevated IU's conference record to the ever-important 10-6 mark, the supposed magical number for conference wins. Since 1997, there has been only one team in the Big Ten to win 10 games and fail to make the tournament, that being the 2003 Michigan Wolverines, who were ineligible for postseason play because of the imaginary and nonexistent Fab Five.\nNow, five teams in the Big Ten boast double-digit wins, but so-called "experts" believe Paris Hilton will join a convent before the NCAA Selection Committee chooses both Minnesota and IU to join the likes of Illinois, Michigan State and Wisconsin in the tournament.\nSo that puts Friday's quarterfinal match-up in the Big Ten Tournament between the Hoosiers and the Gophers as a potential play-in game for the Big Dance.\nAnd after Friday, when the Hoosiers defeat Minnesota and stamp their ticket for the NCAA Tournament, those who left thousands of Assembly Hall seats vacant just remember what it means to attend an IU basketball game. For four years, you get the privilege of visiting Assembly Hall at a reasonable student price, but once that final whistle blows during your final game of your final year, your name shoots to the bottom of the ticket priority list. The waitlist is long and the prices aren't so affordable, but there's a chance the seats may be better. \nBut for me, that's not what matters. Section GG, row 16, seat 120 is just fine with me.
(03/04/05 6:10am)
On Dec. 21, 2002, IU basketball coach Mike Davis learned a valuable lesson. \nHis Hoosiers, undefeated and ranked in the top 10 nationally, faced bitter rival Kentucky at Freedom Hall. A thrilling, up-tempo game entertained all in the crowd, but for most, the fireworks were yet to come. \nWith 10 seconds remaining in the game, then-IU freshman Bracey Wright drove to the basket and missed a shot that would have propelled the Hoosiers into the lead. Davis, irate at the officials for not calling a foul, berated the referees and then ran onto the court in a display of raw emotion and frustration. Two technical fouls were called, Davis was ejected and the Wildcats -- helped by five free throws, four coming courtesy of the aforementioned technicals -- stretched the margin of defeat to six points. \nIn the Hoosiers' next game, IU dropped a shocker at Temple before Davis' one-game suspension for abuse of officials was announced. Then-Athletics Director Terry Clapacs credited the loss to an over-emphasis by the media regarding Davis' tirade. \nTuesday night against Wisconsin, the Hoosiers had positioned themselves to win a crucial road game in Madison, where the Badgers, now 30-1 in conference home games, lose as often as a woman says yes to me. Wisconsin's lone loss came this season at the hands of the unblemished and No. 1-ranked Fighting Illini of Illinois, so the Hoosiers would have been in grand company. \nIn the final three minutes of the contest, those Hoosier fans glued to their TV sets needed to be sedated and tied down to prevent a coffee table-shaped indent in their Sony, or in my case Daewoo, magic box.\nAppropriately draped in stripes, the Big Ten officials working Tuesday's contest have been accused of robbing the Hoosiers of a monumental upset and a chance at cementing their claim to a NCAA Tournament at-large bid. \nDespite the lack of calls going IU's way, including a near mugging of Rod Wilmont in the lane and some phantom fouls whistled in favor of Wisconsin's Mike Wilkinson, the Hoosiers still had a chance to win.\nOn the bench, in near disbelief, stood Davis. Dumb founded at the officiating and not understanding how a contest with such importance was taken out of the hands of those playing the game, the Hoosier head man did not rush onto the court. He did not get in the referees' faces. He did not pick up technical fouls. He calmly gathered his players, sat them down and coached them. \nTwo years ago, Davis blew a gasket as well as the Hoosiers' chance at victory. Now a seasoned vet in the coaching ranks, Davis showed his maturity and allowed his team an opportunity at a nearly impossible sweep of Michigan State and Wisconsin in back-to-back games when the team needed it most. \nHad Davis exploded as he has in the past, a buzzer-beater put-back on a failed box-out might not have been the story. The headlines might have read, "Davis loses cool, game." Talk of yet another meltdown might have bogged the Hoosiers in a relentless media quagmire, and Saturday's vital upcoming contest against Northwestern might have been an afterthought. \nDavis, not foreign to critics, kept his cool with perhaps the highest stakes of the year. That's a commendable effort that might prevent a relapse like 2002's disappointment at Temple as now the focus shifts to the United Nations Wildcats, who boast three Croats, two Canadians and a Frenchman. \nMost Hoosier fans see Saturday's tilt as a foregone conclusion, putting the cream and crimson at the magical 10-win conference mark. However, the Wildcats have beaten IU three of the last four meetings, including a 21-point debacle earlier this year. Maybe it's that streak of 32 consecutive home wins against Northwestern that breeds confidence, the longest Hoosier streak against any opponent.\nBut it could have been different, and Saturday, Mike Davis will be where these young Hoosiers need him most -- on the bench.
(02/28/05 5:44am)
With graduation approaching faster than it takes Pat Ewing Jr. to foul out, it's about time I polish up my résumé. You know, maybe get a job.\nHowever, moving back home with the folks in sunny south Florida, lounging by the pool and struggling through 18 holes of golf may keep me too busy to work anyway. \nBut being unemployed, while beneficial for a short while, just brings this negative vibe -- along with incessant nagging from Ma. So, I think I need that little extra something that helps my résumé jump off the page, something that screams, "Pick me!" \nSaddled in the same boat with yours truly, the Hoosiers, in dire need of a résumé builder, welcomed No. 10 Michigan State to Assembly Hall Sunday in hopes of curtailing the Spartans' six-game win streak and strengthening their own dwindling tournament aspirations.\nThe game presented IU with a golden opportunity: add a marquee win against a top-echelon program with a national television audience tuning in.\nFor the Hoosiers' tournament hopes, Sunday was a must-win. Everyone in the state, crowd and those sitting on the bench understood the game's necessity. Lose, and it's a must-win road game at one of the toughest places to play in the country -- Wisconsin. \nWith the Big Ten's leading scorer (Bracey Wright) coupled with the conference's best freshman (D.J. White), the Hoosiers forced a team who had only lost four games prior to Sunday to the brink, and then to its knees.\nDuring the four years I've spent in Bloomington, Sunday's contest might rank as one of the greatest games I've witnessed at the Hall. The 2002 bombardment of Illinois where 17 three-pointers triggered a 31-point victory is tough to beat, but a win tastes that much sweeter when almost all the "experts" have written you off.\nYour back is to the wall, your big men are in foul trouble, a lead is blown and a six-point deficit with two minutes to go against the best free-throw shooting team in the country shouldn't equate into positive results. The "experts" would have said we lost, and I take unadulterated joy in informing them of their mistake.\nNow tied for third in the conference with Wisconsin -- the aforementioned tough road opponent -- Tuesday's game has the potential to seal the Hoosiers' postseason fate or merely force the IU nation to hold its collective breath, turning the beloved crimson purple.\nThe argument of just one marquee win has been erased, the reality of a 10-win conference season inches closer and the résumé begins to make some believe.\nSunday's upset over the Spartans was a clear message from the Hoosiers to the NCAA Selection Committee, "Pick us!"\nMy advice: Don't give them anymore reasons not to.