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(02/23/04 5:28am)
Pardon me. I forgot to mention that I was wearing my rose-colored glasses when I wrote that IU was NIT-bound on Friday.\nAfter losing back-to-back home games to the two worst teams in the Big Ten, it seems likely IU will be left out of the postseason altogether for the first time since 1977. And it may turn into the first losing campaign for the Hoosiers since the 1969-70 season.\nJust exactly who is to blame for all of these woes has led to some debate across campus, such as the one that occurred between my friends and somewhat trusted associates Stanley Q. Studmuffin and Buck Rutledge.\nSQS: Man, we really need to fire Davis. This guy couldn't coach his way out of a paper bag.\nBR: Whoa, whoa, wait just one minute. Didn't he lead IU to the national championship game? It's these players that are the problem. George Leach's defense is like a sieve. Any team with a big man can score at will. We might as well play with four guys.\nSQS: Well maybe if we had recruited a big man, that wouldn't be such a problem, would it?\nBR: We'll take our lumps this year, but I tell you what, just wait until next year's class comes in. They'll make everyone forget about this season, with their raw talent and all.\nSQS: Our best recruit, Josh Smith, will probably go pro anyway. Besides, I bet next year flames out just like North Carolina's did last year to get Doherty axed. We can't wait for that to happen, we have to make a pre-emptive strike.\nBR: Yeah, those pre-emptive strikes always work out so well. Listen, these recruits will bail en masse if we fire Davis, and that will put us even further back. The problem is I see guys like Tapak and Moye giving every last bit of effort that they have, and no one else. Those guys are literally throwing themselves into the stands for this team. Does anyone else want to try doing that? I almost wonder if these guys just want to spend Spring Break in Cancun instead of at the Tournament. \nSQS: You're a moron. They probably would be better if they had a better motivator.\nBR: Oh really? And how does motivation have anything to do with piss-poor shooting? The best player on the team, Bracey Wright, shot 1 for 12 Saturday. He was more broke than MC Hammer. This team is 10th in the Big Ten in field goal percentage right now. And they're 4 percent behind Purdue, the ninth place team.\nSQS: That's because the offense has no plays designed to take high-percentage shots. Has it occurred to you that we probably would have beaten Illinois, Minnesota and Ohio State if instead of taking a three someone would have actually driven into the lane and drawn a foul, and maybe get a three-point play the old-fashioned way? We are third in the Big Ten in free-throw shooting, after all.\nBR: Well, if they don't win any more games, at least we'll know it was because they tanked it. Just completely gave up.\nSQS: I swear you get stupider every minute. The reason we aren't as good as Southern Illinois or Manhattan is-\nBR: Shut up, jerkwad.\nSQS: Who you callin' jerkwad, you piece of -- (punches are thrown).
(02/20/04 5:35am)
It's over. Done with. Finished. Kaput. Forget about it. There is no hope.\nYou can close the books on IU's 18 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, because that streak is history.\nMy initial reaction after Wednesday's loss to Minnesota was anger. Anger because I could see IU's lead evaporating from a mile away. As soon as Bracey Wright lifted an incredibly ill advised shot with under two minutes left and IU had just gotten a fresh shot clock, my natural instinct for choking went off. It was only a matter of time.\nBy the end of the game, I assumed fate would come in overtime. IU did have the last shot, after all. Heck, I might even be wrong this time, as I watched the play while chewing some fingernails. But for whatever reason, they decided to take the last-second shot with a good five seconds left on the clock. From NBA three-point range. By a former walk-on.\nOh, it would have made a good script in Hollywood. But the thing is, in Hollywood, last-second shots are generally taken at, well, the last second. Not when there is enough time for the other team to get the ball. Especially when the game is tied and you don't need a second chance shot, just the best you can get.\nBringing to mind the infamous words of former Oakland Raiders coach Bill Callahan, Mike Davis said "we couldn't play any dumber than what we played." But one has to wonder where the players developed such a trait.\nSeriously, does no one on this team think? Every player seems to have some sort of hero complex, abandoning sound basketball for glory. But much like Timothy Dalton as James Bond, they have not performed well as heroes.\nBelieve it or not, my anger eventually subsided to awe. How good is Kris Humphries? Can we get an ID check on this guy? The program says he is a freshman. Yet he is leading the Big Ten in points and rebounds. How is it Minnesota can have such a terrible record with a guy like that -- who can do it all on the inside and outside?\nMy final change of mood was to sadness. The game worked out like a Greek tragedy for George Leach. (I mean a classical Greek tragedy, not the frat house getting kicked-off campus, Greek tragedy). Leach has the game of his life, but in the end, he is done in by his great flaw -- his propensity to foul people.\nBy fouling out with 3.6 seconds left, Leach's game is over. The game is over for IU. And so is the season -- all on one play. The symmetry is perfect, if not nauseating.\nThe feeling I have right now is similar to the one that hit me after Game 6 of last year's NL Championship Series. I had never seen a team give a game away quite like that one -- at least until Wednesday's game rolled around. And even though the schedule showed there was another game to be played, deep down inside I knew it was a done deal.\nIU now has to win the Big Ten Tournament. Their only quality win is over another team on the bubble -- Purdue. And the game in West Lafayette sort of cancels that out. \nHow a team has lost three straight home games will be able to pull off four wins on a neutral court is something I can't answer. But I have a feeling it will happen around the same time pigs start flying, Hell's climate becomes conducive to building snowmen, and I have a hot girlfriend and a nice car.\nIn the words of the Magic 8-Ball, "Outlook not so good"
(02/18/04 5:48am)
Nothing about Rebecca Boostrom's daily routine seems out of the ordinary. She heads to class from her dorm room each weekday morning. Her evenings are filled with homework and law school applications. She stays up late at night. Knowing the importance of staying in shape, she often heads to the SRSC for a swim.\nBut there is one thing -- Boostrom is 62 years old. Known to fellow residents of Ashton-Johnston as "Grandma," she finds a way to keep up with the pace of students one-third her age.\n"It's kind of inspiring to see someone going into a non-traditional living experience to continue their education and not seem to care that everyone else is younger," said sophomore Jen Leitner, an Ashton-Johnston resident.\nBoostrom's sentiments are those of any college student.\n"It doesn't seem like there's enough time in a day," she said of her schedule.\nBoostrom is pursuing a bachelor's degree in French literature. The native of Mount Vernon, Ind., already knocked her first bachelor's degree out of the way a while ago, graduating from Saint Louis University in 1963 with an English degree.\nAfter getting her master's degree, she spent the better part of 20 years teaching anywhere and everywhere. Some of it was spent across the Midwest, as she taught in Chicago, Evansville, Ind., and Owensboro, Ky. She also taught English overseas in Colombia and China.\nAmong her favorite travel memories is riding the Trans-Siberia Railway through the far-eastern edge of Russia all the way into Poland.\nThen, in 1987, when she was involved in a court case over a property dispute, Boostrom decided she should learn more about the law herself. She began studying business law at IU. But one subject was not enough to whet her appetite for knowledge.\nBoostrom took some economics classes and bounced back and forth between that and business. Finally, she settled on French and picked up another bachelor's degree. She hopes that degree, along with the one on which she is currently working, will give her enough fluency to teach international law overseas. \n"I was a little afraid to go to a foreign country and not know what I was doing," Boostrom said.\nShe has spent the past two years studying in Canada, where she lived in a dormitory. She thought well enough of the experience to try it again when she came back to IU for her final year of study before heading to law school. Boostrom chose to live in Ashton-Johnston because it has a higher GPA requirement for its residents.\nBoostrom said the accommodations at IU are a bit noisier than they were in Canada. Since she can't get to sleep early at night, she just takes a nap late in the afternoon and stays up late like everyone else.\n"That's dorm life, I guess," she said.\nThough she interacts with and talks to the students with whom she lives, Boostrom said it is harder to get to know someone so much younger than herself, so her friends are mostly post-doctoral students.\nIn addition to her school work, Boostrom practices her French every week at the French Conversation Club. She has also applied to six law schools that have an emphasis in international law.\nIU wasn't one of the schools that she applied to, so she does know that she will be somewhere new next year. But as long as she is learning, location doesn't matter, she said.\n"Each time I learn something, I can teach it to someone else."\n-- Contact senior writer Alex Hickey at ahickey@indiana.edu.
(02/17/04 5:54am)
Last season, IU finished last in the Big Ten in scoring offense and No. 10 in scoring defense. Next season, new coordinators will be in place to continue the rebuilding process as former offensive coordinator, Al Borges, and former defensive coordinator, Tim Kish, have both accepted jobs at different schools.\nBorges joined Tommy Tuberville's staff at Auburn, as he was named the Tigers' offensive coordinator and quarterbacks' coach Friday. Kish was hired by Mike Stoops in late '03 to be the defensive line coach at Arizona.\nIU coach Gerry DiNardo has yet to release an official statement regarding the departure of Borges, or the search for new coordinators. Spring practices begin March 30.\nDiNardo hired Borges as his offensive coordinator after taking over the IU program in 2002. Led by quarterbacks Gibran Hamdan and Tommy Jones, Borges' offense finished third in the Big Ten in passing yards in 2002.\nPrior to his arrival in Bloomington, Borges spent a year at California, five years at UCLA and one year at Oregon. While at UCLA, the offense averaged over 40 points a game in two seasons, and the Bruins won two Pac-10 titles. Borges' stint at Oregon also produced a Pac-10 title and Rose Bowl appearance.\nBorges said it was the opportunity to win right away that made him jump at the Auburn job.\n"Indiana's gonna win some games, it's just a matter of time," Borges said. "Indiana has a chance, but Auburn has a better chance at this point. That's why I was so interested in the job."\nTuberville was pleased to add Borges to his staff. Picked by The Sporting News and other publications to compete for the national title last season, the Tigers' offense only scored three points in its first two games. \n"We're extremely excited to have Al join our staff," Tuberville said in a press release. "He has been very successful as an offensive coordinator and he has a lot of experience on the collegiate level."\nBorges admitted he got the Auburn job rather late in the game, so getting to know the offensive players will take some learning on the fly.\n"We've got a really short period before spring football, so it's going to be a real quick cram course," Borges said.\nIU is now in the market for a pair of coordinators who can do the same.\n-- Contact senior writer Alex Hickey at ahickey@indiana.edu.
(02/16/04 5:30am)
Valentine's Day is better associated with tragedy than happiness.\nAl Capone's rivals learned that love meant getting pumped full of hot lead from the end of a Tommy gun. Others have found themselves stood up by a date, relegated to do nothing more than drink a bottle (or two) of wine by themselves and eat the rose petals that were meant for an unrequited love. For Red Sox fans, it meant their pathological hatred toward the Yankees increased tenfold as it was revealed the Bronx Bombers would decide to get a second all-star shortstop.\nAnd then there's IU, which brought its fans nothing but bitterness with a blowout loss to Purdue. Nothing from the game, save perhaps the hustle of Ryan Tapak, could be taken as a positive. If IU is Cinderella, the clock just struck 11:59, and I'm pretty sure my clock is running behind.\nWhen IU was on a five-game winning streak, George Leach was the difference. People did not want to go inside on the Hoosiers. Now they do so without hesitation, knowing that they will just pick up a foul and go to the line. With Sean Kline going down with a particularly nasty-looking injury, IU no longer has enough bodies to throw in if Leach continues playing lackadaisically.\nAs each game passes and a NCAA Tournament bid seems less likely, the anti-Mike Davis clique seems to gain numbers. While it certainly hasn't reached a critical mass, Davis' detractors are certainly letting their voices be heard.\nGranted, many of them have had it in for Davis since he took over for Bob Knight. Much like Ron Zook at Florida, he has had to cope with the pressures of taking over for a legend, which means some people will never be pleased. Another similarity he shares with Zook is that there is now a Web site calling for his head at www.firemikedavis.com.\nIt is true that Davis has been known to do some things in the middle of a game that make me and everyone else scratch their heads. I'm pretty sure Saturday represented the first time that I have ever seen a coach receive a technical foul after a personal foul had just been called on the other team.\nBut to fire someone who has never had a losing season? I guess it happens to people who manage the Yankees or coach Nebraska football, but if you think IU has fallen from grace, you should take a look at some other programs.\nRemember when Georgetown was a premier program? Under John Thompson, the Hoyas were an NCAA Tournament constant and the unequivocal big dogs of the Big East. Now, they have only made the Big Dance twice since 1997.\nOne of the few programs that has achieved more success than IU is UCLA. Yet times are lean in Westwood, and they are getting even leaner. After replacing slick-haired Steve Lavin with Ben Howland this year, things haven't gotten any better. The Bruins are 10-11 and in sixth place in a Pac-10 that is so weak that it makes the Big Ten look like the NBA Western Conference.\nEveryone is, and should be, disappointed with what the Hoosiers have shown us on the floor this year. But firing Davis is an incredibly quixotic solution for what ails IU. Don't forget that the top recruiting class in the country will be here next year. You really think they would still come if the coach weren't here?\nIf IU can continue landing classes like that, then Final Four appearances should be a regular habit once again. If not, expect a few more Web sites to pop up-and achieve their ultimate goal.
(02/13/04 6:01am)
It must be Valentine's Day. How do I know this? Maybe it's because of the love and scent of fine champagnia that permeate the air of my swingin' bachelor pad. Or perhaps that is the smell of dirty laundry and stale beer.\nAlas, hate is also in the air. A Valentine's Day match-up between IU and Purdue will hardly have lots of cuddling to offer. Fisticuffs, on the other hand, are a distinct possibility.\nNo, there couldn't be a better day to see two bitter rivals facing off in a game that is pretty much a necessity for both. As a matter of fact, I'm in love with the idea.\nPurdue is hoping to rebound from a 40-39 home loss to Northwestern on Wednesday. Yeah, that's right, 39 points. That might have been considered a barnburner in Gene Keady's playing days, but I have a feeling that he had a word or two for his team coming into this game.\nThere's no doubt those of the black-and-gold persuasion put all of their hopes and dreams into beating IU. The back of the Purdue media guide features a picture of last year's game at Mackey Arena. Donald Perry is shooting a free throw. The scoreboard reads "Home 49, Visitors 33." And that's the only reason that they put the picture on the cover. It isn't a great photograph, just a little thing to shove in IU's face.\nI love it when teams try to be all sneaky like that to one-up their opponents.\nYou know what else I love? A.J. Moye (in the manliest sense possible, of course).\nIU goes to Penn State, and the guy Moye has to guard is none other than Jan Jagla. I know what you're thinking -- how tough could it be to guard a dude named Jan? \nWell, about as tough as anything you've ever done when Jan is Penn State's leading scorer and stands nine inches taller than you. Oh, and he almost single-handedly beat your team the last time that you played in his building. \nSo what does Moye do? He holds Jagla to six points. Jagla made only two of his 12 shots. For his efforts, Moye got some elbows to the head (when you are nine inches shorter, your head finds elbows much easier), knocked down and on one occasion, a kick to the head. And each time, he played on. You can look all over the country this Valentine's Day, but you won't find anyone playing with half as much heart as Moye does.\nI don't know whether to love or hate the fact that the Big Ten is more open this year than it has ever been. Every night, teams are going on the road and stealing victories in front of crowds unaccustomed to defeat. No game is a sure thing. It's not even worth predicting what will happen at this point.\nThe downside will come in the NCAA Tournament. It's unclear how many Big Ten teams will be there or how far they will go. People will always accuse the Big Ten of being "weak," but they are always proven wrong. Will they finally be proven right this year?\nOne thing that I know I hate is the McDonald's "I'm lovin' it" ad campaign. (How's that for a smooth transition into a completely unexpected subject?) To be specific, I'm talking about that commercial where the guys play basketball on rollerblades. \nWho thinks of this stuff? Has anyone ever actually done that in real life? I might be saying this because I'm clumsy, but I think that you are almost guaranteed to break something if you were to try that -- not to mention the fact that you'd look like a complete dorkwad. But back to what I'm supposed to be writing about.\nLike every good IU student, I have a disdain for Purdue. But the one thing that bothers me the most about that institution is Gene Keady's hairdo. \nAt this point in time, Rogaine technology is advanced enough that he could cover his bald spot in a natural-looking fashion. Even that spray-on hair in a can looks better. But he chooses to stick with the combover.\nI suppose it is just a part of his whole being at this point. I could see some recruit's mom saying, "That coach from Purdue called today, I forget his name … You know, the gentleman with the really bad combover."\nOkay, I admit it … I love that hair. What else would I write about?
(02/09/04 5:09am)
In the weekend that saw the movie "Miracle" open in theaters, it seemed fitting that Bracey Wright answered a couple of prayers when he extended Saturday's game into overtime not only once, but twice.\nIt was one of those moments (well, two of those moments) when victory seemed preordained. How could a team that fought back so valiantly possibly lose? But Iowa was the team with the final answer, with Jeff Horner's bank shot providing what could be the nail in this season's coffin.\nNow the Hoosiers will need their own miracle just to make it into the NCAA Tournament. Realistically, one regular season loss is all IU can afford if it is to continue its streak of consecutive tourney appearances that dates back to 1986. \nBoth A.J. Moye and Sean Kline called out their teammates in Sunday's Indianapolis Star, saying it was clear not all five guys on the floor are giving their best effort. If it was a lack of skill that was the problem for IU, it would be understandable, albeit still disappointing. But for players to be donning an Indiana jersey and not putting their all into it? That, if I may use some flair for the dramatic, is tragic.\nIU's streak of consecutive seasons receiving a tournament bid, which is second in the nation behind Arizona, is not the only record in jeopardy these days. Both Stanford and St. Joseph's have jumped out to 20-0 starts as each seeks to become the first undefeated team since the 1976 Hoosiers.\nFor now, Stanford seems to have grabbed the "team of destiny" mantle after beating Arizona on a 35-foot buzzer beater Saturday. But destiny has a funny way of doing absolutely nothing to get you a victory. Remember, this year the Packers were a media-ordained team of destiny until they lost to the Eagles in the NFL Playoffs, who were the real team of destiny -- until they lost the next week.\nThe Cardinals have a tough road ahead of them -- only two of their final seven games are at home. The first of those games is at Cal, and there is no doubt the Golden Bears will be ready to take on their chief rival.\nSt. Joseph's, on the other hand, is more of a surprise in the land of undefeateds. Coach Phil Martelli has led the small Philadelphia school to great success in recent years, but until this year's start, its most famed moment had been its victory over No. 1 DePaul in the first round of the 1981 NCAA Tournament.\nPlaying in the Atlantic 10 conference, it would seem the Hawks have a very good chance of ending the regular season undefeated, with their biggest test coming in their next game against Dayton. But can that success carry over onto the big stage of the NCAA Tournament?\nIt seems unlikely either team can win out. Upsets are ripe this time of year, from conference tournaments to the Big Dance itself. And as games like Northwestern's throttling of Wisconsin Saturday prove, anything can happen in college basketball.\nEven the last team to finish the regular season undefeated, the 1991 UNLV Runnin' Rebels, couldn't match the perfection of the '76 Hoosiers. And that UNLV team was beating opponents by an average of 25 points per game before losing to Duke in the National Semifinal.\nWith the parity in the NCAA today, it would take an unnaturally good team with quality senior players to match that record. The mid-70s Hoosiers won 37 straight Big Ten games. No one will ever do that again. And no one will ever finish a full season without a loss either.\nAt least one IU record is safe.
(02/06/04 5:13am)
Hey fellas, what's cooler than being cool?\nIU's shooting in the second half!\nAs we all know by now, 15 percent is good when you are saving money on your car insurance. When it is your field goal percentage in the second half of the game, it is quite the opposite.\nIllinois and IU combined to put together the most abysmal basketball performance I have seen since high school, if not before then. The Illini won, despite tying their season-low for points scored, the other game being a 19-point loss to Providence.\nMuch like a high school team, the Hoosiers decided to stop scoring after 32 minutes had been played. And to call a timeout and draw up a shot where Bracey Wright was being double-teamed as the potential game winner? And where was Roderick Wilmont all game? \nDude wins the game last week, and he only gets six minutes against Illinois, sitting on the bench while the offense is unable to do anything at all. Why? \nOn a personal level, the fact that Tuesday's game was the only game of the year where my friends and I got to sit courtside added to the high school feel. It was the most I have been into any game all year because being courtside does wonders. You feel that much more a part of the game.\nMy courtside seats actually got me a lot closer to the action than I ever could have anticipated. My friends and I decided that we would show up incognito, so I painted my face red, wore a construction helmet and sported a wig crafted out of a pom-pom. My friend decided to paint his face white and looked like some sort of demented clown. (Not that there is any other variety of clown).\nWhen a lady approached me early in the second half, I assumed that I had done something warranting my removal from the arena and braced for the worst. Instead, she asked, "Would you like to run with one of the flags during the timeout?"\nI know a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity when I see it, albeit not usually until a week or so after it happens. This time, I wasn't going to let it pass me by.\nWhen the eight-minute timeout arrived, so did my one moment of glory. I picked up my red "I" flag and prepared to charge out onto the Assembly Hall floor when I realized that somehow we had managed to spell "Indaina." After a few seconds, I was able to rectify the situation, though I worry the gaffe might somehow have cursed the Hoosiers.\nAfter what seemed like only a few seconds, it was all over. But it is a moment that ranks up with the first time I rode a bike without training wheels as one of my life's all-time finest moments. In fact, it's actually better than my first bike ride because I didn't crash into a tree carrying the flag.\nBut it seems a shame that I, and every one else sitting courtside for this game, won't have another opportunity to do so all season. Surely there must be a way to reward the most avid IU fans with the best seats. And a model used by the University of Maryland might be that system.\nMaryland has a system in which students accumulate points by attending athletic events. So if you show up to watch, say, a volleyball, soccer or field hockey game, you swipe your student ID and get points.\nThose who get more points are rewarded with better seats for basketball. It's a system that works for all involved. Smaller, non-revenue sports get the fan support that they desperately need and deserve. (Or as is the case at IU, big revenue sports like football).\nAnd fans that drank milk out of an IU bottle don't get placed in the last seat of Assembly Hall for the most important game of the year.\nSchools like Illinois have raucous student sections that can affect the outcome of a game. Why should IU strive to be any different?
(02/02/04 5:55am)
At halftime of Saturday's "Turn Back the Clock" game, I had a pretty good feeling that this would end up being one of those games they would be showing highlights of on say, the 50th Anniversary of ESPN. \nAlas, after another prolonged IU scoring drought, we know that will not be the case, unless it is to show us the game where Paul Davis emerged as a beast among men.\nDavis' dominance was not the most frustrating part of the game, though. It was something that was just destined to happen, especially on a night dubbed "Turn Back the Clock." Nothing turns it back further than a true pivot man who can take control of a game.\nWith as great as Davis played, it was pretty mind-boggling at the end of the game when there was a play where he was posting up on Marshall Strickland. Are you kidding? A point guard on Paul Davis? Granted, no one in the Big Ten could have stopped Davis Saturday night. But Strickland shouldn't have to be taking him on one-on-one. You have to lose honestly.\nAnd that's the most frustrating trend that I have seen in the past two years of IU basketball. They never lose honestly. By honest, I mean you play your best, but in the end, you simply get overmatched by a superior opponent. The only game where that has happened was last year's loss to Illinois in the Big Ten tournament.\nWith the rest of the losses, it's like you are playing a video game with IU that is on "Rookie" mode in the beginning. Then you switch to "All-American" mode at the half, and all of the sudden, for whatever inexplicable reason, it becomes impossible to make shots. What should be a good game becomes a blowout.\nIt is too bad that the Hoosiers lost their touch, as it overshadowed a great performance by Bracey Wright, who had 29 points with six three-pointers, most of which came from so far beyond the arc that it almost seems like a waste of time trying to defend them. You can almost see the defender smirking, "Ha, no way," until the shot is buried.\nOf course, if ESPN really wanted to turn back the clock, all of those buckets would have only counted for two points. And they would have dressed Mike Davis in a plaid sport coat. To be perfectly frank, that was a rather weak version of turn back the clock because, at the very least, we could have seen some short shorts. \nThere is precedent for such a thing, too. Last season, the Pirates and Red Sox had a throwback game to celebrate the 1903 World Series that included ridiculously baggy uniforms and ill-fitting caps. So I maintain that we could have done the same with Daisy Dukes on the players' waists and Chuck Taylor's on their feet.\nBut you will find it incredibly easy to advocate the wearing of such uniforms unless you are the one actually stuck wearing it.\nUnfortunately, when Illinois comes to town tomorrow night, we will have to pretend that it is 2004 again. On behalf of the players, I will ask that fans bring the same enthusiasm as they did last week against Purdue. But in addition to that enthusiasm, I am going to tack on another request -- timeliness.\nAssembly Hall seems to have a crowd of 10,000 for the opening tip, and then slowly trickles to capacity by halftime. So just remember that tip is at 7 p.m. In fact, pretend that it's at 6:30. That's the same ploy I use when trying to get to class on time (the emphasis being on trying). \nBy calling everyone out for showing up late, I have virtually assured that karma will dictate that I will arrive a good ten minutes late for this game. Hey, as long as I'm the only one.
(01/30/04 5:45am)
Those who noticed that my column for last Monday's paper had in fact been written by someone else were left asking themselves, "Hey, what happened?"\nThere was some concern (or hope) that the paper had perhaps suspended or fired me for some sort of indiscretion, like making too many "Star Wars" references in one column. Another rumor had it that I had been abducted by aliens. One local tabloid reported that I had been seen in an Albuquerque, N.M., McDonald's with Tupac and Elvis.\nNeedless to say, none of these rumors are true. I was in the wilderness visiting the pack of wolves that raised me and, hence, unable to watch the game last weekend.\nBut enough about me, there are more interesting things to discuss, like the Purdue game.\nThe atmosphere in Assembly Hall Tuesday night was incredible. It was easily the most rockin' the Hall has been since the Illinois game two years ago. In fact, it may have been the most rockin' event to occur since Foghat's 1977 world tour.\nThe game also showed signs of how a rivalry should feel. I find the fact that a scuffle nearly broke out on the floor to be a beautiful thing. The same goes for the chant of "Buscher sucks."\nI found the fact that the crowd had to be warned such an unsportsmanlike chant could warrant a technical foul to be a bit weak, though. Are we really such pantywaists at IU that we can't say anything bad about our most bitter rival? Purdue fans didn't hold back from laying into Tom Coverdale last year. And it's not like we are as cruel as Duke fans, who are seemingly willing to heckle a player for the fact that his mother has been hospitalized.\nGranted, there are times when the crowd does need to be warned. I do hope that the person who threw something onto the court is banned from Assembly Hall for life. But like it or not, heckling is as old as sport itself and will still continue whether or not there are warnings.\nAnd though the crowd helped, the real hero Tuesday night was Roderick Wilmont.\nAs we all know by now, Wilmont's performance was not flawless. But what made him the man of the hour was his ability to not only learn from his mistakes, but to atone for them altogether. Despite airballing a three-pointer early, he had the confidence to nail one late. And after getting caught snoozing on defense when Purdue answered, he came right back and hammered the nail into the Boilermakers' coffin.\nThat was precisely the moment when he went from being Roderick Wilmont to Roderick "The Money" Wilmont. And in the process, he has added himself to the cast of characters that have engineered a turnaround that no one outside of Mike Davis and this roster of Hoosiers could have seen coming.\nAs much of a joy as it has been to watch this five-game winning streak, there is still a lot of work to be done if IU is to compete for an NCAA Tournament bid or even a Big Ten championship. And its biggest test of the season will come tomorrow at Michigan State.\nI know I'm beating a dead horse by saying that IU hasn't won at the Breslin Center since 1991. But as each year passes, that stat will continue popping into stories like this one until something changes. To put it in perspective, IU has been to a bowl game more recently.\nThe Spartans entered the season ranked an unrealistically high No. 3 in the nation, due in part to the media's love affair with Tom Izzo. And though he is a genius recruiter and an X's and O's man, Izzo outdid himself in drawing up this year's non-conference schedule.\nAfter playing five ranked teams early on (and losing to all of them), Michigan State has limped to a 9-8 start. If they want to make it to the Tournament, they desperately need to start winning now.\nSo if IU is able to stop its Breslin Center drought against a team this hungry, there is little doubt that the Hoosiers' turnaround is for real. And there's no telling when it will stop.
(01/23/04 5:38am)
Believe it or not, things are looking up for IU. \nA few weeks ago, there was no way of guessing that this would be the case. The Hoosiers had been brutalized in their non-conference schedule. And they were facing an intimidating Big Ten schedule that put them away from Assembly Hall for four of the first five games.\nNow they have a chance to head into next Tuesday's game against Purdue with a 4-1 conference record in a most improbable way -- by winning road games. Last year, IU won only a single Big Ten road game. They've already surpassed that with wins at Michigan and Ohio State.\nParticularly inviting is the fact that Minnesota has lurched out of the gate to a 0-4 start in the Big Ten, making them the only team to still be without a conference win. They are 8-8 overall, but their only quality victory is over Princeton.\nEasy win, right? Not so fast. After all, this is IU we are talking about.\nMinnesota's Williams Arena, better known as "The Barn," has been a menace for the Hoosiers since it opened in 1928. The building, which is the oldest in the Big Ten, has not housed a Hoosier victory since 1996. It is also the site of the worst loss in IU history, a 105-56 thrashing in 1994.\nThere is just something quirky about the place that throws opponents off. Maybe it's the raised floor. Or it's drafty. Or the fact that like every great old stadium, such as Chicago Stadium or Boston Garden, it's just really, really loud. \nBefore the season started, A.J. Moye told me how "The Barn" was his least favorite venue to play at.\n"You're scared to dive for a loose ball because you don't want to die," Moye said of the Gophers elevated court. "And one rim is lower than the other, and it's extremely loose. That's their's in the second half. They get game winners all the time where the ball bounces on the rim damn near eight times."\nIt is also important to point out that the Gophers are hardly a team devoid of talent, especially at forward, where senior Michael Bauer and freshman Kris Humphries lead the way. \nAnd IU is almost guaranteed to have problems matching up against center Jeff Hagen, who is 7- feet tall and has the physique of a man who eats his fair share of flapjacks and bacon every morning.\nPerhaps the biggest reason for Minnesota's struggles early in the season is the absence of their best player from last season, Rick Rickert. Rickert made an extremely ill-advised decision to leave school after his sophomore season and go pro -- perhaps the most ill-advised decision to go pro early since God Shammgod.\nNeedless to say, Rickert is nowhere near the NBA right now, but toiling somewhere in Europe. The irony is that as NBA rosters are stocked with more Europeans every year, more players who left college early and didn't crack a roster will be biding their time overseas.\nPack the Hall: As you may have heard, the women's team is hosting Purdue at 2 p.m.Sunday for an event being deemed "Pack the Hall." That means they want you to show up for the game. And there isn't any reason you shouldn't. \nFirst of all, if you're a student, it's free. And there's no football this Sunday. More importantly, it will be benefiting a good cause -- cheering against Purdue. Oh yeah, and if 10,000 fans show up, Vera Bradley, Inc. is donating $10,000 to breast cancer research. So go.
(01/22/04 5:29am)
The Union Board is currently in the planning stages for booking a concert for Little 500 week this year. Last year, there was no concert. Instead, the Board scheduled alternate programming in the form of Hoosier Idol and the Little 5 Step-Down.\n"Last year, we tried getting in touch with a ton of acts, but we just came up empty-handed," said Jake Rohn, 2003 director of concerts.\nLast year, the Union Board primarily focused on booking a hip-hop act, as that was what the majority of students wanted. However, the prices charged by the artists the Union Board wanted proved to be well over budget.\nThis year, Rohn said the Union Board has contacted a more diverse selection of artists, including John Mayer, Outkast, Linkin Park, Ludacris and Bob Dylan.\nHowever, with Ludacris, the Board ran into the same problem as last year: an artist charging more than the Union Board can afford.\nMayer is visiting nearby campuses like Illinois and Purdue around the time that IU goes on Spring Break, but he remains a possibility if he fits Bloomington in later on in his tour. \nUnion Board does not anticipate having its programming for Little 500 week to be finalized until shortly before Spring Break, but they do hope a musical act will be a part of the week, according to Union Board 2004 Marketing Director Sarah O'Brien.\nConcerts have been a staple of Little 500 week in the past. In recent years, concert acts included Guster, Nelly, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Foo Fighters and John Mellencamp.\nThe next concert on the Union Board schedule is O.A.R. Feb. 2. Rohn said that there are tickets still available.\nAnother event coming up on the schedule is the now annual Union Board Film Festival, which will be held Feb. 5 through 7. The festival will consist of original shorts (under 30 minutes) from IU undergraduate and graduate students.\n"We've gotten a little bit of everything, ranging from action movies to documentaries," said Ryan O'Connell, 2003 Films Director.\nSubmissions for the contest are due on Saturday. The films will be shown on Feb. 5 and 6, with an awards ceremony Feb. 7.\nThe movies will be judged by a faculty panel for the "Critics Choice" awards, and students will vote on the films that they judge worthy of the "People's Choice" awards.\nThe guest speaker at the event will be Rachael Mosley, editor-in-chief of "American Cinematographer" magazine.\nStudents interested in submitting a film can contact filmfest@indiana.edu\n--Contact senior writer Alex Hickey at ahickey@indiana.edu.
(01/20/04 6:10am)
An epidemic of football fever swept across Bloomington Sunday as Colts fans showed up en masse and filled every table at Yogi's Bar and Grill to watch their team go for its first Super Bowl appearance in Indianapolis franchise history.\nHowever, the New England Patriots defense was effectively able to subdue the Colts offense and the crowd's collective mood in a 24-14 AFC Championship victory.\nAs is often the case before the big game, fans were in good spirits. People razzed the announcers any time they suggested that the Colts might lose, or in the case of Deion Sanders, every time he opened his mouth.\nWhen Dan Marino picked the Patriots before the game, someone asked, "What do you know about the Super Bowl?"\nWhen quarterback Tom Brady marched the Patriots offense onto the field for the first time, he was met by the cry of "Pretty boy!"\nBut silence followed when Brady sliced through the Colts defense for a touchdown on New England's first possession.\nThe crowd got back into it as the Colts marched straight down the field against the Patriots vaunted defense on their first possession. A Peyton Manning interception in the end zone brought a loud groan from everyone involved.\nThis was the mood for much of the first half. Every time the crowd seemed ready to get back into the game, some type of disaster would strike, like another Manning interception or Marvin Harrison's fumble inside the 10-yard line.\nWhen a snap sailed over punter Hunter Smith's head for a safety, a couple of people decided they had seen enough. \nOne of the few people enjoying the whole spectacle was Bloomington resident and Patriots fan Brian Violette, a native of Maine. However, it didn't come without grief from some fellow patrons.\n"This is definitely hostile territory. I walked right into the lion's den," Violette said, sporting a Ty Law jersey. It was an appropriate jersey to be wearing, as Law would finish the game with three interceptions.\nAlthough the Colts trailed 15-0 at halftime, most fans stayed and kept the faith.\n"They've proven that they can come back from this point before," senior Greg Jenkins said. "The defense just needs to step it up."\nWhen the Colts scored a touchdown on their first possession of the second half, fans were able to explode in cheers for the first time in the game. There was optimism once again.\nCheers would turn back into groans when Patriots kicker Adam Vinatieri barely slipped in a field goal that put New England up 18-7.\nAbout half an hour later, the exact opposite effect happened -- people groaned as they thought Brady had thrown a touchdown pass to put the Patriots up 28-7, but then began cheering as they slowly realized Walt Harris made a seemingly miraculous interception.\nCries of "Tampa Bay!" referring to the Colts improbable comeback against the Buccaneers on Monday Night Football became the mantra for many fans.\nThe final collective roar occurred with 1:20 left in the game, when it appeared Brady fumbled and the Colts recovered, giving Manning one last chance to bring the game into overtime. But the replay showed Brady was down before fumbling, overturning the call and sending any hopes of victory out the window for Colts fans.\nThough sophomore Steve Dawson found the game hard to digest, he didn't think it was as heartbreaking as the Colts loss in the 1996 AFC Championship, when the team came a dropped Hail Mary away from going to the Super Bowl.\n"It's not as bad because it didn't come down to a single play," Dawson said. "But it's still disappointing."\nFor now, Colts fans will have to wait until next year -- something that a New Englander like Violette knows plenty about.\n"The Red Sox are the candy in my eye," Violette said. "I want the Patriots to win it all, but I'd gladly trade in both of their Super Bowls for a World Series"
(01/20/04 5:16am)
For four years, A.J. Moye has proven Hoosier fans don't need a mascot to pump them up. They just need a guy who will throw himself all over the floor (or off of it, if need be) and flap his arms around when loud cheering is appropriate. A sparkplug.\nThis year, he has found a protégé for his crowd-pumping skills. If I must make an analogy, a Luke Skywalker to his Obi Wan Kenobi. And that new sparkplug is Patrick Ewing, Jr. (Actually, my analogy works, because there are probably a lot of Pacers and Bulls fans that would consider Patrick Ewing, Sr. to be a Darth Vader of sorts. And Pat Riley does sort of look like the Emperor. But I digress.)\nThe spark provided by both proved to be the difference in Saturday's win over Northwestern. With IU leading 37-31 in the second half, Moye went the length of the floor, did a crazy spin move around Northwestern guard Jitim Young, and somehow laid the ball into the hoop. Needless to say, the crowd woke up and went into a frenzy.\nThroughout the course of the game, Moye also managed to hustle his way into grabbing 10 boards, and he is still the leading rebounder this season for IU.\nFour minutes later, the Wildcats looked poised to mount a run similar to the one that had allowed them to cut an early 11-point IU lead into a two-point deficit shortly after the second half began.\nEnter Ewing. His thunderous dunk increasing IU's lead to 47-38 brought everyone to their feet, and that is exactly where many people would stay for the rest of the game. That was the point where things became hopeless for Northwestern in spite of the fact that the clock indicated there was 9:10 left to play in the game.\nAnd although no one has started a "Patrick Ewing" chant yet, he has certainly displayed the spirit to be worthy of one. He has also displayed the ability to be earning more minutes of playing time.\nEwing only played three minutes against Michigan. With George Leach back in the lineup, it was understandable that Ewing's playing time would go down, especially since Leach has played well. And as a freshman, there is clearly room for him to grow.\nBut it seems like the air of excitement that he brings to the game is better served on the floor than the bench.\nHe's back: Marshall Strickland gave one of his best performances of the season against Northwestern, and if the past two games are any indication, he is ready to have a stellar Big Ten season. Strickland has found his stroke, as he hit three three-pointers on his way to a 15-point effort. Most importantly, he didn't have any turnovers.\nNo points for style: My friend made note of the fact that he had never seen anyone, with the possible exception of me, with an uglier shooting style than Northwestern's T.J. Parker. I nodded my head in agreement. Less than five seconds later, Parker buried a three-pointer. We shut up. \nA lot of people were also wondering how it was possible for Northwestern to be playing with only four guys on their bench. It should be noted that the team's second-leading scorer, Vedran Vukusic, did not make the trip to Bloomington because of an injury he suffered against Illinois.
(01/16/04 5:15am)
Most IU fans were probably more than a little relieved to see the Big Ten home schedule open with Northwestern at Assembly Hall. It's easy to think a home date with the Wildcats means certain victory, as it has every year since 1969. That's before there even was an Assembly Hall.\nThink again. This is no longer a game where benchwarmers can count on getting 10 minutes of PT. And it has nothing to do with the demise of IU. It has to do with the fact that these aren't your grandfather's Wildcats. (Although your grandfather might have used the same offense).\nNorthwestern has long been an anomaly in the Big Ten. They have never made it to the NCAA Tournament. No, nay, never, not a once. An NIT bid is cause for celebration in Evanston, Ill. They play in a gym the size of a high school's. They are the only private school in the Big Ten. They still call themselves "Northwestern" in spite of the fact that it has been a very long time since anyone considered the Chicago area to be in the northwest region of our country. They wear purple.\nIn fact, I wonder if the rest of the conference decided not to kick them out in the past because they all decided that there should be a team that everyone could beat.\nBut Northwestern Coach Bill Carmody has brought the Wildcats into the ranks of semi-respectability over the past several years. (IU's loss at NU last year can attest to that).\nThis year, the `Cats are poised to do even more. If you look to the top of the Big Ten standings, you will find an unusual name -- Northwestern. Granted, they are locked in a five-way tie for first three games into the season. \nBut this is looking increasingly like a season where anything and everything can happen in the Big Ten. I'm still not closing the door on the possibility that there will be an 11-way tie for first place at the end of the season, with everyone finishing 8-8 in conference play. \nLike everyone in the Big Ten, they have had some ugly losses -- a 49-47 barnburner against Mississippi Valley State (aka Jerry Rice University) and a 19-point loss to Illinois-Chicago stick out in my mind. But they have beaten Iowa on the road and will head to Bloomington fresh off a 10-point victory over No. 25 Illinois.\nThere are many keys to Northwestern's success. Good guard play is one of them. Leading the way is senior shooting guard Jitim Young, who is averaging 18.1 points per game. Handling the point is sophomore T.J. Parker, who has a 2-to-1 assist to turnover ratio.\nBall control is another Northwestern forte. Carmody is a disciple of Princeton's legendary Pete Carril. (Not to be confused with USC's soon-to-be legendary Pete Carroll). That means the Wildcats will hold onto the ball as long as they can before creating a backdoor cut and putting up a good shot. This process can take upwards of 30 seconds a possession. So don't forget to bring your No-Doz to the game.\nAnother area Carmody excels in is recruiting. No, McDonald's All-Americans aren't signing up to play in the renowned Welsh-Ryan Arena. But who needs Americans? Northwestern's roster consists of three Croatians, a Moroccan-Canadian and a Frenchman. Parker, the younger brother of the Spurs' Tony, is the Frenchman. Now if they just found Manu Ginobili's brother, they'd be money.
(01/14/04 4:44am)
For 17 years, a creature has been lurking beneath the ground in Bloomington. Soon, it will emerge from its lair, and residents will not be able to ignore its presence.\nThis creature is not the subject of a B-movie -- it is a cicada. And while cicadas fill the summer air every year with their pulsating, buzzing sound, this year's batch will be different.\nKnown as Brood X, it is a species that only emerges every 17 years. And it is still a mystery to science as to how these insects always arrive precisely on schedule. Come the week of May 25, they will emerge from the ground and take to the trees.\nThe cicadas hardly get much of a life-span -- they only live around three weeks after their underground wait. But IU biology Professor Keith Clay is eagerly awaiting their arrival. \n"This is a natural biological phenomenon of tremendous magnitude," Clay said. "The lower Midwest is the center of their abundance, and Bloomington is right smack in the middle of their distribution. It may be the highest density of insects on earth."\nAs many as 1.5 million cicadas are capable of emerging from a single acre patch of land. On campus, Dunn Woods -- the area behind Woodburn Hall -- and the IU Golf Course are expected to be among the chief areas of cicada habitation.\nUpon their emergence, the cicadas won't take over buildings the way ladybugs did this fall. They will stay in trees, simply mating and laying their eggs before dying. But it is the noise of the cicadas that might irritate Bloomington residents.\nThe noise is made by male cicadas as a mating call to the females.\nClay's first spring in Bloomington was in 1987, the last time the cicadas emerged. He remembers it well.\n"I was overwhelmed by the noise," Clay said. "It was like sound waves were going to the center of your brain."\nClay cited an IU graduation ceremony in the early 20th century which was nearly cancelled due to the fact the commencement speaker was barely audible over the din of the cicadas.\nAfter the cicadas die, cleanup will prove to be another problem. \nDave Hurst, manager of the Physical Plant Campus Division, said the department has discussed how it will handle the situation.\n"It's hard to say what we'll do until it happens," Hurst said. "But as we do with leaves in the fall, we'll just rake them up." \nClay cites the imminent cicada invasion as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. With the help of a $400,000 grant from the National Science Foundation, he will be studying the long-term effects the presence of cicadas make on a forested area. \nClay said the size of the study will provide undergrads with an excellent opportunity to get research experience.\nFor some, the cicadas could have disastrous effects. Clay said a number of orchards in Indiana qualified for federal aid in 1987 because they were so badly ravaged by the cicadas.\nHe does know the cicadas will affect other species in the area besides trees. Animals from moles to birds to common household pets like to feast on the cicadas. \nNative Americans were also known to munch on this fine delicacy. \nHowever, Clay does not anticipate making a taste test part of his study. \n"I hear that they taste like asparagus. But they might taste better stir-fried in a wok." \n-- Contact senior writer Alex Hickey at ahickey@indiana.edu.
(01/13/04 6:18am)
Against a backdrop of college bowl games sponsored by everything from cell phones to auto parts stores, NCAA President Myles Brand sent out a warning that the collegiate model of athletics as we know it will continue to see itself challenged by commercialism.\nBrand told delegates at the 98th annual NCAA Convention in Nashville, Tenn., on Sunday, he wanted to reassert the integrity and value of college sports.\nHe warned that Division I schools, as well as those in Divisions II and III, are vulnerable to being too much like pro franchises by allowing athletics to become separate from the rest of the university.\n"Intercollegiate athletics is not a freestanding, wholly autonomous enterprise. We have seen the type of drift to the professional model that will diminish, and in the long run will eliminate the value of the program to its university," Brand said.\nThough Brand believes that professional sports has an important role in soceity, he warned that "college sports must not be allowed to be drawn to the professional model like a moth drawn to a flame."\nBrand's biggest concern regards changes in collegiate programs if profit becomes more important than education -- namely, the possibility that collegiate athletes would be paid.\n"He is trying to cut off all manuvering for paying athletes. That's the biggest danger (to Brand)," said University of Oregon professor Jim Earl. Earl co-chairs the Coalition of Intercollegiate Athletics with IU professor Robert Eno, who is currently in China. \nBrand also said the NCAA will be at the forefront of preserving college sports as part of an educational experience and to provide a forum for discussion.\nHe promised to work toward completing an academic reform agenda that will make schools accountable for graduating athletes and keeping them in good academic standing.\nLast fall, stricter requirements for incoming freshmen and continuing eligibility rules were put into effect.\nAnother part of reform involves a proposal to penalize Division I schools for poor academic performance. The head of a task force formed to devise the penalty program believes the NCAA board of directors will approve the measure in April.\nUnder the proposed program, beginning in the fall of 2005, coaches would be prohibited from re-awarding scholarships left open by an ineligible student. More stringent penalties, including the reduction of scholarships and ban from postseason play, would be in effect in the fall 2007.\nAn NCAA committee will be formed to determine the levels used to deciede which teams aren't performing well academically.\nIn addition to these rules changes, the NCAA plans on reforming its policy on transfer student athletes as an assessment of a program's graduation rate. Athletes who transfer from a school in good academic standing would no longer count as "not graduating" in that school's graduation rate.\nThe NCAA Board of Directors will be voting on the academic proposals in April, and according to Earl, it looks more and more like they will be passed.\n"People are getting used to Myles Brand as president, and he's been adamant about these issues," Earl said. "The tide is driftinig with him."\n-- The Associated Press contributed to this story. \n-- Contact senior writer Alex Hickey at ahickey@indiana.edu
(01/12/04 5:56am)
Sometimes I wonder if Mike Davis carries a few bottles of antacid in his pockets. If Lloyd Bridges' character in "Airplane!" were a basketball coach, he would probably be Davis. Every IU game is an adventure in ulceration. \nSunday's 59-57 victory at Michigan was no exception, as the Hoosiers very nearly let a game that was easily in hand slip from their grasp. But as the old adage goes, a win is a win. And if that win should come on the road for a team that has struggled mightily away from home over the past two years, it's even better.\nIU played like a team desperate to win, and their determination was the difference in a win over a Michigan team that has looked more impressive than the Hoosiers in the season's early stages. (Not, ahem, that it took much). And it was the contributions from an unexpected cast of players that helped IU to the win.\nSean Kline was one player who kept his cool when IU's resilience was challenged. His late hook shot ended up being the most important basket of the game, temporarily quieting the Crisler Arena crowd. And on defense, he made the single most important play of the game, blocking Lester Abrams' shot with nine seconds remaining.\nWe also got to see the Marshall Strickland that we all remember from last season. Strickland led the way with 14 points and also had five assists and five rebounds. His stroke from 3-point range was the difference, as he nailed four of seven from behind the arc. IU fans can only hope that the confidence that he gets from this performance carries over in the rest of the Big Ten season.\nFreshman Roderick Wilmont showed that he deserves to see some more action. In 23 minutes, he scored 12 points and provided a much-needed offensive spark.\nBut the return of George Leach to the lineup might be the biggest difference in yesterday's game, and may continue to be for the rest of the year. Leach's ability to block shots changes the complexion of the game, and teams will not be able to dominate IU inside like they have in his absence.\nPerhaps the biggest reason for the IU victory was the fact that they were finally able to out-rebound an opponent. But the rebounding leader was from another unexpected source -- Bracey Wright. Wright nearly got himself a double-double, pulling down nine boards. Too often, people don't realize that he's not just a scorer, but a complete player.\nIt's important to remember that shooting comes and goes in streaks. For IU, it has been gone all year. It wasn't even that great Sunday, but it was enough. And it is a sign that things are poised to turn around.\nIt seems like a stretch to think the Hoosiers can claw their way into the postseason. But the Big Ten is more jumbled up than it has ever been. Just two games into the season, only two teams are undefeated: Wisconsin and Penn State. I can assure you that the Nittany Lions won't finish the season in that position.\nWe'll just have to see where IU lands when the conference picture becomes clearer.
(01/12/04 5:52am)
Not since 1996 have Indianapolis Colts fans had this much to cheer about in January.\nA crowd of boisterous Colts fans looked for the team's biggest win since it was led by "Captain Comeback" Jim Harbaugh to the 1996 AFC Championship game. Colts fans made a lively appearance at Yogi's Bar & Grill Sunday and cheered the Colts to a 38-31 win over the Kansas City Chiefs.\nJunior Kyle Hollon, a fan since he "could watch TV," was one of those on hand to witness the event and revel in the long road the Colts have traveled since the days of players like Jeff George and Don Majikowski.\n"It's amazing," Hollon said. "They are a lot more talented. If they play to the best of their abilities, they won't be stopped."\nPeople were into the game before it even started. When commentator Deion Sanders announced that he was picking the Chiefs on the CBS pregame show, he was met with a loud chorus of boos.\nBeing able to watch a game in such an atmosphere was precisely the reason that many people decided to watch the game at Yogi's rather than in the comfort of their own La-Z-Boy.\n"I couldn't imagine a better place to watch the game," sophomore Matt Furnish said. "It's so much more alive with all of the Colts fans around."\nThe crowd was able to cheer early and often. High fives were passed around amongst strangers as the Colts opened the scoring on a touchdown pass from quarterback Peyton Manning to wide receiver Brandon Stokley.\nHowever, at times the cheering was slightly irregular due to a slight delay on the television screens because of cable connections. One half of the bar would see a play end a few seconds before the rest of the crowd, so some people would already be cheering a touchdown, while others would still be watching the snap.\nWhen Kansas City kicker Morten Andersen missed a field goal towards the end of the first half, it brought shouts of "laces out!" in homage to the fictitious Ray Finkle of Ace Ventura fame. With the miss allowing the Colts to nurse a 21-10 halftime lead, everyone went to their halftime bathroom break in a good mood.\nWell, everyone but junior Atit Patel, that is. Patel was the lone Chiefs supporter in a sea of Colts blue. But he wasn't going to let overwhelming numbers get in the way of a good time with his friends.\n"It sucks right now. It's frustrating to watch," said the Kansas City-area native. "But I can't be afraid of them giving me crap."\nIndeed, when the Chiefs did make a big play, he would be the only person in the bar heard clapping and yelling "Go, Priest, Go!" But as the second half began, his joy turned to misery as Holmes fumbled after a long run and the Colts recovered.\nAs the game moved along and the Colts offense looked more unstoppable, the crowd continued to get louder, more and more confident that Indy was riding to victory.\nBut that confidence was shattered when the Chiefs' Dante Hall returned a kickoff for a touchdown and made Colts fans feel like their team was vulnerable for the first time in the game.\nTheir worries seemed to cease on the final play of the third quarter, though, when Manning hit Reggie Wayne on a big third down conversion. Indeed, the cheering got louder as the clock wound under two minutes, with people pounding on their tables as if they could make the sound carry all the way to Arrowhead Stadium.\nFinally, as Priest Holmes was taken down on the final play of the game, the place erupted one final time. A toast was raised, and one guy started riding an imaginary horse around his table.\nYogi's manager Josh Miller said the crowd was not quite as large as he expected, but as the playoffs carry on and the possibility of the Super Bowl looms, he knows that a standing-room crowd could be on hand.\n"Every one is pumped up," Miller said. "It will be crazy. There will be lots of blue and white. This place will be full."\n-- Contact senior writer Alex Hickey at ahickey@indiana.edu.
(01/09/04 6:42am)
Somebody forgot to send Mike Davis the memo that football season is over. IU is now allowed to lose by less than 30 points on a regular basis.\nAs I headed home for winter break, I was confident that the team was on the brink of turning the corner. Ryan Tapak had come out of nowhere to become a big contributor and Donald Perry was looking good, to name a few reasons for my optimism.\nMy first stop on the way home was the RCA Dome to watch IU take on Kentucky. Any optimism was soon shattered. I left as soon as Kentucky went up by 30. The Hoosiers scored a miserable 41 points in that "effort." \nUntil Marshall Strickland hit a free throw at the end of garbage time, the only guys scoring for IU were Bracey Wright, Sean Kline and Mike Roberts. And Roberts' only score was the first bucket of the game.\nI spent $32 on my ticket, $10 on parking and $7 on a "Colts Dog" and a Coke, so even I outscored them.\nBut that game had to be an anomaly, just like the Wake Forest and Vandy games, right? Things had to get better. IU beat Morehead State and North Texas to enter the new year 6-4.\nBut then the Hoosiers scored only 50 on the Assembly Hall floor (their lowest home scoring effort since 1985) against Temple. The only team to score fewer points on the Owls this year is Drexel.\nThe Big Ten opener at Wisconsin, which resulted in a 34-point loss, was an even worse debacle. So what's this team to do? Well, it's a new year, so I figured some resolutions were in order. Normally, people make resolutions for themselves, but I have decided to take the personal liberty of making them for others.\nMike Davis: Shall resolve to beat Kentucky. Because we all remember the unfortunate fate that befell John Cooper when he could never beat Michigan on the gridiron. (If you don't remember, then obviously you weren't watching the ESPN-Plus Halftime Show this fall).\nBracey Wright: Shall resolve to shoot 100 percent from the field. It's not realistic, but then again, do you really think you are going to lose those 10 pounds you said you would? At this point, it looks like IU will need Bracey to become the most accurate shooter in history in order to stay afloat. \nGeorge Leach: Shall resolve to get well soon. The Big Ten hasn't been this pathetic since the University of Chicago was in the conference. So Leach's return means that IU can still compete for a spot in the postseason.\nSean Kline: Shall resolve to get more than one rebound in a game, like he did against Wisconsin. Every big man should resolve to get more rebounds. This team's leading rebounders are A.J. Moye and Wright. These guys are guards! Somebody box out!\nMarshall Strickland: Shall resolve to score more. Wright is still the only IU player averaging double digits per game. Strickland is averaging 8.9 per game, and this team desperately needs him to pick it up.\nMike Roberts: When Mike Davis asks him to enter a game, he shall resolve to ask "Coach, are you sure you want to do that?"\nA.J. Moye: Shall resolve to continue playing hard and telling the truth. After the Temple game, Moye was quoted in The Indianapolis Star as saying "Right now, man, we're stealing from these fans and people that are supporting the program and paying good money to come see this. . . We put crap out there on the floor." Amen.\nNCAA: Shall resolve to widen the circumference of the rim to three feet so IU can make shots. Come to think of it, that wouldn't be a bad idea for the NBA, either.