A few strange minutes with Andy Rooney

First appeared on March 24th, 2010
in The Lebanon Reporter

Strange as it sounds, Andy Rooney visited me in a dream the other night. In a very “Ghost of Christmas past” moment, he tried convincing me to watch the NCAA tournament even though my favorite team wasn’t playing.


It all seemed so real, from the ticking stopwatch to those bushy eyebrows of silver glowering at me from behind a mahogany desk. So bizarre it bears repeating, it is with some trepidation that I offer now my few minutes with Andy Rooney (note to those who have never seen Andy on television- the witty charm crafted with purpose in this particular column will likely be lost on you):

What's the deal with "jumping on the bandwagon"? And just because one decides to jump on the bandwagon, what does that really mean? I've been alive for nearly 109 years and I've never even seen a bandwagon; so how is it that all these people keep jumping on them? I asked around and nobody I know has ever seen a bandwagon either.

Now I know Indiana University didn't make the NCAA Tournament, but does that really mean Hoosier fans aren't allowed to watch any of it? I think it’s funny how only 65 teams are invited. This means if you are one of the other 300 teams in college basketball you played your season for nothing. Makes sense doesn’t it? The White House supposedly has invitation only events too and we’ve all seen how well those work.

My friends will tell you it’s natural for me to be cranky, but I have to admit I’m a bit suspicious of all these people running around accusing others of “jumping on the bandwagon”. Wouldn’t you agree it sounds ridiculous for somebody to tell IU fans they have to watch My Name is Earl re-runs just because their team wasn’t invited to the party? As far as I can tell Indiana fans should be allowed to root other teams along if that's what they choose to do. After all, last I checked ours is a free country.

Now maybe the Founding Fathers didn’t have the NCAA Tournament in mind when they drafted our Constitution, but does that really mean we don’t have the right to root freely and openly? I may not understand constitutional law, but I understand television ratings and simply dismissing somebody who roots for a new team as a bandwagon jumper sounds like nonsense to me.

I did some research and found out the phrase “jumping on the Bandwagon” was actually coined by a clown. It seems some clown named Dan Rice invited Zachary Taylor, then a presidential candidate, to use his circus bandwagon as a campaign tool. Makes sense doesn’t it? Funny thing is Mr. Rice would go on to run for President himself eventually; not that he was the first or last clown to run for president of course.

My grandfather always used to say “You sleep in the bed you make”. I think that means once a Hoosier fan-always a Hoosier fan. But then again he never had to watch an NCAA tournament that his favorite team wasn’t playing in; so I don’t even know what that means.

It just seems funny to me that today people treat bandwagon jumpers like they have leprosy. It just seems wrong and I don’t think it’s fair. I just hope someday, in terms of rooting, bandwagon jumpers are given carte blanche during the month of March. So, yes Indiana and Notre Dame fans, I’m saying cheer on Butler and Purdue; as long as you remember where your loyalties lie come October that is.

Memories of Chris Kramer, Inspector Kemp and Tom Crean's gallon of Pepto

First appeared on March 17th, 2010
in The Lebanon Reporter

There is a scene in the Mel Brooks masterpiece "Young Frankenstein" where Inspector Kemp stands before an angry torch bearing mob and raises his wooden arm (with help) while announcing through a German accent thicker than Pepto Bismol "A riot is an ugly sing....und, I tink, that it is chust about time ve had vun."


Wither Tom Crean. Coming off a season filled with Pepto Bismol and no doubt battling insomnia. Tossing and turning under the weight of nightmares over a Hoosier Nation finally reaching angry mob level. Just when will season ticket holders and the rank and file Knight defenders (a.k.a. Boosters) grab their pitchforks and light their torches?

At some point someone is going to stand up and say what everyone else is thinking. “How much longer are we going to have to put up with losing?” Let this person from here on be referred to as Crean’s Inspector Kemp.

For two straight seasons the Hoosiers have failed. Failed to make the tournament. Failed to string together the sell outs that helped make Assembly Hall a hallowed place. They have failed to beat Purdue and failed to win more games than they lost. Now Indiana fans find themselves drifting aimlessly through uncharted waters with nary a promising light on the horizon. It's March and there is ABSOLUTELY nothing to look forward to.

Since Knight's firing Indiana's program has went from a whirlwind run to the NCAA championship game to the atomic bomb that was Kelvin Sampson. The latter of these sparking a tailspin towards a not-so-unforseable future of competing with Indiana State for recruits.

Credit Crean for playing his cards well. That is the "Kelvin Sampson screwed this all up" card and the "We have to start from scratch" card and the "We need kids like Chris Kramer" card. Come next year however, it will be time for Tom Crean to lay ALL his cards on the table.

There were signs of progress earlier in the year. A win in New York over Pittsburgh and a spirited performance against Kentucky in which Freshman Maurice Creek scored 32 points in one of his last games before a season ending knee injury.

But losing three in a row in Puerto Rico, a home loss to Loyola and several un-Hoosier like beat downs during the Big Ten regular season (including a stretch where Crean’s kids appeared disinterested in competing) could be taken as indications of either A. This was a really young team playing without their best playmaker (which is true) or B. Crean is in over his head (which is most likely not).

Though it will undoubtedly include some noticeably shorter rope, next season will still bring another fresh start. If the Hoosiers are not .500 or better however don't be surprised to see Inspector Kemp show up, monocle and all.

Since his arrival in Bloomington, Tom Crean has generated interest. He’s said and done all the right things. He’s recruited likable kids. He’s embraced the past. He’s done everything necessary to build a program except win games. Unfortunately for him, this is Division One college basketball and not a Friday night bowling league. People want more than good conversation, cold beer and greasy onion rings; they want wins.

All of this makes next year critical. If Indiana has another losing season, a fit of clapping and a schoolboy smile likely won’t be enough to keep the red carpet from being rolled up. One thing is certain, next season will go a long way towards telling us if Tom Crean is truly destined to be part of Indiana’s future.

Even 100 years ago, rivalries were still rivalries

First appeared on March 9th, 2010

in The Lebanon Reporter

 

For the Lebanon Tigers the start of the 1910-11 season was overshadowed by a visit from former President Theodore Roosevelt. During a barnstorming trip that brought him to Lebanon via Crawfordsville, Roosevelt was introduced to a large gathering by Major S.N. Cragun on October 13^th, 1910. Campaigning for Republicans prior to the November elections Roosevelt didn't speak long, according to the Lebanon Patriot he had only "fifteen minutes to show his teeth and sound political tocsin".

            A few weeks later the focus shifted from politics to the hardwood in anticipation of the upcoming basketball season. Despite the fact they were returning only one starter, early indications should have pointed to Head Coach F.O. Anderegg having a strong "quintet" after his Lebanon Tigers defeated an alumni team in a preseason contest. Most chalked it up to luck however and it wouldn't be until much later in the year that fans would realize just how special the 1910-11 Tigers would be.

            Their schedule included home and aways with Kokomo, Anderson and Crawfordsville as well as a few head to heads with other teams. One hundred years ago the Lebanon-Crawfordsville rivalry was just cutting its teeth. In 1909 the two teams had split a pair of games and controversy swirled after Lebanon's challenge for a tie-breaking match-up was publicly rebuffed by Crawfordsville.

            During the 1910-11 season the Athenians were one of Lebanon's final home games. Much to the chagrin of Tiger fans, one of their starting players had transferred to Crawfordsville over the summer. When the Athenians returned to Lebanon that following season, the Patriot called the crowd that turned out "the largest…ever assembled in this city…".

In an ugly game that saw more than one penalty for "unsportsmanlike demeanor", one Tiger was sent out for stitches and another broke a finger. When the official at the scorer's bench fired his revolver to signal the end of the contest, Lebanon had suffered a heartbreaking loss. If the Patriot is any reflection, the community was noticeably shaken as the paper railed how the Tigers "drank from defeat at the hands of the Athenians". Of course nobody in the stands that night could have realized that just a few short weeks later those same two teams would play for Indiana's first state title.      

            The Lebanon Pioneer called Crawfordsville and Rochester the favorites heading into the twelve team state tournament. Given little chance of success, Lebanon was nonetheless invited to represent District 7. The Tigers took Bloomington by storm fighting their way to the championship game by defeating Valparaiso 23-11 and New Albany 28-10. The victories set up a rematch with Crawfordsville.

            Played in the original Assembly Hall, the game was billed as a curtain raiser for a match-up between the Indiana Hoosiers and Wisconsin Badgers men's teams. Under the direction of Head Coach Dave Glassock, Crawfordsville had racked up a 15-2 record to that point. Now the only thing standing between Glassock and a place in history were the Lebanon Tigers. 

            According to the Patriot the Athenians outweighed the Tigers "ten pounds to the man" and were the more experienced team having "seen the smoke of battle before". The size disparity reportedly made Lebanon the crowd favorite as the Pioneer called the whole scene "nerve-racking". The Tigers countered Crawfordsville's size with a lightning fast attack that featured sharp passing and team play. Correspondents used words like furious and breathtaking to describe Lebanon's style.   

After trailing for most of the game, the Tigers mounted a second half run as the play of Lebanon guard Clark Berry brought fans to their feet. The Indianapolis Sun praised Berry for having a cool head and excellent passing skills. Despite outstanding play from the All-Tournament Team selection Berry and their All-State forward Porter, the Tigers were unable to cage the Athenians as Crawfordsville won the first State Championship 24-17.

            Despite winning praise from Indiana's head coach as one of the "brainiest quintets" he had ever seen, watching the Athenians accepting their silver loving cups had to be salt in the wound for Lebanon. Despite the loss, the Tigers would rally to beat Franklin in the title game a year later sparking a run that would see Lebanon capture 3 of the first 8 state championships.

In an era when distant news trickled in from places like Monkeyville, Raccoon and Ratsburg via correspondent, a horse overturning a buggy and a foiled chicken thief were shocking events. This being said, basketball was still front page stuff. Even 100 years ago the passion and innate understanding of the game Hoosiers are still known for today can be found in the writing of the correspondents.

As the IHSAA celebrates the 100^th anniversary of high school basketball, we should all take a moment to share our favorite memories with younger generations.   

Purdue Fans about to find out why cliche' sportscasters contracutally obliged to rant "That's why they play the game!"

First appeared on March 2nd, 2010

in The Lebanon Reporter

OK Purdue fans so your first outing without star forward Robbie Hummel didn't quite turn out the way you would have liked. And yes we know 44 points scored was by far a season low for you. But no matter how ugly things were Sunday, it's still not time to hit the eject button on your season.  Those Boilers left deserve more than the "sky has fallen, woe are we" panicked reaction most of you have had to this point.

First let's understand Sunday's match up was one you could have just as easily lost with Hummel playing. Considering you've gotten the bulk of the press in the Conference this year, Sparty was playing with an understandable chip on his shoulder. "But we're not a Final Four team anymore" you whine in unison, well if we knew who the Final Four teams were now, why would we bother to invite 60 other teams to play in the tournament?  

 With Sunday's loss, Matt Painter and his team do find themselves at a crossroads however. The next two weeks are far more important than any single loss could be. The issue here is not so much the injury to Robbie Hummel, it's the timing. The Boilers have enough talent to win games without Hummel, but with only 2 regular season games and the Big Ten Tourney left they likely won't have enough time for everyone to sort out their new roles and find a groove before the NCAA Tournament.

Two games is not enough time for the Boilers to convince themselves they can win without Hummel either. This is where the Big Ten Tourney comes in to play. Purdue has enough talent left to beat both Indiana and Penn State but the trick for Painter will be convincing his players of that. If they can find a way to survive their last two games, the Tourney gives them an opportunity to not only play with some added pressure but make a statement to the NCAA Tournament committee as well.

History has shown the committee considers key injuries when sowing their almighty seeds. This is why the Boilers need to win out (including the Big Ten Tournament). If they can do this, that would put a tremendous amount of pressure on the committee to not saddle them with a 4 or 5 seed.

Undoubtedly Hummel was an important piece of Purdue's puzzle but he was not their leading scorer or rebounder. Those titles belong to E'Twaun Moore and JaJuan Johnson. In Moore and Johnson the Boilers still have a1-2 punch that will be better than the vast majority of the teams that make the field of 64. 

To win out however the Boilers will need Lewis Jackson and Chris Kramer to score more. Now is also the time for Keaton Grant to play the way he did as a Sophomore. That season he was a double digit scorer and looked liked a key piece of the program's future. Now Matt Painter needs him more than ever and Grant finds himself with a perfect opportunity to salvage his career and make himself one of those names Boiler fans recall fondly at the same time.   

The X factor in all of this is that Purdue plays smothering team defense and this, above all else, gives them a chance to win every night. Obviously offense doesn't hurt your chances, but no matter the sport, defense is usually the difference in the biggest games (see Colts, Indianapolis). So cheer up Boiler fans, though it's not what you expected, the end of your season should still prove interesting.  

Here come the Olympics. A combination of skis, firearms and exhaustion? Who could want more?

First appeared on February 24th, 2010

in The Lebanon Reporter

The hills above Dykeman Golf Course are the best place to sled in Cass County, Indiana. As kids many a winter day was spent arguing over who was most like the great Italian Skeleton rider Nino Bibbia. OK, so maybe Winter Olympic hero worship didn't translate to kids in the Midwest during the 1980's, but that doesn't mean it can't in 2010. With America's strong showing at the Vancouver Winter Games to this point we have harvested not just a bountiful medal count, but a new crop of athletic heroes as well.

The Winter Games have always been the red headed step-child of the Olympic experience. This is likely a product of geographical restrictions which render many of the events foreign to wider audiences. For example, palm fronds and a beachhead are perhaps the closest the children of Papua New Guinea will ever get to cross country skiing. It also seems we as viewers often find ourselves wrestling with too many unanswered questions when it comes to Winter Events, like how do they get the bobsleds back to the top of the mountain?

Casual fans often don't appreciate the talent or ability required for events like the Luge, Skeleton and Bobsled. For us "Joe the Plumber types", competitors appear to be doing little more than hanging on for their life. The allure and drama of Curling is also lost on most as well, considering it appears more glorified therapy for the obsessive compulsive than an actual competitive sport.

Hybrid sports like the Biathalon only serve to exacerbate our confusion and, considering it's not a traditional Winter Olympic event, Snowboarding hasn't yet won widespread respect as well. Now maybe if the two were combined and we saw Biathalon contestants shooting at Snowboarders in midair-then, in the words of David Letterman, "you might have something".

Alpine skiing translates however. Who doesn't appreciate someone mixing all the ingredients for a complete disaster together (high speeds, slick conditions, trees)? Most understand that making turns on snow at 70 miles an hour is something the average person simply cannot do; you know like going back in time or reaching an actual real live human being when calling the cable company.

Enter downhill skier Bode Miller. Billed in Torino as the main event for the 2006 Winter Games, Miller responded by acting more like a mosh pit diver at Lollapalooza and thus failed to meet expectations. 2010 has been a much smoother ride for Bode however as he has fought to reclaim his legacy by winning 3 medals.     

Americans Lindsey Vonn and Julia Mancuso have also lit up Vancouver. After skiing her way out of an avalanche of questions concerning a shin injury, Vonn has found the podium twice. Unlike Lindsey, nobody expected much out of Mancuso but she has already snatched two medals of her own.

Throw in Apolo Ohno's two speed skating medals, bringing his career total to a U.S. Winter Olympic record 7, and what you have is U.S. domination to this point. The only remaining question is can the U.S. hang on and win the winter medal count for the first time ever?    

The Olympics have always been a potpourri of political undertones and historic rivalries. However, unlike Beijing where people tuned in to watch NBC lift the mysterious veil that had hidden Chinese culture since the days of Mao, the Peacock network struggled early to find their footing in Vancouver. But with Miller's resurgence, Ohno making history and a pair of female downhill skiers turning heads and winning medals, these games have been worth the price of admission; for Americans anyway.