Pacers Surging, not Surprising

First appeared on January 17, 2013
in The Lebanon Reporter

When I was ten years old my English teacher became so distraught at my inability to make a lower case cursive q she had me sweating my chances at making fifth grade. “Why can’t you be more like Adam Montgomery?” she would croon and howl as I squiggled out one puny lower case cursive q after another.

In my defense Adam Montgomery was state of the art. What with his Rockwellian family, athletic prowess and flawless upper case D. First in gym class sprints, first in board races, line leader and hall monitor, Montgomery was the kind of kid who would have stood in front of Mt. Rushmore huffing, “I thought it’d be bigger.”

Nobody measured up to Adam Montgomery, and the incessant comparisons my teachers made turned most exhausting by our Senior year. My being forever doomed to a coach seat on the midnight train to Nowheresville made Adam Montgomery seem larger than life. As if he didn’t put his pants on one leg at a time and still need a mother’s reminder to close the barn door like everyone else.

I never mastered the lower case q and, looking back now, I don’t know what’s more surprising, the fact Adam Montgomery isn’t a world renowned guru making regular visits to the White House as a handwriting tutor for the Obama girls, or that I haven’t used cursive since fifth grade.

But it would seem Adam Montgomery and the Miami Heat aren’t far apart in their state of the art-ed-ness. The talking heads say nobody can beat the Heat, so it is the remainder of this much too long season and impending playoffs are about as relevant as the Mayan calendar.

If Montgomery was the Heat before the Heat were even the Heat then, in my teacher's eyes, I surely was the Pacers. Of course I was a much shorter, slower, less athletic and not as wealthy version, but the point here lies in the opinion of the masses being Montgomery was invincible.

Over the last week the Heat have proven themselves human. Losers of 4 out of their last 7, Miami suddenly doesn’t seem like the sure-fire lock for another Eastern Conference Title they once did. And meanwhile the Pacers are surging.

Surging without the “one time soon to be face of the franchise” Danny Granger in the line up. Surging despite all the NBA headlines targeting the dysfunctional Lakers, bloviating that a cure for more wins could lie in their firing of a second coach this season alone. Surging in spite of a maxed out center stumbling through an awkward, midseason identity crisis.

Surging on the wings of a budding young superstar who is discovering himself more and more with every game. But, most notably, surging on the wings of solid defense being played with consistent effort. This last part of the equation was notably absent earlier in the season (see the 90-89 loss to Charlotte in November and subsequent 4-6 start). In giving a solid defensive effort every night, Indiana seems to have found its niche.

And it’s been their ability to channel this “inner Adam Montgomery” that’s led to Indiana’s correcting a season that was bordering a steep, irreversible nose dive. A correction that’s seen their ascension to the top spot in the Central Division and third best record in the East.

But will it be enough? None of us could ever reach the stratosphere Adam Montgomery so nonchalantly called home back then and it still remains to be seen if anyone in the NBA, Pacers included, can match the Heat stride for stride come April.

© 2013 Eric Walker Williams

Pudue dethaws against Illinois

First appeared on January 5th,
in The Lebanon Reporter

Pardon the cliché but while it was cold outside, inside Mackey Arena Wednesday night was red hot. So loyal Boilermaker fans by the hundreds trudged in on their snowshoes cloaked in bulky Arctic parkas lined with fur from the durable, and yet always fashionable, Musk Ox. They’d come most likely to see Illinois play, having given up on their beloved Boilers sometime after the Bucknell loss (three games into the season).

Illinois had been good. Scary good. After winning the Maui Invitational in a championship game in which they beat Butler by 17 points, first year head coach Jim Groce’s team had won six of seven coming in.

Seeing DJ Byrd play an integral role in winning a basketball game is nothing new to folks in this part of the state, but the number 11 ranked Illinois Fighting Illini were blindsided by the 6’5 Senior Wednesday night. The Purdue Boilermakers (7-6) did what nobody on Earth, including all 9,874 people inside Mackey, believed they could; they beat Groce’s upstart Illinois team 68-61.

Purdue came in with absolutely nothing to hang their hats on following a lackluster preseason. And clearly there was little for Purdue fans to look forward to coming in to the season what with all the attention their arch rivals downstate had garnered before anyone had even had a chance to embarrass a directional school.

So the near zero degree temperatures outside must have seemed balmy to Matt Painter as he took the court with his team, considering the fervor Purdue fans once had for the coach’s program was quickly freezing over.

The Boilers don’t boast the top recruiting class in the nation or a preseason All American, but what they do have is a coach who instills a faith in hard-nosed defense and hustle. The product is of course oftentimes a brand of basketball so ugly even Sports Illustrated doesn’t have enough airbrush artists on staff to make the average basketball fan interested in watching it. But more often than not, when players are on board, it produces wins; of course nothing helps a group buy in faster than winning a game nobody has given you a chance in.

The heat wave came after Purdue outrebounded the Illini 45-34. And in doing so Purdue not only helped themselves compensate for a lack of shot making but may have revealed a glaring weakness in this Illini team at the same time. Illinois is a flashy and athletic team that can shoot the basketball, but what we saw Wednesday was a much less talented and far less athletic team punch them square in the face.

This physical, Gene Keady style “football on the hardwood” was enough to put Painter’s team in a position to win, but as they came down the stretch Purdue began to tighten up. You could see their arms get shorter and feel their throats drying up.

Knowing you’re a terrible foul shooting team late in a game you have no business leading must be a lot like diving with sharks wearing a wetsuit lined with chum. But in the end the Boilers were able toss Byrd into the microwave long enough for him to reach just the right temperature and, after proving to have the perfect amount of seasoning, the senior was able to make all the plays necessary at the end to help his team win.

There’s nothing like a nice win to warm ones soul on a cold winter night. And while it may come as a welcome distraction to the Arctic conditions in which we currently exist, Purdue fans should temper their blue lips, for nobody wants January 2nd to be the high water mark of their season.

© 2013 Eric Walker Williams

Father Christmas has been good to Hoosiers

First appeared on December 12, 2012
in The Lebanon Reporter

It’s that time again. Time to brave the crowds, embrace our hunter gatherer roots and fight the animal tendency in all of us to hammer our fellow man in the face, all in the name of making the Christmas dreams of our bright eyed children come true.

And knowing full well you won’t be the father of a four year old who can’t find Indiana on a map, you settle on the Melissa and Doug Wooden Puzzle of the United States. A must-have of every toy closet, stately cornstalks of gold mark Nebraska and there’s Florida with its proverbial giant round orange while a lone Saguaro cactus stands guard over Arizona.

Yes a marvel of modern Elf ingenuity indeed. But what’s this? Indiana has no race car or basketball? In their stead, crouched over the crossroads of America, is some strange creature that appears half whistle pig, half beaver.

This is what the national impression of Indiana has come to? An overgrown rat? Hoosiers have a better chance of seeing Sasquatch roaming their backyards than this Capybara-like creature. Melissa and Doug’s official statement is they chose a beaver for Indiana “due to all the parks.” Really? It’s insulting; to Indiana and beavers.
One can only hope that, in the last two months alone, Sports Illustrated has done more to remake Indiana’s image than anything Melissa and Doug could ever do to trash it. In that time the editors of SI have chosen the images of Indiana’s Cody Zeller, Notre Dame’s Football Team and the Colts’ Andrew Luck to move their magazine. This alone proves sports historians would be hard pressed to find a better time to be a Hoosier.

So what more do we have to do? Indiana hammers North Carolina and clearly has Kentucky’s John Calipari on the run (BTW John, you’re not fooling anyone, it’s not about capacity of arenas as much as it is your precious undefeated record at Rupp which you clearly understand Indiana will soil forever). Notre Dame runs the table and it still isn’t enough for national pundits to accept that maybe they’re just the best team in College Football. Meanwhile Andrew Luck has done nothing but prove his worth as the number one overall pick by making good decisions, throwing lasers and extending plays with his feet; all this while helping the surprising Colts sprint out to 9 wins.

Still in the national consciousness we remain sod-busting corn pickers who spend weekends ogling our cousins through the flickering television light. In one fell swoop Melissa and Doug has taken nearly 200 years of proud Hoosier tradition and reduced it to what appears to be a Grizzly Bear that’s had the gross misfortune of crossing paths with a Martian shrink ray.

So you bypass the puzzle and tuck a Tonka Truck tuck under your arm, sprinting towards the check-out line like OJ in a Hertz Commercial, leaping shopping carts and shoving pregnant mothers out of the way. And you do so because it’s the most wonderful time of the year and you’re a Hoosier; a gift you can never return. Hoosiers are proud of our deep fried Twinkies and lone Toll Road; even though it’s owned by a foreign country most can’t find on a map.

It will take more than a child’s puzzle and the worst artists’ rendering of a beaver since Grog first took to cave walls to ruin our holidays. For Hoosiers everywhere it’s time to celebrate who we are; and we do so knowing we have Indiana, Notre Dame and the Colts to speak for us. And speak they will.

© 2012 Eric Walker Williams

Luck not the only one exceeding expectations

First appeared on November 29th, 2012
in The Lebanon Reporter

Lightning doesn’t strike twice. Somebody should have told Roy Sullivan that. He became known as “Dooms” after surviving a Guinness Record seven lightning strikes. Texan Joan Ginther wouldn’t subscribe to the adage either considering she’s won the Texas State Lottery four times amassing a fortune in excess of 20 million dollars.

Apparently ‘lightning doesn’t strike twice’ is an old wives tale not unlike ‘money doesn’t grow on trees’ or ‘small government’. Given the early success of Quarterback Andrew Luck, perhaps Colts owner Jim Irsay isn’t far removed from both Sullivan and Ginther. With Luck having exceeded expectations in every statistical and non-statistical category known to man, he seems poised to become the second Franchise Quarterback Irsay has managed to draft (insert poorly crafted ‘luck’ analogy here).

Exceeding expectations isn’t confined to Andrew however; this latest installment of the Indianapolis Colts could be categorized in much the same way. Sitting at 7-4 the Colts are flirting with a playoff berth in a season everyone forecast as lost before it even began.

Indianapolis was going to be young which is a black spot in the world of the NFL. They’d be a Manning-less band of timecard punchers buried by the storm surge that so often accompanies rebuilding, floundering their way to four wins with Luck spending more time on his back than feet. But what this team has taught us is simple; things don’t always go according to plan (see Mourdock, Richard and Romney, Mitt).

And while Luck’s play has been ahead of the curve and, dare we say, Manning-esque in some respects, the success of this team does not rest squarely on his shoulders alone. Head Coach Chuck Pagano put all the pieces in place and laid a foundation of belief before departing early to take on the toughest opponent anyone can ever face. In his place Interim Coach Bruce Arians seems to have arrived in a moment he’s spent all these seasons preparing for. It’s completely undeniable Arians’ experience has provided a steady hand in guiding these young Colts.

As strange as it sounds, the youth of this group is a strength. Nary a rock can be thrown in the Colts locker room without hitting a newcomer and their infectious energy shouldn’t be dismissed. After returning a punt for a Touchdown and catching one in the same game, T.Y. Hilton appears to be the return threat Colt fans have been asking for lo these many years. Not to be outdone, the other side of the ball has impacted the Colts season as well considering former Saskatchewan Roughrider linebacker Jerrell Freeman has ridden his way out of the Canadian Football League and up to the fifth spot amongst leading NFL tacklers.

But perhaps one man more than any other has held this ship together through what should have been much rougher seas. Reggie Wayne is quietly having his best season and, while the 12 year vet would be the first to tell you he’s just one of 53, Wayne’s professionalism shouldn’t be underestimated when trying to dissect the success of this group.

So go horse ye Colt fans for this group has given you the ultimate October surprise. At 7-4 they’re positioned for a postseason run. And postseasons that begin with no expectations are the ones that provide the best surprises. The Colts Brass languished over what to do with Manning at the end of last season and, in Dooms Sullivan style, it’s not out of the realm of possibility they’ll soon be languishing over the prospect of facing him in the postseason. After all, who said lightning doesn’t strike twice?

© 2012 Eric Walker Williams

The Difference between Indiana and L.A.

First appeared on September 16th, 2012
in The Lebanon Reporter

So the Lakers start out 1-4 and Head Coach Mike Brown gets an unexpected vacation. And what can you really say, it is L.A. after all. There are no surprises here. The Pacers, with all their lofty preseason goals, have stumbled out to a 3-6 record and there is no groundswell to send Frank Vogel packing; even after a disappointing two point home loss to Toronto was followed by a game in Milwaukee where they trailed by 30 at one point. I suppose that’s the difference between Indiana and L.A.

A little Midwestern patience versus the ‘what have you done for me today’ mentality of the West Coast. The Lakers are masters at the art of sleepwalking through the regular season, winning just enough games to get a decent playoff seed before throwing themselves into winning a championship with everything they’ve got.

And yet this appears to be the mentality of the Pacers to this point. The trouble with following this blueprint is of course that the Pacers are not the Lakers. They do not have a rich championship pedigree or one of the largest fan bases in professional sports; and more to the point they don’t have Kobe Bryant. Such is the difference between Indiana and L.A.

So you have a franchise willing to can a coach a week into the regular season. One that has, with great regularity, made its name sending one aging All Star after another packing in favor of newer, younger models. A franchise that has amassed more championships than half the league combined. This is the difference between Indiana and L.A.

And so the Pacer fan waits. Patiently. His team will figure this out. They will discover that great defense begats steady offense. Their young coach will find a way to string some wins together and their sharpshooting small forward will return just in time to round himself into shape before the playoffs. There will be no panic inspired trades or front office demands. Such is the difference between Indiana and L.A.

For all Reggie Miller went through one can’t imagine a time when he would have felt it necessary to give his “blessing” to the hiring of a coach. In fact it’s unimaginable to think he’d have ever demanded a trade if the front office didn’t change coaches or turn the Earth on its axis trying to rebuild the roster. Pacer fans loved Thirty-One not for the championships he tallied, but for the memories he left behind. Memories of an underdog throwing unabashed uppercuts. But I suppose that’s the difference between Indiana and L.A.

And so we’ll remain the small market ne’er do wells. Sure we’ll still buy our tickets, eat our corndogs and be happy with maybe winning a first round series, maybe not. And while most days we’re just happy to have a little professional franchise to call our own, we’ll also be quick to tell you all about that one time we flirted with a championship. How in one fell swoop a franchise and a fan base both were taught the hard and cruel lesson that there’s more to winning an NBA Title than heart, hustle and desire.

How sometimes there are powers bigger than you at play. And so now when we tuck our children in at night we’re sure to remind them that sometimes in life the monsters under our beds may or may not have the authority to award the other team free throws and send your best players to the bench with foul trouble, and this is why we aren’t the lead story on SportsCenter. But such is the difference between Indiana and L.A.

© 2012 Eric Walker Williams

Indiana's "To Do" List quite lengthy

First appeared on November 7th, 2012
in The Lebanon Reporter

Dear Purdue,

This is Indiana. In case you haven’t heard I’m the national preseason number one in Men’s College Basketball. Save your congratulations; they’re not necessary and would be neither genuine nor heartfelt. I know what you’re thinking and I agree, it’s been a long time since I’ve been looking down on so many people, including yourself.

I just wanted to take this opportunity to let you know I have big plans for this season. And when I say “big plans” I mean big as in a 1976 kind of big. Yogi Ferrell, Jeremy Hollowell and Hanner Perea are part of the best recruiting class I’ve had in a long time and, oh yeah, they’ll team up with the Preseason player of the year Cody Zeller; so I’ve got that going for me.

Clearly I’ll be dangerous, after all why else would Kentucky be dodging me? Look, I’ll be frank, ours is a checkered past. And I don’t just mean that whole “We have Five National Championships” and “You have more Big Ten Titles” deal. We had a good run with that one guy in the sweater and the other guy who liked to toss his jacket into the stands, but this is not 1989. From the Duel in the Dome to the seventeen point beat down I left in the comb-over’s mouth after the last chance he ever had at beating me, it’s been fun but now it’s time for the dawning of a new era.

Let me cut to the chase. I don’t plan on showing any mercy this year. I’ve taken my lumps for far too long. Everyone from Lipscomb to Penn State has gotten their licks in and now I’ve got a long list of people who are going to pay for all that’s happened since my fall from grace. And I’ll be honest your name’s on it (remember the sweeps of 2010 and 11? I do). Your cell phone jokes are tired by the way; it’s time to get some new material.

This is going to be a big season for me. I plan on winning my first Big Ten Title since 2002 while also notching my first Conference Player of the Year since 2007. I plan to win my first Big Ten Tournament Title after snapping a twenty year losing streak at Michigan State’s Breslin Center. And of course, though I don’t want to jinx it, the NCAA Championship game will be held in Atlanta again this year and I’m sure you remember 2002’s Title Game in the Georgia Dome because I played in it and lost to Maryland.

Now I know this is a lot for you to process considering you’ve been the darling of the state for so long (that is as long as we both agree to overlook Butler in the same way ESPN has for so long). Either way let this stand as fair warning that this will be a season to remember; at least for one of us.

Yours in perpetuity,

Indiana Men’s Basketball



© 2012 Eric Walker Williams

The Indiana Fever deserve your support

First appeared on October 19, 2012
in The Lebanon Reporter

This October basketball fans face some tough choices. The Minnesota Lynx say they deserve to be WNBA Champions for a second straight year, but can they really be trusted? After all they’ve been champion for an entire season and are you really any better off now than you were a year ago?

The Indiana Fever are an exciting team that shares the basketball and plays smothering defense. This October the choice is clear. If the Fever become WNBA Champion, they won’t rest until there’s a chicken in every pot and a basketball hoop on every garage.

Haven’t we had enough of the Minnesota Lynx? After all, can we really count on a team that relies so heavily on just two players? America deserves a champion that has more to offer than just four time All American Maya Moore and former WNBA Rookie of the Year Seimone Augustus. The Indiana Fever on the other hand are a true team in every sense of the word, boasting a roster of talented players including the NBA’s top defensive stopper in Tamika Catchings and a sharpshooter in Katie Douglas (currently nursing an injured ankle).

Leadership. The Fever have two spunky guards (Briann January and Shavonte Zellous) that are proven leaders and solid decision makers. Together they’ve worked hard to prevent the damaging turnovers that can destroy a team’s chances. The Minnesota Lynx say they’re a good team, but they averaged a disappointing 13 turnovers last year.

Teamwork. Indiana knows the value of teamwork that’s why the Fever guards have demonstrated their willingness for bipartisanship by reaching into the lane to work with the forwards all season long. Hard work. Bruisers Eriana Larkins and Jessica Davenport understand the value of hard work and their dedication and loyalty to the American people are the backbone of this great nation of ours (and both are capable of scoring inside and protecting the glass which doesn’t hurt either).

Americans deserve a candidate who is strong on defense but the Minnesota Lynx’s record show they are too soft. This season the Lynx allowed a startling 76.7 points per game. This is the most important time in history and now more than ever Basketball fans deserve a champion who can get stops when you need them most. The Indiana Fever have a proven record for being tough on defense, holding their opponents to just .415 shooting from the field.

We can’t afford another year with the Minnesota Lynx as champions. An independent study revealed most voters believe the Minnesota Lynx park in handicap parking spaces, scare babies and steal candy from children. This October the choice for WNBA Champion is clear. The Indiana Fever are the most exciting and most qualified candidate so do America a favor and give them your support. This message is not, but most likely would be, approved by the Indiana Fever.

© 2012 Eric Walker Williams