Sweet 16.
The Bulldogs have been here before. They've seen the bright lights of March Madness in its finest over the course of Brad Stevens' short time there, but this is normally their exit. They're a solid one or two win team in everyone's bracket, but they couldn't beat Syracuse, right?
I'm not so sure about that. The smart money says the number one seed should handily win this game. The smart money says that Syracuse's size and skill advantage will put the tiny Bulldogs in peril early.
Then again, the smart money also picked Kansas to win it all, and they'll be watching tonight from the comfort of their own living room. The smart money has proven extremely unreliable this March, and if ever there were a team poised for a run in a March filled with upsets, it's this Bulldogs team.
Who better to win the tournament of the upset than the team from the historic Hinkle Fieldhouse? Who better to march into Indianapolis than the team from Indianapolis? Who better to represent Hoosier nation than the team hailing from the site of the game that inspired the movie Hoosiers?
It's farfetched. It's unlikely these Bulldogs will win tonight against the powerhouse Orange, but if I were Brad Stevens, this is what I'd say tonight...
We've hit our wall. This is where we are supposed to bow out, leave. Our clock just struck midnight. Millions have filled out brackets this year, and not even your mothers expected you to make an Elite Eight run against a number one seed. The Orange are favored by 7.5 points tonight. No one is betting on us tonight. Gordon, Matt, you two are moth Horizon League Players of the Year. You're our backbone, but you have to realize that this game isn't about you.
You will play in Hinkle Fieldhouse again, in front of some of the greatest fans in the nation, but there are players on this team who won't. Tonight, we play for our seniors. We play to bring them back to Indianapolis. We're three wins from playing the championship game in Lucas Oil Stadium, at home. We are 2-0 versus teams in the Sweet Sixteen. No one left in this tournament has beaten us, including this Syracuse team. We are the most lethal team here. Everyone is afraid of us. We are a coiled spring ready to jump, and when we do, these teams will take notice. Fifty-six years ago, a high school team from Milan came into Butler Fieldhouse, our house, and a boy named Bobby Plump hit the shot heard around the world. That shot, however, would never have been possible if they didn't, two games earlier, defeat Crispus Attucks, featuring Hall of Fame guard Oscar "The Big O" Robertson. Tonight is our semi-state. Tonight, we face our Crispus Attucks. Tonight, we will shut down our Oscar Robertson. Tonight, we continue the dream and the fight, because maybe, just maybe, if we can beat the Orange, we can bring the same banner that these fifteen other teams are fighting for back to the home of the greatest upset in American history.
So let's go out there, and make Bobby Plump proud. And who knows, maybe someday 56 years from now, a young coach will tell his "outmatched" basketball team about the greatest Cinderella story in the history of the NCAA basketball tournament.
I just checked my watch, right now the time is ten o'clock. In two hours, it will be midnight for someone. Let's make sure it's not us.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Thursday, March 11, 2010
An Open Letter to Greg Ballard
Dear Mr. Mayor, Mr. Ballard, Greg
So I read an interesting article in today's IndyStar. Those crazy bastards seem to think that you sold the city's water and sewer systems to Citizens Energy Corp. because you're afraid to raise rates. You know how the IndyStar can be, with their ridiculous claims...
Wait, I'm receiving word that you not only have admitted to this, but are saying that it's "the right thing to do."
Right for whom, might I ask? Right for the citizens of Indianapolis? Is it right to sell the entirety of one industry's resources to one company? Keep in mind we're talking about an industry that the citizens of Indianapolis can't live without. We're not going to go back to the well and the outhouse over this, but we will end up paying more money. You let Citizens Energy monopolize the water industry and we're going to be shortening our showers at the very least, that's for damn sure.
Pop quiz: Why did Indianapolis buy out the water industry in 2002?
Answer: Because interest rates had skyrocketed under private ownership due to a lack of competition.
Now I'm not saying that we shouldn't be spending more money on our infrastructure. We can and should increase spending on our utilities, but I don't believe that privatization is the right way to do that.
The one thing this move showed me, Greg, is that I haven't given you enough credit. All these years, I thought you had no clue why you were elected, but this shows that you get it. You know exactly why the simple slogan of "Had Enough?" would manage to get even a novice like you elected over an incumbent. You've realized that you free rode your way into office on the coattails of property tax increases that had nothing to do with Bart Peterson. You understand that water rates need to be raised, but you don't have the balls to do it yourself, so you're passing the buck onto Citizens Energy.
Yeah Greg, THAT'S what a leader does. When the tough decisions are laid on your desk, you throw up your hands and say "Don't Ask Me!" Do you think the voters will forget this a year and a half from now when they're paying twice as much for water because of this decision? They won't. I know you can smell what the Democrats are cookin', and you know that no matter who gets the nomination, you're going to lose one year from November. This decision won't save you. If you had the balls to make an unpopular decision, I think you'd be surprised how Hoosiers would respond. At least then, you'd show you have the courage to lead.
Greg, you've disappointed me again. This was a cowardly move, and I hope the voters don't hurt your feelings too badly in the polls. Good luck and godspeed.
Oh, and if you want some help, I can fix your administration and your reelection bid in one day, with enough time for a long lunch. My email is hicklet@indiana.edu
Something tells me I won't be hearing from you, and neither will the rest of the city after 2011.
Love,
Timmy Elmo Hickle
So I read an interesting article in today's IndyStar. Those crazy bastards seem to think that you sold the city's water and sewer systems to Citizens Energy Corp. because you're afraid to raise rates. You know how the IndyStar can be, with their ridiculous claims...
Wait, I'm receiving word that you not only have admitted to this, but are saying that it's "the right thing to do."
Right for whom, might I ask? Right for the citizens of Indianapolis? Is it right to sell the entirety of one industry's resources to one company? Keep in mind we're talking about an industry that the citizens of Indianapolis can't live without. We're not going to go back to the well and the outhouse over this, but we will end up paying more money. You let Citizens Energy monopolize the water industry and we're going to be shortening our showers at the very least, that's for damn sure.
Pop quiz: Why did Indianapolis buy out the water industry in 2002?
Answer: Because interest rates had skyrocketed under private ownership due to a lack of competition.
Now I'm not saying that we shouldn't be spending more money on our infrastructure. We can and should increase spending on our utilities, but I don't believe that privatization is the right way to do that.
The one thing this move showed me, Greg, is that I haven't given you enough credit. All these years, I thought you had no clue why you were elected, but this shows that you get it. You know exactly why the simple slogan of "Had Enough?" would manage to get even a novice like you elected over an incumbent. You've realized that you free rode your way into office on the coattails of property tax increases that had nothing to do with Bart Peterson. You understand that water rates need to be raised, but you don't have the balls to do it yourself, so you're passing the buck onto Citizens Energy.
Yeah Greg, THAT'S what a leader does. When the tough decisions are laid on your desk, you throw up your hands and say "Don't Ask Me!" Do you think the voters will forget this a year and a half from now when they're paying twice as much for water because of this decision? They won't. I know you can smell what the Democrats are cookin', and you know that no matter who gets the nomination, you're going to lose one year from November. This decision won't save you. If you had the balls to make an unpopular decision, I think you'd be surprised how Hoosiers would respond. At least then, you'd show you have the courage to lead.
Greg, you've disappointed me again. This was a cowardly move, and I hope the voters don't hurt your feelings too badly in the polls. Good luck and godspeed.
Oh, and if you want some help, I can fix your administration and your reelection bid in one day, with enough time for a long lunch. My email is hicklet@indiana.edu
Something tells me I won't be hearing from you, and neither will the rest of the city after 2011.
Love,
Timmy Elmo Hickle
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Rushing to Conclusions
As a political science guy, I've always been really interested as to if any one party is more rational than the other. Both parties claim to be superior, but could that all be a hoax. Unfortunately, we have no real quantitative data to make the argument one way or the other. Sure, there are fringe groups out there that aren't rational (hello Tea Party, Westboro Baptist Church, etc.) but those two examples don't prove that Republicans are, by nature irrational. With the Republican Party shrinking, however, and most traditional Republicans being booted from office by angry voters, there is no real party leadership. Consequently, the man most Republicans are taking marching orders from now is Rush "El Rushbo" Limbaugh. Unfortunately (<
I wish I could make a joke here, but I can't, because it's impossible to mock something this ridiculous. I don't understand what the hell Limbaugh is talking about, but he just gave Democrats a definite reason to pass healthcare legislation. My greatest hope and prayer is that he DOES move to Costa Rica, hates it, and tries to come back, just to find out how extremely impossible the immigration process actually is in this nation. Then, when his visa runs out, I'll be the first one to call border patrol, because we need to keep those lazy illegal immigrants out of our country, right Rush?
"I don't know. I'll just tell you this, if this passes and it's five years from now and all that stuff gets implemented, I am leaving the country. I'll go to Costa Rica."
Good for you, Rush. You see something you don't like and you jump ship. Granted, if a liberal would've said, for example, that they would move to Canada if George W. Bush got reelected, as several did in 2004, you'd call them "unpatriotic" and say that they "hate their country." No, good for you. Stand up for what you believe. Move to the Costa Rican paradise where they run their entire infrastructure with internal combustion diesel engines, all the citizens are white and Protestant, and you have to work hard to earn your healthcare!
Holds finger to ear... getting something over my earpiece.
I'm sorry, we are just now receiving word that Costa Rica is actually one of the best nations in the world at sustainability. They are consistently one of the greenest places on earth. They do not have a military, they support gay rights, they consistently elect social democrats to their presidency... and wait, one more thing... They have universal health care.
WHAT?!?!
So to escape the "liberal hell hole" that Limbaugh thinks America has become, he's going to the liberal capital of the world? Why? So he can scare 25% of their population to vehemently opposing their administration as well? That's like a New Yorker saying "I hate the conservative bias here, I'm going to move to Texas!" or an alter boy leaving a church saying "there are a lot of rapes that go on there, I should go to Carmel!"
I wish I could make a joke here, but I can't, because it's impossible to mock something this ridiculous. I don't understand what the hell Limbaugh is talking about, but he just gave Democrats a definite reason to pass healthcare legislation. My greatest hope and prayer is that he DOES move to Costa Rica, hates it, and tries to come back, just to find out how extremely impossible the immigration process actually is in this nation. Then, when his visa runs out, I'll be the first one to call border patrol, because we need to keep those lazy illegal immigrants out of our country, right Rush?
God Bless Irony.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Hoosier Daddy?
As many of you know, I'm a born and raised Hoosier. My earliest memories are of basketball. I only remember three things from my childhood before the age of five:
1. Reggie Miller's 8 points in 9 seconds.
2. Watching Bobby Knight's Hoosiers with my dad.
3. Going to the park and watching the big kids play basketball there.
I've lived in Indianapolis for my entire life, I'm the product of two IU alums, and Indiana has always been my dream school. As a kid, I dreamed of the day that I'd be able to be a part of the Indiana basketball tradition in Assembly Hall (and being a season ticket holder is close enough for me). So since I'm so obsessed, I get a lot of questions from people who don't understand the traditions. The biggest question I get is this...
"Hey Tim, what the hell is a Hoosier?"
Well, many Hoosier historians would argue that there is no good definition for that because there is not a definitive root of the word.
I say to hell with them. I know what a Hoosier is, and I saw hundreds of them on Saturday.
So what is a Hoosier? A Hoosier has spirit and fight. A Hoosier is unconventional, but effective. A Hoosier is someone who never says quit. A Hoosier is a hustler, a scrapper, a fighter. A Hoosier is satisfied with the effort, but craves the results. A true Hoosier never takes the easy way out, even if it will lead to the same result. A true Hoosier believes in himself and the Hoosiers that he surrounds himself with. A Hoosier stands up for the love of the fight.
Take it from a lifelong Hoosiers fan. It's been awhile since I've seen a true Hoosier on that court. Saturday, I saw a whole team of them. Led by Jordan Hulls and Derek Elston, This team beat a favored Wildcats team, but that wasn't what is most impressive. What most impressed me was the fluidity with which the ball flowed from Capobianco to Hulls to Elston. These three played out of their minds with hustle and heart. Couple that with the always-skilled play of Christian Watford, and this team had one hell of a game.
I'd argue, however, that this is a Hoosier team that can come out of nowhere next year. Right now, even the most optimistic are projecting that we've got a dark horse bid for an NIT appearance next year. I'd counter by saying this...
If we match our opponents rebounds this season, we go .500. Throw Maurice Creek back in this equation and we would win a few more games. Give Hulls, Watford, Elston, and Capobianco (who all appear to be starting next season with Pritchard coming off the bench) a year to develop, we win a few more. Guess what, if you do all that, you have the 2010-11 Indiana Hoosiers.
I'm not ready to jump on making projections, but I will say this much, my projection will ride on one thing: What happens to Bawa this offseason?
Bawa is a very physically intimidating player due to his 6-11 frame, but he appears overwhelmed my more athletically skilled players in the post. Give him an offseason with a coach like Tom Crean and I think he can bank in a double-double every night, but then again, I'm coming from a childhood watching a coach who could take any five guys from the YMCA and take them to the NCAA tournament in three months.
Here's my guarantee. If we can get the following out of our lineup next season, we have a dark horse shot to dance in March.
Bawa- Get big. Gain ten pounds. Work those boards and get used to scoring in the paint. Learn as much as you can this summer and come back ready to put yourself on the map.
Elston- Stay hungry. You played out of your mind on Saturday and I KNOW you can do that every night if you have to. Do it. You're too skilled a player to suffer from a Sophomore slump. Get out there and physically dominate your opponent. Oh, and get a couple more tattoos. The "scary mofo" look is really working for you.
Creek- Get healthy, bud. Like it or not, you're the most skilled player on this team. Without our best player, we've suffered this season, but I believe in you. Come back healthy and ready to play. I believe in you.
Watford- Keep your role the same as it was this year. It will be really tempting with Creek back in the picture to drop back and disappear. DON'T. You're so talented both skillfully and physically. When you're on, you're on and you're the reason that we won those four games in the Big Ten this year. Go out there and be the reason we get more wins next year.
Hulls- Play EXACTLY like you played on Saturday every day of your career. Between the eight threes and the fact that your court vision was insane, you really came to play. Do that every day and I guarantee you're helping us win in Indianapolis in a few years.
Jones III- Calm it down, buddy. You're a great guard, but make sure that doesn't get the better of you. Remember you also have a great team around you, and believe in them as much as they believe in you.
Capobianco- Play like you have the past three games. Statistically, you haven't come up huge, but your general attitude and hustle is contagious. Do that over the offseason and I guarantee that your teammates pick it up.
Incoming Freshmen- Know your role. You're here to win games. You're here to beat Purdue. You're here to beat MSU. You're here to do what no one expects this program to do. You're here to be Hoosiers, and Hoosiers know how to do one thing better than anything else... The improbable.
I know you all are going to be skeptical, but the one thing that we all must remember is that no one would've picked Milan, not even Bobby Plump. Some of the most well-respected doctors in Southern California never gave Reggie the chance to walk. Larry Legend wasn't born into basketball, but he was born to shoot 500 free throws every morning. The Big O grew up in the dust bowl in an Indianapolis ghetto. The 1976 team wasn't supposed to go undefeated, but then again Bobby Knight wasn't supposed to lead a team of nobody's to a gold medal either.
So what is a Hoosier?
A Hoosier is the centerpiece of the greatest underdog story in history. Nothing is impossible with a Hoosier. Not even another banner by 2013.
Now guys, let's make it happen.
1. Reggie Miller's 8 points in 9 seconds.
2. Watching Bobby Knight's Hoosiers with my dad.
3. Going to the park and watching the big kids play basketball there.
I've lived in Indianapolis for my entire life, I'm the product of two IU alums, and Indiana has always been my dream school. As a kid, I dreamed of the day that I'd be able to be a part of the Indiana basketball tradition in Assembly Hall (and being a season ticket holder is close enough for me). So since I'm so obsessed, I get a lot of questions from people who don't understand the traditions. The biggest question I get is this...
"Hey Tim, what the hell is a Hoosier?"
Well, many Hoosier historians would argue that there is no good definition for that because there is not a definitive root of the word.
I say to hell with them. I know what a Hoosier is, and I saw hundreds of them on Saturday.
So what is a Hoosier? A Hoosier has spirit and fight. A Hoosier is unconventional, but effective. A Hoosier is someone who never says quit. A Hoosier is a hustler, a scrapper, a fighter. A Hoosier is satisfied with the effort, but craves the results. A true Hoosier never takes the easy way out, even if it will lead to the same result. A true Hoosier believes in himself and the Hoosiers that he surrounds himself with. A Hoosier stands up for the love of the fight.
Take it from a lifelong Hoosiers fan. It's been awhile since I've seen a true Hoosier on that court. Saturday, I saw a whole team of them. Led by Jordan Hulls and Derek Elston, This team beat a favored Wildcats team, but that wasn't what is most impressive. What most impressed me was the fluidity with which the ball flowed from Capobianco to Hulls to Elston. These three played out of their minds with hustle and heart. Couple that with the always-skilled play of Christian Watford, and this team had one hell of a game.
I'd argue, however, that this is a Hoosier team that can come out of nowhere next year. Right now, even the most optimistic are projecting that we've got a dark horse bid for an NIT appearance next year. I'd counter by saying this...
If we match our opponents rebounds this season, we go .500. Throw Maurice Creek back in this equation and we would win a few more games. Give Hulls, Watford, Elston, and Capobianco (who all appear to be starting next season with Pritchard coming off the bench) a year to develop, we win a few more. Guess what, if you do all that, you have the 2010-11 Indiana Hoosiers.
I'm not ready to jump on making projections, but I will say this much, my projection will ride on one thing: What happens to Bawa this offseason?
Bawa is a very physically intimidating player due to his 6-11 frame, but he appears overwhelmed my more athletically skilled players in the post. Give him an offseason with a coach like Tom Crean and I think he can bank in a double-double every night, but then again, I'm coming from a childhood watching a coach who could take any five guys from the YMCA and take them to the NCAA tournament in three months.
Here's my guarantee. If we can get the following out of our lineup next season, we have a dark horse shot to dance in March.
Bawa- Get big. Gain ten pounds. Work those boards and get used to scoring in the paint. Learn as much as you can this summer and come back ready to put yourself on the map.
Elston- Stay hungry. You played out of your mind on Saturday and I KNOW you can do that every night if you have to. Do it. You're too skilled a player to suffer from a Sophomore slump. Get out there and physically dominate your opponent. Oh, and get a couple more tattoos. The "scary mofo" look is really working for you.
Creek- Get healthy, bud. Like it or not, you're the most skilled player on this team. Without our best player, we've suffered this season, but I believe in you. Come back healthy and ready to play. I believe in you.
Watford- Keep your role the same as it was this year. It will be really tempting with Creek back in the picture to drop back and disappear. DON'T. You're so talented both skillfully and physically. When you're on, you're on and you're the reason that we won those four games in the Big Ten this year. Go out there and be the reason we get more wins next year.
Hulls- Play EXACTLY like you played on Saturday every day of your career. Between the eight threes and the fact that your court vision was insane, you really came to play. Do that every day and I guarantee you're helping us win in Indianapolis in a few years.
Jones III- Calm it down, buddy. You're a great guard, but make sure that doesn't get the better of you. Remember you also have a great team around you, and believe in them as much as they believe in you.
Capobianco- Play like you have the past three games. Statistically, you haven't come up huge, but your general attitude and hustle is contagious. Do that over the offseason and I guarantee that your teammates pick it up.
Incoming Freshmen- Know your role. You're here to win games. You're here to beat Purdue. You're here to beat MSU. You're here to do what no one expects this program to do. You're here to be Hoosiers, and Hoosiers know how to do one thing better than anything else... The improbable.
I know you all are going to be skeptical, but the one thing that we all must remember is that no one would've picked Milan, not even Bobby Plump. Some of the most well-respected doctors in Southern California never gave Reggie the chance to walk. Larry Legend wasn't born into basketball, but he was born to shoot 500 free throws every morning. The Big O grew up in the dust bowl in an Indianapolis ghetto. The 1976 team wasn't supposed to go undefeated, but then again Bobby Knight wasn't supposed to lead a team of nobody's to a gold medal either.
So what is a Hoosier?
A Hoosier is the centerpiece of the greatest underdog story in history. Nothing is impossible with a Hoosier. Not even another banner by 2013.
Now guys, let's make it happen.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
What Tom Crean Needs to Say Tonight...
Here we are, Hoosier Nation. This has been, in the truest sense, a season on the brink. We lost our best player, ten straight games, but not our dignity. Tonight, we face arguably the best team in the Big Ten. There was a day not long ago that the Purdue Boilermakers were perennially petrified of the candy striped sweatpants. Today, however, they're probably most concerned with what lies ahead, a number one seed in the NCAA tournament and the challenge of defeating the best in college basketball without Robbie Hummel.
Hoosiers, this is your question to answer...
I hate to be the bearer of bad news to the Boiler faithful, but they should have some fear tonight. Our record may not reflect it, but we are the most dangerous team in the Big Ten right now. We're not the best, not by a long shot. We're not consistent, but we are talented, and we're very passionately driven. Lately, we've lacked our luster. We've struggled over the past few weeks, culminating in the worst home loss in school history, but there was one thing that we did that night that will resonate tonight and for the next three years.
We got pissed off.
We were tired of laying down as more experienced teams reminded us that our most veteran player is a Junior who is in his first year with the program. We were tired of being shafted by the officials at home and on the road alike. We were tired of being the pug fighting the pit bull. Tonight, we send a message to the entire nation. Tonight, we show them the same thing that we showed them on that fateful night in February when a miracle three was all that stood between us and "Spoiler up!"
Unlike February, however, the Boilers are without the guy who gave them 21 points and 7 rebounds. Granted, we're playing at Mackey Arena which will be hell for the young guys. I pray that Jordan Hulls made a couple trips there as an IU fan in the past, because he has to be on tonight and he can't be caught off guard. I hope Verdell Jones is ready to drive and that Christian Watford is ready to defend, but most importantly, I hope that Tom Pritchard shows up tonight.
Pritchard has had an alright college career for a guy who would probably be a solid backup anywhere else in the Big Ten. I've seen glimmers of hope throughout this year, but they've been so few and far between that I don't exactly know how much faith to put in the big man. My biggest fear about the Hoosiers' post presence has come true. We've got two breeds of big men on this team. In this corner, we have the skilled Pritchard who gets physically dominated by every opponent he faces, and in this corner, we have our physically dominant big men who look so terrified when the ball comes to them, they end up turning it over every time.
We've been bullied all year, and we've taken solace in the fact that they won't be able to bully us in two, maybe even one year. We've suffered blowouts and close losses, but throughout it all, we've almost always competed. To compete with these teams after what this program has gone through is downright unbelievable. What's more remarkable, however, is the fact that we've ran with teams that we shouldn't have run with for 35 minutes. Those last five minutes will come with experience, but running with Kentucky, Maryland, and Purdue doesn't happen for 35 minutes when you're starting three freshmen, a sophomore, and a junior in his first year with the program. We are a remarkable team, but no one will recognize that when we're losing ten straight games to teams that we can and should beat. Tonight is our last real chance to shock the nation before our run next year. This year, our only prayer to dance is a miracle in the Big Ten Tournament. Next year, two, three years from now, this won't be a concern by the time we hit March, but tonight is our March Madness. Tonight is our chance to dance back into the hearts of the fair-weather fans who left us. If you win tonight, the fans wouldn't care if you lost 20 straight. If you can beat nationally-ranked Purdue at home, (and you can), you will regain the faith of B-Town and Hoosier fan nationwide.
The only question that remains is not a matter of skill... We've proven that we have it.
It's not a matter of experience... We've proven that we need it.
It's not a matter of passion... We've proven there's no more we could have.
No, when the buzzer sounds tonight, only one question will remain.
Will the Indiana Hoosiers be national title contenders in this class's time in Bloomington?
Hoosiers, this is your question to answer...
Everyone has an opinion here. The hopeful think that we'll be dancing next year with title dreams by my junior year. Others think the rebuilding will take at least 5-10 years. Like it or not, however, there's no projections that are more likely than any other. With the leaps and bounds this team has made, coupled with its unpredictability, no one knows what will happen tonight let alone three years from now. So this question isn't addressed to the fans, it's addressed to you, in the candy striped sweatpants.
Hey, Christian Watford, can you raise Banner Number Six in the next three years?
Jordan Hulls?
Maurice Creek?
Bobby Capobianco?
This is not rhetorical. I expect an answer, but I expect that answer in the form of a win tonight, because if this team at its worst can win in Mackey, there's nothing we can't do in three years.
On that note, let's win this one tonight for all those fans who have been craving a banner since 1987.
On that note, let's win this one tonight for all those fans who have been craving a banner since 1987.
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