Finally, I was able to watch an IU game today on CBS. Too bad, Eric Gordon was out with an injured back, but they still played a great game today, defeating Kentucky.

I'm not sure how long the highlights will be up on YouTube, but here they are, if you missed the action.



Now on to the Colts game tomorrow night against the Baltimore Ravens. Should be a fairly easy game. The Ravens haven't played that great all year, but they did give the Patriots a game last weekend. They play prime-time ball tomorrow at 7:15pm (8:15 EST).

Congrats to the Hoosiers on a great game and good luck to the guys in the horseshoes! Go Blue!

Hey folks,

As you probably have noticed I've changed things around in here... The old template I was using for the layout of the blog didn't look quite right with the switch-over to the new "Blogger Beta." I hope you like it!

Anyhow, not much is happenin' today. I have the day off (kinda!) so I decided to make today, "laundry day." It just so happens that mama nature wanted the day off, as well. It's fairly moist, cool, and raw out there today, so it's been a good day to just stay in and get some things done. I've vacuumed the floors, done the dishes, picked up some things, made the bed... ;) It seems like I clean this place about every other day! But, well, what else is an anal, neat-freak to do? hah!

It's getting about time to fix something to eat here, so I suppose I'll log off this silly thing for now. I'm hoping everything is well out there across the rest of the world!

Oh, and by the way, I hear the Cubbies hired Lou Pinella as their new manager today...! I'm not quite sure on how I feel about their choice, but we'll see if it makes any difference. Now, I'm just hoping that JP (Juan Pierre) decides to stay with the Cubs. Apparently, he's flirting with the idea of testing the free-agent market, but I'm hoping he doesn't go anywhere. He's been about the best lead-off hitter we've had in years... and I love his base-stealing abilities. Small ball is the way to go, Pinella! Talk him into staying!

And also, I read just last evening that the Hoosiers hosted their "midnight madness" the other night. It's sounding like Coach Sampson is actually making the 2006 recruiting class somewhat respectable. Eric Gordon (originally committing to Illinois) changed his mind and is now signing on with the Hoosiers. This guy is one of the top recruits in the nation and now he will be playing in Assembly Hall! I'm getting anxious to see how they do this year with a brand new coach and, hopefully, a whole new approach to the game.

More later...

Well, the Hoosiers fell to Gonzaga tonight, 90-80, in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Hoosiers, although kept it a tight game in the second half behind a barrage of 3-pointers (16 for the game, 13 of which, in the second half), they just didn't have the weapons to combat Gonzaga's big men. Even though Roderick Wilmont did a great job containing the 'Zag's stud, Adam Morrison, they had plenty of help from other guys.

Thus ends, Coach Davis' tenure at Indiana University. While, yes, he went out with grace and class, I'm still fairly happy to see him go. This team has lacked discipline for the last 3-4 years and they desperately need an offensive face-lift. This "shooting 3-pointers" all the time bullcrap gets extremely old. I don't like this up-tempo offense Davis has brought to the Hoosiers. Bobby wouldn't have stood for this crap - he always wanted 5-passes before a shot - and never has really believed in a "go-to guy..." He's always stressed team play, and if you have watched "Knight School" at all on ESPN, you'd clearly see this is still true.

We need a new coach to come in and re-teach these players what it means to play more as a team and how to be patient and find the open-look and higher-percentage shots. Plus, we need a coach here that will recruit some freakin' centers... The Hoosiers have lacked a talented, true center up until this year. Marco Killingsworth has been the best center we've had in quite a while - the problem, he was only able to play one year! I agree with my dad that all Coach Davis has recruited over the past two years have primarily been guards.

Hopefully, the school will make an announcement soon on who they're seeking to bring in for next year. It'd be pretty cool if Alford came back to Indiana to coach, but I have a feeling he'll stay in Iowa. He seems a good fit there, and he's built quite a program over there. Who else they have in mind, I have no idea... I heard Mark Few, ironically, the head coach at Gonzaga, was a potential candidate, but haven't heard anything confirmed with that. We'll see what the school has to say in the near future, hopefully.

So, again... Good riddance, Coach Davis... I wish you well in the future; but I won't miss you as a head coach at Indiana University. Oh, and Robert Vaden - go ahead and follow your "big papi..." If you decide to leave, I won't miss you either.

I realize it's late (or early... how ever you want to look at it...) but I can't sleep and thought I'd hop on here and express a few things that are on my mind.

First off, congrats to the Indiana Hoosiers, who escaped a nail-biter with San Diego State last evening. Really, San Diego St. should have won that game. They out-hustled and out-played the Hoosiers through much of the game. Robert Vaden's 3-pointer to seal the deal, was a lucky shot, for sure. They move on though, to the second round of the NCAA tournament; something they haven't done in the two times they've been in the tournament since 2002. They next play, Gonzaga, either the 18th or the 19th. I'm not sure exactly when they'll play, but I'll post when I find out.

In other news, I was planning on going skiing with Adam Lowe, a co-worker, this weekend up at Frost Fire, near Walhalla, ND, but realized (duh!) I don't have any snow-pants, nor do I have a coat more conducive to skiing in. My leather coat - isn't exactly for skiing in, and even though it's in pretty bad shape, I don't really want to rip it up any more than it already is. I don't know how I forgot that I didn't have snow-pants... How does someone forget something like that? Anyhow, I'm gonna drop by Scheel's this afternoon, to price a pair. If they're not too much, I may just get them and just tough it out with the leather coat. Adam was trying to talk me into buying a pair of goggles as well, but if I decide to get the pants and decide to go this weekend, I'm going to go without. Goggles are especially expensive and I'm not going to spend that much money on something that I won't use all that much - and especially when I don't have the money. I have no idea how much snow-pants go for anymore. I haven't shopped for those since I was a kid.

It sure would be fun to go, though. I haven't been skiing since I went to Keystone Resort in Colorado with my sister and brother-in-law back in February of 2003! So, yeah, it's been quite a while. Frost Fire is a pretty small place. It only has one "mountain" and has only 6 or 8 trails. I quote the mountain part there, because it's certainly not quite a mountain, in any respect of the word. The vertical drop, in fact, is only 360 to 390 feet. I guess you can't ask for much around this part of the country.

Not much is really new, I guess. It's been rather uneventful the last few days up here. The weather has been relatively quiet (no complaints there!) and I haven't really been doing a whole lot. I'm certainly looking forward to my weekend off, though, that's for sure. I've pulled 7 days straight of shifts at work and with my switching off from 8:00pm - 4:00am shifts to 4:00pm - 12:00am shifts through this stretch, its been tough. I'm glad I won't be working this weekend though, it looks like South Dakota and parts of the central plains could get pounded with some hefty snows. My mid-term forecast last evening was a pain in the ass - since I had to draw in all the precip rates, probabilities, and clouds associated with this system. It was a friggin' mess...

Well, enough for now, I suppose. Take care everyone and hope all is well!

Oh, and go check out my new template on the weather blog... I changed it Thursday and I think I made a wise choice. I think it looks nice... Let me know what you think!

Sunday, March 12th certainly was a day for "march madness..." Selection Sunday was yesterday. It's the college basketball fan's favorite day of the year - a day when college teams celebrate, console, and cry over who makes it to the "big dance..." But, this year, this great day for sports fans was overshadowed by something no one could ever expect. Something that no one could control...

The largest and likely, one of the most destructive severe weather outbreaks struck the Midwest, the Missouri Valley, and parts of the South Sunday, resulting in widespread damage. Unfortunately, 2 fatalites were reported in Missouri Sunday evening as twisters ripped across the landscape there... and more than 20 injuries have been associated to other tornadoes that struck communities in 4 states.

For more information on the deadly outbreak that struck Sunday, head on over to my Weather Blog. I have provided more details there.

Here, on the other hand, I have to express my excitement to see Indiana in the NCAA tournament this year. They've missed out the past couple of years, so it's about time for the Hoosiers to make a little noise. Even though they lost to Ohio State in the Big 10 Tournament Semi-Finals, Saturday, they have still won 5 out of their last 6 games - and Marco Killingsworth, along with a few other Hoosiers' has been playing well of late. While I don't think they'll quite make the Elite Eight, they definitely have an opportunity to, at least, make it into the Sweet 16... Which is something they haven't done since their run in 2002 when they reached the National Title game against Maryland. Even though, I figured they would make it into the pool of 65 teams, I was still surprised to learn of their #6 seed. With an 18-11 record, is a #6 appropriate? I guess, when you look at several of their losses, they were close ones - and were to teams they played tough. The game with Duke early in the season, for instance... the Hoosiers made that a game, and Marco Killingsworth simply dominated his showdown with Sheldon Williams, lighting it up for 36 points. And their game with Connecticut; where the Hoosiers came back in the second half and made UCONN scrap for that win... The #6 seed may not be appropriate given the record, but I think it's deserved for the way they've played tough teams this year. They really slumped in Big Ten play, but finishing the conference season with 5 straight wins can certainly garner some attention from the selection committee. And... it seemed to have worked!

The Hoosiers will face their first-round opponent, 11th seeded San Diego State, at 9:40pm EST Thursday night in Salt Lake City in the Oakland Regional. Go Hoosiers!

Edit: 03.14.2006 at 10:35pm CST

I love what Roderick Wilmont stated Sunday, regarding the play of his fellow Hoosiers:

Head coach, Mike Davis said he thinks his team can play more relaxed now that the distraction surrounding his job status is resolved. So does Wilmont.

"It's not a distraction anymore," Wilmont said. "Now we know what the deal is. We can go out there and just play like we've been doing."

You've lost 7 of your last 8 games, Wilmont... That's exactly what you need to do - "play like we've been doing..." That'll certainly turn the season around! (please note the sarcasm...)

What a major disappointment to this program. Especially, after they started the season so well. Of course, this has been typical "Mike Davis" basketball ever since the 2002 season.

Mike Davis does not resemble, in any form, a head coach, and I was exhuberant to hear of his leaving at the end of the season... Davis - piss off! You are no longer welcome in Assembly Hall...

The #13 (#11 ESPN) Indiana Hoosiers pulled out a HUGE win over #7 (#5 ESPN) Illinois last night, 62-60. The game was played fairly sloppy through the first half for Indiana, however, Roderick Wilmont played a great half, keeping the Hoosiers in the game. The first 12 points of the game came off 3-pointers and the Hoosiers (the national leader in FG % and 3-Ptr %) were down by as much as 11 points in the first half. They came back in the second half behind strong contributions from Marco Killingsworth, who overcame pre-game back spasms. Killingsworth scored 20 of his 23 points in the second half and added 12 rebounds, one assist and four blocks. Wilmont tied a season high with 17 points and matched his career-high with nine rebounds.

The Hoosiers held Illinois' top-scorer, Dee Brown to only 5 points, however, nearly let a 15 point lead midway through the second half, slip away. Illinois made a 14-1 run late in the 2nd half, but the Hoosiers were able to hold them off.

After the game, Hoosiers fans poured onto the court, setting off a celebration that even Killingsworth joined. "I jumped right in there because I ain't used to seeing that," said Killingsworth, a fifth-year senior who transferred to Indiana from Auburn. "So I jumped in there with them."

With the win, the Hoosiers take over 2nd place in the Big Ten, behind undefeated Wisconsin, and running their record to 11-3 and 3-1 in Big Ten play.

Indiana will next play Purdue on the 21st at 2:35pm EST.

I nearly forgot that Indiana played tonight, but after my mother had called and reminded me, I switched it over to ESPN. Unfortunately, they fell to MSU tonight 87 to 73, behind some awful defense and one of the worst shooting halves they've had all season.

The Duke / Maryland game just started and as always, Duke has once again, shown how "classy" of ball players they are. Can you believe that Coach K actually had each individual player "sign" center-court? Well, apparently he did. According to ESPN analysts, the signing was prove a point - that Cameron Indoor Stadium is their floor... their home! What a bunch of class-acts... And to know it was Coach K's idea to do so - makes it all the more unsportsmanlike. Personally, if I were a Maryland player, coach, assistant, or associate, I'd file a grievance to the NCAA. It shouldn't be allowed. No, it doesn't directly affect the outcome of the game, but what's the difference between the mind-games they're trying to play here with say, taunting? To me, there is no difference... They don't allow taunting in games, so they shouldn't allow players, coaches, or anyone associated with the team to alter any of the equipment associated in the game, including the floor itself. It's disrespectful to opponents and honestly, to the game.

Not to be redundant, but... It simply should not be allowed!

I hope the god-damn Dookies lose by 20 tonight...

While the Colts lost today to the Seattle Seahawks, 28-13, I'd have to say that I'm still proud of this team. They've had to overcome big obstacles this week and even though I do have to credit Seattle's defense, they still showed up and played football. Unfortunately, I had to be at work this evening... so I missed it on television. Monitoring it on NFL's GameDay, however, I did notice that Manning only played during the first quarter, so that further limited the offense today. Jim Sorgi came in and put in solid effort completing 22 of 31 throws for 237 yards and a late touchdown to wide-receiver Troy Walters. Many of the team's Pro Bowlers were also sitting out today. Wide Receiver Marvin Harris, Outside Linebacker Cato June, and Safety Bob Sanders all sat out today resting injuries... The Colts host the Arizona Cardinals News Years Day at 1:00pm EST.

On the other hand, the Indiana Hoosiers downed Butler 73-55 Thursday night. Marco Killingsworth led the Hoosiers with 27 points, shooting 9-13 from the field and 9-10 from the charity stripe. Robert Vaden also contributed 22 points to the effort, shooting 4-4 from beyond the 3-pt line. The Hoosiers (7-2) next play Ball State on Dec. 31st at 6:00pm EST.

I've never solely believed in ranking college basketball teams... And the last few years, haven't helped. Being ranked, for example, number 1... what does that mean? Last year, Illinois was ranked #1 nearly all season, and honestly feel they may have been the last truly deservingly ranked #1 in quite a while. They nearly went undefeated on the season and very nearly became the NCAA Champions!

This week's rankings have me scratching my head, once again:
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/rankingsindex

Why the hell is Illinois ranked below Gonzaga?? They're 7-0 and even though they haven't had any big games, they have won some close, tough games. Gonzaga has lost two games... and before you even say it, yes they were against ranked opponents - but so what!?! Washington, #19 on the poll... they should have handily taken care of them, right? I mean, if you want to look at the polls, they're "supposed" to be better than them... Also, why is Louisville ranked so high on both the AP and ESPN/USA Polls? Yes, they're 4-0, but look who they've played... and they won at Richmond only scoring 53 points? Indiana gave Duke a run for their money last week and those "dookies" BARELY pulled out a win against Virginia Tech Sunday; a team that is 5-3 and quite frankly, not that good! Why are those shitbags at Duke ranked #1??

College basketball rankings, however you want to look at them, don't mean squat... at least, in my opinion.

Congrats, by the way, to Hoosier's head coach, Mike Davis. Indiana's win over Eastern Michigan Saturday (79-63) gave him his 100th win at Indiana.

Well, both teams are playing rather sloppy - with over 20 turnovers combined in the first half. Duke came out shooting, building a 16-4 lead, but the Hoosiers came right back and have made a game of it. They've been as close as 4 points, but are now 9 points down at the half, 44-35. Hopefully, the Hoosiers will come out in the 2nd half and dominate!

Marco Killingsworth is dominating the inside and leads all scorers with 17 points, with Earl Calloway contributing 6 points and Robert Vaden adding 4. J.J. Redick (unfortunately) leads Duke with 15 points. Personally, I wouldn't miss J.J. if he fell off the face of the earth... What an egomaniac!

Update (10:33 PM CST): Well, Indiana couldn't quite pull out the victory, but they certainly made it a game. Marco Killingsworth had a career night, pouring in 34 points and 10 rebounds with Marshall Strickland adding 11 points and Robert Vaden contributing 8 points and 7 assists. Indiana went ahead 59-58 on a dunk by Killingsworth at the 7:41 mark in the second half, but Duke came back and made two key 3-pointers to put Indiana out of reach. Three-point field goals were the key for Indiana tonight, as they were only 2-10 for the game. They came into the game averaging nearly 10 3-ptr's per game! The Hoosiers look to recover against Eastern Michigan on Saturday, December 3rd at 8:00 PM EST.

The Hoosiers once again, made it a big game. Marco Killingsworth helped power Indiana past Western Kentucky last evening 102 to 79. Killingsworth shot 7-for-7 in the first half and helped the Hoosiers build a 53-32 halftime lead in their first road game of the season. The Hoosiers also, once again, showed a team effort, dishing out 29 assists with 5 players scoring in double figures. Robert Vaden also added 22 points of his own, as well as 8 assists. Roderick Wilmont scored 15 points and pulled down 9 rebounds, Marshall Strickland added 13 points and former walk-on, Errek Suhr also added 12 points from the bench.

The Hoosiers biggest test will come next, when they face Duke next Wednesday, November 30th. The Indiana/Duke game is one in a series of games (the Big 10/ACC Challenge) being featured on ESPN next week... Be sure to tune in! With the Hoosiers' high-octane offense, this will be an exciting game to watch...

Holy crap, what is up with these Hoosiers!?! They're already playing without D.J. White, one of their top returning starters and they're averaging 99.5 PPG through the first two games of the season! AND they've topped the 90 point plateau in their first two games for the first time since the '92-93 season...

Tonight they ran all over Florida A & M by hitting 16 of 30 3-pointers (tied for second-most in school history), and reached the century mark for the first time in this young season. Marshall Strickland ended up with 20 pts and 7 assists, with Roderick Wilmont, Errek Suhr, Robert Vaden and Marco Killingsworth all contributing with double figures.

The Hoosiers next play Western Illinois this Saturday, November 26th at 9:00 PM EST.

In case any of you out there don't already know... the Colts rule the world! If you didn't catch the Monday Night Football game they hosted this week (against the St. Louis Rams) you missed a very good game. While they fell behind 0-17 early, they toughened up and played the best they have all season during the 2nd half. I don't know of any team in the league that could have beat them during the second half Monday night.

I'm not lying, they really do rule the world...! You can't say anything else about the only undefeated team in the NFL.

Ah, and don't forget folks, midnight madness will be starting soon, if not, already at many colleges/universities around the country. I'm anxious to get the college basketball season started as well. Even though the Hoosiers probably still won't be the powerhouse team (have they been since '92???), I'm still anxious to see how they play this year.

Go Colts!