Digital Postcards from the Edge

So, yeah, last night was just a brutal, worthless exercise.  Probably not as bad as getting myself worked up for the Notre Dame title game abomination, but I was really excited to see IU face off with Syracuse.  Well, at least until the game started.  Below are the texts and Facebook updates I shared last night:

Game commentary via texts to my brother, from which you can pretty much gauge the tone of the game:

9:58 - Being aggressive and actually getting fouls called, gotta hit FTs

10:07 - Can't keep sucking, gotta pry the lid off the rim

10:20 - IU will lose this game by 10+, it's over

10:33 - over by halftime [editor's note: the game tipped about about 9:55, so it's only about 12-15 minutes in, game-wise]

10:41 - this is making me freaking sick.  Only hope is to hit 3s

10:44 - Yogi's lost, head up his ass

11:16 - this is shitty, shitty play

11:22 - Why the eff is HMP out there?

11:23 - this is crap

11:26 - Yogi is sucking

11:27 - and Hulls hasn't been hitting anything since Illinois

11:28 - Watching these guys stand around on offense feels like playing pickup ball with kids at the gym

11:32 - over.  Triche is a really ugly dude

11:36 - [Cody's] a pussy.  Been blocked 6 times.  That is unacceptable.

11:39 - Pussy

11:45 - Creek in, they have admitted defeat

11:49 - This is terrible, open gym is better

11:50 - Just bad, Zeller can't play in NBA like this

11:52 - Suh-low


Commentary based on Facebook updates (with comments when appropriate, mine in italics):

Oh man, wired up.

Putting lids on the rims was a dirty move by Boeheim.

This is getting out of hand, IU looking overmatched.  (this one drew lots of comments; if memory serves, this coincides roughly with the text above from 10:20; I tried to put on a brighter public face and not write them off completely.
Shut up Altman, let's give it till the 2nd half before we start freakin out.  Although I've already broker one remote that I threw across the room...

• Zeller needs to demand the effing ball
• He can't do crap with it anyway.  Can't even hit foul shots.  This is brutal.
• On the bright side, Syracuse is apparently the best team that has ever played.

What's the record for turnovers in a game?

Thank God Wichita St/LaSalle is on.  Words I never expected to say.

I won't go there happily, but I will be able to go to bed before 2am.  Still proud of this team even if the season ends in disappointment.  Five years ago, I'd have said you were crazy if you told me IU would make consecutive trips to the Sweet 16.

• It's halftime, and they're down by just 12, after committing 12 turnovers and not being able to hit the broad side of a barn.  Back away from the ledge, broseph.
• I'm not on the ledge, I'm afraid of heights.  I took the stairs down to the lobby and I'm walking away from this burning building.  But in all seriousness, I see nothing to indicate that they can attack this zone.  They are all standing around looking lost.  For the first time in my life, I'd be happy to be proven wrong.  Oh, also, Remy's windup is longer than Rick Sutcliffe's.

Not a fan of Christmas's Mohawk

Man, maybe my bitterness stems from this over-the-top Stone brew (I was drinking Double Bastard).  Whoo, this is not for the faint of heart.  IU making shots for once, and I love eating crow.

Oh man, a 3.

• And then 3 steps.

IU clearly needs Nicky Flash

Will the Thrill not afraid to shoot.

• Or a cheetah strapped to everyone's back...
• They should run a pickle roll.

Wow, at a loss for words on the, um, interestingly arbitrary foul calls.

Being blocked 6 times in a game is unacceptable.  I don't care who you are or who you're playing against, that is not good and is an obvious sign of not being strong and not being the aggressor.

Mo Creek is in, game is officially over.

Brutal.  That is all.

Purdon't

So there's a guy in my office who roots for the team from West Lafayette, and since his team just pulled the equivalent of taking your cousin to prom, only to have her leave you stranded in favor of your mutual second-cousin, he's taken to wearing orange all week here at work.  You see, IU is playing against Syracuse in a game that is actually being televised, so he's trying to get under the skin of the Hoosier fans.  He's succeeding in his efforts, if only in part to the shared frustration and lack of comprehension we all have for his actions.  In any case, I circulated an email that had the crushed oranges from my earlier blog post here.  That spawned this gem:

Hoosier Fan #1: I was also able to locate some of the new logos that Purdue has been looking at for their re-brand after this years season…

As you might imagine, this then set off a small chain of subsequent emails...

Mr. Boiler: And even in this horrific year, we STILL won more games than IU did in 2 years combined

Hoosier Fan #2: Are you serious?  You’re really going to take what most basketball experts would agree was Purdue’s best ever basketball class, with four years of regular season wins and absolutely nothing to show for it in the end (like usual for Boiler basketball) and compare that to what most basketball experts would call the worst 4 year period ever in IU’s basketball history?   To make sure I understand, you want to make sure that everyone knows your best ever, happened to have a few more wins than a sanction riddled, roster destroyed IU team?  If this is indeed what we are arguing now, I would like to remind you of a pretty terrible IU team, that had a rookie head coach (who was awful and never even been a head coach) and still managed to play in a national title game a few years ago while Purdue cannot even get close to a Final Four with their best class in history??? 

Mr. Boiler: You are obviously so boiled up ( pun intended ) that you didn’t comprehend.

I was saying that this year was our worst year post Keady. And even in this dismal year, we still won more games than Creen’s first 2 years combined.

And that “terrible “ iu team of 2002 had 6’11” George Leach, 6’10’’ All American Jared Jeffries and 3 point shooting sensation Tom “ give me another drink” Coverdale.

Me: From a more objective POV, I wanted to see how the media would weigh in.  Among the top teams of all time, Purdue ranks 3^rd (in the state of Indiana) or 4^th (in the B1G)…

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/28116552/ns/sports-college_basketball/?pg=27#spt_bkc_greatest_programs

This next one is quite a bit more favorable for the Boilers, who do manage to crack the top 10 of all-time.  This is likely because this rating system takes only wins/losses and scoring margin, and not post-season success.

http://assets.espn.go.com/photo/2009/1004/cbe1.pdf

And this one may be a more accurate profile, as it counts total wins, number of tourney appearances, Final Fours, and titles.  It should be noted that the Boilers fare worse here than in the one that includes only wins and losses but better than in the one that seems to account for more glitz and glam.

http://www.rankopedia.com/Greatest-All-Time-Men%27s-College-Basketball-Program/Step1/825/.htm

This next one is somewhat irrelevant in terms of historical success, but is simply based on the worth of the individual programs:

http://www.forbes.com/pictures/emdm45mkld/20-nc-state-wolfpack/

This last one seems a little more flawed because it appears to be just some dude with his own ideas:

http://voices.yahoo.com/ranking-top-college-basketball-programs-6049208.html

At the end of the day, there's really no way to prove who's right and who's ignorant.  Well, wait, yes there is...those 5 big banners hanging from in Assembly Hall that read "National Champions."  Purdue tries really hard though and they do have several B1G titles to numb the pain that comes with inferiority.  I sometimes have to catch myself when I get onto this topic and when Purdue fans say that IU really isn't that good because they lost to "mid-major" Butler earlier this year.  And, unlike your garden-variety internet message board troll, those fans honestly believe what they're saying.  Don't get me wrong, Purdue is a great program in the grand scheme of things; out of however many hundreds of D1 programs in existence, they're likely among the top 25.  But they would do well to know their role and their place in the pecking order and to just shut up about it until they actually win a title.  Regular season wins are great and should be celebrated, conference titles even more so.  But only someone who has never captured the ultimate prize will rest their laurels on those smaller accomplishments.  This isn't Bitty Ball, we're not handing out trophies for participation.  So, Purdue: forget about your cousin, go get a real prom date, and then come back to the conversation.

Sixteen Candles

Since my partner in crime can't seem to figure out how to use an iPad, I'm being forced to submit this on his behalf.  Unless, of course, it's really awesome stuff, in which case it was all my idea...

After an exhilarating first weekend of the NCAA Tournament we are left with sixteen teams still vying for the national championship.  Whose bubble will burst, whose flame will be extinguished, and who will celebrate their one shining moment?  More importantly, can Rob Fritsch crawl out from the immense shadow of Bob Loblaw and write something meaningful so Mr. Altman keeps him on the payroll?  I can't say I've picked the brackets correctly so far but that won't stop me from dusting myself off and trying again.  So without further ado here is who will ( or might) win starting this Thursday and get to hang out in Atlanta...

WEST REGION
If you know anyone that correctly predicted Wichita St. would be playing LaSalle in the Sweet 16 either take them to Vegas right know or slap them in the head to wake them up.  Both teams have made it farther then anyone thought they would.  Since I think the old rule (like picking a 12 to beat a 5) is that the 9 beats the 13 in the Sweet 16, we'll got with Wichita St. especially after the way they took down Gonzaga.
In a battle of two heavyweights, Ohio St vs Arizona, look for Solomon Hill and DeShaun Thomas to battle it out inside, both scoring 20 points or more.  But the difference like last weekend, will be Aaron Craft for OSU.  Ask Iowa St about getting a hand in his face from behind the arc.....
Ohio St will then have too much for Wichita St in the regional final on Saturday and the Buckeyes will continue a banner year in the sports most fans care about.  A Final Four trip in 2012, and undefeated football season, and another trip to the Final Four.

EAST REGION

In the east Marquette has already won two games by the skin of their teeth.  Don't expect a third as Miami, with superior athletes and experience will knock off Marquette.  Look for Shane Larkin to have a big night with the absence of Reggie Johnson. 
Meanwhile Indiana will meet Syracuse in a rematch of the 1987 National Title game.  Will Keith Smart and Derrick Coleman be in the building???  Look for the Orange to pack the 2-3 zone around Cody Zeller and force the Hoosiers to score from the outside, which they have done this year when left open.  Syracuse will try to mimic what Temple did when nearly upsetting IU last Sunday, slow down the pace and limit shots.  But IU will find a way to win and march on to face Miami on Saturday night where the Hoosiers will win a faster paced game that is more to their up tempo liking.  Indiana will reach the final 4 as expected by many and Charles Barkley will be left speechless looking at 2 Big Ten teams from what he called an "overrated" conference heading to Atlanta.

MIDWEST REGION

Playing close to home in Indianapolis will help Louisville and with Siva and Smith the Cardinals will be able to outrun Oregon and roll on to the Elite Eight. 
They will face Duke, who will win a hotly contested game against Michigan St with two of the top coaches in the land.  Duke has better players but no Tom Izzo team gets out hustled or plays more scrappy.  Plumlee and Payne will battle inside all night and fouls could be key, but Duke' shooters will out score Gary Harris from outside and the Blue Devils will move on.  In the Regional Final Duke's defense will force Russ-diculous out of his comfort zone.  Duke will create more turnovers and have more quality possessions which will lead to a slight upset of the favored Cards and Rick Pitino will become the first coach to lose Elite Eight heartbreakers to Duke while coaching 2 different schools from the same state (1992 anyone?) at least according to our crack research staff....

SOUTH REGION

In a state championship game of sorts Florida will come out tight, allow Florida Gulf Coast to hang around, then pull away and win by double digits in the second half.  The Gators will make their third straight Elite Eight appearance.  There they will face Kansas.  The Jayhawks will play like they did in the second half against UNC, Jeff Withey will control the paint, and Michigan will not be able to repeat the almost perfect game they played last Saturday in crushing VCU.  However if Kansas plays like they did in the first half of the UNC game, the Michigan will win, but we don't think that will happen...but it might....  Then after 2 straight Elite Eight losses, Florida with their experienced team, will knock off the Jayhawks and return Billy Donovan to the Final 4 for the first time since the back to back National Title teams in '06 and '07.

So there you have it, the (possibly) correct regional picks.  We may be wrong but at least we tried.  Sit back, relax,and enjoy the weekend, maybe next week this guy will find time to guess at the Final Four......

Back to the Future

Don't ask me how I was able to do it, but I found a way to jump forward several hours in time in order to capture pictures of the IU/Syracuse post-game fallout.  For those of you wondering, actual oranges were harmed in the making of these pictures.

Sweetness

I'm probably going to be little more than a quivering mass of nerves on Thursday night, so I figured I'd hammer something on out this now.  IU will be playing Syracuse for a chance at the Elite 8 and a matchup with either Marquette or The U and I'm more concerned about the Orange than the following game.  But that got me to thinking about the last couple times IU was in this situation; in the past, they've been dogs and I didn't expect them to win, so it was really much easier to watch the games and to kind of enjoy them.  In particular, the big tilt with Duke's squad of NBA-ready superstars was a fun one.  I was underemployed at the time, and neglected the tables in my section at Applebee's to follow the game, after which I ran out into the parking lot screaming.  That game featured a block by AJ Moye that helped to eventually lead the Hoosiers on to victories over Kent State and Kelvin Sampson's Sooners.  Mike Davis was coaching IU at the time, Sampson followed him, Tom Crean is there now, and Bob Knight was there when Moye started.  Given all of the craziness that has happened at IU over the course of the last 17 years or so, I found the interview Moye had with Query & Schultz on 1260AM in Indy to be a great listen.  I did get the vibe that he was a little full of himself and offered several somewhat backhanded compliments to Christian Watford and the Wat Swat.  I also feel that Moye had a slightly higher opinion of his team than what history would tell us. For instance, he claims that they'd have crushed the Temple team against which the current Hoosiers struggled.  However, it's not as if that 2003 team was a bunch of world-beaters who were expected to win it all.  But I digress.  Watching IU is not often fun for me, at least until the final horn sounds and they're ahead on the scoreboard; the Michigan, Wisconsin, and Temple games in particular have been gut-wrenching, and two of those were actually wins.  Oh well.  Here's to a sleepless night, regardless of the result from a Thursday night game that doesn't tip until at least 9:45pm.

We're back, baby!

Not that any of you missed us, but my cohort and fellow namesake of the blog is looking for a creative outlet.  I've been stifling said outlet due to the fact that he's a Meechigan fan and I'd prefer not to allow him to pontificate on said allegiance.  However, his college football prognostications are legendary in the fake sports journalism world.  And, speaking of legendary, who is The Legend?  I'm not really sure, but I sincerely hope that reveals itself at some point in the (probably short) life cycle of this here blog thing.  But I plan to use this as an outlet for all things interesting to me, from sports, to kids, to pop culture.  So you can expect my homer views on IU, Notre Dame, the Bears and Cubs, as well as Ghostbusters references, mixed in with stories about what my kids said to me that day.  So come along for a ride that you're sure to not hate, and might even enjoy on occasion.  Welcome to The Altman, The Fritsch, The Legend.