Category: Indiana University Hoosier (I.U) Sports (Page 19 of 31)
Indiana University Hoosier athletics
The Hoosiers will need some breaks today to win at Wisconsin. Before the game even starts, they’ve already had a major setback with the loss of quarterback Michael Penix, Jr., tearing his ACL in last weekend’s victory over Maryland. Once again, history is not on our side, with Wisconsin leading the series 41-18-2. This time, however #10 Indiana is ranked higher, but this is primarily based on Penix’s achievements. They haven’t taken home the cheese in Madison since 2001. Utah transfer Jack Tuttle will start his first game in a Hoosier uniform with a ton of weight on his shoulders today.
Will football continue to perform better than basketball, or at the end of the day will I be supporting two middle-of-the-pack programs? The Hoosiers round-ballers are once again expected to finish in the midst of the BIG and finished in the middle of the Maui Invitational with a 2-1 record to start the season. The team simply can’t shoot and consequently relies too heavily on lay-ups and rebounds from Trayce Jackson-Davis. A second setback this week was an ankle injury to Al Durham. Sadly, misfortune of this nature may indicate that the athletic program is cursed with mediocrity. I can only hope that going forward that we show some resiliency.
A gridiron victory over Wisconsin today would vault us to the top of the conference, with a faint chance of getting to the BIG Championship Game for the first time since its inception nine years ago. Ohio State is struggling with Covid interruptions that could put them in danger of not playing enough games to qualify. Purdue is also in the way of this achievement, another dangerous obstacle, as the Bucket Game moved out of its traditional Thanksgiving slot to take place in the middle of December. Basketball, as well, plays important games against Florida State, N. Alabama, and Butler. BIG match-ups begin in two weeks. Hopefully, it’s not a mediocre month for Indiana sports! Go Hoosiers!
Today started like most every other day in 2020 with a run and a blog post. There’s little indication that it will change soon. I do appreciate this mild December weather with clear blue skies, a rarity in Portland this time of year. We also continue to remain healthy and active. Travel would be nice, but not likely the remainder of this year and probably into next. Today’s calendar features a trip to the dentist for a cleaning. Basketball on TV keeps me entertained. Sadly, there’s not much variety in my life these days and little spice to go with it. The words are from a William Cowper’s poem called “The Task,” written in 1785: “Variety is the very spice of life, That gives it all its flavor.”
We watched an old Bill Murry movie called Quick Change as a change of pace last night. It was slap-stick comedy and somewhat disappointing. A couple more episodes of Suits filled the evening. I broke out a bottle of WhistlePig whiskey that I received as part of a Flaviar subscription. Tonight, they’re attempting to break the world record for participation in a virtual toast. I’ve yet to decide whether or not to get involved in this tribute to Dean Martin. Too many of the TV shows I’ve been watching are centered around the office beverage cart. They’ve finally tempted me enough to make my happy hour a sip or two of whiskey rather than a glass of wine. Variety is the spice of life thanks to Flaviar.
I.U. finished third in the Maui Invitational after bouncing back from their poor performance against Texas to whip Stanford. Times have certainly changed to the point where Texas is now ranked higher than Indiana in basketball but lower in football. It’s always been the other way around as long as I can remember. Hoosier Football can take another giant leap with a victory over Wisconsin on Saturday. Injuries and Covid may be the determining factor. I do like the possibility that Ohio State may not be able to get in enough games to qualify for the BIG Championship. If I.U. somehow wins, it will be interesting to see if Michigan will thwart the rival Buckeye’s bid to compete for a title by simply not playing. In the world of baseball, former I.U. star and Cubs’ World Series hero Kyle Schwarber is now a free agent. Thankfully for me, there’s always variety in the world of sports when all else fails.
At last, a morning with blue skies in the mid-40s. No need for a hat or gloves to weigh me down on my morning run. I felt like I was going faster even though I really wasn’t. My thoughts wandered to the book I’m writing and a couple of new ideas to add. I played the alphabet game as I trotted along, like a kid on a long drive, trying to overcome the boredom. Traffic was light in the neighborhood, but I could hear the busy expressways overhead buzzing with activity. Otherwise, there was nothing eventful about day number 4,357 of The Streak.
It’s another day of little to do. Indiana Basketball will try to overcome a pitiful performance yesterday in the Maui Invitational, and attempt to salvage a third-place finish. After such a strong start a few days ago, it’s like the wheels came off, so I don’t know what to expect today. It’s my only connection to the outside world, as my college friends connect by text as the game unfolds. We’ll be back at it on Saturday, when the Hoosier Football team takes on Wisconsin. Leg injuries have hampered both athletic programs this past week, after signs of great promise.
The only appointment on the calendar this week is a trip to the dentist tomorrow. It’s almost exciting just to have something to do, even if it’s not what you might normally look forward to. Recent trips in the car have been limited to grocery shopping twice a week. My weekly cooking responsibility was honored last night with a grilled steak and creamed corn combination. My wife is still going meatless, so she had a crab cocktail. The pumpkin bars and ice cream are finally gone; thankfully leaving little to satisfy my sweet tooth. Maybe the scale will be happier tomorrow?
I’m waiting for the mail to arrive to be able to complete some tedious paperwork for Social Security and the mortgage company. These are my key responsibilities, as we await final approval on the new Florida house. I also have some baseball cards that are arriving today to keep me entertained. Otherwise, it’s another day in front of the computer watching television, without the anticipation of our canceled flight to Kauai. No choice but Home Sweet Apartment!
I tried to run faster this morning, but it was to no avail. With stiff joints and poor balance, I seem to have only one speed – slow. I do get the job done but it’s never pretty. There was something about the word “average” when it came to my running pace that struck a chord. It’s always been difficult for me to digest. I want to look younger and perform better than just average. I was always a “B” student and on the “B” team, so I’ve never been considered exceptional. There have been some “A” moments in life and rarely a “C,” so my achievement expectations continue in my race towards seventy.
The average life span of a white male in 75.3 years, so I certainly hope to be above average in this category. This means I have at least five good years left or or 1,825 running days. This would put me over 6,000 consecutive days. There was also a point where I was 6 feet tall, but I am quickly shrinking to average height. My weight is slightly over average but that’s not necessarily a good thing. I often wonder how my spindly legs have held up all these years when most of my bulk is in my torso. Yesterday’s Thanksgiving meal certainly didn’t help.
Today, college basketball and football will keep me busy. We’re up to date on Yellowstone with Season 4 not expected until mid-2021. Shameless has a final season airing in a few weeks, so the Suits series is now our primary evening entertainment. There’s also one last episode of Fargo to watch. Only 8 days until we land in Kauai, if all goes well next week with Covid testing. At one point, this Hawaii trip was planned with intentions of following Indiana basketball in the Maui Invitational. That event was of course delayed a week to start on Monday and moved to Asheville, North Carolina. I.U. football meets Maryland tomorrow, as the Hoosiers try to hold on to their #12 ranking. They fell short in their comeback effort against #3 Ohio State last weekend. I’m glad to see that I.U. football is no longer considered average.
I woke up this morning with all the classic signs of Covid 19: chills, headache, fever, scratchy throat, and congestion. This has happened at least once a week since March when the possibility of catching it was initially discovered. One of the by-products of being a pessimist is also being a hypochondriac – if it’s out there, I’m certainly going to get it! The first thing that comes to mind is that I’m going to end up in the hospital and my 4,347 day running streak will come to an abrupt end. On the other extreme, I’m thinking that I won’t be able to pass the Covid test to get to Hawaii with my family in a couple of weeks.
Nonetheless, I got out of bed and made the 3.1 mile run, at first thinking I would just do the minimum mile in my frail state of health. As I got going, all the symptoms seemed to disappear, as often is the case when I’m either not feeling well or hung over. It would have been easy to get up this morning if I.U. would have pulled off the upset yesterday against Ohio State. All that adrenaline would have still been flowing through my veins. Instead, I was a bit depressed when the Hoosiers fell short. Of course, no true pessimist would have expected them to win anyway, so I got what I imagined! It looks like the loss has literally made me sick, or at least pretend sick.
I hope we can get to the island in early December. The boredom of sitting in an apartment all day is getting to me. I don’t have the yard chores or outdoor home projects that keep my friends busy. All I have is my running, writing, dog outings, and T.V. watching. The snacks in between are also a problem, like the chocolate chip cookies my wife baked for me yesterday. Live sports at least adds some excitement to the day, even if its not always the desired outcome. My half-sister sent me photos of her at the Alabama vs. Kentucky game yesterday to rub it in. I haven’t been to a game of any game since January, as is the case with most of American fans.
Yes, I’m paranoid that something will prevent us from traveling to Hawaii, as has been the case with Bali and Egypt this year. Retirement is supposed to be all about exploring the world, but just not going to work is certainly adequate reward, just as long as we stay healthy. Unfortunately, I can’t keep my mind from dwelling on the things that could go wrong. It’s a defense mechanism that I adopted early in life and protects me from disappointment. I believe that if you think of all the things that could possibly go wrong, it rarely does. However, paranoia like this does have it’s price!
There’s been a lot of hype this week about I.U. football after unprecedented victories over both Penn State and Michigan. Could they possibly also add the Ohio State Buckeyes to this list, despite 25 straight losses? After watching the first couple plays, my doubt is growing. This same Indiana team lost at home to the Buckeyes last year 51-10, so my expectations aren’t great. In fact, we look like I.U. football of the past in the first few series, including a hike over the head of the quarterback and several dropped passes. Ohio State scored early on two passes – too easy!
We are clearly intimidated on the field, particularly on offense. The defense has grabbed two interceptions but we haven’t been able to capitalize. We’re lucky to be down only 7-0 in the first quarter. The Buckeye ground game has been effective, while I.U.’s has not. However, a long pass has just allowed us to tie the game. It’s almost unbelievable that we’re still in the game. Then, suddenly we’re behind again, giving up another big play on the ground. As we overplay on the pass, it’s creating big holes for the running backs.
I.U. has not been able to convert the third downs that allowed us to beat Penn State and Michigan. However, since then, those teams have shown to be not as traditionally strong. This is really the Hoosier’s biggest test, and so far they are failing. They needed a time out to make some defensive corrections to stop the rush. Missed tackles now seem to be an issue. 21-7. Hopes are fading, as they’re starting to look like the #3 team in the country!
We counter with a 51-yard pass, but an injury to an official destroys our momentum, followed by a fumble. It’s another comedy of errors for I.U. football, with tragic results. Dam* refs – one limps off and the other gets in the way! We can’t hold on to the football or their running backs, as they get in scoring position with time running out in the half. Plus, they get the ball to start the second half. 28-7. This was what I was afraid of all week in anticipation of this game. Overrated!
The BIG doesn’t have much this year. It’s Ohio State followed by the rest of the conference, without even the usual three contenders. The Hoosiers are proving to be pretenders and on the verge of embarrassment. Ohio State has 168 yards rushing so far, with IU at minus 6. People were “NUTS” if they thought we could beat the Buckeyes. S.O.S.! Thankfully, basketball season starts this week!
I’m making an effort to be a little more constructive than counting blinking lights, picking up lost coins, and watching T.V. I did make Italian Beef for dinner last night and had a couple of friendly phone conversations. Most importantly, over the past two weeks, I’ve started writing another book. This one a sequel of the unpublished “Blueberry Hill,” a project I worked on 30-years ago. So far, there’s been no attempt on my part to publish any of my writing, including the hundreds of poems I’ve offered in this blog.
“A+ Killer,” my recent fictional attempt to create a serial monster, was not received favorably by some close friends, but it did keep me constructively entertained many hours during this pandemic. As I continue to experiment with content ideas, eventually I’ll produce something worthy. “Tribulations and Trials,” the working title of this latest attempt, is about the early 1970s “War on Drugs,” through the eyes of a college student. It’s based on a true story. I’m also currently reading Michael Connelly’s, The Law of Innocence, his latest novel. All authors are heroes of mine and maybe someday I will become one myself.
Tonight, Indiana University basketball finally returns with a virtual Hoosier Hysteria, the annual exhibition to start the season. The Hoosiers were one of few teams to finish the basketball 2019-2020 year with a tournament victory. However, their next game was cancelled, like so many others due to the onset of Coronavirus. In a recent conversation, I talked to a friend who was at that BIG 10 tourney game in Indianapolis, when the crowd booed the announcements that any games going forward would be played without fans. Next came the total shut-down of the event, and the end of the season. I felt the same disappointment after plans to attend baseball Spring Training games in Arizona were cancelled on the same day. This was almost exactly eight months ago.
For 2021, the NCAA just announced that all March Madness tournament games will be played in Indianapolis. This 2020-21 season will start with some other unusual twists like The Maui Invitational being played in Asheville, but all indications are that it will at least start. Any questions regarding fans in attendance will be a factor of when a vaccine can be distributed. Hoosier Hysteria will go on tonight for the first time ever without a live audience. Fans can watch via a Facebook feed, another first. IU basketball is back, after eight long months, the longest I’ve ever had to wait between games. Go Hoosiers!
I made it through Friday the 13th and running day number 1339, as I settle in front of the T.V. for The Masters and college football. The 10th ranked Indiana Hoosiers face another BIG nemesis, as they travel to East Lansing. I coined the phrase “0 for East Lansing” after many years of zero success in both football and basketball. Every time we visited it was a fruitless experience, never returning with the Brass Spittoon. The Spartans lead the football series 48-16-2, without a loss there since 2001, a game I must have missed. 1986 was a rare year of success for I.U., but then you have to go back to 1967-69 for victories, a few years before I was a student in Bloomington.
To win in East Lansing would be another season jewel and a chance to go head-to-head with the Buckeyes for all the BIG marbles next Saturday. I’m of course concerned about a let-down, after knocking-off both Penn State and Michigan. I could never be optimistic about I.U. football after so many years of disappointment. Purdue is also undefeated against Northwestern today, and Oregon meets Washington State later this afternoon. Between games, I’m taking a drive to McMinnville for lunch with the boys at Two Dogs. It’s the mid-point for our “Leadership” group whose regular meetings have been disrupted by the Coronavirus. It will be good to get together, eat a cheeseburger, and watch The Masters.
My extended weekend of football started on a good note when the Colts beat the Titans on Thursday night, but soured when my high school team lost their Regional match-up last night. It was their first year of being Lions, abandoning the Blazer name in a merger with the Chargers. “Once a Blazer, always a Blazer” is our class motto, but Elkhart’s return to a one-high-school town, as it was when I attended, brought new strength to a steadily declining athletics program. It was enough for an undefeated season and Sectional Championship in the inaugural year. A great hometown achievement!
On Monday Night Football, the Chicago Bears get another chance for victory under the leadership of a new offensive coordinator, as the 5-day sports weekend continues. Hopefully, Da’ Bears can end a bad stretch of losses after a strong start. In addition, the Portland Timbers also match-up against Dallas in the first-round of the MLS playoffs next Sunday, a week after final round coverage of The Masters comes to a close. However, the key to a successful weekend is to end my “0 for East Lansing” curse.
P.S. Final Score: I.U 24 Michigan State 0
George Strait recorded the Dean Dillon-written song, Easy Come Easy Go, in 1993. It was also an Elvis Presley movie in 1967.
“Goodbye, farewell, so long, vaya con dios.
Good luck, wish you well, take it slow.
Easy come girl, easy go.”
This morning I picked up both a dime and a quarter – a very prosperous day of running. With all the leaves on the ground, I wouldn’t have spotted the dime without stopping to grab the quarter. However, by the time I went to put them in my pocket, the quarter was missing from my gloved hand and despite efforts to find it, the coin had disappeared. Maybe tomorrow I’ll find it again or it will be swept away with the leaves? Easy come…easy go.
The coin flips have also gone my way in the world of sports this weekend. My former Elkhart Blue Blazers, now Lions, moved on in the Indiana High School football playoffs with a victory over Chesterton. They play Merrillville next on their quest for a state 6A championship. The winning momentum continued with I.U. football dominating the University of Michigan, a team they hadn’t beaten in 33-years and 24-attempts. This will vault them into the Top 10, a status no Indiana football team has ever held. Michigan State is next weekend, followed by a chance to beat Ohio State, another BIG 10 team with a decades-long history of head-to-head thrashings. It’s hard to believe that Hoosier football has a much better chance of national prominence than basketball. But, like the quarter I found this morning…easy come…easy go.
You’ll never find me being overconfident when it comes to I.U. athletics, despite witnessing three National Championships in basketball. As a 20-year season ticket holder in football, I never once expected I.U. to achieve this level of success on the gridiron. It’s never been easy to be an I.U. football fan. An optimist might even look forward to a BIG 10 championship and Rose Bowl. Is a National Championship even possible?
Yesterday’s football action concluded with a ho-hum Oregon Ducks win over Stanford and a thrilling double-overtime victory by Notre Dame over Clemson. It was the first loss by the Tigers in 39 games…Easy come…Easy go. Today, I hoping that the Bears can rebound against the Titans, the Colts can top the Ravens, and Portland Timbers soccer can get back on the winning track. Without overseas travel, fine dining, live music, and Broadway shows to keep me entertained, I’m grateful that sports have survived and my teams are winning…but realistically…easy come…easy go.