Category: Indiana University Hoosier (I.U) Sports (Page 24 of 31)
Indiana University Hoosier athletics
Years ago, a collector friend of mine gave me an authentic I.U. jersey that eventually my wife had framed. As was Bob Knight’s coaching philosophy back then, there was no individual player’s name on the jersey just INDIANA 54. It was this concept of team that earned his team the last undefeated season in college basketball history and the 1976 NCAA Championship. The “Gentle Giant,” Kent Benson wore that jersey at a time when players were not allowed to keep their uniforms so they could be passed along to the next season. There were two versions – a white with red letters for home games and a red with white trim road jersey. I was given the latter, proudly displayed in my office and home.
I often felt that Kent Benson should have “The Jersey.” After all, he earned it – not me. It was crudely pinned to my office wall gathering dust. A mutual friend tried to orchestrate an exchange, but it never happened. I once met Kent at an I.U. game against Illinois, but by then “The Jersey” was in a huge, elaborate $1000 frame. After all, he was a big guy that required “Omar the Tent-maker” to cover his 6’11” frame. He autographed my ticket stub and we briefly talked about the mutual friend. The frame was ultimately damaged in an Illinois home flood, and was next moved to Austin, Texas and hung in a stairwell where the damage was not noticeable. When we next moved to Portland, Oregon, I finally had a room dedicated to my sports memorabilia. “The Jersey” was displayed on the wall next to a rival #30 Purdue practice jersey signed by coach Gene Keady.
Bob Knight and Gene Keady had a fierce relationship. In fact, Knight threw “The Chair” on what now is Keady Court in West Lafayette, Indiana. I ran the television station that produced and aired Keady’s weekly coaches show. It was obviously not appropriate to display the Kent Benson jersey in my office, so I bought the Black & Gold Purdue pull-over at a local fundraiser to show my support for the local team. It was tough to be an I.U. grad in enemy territory, trying to act like Purdue was my favorite. I attended many Old Oaken Bucket football games and basketball clashes biting my tongue. However, Coach Keady was such a classy guy that he earned my respect. I certainly knew him much better than “The General,” Bob Knight, who I only met at the Maui Classic as part of an alumni rally.
My wife and I recently moved out of our Portland condo and into a downtown apartment. It required some major downsizing and there was certainly no space for “The Jersey.” I was honestly thinking of dismantling the cumbersome frame and retaining just the #54. Instead, the glass broke during the move, making the decision easy. I then put “The Jersey” in storage. It was just last week that I read an article about Kent Benson and his family struggles with cancer. Several fundraisers were being organized in his honor. I’ve decided to reunite him with #54 after all these years and wrote this letter to accompany my package:
Dear Kent:
Enclosed you will find your Indiana jersey #54 that I have had in my possession for many years. I’m an I.U. grad, Class of ’73, now living in Portland, Oregon. A friend of mine had access to all the jerseys once the school decided to buy new ones. They were apparently recycled from year-to-year and no one got to keep them. On a couple of occasions I tried to get this to you, but I kept moving further away. Also, my wife had it framed as a gift, making it more difficult to give up. You probably haven’t seen it for about 43 years, but just recently the pricey frame was damaged in our move.
I’ve been reading about some of the fundraisers on your behalf, and thought this might cheer you up a bit through the Holidays. I also want to thank you for those great years of championship basketball. I didn’t realize at the time what a rare accomplishment I was experiencing. You’ve have always been a Hoosier Hero and “The Jersey” was proudly the centerpiece of my sports memorabilia collection. Whether you decide to keep it or offer it as part of a fundraiser, it’s now back in your hands where it should be.
Best Regards,
It’s been a busy week of traveling and entertaining. We just finished a trip to the airport and returned a rental car. This immediately reduced the number of keys in my sagging pockets. I still have two other sets in my possession that allows access to our apartment and cars. We needed the extra space of an S.U.V. to haul passengers and wine boxes from vineyard to vineyard. It was great fun with good friends who are now on their way back to Tucson. We talked, toasted, and tasted for 6 days, spending two of those nights in a cozy McMinnville boutique hotel. They were with other friends for the prior 3 nights, so I’m sure they’re anxious to get home. However, three days later they are headed to Maui. We envy their travel schedule, and are always happy to hear the stories of their many adventures.
The next time that we’ll see them will be four months from now in Phoenix for Spring Training. We bought tickets for the warm-weather version of the Crosstown Classic, as the Chicago White Sox battle the Cubs. We’ll combine that with a few more games, other friends, shopping, dining, and side-trips, then ride back with them to their Tucson home for a few more days of sunshine. I don’t think they were impressed with our chilly Portland weather, but at least the rain stayed away. By that time of year when we reunite, we’ll be glad to escape from the Portland gloom. We’ll also be in Florida and Las Vegas during this year’s rainy season. I will definitely not need large doses of Vitamin B or my Happy Lamp to get through the winter months next year.
We hope to visit the Grand Canyon during our “too long” Vegas stay. A snafu in Marriott Vacation Club points made it necessary to use a week of lodging, when three days is more than enough in “Sin City.” It was where we were married 19 years ago and haven’t been back for a few years. Most of our travel there centered around business conventions, including the timing of our ceremony at the Bellagio. I wish we were staying in their luxurious accommodations, but instead we’re “slightly” off The Strip. On this stay, we’ll sacrifice convenience and comfort for practicality. It will probably not be the romantic experience that we shared on our wedding weekend. However, we always have a good time.
On a sad note, tonight will be our 15-year old schnauzer’s last meal. Tinker still has an appetite despite losing a lot of her mobility in recent days. (See Post #1145). She’ll be put to rest tomorrow after a long and happy life with our family. It will be a tough day of tears and memories.
Despite our concerns about leaving Tinker at home with failing health, it was still an enjoyable weekend in wine country. As a distraction, I was able to watch bits and pieces of I.U.’s Bucket Game football victory and a basketball win. It was also “Rivalry Week” for most conference opponents with lots of surprises. Unfortunately, I.U. Soccer was the victim of an upset in the Sweet 16, a heartbreaking 1-0 loss in double overtime to U.C.S.B. Tonight, the Hoosiers will play Florida State in basketball, their first real test of the season. It will be an evening version of our weekly “Leadership Meeting” at Buffalo Wild Wings as I get back together with my Portland friends. It also marks the return to my normal, boring retirement routine, after such a busy week of entertaining.
Six days together,
Not one “Five-Peak” day.
Glad we were part of,
Your Portland stay.
Hydraulic parking,
Too many keys.
A lobby filled,
With Cheesy trees.
The cramped quarters,
Of big city living.
But near Urban Farmer,
To celebrate Friendsgiving.
Streetcar stop,
Just next door.
Homeless problem,
Hard to ignore.
We each bought Knives,
And saw Them “Out.”
Learned what McMinnville,
Was all about.
Diet Coke stops,
Along the way.
Visited wineries,
Like Ponzi and Shea.
To welcome us,
They held a parade.
We guzzled Pinot,
Like Kool-Aid.
Atticus weekend,
Twinkly lights.
Red Hills’ breakfasts,
Chilly nights.
They had beds,
With two sides.
And day reminders,
On elevator rides.
Sazerac, Absinthe,
And gourmet grub.
From the Driftwood bar,
To the Country Club.
Thaw-out in Maui,
We’ll see you come Spring.
Once you run out,
More wine we’ll bring.
Wild Turkey,
Spruce Goose.
Make Walla-Walla,
Next year’s excuse.
It was day #3990 of my running streak, as I wandered through the streets of McMinnville, Oregon. It’s been our home base for wine tasting these past two days and the gas alone propelled me along. I did mange to get out between rain showers in the near freezing temperatures. So far, we’ve tasted from eight different vintners plus dinner pairings, and plan on at least three more today as we make our way back to Portland. I was “key” on watching watch some I.U. soccer this morning as they play in the Sweet Sixteen, but there is no television coverage out here in the boonies. It will be another frustrating day of internet monitoring with a sporadic signal. I missed the thrilling end to yesterday’s Bucket game while we were traveling on a gravel road to our favorite vineyard. Our host was somehow able to get me the final score. It made my day.
During yesterday’s travel, we stopped to see the famous Spruce Goose that is actually made of birch and bought some custom cooking knives and a pearl Christmas Tree. My wife, the “Pearly Girl,” could not resist a little shopping along the way. We also have several cases of wine in the back of our rental SUV so we could easily accommodate the four of us, packages, and luggage. Neither of our convertibles would have worked for this particular trip. The dogs stayed at home with a sitter, her first trial with them in our new apartment.
I haven’t felt burdened with keys these past few days. One of the biggest hassles of living in a secured building is that every door requires a key or key fob. I’m always digging in my pockets to find the right one and my pants sag from the weight. I’m ready for a stylish janitor’s key ring to wear on my belt. I passed along most of my heavy keys to the pet sitter in exchange for a plastic hotel room key card I can carry in my wallet, while the valet has my car keys. As a result, my pants are staying up much better on this trip.
The new knives that we bought made me think of our plans to watch “Knives Out” tomorrow for Matinee Monday. Once again, we’ll walk to the theater. Our friends are getting a taste of big city living before they return to Tucson. I’m sure they feel somewhat trapped in our tiny apartment, knowing that they can’t get in and out without us. The trip to wine country has given us all a chance to spread out and breathe some cool mountain air. However, it’s just a bit too cool, especially for their much thinner blood from living in a considerably warmer climate. We hope that our next home will be near a hot, sunny beach. We’re “all keyed-up” to check-out the Florida Gulf Coast in a few weeks.
Bucket Day is off to a good start, with I.U. ahead 14-0 just after the first quarter of play. A victory is on my bucket list every year. I.U. basketball plays this afternoon, and I.U. soccer tomorrow, as our Wine Country Weekend continues with tastings in-between sporting events. Friends are visiting from sunny Tucson, struggling to stay warm in our near freezing temperatures. We booked an additional week with them for Spring Training in March. They leave for Maui next week to thaw-out from their Pacific Northwest experience. We want to eventually be like them with their envious travel plans all over the world.
We are in tiny McMinnville, Oregon at the charming Atticus Hotel, as Purdue scores twice to narrow the score. We covered three vineyards yesterday, with an additional tasting back at the hotel and champagne upon check-in. As the score gets tighter, I will need another glass soon. We may take a break in drinking this afternoon to visit the Spruce Goose, Howard Hughes’ famous airplane at the nearby Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum. Herbert Hoover’s boyhood home is also in this area, if we need an additional educational experience this weekend. One can only drink so much Oregon Pinot Noir!
After breakfast and another Indiana touchdown, we are headed for our first winery of the new day, It’s 28-10, as the Hoosiers continue their quest to stop a two-year victory streak for the Boilermakers. Regardless of what happens today, Purdue will continue to dominate the overall series that stands at 74-41-6 before today’s rainy Bucket battle in West Lafayette. Purdue somehow hangs-in-there to make it 28-17. I will soon need a bucket of wine to calm my nerves. In the meantime, my wife continues to parade into the room with her many purchases from the local merchants. It is, after all, “Small Business Saturday,” and she’s certainly doing her part.
Yesterday as we arrived at the hotel, we had to weave our way around the road-blocks set up for the annual Holiday Parade. The streets were crowded for the arrival of Santa Claus, so it was a challenge to get to the front door. As soon as it turned dark, the trees in the downtown area began to twinkle in holiday splendor. In the spirit of the season, favored Indiana continues to “gift” Purdue with three missed field goals and too dam* many silly defensive penalties. As is typical with Bucket games, the underdog always finds a way to stay in the game. It’s now 28-23 I.U. with nine minutes remaining.
I was forced to leave before the game ended, and lost cellular service on the way to our first tasting. When I finally got an internet connection, the game was tied at 31 in overtime. The Hoosiers eventually won in double overtime 44-41. Twenty-six years ago was last time I.U. had secured 8 victories and a winning conference record. Coach Tom Allen is undoubtedly hoarse from his high-energy cheer leading. I.U. basketball also won to move their record to 7-0, another standard that hadn’t been reached in years. I.U. soccer plays early tomorrow morning P.S.T., so the excitement of wine and sports will continue in McMinnville. Go Hoosiers!
A few weeks ago I wrote about one of the biggest upsets in college basketball history when Indiana State beat Kentucky (See Dis-Rupp-Tion Post #1124) Today I’m writing about THE biggest such upset in history! It was Stephen F. Austin over #1 Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium 85-83 in OT. The Lumberjacks were a 27.5 point underdog. From my perspective, the Blue Devils aren’t quite as hated as the Kentucky Wildcats, but it’s still big news to any college round-ball fan. Duke Down!
I’m tuned into the Bears v Lions game, as I strike the keys. For me, it’s the ultimate Turkey Bowl that had a positive outcome for Bears fans like me last year (See Post #746). The Bears also lead the overall series 100-74-5, dating back to 1930 when the future Detroit franchise was located in Portsmouth, Ohio and known as the Spartans. The Bears started as the Decatur Staleys in 1920. (See Post #185). Both teams are off to a rough start this year, so this shapes up to be a battle for the basement. None of my Chicago favorites have had a good 2018 or 2019 seasons.
It seems to be a tradition for me to write about football on Thanksgiving, as well as watch. Last year, we went to quaint Bend, Oregon for the weekend. It’s also the time of year for the Bucket Game between my Alma mater I.U. and state rival Purdue. (See Post #867). This year the Hoosier have already claimed Bowl eligibility, while this will be the Boilermaker’s last game. This makes me nervous! All three sports will be playing in December this year, a rare occurrence. I.U. Basketball has a chance to remain undefeated this weekend, while Soccer can continue its run to another NCAA title against U.C.S.B. They did not give up a goal in the entire month of December, that included 5 games to claim the regular season and BIG conference “double.” Go Hoosiers. Go Bears. Duke Down.
My wife felt like a football widow these past few days and admittedly I spent a lot of time in front of the “boob tube.” Don’t worry, I did get a 3-mile run in every day to extend my continuous streak to 3,977. Only 23 days until the four-thousand milestone and another 28 to hit the 11-year mark! While not on the run, two I.U. soccer wins and the BIG Championship did not make up for the I.U.football loss to Penn State. The Hoosier basketball victory over Troy in between was interrupted by our “Meet the neighbors” open house, but the Oregon Ducks game started after everyone left. The Indianapolis Colts game wasn’t televised, while the “Bad News” Bears weren’t worth watching. I will get reacquainted with my wife today on our way to “Matinee Monday.” I want to see Ford v Ferrari that in her opinion is just more sports, but agrees that it’s getting great reviews.
While I was sitting in front of the TV, I was also actively engaged on the internet. I won a 1956 Chicago White Sox autographed baseball through the Heritage auction house that included Sherm Lollar’s signature, along with Hall of Fame members Nellie Fox and Luis Aparicio. It was my first experience with on-line bidding, so I was fortunate to claim the prize after the two-week process. At the same time, I was busy with “Ban(n)ister World,” adding more names to my Jerry Banister Family Tree. I created a list of about 100 names with “Common Ancestors” among my Ancestry DNA matches and performed the tedious task of connecting each them to the tree branches. It will hopefully give me more stories to add to my “Diary of an Adoptee.” It’s all about my curious quest to identify those who gave me life and find out more about their extended Ban(n)ister family members
If you didn’t know it already, I’m an adopted child and running fanatic that turned out to be an Indiana University (I.U.) grad, media alum, sports nut, collector, movie lover, and hobby genealogist. I have time to do all of these interests in retirement, and write about them in this daily blog. This particular post combines all my favorite activities. My wife and I now live in Portland, Oregon but we’re both originally from Indiana. We’re considering a move to sunny Florida to establish a permanent retirement home. My son and three grand kids would then be nearby. In fact, we’re headed to Orlando in a month for a visit and to do some exploration of property on the Gulf Coast. My wife’s daughters will be concerned that their mother is so far away, but both of them are newlyweds with busy lives. I don’t know if our elderly schnauzer, Tinker, will be able to tolerate another move, but the younger one, Tally, will like running on the beach. In the meantime, we’ll continue to be retired world travelers, dining-out enthusiasts, wine drinkers, and party hosts. Hopefully, this all will give you a clearer picture of Who I Am?
I appear to have resolved one of my biggest daily hassles, removing all the spam off my blog site. It used to be that before I could start writing, I would have to eliminate hundreds of comments that were attempts to promote other websites by including a link within the veiled compliments about my writing. This would take at least 10 minutes every day even deleting them in bulk. Recently I found my own personal “Spaminator,” a service called Akismet. It was free to try as part of the various plugins through my GoDaddy subscription. I don’t know how long it will remain free, but it’s been a godsend in getting rid of all that damn spam.
There probably is a plugin that will write this daily blog for me, but I still continue to enjoy the psychological benefit of putting words to page. As you can see, there’s not much on my mind today, but at least it’s not full of spam. Football is about to start on the TV in front of me, and I.U. is scheduled to play for the BIG soccer championship against Michigan in about an hour. In the meantime, I’ll flush my mind of any other hassles I might be experiencing in retirement. Last night, we hosted our “Meet the Neighbors” reception that had a somewhat disappointing turn out. I was worried that our small apartment would be crammed with drunken strangers. Instead, only about 12 neighbors showed up, leaving us with a lot of leftover wine and food. We also got more wine and snacks in the process. I’m glad it’s over because the older I guess the less I like to entertain. I’m turning into a curmudgeon! If I actually had grass, I’d probably be yelling at people to stay off of it.
The “Damn Spam” put me in a bad mood every day, so I’ll have to find other hassles to keep me entertained. Without the stress of work or raising a family, I’ve had to lower my standards of irritation. Little things bother me now without the bigger issues that used to hold my focus. Problems like the mail not being here on time or too many keys to keep track of now take priority. I can also worry about running out of money if nothing else works. That morsel of pessimism has always been a part of me. Another thing that has never changed is my irritation over I.U. sports. Yesterday, football predictably lost to Penn State, while the basketball team won big but didn’t play up to my expectations. Soccer will have a disappointing season if they don’t win both the BIG tournament and the NCAA Championship. As you can see, I have a tendency to set myself up for discontent. It’s probably just a matter of time before that damn spam comes back to haunt me!
Last night, I attended the inaugural Phil Knight Invitational, featuring both the Oregon and Oregon State basketball teams. Last year, it was a full-fledged birthday clebration tournament but going forward it will continue to be a double-header. Oregon beat highly-touted Memphis, while Oregon State lost to Oklahoma. 81-year old Nike founder Phil Knight shook a few hands a few rows in front of us. Before the game, I watched on TV a portion of the I.U. victory against unworthy opponent North Alabama. I also caught the half-time score of Kentucky vs. Evansville – David versus Goliath.
The Evansville Purple Aces were giving the #1 ranked Kentucky Wildcats a game. However, everyone expected UK to eventually take control. Kentucky was favored by 25 points and playing at Rupp Arena where they had been 39-0 against un-ranked, non-conference opponents when ranked the best in the country. These early-season games are designed to pad the win column, so opponents are always viewed as cupcakes. It was already frosting on the cake for the Purple Aces to be leading at halftime. When I saw the final score of 67-64, I was shocked that Evansville had pulled off the improbable. It was especially sweet for their second-year coach, Walter McCarthy, who won a national title with Kentucky in 1966. UK was also the victim of another major upset back in 2007 when Gardner Webb beat them as a 26-point underdog, but the Wildcats were only ranked at #20. The Purple Aces had never beaten a #1 team.
As an Indiana fan, I’ve always been a Wildcat-hater, although I respect their program and feel envious of their ability to always get the top recruits. The I.U. versus Kentucky border war was a highlight every year, as the game rotated between host schools. It suddenly stopped a few years ago with each school blaming the other. The Hoosiers have been without recent tournament success, while the Wildcats have made the Sweet 16 three straight years and won it all for the eighth time eight years ago. Kentucky leads all school in total NCAA tournament appearances with 59, games played with 184, 131 wins, 45 Sweet 16s, 38 Elite Eights, and 68 post-season appearances. I.U. has five national championships, but not since 1987. Evansville has also won five titles but at the Division II level and not since 1971.
The University of Evansville Purple Aces were not intimidated playing at historic Rupp Arena. It was the modern day version of Hoosiers on the college rather than high school level. The new movie should be titled Dis-Rupp-Tion. I’m sure that legendary coach Adolph Rupp rolled over in his grave last night. He passed in 1977, just three days before an entire plane load of Evansville players and coaches died in a plane crash in route to play Middle Tennessee State. It is one of the worst tragedies in basketball history. It took a lot of community support to bring back the basketball program the next year. The greatest reward of their efforts happened last night as time expired after Kentucky missed the game-tying three at Rupp. Total Dis-Rupp-Tion!
Some people have told me to never announce that you’re retired. The next thing you know you’ll be waiting for someone’s package to be delivered, walking your neighbor’s dog, babysitting, or helping with a project. Fortunately, I retired in an area where I don’t know many people, don’t have family nearby, and don’t fraternize with the neighbors. This is what happens when you move every couple of years. I now control my days, choosing the tasks that I really want to do – very few. Every once in a while I make a mistake.
In our efforts to downsize from home, to condo, to apartment, I often find myself repurchasing items that I’ve given away. For example, I didn’t need a nice file cabinet since we had plenty of room for clutter in the attic, garage, or guest room closets. I had a beautiful wood office cabinet at one time in my life that I didn’t need – now I do. I went to Amazon for a replacement, but didn’t read the fine print. SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED.
When the box arrived I knew that I was in trouble. It was not the size of the file cabinet that I ordered, and when I opened it there were hundreds of pieces that needed to be put together. I kept some tools in the move, but gave away my massive tool box and power drill. I had to buy a smaller box for the remaining necessities like pliers, screwdrivers, and a hammer, once again buying an item that I had already owned – now just in a smaller size. The assembly instructions were in diagram form with 27 detailed illustrations to follow. On the first page, the words EXPLODED DRAWING were emphasized in large print. I wanted some powerful explosives to get rid of it at that moment, even before unpacking the contents. To make matters worse, it was protected with cheap Styrofoam that had deteriorated into small fragments and statically stuck to every surface. I’ve had a lot of bad experiences with Styrofoam and assembly line faux pas that were coming back to haunt me. (See Post #294).
To make a long story short, I spent about 3 hours last night putting it together, and it still isn’t done. There were hundreds of screws, where a recently donated power drill would have certainly come in handy. I carefully followed the step-by-step instructions rather than jump ahead, as was the tendency in my younger years. Regardless, I still made mistakes. Was it me or the EXPLODED DRAWING? At one point, I was ready to explode. Fortunately, I had just watched an I.U. basketball game that had already released most of my aggression. I couldn’t help but think that the Hoosiers played at ASSEMBLY Hall, and are definitely a work in progress just like my file cabinet. This morning I will disassemble some of last night’s work and fix my mistakes. After a good night’s sleep, I see the error of my ways. The biggest error of course was buying a file cabinet that required tools and assembly. I have never been a DIY kind of guy. (See Post #107) when it comes to SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED.