Category: Indiana University Hoosier (I.U) Sports (Page 26 of 31)

Indiana University Hoosier athletics

Old Sport Shorts: Mood Swings #1023

August 3, 2019 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

I’m trying not to let my mood be reflected in the box score, but sports are an important part of my life. Some how I’ve become a suffering Cubs fan, just like I once obsessively absorbed myself in I.U. basketball. I can blame this on my upbringing and the bonds that I had with my father. For the record, I was not a Cubs fan until I was an adult. Now, I wake up in a bad mood if the Cubs lose, as they did last night. Fortunately, they made a trade, or the team wouldn’t have even gotten a hit. To make matters worse it was against the Cardinals. We should all have a box score to look at the next day.

My box score from yesterday would show a morning run, too much TV watching, an acupuncture session, and dinner with my wife at West while monitoring the Cubs game. Not exactly a constructive day in the life, capped-off by a game-generated mood swing. I went to bed with it, and woke up with it – like a pouty little kid. Why do I let this silly game get the best of me? I wasn’t even playing. I’ve got the Cubbies Blues!

These Cubbies literally sometimes suck the life out of me, when life is going great. I’m retired and happily married – have most days to myself with few worries. There’s no reason for this to get to me, but it does. Yet, I’ll be watching when they start to fill-in today’s box score against the Brewers. It’s like being involved in a bad relationship. Nothing makes me angrier than a Cubs loss. When they win, there are certainly happier moments in life, but I do feel better about getting up the next day.

It’s been a long, disappointing year for the Cubs. Last night was the first time in an 18-game stretch since the All Star Game, where they hadn’t held the lead at one point. They’ve gotten runs for their starting pitchers and put them in a position to win. Unfortunately, relief and the road have not been welcome sights. They managed to sweep the Pirates and won two out of three from the stubborn Reds and Padres. Then they had to leave the friendly confines of Wrigley Field. Chicago next blew two games each against the Giants, Brewers, and Cardinals, as the relief corps simply didn’t do their jobs. To add to the misery, they only scored 3 runs in three games at Busch Stadium, after beefing-up their offensive power with the acquisition of Nick Castellanos from the surrendering Tigers. He sadly got their only hit last night against a pitcher that hadn’t won since mid-May. Overall, it was an 11-16 road flop.

So here we are in August, and the Cubs are a game behind the Cards and a game ahead of the Brewers. They are still in contention, but I expect to continue to suffer the rest of this season. I’ll be wearing Blue and seeing Red! The mood swings will persist in haunting my dreams, and the missed swings will reflect in the box score. October will come and go without the Cubs, and my anger will shift to I.U. basketball. It’s a vicious cycle that is a bigger part of my life than I really want it to be. Try to remember – It’s only a game!

Old Sport Shorts: It’s A Wrap #971

June 13, 2019 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

We’re about to wrap-up the NBA and College baseball seasons. The Warriors are in danger of finishing second for the first time in years. The Raptors could put a bow on things tonight. Last year at this time, Golden State had swept the Cavaliers and I was headed to the College World Series, that has narrowed the NCAA field down to the Elite 8. Can Florida State finally secure a title for legendary coach Mike Martin in his final season? Can Chris Lemonis, former I.U. baseball coach, lead his Mississippi State team to the championship in his first year? Or, can Arkansas win it all this year after last year’s final “out” dropped harmlessly between three Razorback players in foul territory and gave Oregon State the trophy instead? I also have a DNA cousin that pitches for Vanderbilt and allegiance to Michigan as the sole representative from the BIG Ten. Louisville eliminated I.U. on the path to Omaha. Texas Tech and Auburn round out the Final 8.

The Cubs took the wind out of St. Louis with a sweep at Wrigley Field last weekend. It was the second of the season, after the Cardinals did similar broom damage at Busch. The series now stands at 6-3. However, just like the first time, they failed to follow-up with a win in the next series. They finally got a victory after the Rockies won the first two. It was the 7th series loss after a streak of 10 straight. They remain a half-game behind the Central Division leading Brewers and now face the West Division dominating Dodgers. I also got a kick out of the fact that Grae Kessinger, grandson of Cubs’ shortstop Don Kessinger was on the doorstep of the College World Series but failed to get by Arkansas to get there. Meanwhile, the city of St. Louis forgot all about baseball and the recent Cardinals mediocrity by claiming The Stanley Cup for the first time in Blues’ franchise history. Now that’s a wrap!

It seems odd that a Canadian team is in the driver’s seat for basketball and that a U.S. team claimed hockey’s cherished trophy. The “Wide World of Sports” is definitely changing. In the women’s soccer FIFA World Cup the U.S. team humiliated Thailand and was criticized by the Canadian women for running up the score. You simply can’t expect top competitors to play anything less than their best until the clock runs out, especially in an event that happens once every four years. Oh Canada!

Old Sport Shorts: Go Home #961

June 2, 2019 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

While I’ve been enjoying being at home, most of my baseball favorites have been sent home with their tails between their legs. The Oregon State Beavers didn’t have far to go after being eliminated from the NCAA baseball tourney on their home field. The Indiana Hoosiers at least won one elimination game before being knocked out by Louisville. Meanwhile, the Cardinals swept the division leading Cubs, taking advantage of their Busch Stadium home. It was the sixth loss in seven games for the Cubbies to fall behind the Brewers in the standings. Unlike the Beavers and Hoosiers that were sent home packing, the Cubs season is far from over. At least, they get to go home and face the Angels tomorrow.

Home Field Advantage is a proven positive this year. The Cubs swept the Cards in the friendly confines of Wrigley earlier this year, while the Cards returned the favor at Busch. They will play again next week at Wrigley to break the overall series tie and determine the Pre-All-Star-Break Champion. The Cubs are 18-10 at home and the Cards are 19-12. Both have losing records on the road. This weekend’s sweep is the first against the Cubs since early April when the Braves brought out the broom at SunTrust Park in Atlanta. Chicago will host the next 7 games and will hopefully reverse their recent skid.

On the positive side, the cross-town White Sox have been far more successful of late, winning 6 or their last 7, including a sweep of the Royals and 2 of 3 against the Indians at their home, Guaranteed Rate Field. I will always know it as Comiskey Park, even though it was U.S Cellular Park when they last won the World Series in 2005. If it weren’t for the success of the White Sox at home this weekend, baseball would have been a total bummer. It only goes to prove that “there’s no place like home (regardless of what they name it.)”

Old Sport Shorts: Baseball Gods #959

June 1, 2019 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

The “Baseball Gods” weren’t very good to me yesterday as my teams were mostly losers. The only exception was the White Sox who one their record 5th straight of the season. To most franchises, this would not be much of an accomplishment but the “Baseball Gods” have not be very favorable to the Sox the last few years. Young players like Yoan Moncada, Carlos Rodon, Lucas Giolito, Tim Anderson, and Eloy Jimenez lead the team that currently sits 10.5 games behind the league leading Twins in the American League Central. Last night they moved past the Indians into second in the standings with a 7-1 head-to-head victory over the Tribe. One more victory and the team will be at .500, a positive step up from last year’s 62-100 season (.383). They were a bright ray of sunshine on yesterday’s dismal scoreboard. Unfortunately, the “Baseball Gods” were unfriendly to Sox fans today.

The Cubs, on the other hand, seem to be resorting back to start-of-the-season bad form when they lost their first three series. They were on a roll until the last place Reds stopped their hot streak with not one but two series losses in May. Then the Cubs traveled to Houston and lost two out of three before last night’s extra inning Cardinals victory at the unfriendly confines of Busch Stadium. To add more salt to the wound, it was the first time the Cards had walked-off all year, to the delight of their obnoxious fans. As a result, the Cubbies are in danger of falling short in their third straight series. If you win each series, you’ll win it all, so any set-back against the rival Cardinals is demoralizing. I was surprised, however, that problem-child Yu Darvish somehow only allowed three hits through 6 innings of work after walking his first two batters. He came away with his sixth straight no-decision and still has an ERA of over 5. This one-run loss was the first example example of how the “Baseball Gods” were not on my side today.

Before the Cubs loss, I monitored the Indiana Hoosier baseball NCAA tournament opener against Illinois State. After winning the BIG Ten regular season, they fell flat on their faces in tourney action. This misfortune continued into last night’s one-run loss to the Redbirds. Indiana struggled early but came back to tie it in the seventh, only to give up the game winner in the 9th. The “Baseball Gods” were not wearing Cream & Crimson. I.U. did manage to rebound against UIC this afternoon 9-5 to stave off elimination. Will the “Baseball Gods” be there for them tomorrow and Sunday?

Yesterday’s baseball misery continued into the evening in Corvallis where the defending National Champion Oregon State Beavers started their quest for back-to-back titles. Today they are in danger of being the third Championship team in history to be eliminated the year after with two straight losses. It could even happen at home. Last night, they rallied to finally take the lead in the 7th against Cincinnati. However, they too then sadly lost by one in the 9th. The “Baseball Gods” were definitely with them in Omaha during the final game of the College World Series last June when a miss-played foul pop-up gave them the opportunity to capitalize on a second chance at-bat against Arkansas. (See Post #583). Will the “Baseball Gods” answer their comeback prayers today?

Old Sport Shorts: That’s How The Ball Bounces #950

May 23, 2019 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

I happened to be watching the HBO series Deadwood, when I turned over to the BIG 10 baseball tournament from Omaha’s T.D. Ameritrade Stadium. It reminded me of last year’s trip to the College World Series where I watched the Oregon State Beavers outlast the Arkansas Razorbacks for the NCAA National Championship. The winner of the BIG 10 double-elimination tournament is an automatic qualifier for the NCAA tournament and provides a gateway to eventually go to Omaha this year. I.U. won the outright regular season BIG 10 title and finished 24th in the nation, so elimination in this tournament does not necessarily mean their overall chances are over, but will definitely affect their seeding and perhaps home field advantage.

Perhaps my recent viewing of Deadwood was a premonition of the lack of hitting the team would experience. It’s been “dead wood” in Omaha so far, or should I say aluminum, considering the “Silence of the Bats.” The ball is not bouncing out of the park, as has been the case all year. Team I.U. leads the NCAA Division 1 schools with 90 home runs this year. They lost game one against 8th seed Iowa 4-2 and are in danger of elimination as I watch this afternoon in the loser’s bracket against #4 seed Minnesota. So far, they are “0 for Omaha” in home runs, with only 7 hits yesterday and 3 today, coupled with 5 overall errors. There are still two at-bats for the Hoosiers yet to go, but the Golden Gophers are threatening in the top of the 8th. Let’s see if the ball bounces differently from this point on?

As I switched away from the BIG 10 action (or lack of) in Omaha yesterday, I was hoping for better results from the Cubs and the White Sox last evening. In baseball, after a loss, you don’t have to wait long for another opportunity. I have multiple favorites on both the college and Major League levels, so turning to another channel can often change my luck. The Cubs assured themselves of at least a series tie with the Phillies after an Albert Almora Jr. grand slam. Because of the way the ball bounces in baseball, I do not expect a “W” in every game, but winning or tying each respective series is the key to success over the long season.

The Cubs have been hot in May (14-6) after a slow start this year. The Phillies are also on top of their division, so it’s a formidable match-up at Wrigley Field, where the Cubs have already scored three in the bottom of the 7th to get within striking distance. On another channel, Indiana did not score in the 8th, but staved off another big inning by the Gophers, holding runners off second and third with nobody out. Unfortunately, the top of the 9th was another multi-run disaster, as Minnesota’s 9 overall runs are the most that this I.U. team has given up to any BIG 10 opponent this year. Flipping back to the Cubs, they are still down 8-6 to Philadelphia after the 7th inning.

As I wait out the completion of these two games, I also need to salute my White Sox who beat THE hottest team in baseball, the Houston Astros last night, after riding a 9-1 record in the last 10 games. The Sox, 5-5 in that same stretch, have struggled this year, battling to stay in the middle of the American League Central. The Astros had won the first game at Minute Maid Park, and it would take a minor miracle and some lucky bounces to somehow stop their momentum. In fact, it took both a Triple Play, a Grand Slam, and two Eloy Jiminez homers to eventually stun them 9-4. The series finale is tonight.

The ball continues to be bouncing unfavorably today as Indiana fails to score in the 9th and is eliminated from the BIG 10 tournament. Now, back to Deadwood. The Phillies scored again in the 8th and have a three-run lead that the Cubs will have one last chance to overcome. As a result, I may need to rely on the slim chances of the White Sox to brighten my mood, or maybe tonight’s Oregon State game against USC? Let’s see how the ball bounces?

Retirement is not without Hassles: World Travelers #902

April 10, 2019 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

It’s another busy evening for my wife and I with the final Portland Trailblazers game on our agenda. It was originally going to be I.U. alumni night with former player Yogi Ferrell on the Sacramento Kings roster. However, after a sour I.U. basketball season, there was little interest in a meet-and-greet. Instead, some good friends are joining us to celebrate “Fan Appreciation Night” and a chance for the Blazers to move up a spot in the playoff picture. It caps off an active week between travel adventures that has included Aladdin, Lines for Life, Dumbo, and a Pink concert. Tomorrow we leave for Chicago and a chilly afternoon at Wrigley Field.

We may even see some spring snow as we return to our homeland. The “Windy City” will certainly live up to its nickname that once had more to do with politics rather than weather. Heavy gusts have played havoc with flight schedules all over the country. We’re hopeful that there won’t be delays getting in and out of O’Hare. Dinner is planned for one of our favorites, Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab, and my wife has business meetings scheduled. I’ll explore some new ground on my own while she works. For example, there’s a Rembrandt Exhibit at the Art Institute or “Mummies” at the Field Museum. I will make a decision depending on the weather and my busy retirement schedule.

As we ponder future travel, I refer once again to the 1000 Places To See Before I Die calendar on my desk. This week’s destinations include the Maldive Islands, Chili, Mexico, France, South Africa, and Greece. Although we haven’t been to some of the exact locations pictured, we have done some exploration of France and Greece. The graceful Chateau de Chenonceau in Loire is at least one featured spot that we retain found memories. A souvenir porcelain Limoges box of the structure can be found in my wife’s collection. As I then look ahead to next week’s daily destinations, they include the Grenadines, Sweden, Uzbekistan, Shanghai, Ethiopia, and Easter Island – all are yet to be visited by us.

I feel good that my taxes are paid and payment has been arranged for next year’s trip to Egypt. However, two upcoming weddings will definitely put a dent in our travel budget. Fortunately for us – airfare, hotels, and rental cars have already been pre-paid for upcoming visits to Chicago, Rochester, McMinnville, Maui, New York, Steamboat, and Vancouver. This is what I saved for all those working years – the opportunity to see the world. My working wife dutifully continues to save and allows me to join her on most of her frequent business trips. There’s so much left to see, while only time and money stand in the way.

Old Sport Shorts: Bitter #898

April 6, 2019 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

After feeling like I pulled off a major victory by simply getting an elusive UPS package in my hands (See Post # 897), I’m watching my 17th straight Final Four without an Indiana University presence, but several Hoosier-grown players. It’s being held in Minneapolis where I watched from great CBS issued seats my Cream & Crimson lose to eventual champ Duke in 1992 Final Four action; the last of the Bobby Knight era. That game was held in the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, while this year’s event is at the newer U.S. Bank Stadium. At least, there’s little danger of a roof collapse. Looking back a few decades, the Hoosiers lost to a 7th consecutive championship bound UCLA team in Knight’s second year of coaching at Indiana, but had won it all on three consecutive occasions prior to the Minneapolis loss. I have fond memories of those years, and they certainly spoiled me on expectations for Indiana basketball. That was a time when we were a perennial power and Final Four appearances were a rule rather than a rarity. I’m not bitter!

After another frustrating I.U. basketball season, I have my doubts that the program will ever see another Final Four, at least in my lifetime. This I never imagined 20 years ago. At least it will say on my virtual tombstone “Been There. Done That.” Speaking of things I never expected to see, it was almost Purdue’s turn this year, as they have somehow managed to build a far superior team with strong future expectations. The Boilermakers and Spartans led the BIG conference again this year and both made it to the Elite Eight. Only the Spartans advanced to Minneapolis and the U.S. Bank Stadium excitement. Indiana finished the year with a bitter loss to Wichita State in the disrespected N.I.T.

I remember how embarrassing it was to drive down to Bloomington, Indiana and watch the Hoosiers lose to Lipscomb University 74-69 in 2008. I had never even heard of the Nashville based school before that time. It was all part of a season that started in Maui with two losses in the Invitational and a narrow consolation victory over lowly Chaminade. The only good thing about that trip is that my friends and I ended up spending less time in the gym as spectators and more time in the glorious sunshine. It ended up being the worst season in the history of Indiana Basketball, finishing with the fewest W’s (6) since 1915–16 and a 1–17 conference record. The only win was against Iowa at Assembly Hall. That was ten years ago and marked the transition from Kelvin Sampson to Tom Crean following disastrous NCAA sanctions. This is when the bitterness really started.

Kelvin Sampson took his Houston Cougars to the Sweet Sixteen this year, while Indiana struggled under second year coach Archie Miller. Even Lipscomb was making fun of Indiana’s #1 seed in the N.I.T. “Coming live from Assembly Hall, 45% of the time they lose every time” was their Twitter statement as both teams were scraping for a spot in the Big Dance. Lipscomb ended up with a #5 seed in the Little Dance, but advanced to the Championship game after easily beating I.U. eliminator Wichita State at the Garden. The Bison then lost to Champion Texas who showed their worth as a #1 seed -just one more thing that I.U. could not accomplish this year. At least, Tom Crean, who now coaches the Georgia Bulldogs failed to make either tournament. I think you can feel my bitterness.

It seems of late that the teams I want to win consistently finish second. My adopted Oregon Ducks men’s team barely failed to get to the Final Four, while their women’s team lost in a close Final Four match-up against top ranked Baylor. In the smaller of the round ball battles, the struggling Cubs won big in their season opener to give me a false sense of positive momentum but have fallen short in six straight thanks to poor relief pitching. The “W” flag has not been flying for a week. Even my White Sox have somehow performed better, but they are still only 3-4. My I.U. frustrations have extended into baseball season with the only consolation being a 3-5 Cardinals start – each St. Louis loss is a victory for me. This shows how desperate I am to share my bitter misery with my friends. It’s as pathetic as I.U. free throw shooting and Cubs pitching, and you can brand me with a bitter “L” on my forehead.

And, one last reason to be bitter, after watching this year’s Final Four. Kyle Guy of Indianapolis just hit a clutch three and made three last-second free throws to lead the Virginia Cavaliers to their first National Championship appearance. Kyle attended Lawrence Central High School and was the 2016 Indiana Mr. Basketball. He had deep Indiana roots with a great grandfather who was the commissioner of the Indiana High School Athletic Association and in the Indiana High School Hall of Fame for both basketball and football. I.U. somehow let him slip away in the recruiting wars, just like Michigan State’s Aaron Henry of Ben Davis High School in Indy. Granted, we got home grown one-and-done Romeo Langford, who brought much needed optimism to the program but in the end failed to meet expectations. Coach Archie Miller has made some inroads with in-state recruiting at I.U., but in the bitter end we’ve fallen short on keeping great players from crossing the border. Should we build a wall?

Retirement is not without Hassles: Thai Sunset #891

March 29, 2019 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

Another sweaty four miles this morning, trying to burn off yesterdays cheeseburger spring rolls. It’s now my favorite Thai dish, designed to dip in ketchup, mustard, or mayonnaise. Unique foods like this are why I travel the world. Any dish that I can find that does not require utensils is big in my cook book. However, I was surprised to find out that in Thailand they do not typically use chopsticks. Spring rolls are particularly hard to handle between two wooden sticks.

We met some fellow Hoosiers at the pool yesterday here in Phuket. We actually lounged next to them all day long without a word spoken. It wasn’t until my cousin showed up for Happy Hour in an I.U. T-shirt that the ice was broken.The comment, “You would look better in Black & Gold,” told us immediately he was a Purdue grad, feeling cocky about their success in the NCAA tournament. Fortunately, his wife was a fellow I.U. under-grad like my cousin and I, while he had a Masters from the Business School.

Since it’s Friday morning in this Time Zone, the Thursday night tournament session was actually early this morning and Purdue beat Tennessee in overtime to advance to the Elite 8 for the first time in 18 years. As we sit poolside next to him again today, I can feel his Boiler pride. He’s on a work Visa and they now live in Singapore but are originally from Columbus, Indiana. Meeting them is another “small world” travel phenomenon. We did find some additional commonality in the Cubs Opening Day victory over the Texas Rangers that took place in the middle of the night here.

Diet Coke does not exist in Thailand, but even if it did Marriott would’t serve it. I’m often forced to drink Pepsi Max at this resort. We did however also buy some Coca-Cola – No Sugar at the local grocery. None of these options are as good as a Diet Coke, so I am suffering a bit here in paradise. We also keep a supply of bananas and Oreos in our full kitchen, along with some dinner leftovers of fried rice and pasta. I’m sure I’ll be up a few pounds when I step on the home scale. I will say though that I haven’t sweated this much in a long time. Maybe that will help in the “Battle of the Bulge.”

I continue to marvel at the magnificence of this resort, with all the comforts of home. However, once you wander into some of the nearby rural areas you’re suddenly in “third world” poverty. The loop that I run around the lagoon has some homeless camps, restaurant shanties with tarp covered roofs, and there’s rubbish scattered everywhere, even around the make-shift shrines. The area hotels all have security guards and gates in front, separating those that have from those that don’t. I remain impressed by how hard-working and service-oriented the Thai people truly are, and the friendly hospitality that they exude.

I’m grossly over-tipping out of both ignorance and guilt. I’ve found that there’s a 10% service charge built in to most checks, but still continue to add 20%. This means I’m even supplementing that tax, hoping in my small way to breathe some life into the local Thai economy. There remains some guilt on miscalculating conversion rates on all those .65 cent tips early in the trip. Then I remember that wealth is not all about bahts or dollars here in Thailand, it’s about having a turquoise ocean in your backyard. We ended another perfect afternoon with a Thai massage and a priceless sunset over the Indian Ocean.

Old Sport Shorts: NIT #889

March 26, 2019 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

Not In Tournament. I keep telling myself this yet here I am in Phuket, Thailand up at 6 a.m. monitoring the Indiana Hoosiers against Wichita State on the internet. As soon as it gets light outside, I will run over to the nearby Renaissance Hotel and actually watch the second half with my cousin. THAIU. A fellow I.U. Alumni, he lives in Thailand part of the year to teach English to Chinese kids. This involves a VPN (Virtual Private Network) connection on his computer that apparently has a secondary benefit of tricking ESPN into identifying his location to be within the United States. My computer won’t allow me to watch the game here in Thailand, as I learned from trying to tune-in the previous two I.U. basketball games. Hopefully, the game will remain close at halftime when I arrive there on foot. I’m just waiting for the sun to come up so I don’t have to navigate the narrow road in the dark.

The game is starting out in typical I.U. fashion this season with poor shooting and sloppy turnovers. We’ve already fallen behind by 11 and only have 13 points with less than 8 minutes to go in the half. Romeo Langford is not playing again due to an “NBA related injury” so the spotlight is on Juwan Morgan, playing his final game at Assembly Hall. The winner goes on to Madison Square Garden for the Championship round of four. The goal at this point would be to simply stay in range and hope for a better second half, as has often been the case with this team. Inconsistency has been their trademark with long scoring droughts and silly ball handling errors. They are often hard to watch, so going out of my way to do so may be a bad idea. The last time these two teams played was in the actual 2015 NCAA Tournament, so both programs have fallen on hard times. Wichita State won that game 81-76 to advance to the Sweet 16. Hopefully, things turn sour this morning for the Shockers!

I.U. was down by seven points when I made the one-mile-plus run to my cousin’s hotel, extending my running streak to 3,741 consecutive days. They made a run to eventually tie the score but sputtered pathetically in the end to lose by ten 73-63. I knew that when The Shockers hit the 60 mark first that the game was over. They hit eleven 3-pointers and made 18 of 25 free throws. The Hoosiers were a miserable 7-13 from the free throw line and only 33.3% behind the arc. As a result, The Shockers are going to a “Garden Party” and the Hoosiers are going back to class. It used to be that the first sign of spring was that I.U. was still playing basketball and Purdue was not. Instead, the Boilermakers are in the Sweet 16 and will play Tennessee on Thursday (Friday morning at 6:20 a.m. here in Thailand). The good news is that I don’t have to watch I.U. any more this miserable season. As I ran back another mile from my cousin’s hotel to mine along the beach, I also savored the additional good news that I’m in beautiful Phuket, and it’s only a short walk to the pool to drown my basketball sorrows. Besides, baseball season starts tomorrow!

Old Sport Shorts: THAIU #886

March 25, 2019 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

I was able to monitor last night’s I.U. Basketball Second Round N.I.T. victory over Arkansas, revenging a regular season loss. I woke up about midnight, after our alcohol-free Michelin Star dinner at Nahm. Since Thai election laws prohibited the sale of alcohol, the gourmet meal was surprisingly affordable at less than 6,000 baht ($200). At one time, it’s world-renowned chef made it the #1 restaurant in Asia, but it failed to rate among our Top 25 dining experiences. I did, however, appreciate the reasonable cost, and the spiciness of the “Angry Beef” woke me up at halftime for the second half of the game. Fortunately, the Hoosiers did not add another loss to my already “angry” stomach. GO THAIU!

I was not able to actually watch the game on T.V. from our room in Bangkok, but I got the detailed, live “play by play” action on the ESPN app. It followed a familiar pattern of sad fundamentals that included a slow start, poor free throw efficiency, 3-point shooting woes, plus ridiculous long scoring droughts. Freshman Romeo Langford did not leave the I.U. bench, apparently still nursing a back injury. He sat out dreaming of a huge NBA contract as a certain lottery pick. The good news was that It gave next year’s guard tandem a chance to get in more minutes. Also a positive, Senior Juwan Morgan will play at least another game in a Hoosier uniform. They’ll face Wichita State later this week. It will allow my cousin and I a chance to watch it together from a Phuket beach bar stool, representing the Indiana Alumni Association in Thailand. Our Hoosiers somehow won the game thanks to equally bad shooting by Arkansas coupled with a strong rebounding edge on our end. The obnoxious “Pig Sooies” (See Post #578) stayed in contention with superior free-throw shooting, but missed the game-tying final shot. GO THAIU!

We’re waiting on our flight to Phuket, after one last run/walk on the crowded, narrow streets of downtown Bangkok this morning. I also had to dodge the temporary wooden-framed election billboards that were tied to each and every street sign. They should all come down tomorrow when the bars reopen. Our last Bangkok meal is at the airport McDonalds as we await boarding. The “Thai Fries” were great and the “Buddha Burgers” tasty, consistent with bowing Ronald’s Quarter Pounder Combo in his U.S. restaurants. While we’re eating, I’m looking out the window from inside the terminal at another religious shrine surrounded by a huge manicured garden guarded by what look like golden goose gargoyles. Otherwise, it would look like any other airport around the world.

We’re “Thai Tired” and will need a nap by the time we check into our next Marriott Vacation Club apartment at Mai Khoa Beach. The only scheduled plans over the next couple days involve a seafood dinner at THIW Soen restaurant and a boat trip to “James Bond Island,” as seen in the movie The Man with The Golden Gun. Both will be a chance to get re-acquainted with my cousin, Jim, who teaches English here in Thailand when he’s not involved in Chamber of Commerce fundraisers back in The States. We also look forward to meeting his friend Sinee, a native of Thailand. It will give us a chance to learn more about the local culture from her perspective, and extol upon her the Glory of our Old THAIU!