Category: OLD SPORT SHORTS (Page 19 of 68)
An old guy’s perspective on all sports
No problem getting in the door this morning (See Post #1956). Another short one-mile run, with plans again to do a lot of walking. We covered a great deal of ground yesterday, starting with a boat ride from behind our hotel to the Conch Train terminal. We then toured the Hemingway house and saw the six-toed cats, followed by lunch at La Te Da. After eating, we walked to the Southernmost point, took pictures of the giant buoy, went through the Butterfly Conservatory (Rhett & Scarlett their famous pink flamingos), and shared some key lime pie at the original bakery.
A second bumpy stint on the Conch Train took us to the Mel Fisher Treasure Museum and eventually to party central, two hundred packed Duval Street bars crammed together in several blocks. We chose Sloppy Joe’s for drinks and music. It was my wife’s favorite on her college trip to Key West, before making our way to the popular sunset party at Mallory Park. We finished the day walking to Ocean Grill & Bar for fettuccini, and to the Marriott Shuttle stop that brought us back full-circle to the hotel.
I ended the evening on a sour note, turning the TV on just in time to watch the IU basketball collapse against Ohio State. After five straight losses, it’s sadly become a familiar story. The women’s team had a similar fate down the stretch, while baseball lost their first three games of the season to Clemson. Consequently, I’ve seen no one touting Hoosier (Loser) gear down here in Key West.
We catch the ferry back to Ft. Myers tonight. We’ll check-out of the Marriott in an hour or so and take a boat to the terminal to drop our luggage. I would like to go to Blue Heaven to eat, but we’ll see where the day leaves us and what the boss has in mind. I’m just along for the ride!
Wisconsin has always been a tough match-up, even at Assembly Hall, and so far this season five of the previous seven Hoosier conference victories had been due to holding their opposition to 60-points or less. Sixty usually rules, but rules are made to be broken and it finally happened to this Mike Woodson coached team. The Cream and Crimson got to sixty first at the 6:13 mark, but it took almost eight minutes to get there after building a lead of seven points, 50-43. This ten-point span from 50 to 60 often determines the outcome of the game and usually a struggle for fans like me to watch. It’s what I call “ugly time” when the offense struggles and the defense sputters. This game was no exception, as the #15 Badgers crawled back to tie the game at 56 on more Brad Davidson free throws.
Even though the Hoosiers then responded with the four points they needed to hit the magic goal of 60, Wisconsin had packed the middle, forcing IU to make outside shots. I was not comfortable despite a 65-61 lead on a Parker Stewart trey. It seemed like the Badgers had the momentum, as Johnny Davis took total control of the game, defying the “Rule of 60.” The IU lead was gone at the one-minute mark after he hit two jumpers and was fouled, making four free throws down the stretch. He accounted for the final thirteen-points of the 74-69 outcome. Wisconsin prevailed for the 23th time in the last 26 games, despite 30-points, 8-rebounds, and 6-assists from Trayce Jackson Davis. It means four straight BIG losses for the Hoosiers and sadly familiar shaky prospects of making the NCAA Tournament. Rules are made to be broken and Johnny Davis broke our backs.
The 2021-22 season started with a lot of hope centered around a new coach, Mike Woodson, along with expectations of a top tier finish in the conference and a NCAA tournament bid. The campaign started when Hoosiers old and new combined for a 79-66 victory over Serbia’s BC Mega in the first Bahamas exhibition game held in the Imperial Ballroom at Atlantis Paradise Island
The next day, double-doubles from Trayce Jackson-Davis and Race Thompson along with a team-high 13 points from Xavier Johnson paced the Hoosiers to a 64-53 victory in the finale. The Hoosiers were off to a good start, using some of that Bobby Knight defensive magic of years gone by.
The much anticipated regular season began in Bloomington on November 9th as a disturbing pattern began to develop against Eastern Michigan. In that critical phase between the fifty-point mark and magical sixty, the offense got stuck on 56 with 7:21 to go and a 14-point bulge, again on 58 with 5:40 remaining, and finally on 59, deteriorating to a only a single point before IU finally got over the 60 hump at the 2:14 mark on a Race Thompson layup to eventually seal the 68-62 final margin.
The defense remained stingy in the next match-up against Northern Illinois, allowing only 49 points. However, against a more formidable St. John’s they quickly got to 56 at 11:05 but soon stalled, taking until 7:35 to get over that 60-hurdle, and winning by only 2-points 76-74.
I-U-D continued to prevail in the next two games as Louisiana scored only 44 and Jackson State 35. Then the offense finally came alive against Marshall at home, stretching the lead to 61-48 with the clock at 14:36 and pulling away for a convincing 90-79 victory. The “Rule of 60” under Woodson got its first real test at Syracuse in a 2-OT 112-110 loss. At 10:38 in regulation, the Orange got to 60 first on a Symir Torrence jumper to take a two-point edge. The teams nearly got to 60 for a second time in this thriller.
In the first BIG conference battle, the Hoosiers held Nebraska to 55 for an opening triumph by 13, but only managed 59 against Wisconsin. The Hoosiers were hoping to put an end to the Madison misery and built the first half lead to an impressive 22. They even held a 51-41 lead with 12:05 remaining but let the Badgers claim 60 first at 1:18 on their way to another win at 64-59. Missing 7 of 13 free throws was a big contributing factor, as Wisconsin extended a home winning streak over the Hoosiers that stretched back to the previous century.
Winning got back on track as I.U. next held Merrimack to 49, Notre Dame to 56, and Northern Kentucky to 61, as the Hoosiers surpassed 60 with 11:16 yet to go in this 18-point victory to make it three-straight wins. However, they failed to get to the magic mark against Penn State in a 61-58 loss and only got to 51 against Ohio State’s 67 for two-straight conference losses and the first fail at Assembly Hall. They responded against Minnesota with some 73-60 magic.
Victory was looking promising at Iowa since the Hoosiers had the lead 57-55 at 10:49, but the Hawkeyes scored the next 6, passed 60 first, and never looked back while dominating down the stretch 83-74. The first conference road victory then happened at Nebraska 61-55, as our road warriors surpassed 60 at 10:05, and finished 78-71.
The most important win by far was the 68-65 upset of #4 ranked Purdue, snapping a 9-game losing streak against the Boilers. The “Rule of 60” bent but did not break as the Hoosiers took 61-58 leads at 7:34 and 63-60 at 4:31. Purdue threatened with a 65-63 edge at 1:11, but a Rob Phinisee 3-pointer at :18 proved to be the winner.
Just when we thought momentum was finally on our side, Michigan came to town and soundly prevailed 80-62, but the Hoosier defense bounced back with stellar performances against Penn State, giving up only 57 and then just 55 versus Maryland. The tide quickly turned when Illinois held us to 57 in our third home loss, and we only scored 51 at Northwestern with an injured Phinisee coupled with the Woodson surprise suspension of five additional players.
Tournament hopes began to fade as Michigan State easily topped the Hoosiers to make it three straight February set-backs. In two of those we never even hit 60-points and the Spartans finally allowed 61 at the :03 second mark, while reaching 60 themselves with 7:37 yet to play and holding a comfortable 9-point lead.
So far this season, five of the seven IU conference victories have been due to holding their opposition to 60-points or less. Wisconsin is next at Assembly Hall- will the “Rule of 60” apply in victory or will the Badgers get there first as they did in Madison? Sixty Rules!
In the year 1947, Jackie Robinson took to the field for the Brooklyn Dodgers becoming the first African-American to play in Major League Baseball. Here are a few facts about his life:
Jackie Robinson was born on January 31, 1919 in Cairo, Georgia but raised in Pasadena California.
Jack Roosevelt Robinson was named after Teddy Roosevelt.
Jackie Robinson was the youngest of five children.
His older brother Mack, a silver medalist in track and field at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, inspired him to pursue his interest in athletics, and the younger Robinson ultimately earned varsity letters in baseball, basketball, football and track while at John Muir High School.
Also, in high school, Jackie Robinson played on a team with other future Hall of Famers Ted Williams and Bob Lemon.
He became the first UCLA Bruin to earn varsity letters in four sports — the same four in which he starred in high school — and he won the NCAA long jump championship in 1940.
Jackie met his future wife, Rachel, while at UCLA.
He spent two years playing semi-professional football for integrated teams in leagues in Hawaii and California before being drafted into the U.S. Army in the spring of 1942.
In early 1945 he was signed by the Negro League team the Kansas City Monarchs.
As a Dodger, Robinson would go on to hit .311 over a 10-year career.
He became the first Black player to win the National League Most Valuable Player Award in 1949, when he led the league in hitting with a .342 average, most stolen bases (37) and achieving career-high 124 RBI.
Robinson was an All Star every year from 1949-1954.
He led Brooklyn to a World Series championship over the rival New York Yankees in 1956.
After retiring from the Brooklyn Dodgers, Robinson acted as a sportscaster, worked as a business executive at Chock full o’Nuts, and was active in the NAACP and other civil rights groups. Meanwhile, the Dodgers moved to L.A. in 1959.
Weakened by heart disease and diabetes, Robinson died in 1972 at the age of 53 from a heart attack suffered at his home in Stamford, Connecticut.
His number 42 has been permanently retired from baseball and April 15th is designated as Jackie Robinson Day.
1940 was the first National Championship for Indiana in basketball, following a 60-42 win over Kansas. Coach Branch McCracken led the charge and established the scoring mark that has proven to be magical in Hoosier round-ball history. No one has ever worn jersey #60 in basketball, but it just might might deserve future consideration. It’s the number the team needs to get to first to assure a win, as proven through years of game research. However, back in 1940, the championship game was the first time they ever actually got to 60-points in 20 victories that year. Sixty is not necessarily an offensive goal, but rather a defensive standard.
In recently talking with Jeff Oliphant, a member of the 1987 National Champions, he indicated that Coach Knight would often write the number 63 on the strategy board as a defensive goal, much as Coach Woodson in his first year quickly enforced lap-running penalties for turnovers over 12 in his first year of coaching. This was talked about frequently by the game announcers early in the season. I wondered if “The General” was as conscious of the importance of 60, as I was as a fan, and was his number of 63 an adjustment after the shot clock and 3-point shot came into play? Even without those new rules that favored more offense, Jeff and I watched the Maryland victory together, as the 2022 team held the Terps to 55 points while committing only 10 turnovers. At the midpoint of the season, it was easily their best performance so far and my 60-point level still commanded a timeless place in securing victory.
Woodson has added a welcome spark to a program that has badly suffered since the Knight era. Mike Davis capitalized on Knight recruits to get to the final game in 2002. Then came Kelvin Sampson and recruiting violations, Tom Crean who missed the tourney five times in nine years, and Archie Miller who couldn’t beat Purdue or even make the NCAA field of 68. Strong defense has once again become a I.U. priority, but they allowed Syracuse to get to 60 first and lost in double overtime. They then got stuck on 59 for the last three minutes of the game against Wisconsin and they cruised by us for the 64-59 victory. This is an excellent example of how important that magical 60-mark is in closing out a game.
IU did not get to 60 in the 61-58 loss to Penn State, while Iowa held them at the 57-threshold for nearly two minutes and eventually passed them up for victory 83-74. The Hoosiers hit 57 against rival Purdue at the 10:28 mark of the second half with an 8-point lead and finally got to 61 at 7:34 on a Race Thompson dunk, then held on for victory, snapping a 9-game Boiler winning streak. Even in the early stages of the Woodson campaign, the “rule of 60” has already played a significant role. Quite simply, if the Hoosiers get to that pivotal point first, they win.
2021-22 defensive averages are some of the best in team history, dating back to the fifties. So far, IUD has limited opponents to 63-points per game. Only the Mike Davis finalist team of 2001-02 at 62.6, Tom Crean’s 2012-13 average of 62,1, Kelvin Sampson’s 2006-07 61.8. and Bob Knight’s 1980-81 championship team at 58.5 have been better on opponent points per game. All of those teams had at least first round tourney success. Averages then predictably swelled into the 70.0 range with the addition of the 3-pointer in 1986-87. Steve Alford used it to perfection in winning our 5th National Crown that year, but it has appeared to be our nemesis ever since.
Data provided by Gracenote, A Nielsen Company. Copyright © 2000-2022 Sports Reference LLC. All rights reserved.
For more information See Post #2249
Back in 1998, nearly 24-years ago, I started to write a book about IU basketball. I was on my way back from the Maui Invitational after a 76-63 Hoosier loss in the finals to Syracuse. It was revenge for the Orange who fell in heartbreaking fashion to the Hoosiers back in the 1987 NCAA Championship on the last second shot by Keith Smart. The Maui Championship was little compensation for that setback, but would finally get their overall crown in 2003 with Jim Boeheim still at the helm. Mike Davis had taken over as the Hoosier head coach after Bob Knight was fired in 2000, so Maui was the last matchup between these two coaching legends.
In the Maui game, Syracuse got to the sixty-point mark first, my personal measure for what it takes to beat IU. Over the next two years, I began to research this theory through several trips to the IU Sports Information offices in Bloomington. What I found is that Sixty is truly a magical number when it comes to analyzing IU victories. If they get there first, they usually win – it’s as simple as that!
After a visit from a friend these past few days, I’m suddenly revitalized in my efforts to finish this book. With this former IU basketball player’s help, I now feel that I can gain the credibility to get the “Magic of 60” published.
(Go to Post 1940 for more information)
I realize that most of my posts this week have not been necessarily humorous, as is my writing goal every morning. After all, I should be in a good mood after such a brilliant game (or at least first half) that I.U. played in defeating conference foe Penn State, but I’ve been troubled with serious matters like finance, death, family, and neighborhood issues. Life is not always a “Box of Chocolates,” as Forrest Gump’s Mom might remind him. I actually watched a Tom Hank’s movie, Cast Away, this week on Free Form out of boredom. It was his serious side of acting and something I hadn’t watched in a long time.
I’m actually getting an early start to this blog because we’re picking up friends at the airport this morning. It will be a shortened run on day 4,779 of The Streak. “Run, Forrest, Run.” I’m borrowing my son’s car for the weekend, so we’ll have plenty of room for luggage and guests. We have dinner reservations and games to watch, as one of our guests is a former I.U. basketball player. Blogging my not be as automatic each morning with my home routine gladly disrupted.
On Matinee Monday, we saw the movie, The King’s Daughter, because that’s how we usually start every week of retirement and since it’s still free! We had seen most everything else, and this one turned out to be a bit of a surprise, with memories of our visit to the Palace of Versailles a few years ago. It was not a historical piece as expected but instead a fantasy about mermaids and their gifts of healing immortality. The phrase, “Love is Immortal,” struck my wife as very romantic and inspired some poetry on my part. It’s not the usual sing-song, humor that I write, but rather a reflection on the word IMMORTALITY and its impact on long-standing relationships like ours:
I Love You, Sweetiepie,
More than words can Express.
Measured through years,
Of Knowing the True you.
Real beauty seen inside and out,
Trusting you always to be Mine,
And part of me Forever.
Love for us will Never end,
Immortality is Ours.
Timeless treasured Twosome,
You and I eternally One.
You never really lose someone that you LOVE!
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