Category: OLD SPORT SHORTS (Page 39 of 68)
An old guy’s perspective on all sports
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.
We’re headed to the antique and collectibles show, knowing that we don’t have room for any purchases in our new apartment. In fact, we just spent weeks getting rid of many of our possessions in an effort to fit into half the space. However, just walking through the aisles will undoubtedly bring back many memories of similar treasures that may have passed through our lives. Each one has a story that is often times the clincher for a sale. For example, we still have goods from the Capone and Studebaker families, not to mention family heirlooms that have more meaning than value.
I’ve recently become interested in these shows because of my sports collection. For awhile, I had some custom built-in cabinets that needed to be filled. Recently, however, I’ve had to reluctantly pass much of this memorabilia on to my son and other friends. I’m left with a guest room/office that my wife has graciously allowed me to decorate with my remaining autographed posters, balls, bats, Sherm Lollar uniform, and ticket stubs. I also somehow got a shelf or two to store my binders of baseball cards, pictures, lanyards, and big game memories. The windows in front of me look out at the surrounding hills and colorful leaves of fall. It’s World Series time – the Fall Classic! Who will be crowned Mr. October, or what looks like November?
One of the framed posters on the wall hold our World Series tickets from 2016 along with pins and pictures of the Cubs victory. Series hero David Ross was just named their new coach. I also have a plaque commemorating the White Sox of 2005 and their World Series sweep of the Astros. My media credentials from that accomplishment are stored in a binder. The Astros are back again this year and tied the series at two games each with the Nats. In 2005 the Astros were in the National League and the Montreal Expos played for the first time at RFK Stadium as the newly formed Washington Nationals. This is their first trip to the World Series, and they have so far failed to win a Fall Classic game at Nationals Park. They have another chance tonight before the event moves back to Houston. In fact, neither team has claimed a home game.
The big story yesterday for me was not the World Series, but rather the I.U. football victory at Nebraska. This was a statement win for the Indiana Hoosier program that has always been firmly embedded in the second division of the BIG Ten Conference. I.U. had not won in Lincoln, Nebraska since 1959. I clearly remember watching on TV a 1978 drubbing by the Huskers of 69-17 in Bloomington, along with four other thrashings before yesterday’s 38-31 victory. Things were apparently different before I was born, as Indiana actually leads the overall Husker-Hoosier series 10-8 with 3 ties. To me, Nebraska has always been a football school and Indiana a basketball factory. Nebraska even had their legendary blackshirts on in their historic stadium to honor their great defensive squads of the past. To make victory even sweeter, the win makes I.U. bowl eligible and resulted in a three-game BIG streak for the first time in 25 years. Bring on Northwestern for a potential fourth!
To make the Fall day even better yesterday, the Oregon Ducks pulled out a 37-35 victory over Washington State Cougars for their seventh straight. I stayed up to watch the end even through it was well past my bedtime. I can’t imagine having to drive back to Portland from Eugene, even despite the adrenaline rush from a winning field goal with no time on the clock. It was a thriller, as the Cougars took a one point lead with a touchdown drive leaving less than a minute in the game. The Ducks will move into the Top 10 nationally with losses by Notre Dame and Oklahoma.
It must be Sunday! The Bears will try to rebound against the Chargers as the Colts try to pick up their 5th victory against the Broncos. Oops, there goes another Bears field goal attempt off the uprights! I’m not sure I can watch any more. Instead, I’ll be antiquing but will be back home in time for World Series Game 5. If it weren’t for the NFL, a retiree like me wouldn’t know what day it is!
My favorite teams aren’t getting much TV support on the West Coast. Nobody cares about I.U., Indianapolis Colts, or Chicago Bears so I’m forced to follow games on the internet or the NFL Red Zone. I did watch the Ducks beat the Huskies yesterday, while monitoring I.U. versus Maryland on my phone. The football Hoosiers won their fifth game of the season – one away from a bowl invitation. After two straight 5-7 seasons and consecutive Decembers off, a holiday bonus game would be a welcome present. It’s about all I can ever expect from this consistently second division BIG Ten team. Even a major bowl appearance is probably never a realistic possibility.
Rainy weather yesterday turned me into a couch potato, always a grateful role for a home – make that apartment – body like myself. It was rare to see both the Hoosiers and Ducks win at virtually the same time. The Timbers unfortunately were not as lucky as their season came to an end against Salt Lake. I.U. lost their first BIG conference game in four years to Maryland, reminiscent of last year’s trip to Santa Clare and National Championship defeat to these same Terps. College basketball is about to start, but the Hoosiers are expected to finish in the lower half of the conference – just like football. It’s frustrating when the round ball was always a welcome relief to a disappointing pig skin performance. Now, I.U. appears to be marginal in both money sports, with only soccer earning national respect.
It’s the Nationals and Astros in this year’s World Series, certainly not what I expected. The Nats easily swept the Cards, proving once again just how poor the Cubs were this past season. However, it was good to see Cardinal fans humbled. We’ll see how the Cubbies perform next year without the services of Coach Joe Maddon, who will be guiding the Angels. I think perhaps the White Sox will be worth following in the future. My new office is now essentially an equal combination of Sox and Cubs memorabilia. Most of my Cubs merchandise was passed on to my son in Florida, since space did not allow. I’ll be taking some more items to him in a few weeks.
The Hoosiers travel to Nebraska next week, a football team they haven’t beat since 1959. I was 8 years old and don’t remember, but I do recall some thorough thrashings by the Cornhuskers long before they were conference foes. My other team from Indiana, the Colts, are currently prevailing over the Texans in their quest to command the AFC South division. (Colts win 30-23). I’ve been a Colts fan since they were in Baltimore, but somewhere in the transition I began to follow the Bears. It’s rare when the Ducks, Hoosiers, Colts, and Bears win in the same week. It could happen by the end of the day, but the 5-1 Saints stand in the way. That’s next on “Couch Potato” Sunday, as I continue to watch the Red Zone.
P.S, The Chicag Bears (No O) lost to the Saints at Soldier Field. Mitchell Trubisky was truly awful, and their pitiful offense was limited to a kick-off return along with a late touchdown pass, 2-point conversion, and an on-side kick recovery (nearly two) that led to another TD when it mattered little. Defense wasn’t much better, giving up a blocked punt for a safety. It was still 36-18 at the two minute warning and 36-25 with less than a minute remaining, despite their too-little-too-late comeback effort. Final score: Saints 36 Bears 25 (17 rushing yards).
I came back from Florida to a cluttered apartment filled with extra furniture and framed pictures that needed to be hung. We had even utilized an additional storage unit and every space in my car to hold excess items while my wife entertained friends from Indianapolis over the extended weekend. We got together yesterday after going our separate ways, to consolidate, terminate, and eliminate. As a result, our new place is slowly coming together to the point where we’re not stepping over one thing to get to another. Goodwill continues to be the beneficiary.
Today, we’re having our TVs installed by Hook Me Up Solutions, including a new 55″ Samsung Q60 in the living room. I’m writing in the kitchen this morning while they finish work in my office/guest bedroom. I did manage to get my framed Timbers scarf and baseball bat cases hung on the wall before they arrived, but everything else will have to wait until they finish. When all is said and done, it will be but a mini museum of memorabilia, compared to my former room. I’ve got another suitcase full of autographed merchandise to take to my son’s house in Florida over the holidays, adding to what I just delivered to him last week. At least, he doesn’t have to wait until I die to inherit a good portion of my collection. Plus, I can visit it when I go to see my grand kids.
Once I’ve finished setting up my office, I will soon return to the more sedentary retirement existence that I’ve enjoyed these past few years. I continue to be stiff and sore from the past few weeks of constant shuttles between condo and apartment. The Florida break was very welcome, although I did help me son organize and hang the Cubs “crap” that I gave him. He’s a fanatic, having even named his two daughters after former players Gregg Maddox (Maddux Alexander) and Mark Grace (Nora Grace). I did package up some items that hold no interest for him to unload at the baseball card show this weekend. I hope to trade them for smaller items that are more manageable in our limited space. It’s really very gracious of my wife to even allow me to display my stuff, considering that I don’t even have a garage any more. Likewise, my son’s wife showed equal “boys and their toys” patience, although she’s as big of a Cubs fan as he is. I retained most of my White Sox memorabilia, since they were my first baseball love.
I’m only hours away from being officially “Hooked Up,” and once again have access to hours of television entertainment. There hasn’t been much time lately to sit and watch, and these tired bones can certainly use a another relaxing break of doing nothing. I’m glad I have professionals installing the equipment and miles of wires associated with our new system. It’s one less thing for me to do!