Category: Purdue University Boilermakers (Page 8 of 10)

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Old Sport Shorts: Streak Stoppers #775

December 16, 2018 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

I hope there’s no one out there hoping that my personal running streak comes to an end, but I was certainly glad to see a couple other athletic streaks come to an abrupt halt this weekend. It started with a I.U. alumni game-watch at the Ladd Tapp as the improving Hoosiers battled the formidable Butler Bulldogs in the Crossroads Classic. Notre Dame beat struggling Purdue in the opening game as our small group of fellow Hoosier supporters ordered some adult beverages to settle our pre-tip-off nerves.

The last 18 years of Indiana basketball have belonged to the Butler Bulldogs. It’s a basketball state and the Crossroads Classic is a showcase of the perennial top programs of the beloved game, now led by Butler. Since the 2000-2001 season, Butler has appeared in the NCAA tournament 13 times, ND & Indiana 11 times, and Purdue 12 times. Once this 4-team classic started in 2011, IU & Butler have 5-3 marks, Notre Dame 4-4, and Purdue 2-6. I should point out that the games are laid out so that Butler never plays ND and Purdue never plays Indiana to avoid conflicts with their respective conferences. In reality, it’s a Big East vs. Big Ten competition, even though it’s hard for me to picture the “crossroads of the Midwest” included as part of the East. Any way you look at it, however, the Big East is the big winner in this Indiana state showdown 9-7.

An un-ranked Butler team upset #1 nationally ranked IU 88-86 in 2012 and did it again in 2016 against the ninth-ranked Hoosiers. IU managed to tie their head-to-head battles 2-2 yesterday and prevented any possible Bulldog streak from developing. Throughout history, the Hoosiers maintain a dominant 22-7 record dating back to 1949-50 when both schools were classified as major. Their first meetings goes back to 1901 with two Butler victories. Indiana claimed its first Butler victory in 1903. There was a time that I remember when the Butler game was a sure victory, but that simply isn’t the case anymore. Yesterday’s buzzer beater by Freshman Rob Phinisee (#10 by the way) erased a fairly dominant Butler afternoon. It was also doubly special for Cream & Crimson fans because Phinisee was stolen out of Purdue’s backyard. In addition, the game was played with former IU star Victor Oladipo in attendance fresh from rejoining the streaking Indiana Pacers’ 6-triumph surge. Similarly, his Alma Mater now has an impressive four-game winning streak of narrow margin victories. The heart-stopping close-calls can certainly cease happening at any time, but I’d love to see the string of W’s continue to grow.

That was just the beginning of my magical weekend of sports. The red-hot Indianapolis Colts handed the Dallas Cowboys their first shutout in 15 years and squashed their momentum of 5-straight wins, speaking of impressive streak stoppage stuff. At the same time, the Chicago Bears defense ended Aaron Rodgers’ bid for another fourth quarter comeback with a timely pick-off in the end zone. It stopped his NFL record-breaking streak at 402 straight completions without an interception, and earned the “Monsters of the Midway” their first NFC North title in 8 years. I couldn’t ask Santa for a much better winning weekend, and look forward to once-again following at least one football favorite in January and maybe even February?

Old Sport Shorts: Trophies #749

November 24, 2018 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

Apple Cups, Civil Wars, and Oaken Buckets – Oh My! I’ve certainly gotten my share of college football this weekend. Who wants to win the Milk Can, Golden Boot, Leather Helmet, Victory Bell, Little Brown Jug, Bronze Boot, Golden Hat, or Old Wagon Wheel? How about a Cup in honor of Paul Bunyan or Floyd of Rosedale? Maybe it’s more prestigious to hoist the Southwestern Classic, Territorial, Heartland, Cy-Hawk, or Centennial trophy? These gimmick awards seem to be designed for teams that don’t typically earn conference or national championship hardware to fill their glass cases. They are indeed better than nothing!

The Little Brown Jug, considered one of the oldest rivalry challenges, dates back to 1892 and goes to the winner of the Minnesota vs. Michigan game every year. If it were filled with spirits like Jack Daniels it might be worth something. Same with the empty Old Oaken Bucket or a Leather Helmet. Apple juice or Milk just doesn’t cut it, and a Bell holds nothing but air. Old Boots & Hats dipped in gold or bronze are really worth playing for?

The marquee games this week like Michigan vs. Ohio State apparently doesn’t need an incentive trophy. After all, they’re playing for Conference supremacy, the Heisman, BCS Playoffs, and National Championship. However, who wouldn’t want to claim the Jeweled Shillelagh between Notre Dame and USC. That game also has National Championship implications for the Irish. Alabama does have room for any more since their shelves are already filled with prestigious FOY-ODK awards from the Iron Bowl. Most likely they are in a closet somewhere to make room for National Championship awards.

Bottom Line: Most teams just want to win – they don’t need no stinkin’ trophies!

From picksixpreviews.com here are a list of rivalry trophies:

Anniversary Award Kent St – BGSU
Apple Cup Washington – Wash State
Bayou Bucket Rice – Houston
Battle of I-75 Trophy Toledo – BGSU
Bedlam Bell Oklahoma – Okla State
Beehive Boot Utah – BYU – Utah St
Bronze Boot Wyoming – Colorado St
Bronze Stalk Ball State – N. Illinois
Centennial Cup CU – Colorado St
Chancellor Spurs Texas – TexasTech
Commander-In-Chief ArmyNavyAirF
Commonwealth Cup UVA – VTech
Cy-Hawk Trophy Iowa – Iowa State
Don Shula Award FAU – FIU
Florida Cup Florida- Florida St- Miami
Floyd of Rosedale Minnesota – Iowa
FOY-ODK Sportsmanship Bama-Auburn
Fremont Cannon Nevada – UNLV
Golden Boot Arkansas – LSU
Golden Cannon CMU – WMU
Golden Egg Ole Miss – Miss. State
Golden Hat Oklahoma – Texas
Governor’s Cup Georgia – G Tech
Governor’s Cup Kansas- Kansas St
Governor’s Cup Kentucky- Louisville
Hardee’s Trophy Clemson – SCar.
Heartland Trophy Iowa – Wisconsin
Heroes Trophy Nebraska – Iowa
Illibuck Ohio State – Illinois
Ireland Trophy Boston College – ND
Iron Skillet TCU – SMU
Jefferson-Eppes Florida State – UVA
Jeweled Shillelagh USC-NotreDame
Keg of Nails Louisville – Cincinnati
Land of Lincoln Illinois- Northwestern
Legends Trophy Notre Dame – Stanford
Little Brown Jug Michigan – Minnesota
Magnolia Bowl LSU – Ole Miss
Mayor’s Cup SMU – Rice
Megaphone Notre Dame – Mich State
Michigan MAC EMU – CMU – WMU
Milk Can Boise State – Fresno State
Oil Can Fresno State – San Diego St
Old Brass Spittoon Mich St – Indiana
Old Oaken Bucket Indiana – Purdue
Old Wagon Wheel BYU – Utah State
O’Rourke-McFadden BC – Clemson
Paddlewheel Pitt – Cincinnati
Paniolo Trophy Hawaii – Wyoming
Paul Bunyan Axe, Slab of Bacon UW- Minn
Paul Bunyan Michigan – Michigan St
Platypus Oregon – Oregon State
Purdue Cannon Purdue – Illinois
Ram-Falcon Air Force – Colorado St
Secretary’s Trophy Army – Navy
Seminole War Canoe UF – Miami
Shillelagh Notre Dame – Purdue
Silver Spade UTEP – NM State
Stanford Axe California – Stanford
Territorial Cup Arizona – Arizona St
Textile Bowl Clemson – NC State
The Bell Ohio – Marshall
The Bones Memphis – UAB
The Saddle TCU – Texas Tech
Victory Bell USC – UCLA
Victory Bell North Carolina – Duke
Victory Bell Miami (OH) – Cincinnati
Wagon Wheel Akron – Kent State

Old Sport Shorts: Turkey Bowl #746

November 22, 2018 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

It’s been a few posts since I’ve covered the world of sports, and what better day than Thanksgiving? The turkey is in the oven and the Bears are in the Lions den. Here in the Northwest it’s a breakfast game with an early start, as opposed to an afternoon start back home in Indiana. Today, it’s da bird and da Bears!

Turkey Bowls started in 1876 with an annual clash between college foes Yale and Princeton, but games between the University of Michigan and the Chicago Maroons (University of Chicago) in the 1890s are credited for “the beginning of Thanksgiving Day football.” Professional football games on this day also date back to the 1890s with the Allegany Athletic Association of Pittsburgh. For the Chicago Bears, “Turkey Bowls” began against the Chicago Cardinals in 1922 and then switched to the Lions in 1934. For the Lions, owner George A. Richards organized games on Thanksgiving as a gimmick to sell tickets and to continue a tradition begun by the city’s previous NFL teams. Richards also owned WJR radio and was able to negotiate an agreement with NBC to carry his games across the network. This is why the Lions are still associated with today’s holiday.

The Bears last played on Thanksgiving in 2015 and beat the Packers after losing to the Lions in 2014. However, they never played in the 60s when I was growing up. As a result, during Thanksgiving dinners with my cousins, the TV was always on in the background but without the “Monsters of the Midway” the games rarely attracted my interest. We had our own version of the Turkey Bowl in my high school years, with memories of a dusting of snow on the field where we played. It was only a victory if no one got hurt. I’ve actually also been to a college game on Thanksgiving Day between the Texas Longhorns and state-rival A&M.

With regard to other sports, the Maui Invitational Basketball Classic brings back memories of round-ball and turkey. Gonzaga won last night over a Duke team that I thought might challenge the I.U. undefeated season of 1976, a record that has stood now for two-thirds of my life. The Zags still might do it, as they savor the victory with a Thanksgiving meal by the beach. I may return for this turkey tradition in 2020, along with the Hoosiers. Also, it wouldn’t be Thanksgiving weekend without the Old Oaken Bucket battle. It’s been played annually since 1920, with Purdue leading the all-time series over Indiana 73-41-6. The Boilers have won the first and last meeting but Indiana will have home field advantage tomorrow. I like to refer to it as the “Toilet Bowl,” where one team or the other barely earns enough victories to qualify for a consolation bowl game. Tomorrow is no exception, with equal 5-6 records! Who will get the gravy?

Without much rest from the Sunday Night’s huge victory over the Vikings, an injured Mitchell Trubisky, and the home field advantage for the Lions, I don’t harbor much hope. In fact, it’s one of the shortest turn-around games in NFL history. Da Bears lead the NFC North with a 7-3 record and a 1.5 game advantage on the defending division champion Vikings. We’ll start our drive to Bend before the game ends this morning, but I’m glad I got a little taste of Bears football to start my 68th Thanksgiving.

Old Sport Shorts: Round Ball Rainbows #734

November 11, 2018 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

There has been surprisingly little rain here in Portland in October and November, so far. Yet, I continue to see Rainbows, at least the variety my good friend equates with a positive attitude. I had struggled with a lot of black clouds in my world of sports, starting with the shortcomings of the Cubs in the Wildcard playoff, and a disappointing last-minute Brett Favre touchdown pass to beat my Bears. There was a rare 3-0 loss by the IU soccer team against Kentucky and another miserable stretch of IU Football to darken my spirits. To add to my despair, the once-hated Purdue Boilermakers were having some success on the gridiron, including an envious victory over the even-more-evil Ohio State Buckeyes. The Oregon Ducks, my adopted team on the West Coast were proving to be a bad choice for a favorite, and Notre Dame, an equally detested IU foe, remained undefeated. I can’t seem to get behind the Seattle Seahawks, but that would prove to be just another losing personal cause. My sports mood was clouded with emotions of envy, jealousy, loathing, and dislike, as my teams continued to falter. There might have been rainbows, but I couldn’t see them.

In the past few weeks, the sun has broken through and the birds are beginning to sing. Basketball season has tipped-off with the Hoosiers, Ducks, Indiana Pacers, and Portland Trailblazers all off to fast starts. The round ball has led to rainbows, and that good fortune has extended to other sports. After that brief Wildcat soccer set-back, the IU soccer team rebounded with nine straight games and completed the BIG Ten Double as both regular season and tourney champs with a perfect conference record. Even the perennially pathetic IU football team is now 5-5 thanks to a victory over Maryland. Unfortunately, they face-off against Michigan in Ann Arbor next, but can still be bowl eligible if they can somehow get by PUrdue for the Old Oaken Bucket. To make the rainbows even brighter and the beer taste better, the Portland Timbers advanced to the MLS Conference Championship against Kansas City that they won just 3 years ago on their way to the title. It all came down to penalty kicks over the arch-rival Seattle Sounders. The miraculous finish happened on the same day that streaking IU defeated Maryland in a similar penalty-kick scenario. Double Rainbows thanks to another round ball!

As icing on the rainbow cake, the Chicago Bears just won their third straight game to stay on top of the Vikings and Packers. The Indianapolis Colts also won their third straight game against the Jaguars. Purdue football has slipped back to reality, the 8-5 Pacers bested the Heat, and the Trailblazers topped the Clippers to go 9-3. It’s chilly here in Portland but the sun is shining on all my teams right now. It doesn’t even matter if it’s a round ball or a sphere, it’s still bouncing my way. For once, it’s good to be me when I’m surrounded by rainbows!

Retirement Is Not Without Hassles: The Moon #711

October 21, 2018 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

This Post #711 on the 7th day of the week reminds me that Seven and Eleven are deemed to be lucky numbers, with 7 known round the world to bring the most good fortune. Eleven was certainly lucky for enabling Neil Armstrong’s famous walk on the moon, after watching the movie First Man last night. Apollo 11 safely rocketed the Mission Commander, along with Buzz Aldrin, and Mike Collins into history. The movie features a rare moment when the three astronauts are each totally alone in space, with Collins in Columbia, the command module, Aldrin in the lunar module Eagle, and Armstrong on the surface. All three returned to Earth as conquering heroes. In sharp contrast, Apollo 13, bearing the unluckiest number in the world, resulted in tragedy, even though it was the 7th manned mission in the Apollo space program. Perhaps they should have skipped #13 like the buttons in many elevators? The successful moon landing of Apollo 12 seems to have gotten lost in the shuffle, as Pete Conrad and Alan Bean became the third and fourth U.S. men to set foot on the moon’s surface. A total a twenty-four men, including 12 Soviets, have walked on the moon, but only the name Neil Armstrong stands out. The last two from the U.S. were Gene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt of Apollo 17 in 1972. As far as the future is concerned, China is now the third country to do a soft-landing on the moon with expectations of putting a crew there by 2036.

From a personal standpoint, it’s rewarding for a Hoosier like myself to note that both the first and last man to walk on the moon were Purdue University alumni. Purdue had a BIG football victory yesterday over #2 Ohio State that made me envious, as my Alma Mater Indiana once again fell short against Penn State. The unexpected upset by the “University of the Astronauts” over the perennially powerful Buckeyes was indeed out of this world! Indiana and Purdue will play Thanksgiving weekend for the Old Oaken Bucket and a potential bowl bid. With Purdue’s recent momentum, it will be a long afternoon for the Cream & Crimson faithful. Just for the record, Ohio State has won 20 straight against the Hoosiers and that steak has been anything but luck. It will be at least until the “Moon is in the Seventh House” and our country puts another man on the moon before Indiana wins another football game against The Ohio University.

Eleven days from now college basketball season starts and the 11th month begins, so I consider that to be lucky. Someday, Indiana will hopefully capture their Seventh NCAA Championship Banner. Plus, I’m Seven years into my 60th year, a sure sign of another good year. 10 was always my favorite number, so it’s also fortunate to have several lucky numbers to choose from. If I decide to play the Mega Millions game this week, it will take six lucky numbers. Last week, the Mega-ball was 7. The stars and moon will need to be in alignment for someone to win. Who’s that Lucky?

Retirement is not without Hassles: It’s a Wrap #568

June 18, 2018 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

We wrapped-up our 1,100 mile drive through the Midwest, with a Cubs victory over the Cardinals and a flight out of St. Louis. This included an unexpected stop at the Route 66 museum in Litchfield, Illinois. With my 66th year of life coming to a conclusion in a few short months, this famous road has been an unplanned lure during our travels throughout the country. (See Post #235). Next month, I will get a picture at Lake Shore Dr. and Jackson Street in Chicago where the highway originally started. A Cubs game will also be part of that trip.

Speaking of baseball, Litchfield turns out to be the home town of Chicago White Sox Hall of Fame catcher Ray Schalk, who preceded Sherm Lollar by 25-years behind the plate at Comiskey Park. Both were known for their defense, but Sherm never made it to Cooperstown (yet). Ray made his debut with the Sox on August 11, 1912 and played in the 1919 World Series loss that became known as the “Black Sox Scandal.” He also coached the Chicago Cubs in 1930 & 1931, and served as a scout for the team in 1944, and spent the last 18 years of his career as the baseball coach for the Purdue Boilermakers.

The drive to and from St. Louis passed through Indianapolis, Rochester, Kokomo, and Decatur, Illinois. We stayed two nights with my wife’s sister, one night in a Quality Inn, and 5 nights in a variety of Marriott properties, using a bank of points I received for joining the Marriott Vacation Club. My wife claims that I love my Marriott points more than her, so I wrote this poem to recap our adventure:

Marriott Tour

A week together,

Back Home Again.

It ends with the Cubs,

Who pulled off a win.

Their “Arch rival,”

Didn’t play well.

All that Cardinal red,

Randy and Noelle.

Started and ended,

With nights at The Grand.

Would have rather,

Had our toes in the sand.

Mom business,

Had us on the run.

Errands and Appointments,

Were not much fun.

But there were moments,

Like meeting Cole.

And dinner with friends,

Your fav Dover Sole.

Blasts from the past,

More plans for travel.

Cemetery moments,

Emotions unravel.

A run on the Nickel Plate,

And through the canals.

Food and beer,

With my old pals.

Two Dyer nights,

Plenty of wine.

Murphy’s for steak,

Family time.

Ribs on the grill,

And at the Roadhouse.

Dietary support,

From your Spouse.

Some bad Chinese,

Near the Courtyard Kokomo.

Plus a ton of silver,

In our luggage to stow.

A few surprises,

Along the way.

“Would you give up your pay,

For a view of the Bay?”

Covington Beef House,

The one-hour tower.

Animal Shelter,

Boob-friendly shower.

A room atop Indy,

Then the fall to Fairfield.

The smell of Decatur,

Great friendship its yield.

Dinner at R-Bar,

With Ray as our host.

Just one of many a,

Shared Facebook post.

Kit’s retirement poem,

Talk of Rubberware.

Ninety-three degrees,

Humidity in the air.

Robbies for a nightcap,

Will we ever return again?

And If we do come back,

We’ll book the Residence Inn.

Museum in Litchfield.

Route 66 detour.

In my 66th year,

This road is a lure.

Father’s Day finish,

San Diego’s on our route?

With this Marriott Tour,

The points have run out.

Retirement is not without Hassles: Hoosier Corn #560

June 11, 2018 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

The corn is waist-high already in Indiana as a result of an abnormally wet May. The Mnemonic rhyme was always, “knee-high by the 4th of July,” so growth is well ahead of schedule this year. “Hoosierisms” like this were a big part of growing up in the only state with a basketball hoop in every driveway and on the side of any barn. “Them apples,”” warshing machine, “ and “crick” are only found in the Hoosier dictionary. I guess you could also refer to our wacky language as “Indiana Corn.”

I grew up by the Michigan border in the very northern part of the state where fish were not “feesh” and I didn’t trudge through 2-feet of snow to get to “keendergartin,” however “further” south a Hoosier twang is endearingly prominent. I did drink pop as opposed to soda, but the brand Ski was somehow not popular “in my neck of the woods.” Squirt was one of my favorites. Notre Dame was “down the road aways, while I.U was “pert-near” to Kentucky. Only northern Hoosiers know about Volcano Pizza, Nelson’s Golden Glow Chicken, and Lookwell Dairy. Tenderloins are truly ”the size of your head.”

Movies like Hoosiers and Breaking Away are authentic portrayals of Indiana culture. We went to the license branch rather than the BMV, and had a hamburger sandwich or chili soup for supper. TV dinners were my favorite meal, served on a TV tray. I ate Quaker Oats for breakfast only because it came in a cylindrical container that could be “recycled” into a basketball hoop. All I had to do was fashion some aluminum foil into the shape of a ball, remove the bottom of the container and secure it to the basement wall. It was time for some “Hoosier Hysteria.” 3…2…1…swish!

The single-class high school basketball tournament is always my favorite memory of growing up in Indiana. The championship game was always in the state capital of Indianapolis every March – known to even hicks as “Indy,” “Naptown” or “india-no-place, even though it was a popular big-city destination. The sectionals, regionals, and semi-states were held in massive gyms throughout the state such as North Side Gym, The Anderson Wigwam, and The Muncie Fieldhouse. Butler’s Hinkle Fieldhouse was typically the host site of the championship, but the Hoosierdome, Market Square Arena, and, Conseco Fieldhouse (now Banker’s Life) have been used to accommodate larger crowds. Since the elimination of the one-class tournament, crowds are no longer an issue and large gyms are dying. Basketball is still king (and queen) in Indiana – Go Pacers and Fever, sorry Colts and Indians.

Yes, Mr. Hoover, there is a Hoosier Dam, but it’s not in Indiana but rather Chatham County North Carolina. Maybe it was built by Hoosier’s strong, reliable men, who were responsible for building the canals in Metamora, Indiana and gave Indiana University it’s unique nickname, synonymous with champions? (Also see Hoosier’s Nest.”) Speaking of which, only a Purdue Boilermaker fan, even though they’re still a Hoosier, would ever say, “Those Damn Hoosiers!” I always try to practice “Hoosier Hospitality” when I refer to a Boilermaker. As such a good sport, I deserve to win the Hoosier Lottery!

I married a Hoosier Mama, had a Hoosier baby, but never lived in a “Little Pink House,” as fellow-Hoosier John Cougar Mellencamp describes his hometown. I honestly also don’t know who my Hoosier Daddy is yet? (See Diary of an Adoptee). Finally, no one would even know where Indiana is on a map if it weren’t for the Indy 500. It’s given our state capital world-wide recognition. Every year in May, just prior to Memorial Day you’ll hear the familiar strains of “Back Home Again in Indiana,” followed by the words, “Ladies and Gentlemen…start your engines!” I’m surprised that the winner doesn’t have corn on the cob, warshed down with that traditional swig of milk.

Old Sport Shorts: The Weak in Sports #486

April 7, 2018 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

It’s been a disappointing week of sports, starting with another Villanova NCAA Basketball championship, not that I would have been any happier if Michigan had won it all. Furthermore, the only two Cubs games that I’ve watched the opposition joyously walked-off in victory. Tiger Woods has not played well at The Masters, so his hopes of becoming the greatest comeback sports story in history are dashed. The Portland Trailblazers are still fighting to win their division after a couple of tough outings. Oregon State baseball has dropped out of the top spot in college baseball, while I.U. had finally made it into the Top 10 before being upset by rival Purdue. My White Sox also lost their last two after a great two-win start to the season. It was a “weak week” for all of my favorites.

As far as “upsets,” last week was no different. While on our cruise ship near Greece, I had little access to the world of sports. It was just as well that I was far removed from “March Sadness,” with no teams left to follow. I was instead looking forward to seeing Olympia, the site of the very first Olympic Games and a must-see mecca for any sports fan. Due to high winds our ship was unable to port, so that site still remains on my bucket list. I was hoping to find an ancient gold medal that no one else had stumbled upon. It’s still there!

Despite these setbacks, I still managed to add to my sports collection with a couple of Sherm Lollar photos, White Sox Opening Day cards, and two Topps Now cards of Shohei Ohtani, the Angels rookie sensation from Japan who hit his first three home runs this week. I also wait with anticipation for Indiana high school basketball standout Romeo Langford to finally make his college decision, now that the McDonald’s All-American Game is history. He had 19 points, including three 3-pointers as his East team lost to the West. He’ll next play here in Portland next week as part of the Nike Hoop Summit that I will be attending. I think I’m headed for more disappointment in hoping that he will elect to play for Indiana next year. The only positive for Hoosier basketball in recent times has been the women’s NIT championship that they claimed last week in Bloomington. Go Lady Hoosiers!

The Cubbies much anticipated home opener will be Monday against the hot, division-leading Pittsburgh Pirates. The Cubs struggled against them early last year, but hopefully The Friendly Confines of Wrigley Field will bring out the best from the “Good Guys.” I did find out that my wife and I will be in Chicago for this year’s Crosstown Classic at Guaranteed Rate Filed, so I’ll hopefully get to see both of my favorites on the diamond this September. The only other baseball game I have planned so far this year is Oregon State when they play here against Portland University at Ron Tonkin Field in a few weeks. It will be my second Beaver baseball game this year after seeing them beat Cal Poly in Surprise, Arizona. They won their first 13 games this year, then added a 7-game victory streak, before uncharacteristically losing three out of the next four against Washington and Utah. They’ll face the state rival Ducks for a three-game series in Corvallis before traveling here to Portland to battle the Pilots.

Here’s to a strong next week!

Old Sport Shorts: What’s the score? #468

March 21, 2018 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

Despite the fact that I’m thousands of miles away and didn’t pay extra for the international service, I can still keep up on sports (and Broadway) on the ship’s free wi-fi. This was not the case years ago when I traveled abroad. The only option was an Internet Cafe. Back in “prehistoric” days, you had to wait until you were back in the States to even listen to your messages. Imagine the stress of 10 days away from the office without word of any office challenges in your absence. Once you got off the airplane, you dialed into your voicemail system that usually indicated, “you have 96 unplayed messages.” Then, slowly but surely, you got a painstaking recap of your time off.

Even when traveling in The States, I would often have to go to a pay phone to retrieve my messages, hoping that a friend had left me a message about the score of the big game. What’s The Score? It’s so easy these days, but also intrusive. There was a certain sense of relaxation knowing that you were “off the grid.” Nowadays they want you to check-in for a conference call from across the globe thinking nothing of the fact that it’s the middle of the night where you are located. What happened to the once sacred excuse of “I’m on vacation or it’s the weekend?”

I have been easily retrieving the scores of my key games this week. I know the results of the Indiana High School Basketball Tournament, where the teams of the reputed top two players in the state have been eliminated. Romeo Langford of New Albany will be making his college choice soon, with a slim hope he will attend Indiana along with South Bend Riley’s Damezi Anderson. We hope to see “Wherefore art thou…going?” Romeo at the Nike Hoop Summit in Portland a few weeks from now. Hopefully, he will stay “home” in Indiana rather than pick Vanderbilt or Kansas. With I.U.’s lack of recent success, I can’t say I would blame him for picking a perennial winner over perhaps becoming another Indiana basketball legend (even though it will be one and done!). Damezi, on the other hand, has not gotten the national attention as Langford, the #1 point guard prospect in the country.

I was even able to find out that the I.U. college baseball team is on another winning streak, as is #1 Oregon State. These types of “minor sport” scores were impossible to get years ago when you were traveling. Unfortunately, the “red-hot” Portland Trailblazers finally had their 13-game winning streak snapped by the Houston Rockets. The game was at 3:30 a.m. Mediterranean time, but I had instant access to live scoring. I never once had to wonder “What’s the score?” In the end, I wish I hadn’t known, and that the streak could have been preserved a bit longer through “old-fashioned” ignorance.

The Cubs were having a great Spring Training season until I left the country. They’ve lost six of their last ten games, while the White Sox were 6-3 with a tie. I’ve kept up on both teams progress while I’ve been on the road, and will return to watch the regular season openers of “America’s Favorite Pastime” from my U.S.A. home, along with the Final Four & Championship.

Finally, I was completely up to date on all the “basketball bracket busters” that befuddled all of us in this year’s March to the Sweet 16. Michigan and an injury-damaged Purdue squad are the only teams left from the BIG, while overall #1 seed Virginia made history by losing to #16 UMBC. It was instant internet news all over the world. I got the word in Amsterdam and berated myself as an “American Idiot” for picking them to go all the way. Also, Xavier did not “mark the spot,” losing to Florida State. Loyola of Chicago became “God’s favorite” after Notre Dame failed to make the field. Six of the Sweet 16 are a #7 seed at best, with three #5’s, one #4, two #3, two #2, and two #1 picks left in the chase. I will be in Greece when the Final Four is determined, and could certainly stream the games on my phone if I really wanted to know “What’s The Score?”

Retirement is not without Hassles: Straws #458

March 12, 2018 / mikeljohnston1 / 0 Comments

It was a gorgeous day of skiing. Obviously, several people took the day off to enjoy the rare sunshine at this time of year, but we still essentially had the slopes to ourselves. In comparison, Steamboat last month was cold and crowded, while the runs were sometimes too long for my aging legs. After all, I’m apparently only 9 years away from skiing free, and was able to get an all day Senior pass for $59, half the price of Colorado. The two-mile length of our run down the mountain today was enough to create a pleasant burn in my quads, not the unbearable, tired feeling of the longer, steeper, higher-altitude courses at Steamboat. It made me want to go back for more, as we made advance plans for next month.

This week’s Leadership Meeting will take place a day earlier and will involve the biggest day of college basketball all year long. Unfortunately, I really don’t have a horse in this year’s race, so it’s more sadness than Madness, for me. It’s appropriate that we’ll be out of the country, and so this will not be the focus of March. We’ll be crusin’ and boozin’ and my team won’t be losin’! Instead, my Indiana Hoosiers will be preparing for next year. Hopefully, Purdue, Butler, or even Notre Dame will represent my home state’s legendary reputation for basketball.

I’m learning to play “Stand By Me” on the ukulele, thanks to the help of a friend. My fingers get sore making the chord transitions, so it will take some practice time to build-up some calluses. The burn marks on my hands from cooking dinner last week have evolved into ugly, red scabs. My poor, multi-fingered appendages have taken a lot of abuse in retirement, so far. They were once rough & tough from shovel labor, shaking hands, and softball. Similarly, my poor feet are sore and my toe nails black from skiing, consequently I will need some luxury cruise pampering.

Our seventeen year-old cat, Frankie, has a urinary infection, so I will be back at the vet tomorrow. Pet.Vet. Debt. (See Post #351). Even our perfectly health schnauzer pup, Tally, needed eye drops for an infection last week. Pet expenses continue to mount, including the $1000 that we’ll need to pay a house/pet sitter while we’re away from home next week. We’ve begun to call Tally by the nickname, “Egbert,” since she loves to have a bite of our morning egg breakfast. Tinker, her older sister, is allergic to egg, so we have to be deceptive in the delivery. Tinker knows! Both dogs go to the groomer tomorrow to “get the stink off.” They accompanied us to wine country yesterday, glad to spend the day out of the house.

With all these pet duties tomorrow, I will have little time for writing. I need to start packing for our 15-day trip, and want to read The Diary of a Young Girl before our visit to the Anne Frank house in Amsterdam. My wife had nightmares from reading it, so it’s been tough for her to digest. I’m bored with my current book, All-American Murder, by James Patterson. It’s not one of his better works, but non-fiction rather than his imaginative specialty. I was also disappointed with the movie, Wrinkle in Time, from a childhood book that was my wife’s favorite. It was really not about time travel as I originally posted. (See #455). It had too much of Oprah’s ego invested, however some movie-goers actually clapped.

I’ve been really good about limiting my use of straws. My friend has a blog, www.offthecoast.net. He is certified as a Master Recycler, and involved with organizations like www.portland.surfrider.org. I now always carry with me in my car a zip-lock bag so I can reuse the straw I get at regular McDonald’s visits for a Diet Coke. It’s a small gesture on my part to support his efforts to protect our environment and reinforce an anti-straw campaign by my former employer KINK Radio. I have become sooooooo… Portland!