There are too many retirement hassles right now like Medicare payment shortages and heat pump problems. Home improvements continue to eat away at precious retirement savings. Following my sports favorites has also been frustrating, but I have little control over their performance. However, I did jump on the Atlanta Braves bandwagon and watched them win the World Series. Former Cubs such as pearl wearing Joc Pederson and MVP Jorge Soler were resurrected in the process. I bought some baseball cards to preserve the memories of their success. It’s been 26-years since their last such title with Greg Maddux, my granddaughter’s namesake, not to mention that their Spring Training facility is practically in our back yard. It was perfectly justifiable to adopt them as “my team.”

Once Spring Training comes around I’ll be back to primarily supporting my childhood favorites, the White Sox and Cubs, but the Braves have found a way to my heart, especially if they keep winning. I’m fickle that way because I just haven’t found much consistent satisfaction with sports of late. The Hoosiers lost again to Michigan yesterday, fell short on the soccer pitch to Maryland in a quest for the BIG title, and basketball has yet to rebound from years of despair. With bowl hopes crushed, there’s only one more football game that matters and that’s against giant beater Purdue who handed the #3 Spartans their first loss of the year yesterday. Thankfully, basketball starts this week and we’ll see if all the hype about coach Mike Woodson is for real. 

The first game of the new season is Tuesday night but it won’t be until March before we know the answer. After three miserable years of no post season action will I.U. finally be competitive in the BIG and ultimately make the Big Dance? Purdue seems to be getting all the headlines on the football field and in the basketball preseason polls. Just as today is all about time change, it’s time for a change when it comes to The Glory of Old I.U.