If you're like me, you stay up too late this time of year trying to gather all of the games and highlights you can to get as educated as possible in preparation for over-thinking your bracket. One bonus of staying up too late is you get to see stories like this before the highlights have been over-produced and there's still some drama to the story breaking.
The second Dutch oven...errr...upset (and subsequent elimination) of Dominicana is as astounding (to me at least) as the Miracle on Ice of 1980...but in a much-less important event. To put it in perspective, the Netherlands' players make about 1/160th in professional baseball salaries of those on the Dominican squad.Granted, I probably still won't watch more than an inning-or-two straight of this made-for-TV event, but the highlights are awfully fun.
Speaking of Bad TV
I have owned my own business for about 10 years...and one of the many advantages of being your own boss is you don't get yelled at for watching sports in the middle of the day. Whether it's the Masters, NCAA tourney or anything else that tickles my fancy, it's an all-around good deal. But yesterday, it backfired.
At around 2:00, I figured I should check on the mid-major games and see if anything had tipped off. Well, the programming sadists at EsPN decided to waste everyone's time with soccer...and WBC games. What the heck, yo? They have taken the most wonderful time of the year and perverted it with over-acting, silky-shirt, short-short wearing, grainy coverage of the ugly game.
Thanks for nothing.
Hey, that reminds me...
Like most of you, I watched the over-rated Butler Bulldogs play last night...and I was pulling for them. I like their coach and their players, it's their fans that I struggle with. One of my brothers graduated from BU, and my parents lived a short bike ride from the campus, so I know the place well.
But, last night's game, especially the second half, was eerily similar to Purdue's performances versus Northwestern and MSU. The Bulldogs couldn't score for a large span of time and seemed to wait too long to try to close the gap (though it wasn't too sizeable).
Plus, like Purdue, Butler has a good Soph. big man and a shooting forward who's a string bean who grew up a Purdue fan. When I watch Butler, I can't help but think about how fun it'd be to have Howard and/or Heyward playing for Purdue...*sigh*
My next thought though, is I want Purdue to play Butler in the tournament and make those two regret their choice of where they ended up...If not regret it, at least think- "man, Matty's handsome and tall...I wish I was playing for him."
Butler's loss surely doesn't help the many bubble-sitters in the Big Ten...but it probably all but kills hopes for teams like Davidson (Steve- you should have gone pro last year).
Fair is Fair...
Alright, in the interest of fairness, I must do this...A few months ago, I gave a shout-out to Scout.com's Purdue site Boiler Sports Report and said everyone should give them a chance. Well, their effort reminds me a lot of my three year old son- They tried hard for about 15 minutes and seemed to have given up. Their Purdue coverage seems to be nothing more than copied and pasted links from other sites...Even when Purdue beat MSU in basketball...and whipped aOSU, the articles had a noticibly opposing-team-slanted spin.
Plus, as signing day approached and passed, they didn't report anything more than one-line blurbs about what was going to happen...and most of the time they were wrong. In fact, the "insiders" on their message board who are just schmoes like me seemed to be right more than their reporters.
They seem like well-intentioned, nice guys...but they also seem to be either A) In over their head or (more likely) B) Completely disinterested in Purdue sports as West Lafayette is second-fiddle to the big programs, in their collective minds. Plus, their interface/site design is bad-looking, cumbersome and out-dated.
I think a quarter of a year, especially in a news-packed period of time, is enough of a trial...Scout.com is overwhelmingly un-noteworthy. While the KHC board is worth little-more than used Charmin, the writers on GBI are good at what they do, and get this- they care about Purdue sports. If you've got $10.00/mo. burning a hole in your pocket, either get a subscription over there or send it to us via PayPal (we can give you our account e-mail if you'd like!!).
18 comments:
Seriously, dissing ESPN for playing the European/Rest of World equivalent of the NFL playoffs? The Champions League shows off the biggest talent in the world's most popular sport, not some kids who weren't good enough to play major conference college basketball and can't draw crowds of more than a couple thousand. I'm a Purdue Student and you can't walk through the dorm during a UCL match and not see people watching it. I'm a huge Purdue fan and a big fan of this blog, but do you really have to take a cheap shot at soccer just because it's the cool thing to do in the US?
I guess it's to be expected from a Cathedral grad. (Roncalli '04)
I might be wrong about this, but my recollection is that Howard wanted to go to Purdue, but Hummel got the fourth available scholarship from that class. Accordingly, Howard fell to Butler.
Yeah way to be naive. The Champions League is THE premier sporting event in Europe and around the world. I have to come to find most people from Indiana have absolutely no respect for soccer, much like the rest of the country has no respect for the state of IN. Sad but true.
Cathedral kicked Roncalli's ass in soccer (at least when I was there), and was consistently (along with Carmel) one of the best teams in the state, so wouldn't it make more sense that I would like soccer being from Cathedral?
Furthermore, isn't it trendy or cool to like soccer? EsPN has been trying to force it on us for years (it's not taking, by the way)...I think of soccer the same way I think of women's basketball- you can play it if you want, you can cheer for it, but I don't and I won't.
I'm not from LA where Beckham and the Galaxy made soccer fun to watch for Americans (oh, wait a second, that didn't happen)...but I do know when something makes me want to sleep, and soccer does that.
I've watched the sport, I don't like it. I don't like how taking dives is rewarded or how they can spend 90 minutes with the ball seemingly staying in the center of the field and never getting near the goal. But you guys can watch it. You can call the Premier league championships the premier event in the world...just like some do when I say F1 stinks...I don't care then either.
I worked for a German shoe company that is/was the primary supplier for the World Cup...and I still didn't like the game even when immersed in that culture. I've watched enough to know I don't like it...And it's A-OK for me to not like things you like.
Altman- I think you might be correct, but he didn't decide, either way, very quickly.
Honestly, I hope he enjoys playing at Butler...and hope he doesn't enjoying playing Purdue when/if it happens.
"I'm not from LA where Beckham and the Galaxy made soccer fun to watch for Americans (oh, wait a second, that didn't happen)...but I do know when something makes me want to sleep, and soccer does that." - Completely ignorant comment in the sense that most soccer fans could care less about MLS much like many baseball fans could care less about AA ball.
"...how they can spend 90 minutes with the ball seemingly staying in the center of the field and never getting near the goal." - Another completely ignorant statement. Here are some scores from yesterdays Champions League games (2-2, 4-0, 7-1).
In addition, i don't know if you've heard of marketing, but ESPN uses it for all its sports (especially ones for which they are trying to build an audience).
....The 2008 Champions League Final (which aired at 3pm on a Wednesday) was seen by a record 1.3 million people in the US alone. (apparently something is working)
Lay off the Haterade once in a while. I could care less if you enjoy the game. Just have some respect.
Dowd: That sounds about right. I remember the situation really made it sting when Scott Martin transferred. I know the two weren't perfectly related and that most everyone thought Martin was the better prospect coming out of Valpo, but the thought of a frontline that includes Hummel, Howard, and Johnson drives me crazy to think about. I mean, if we had those three guys, Calasan could be the shooting guard trapped in a big man's body that he really is (I kid, I kid).
I wish Howard well too. There might be a slim possibility that Purdue/Butler could be a 4/5 matchup in the second round. Again, not a good chance, but that would be an interesting matchup. Hopefully Purdue could get revenge for the '06 Wooden Tradition.
Hey anonymous soccer lover, here are some other recent scores from your beloved league:
Chelsea-Juventus
1-0
Real Matrid-Liverpool
0-1
Arsenal-Roma
1-0
Inter Milan-Man.U.
0-0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VgZjzHRQlo
If you care so little, why did you respond...twice? It is your blog, afterall...I just dropped into visit- wait, no I didn't.
One more thing- what is this mar-ket-ing you speak of? I actually have never heard of it. Thanks for stopping by.
I personally am glad that Howard is not at Purdue- I just don't think that he could hold his own vs. the Big Ten night-in/night-out. Hayward, on the other hand, I think that guy would be an outstanding addition.
As far as soccer, I really enjoy soccer like I enjoy tennis. I like watching it live (Soldier field/RCA championships) and I like watching the major events (4 tennis majors and World Cup). I don't think I could get into it that much watching on TV in the middle of the afternoon. I did love playing soccer, what other sport can you take such aggression out on another during the normal play of the game- at least that is how girls play soccer. It was wonderful... I don't think I was quite cut out for boxing, so soccer was fantastic.
Howard looks very skilled and I've seen him play a few times in person, he never stops moving...a good motor can go a long way along with soft hands and good footwork. Plus, he's held his own versus good competition; but the BT is a meat grinder. Heyward would fit in perfectly- his slight frame and full-bore style would have him injured with the rest of Purdue's players in no-time!!
I like tennis- like to play it, like to watch some matches if it's a big tournament...I also understand why people find it boring to watch on TV...same as golf...same as baseball...same as women's basketball...same as soccer.
People like other sports, fine. I think J grew up playing soccer...sure he's a huge sissy; soccer's only part of the reason for that.
I play collegiate soccer for the University of Kentucky (born and raised a Purdue fan and would be there if it was not for me playing soccer) and I take a pretty big offense to you comparing soccer to women's basketball. I am not saying that soccer is better to watch than basketball or football, but just because you do not like to watch it does not mean it does not deserve tv slot in the mid-afternoon.
Like Purdue, you will not find many dorm rooms at UK that do not have the Champions League games on their tvs. Every big basketball or football fan thinks it so cool to say soccer sucks. I never thought I would have to read that on this blog which I have come to enjoy reading. If I want to hear ignorant comments about soccer I would just watch Jim Rome is Burning.
And for soccer being a sissy sport, I laugh at that. I would like you to come to one college soccer practice and see what you think after that.
You guys all act as if I don't have enough information- haven't seen practices, haven't watched the right games...I've seen plenty, I've even played the game...I've been exposed to the sport- and my opinion stands. I don't like the game or the culture of the game.
I'm glad your athletic ability helps you pay for college- that's great...that doesn't mean I'm going to come and watch you play either.
My God-brother played four years of varsity soccer at Roncalli in Indianapolis...He's probably one of my favorite people in the world, but I really, really dislike the sport he played/plays- but don't think any less of him because he decided to play it.
I think soccer stinks.
Enough about the soccer already. The Dutch winning is a nice byline - though I'm guessing my Dutch wife and family don't give a hoot.
Butler's lose was awesome. Not in an in-your-face-Butler kind of way, but in a Cinderalla-in-the-making kind of way. I've got to agree that it looked like B10 ball. It was a great game and ate up an at-large bid... interesting to see what precipitates from this one.
On a side note, I see that you too, boilerdowd, have fallen victim to the poison of Musteatburger. Matty counter, shall thou be incremented?
Haha watching Roncalli soccer does not count as watching soccer. I still can not see a sports fan like yourself not being able to at least being appreciate the game of soccer. But I do respect that you do not enjoy watching it. Agree to disagree.....
-Wow, look at the Roncalli terd.
-If Tom Pritchard can play well through a Big Ten season, then Matt Howard can do it too. Howard is infinitely more talented and they are of similar size. If Goron Suton and Mike Tisdale can do it, so can Howard.
How come you soccer fans aren't defending the enormous amount of fake injuries, dives and ridiculous flops that constantly occur in your sport?? I haven't seen anyone approach that topic. YES, there are a lot of sissies that play soccer.
Are we supposed to be impressed with 1.3 million people watching? How many of those people are actually from the US?? We have a lot of immigrants in this country, you know.
Ryan isn't 8 years old. He has watched a lot of sports for a long time. He doesn't like baseball for similar reasons, and some of us totally disagree with him. But we can see his point of view. He's kind of a high energy, ADD type of guy. A game that averages 2-1 scores isn't gonna get him all amped up.
I don't know why anyone would waste their time on Boiler Sports Report when there is GBI.
Matt, I'm done with that site- removed it from my link list yesterday...It's upsetting- competition breeds better product, and GBI has no comp.
E- you are a scholar and a gentleman.
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