Seeing Red: A Trip Behind Enemy Lines (and Gumbo)

A pal of mine sent me a text this afternoon asking if I'd like to go to the Butler v. IU game in Ass. Hall...so after making sure LBD, TBD and Mrs. Boilerdowd were all good for the evening, I took the trip to the wretched squalor town of Bloomington, IN.

I worked on a project a few years ago that took me into the bowels of the Hall, and hadn't been back since...and tonight's visit provided me with some much-needed ammo info.

First off, I was reminded of my first sports hate: IU fans congregating at Ass. Hall.  Back when Knight was there, I loved watching Bobby clones in their red sweaters over-react to each of the two or three fouls called against IU each contest.  While there's no doubt the Hall can be a loud venue, it's at its most-deafening when the IU faithful are giving a collective groan or boo.  They've always been great at group-think negativity, but they've added chanting mediocre and underexperienced players to their repertoire as well.

Eric Gordon is a Baby.

"We do not like you Eric Gordon...We do not believe that your recruitment by your current team was within the parameters of NCAA rules and regulations!"

A lousy Illinois team did about everything it could (except make free throws) in an effort to beat IU and Eric Jordan, but couldn't pull off the defeat of America's second most over-rated men's college basketball team, IU (the most over-rated is Xavier).

"Oh baby, you...Got what I need...But you say he's just a friend..."

Biz Markie shot about 80% from the charity stripe v. my Boilers last Saturday, but went 1 for 6 in the final minute and first overtime...if he would have hit half of his free throws this evening (he's a 56% free throw shooter versus everybody but Purdue), Illinois probably would have won. But it's not all on his shoulders. Illinois' motion offense looked as if the Illini had never practiced it...and if McCamey wasn't draining one of his 724 three pointers on the night, they were just kind of standing around waiting for him to do so again.

The crowd boo'd Eric Jordan everytime he touched the ball, which I enjoyed. And instead of handling the pressure like a great player (which I actually believe he is), he pouted and whined and bitched. His Dad (Eric Jordan, Sr.) was dressed sharp on the night...he sported a black IU #23 jersey and a sports coat- solid. And his whole family had on the very same jersey. How do I know? Because they were on TV as much as D.J. White (Thanks for that, ESPN).

Kelvin Sanctions, whom I am beginning to think is not only a cheater, but a pretty lousy basketball mind, was interviewed on more than one occasion during the evening. Both times he pretty much said that Eric Jordan needed to shoot each time he had the ball in his hands- Great strategy, Sanctions! I've watched IU play on TV 5 times this year...here's what I see- A really fat kid, Eric Jordan, D.J. White and a bunch of guys who are kind of non-descript that wait for Eric Jordan to do something...now I know it's not their fault, it's the scheme in which they play...but I'm just saying CYO teams that I coached ran more complex offenses.

My favorite part of the game was when the overly-nonchalant Eric Jordan walked the ball up court during the second overtime in 11 seconds (without pressure, mind you). This costly 10-second violation gave the Illini a chance to tie it...they responded by, of course, booting the ball out of bounds...Game over, Hoosiers win.

Thanks for nothing, Coach Weber.