Monday Gumbo; Pre-Indy 500 Edition

Big Jay Gets Screwed...Again
Jay Simpson had surgery on his foot recently following breaking his foot a few weeks ago.  In spite of needing surgery to repair the break, his docs still say he'll be available for the trip to Italy with his Boiler teammates. I'd venture a guess though, with two months out of commission, Jay will exhibit some rust come early August.  He says he's currently about 10 pounds heavier than he'd like to be...so getting in shape for the '12/'13 season, while not impossible, will be difficult for Purdue's 6'9" Freshman PF.

This isn't the first time Simpson has had to have surgery on a foot; a few years ago, he had similar surgery on the other foot.

In November, Simpson joins a youthful, but talented frontcourt with fellow Freshman, Hammons and Hale, along with Sophomore, Jacob Lawson and Juniors, Carroll and Marcius.

Still Champs...But...
The Baseball Boilers dropped their first series of the B1G season in Iowa over last weekend.  The sub-.500 Hawkeyes managed to score at least 6 runs in all three games of Purdue's final series of the regular season.  Now, Purdue heads into the B1G tourney as the #1 seed in the conference...but needs to play well in an effort to host a round in the NCAA tourney.

Back on the Team
OJ Ross practiced all Spring without a schollie for the Hope's team after academic problems and enigmatic behavior put the starting behavior in the doghouse.  Dwayne Beckford had another run-in with the law during the winter that forced him out of Spring practice and off of the team.

Both players have had their scholarships re-instated...but make no mistake, both cases aren't the same.

Ross, while exhibiting some laziness, both on and off the field probably should be given another chance to play in the fall.  Purdue's receiving corps desperately needs stability and experience...especially with Antavian Edison's status still a question mark following his arrest in Florida earlier this month.

But, Beckford, in my opinion, has had more than enough opportunities to stay out of trouble, and simply hasn't been able to do so. I think Hope really wants to see the kid graduate...and I appreciate that idea. But, as we saw at the end of Tiller's time at Purdue, letting guys who repeatedly break the law does no good for the program in the longrun...and really doesn't do much good for that individual either.

While Purdue needs help at LB even more than WR, I'd rather not see #3 playing for my alma mater in the fall...but I'm not the guy who makes the call (obviously).

Edison's weapons charge in Florida still has a ton of ways it can go.  Who knows if Antavian was unaware of the weapon in the car, if it was his or if he tried to deflect some of the attention off of his uncle (who is already a convicted felon)...regardless, this seems like a really dumb situation to be caught in...and if he gets off with misdemeanor charges and a plea (which I think he will), hopefully, he never puts himself in this position again.  Unlike Beckford, Edison has never been in trouble with the law before this incident...but if he's charged/convicted with a felony weapons charge, he'll surely be off the team and kicked out of school.

Spake or Steele? Everyone's a Winner here
I'm a big fan of blonde-haired sports reporters with dimples. Weird, I know.

I think Samantha Steele is one of the best in the business...she's knowledgeable and very good to look at as well.  But racing fans, specifically NASCAR fans know Shannon Spake...and probably like her quite a bit.  IndyCar fans have Jamie Little (I'm not a huge fan).

But in a cage match for on-field (or on track) supremacy, who wins- Spake or Steele? Weigh in on the upper right of the page on this week's poll.

No losers in this competition

No-Bump Bump Day
I spent two afternoons at IMS in the last three days...and gathered some more opinions of my favorite form of racing...here are some nuggets.

Bourdais' new paintjob is badass.

-The extra boost used to help make quals and practice faster and more entertaining did exactly what it was supposed to do.  BUT, I don't think it's a coincidence that there were four crashes in that period.

The new chassis, as it's configured now has a ton of downforce and makes it easier to drive.  The combo of additional horsepower and taking out as much wing as possible led to some pretty dramatic wrecks.

-Before a few teams left Lotus to seek some engines that would actually compete at Indy and everyplace else on the circuit, it was tough to find an extra engine in the IndyCar garages.

After a few of those Chevys went backend-first into the outside walls, the engine shortage became an even bigger deal.  The end result was a Bump Day at IMS that had exactly 33 driver/car combos...and four or five drivers left with their hats in their hands as they sought rides to get into the show.  Next year, with another year of development, and hopefully the loss of Lotus and another manufacturer (i.e. Ford or Mazda?) coming into the league, Bump Day should return to where it was in 2011 and before.

-I'm all for safety of the drivers...but let's look at what racing really is at its core: Go as fast as possible and beat your competition.  That principle is no longer in play in any of the major racing leagues in the world.

NASCAR machines were going 205+ in the 90s...CART had cars that would do close to 250 on a straight-away in the 70s and 80s (sure, they couldn't turn at anywhere near that speed) and F1 continues to take away aero advantages to make driving the car more of a challenge (I'm actually a fan of this as it seems much of F1 racing is out of the drivers' hands)...

The point is IndyCar needs to get back to the days in which teams were encouraged to innovate and press for speed. Sure, that idea led to a Buick that went 236 mph...but couldn't hold up for more than 40 laps of race conditions; but isn't that the point? Everything in racing is about risk/reward.

Allowing the teams to change aero packages next year is a good step forward...and hopefully, with another year of development, the Honda and Chevy engines will be able to get closer to 230 again. But the fact that multiple drivers were over 235 mpg 20 years ago, and can barely crack 225 now makes fans like me long for "the good ole' days".

That said, I still love IndyCar and the month of May at IMS.

Spring Football Changes

This time of year is my favorite; college basketball teams are fighting for their lives and the passion and effort is obvious as players seem to be selling out each and every play.  But, atop of basketball, football is back, at least for a few weeks...and big things are happening in Camp Hope (according to GBI).

The hunted becoming the hunter?

We all knew about the logjam at QB that's coming in the fall...but it's really already here, really.

Marve, TerBush and Henry are all fighting for the number one spot...and regardless of whom gets the nod, there will be two guys behind him, automatically...and that's before Sean Robinson or walk-on, Berzinskas (or any other walk-on, for that matter) enter the conversation.

If you would have demanded that I give you the name of one QB that would change positions this spring, I would have said Dalapo Macarthy...but Sean Robinson is the first guy to make the move.  He'll be playing LB through at least the end of Spring ball.  Robinson has good size- 6'3" and 210 pounds...on paper, that'd make him fit in with many in the LB corps...but, I've never seen any film of him playing anything but quarterback...so I am not educated-enough to say if this is a move that will make sense.

It reminds me a bit of Kyle Smith being moved to Safety back in the mid-oughts...Smith stuck on the other side of the ball and contributed...because, like the last few years, safety was a tough position to fill.  You can't really say the same thing about LB, but in the new scheme, more LBs will be needed, and if nothing else, Robinson is a guy that is smart enough to figure out the thinking part of the game.

Other delicious morsels from Hopes post-practice report include the news that both Ross and Beckford are not on the roster for the Spring session...No surprise here.  Both guys have as much talent as I remember at WR and LB (respectively) since Selwyn Lymon and Kyle Williams...but like Lymon and Williams, both seem to be squandering the opportunity by making less-than-brilliant decisions off the field.  Hope kept the door opened for both, but with additional charges hanging over Beckford's head, and enigmatic behavior from Ross, coupled with academic issues, the writing seems to be on the wall, at least for me.  These guys don't have much time left in the program.  And while both were starters, I think both can be easily replaced.

Gary Bush, while not as fast as Ross, did a great job as a starter when Ross wasn't available.  Beckford, on the other hand, doesn't have a guy right behind him that can fill in, one-for-one...but two or three guys will be fighting for the spot immediately.  My best guess is we'll see true Freshman, Andy Garcia on the field a bit quicker than we might have if Beckford is gone...and Gilliam and Williams will also be involved.

Other news from the article included the easy-to-predict move of Bade from TE to tackle- his arm length make this move a no-brainer.  Bade has two years of eligibility left...I'm not sure if an additional RS year is available to him though.  Regardless, he's up to 270...that's noteworthy since he played his last season of basketball at around 230...and prior to that, he was playing at around 215...so the guy clearly has a frame that can add and hold weight.  Plus, with injuries at various OL positions, Bade comes right in to the 2-deeps...which he was no where near at TE. Kugler was also moved from TE to OL...but to center.  This was a move that had been whispered back in the late fall as Kugler has always looked more like an interior guy than a TE (at least to me).

Finally, Ismael Aristide will move from Safety to WR. If you don't know Aristide, he was a guy with a pretty high recruiting stock as a Junior, but he blew out his knee early in his Senior year of HS...He redshirted his first season at Purdue...but even after his RS season, he hasn't landed on the depth chart yet as a safety.  I don't know if his quickness is up to where it was in high school, or if something just wasn't clicking for him, but I hope he can make an impact on the offensive side of the ball; he was a pretty exciting player a few years ago with a ton of potential. The interesting part of his move was that he, not the coaches suggested the move.

Hope also talked about Marve, TerBush and Henry- He said both Marve and TerBush looked sharp...and Henry looked like a guy who had missed a year due to a bum knee...All will benefit from a full, healthy spring.  Hope said TerBush and Marve will both take #1 snaps, depending on the day.

Regarding the RB position, Hope loves Shavers and the way he finished the season last year. Behind him, he mentioned Gentry and Roberts...but I'd be shocked if we didn't hear any gushing about Hunt in the coming days.  Hope said Bolden's post-op recovery is going well...and Cottom's is going a bit slower.

If this is your first Spring around Purdue football- here's what you need to know- Hope is the most positive guy in the world with people he likes...if he doesn't talk positively about someone during Spring practices, it'll be a long-shot for them to make an impact in the fall.  If you didn't hear any glowing remarks from Hope about your favorite player, don't dismay- there's plenty of interview time left this Spring for it to happen.  Now, when you hear a guy's name over and over, that's one of two things- either the guy is really, really good (i.e. Carson Wiggs) OR, and this is more likely, Hope really is trying to boost that guy's confidence because the team really needs that guy to be good.

I'm sure there will be more info coming out of camp in the coming days/weeks. Regardless, enjoy the nice weather, the co-eds coming out of hibernation (if applicable to you) and this action-packed time of year.

Brother Boilers and Pizza Prep

Woody and Chad Austin, Greg and Gary McQuay all have done what Terone and Ronnie Johnson chose to do- play basketball at Purdue. But the Johnsons are the only pair of Boiler brothers in the last 20 years that have the ability to be on the court at the same time. And with Ryne Smith and LewJack both graduating at the end of this year, they will probably both be starting very early next season.

We received an e-mail from Indiana Recruiting Guide telling us they were about to post a look at the younger Johnson, so we wanted to pass it on to you.

Johnson's court vision, quickness, ability to find the open man and keep the defense honest with his three-point shot all make him a player that will be tough to keep off the court next season.  The void LewJack will leave will be sizable and tough to fill...but Johnson like Jackson seems to have the tools that will allow his game to translate to the next level in spite of being shorter than many high recruits at the PG position.

Click HERE for videos and info about Ronnie Johnson.

All News is Bad News
As Purdue gets ready for the bowl game on the 27th more bad news than good seems to be coming out of West La La.  First we heard about OJ Ross being suspended for academic concerns...two days ago, we heard what we thought we'd be hearing- Ross will not be playing in the bowl due to missing too much practice.

Gary Bush will be picking up the slack that Ross' suspension leaves.  I've been a fan of Bush all season as he's been very consistent, runs crisp routes and doesn't take plays off.  There's no doubt that Ross is a gifted guy, but talent alone only takes you so far...and Bush's ability to do the little things made the offense better when he played this season.

Atop of Ross' academic woes, starting linebacker and leading tackler Dwayne Beckford was arrested for DWI this weekend.  Purdue had kept it pretty quiet, but Beckford had been arrested back in July for possession of drug paraphernalia...and in June was arrested for leaving the scene in which he had hit a parked car.

The most-recent charge is made more serious because Beckford was already on probation due to the previous arrests.

One of the aspects of Hope's time at Purdue has been this type of stuff has been less prevalent than it was in the latter seasons of Tiller's tenure at Purdue. I didn't have any time for repeat offenders then, and really don't now.  Making one mistake isn't the same as getting arrested three times in a six month period...And while I really like Hope's focus on academics, there is no comparison to the severity of not going to class or doing poorly on tests and drinking while driving.

Seems to me that Beckford should be suspended right away- not because he's automatically guilty, but because he's already had a history of poor behavior...so I'd think he'd not only be on probation with the police, but also with the coaches.

Prior to Beckford's arrest, the coaches had already announced they'd be playing more nickel defense to counter Western Michigan's pass-happy offense...so Beckford not playing shouldn't be the end of the world.  Harris was going to see the field more and on running downs, I'd think Carlino will play. Carlino of course has been a starter and plays with a ton of intensity, which is never bad for a defense.

Losing a RB like Ralph Bolden with only weeks to prepare a back-up would have been catastrophic in previous seasons...but as we've talked about ad nauseaum, this year's Purdue backfield is just different. Shavers was Bolden's 1A when healthy, and the guys behind him proved themselves to be talented time and again.

The other Akeem that'll be getting more carries, Hunt, gives up about 25 pounds in the stead of Bolden/Shavers...but is a shiftier runner and has better break-away speed.

All this said, the way Nord called the offense this season, the loss of an RB really doesn't affect Purdue's game plan at all. Edison, Pegram, Crank and even Mostert will probably all get chances to carry the ball in Detroit.

Hope says there are a few guys that are still not out of the woods academically and there might be more that can't play in Detroit. The coaches will know in the next week.

Regardless of academic attrition, injuries or problems with the law, I don't think these issues should matter.  Heck, even if Purdue were to lose a QB, would we really see a quantitative difference in offensive output?

Purdue would be hurt with the loss of Allen and/or Johnson...or if Short and/or Gaston couldn't play v. WMU.  And if Kelly couldn't play, that'd be costly...and obviously, there's a tipping point when you lose 3, 4, 5...starters, but I've heard nothing to make me think any of these guys are in danger.

So let's just enjoy the 10th-best B1G bowl for 2011/12, regardless of which Boilers can suit up, shall we?