Hey Johnny Football: Shut up and learn something.

Johnny B. Good (sometimes)

In case you didn't know it, Johnny Manziel lives a blessed, privileged life.  Hell, from where I'm sitting, I think college athletes have it pretty damned good...and this guy is living waaaaaaaaaaay above the average college football player's rent.

I left college with student loans, searching for a job and not having much of a network after I got off campus...and still felt pretty blessed and lucky to have a Purdue diploma.  Conversely, it seems pretty chic for college athletes to continually ask how and why they don't have more than they do...and among entitled college athletes, Manziel seems to be their king.

He's a damned good football player, there's no doubt about that.  He made SEC defenses look slow at times last season...before I heard him open his mouth, I thought he was like Drew Brees...times 100.  Instant impact. Killer instinct. Quick feet. Excellent decision making ability (on the field). Accurate enough to make defenses pay time and again for gambling...and of course, he's a winner.

He's coached by the guy that I wanted to be coaching Purdue a few seasons ago (have I told you guys that?), one of Purdue's favorite sons, Kevin Sumlin. Texas A&M's fanbase was a sleeping giant awaiting to be nudged...and Sumlin and Johnny Football poked the bear and Aggie fans roared to life.

We Purdue fans love Brees because he's such a great representative of Purdue...but before we knew that he'd be an ambassador at the level he's been, we were pretty damned fond of him as a player because of his competitiveness and results.  Brees was the Heisman runner-up...married a verrrrry pretty blonde from our alma mater, went to the NFL, turned two franchises around, won a Super Bowl and has become a darling of the NFL-covering media.  Oh yeah, every time he has the chance to positively mention the metallic beige and black, he does so...and his money also goes where his mouth does as he's given millions to God's country's athletic department.

Johnny Manziel, take heed here, bro: Look at Purdue's favorite son for guidance of how to live...and stop following NBA prima donnas around.

Manziel is regularly seen courtside at big NBA games...even in the NBA finals.  As you know, I'm not much of a fan of the league, BUT, I do know that those seats cost a dime or two...and unless you're a Heisman Trophy winner and/or an extremely rich and connected guy, you're not getting those seats.  Just ask Lil' Wayne a year ago.

So when Manziel isn't sitting in $10,000 seats, he's flashing stacks of green, hanging with women who look like strippers or beauty queens, meeting celebs, having people buy him expensive drinks and pretty much getting comped everywhere he goes.  You can't really fault someone for enjoying the spoils of not only being the BMOC, but the BM in America, really.

I did a five minute research project and found Manziel literally all over America, in dugouts, locker rooms, parties and on TV shows.  I pretty much hate celebrity gossip shows, so much of this was news to me...BUT, all of it seems like an NCAA violation.  There's no subtlety, no gray area really...aOSU players got busted for tattoos due to the fact that they were Buckeyes...I'm pretty sure Manziel isn't buying his own tickets and field passes...or airfare, for that matter. If he were, he'd have racked up about $2 million dollars on the AmEx in this calendar year alone.  And let's be naive for a moment and act like he did it all on his own dime; he could once again take a lesson from Purdue's old #15.

When Brees was on the verge of becoming a millionaire following his Senior season, I saw him at Purdue's Spring game...wearing a button down shirt, baseball cap, khaki shorts and flip flops.  Like Manziel, Brees isn't a physically-imposing guy...so he can blend in pretty well, if he wants to.  But that's clearly not J. Football's m.o.  BUT, imploring people to empathize with the spoils that come with a jet setter's lifestyle falls on completely deaf ears for 99.99% of America, even those in College Station, I'd bet.

Don't ever forget that I love A&M with all of my heart, but please please walk a day in my shoes
— Johnny Manziel (@JManziel2) June 16, 2013

Texas A&M was the team I pulled for last year when not rooting for Purdue simply because of Sumlin's leadership...but now, I'm forced to root heavily against Manziel and company because he's become the Justin Bieber of college football.

Can T A&M take the next step in the coming season and be crowned as national champs? Based on what I'm seeing form their QB, I'd bet no...and I'd also guess that he doesn't care too much. He's gotten his, and continues to do so.

Earlier, I told you how about I thought Manziel was like Brees, but better.  But after looking at the two, something is very clear.  One is a truly better man, the other is a petulant little boy who wants to be treated like a man. For his sake, hopefully Manziel grows up a bit before he gets his wish and leaves College Station...because I'm sure he's taking everything for granted at this point and is destined to join Ryan Leaf, Matt Jones, Jamarcus Russell and others as a "what might have been" players who never reached their full potential due to hubris, poor attitude and work ethic and bad decisions.

As I referenced, I'm a huge fan of Kevin Sumlin...he'll earn his money this coming season as he attempts to wrangle Manziel's ego and fit his ginormous head into an A&M helmet.

A Reminder Of Who You're Dealing With

I spend a lot of time on Twitter. Boilerdowd has commented about how it's my release, my catharsis, and so forth, and I think he's right. I like to vent both positive and negative thoughts. I often aim to entertain, inform or amuse. Sometimes I just share brain synapses.

One of the things I am constantly reminded of on Twitter is that Twitter is just like the rest of society, only magnified. If you're a jerk in general, you'll be instantly identified as an a-hole on Twitter. If you're funny, that will shine through. If you're painfully unfunny and uncreative, social media will expose you. It's actually a great tool to sift through who you want to listen to.

Something that is exemplified on Twitter is our society's knee-jerkyness around being "offended." Everybody is put off my something every damn day. For some reason, we've become conditioned to immediately look for the offensive content in every statement, article, interaction, etc. I don't really know why this is -- we used to call this being overly PC, but that term seems to have gone away. (Politically correct, not personal computer.) Instead, it's just become accepted that the goal of everyone is to figure out how the most recent article on each and every site is offensive and to whom.

This has led to a defensive culture, where the more milquetoast you are, the more airplay you get on ESPN. That's why they love Mike and Mike. And this is why Jim Boeheim gets so mad at Andy Katz (who is awful, by the way) for something trivial and the video gets The Big Lead thousands of page views. Everyone is offended by something. We're all teenage girls, giving someone or other the silent treatment or telling them off and "putting them in their place." It's exhausting.

A few weeks ago, for example, during the Manti T'eo mess, I suggested on Twitter that maybe he knew he was talking to a boy and kind of liked it -- had anyone thought of that, I mused. Almost immediately, someone who hated Purdue and felt like trolling a Purdue twitter feed accused us (me) of being igorant, hateful, anti-gay and that those in Indiana are narrow-minded I had made no such statement or even vague implications of that -- only an ignorant fool would interpret it as such.A lot of people would say I should just ignore that crap, but I do not allow people to make up their own narrative about me, at least not without a fight.

My point in all this is that hopefully you like the way we deliver opinions. We generally give you the unvarnished viewpoint. We don't sugar coat things, we don't worry who we might offend -- we simply say what many of you are thinking. That's one of the best compliments we ever got and it lives on in our sidebar. I think that's why some of you feel a connection with us -- because we say what everyone pretty much knows is true, even if you can't "prove" it. Which is the beauty of opinion -- we don't have to prove our opinion is true. And it makes it even more fun when some bozo attacks us asking us to PROVE something we say we think is true....is actually true. And we don't need to.

The most recent example was the interaction we had with a knuckle-dragger MSU fan who claims to be a lawyer but evidently spends most of his time on Twitter taking pictures of himself in his Sparty hat. We commented on the fact that two accused sexual assaulters remain on the MSU and never even saw an ounce of punishment from Saint Tom. We didn't say they should be in jail (even though they probably should); all we said was that people who cheer for MSU also cheer for significantly questionable individuals. This guy took issue with that and almost immediately was calling us names and comparing it to the "Duke lacrosse" case. I'm sure the Dookies were completely innocent young lads, too.

The mentality that's out there that the court of public opinion is the same as real court is a misguided one. The expression "where there's smoke there's fire" is an expression for a reason. We're not condemning guys or demanding they be put in jail or even using their real names most of the time. But sometimes we say that MSU has guys who the MSU police felt should be charged (which is a fact) or we say that Duke basketball probably cheats (since nearly every disciple of Coach K has been busted for cheating). Are we detectives? Of course not. But we are allowed to spout our opinions, and we do.

We're never going to give you bland, unopinionated opinion columns. It's not what we do. And on twitter, you're getting us even less filtered, since it's even easier to just fire off a tweet (sometimes we actually do review each other's posts and say, ummmm, might want to tone that down a bit).

My rambling point in all of this? If you're new to the site and don't like opinionated guys who, frankly, don't care what others think and won't be impacted by foot-stamping and screams about the "fairness" of our comments, then you probably won't ever be comfortable here hanging around us. Furthermore, as I pointed to earlier, there are plenty of other sites, that are as close as a few keystrokes, that will scratch your itch for boring crap.

But if you're a regular (and we thank those of you who regularly read, email, comment and interact) or find yourself enjoying us stirring the pot a bit, then welcome. Pull up a barstool and enjoy yourself. You're always welcome here.

Paterno's Blemish to Remain at PSU

The Joe Paterno statue was removed from outside of Beaver Stadium early Sunday morning...but prior to it being removed, PSU students and fans came by to pay even more respects to the Demigod that is Joe Paterno's myth. I know that many PSU fans have come to grips with the size and abhorrent nature of this scandal...and the fact that their leader betrayed them, and most-importantly, innocent children by covering up a scandal for at least 15 years- those people seem saddened, disgusted, rightfully angry and shell-shocked.  But many PSU fans, students and alums still don't get it.

Before we go any further, I want everyone to keep an eye out for the signs a god figure is being created by man:  The impression of infallibility, the belief that no one ever has, nor ever will do their job close to as well as them, the thought that a person is bigger than the institution for which they work...and any erection of permanent statues and structures in a living person's honor are all good ways to spot fans that have become truly fanatical and finally have resigned themselves to simply worshipping at the altar of a false god.

If the stories of the myth of Paterno are true, at one point, he was humble enough to worship a God higher than himself. But sometime, while being genuflected to over a five decade span, he began to believe that very few that came before him, if any, were as important as he.  His actions, statements and even silence tell the tail to a great extent, but allowing people to raise a statue in his likeness while his lungs still drew breath was probably the greatest sign of his hubris.

But it's pretty obvious how this monster was created. Do a quick search for the statue, and you'll find what I found- photos of posters and notes along with articles still defending a man and a legend that's indefensible.

That's why the NCAA's impending actions are of the utmost importance.  Tomorrow, both the NCAA, and possibly the B1G, will announce how they plan to punish this structure that created an outlaw assistant coach, a head coach without a moral or ethical compass or any respect for the law or human decency and high-ranking officials that believed the family was more important than anything else.  That family needs to be destroyed.  Sadly, through firings, guilty verdicts, resignations and more and more proof of atrocious, repetitive actions and behavior, JoePa still remains a gleaming legend in the minds of tens of thousands...if not more.

The NCAA, nor a conference has ever had to hand down a punishment for something like this...Thank God something like this has never happened before. We're in unchartered, murky, foul, wretched waters.  And if the message is sent loudly and clearly enough, hopefully, we'll never have to witness anything like this again.

But those that continue to worship at the altar of Papa Joe clearly are too dense to understand anything but a nuclear winter.  A football season in which Beaver Stadium sits cold and silent might finally send the message in a manner that they understand.

Morgan Burke Wants You Home By Curfew

"You silly fans don't understand the nuances like I do!"

Morgan Burke gave a few nuggets on his thoughts regarding lights at Ross-Ade Stadium to the J&C recently and the gist is, as always, that you dumb fans just don't get it. You can read the H&R take on this here, but we'll add a few thoughts, too.

First, Morgan says that he lobbied for the Michigan game to be an afternoon game and not a night game "so it wouldn’t be late for our people to get home." Seriously, he said that. You need to be snug in your beddy-byes in time to watch the prime time games being played at other college football venues around the country. Where, one assumes, the fans all bring sleeping bags and go to sleep in their seats right when the game ends. Wouldn't want them trying to find their way home at 10:30 PM on a Saturday night!

Then Morgan says that one of the reasons not to have lights is because he and Purdue don't control the start times of football games.

But wait, I thought Burke "lobbied" for the Michigan game to be in the afternoon and not at night? So he sometimes, kind of... does have some control or at least input into the times of games. Either that or he is making up that he had some influence on the Michigan start time to make it seem like he's more of a big shot than he really is.

As always, though, my favorite part of any Purdue communique from the Athletic Department is the snide, backhanded remark about Purdue fans.

“I know there’s a vocal group who feel that’s the right thing to do but they don’t have any logic other than it would be nice to have a night game. It’s a double edge sword. I’m glad we got the Michigan game.”

Wait, what? Is Morgan Burke so detached that he really doesn't understand the benefits of having games in prime time? The visibility of those games alone is worth a tremendous amount. Many more eyes are seeing Purdue commercials, Purdue's campus and Purdue athletics. But seriously, I'm not going to enumerate the reasons why having games in prime time could be a good thing. They should be obvious. It's 2012.

I also don't understand how having games in prime time is "a double edge sword." He has stuck to this line of reasoning for quite some time but never fully explains it -- only that we don't understand because we haven't  "[stood] back, as do I, and look[ed] at it from every possible angle." Right. Like landscaping or a new paint color. Stand back and look at it, people!

Well, I have looked at it. For years. And I'm a moderately intelligent human being, and I think lights would be a good idea. But what do I know?

Oh, also... "I'm glad we got the Michigan game"? Uh... what? It was on the schedule. What did Purdue "get"?

As for the lights, the fact that the estimated cost is only $1.5-$2.0 million to install actually seems reasonable to me, especially given how much is spent on arena renovations and coaches salaries. And speaking of arena renovations, we didn't technically need the Mackey renovations, either, did we?

I mean, wasn't the "logic" there just people who thought it would be nice to have better seats?

I'll Say It: Raise Another Banner, Tommy!

It's kind of old news by now, but we thought we'd remind you that IU basketball is back! The Movement has done exactly what it was supposed to do...it's brought IU back to the levels of RMK and co, right?

-Big wins? No arguing here-  Beating top-10 teams isn't something that's debatable.  IU beat a few of the best teams in America...at home...and when it counted the most: In December and January.

-Atmosphere? Hells yes! The Ass. Hall is nearly as obnoxious of a place as it was when a red sweater used to ride up the most famous gut in all of the land.

In IU's defense though, the die-hards never left...well except those who didn't like the fact that a minority coach or two was hired...but I digress.

The Good Ole Days are back!!!

-Trophies? Kinda.  I know IU fans are clamoring for the good ole days...and why wouldn't they? Players being head-butted, strangled and berated by their beloved coach...students getting physically accosted by the very same big lug.  Secretaries getting things thrown at them, public property being damaged.  *Sigh* those were the days.

I don't like Tom Crean and his nervous antics too much...and while he's no where near the gameday coach that Knight was, the dude is a badass on the recruiting trail (seriously).  I won't argue that.  And IU fans LOVE their players!!*

-Banners? Some say "YES!" A trophy case that commemorates two wins in the tournament just isn't enough...these guys deserve to be alongside undefeated National Championship teams...AmIright??

Pointing out the inconsistencies of this fanbase, especially in this case is easy for a middle-schooler to do. No Purdue fan, myself or anyone else, can argue that IU's National Titles are not noteworthy...not with a straight face anyway. Winning one national title is difficult...winning five is incredible. Sure, It's ancient history by modern sports standards...and no typically-aged undergrad student in Bloomington was even a glimmer in his pappy's eye in 1987.  But they all talk about it as if they had front row seats for Keith Smart's shot (I actually was watching that game live...on my parent's tube television...through a cable box that included an analog rotary dial). No matter- hats off to the King's head coach and former Hawkeye HC!

I'll encourage all of my fellow Purdue fans to do one thing- at minimum bite your tongue when IU fans start talking about the greatness of last year's squad.  They did, after all, sweep our Boilers.  But more-importantly than that, let them wax poetically about a shot taken in December, or almost beating the eventual National Champ by the razor-thin margin of 12 points. Anyone who's not wearing clown pants, and who has ever watched college basketball, will quickly recognize the stupidity and ridiculous nature of their statements.  Encourage the IU fans to talk...cultivate their delusions. And then, maybe when they step off of their soap box, and give you a moment of quiet, you can mention that Purdue's back-to-back Sweet 16s in the last four years, 3-year sweep of IU, February in which they beat three top-12 teams and how getting beaten by eventual FF and National Championship teams tournament multiple didn't get a banner, special case, or even plaque in Mackey Arena...and shouldn't have.

*Until they're rendered useless by the introduction of a newer and shinier model.

Glad I was born in 1975

I've had a few conversations this morning- some via Twitter, some on the phone and others via e-mail. Some have been constructive and positive (thanks for those), some have been laced with name-calling and curse words. Neato.

I started this site with two of my pals six years ago so we would have a place to vent about Purdue sports instead of sending out long e-mail threads on Monday mornings.  It's been a pretty therapeutic part of my life as I tend to get too angry when Purdue loses...so blowing off steam has helped me to fester for less time. But, the last few months, not just the last few hours, haven't been that way.

Comments on Twitter and on the site alike have shown me some things from fellow Purdue fans that have made this site feel more like a just a laborious activity than a labor of love.  It's really my naiveté that's the problem- I've always thought of Purdue fans as a cut above the rest of the world...but it turns out (SHOCKER!) that a school of 40K+ has quite a few knuckleheads and dumbasses leaving her doors each year.

But that's not why I'm writing today. I'm writing because I'm a very flawed person...and make a ton of mistakes in my daily life. Most of them can easily be looked past and gotten over.  I apologize to my kids and wife when screw up...and they're a forgiving group, thankfully, so life marches on as time does...even with my shortcomings. But some people don't forgive or forget quite as easily.

Earlier today, Boiledsports, which has really been Jandboilerdowd.com for the last six years, published something that isn't in line with the way we think and do things. We removed it, but the record of the article will live on via classy folks at Northwestern sites and elsewhere.  In other words, the digital copy is out there, and it will be...forever. I haven't talked to Nikki about her post.  I don't know if she regrets putting it up...and don't really care either way.  She's entitled to her opinion...and it's really not

But, having a pervasive internet and constant documentation of life has taken away much of the wiggle room that everyday life used to have built in.  Sure, much of this is by the choice of the person making the mistake...but perspective changes with time and experience...but internet mistakes are forever.

Color me Boilerdowd

When I was in high school and college, my fashion choices were questionable. I wore colored jeans and Nike Deion Sanders shoes...at the same time. I once shaved lines...into my eyebrows. I had brightly-colored leather and suede jackets.  Nasty, egregious stuff.  Sure, there's record of these mistakes...but they're locked away in old photo albums and VHS tapes...many under lock and key at my parents' home. You can't merely hit a few keystrokes and call them up to your computermaphone and show them to your chums...Thank God.

Busted!!

But that's not the case for everyone.  I don't know how to do it, but I'm sure there's a way to find old Twitter posts from accounts that are closed. And if you make an embarrassing video, even if you erase it, it's still floating around in the ethos just waiting for the wrong prying hands and eyes to grab it and use it in any way possible.

I haven't ever recorded myself sans pantalones...but I know some of you out there have...and I'm sure your friends have found the proof. What seemed like a good idea for just you and that special someone, wasn't so special or private as the dynamics of the relationship changed...and you and your pride have paid for that.

I guess what I'm driving at, is that, at least in this case, I'm glad to be a bit older than some of you reading this.  Like you, I screwed up a lot during my time in high school and college...but back then, my buddies would have had to grab the camcorder to document it...and the only way everyone would have seen it was if we had a viewing party.  A good friend of mine once questioned the sexual preference of a girl that turned him down during our Sophomore year in HS...and his reactionary stupidity spread quickly through school.  But there was no Twitter or FB to immortalize his stupidity...and it's a good thing.  He apologized to the girl, she forgave him and the thing just went away. Now, he's actually a pretty thoughtful and well-respected adult...he just wasn't that way when he was 15. Nor was I.

Sure, when I'm reminded by limited follicles, extra weight around the middle and the fact that it hurts to play basketball, I'm not too stoked about being a 36 year old...But all-in-all, I'm pretty damned thankful that I was born in 1975. And really, more importantly, I'm thankful to have been a teenager in the 90s (even if I may or may not have worn overalls during that era).

Cautionary Tales from Twitter and Message Boards

I think everyone has said something they regret.  If you're like me, your friends and family don't let the transgressions die very quickly.  BUT, even when you spout off, unless your mistake was video taped, the accounts of your stupidity can be ruled as conjecture or exaggeration.

That is not the case when you type something stupid...and there's something much worse and tougher to explain away about the permanency of the written word.  Following Purdue's win over Michigan, some IU fans began showing themselves for what they are.

I have some good friends who are IU fans.  And it seems that each time I start thinking that the IU fanbase isn't so bad, as I look through the prism of my friends, I'm reminded that those people are the exception, not the rule.

J and I like a good discussion or debate.  But, we try to keep things from getting personal as much as possible during these exchanges.  That doesn't seem to be the case for the IU fans we interact with via Twitter.

Twitter tough guy

We have been called "A*swipes, f*gs and f*cks"...and maybe hardest to swallow, members of the traditional media...and that was in a mere hour on Saturday night.  The thing that some of these people might not get is a ton of people see what's being said, and words do matter.  The other thing that they might not get is that when they spew this excrement in the name of IU, they hurt their school's or the fanbase's reputation.  Many Purdue fans might argue that the Hoosier fanbase has already done enough damage to itself...but on behalf of my friends Mark, Nick, Matt and others, I'll ask you guys to stop; but not for me, but for yourselves.

Internet stupidity isn't limited to just IU fans though.

On the Knucklehead board, on Twitter and even on this site, Purdue fans have said their share of regrettable things...and most can be found with just a few minutes of research. Here are some of them that revolve around The Forces of Good, from just the last few months:

"Matt Painter should be fired." "Terone Johnson stinks." "Ryne Smith wouldn't start in the MAC." "Robbie Hummel will never be able to play at a high level again." "Anthony Johnson can't shoot." "DJ Byrd is a wasted scholarship." "Travis Carroll is a D-II player."

Some guys don't pan out or ever reach their full potential...there's no doubt about that.  But judging a well-respected coach by just a ten-game stretch is pretty ignorant.  Furthermore, saying a player isn't worth his scholarship after less than half of a career is silliness.  Also, if a guy is playing 25+minutes a game, wouldn't it be fair to reason that he's probably not the bum that you think he is?  No matter, I guess.

Opinions are good...and differing, diverse, well-thought opinions make discussions and life at large interesting.  But conversely, flippant and impassioned opinions that are typed when you're angry, drunk, drunk and angry or permanently stupid, might come back to haunt you...and they don't die quickly.

So whether you think we're overly-biased, gold glasses-wearing Purdue shills, or overly-negative pseudo Boiler Backers who don't understand what being a Purdue fan is about (we've been accused of both in the last two weeks), please heed our request to be as tactful as possible- not for us, but for your own reputation. Even in this thoughtless, no-accountability electronic counter culture, you might have to deal with the fallout of your foolish keystrokes in three dimensions, for weeks or years to come. It's up to you.

As you were, a*swipes.

Friday Gumbo

Everybody knows by now that Calvin Smith has transferred from New Mexico to Purdue. Smith's road to UNM is actually more circuitous than just Florida to Purdue via Albuquerque.

Smith verballed to Lane Kiffin and Tennessee during his Senior year in high school, decommitted when Kiffin decided to go to USC, then went to UNM. Before deciding on the Vols, he had offers from Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Mississippi, Purdue, Notre Dame, Arkansas and others.

Out of high school, we wanted to go some place where he'd get playing time and would make an impact right away. Before committing to UT, he talked about how he liked UND, Florida and FSU quite a bit. But, Florida got two DT commits and I don't know what happened to FSU, UND and others, but the offers were probably filled by other recruits. UNM's Mike Locksly was able to sell the idea of instant playing time to Smith, and UNM's coach lived up to his promise.

As a 6'4" 270 lb. true Freshman, Smith played in all 12 games and had 13 tackles, one a sack. Being a part of UNM's rotation right away surprised no one...signing at UNM surprised everyone...and he shocked a lot of people again by transferring to Purdue.

There's a lot of ways to look at this- You could be cautiously optimistic just because you don't really understand why he's at Purdue. A good answer might be that he'll have two fellow Hialeah teammates in God's country next season...more than anyone else. Or maybe, he's just a guy that likes to do things differently.

Twitter and the message boards has some dancing in the street just because this plays like bolstering next year's recruiting class...and he'll have a year to be around the team, practice and learn.

I lean toward being a bit more cynical just because this one doesn't make a ton of sense to me. He was never really high on Purdue coming out of high school...but unlike Marve, who went through visits again prior to his transfer, the Smith thing just kind of happened.

My opinion matters little at this point, because he's a Boiler now. So obviously, I hope he thrives at Purdue and am glad he's on campus. In high school, he was a prolific pass-rushing tackle- Think Mike Neal more than KK Short.

Boilers on BTN

Joe Tiller will be working for the BTN this fall and I'm looking forward to it. If you ever had the chance to hear the Ol' Purdue Coach talk outside of a press conference, you know how entertaining he could be. I'm pretty sure that his combo of knowledge of the game and storytelling ability will make him an enjoyable person to listen to on the network...Plus, it's never bad to have another Boiler there.

I had the chance to talk to Rosevelt Colvin last week and he told me that he will be on the BTN more than last fall as well...if you got a chance to see him in studio in 2010, you could see he was already better than some of the guys on the panels as he was comfortable in front of the camera and came off as smart without being smug. His increased role should be good for everybody involved.

Matty's Magic

Painter is in China coaching the US team in the World University Games. His squad won in an exhibition v. a professional Chinese team and begins official play tomorrow. His assistant coaches are two of the best in the college game; Cuonzo Martin and Brad Stevens.

Matty's coaching a few players he coached against in the last few years- MSU's Draymond Green, Bama's JaMychal Green and Mbakwe from Minny.

Wilson Goes Off

IU's Coach Wilson, who was one of the stars of the B1G media day a few weeks ago saw a different side of the media yesterday on Fox Sports Radio's Zakk & Jack Show.

I've heard Wilson has a pretty bad temper from IU students who have gotten the business end of the guy...but I really liked his appearance on this crappy show.

I don't listen to the show regularly...because it stinks. But I've listened enough to know that Trudeau comes off as a complete bag and Zakk seems to be a blowhard whose voice is pretty tough to stomach. Prior to putting Wilson on the air, they both were making fun of IU...which might be OK on a different day, but isn't very smart business right before you welcome their coach onto the show. You can hear it here.

Wilson probably could have showed a bit more discipline in the way he handled it, but he wasn't that out of line...the clowns who get paid to talk on the radio for a living were though.

A lot of Purdue fans were saying Wilson was out of line via Twitter and on the message boards, but let's be honest for a moment- if this happened to Hope, wouldn't you want him to defend himself and his program and be at least a little pissed? I would.

Seth Davis Continues To Be Bad At His Job

I know there are times when we spend an inordinate amount of time bitching about how much media members suck. However, there are other times when there's really no way to properly sum it up. These guys get paid to watching fricking basketball. And to be so-called experts on the subject. We all have jobs or are going to school, etc. These guys? Paid to watch basketball. To sit in a studio or in a press box and watch basketball. That's their damn job.

On the Sunday night studio wrap-up show, I thought I heard Seth Davis say that VCU was in the A-10. The problem was I was watching on a TV without a DVR and thus was unable to back it up. I thought to myself, "Self, no you couldn't have heard that." He can't be that clueless. He must have producers at CBS who catch these things.

But then Seth went on Dan Patrick's show on Tuesday morning. And said it again.

No, Seth. No. VCU -- the team Shaka Smart coaches -- is in the Colonial Athletic Association, or CAA if you can't remember big words like that.

Seriously, did I misunderstand something here? Please correct me if I am wrong.

Poking the Hibernating Bear

Even before this afternoon's news of Barlow's suspension, I was thinking about this post...but for a different reason.

We, and the rest of the Big Ten, know how good Purdue can be when focused- they are a group that causes shot clock violations regularly for opposing offenses. They can erupt at a moment's notice and turn a nip-and-tuck score into an insurmountable deficit. They are a team that is as happy playing a half court game as they are pushing the pace and forcing the issue. And when their resolve is there, they strike fear in about any team in America...but then there's the listless Purdue that we've seen a few times this season.

Back in November, they showed up in Chicago versus Richmond. Almost the whole game, they were in neutral. The result was Richmond's PG/SF combo looking like Stockton and Malone. Nearly two months to the day, later, that sluggish squad showed up again. Hung over from the College Gameday atmosphere, the Buckeyes had Purdue beaten in mere minutes as a 0-0 game was out of hand before halftime was reached. Bad Pete didn't show up again until March...after a nearly-perfect February. And it was a different game than some of you are thinking, in my opinion. The first half of Senior night was pretty sickening. Purdue allowed a hot-shooting Illinois team to run out in front and take a big lead. But, thanks to some big shots by the Seniors and an electric Mackey Arena, Purdue earned a closer-than-expected victory.

The next two games were shockingly-lousy as Purdue allowed the 10th-best team in the conference to absolutely control them...then allowed MSU to earn its way back into the NCAA field by showing up the top-10 Boilers in their own game: toughness and 'want-to'.

If you're a Purdue fan, you've may have thought about why they ended the season that way, but it doesn't take the analysis of Bobby Knight to figure this one out. The basketball adage goes- Good offense is often the result of talent and skill...Good defense and rebounding is almost always a result of hustle and will. Purdue's hustle, its heart and its motivation were AWOL in the last two contests...but we've seen this before.

Last year, Purdue was body slammed out of the BTT as they put on an exhibition of exactly what a major college basketball team shouldn't do v. Minnesota. They followed the game up with a solid performance to start the NCAA tourney v. Siena. In '09, they ended the season in East Lansing with one of the flattest second halves of basketball of that season. They followed that up by tearing through the BTT and winning their first such crown, then winning two more games in the dance.

The point is, we all know that Painter-coached teams are resilient...and that's without additional motivation. So I loved reading this article about St. Pete's from NJ.com. If you follow us on Twitter, much of this is review for you...as it set the interwebnet ablaze with fired up Boiler backers...but it's still good to get this word out as much as possible prior to Purdue's 7:20 tip-off v. the Peacocks on Friday (on TNT).

Let me re-set the stage: On one hand you have a team that was top-10 in the nation for much of the season. This team boasts of two of the best players in the nation (according to media and coaches alike) and one of the best coaches in all of the land as well. The other team has some solid players, three Senior starters and earned its way into the dance, after upsetting Iona in its conference tourney. In my opinion, it'd probably be best for both teams to just respect the other prior to the game and let their performance do the talking.

JaJuan Johnson agreed saying, "We're playing against a St. Peter's team that won their conference...last year we played Siena, they're from the same conference. Obviously, they have to be a pretty decent team."

Now, St. Peter's had other ideas.

6'7" F Ryan Bacon said this of the aforementioned All-American, POY candidate, Johnson, "I'm embracing the opportunity (to guard him). He's not Superman."

5'11" PG Nick Leon continued putting the Boilers in their place by saying, "We're not focused on matching up on them. They need to focus on matching up with us." He'll have the the chance to guard and be guarded by Lewis Jackson.

I guess there's nothing wrong with talking trash if you can back it up...and the Peacocks will have their chance to do just that when they play the lowly Boilers from someplace in the midwest. Afterall, the 143rd-best team in America (according to the RPI) has plenty to be proud of. Their star shooting guard, Wesley Jenkins summed up St. Peter's current pre-NCAA tourney position quite succinctly. "...you have to go through hard times first, and now, we're on top."

I don't bet on sports, especially Purdue sports. But if I was a betting man, I'd probably put down a shiny dime or two on my Boilers for this Friday. They might have eased their way out of the regular season as they drifted to sleep, but I think it'd be pretty foolish to doubt their focus or resolve in the final games of JJ and Smooge's careers. And some might think the loss of Barlow will hurt the Boilers greatly in the tourney...and it might sting a bit. But, I can promise you that his absence forces this team to be more businesslike as they prepare for their next game.

Matty, Moore, Johnson and company are pretty damned good at what they do. But, when they're doubted, when they're disrespected, and consequently, when they're angry, they're nearly unbeatable. I think a few proud Peacocks have made big mistake and awakened a sleeping monster. Soon, they'll live with the consequences of their actions.

Cover your face and head, Peacocks.

Seth Davis' imaginary friend

If you follow us on Twitter, you know we're not fans of Seth Davis. I guess that's fair since he's not a fan of the topic we cover- Purdue sports.

It's one thing to not like Purdue and give good, solid analytical reasoning for why you think that. It's quite another to mercilessly-pound an idea with nothing as your defense other than opinion. Davis does this over and over again...and he's wrong a lot. CBS doesn't seem to mind...but I do.

A few weeks ago when Purdue was in the top-10, Davis was asked who would be the first team out in that group. He of course answered Purdue. He went further to say that Purdue wouldn't get past the first weekend...without having any clue who Purdue would be playing. Let's look at Matty's tourney record, Seth- wait, nevermind, that'd take research...don't worry about it, I know it won't happen.

All season he's consistently had Purdue lower than where they've belonged and where they've landed in the poll. In fact, for much of the early season, he didn't rank Purdue. And once they had earned his good graces, they hung in the 20-24 range. Is it because they hadn't played anybody at that point? Could be. But, that very situation didn't stop him from ranking his beloved Blue Devils consistently in the top-5.

Davis has a problem with Purdue-I guess because Purdue beat Duke in Alaska a decade ago (I can't think of another reason). Whatever the reason really doesn't matter, but the proof's in the pudding and we have plenty of rancid dairy dessert all around the interwebnet with Davis' pasty fingerprints all over it.

Most-recently, he penned an article about 54 potential NBA players that are currently in college and what NBA scouts think of them. The problem is, he has no specific scout's opinion. Instead, he sites "several scouts" as his source...and he refuses to tell us who they are, so they can stay anonymous.

Sweet.

It's a nice place to be- you write an opinion-based piece, with your name attached, and you have no culpability. This type of pseudo-journalism is a pet peeve of ours at this site. But, let's take a look at our favorite guys in this article: Of course, JaJuan Johnson and E'Twaun Moore.

JaJuan Johnson, 6-10 senior center, Purdue
Some people really like him, but I just don't know how he gets his game off. I don't think his post game will transfer, so you're looking at a 6-10 jump shooter who will have a hard time guarding any positions in our league. He strikes me as a combination of Marcus Camby and Hakim Warrick. I'd say he's on the bubble for the first round. I think he makes the league, but he won't get a lot of scratch.

Honestly, I don't even know what the first sentence means...so I won't spend a ton of time on it. I guess he's saying he doesn't understand how well Johnson will play in the league. He jibbers his way through the review of JJ, saying little and comparing 25 to a guy who is a rebound-first player who's been in the league for 14 seasons (doesn't sound like a bad investment for an NBA team...but JJ is far from a banger on the boards) and Hakim Warrick, who while a few inches shorter is a very-similar player, statistically, as he left college. But, Warrick was more of a combo player and JJ will more than likely never play shooting forward in the NBA. Davis ends the write-up by saying he won't "get a lot of scratch". Once again, not exactly sure what he means, but I don't think it's a positive.

So, let's compare JJ to a few of the guys, that he's played against, that Davis' imaginary...I mean...anonymous sources are really high on.

Sullinger- "I love him."

He's good, he's young...a lot to like there. When JJ faced him, here's how it went:

Player Pts. Reb. Blk.

Sullinger 17 7 0

Johnson 22 7 0

I guess JJ's game did kinda "get off" in that contest...let's try another.

Benson- "I like him."

It's not love, but it's definitely more positive than his review of JJ.

Player Pts. Reb. Blk.

Benson 16 14 2

Johnson 25 11 2

Not too shabby...JJ also added 5 assists. Benson had 0.

Next, John Leuer- "He's more skilled than you think."

Player Pts. Reb. Blk.

Leuer 24 13 0

Johnson 23 4 3

Once again, JJ did OK, I guess.

Now onto Smooge's review:

E'Twaun Moore, 6-4 senior guard, Purdue
I think someone will take him in the second round. He's small and not very athletic, so that's a bad combination, but the kid has found a way to get it done at a high level. But again, who is he? What does he bring to the table? He can get to the basket at the college level, but he doesn't shoot it great. He reminds me of Reece Gaines, who didn't make it in the league because he had no position. Or Joe Forte from North Carolina. Forte was better than Moore in college, but he didn't make it in the NBA.

I think Moore will have a fight to be successful in the league because he is shorter and he doesn't appear to be quite as quick as many of the guys playing shooting guard in the NBA. So I understand some of the criticism. But the line that really bothers me is this: "But again, who is he?"

Here's who he is: He's a guy who's led his team in scoring for three of his four seasons. He's All-Big Ten, an Academic All-American, an Honorable Mention All-American and a lockdown defender.

Unlike JJ who's squared off against quite a few future draft prospects, I could only find one on the list that Moore had faced- Duke's Nolan Smith.

Davis said of Smith,

"Can he make it as a two guard? That's the question. I'm not sure he has the kind of speed and quickness to be able to attack guys. I think he's proven enough to be drafted and he'll figure it out once he gets up there."

Okie doke. Smith's career numbers look like this: 12.7 pts. 2.7 ast. 2.7 reb.

Moore: 15.0 pts 2.8 ast. 4.4 reb.

But Smith played in the tough ACC while Moore played in the lowly BT, right? Yeah, and Smith never had any talent around him at Duke while Moore was always surrounded by some of the best teams in America. Oh wait...I thought Purdue was only a two-man team. Nevermind.

Then head-to-head, Smith must have just owned Smooge, right??

Player Pts. Reb. Ast. Stl.

Smith 15 5 4 0

Moore 18 4 1 2

Alright, maybe not. It just seems odd that Moore is too small at 6'4", but Smith at 6'2" is not. And Moore is not athletic, but Smith, who will be drafted to a position he doesn't play in college deserves a chance to "figure it out" on the next level.

Other interesting tidbits:

Singler- "I'm a Singler guy all the way."

Plumlee- "If you stick around, you're going to get better."

(If I didn't know better, I'd think that was a plea...not a review.)

And if you really wanna pick this piece apart, read some of the UNC player reviews.

I know, supposedly these words weren't even Davis'...but since he's the only real person I can find mentioned as responsible for the article, I'll pin it on him. I guess if nothing else, Davis is consistent.

Consistently awful.

You Wouldn't Like Me When I'm Angry.

I waited on this one...but it keeps coming up, so I'm posting this.

When we all heard about Rob's injury, every Purdue fan, and even some people outside of the Purdue family felt sick...literally, in most cases. But, if you're like me, your sadness turned to anger shortly after as you started interacting with people outside of the Purdue fanbase.

Please understand this: for all of you who haven't wished ill-will upon Purdue, this isn't directed at you. I think everyone, from Hummel's family, down to people like me who are just fans, greatly-appreciate the well-wishes from those who have expressed that it stung them too when the news came out about the Rob's injury. Everyone else, listen closely.

On message boards, radio shows, and even in person I've heard it and seen it...and maybe you have too. Comments like, "We can't have Purdue winning a national championship now, can we." Or people just smirking as they ask, "How about Hummel's knee??" If you're in Indiana and you're a Purdue fan, you know what I'm talking about...and it's pretty disgusting.

Let's look at some of the facts here, shall we? Rob Hummel keeps a higher GPA than I did while at Purdue. He's a legitimate student athlete. He hasn't gotten in trouble with the law. I've never once heard a rumor of him demanding the ball, calling a teammate out or being anything more than a good teammate. He works at all parts of his game, not just offense...and probably doesn't shoot enough. He's a great rebounder, he's a shut-down defender, he moves (a lot) without the ball...and he's extremely fundamentally sound when shooting. A pal of mine once said, "Even his missed shots look good." We all saw what he's capable of last season v. aOSU at Mackey, when he decides to score. He can do it all...and does it well.

When he injured his knee the last time, he decided to take advantage of the time and do something he'd never done before- bulk up. The nickname "Ostrich" simply doesn't fit anymore. The stringbean kid that came to Purdue is now put together pretty well because of his outlook and his work ethic.

This time shortly after it was confirmed he had the same injury, I've heard he said, "At least I'll get to play in the new Mackey." Amazing. I'm positive I wouldn't have the outlook that he does if this had happened to me. Hell, I don't have it...and it didn't happen to me!

That's why I'm mad. Most of the people that have the smirks on their faces and make the comments in the wake of 4's injury were big Bobby Knight supporters. Do you think Knight would have liked to have Hummel on one of his squads...Don't answer- I don't care what you think. I do know that Knight loves the style of Painter's teams. He's said it quite a few times on EsPN.

J and I talked about this- We never liked Evan Turner. Sure, he whipped Purdue, but that wasn't why. We didn't like his cocky demeanor. BUT, when he went down last season, we hoped he'd get healthy quickly. As a fan, you always want to see your team beat the competition at full-strength...it makes a bigger statement.

But, many IU fans don't want Purdue at full-strength...they didn't want any part of Purdue this season with the Big Three in tact. It's understandable, if you're that guy, I guess.

These are the same people who put all their hope into the Kelvin Sampson basket after they got their wish to see Davis run out of town. They continued to defend the cheater saying his infractions weren't that serious. Then, they thought their program was above NCAA sanctions because they didn't know that this convicted cheater would (*gasp*) cheat again. Their frustration continues as Crean has floundered in his recruiting efforts in state. So, you clowns are sick of having your clocks cleaned by Purdue...and everyone else. I get that part.

But, to snicker and take even a little joy in Hummel's injury is pretty despicable. Hummel has been and is a basketball program's dream. So, I take great offense at anyone reveling in an injury that might or might not affect him for the rest of his career...maybe life. We just don't know yet.

Regardless of who it is, it's probably never a good practice to get giddy over a 21 year old getting hurt. And before your joy bubbles over to a full smile as you look ahead to this season, let me give you two reasons your enthusiasm might be short-lived:

You've been warned clowns. Don't think these two and their teammates won't be motivated and ready to play in a few weeks. The media already has ruled Purdue out as a contender...and don't think the players haven't heard the grumblings of the sentiment that Purdue will be lucky to be in the top-4 of the conference. In the recent words of Matty, "Our goals haven't changed."

Purdue fans, it's OK to expect big things still. And, to all those who have enjoyed watching a kid's injury, you should expect more of what you've gotten the past few seasons. Just a reminder, Rob's been hurt before...and the results were just a Big Ten Championship and a Sweet 16. The only difference this season is everyone has a chance to prepare for life without Rob...and they don't have to do it on the fly. Plus, two former multi-season All-Big Ten players are now Seniors.

This season will still be fun...but, I'm really looking forward to February 8th.

Nearly $200,000...for what???

Really? Really?

There are some good marketing people out there- those who can strike a chord with a consumer or potential consumer...the sharpest of the sharp will make you feel emotionally-involved with a simple word and the images that correspond with that word.

Purdue didn't hire those people when it decided to re-brand the university...But the really bad news is they paid a pretty good amount of money for a really brad tagline and re-built image.

See here for yourself, if you'd like...but we'll tell you all you need to know:

"We are Purdue. Makers all."

Holy-stinkin' Moly!! That is awful. Remember, they also promised us the colors would change and there would be corresponding icons- can't wait to see what this braintrust came up with.

I'll say this- if the people responsible for this junk are alums, they should be ashamed. Plain and simple. If they're not, we should check if they're not IU or UND alums...because this sounds like sabotage, to me.

I generally don't like marketing people, because I feel most are simply talking out of their arses...this doesn't help.

I presume Ms. Thompson was involved back in the early 90s when MC Hammer changed his name to just "Hammer" right before his music career came to a halt. Or perhaps she was a part of the team that dropped "Just do it." and the swoosh from Nike's branding...before adding it back a year later. Regardless of her past, her present project is a failure.

Boooo, Terry Lucie Thompson, and co. You've been stealing money and wasting our time.

File this under things we're jealous of?

UND fans tell us we hate them because we're jealous of them. On one hand, they're right. Who wouldn't want to have the media fawning over your favorite team even when they don't win. Yeah, that's been happening for the past few seasons or so...but that's not the point of this post.

By the way, I'm not sure that point is something to be jealous of...it's more of a sign of the stupidity of the media, specifically EsPN. They do their best to remind us of their lack of interest in real sports stories and perpetually focus on the pop-culture around sports, not what happens on the field- music video pre-games, anything pertaining to Brett Favre, breaking stories that aren't real, and Notre Dame football. Stuff like that. Anywho.

One of the things I detest about UND is their belief that God actually favors them (Domers, he actually loves BC and Liberty the most, by the way).

So, here's an example of an arrogant Notre Dame fan in the media from a station that I don't care about.

Did you catch that? When given the opportunity to apologize or back off of his asinine joke, he decided to reiterate it because he thought it was correct. Couple points- first off, the official play clock is not that of EsPN. No, the official clock is hardly ever in complete sync with that on the TV screen. Second, and more importantly, this is clearly a poor attempt at humor. Nothing's funnier than heart attacks...am I right? High five, no?

I mean, my Dad had to get a few stints put in a few years ago. Our family just laughed and laughed at the situation! Good times...Dipshit.

Plus, whether or not this guy thinks he's funny, the root of his crappy attempt at comedy is arrogance and a firm belief that the Almighty would punish anyone for beating Notre Dame. Come to think of it, perhaps he's right! UND's administration and coaching staffs the past decade or so have been doing their best to make sure UND loses quite a bit and what's happened to them? Davie's out of coaching, Willingham's out of coaching, Weis went from OC of the World Champs, to a laughing stock at UND, to coaching an offense that's averaging just over 18pts/gm.

So while Brian Kelly takes the high road and doesn't put blame on the clock operators for UND's most-recent loss, he might wanna be careful and get out while the getting's good...because afterall, God just hates it when UND loses!

Classic BS Photo: Idiot Fans In Ohio

This weekend, Ohio and Ohio State are playing, which give me the opportunity to post one of my favorite pics of stupid fans:

That photo is from last year's OSU-Ohio tilt. And, yes, those tools are wearing Ohio shirts -- including the one on the right mocking OSU -- and Ohio State hats. Seriously, fellas?

As I recall, Ohio kept this game alarmingly close for the first half and I snatched this screengrab as they were panning the crowd as the teams went to the locker rooms at halftime. So these guys were, presumably, cheering Ohio for keeping it close... right?  And then, after the game, drinking beer and high-fiving over the Buckeyes win.

Because, I would imagine, they went to Ohio but root for Ohio State. Awesome.

It's fans like this that are embarrassing to the rest of us. You can't even pick a side of the fence to stand on... during the game?

A Reminder of Why Notre Dame Fans Suck

If you listened to last week’s sneak preview for Season Three of the Handsome Hour Boiled Sports Podcast, you might have heard my colleague boilerdowd comment on how – at the moment – he wasn’t feeling the usual amount of dislike for Notre Dame. He’d been watching some of their practices and had honestly felt it looked “fun.” Couple that with new coach Brian Kelly who, unlike Charlie Weis, is not as easily detestable (not yet, anyway). Weis embodied typical golden domers – irrationally and unjustifiably arrogant and simultaneously ignorant regarding how far off the map of relevance their program has fallen.

Well, if you felt as dowdy did and you were having any trouble ramping up your level of hate for ND, let me regale you with a little story.

We got an email over the weekend to the Boiled Sports mailbox from a proprietor of a new Notre Dame themed site who “would love if [we] would direct [our] readers” to them. Yes, I’m sure you would love free traffic.

He then went on to say that their site was for ND lovers AND haters and that their first post was up and it was why don’t Notre Dame fans care about Purdue. He provided no link.

I replied and said that with no link it was hard to read the story and, secondly, that Domers spend a lot of time explaining why they don’t care about Purdue.

He snottily replied that if I READ the article, I’d see that he explained that they actually should. And he provided the link.

I read the drivel against my better judgment (seriously, why should I give any attention to a one-post blog?) and noted that just seven sentences in to their blog’s existence, they took a shot at Hammer & Rails, suggesting that no Domer would ever comment on a Purdue site and that to think so would be “flattering” oneself. His two commenters were the typical douches we’ve come to expect of ND fans, making the tired old “It’s just Purdue” argument.

I replied and said the following:

Did you seriously take a shot at Hammer & Rails in your inaugural post? You doubt a single ND fan has ever commented on their site, eh? Done a lot of research to back that up, have you?

Ah, I forgot. Domers never let the facts get in the way. Pesky facts!

That sort of arrogance (and that of every other UND "fan," such as your two commenters) is precisely why we hate Notre Dame. Misplaced, ignorant, unjustified arrogance.

He didn’t like that and suggested I’d been “unnerved.” I pointed out that he wanted haters and we, in no uncertain terms, hate Notre Dame. He immediately backpedaled that his barb at H&R was “sarcastic” and I was dumb to not understand that. He also offered his “thesis,” which I’m sure you’ll agree, is SO FRICKING ORIGINAL I AM BLOWN AWAY:

And my true thesis why many Purdue fans hate ND is because ND fans overall just don't care about Purdue, despite the many good reasons to do so as I posted in my post.  It's just a "meh" game for many of us.  Hard to get excited about.

Now THAT, my friends, is a quality “thesis.” In fact, that would probably be a good thesis for a PhD at Notre Dame. Why? Because it’s BRILLIANT!  And nobody has ever made that stupid, tired, nonsensical, egocentric suggestion before. Yes, sir, we dislike Notre Dame because THEY don’t care enough about us. CARE ABOUT US, DAMMIT! We demand to be CARED ABOUT! Take us seriously! We demand validation from a program that hasn’t had an over .500 season in three years! A program that….USED to be really good! Like, 40 years ago! Dammit, VINDICATE US FROM THIS CESSPOOL OF UNCARINGNESS!! PLEASE!

Sorry, I blacked out for a minute there...

Okay, what I actually did was point out that he just encapsulated what we hate about ND. That they’re so blinded by their world-revolves-around-an-irrelevant-program thinking that the only logical reason we might dislike them is because they don’t pay enough attention to us. I told him he’s just like every other ND fan and that it’s not surprising at all.

I also pointed out that he contacted US hoping for free site traffic and in his inaugural post bashes a Purdue site that is well-written, well-researched and beyond handsome. And a level of dedication and hard work he has no concept of yet. His site will – guaranteed – be abandoned shortly. I’m betting less than halfway through this season. And yet this arrogant douchewad CONTINUED to be pissy with me – because writing ONE post as a Domer qualifies you to lecture guys who’ve been doing this for years and have written, literally, THOUSANDS of posts.

I told him he oughta toughen up if he’s going to write a blog. I also told him to shoo.

As you’ve likely gathered by now, I’m not linking to this Notre Dame sycophant who claims to want ND haters as well. I do like his business model, though. On his site he has this:

In addition to your comments on our posts, we want to hear your stories and see your pictures!  Maybe you’re a fan living in enemy territory or maybe you hated Notre Dame growing up.  Or perhaps you had a great gameday experience or maybe you have a room at your home dedicated to Notre Dame. 

Here's how I believe the conversation went...

ND ignoramus #1: “I have a brilliant idea! Let’s start a ND website! We’ll pretend we want people who like ND as well as hate ND!”

ND ignoramus #2: “But don’t haters already go to sites of teams they hate?”

ND ignoramus #1: “You don’t get it! We’ll welcome them! And we’ll ask other sites to send their traffic to us. Then we’ll take that traffic and tell them to send us pictures, stories, etc. They’ll be writing the site for us! It’s brilliant!”

ND ignoramus #2: *Shrugs, hangs up IU basketball jacket and puts on ND football jacket* “Sounds good to me, boss.”

I hate these people. I really do. Bring on the season.

World Cup Action

Enjoy your weekend.

Sports Phrases to Eliminate

I've been wanting to throw this feature out there for a while, so here we go.

Every year, there’s a Web site out there that cites the phrases and terms that just need to be retired from everyday use. Things like “bling” made it a few years ago, to give you an example. And this got me to thinking that we should come up with a list of sports-related terms and/or phrases that simply must be done away with. The list – for now – is below and is in no way exhaustive. We invite and encourage you to help us with this and share others we haven't thought of and some of your pet peeve, go-to, lazy broadcaster phrases.

“and oh, by the way…” – ESPN analysts use this one constantly. CONSTANTLY. One of the worst abusers is Mike Golic who puts it into any sentence no matter how non-worthy the subject matter is. He’ll tell you that the Lakers won and that, “andohbytheway, Kobe had 38 points.” No, Mike, no. No “andohbytheway” necessary. Just quit it.

“flat-out” – what does this even mean? As far as I can tell, this has one acceptable use and that’s when you’re describing someone or something’s top speed or something very similar to that. You can say, “Tony Stewart ran 195 MPH flat-out for the final four laps” or “Running flat-out, Tim is the fastest sprinter I’ve ever seen.” You cannot say, “Tom Brady can flat-out play.” It doesn’t make any sense. What does the “flat-out” add to that?

“take one game at a time” – I know people have made fun of this for years but still… shouldn’t that have been enough to get it retired? I mean, how else can you take games? Does Matt Painter ever sit in the Purdue locker room and advise the troops, “Okay, men, I know we’ve been playing well and we seem really focused, so let’s take our next four games and play them all at once on Saturday.”

“focus” – Okay, this one sort of has some sort of sense to it but can we all agree it’s wildly overused? Everything is about focus and not being focused or they were more focused than their opponent or we had to get away from home so we could focus or we had to get back home so we could focus… it’s exhausting all the focusing it seems teams and players are doing.

“Giving 110%” (or any variation) – Again, an old one. But still widely used. And not just by broadcasters; this is something Billy Packer will say during the NCAA Tournament every year. Percentages don’t work like this, mouth-breathers. No matter how hard you try, nothing can ever be more than 100%. 100% is maximum capacity.

“literally” – This one is overused all the time, too. You hear people actually say “literally” when something is actually happening figuratively or only in the broadcaster’s mind. “Vince Young literally plowed his way into the end zone!!” Really? He actually, physically, drove a truck with a snowplow on the front through the defensive linemen and into the end zone? I’m fairly certain that’s not allowed. I even heard someone on ESPN radio recently say that a pitcher was “literally melting down.” Wow, that had to be pretty traumatic for the other players to witness as he turned into a puddle of goop.

“the reality is…” – Everything that happens is reality. You don’t need to say this as though everything else we were discussing is fantasy.

Using “courage,” “hero,” or other such words to describe athletes – This includes “warrior” or "soldier," too. They’re athletes. They play sports for a living. Usually for tons of money. There’s nothing – NOTHING – courageous about them. I know saying someone is “great” or “incredible” gets boring, but let’s not anoint anyone as the next Marvel Comics superhero just because they can score 30 points in a half.

“We just have to make plays.” – No fricking sh-t. This is code for “I don’t know the answer to your question about our second half strategy.”

“He just knows how to win” or “He/they find(s) a way to win.” – Unless he loses. At which point you say this about the other guy.

“Just well enough to lose.” – What does this even mean? It’s a stupid cliché that makes no sense at all. To do this, one would have to know precisely what their team is going to do that day and then, play well but just slightly worse than the other team. Intentionally. Otherwise, I don’t see a scenario in which this makes any sense whatsoever.

“He knows how to play the game” or “He plays the game the right way” – I always hate this one because it’s pure laziness. A guy legs out a double and hustles the whole way and so we say he plays the game the right way. Yeah, I guess. But what’s the alternative? Holding the bat by the wrong end and facing the stands? A shortstop wearing a foam finger on his hand instead of a glove? A basketball player with his shoes on his hands?

“intangibles” – This one bothers me because it’s what a lazy analyst uses to cover his ass. I think the game will come down to scoring and defense… and, of course, intangibles. Meaning, the things I can’t think of because I’m a mouth-breathing moron. I’d venture to say that 90% of the people who use “intangibles” in analysis couldn’t possibly define it.

“He’s the X-factor” – You can’t define the x-factor, fools. That’s what it’s called the x-factor. If you say “Eli Manning’s ability to complete passes in the fourth quarter will be the x-factor,” then it’s not the x-factor. He just needs to complete those passes. An unexpected lightning storm that strikes Eli in the helmet would be an x-factor.

“He manages the game” (in reference to QBs) – In other words, I can’t think of anything good to say about this guy and I’m amazed he hasn’t lost every game he’s ever played because he sucks, so I’ll just say he manages the game.

Controlling one’s own destiny – You can’t “control” destiny. If you believe in such a thing, it’s already…destined. Get it? You can control your own outcome or situation or future…but not destiny.
“That’s a football player right there.” – Just in case we thought he was a jockey on his way to Churchill Downs.

“That is a golf shot.” – Don’t. Be. Lazy. Tell us something. Don’t say something one of my idiot buddies would say on the weekend at the muni.

“Shocked the world!” – No, you did not. Unless it’s the World Cup, nobody in Ghana cares what you just did.

Invoking religion and thanking God, but only for good things – Look, there’s nothing wrong with being religious. But I hear players credit Jesus as the reason they won a game, scored a winning touchdown, etc. Just once I’d love to hear someone say in their postgame interview, “Well, we were doing just fine until God made me fumble at the goal line.”

“long” to describe a player – Jay Bilas loves to say a player is “long.” Where, Jay? In the Johnson region? How about just saying he’s tall? Where did this long crap come from? He’s not an alligator.

“He'd like to have that one back.” – Broadcasters say this about pitchers (who also say it) all the time in baseball. “Yeah, the changeup that Pujols hit 500 feet in the 6th… that’s the one that Martinez would like to have back.” I don’t get where this came from. Of course he’d like to “have back” the pitch that got drilled. Doesn’t that go without saying? I mean, while we’re at it, wouldn’t every team like to “have back” every season that they haven’t won a championship? That’s so damn stupid. Stop saying it.

Others? Please share.