Jamaal Tinsley

Since it seems to be a recurring event I’ll just post that over the weekend Indiana Pacer point guard Jamaal Tinsley was involved in an incident he should be trying to avoid. Tinsley and his entourage/posse were at a club out on ghetto row when the club was cleared because of a fight between a couple of female patrons. Tinsley and his crew were at the club and had arrived in three of Tinsley’s slick rides including a Rolls Royce.

Apparently some thugs thought they would show up the guard and an argument in the parking lot ensued. When Tinsley and co. left the thugs in the parking lot followed. Knowing they were being followed, Tinsley and them drove into the heart of downtown Indianapolis where, in front of the Conrad Hotel at approximately 3:40 am, a firefight took place. Several shots were fired at Tinsley and his friends. One man was wounded, but is okay. The shooters fled in their cars. Tinsley’s brother fired a couple of shots and one man with Tinsley was arrested on an out of state warrant.

Tinsley, for his part, has apologized to the Pacers and the city and says he made a mistake and needs to make better choices. I applaud that Jamaal, but your track record makes me skeptical that you’ll ever change. I just hope you do before someone who can aim a gun fires at you.

Victoria's Secret

Well it looks like the dumbass season has officially started! Okay I know, it rarely seems as though it never really ends. Case in point would be last Sunday at the Colts game, but I digress. Some turd burglar, soccer mom up in Carmel has decided that the window display at the local Victoria's Secret store is just too risqué for her taste.

This bitch who obviously has way too much time on her hands and not enough wiener in her has gone to the store headquarters and demanded the display be taken down or greatly modified. Much to my chagrin and as near as I can tell, most everyone else's, the company has cow-towed to this mess of a human being and replaced the bra and panties (their business) on their mannequins with pajamas. And the real kicker is that the bitch that started this bullshit is still not happy.

Lori Baxter is the pond scum that initiated this ridiculous war. I don't know if she just doesn't get enough, is some crackpot, right-wing nut or some overprotective soccer mom who is having trouble grasping what most of us call reality.

Ms. Baxter is claiming that the mannequins and their sexy clothing are causing kids to have sex earlier. She has nothing in the way of research to back her bullshit up, but hell, since when did being right matter any more in this country. Everyone's so fucking scared of being sued they err on the side of political correctness just to be safe. Unfortunately, those of us who go about living life and not being offended personally by any little thing, directed at them or not, are made to suffer these fools and their moronic ideas.

Tell you what Baxter, if your 11-year-old kid is having sex or even polishing his Bishop it ain't the fault of some store and its mannequins. Your apparent stranglehold on "morality" probably has him rebelling or he is surfing porn at home while you are out crusading against mannequins.

You know, I get the whole "protect the kids" thing, but for fuck's sake, how do people like this climb into bed at night and even for one second think they are doing right? And to thinks she is still offended by the pajama wearing faux models. What the fuck does she think they are supposed to wear? What does she think VS sells? And why is VS letting this bible-thumping thug have her way?

It's time someone told this sub-human POS that she is not the community standard police and that making this all public and drawing attention to herself is a disgrace and shows that she is more about attention that she ever thought about being for protecting the children.

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, so first off, a big Happy Thanksgiving to each and every one of you out there who happen by to read my blog. I hope all of you have someone special to spend the holiday with. Truly an American original, Thanksgiving is one of those holiday's when families seem to get together.

 

Maybe we sometimes get caught up in the family and friends, the food and the football and forget about the true meaning of the day which is to give thanks for all we have. We should also pray for those less fortunate than us, be it financially or more importantly, those who have no friends or family to share not only the holiday with, but all aspects of our lives.

 

I always thought I had it made. I always had friends and family to spend the holidays with, but about a year and a half ago I got married and I was thinking this morning about how empty my life would be without my wife Linda. She means so very much to me and I can't imagine beign without her. (And no, this is not just a sucking up post). Unfortunately she does like the stuffing out of the bird at my mom's house so now I only get half of it, but it's great to have her to share it with.

 

So as you gather with whoever you gather with tonight, tomorrow and over the weekend remember to give thanks for being able to share with those around you and remember those who are less fortunate. And lastly, GO COLTS!!

Bullet Dodged

Face it, since the Patriot game the Colts have not looked sharp. Last week against the Chargers they came out flat, but rallied to make it a game at the end only to let it slip away. Yesterday in the dome it damn near happened again. The Colts beat the Cheifs 13-10 on the strength of a last second FG by Adam Vinatieri.

 

Sure I'm happy with the win, but the Colts barely beat a bad team and looked bad doing it. If you looked up winning ugly in the dictionary there would be a picture of the team yesterday.

 

I won't go over all of the game details, but there are some very bothersome things going on.

 

18. Peyton Manning had another bad day. Granted it wasn't all his fault. He had very little time and was sacked twice. He had  a couple of balls dropped , but be that as it may, 18 did not look sharp. It's hard to beleive how little respect Marvin Harrison gets when his absence is clearly missed. Without him Reggie and Dallas are doubled up on and Utecht and Moorehead have yet to earn 18's confidence. But in the end, Manning has to make more plays than he is now. He's the big boy, the high paid one, head cheese. He has to step up and make the remaining receivers step up their games. Instead we keep getting the Peyton Manning "I just stepped in doog poop" look. Come on Peyton, pick it the fuck up.

 

4. Adam Vinatieri is in a slump. Last week he missed a chip shot FG at the end of the first half. It was a rush job, but he still should have made it. He missed another easy on at the end of that game that he had a good look at and it seemed to go well. Fast forward to this week and we find him attempting a 49 yarder. He claims it was tipped, but either way it was no good and the boos were more than a little audible. A few minutes later he steppedup and missed a 29 yarder and he was booed loudly. Finally he shook it off and made a couple to seal the game. I didn't boo AV, but I admit I was holding my breath when he kicked the game winner. These kickers are a strange breed and even AV who seems as much as one of the guys as a kicker can be can be quirky. Clearly it was in his head when he missed his fourht in a row. It's too deep in the season to think about a change, but we best start scoring some TD's to keep him out of the equation for the time being.

 

Now we have a short week. We go to ATL to play on Thanksgiving night against a bad Falcon team. We're going to have to play better to keep winning these games. Pittsburgh lost yesterday which is a big help and gives us the inside track for the second seed in the AFC. Now it's time to suck it up and heve the December we all know this team is capable of having.

Bucket Game 2007

Here we are, the eve of the annual game to decide who get the Old Oaken Bucket. Tomorrow, in Bloomington, Indiana University's football team will host the Purdue University team in what is each team's big rivalry game of the season. Unfortunately, outside of the alumni of both schools living outside of Indiana, no one really gives a shit about the game or who wins it.

 

As has become the norm, the Bucket game will again be a battle to determine who sucks less between the two schools, in football at least. But this year does have a bit of a twist. Both programs have coaches whose livelihood could hang in the balance. Indiana, still reeling from the loss of coach Hoeppner, has to decide if they are going to stick with Bill Lynch while the Boiler fans seem to have become disenchanted with Joe Tiller up in West Lafayette. Both coaches have their supporters and both have their detractors.

 

Down in Bloomington it is the consensus that Lynch is a nice guy, but is not the guy to take the program to the “next” level. The problem in Bloomington is that if they cut Lynch loose and get that next level coach, how long will he stick around? The program has been such a piece of shit for so long that the next level ain’t much, but going to a bowl game every year would certainly be a step in the right direction. Face it, in Bloomington, basketball is king and football is a distant second, that’s the way it is, has been and unless the cosmos shift, will always be.

 

Lynch, the coach is a little different story. While compiling an overall winning record, many feel he inherited a pretty good program at Ball State and ran it in to the ground. He made one bowl appearance in 1996, but left the program with a losing record. He also seemed to have control problems with his team and a number of them found themselves afoul of the law. Perhaps he was just too nice to deal with rowdy, thuggish, MAC kids. An 8-2 record at division 2 DePauw buoyed his overall mark. Obviously Hep saw something and hired him to coach with him at IU. Just before Hep’s death last summer Lynch was named interim coach. I, like many cast a wary eye towards AD Greenspan for his decision and took a wait-and-see approach.

 

The Hoosiers got off to a great start, something unusual for them. They beat the patsies on their schedule unlike many years when they were lucky to split. There was talk that Lynch should have had the interim tag removed and hired permanently. A loss to Illinois dampened the spirits some, but in the upcoming weeks the Illini would prove to be a tough beat. Meanwhile the Hoosiers went to Iowa City and won and beat a bad Minnesota team at home. Then came the October from hell. Not unlike their upstate brethren the Hoosiers came up with squadouche against Michigan State, Penn State and Wisconsin. They finally got off the mat to beat Ball U before dropping a nondescript piece of shit to Northwestern.

 

At 6-5 the Hoosiers are bowl eligible, but does anyone actually believe this team deserves a bowl bid if they end up 6-6. For craps sake they can’t even sell out their own stadium unless Ohio State, Michigan or Purdue are in town. Why would any bowl committee want a team who’s fans won’t show up to home games. They aren’t going to show up at a bowl either.

 

So that leaves us with Lynch’s situation. He beats Purdue and he goes to a bowl as well as gets the Purdue monkey off the teams back. Frankly I don’t think he’s done enough with a win to garner anything long term, but he will probably, and maybe should be, given a 2 or 3 year contract. A loss and he has to go. Nobody in Hoosierland that actually cares about football wants to start over AGAIN, but the bottom line is the program must improve or move on.

 

Of course, getting a good young coach will probably lead to starting over again in a couple of years anyway since they probably won’t pay when others come looking for talented young coaches. Not with the basketball program sucking all the resources.

 

On to the Boilers. The Boiler faithful may not be as dumb as the Hoosier fans think they are, but one thing they are is unrealistic. At some point the Boilermaker fans decided they were in the same class as Michigan, Ohio State and Wisconsin. The teams gaudy September and early October records always get the fans tweaked to a, well, boiling point, only to have their hopes dashed. This year it was Ohio State. With a 7-0 record and everything on the line the team came out flat as a pancake and got their asses handed to them. Tired of this seemingly unending pattern the fans have turned their ire towards the coach of late.

 

Joe Tiller has compiled a 61% winning percentage at Purdue and has taken the team to a bowl game 9 out of his 10 seasons, including an appearance in the 2001 Rose Bowl. A record the Indiana fans can only dream of these days. At 7-4 this season it appears as though the Boilers will again be bowling regardless of tomorrow’s outcome. But for the fans it simply isn’t enough.

 

Purdue has reached as far it is going I don’t care who the coach is. Beat Notre Dame, get one against the big 3 and for fuck’s sake, beat Penn State once in a while. You do that and Purdue fans should have nothing to gripe about, but they will. And God help him if they lose tomorrow, which, while I find doubtful; it’s not out of the question by any means.

 

So IU fans, are you going to embrace Bill Lynch if he wins? Will you run him out of town on a rail if he loses? Is he the answer? Probably not, but he may be about the best you can expect. It’s not a glamour detail and will always be in the shadow of the basketball team.

 

Purdue fans, will you ever be satisfied? Can Tiller stay if he wins tomorrow, because I know you will all call for his ass if he doesn’t. Hey IU, tell you what, if the Boilers don’t want Joe T and decide to cut him loose I’d be on his doorstep about 1 second later and sign him to a contract until he retires. Boilers, be careful what you wish for, losing Tiller could and probably will bit you all in the ass!

Hurt's (Not) So Good!

Dang, I mean just dang. I just heard that 93 is now out for the season for the Colts. Just when I thought the injury situation couldn't get any worse it did!

 

Dwight Freeney is lost for the season. The Pro-Bowl D-end has some foot injury that will require surgery and end his season. Losing 93 is awful. The team has brought in former Pro Bowler Simeon Rice who had been cut by the Bronco's last week. Face it, anybody who got cut during the season probably isn't going to be a big impacter. But something had to be done.

 

I've been know to be pessimistic, but I thought we had a good chacne this year to repeat. After playing the cheaters to a tough game the injury report ballooned up so fast it made my head spin. Dallas out with a concussion, Gonzo out with a dislocated thumb, Marvin out with a bruised knee, Ugoh out with a bad neck, Freddy K out with an ear problem and the list goes on.

 

I'm starting to get really concerned about the season. If it were just DF out I'd be okay, but it's not. Some people are looking at thei weeks game against Kansas City as a "week off", but this is the NFL and there are no bye weeks when you have a game. Couple that with the fact the Chefs are probably still smarting from the playoff loss last year AND the fact that we turn around and play 4 days later and this spells tough sledding for a beat up team.

 

There is no doubt we are better than the Chefs, but it won't be easy. Say a prayer for the boys this week and let's get through Sunday and Thirsday's game and get a little break!

Jury Duty

I see Marion County has begun a crackdown on people who skip out on jury duty. Apparently just over 40% of those called actually show up. A sad statement considering it is one of few requirements of our freedoms as well as something we should all be willing to take part in. Sure it's a pain the ass, doesn't pay shit and generally wrecks a day or more, but it is still a living breathing part of our freedom.

 

I admit, I have been guilty of not showing, but it was an honest mistake. I simply forgot to call until the Wednesday night of the week I was supposed to serve. I don't think my pool number was actually called, but I did feel bad about it. For those of you who don't know how it works in Marion County, and I don't know if it's not like this everywhere, you are mailed a summons to appear. Beginning on Sunday evening you have to call the provided number or check on line to see if your group is required to appear. If it is you show up the next morning at the City-County building. If not you call back each evening until Wednesday. If your group is never called you simply do nothing, if it is you report. They county doesn't pay you for parking or meals and if you don't make it on a jury you get a whopping $15 + mileage. If you do make it on a jury you get $40 + mileage per day and once you start the jury you get meals.

 

Well back in April I was called once again and I actually called and had to show up on a Thursday morning. I got an early start and got downtown about an hour before I needed to be. Fortunately for me it was 'Juror Appreciation Week' and we were treated to coffee, juice and snacks while filling out our paperwork and waiting to be called. I went through the process and spoke to a lady who was scared. She was over 65 so she had an out if she wanted. She was afraid to convict someone and have him or her come back and get her.

 

Eventually my number was called and we were led to a courtroom and the prosecutor and defending attorney asked us questions to determine our suitability for the jury. I was in the third group and answered honestly, which seemed to be rare with some of my co-would be jurors’. A little while later I was sent to the deliberation room and eventually was joined by 12 others who made up the jury and 1 alternate. We were then sent to lunch, which I felt should have been on them, but wasn't. I did get to go to the King David Hot Dog shop, which was cool, but it still should have been on the county since I was already part of the jury. Oh well!

 

When we returned from lunch we were given some instructions and then sent into the courtroom. The judge swore us in and gave us his instructions and an overview of the case. We were now ready to go.

 

Let me just say this, I had heard that turnout for jury duty was low and was shocked, and while I was treated with respect by the court the whole process was boring and irritating and I now know why people don't show.

 

Our case was the state versus this kid accused of armed robbery and conspiracy to commit armed robbery. What left the biggest impression on me was that this was some kid, 19 years old, facing 20 years in prison. It was all such a waste it seemed. The story goes as such: Four friends conspired to call the local Domino's Pizza, order a pizza to a bogus address and when the pizza came they would rob the pizza guy. What happened was that they damn near beat the delivery guy to death, stole the pizza, some wings and his cell phone. The morons even used the cell phone to make a few calls, which is what eventually got them caught. The scary thing is that they actually tried to call another pizza place and while the defendant’s attorney downplayed it, they were going to try it again!

 

The state's star witness was a completely unbelievable character that had plea-bargained his way down to a 8 year sentence from 115 years. With his track record he was not to be trusted even though the state said he could be. This punk basically got on the stand and acted polished, a little too much to me, and it turned out to be one's word against the other. In the meantime, emails and threats had been exchanged between the two boys. In true gangster wannabe fashion these morons forgot what "code of silence" meant. So here we were in court listening to these 2 boobs call each other liars and talk about how heinous the other was.

 

Even the pizza man got on the stand but he didn't provide much as he was japped and didn't see or remember much.

 

After a couple of breaks we finally got the case about 6:30. Me and another girl were adamant that the defendant was guilty but we were outvoted. The alternate who was not supposed to have a say wouldn’t shut up. She took over the jury and this white trash that was also in there was so anxious to let this thug back onto the streets. All the while I still thought it sad that these two punks were going to throw away their lives for some pizza and a cell phone. The thing is, these kids seemed to come from decent homes and from what I heard from them, knew better. In the deliberation room things turned worse and I just gave up. I thought guilty but it was clear that there was no way these idiots were going to change their mind. You get a real civics lessen in there as in my fellow citizens are stupid!

 

Ultimately we found the defendant guilty of conspiracy to commit robbery. The alternate kept telling us that he would still get 8 years, but I knew better. He'd be lucky if he saw one day behind bars. We pressed the buzzer to summon the bailiff who thought we were ready for dinner. We told her no, we were ready to deliver the verdict. I had lost all interest in the future of this punk by now and just wanted to get out of there.

 

At about 8:00 PM we delivered the verdict. The defendant seemed pleased, the state, who presented a weak case looked beaten down and we had more paperwork to fill out. Back in the deliberation room the bailiff told us we were entitled to dinner and that they had already ordered it. We could stay if we wanted, but I wanted nothing but to be away from these assholes. Oh and that dinner? Fucking pizza after hearing about it all afternoon.

 

I walked back to my car saddened by the case and disillusioned by the system.

As a final note to this, I checked the Indiana Department of Corrections Offender Locator for our defendant; On June 26 he was sentenced to 1 year in the Indiana Department of Corrections and is currently at the New Castle Correctional Facility. He is eligible for release on November 24, 2007. A far fucking cry from the 8 years that uber-dumbass alternate tried to spew.

The county may be cracking down on those who skip out on their jury duty, and I doubt I would ever try to get out of it or just skip it, (that's for the you-know-who’s) I can certainly see why people bemoan having to serve.

Colts (Cheater) Patriots Aftermath

As you might expect I'm not feeling real great about yesterday's game. Colts lose 24-20, but there is hope. I guess the biggest disappointment is that we really had a chance to put the thing away and unfortunately made mistakes that cost the game. The good news is that the Patriots are human and what looks clear is that they and the Colts are head and shoulders above the NFL crowd.

I won't rehash the whole game, but I have to vent about a couple of things. First and foremost. why in the hell did we take the ball out of Joe Addai's hands? He had a monster first half and nothing really in the second. I feel like the Colts overthought the situation and figured NE would focus on the Mayor so we went a different direction. It didn't really work. Stick with Joe, he'll work!

Overall it was a great game and I feel like it lived up to the hype. Two heavyweights going toe-to-toe for 60 minutes. If you like the NFL it doesn't get any better than that!

Things started off at Tom's. We went to the Monkey and then on to the game. The place was rocking. In fact, when Addai scored late in the second quarter the dome was rocking more than I had ever felt it rock. Loud, loud, loud was the order of the day. I think Pawly was yelling in tongue's. At the strat of the fourth quarter I, as usual, had thought ahead and had a beer in reserve. Some guy from the other side of the aisle offered me $20 for it. At first I balked, but thought it over for a minute and sold it. A nice 285% ROI!

Anyway, I firmly believe we will see the Pats in January and this time I think it is they who are the "finesse" team and us who are the hard hitting patient, grind it out offense. I'm already looking forward to it!

Hype Week!

The Colts have done their part in ripping Rooney’s Panthers 31-7 yesterday in Charlotte. The Cheater Patriots did theirs by crushing the Redskins 52-7. Now we stand by for what will be the biggest week of hype for a regular season NFL game ever. It’s the Colts and Cheater Patriots next Sunday 4:15 in the dome for world supremacy! At least that is what it will seem like.

 

Honestly it is a huge game. Both teams along with the Steelers have been the class of the league for the past several seasons and now we have two undefeated heavyweights getting ready to go at it in what could well determine where the AFC Championship game is played. With half the season left to be played after this game is it too early to talk of home field advantage for the playoffs? Probably, but how can you not talk about it? The Colts have amassed a clean record and have won by a decisive 17+ point margin against some solid teams. The Cheater Patriots have posted even gaudier numbers although it has been against less talented teams.

 

It is stacking up to be the immovable object versus the irresistible force. A game for the ages. Name your cliché and you will likely hear it this week and I think it’s appropriate. Will the game live up to the hype? Who knows but these teams did put on a show last January in the dome. Of course it was like 2 separate games. Before that the Colts had won the previous 2 at New England after a period of disappointments against the Cheater Patriots.

 

I have to tell you, the Cheater Patriots looks great, but so do the Colts. Patient and physical seem to be the calling cards of this years team. Yesterday they looked like crap early on, but just kept plugging away on offense and finally got untracked. The defense had one series letdown, but for the second week in a row allowed just 7 points and this coming off a short week with 2 on the road. The Cheaters have been killing people and their defense has been pretty stingy itself.

 

Who’s going to win? Too early to tell for sure, but it should be a lot of fun talking about it this week and going to the game Sunday!

Weekend TV

It was kind of a slow weekend. No Colts game and no real plans so I made some time to catch quite a bit of television and I have a few thoughts on what I saw. I'll kind of take things in order of how I saw them.

Friday night I actually got to watch Friday Night Lights at its regular time. Well, I saw most of it. I kind of fell asleep and had to watch the balance on Saturday morning. This was the third episode of the season and it looks as though my original fears for the show were unfounded. The religious angle is still there, but it has been integrated nicely into the show without being preachy or overbearing. The political angle seems to have completely gone away as far as what happened in week 1. I'm really gald of this as it is a good show and has a good story going. And Tyra rocks even if she is with Landry!

Saturday I went out and watched some college ball. It looks like the Boilers are pretty much what we thought they were ;). They're a decent team that will feed on backmarkers and lose to the big dogs. Same old thing with Tiller. He reminds me somewhat of Bill Mallory down at Bloomington. Decent coach, nice guy and he while he got them to A Rose Bowl, it's doubtful he's going to go again and he can only take them so far.

IU is a disaster as usual. Their defense is so shoddy it makes me sick. Couple that with their penchant for boneheaded plays and you get what you had Saturday. Penn State is not a good team and Indiana had a myriad of chances to win, but just kept fucking up. They'll win another and go to a bowl, but they still suck.

The Irish are just awful and they may win one more this year. It may be Navy's year and I love every minute of it!

Sunday I got up and watched Snakes On A Plane. Pretty fucking creepy. Not much of a plot but it was still fun. Snakes are scary and I wouldn't let the cat watch because he has nightmares.

The big payoff on Sunday was the F1 race. Kiwi needed a lot of help to be the World Champion and he got it. McLaren cheaters are appealing the result but they are such liars that no one would believe them anyway. Congrats to Kiwi!

Finally I got to watch a shitload of football Sunday afternoon. I started at Sidelines Sports Pub. It was okay, but even sitting at the bar I was having trouble getting a beer and the clincher was not being able to watch the Raider game. Out of about a million TV's all they wanted to put on was the fucking Cowboy's and Bear games. I left and went to BW-3's and was able to watch the Raiders lose to Kansas City.

About the Raiders, well they suck! I watched as they tried again and again to run the ball. THEY AREN'T A RUNNING TEAM! They should have thrown the ball exclusively and they just refused to do it.

Well it was still a good weekend and now we have the Colts tonight. I'm a little worried. JAX is a good team and we'll need to bring a good game to beat them. That's all I got for now, just wanted to check in. Have a great day!

Indiana University

Well, it was another red letter weekend for the IU athletic department. Both the football and basketball teams managed to make the news for the wrong reasons and by Sunday night it wasn't clear whether either teams coach would be employed by the university much longer. As a former rabid fan of both programs I can only say I am dismayed at the crap that continues to go on down there. To paraphrase Strother Martin in Up In Smoke, "When IU, when are you gonna get your act together?"

I guess I can only be glad the football team has had a couple of setbacks this season and especially the one Saturday night in East Lansing. With the emergence of the Illinois football team the lone Hoosier loss was looking a lot more palatable. So palatable that I thought they might pull the trigger on a new contract for interim head coach Bill Lynch. Lynch ain't the answer. With the debacle Saturday I hope AD Greenspan has figured that out and will at least wait until the end of the season to do anything.

What was looking like a sure bowl berth season took a turn for the ugly Saturday night. Now games against Wisconsin and Penn State that may have looked winnable a week ago now loom as sure losses. Sure the Hoosiers should be able to beat Northwestern and Ball State, but we all know the Hoosiers penchant for losing to a mid-major team like Ball U. Then there is the Bucket game which looks like will determine nothing. At best the Hoosiers are looking at some low budget bowl in some cold weather city.

Across the parking lot the basketball team opened practice Friday night to a decent crowd and a shitload of anticipation. There was a buzz around the basketball team last year that hadn't been felt in some time. Kelvin Sampson had the team playing defense and they were a joy compared to the POC teams Mike Davis had put out there the previous years. Unfortunately Sampson is an unpleasant, defensive and arrogant man who can bring them a championship and I won't be able to embrace him. I'll root for the team, but I just don't like Sampson. Probably never will. And before you think I was against his hiring I wasn't. I heard some interviews with him after he was hired and it was clear he wasn't a quality person.

Well all of the goodwill and anticipation came crashing down yesterday as reports surfaced that Sampson had violated recruiting rules by making more phone calls than are allowed by the NCAA. The rules are stupid, but they are the rules. Sampson, who had been run out of Oklahoma for doing the same thing was at it again. How does this knucklehead not get it? For fucks sake Sampson, are you that stupid? Is your arrogance so profound that you just think you are above the rules? Are you too damn dumb to change up your shtick a little? And AD Greenspan, why aren't you watching this prick? You put a clause in his contract that he is gone if he steps out of line. Why is he still coach as of this writing?

IU has taken the first step and docked Sampson, with his blessing $500,000. A tidy sum to be sure, but if this clown was in trouble with the NCAA before for the same infractions then do you honestly think a monetary penalty is going to keep them from throwing the book at him this time? How many scholarships will be lost for this one?

I know Sampson won't get fired by the university at this point. It is too close to the season and lets not forget, the team has some highly touted recruits and expectations are high as IU has been ranked as high as 10th in preseason polls. Sampson will continue to run roughshod over the rules and be unable to distinguish right from wrong. He recruited some guy in KY who was promptly busted for selling dope. Nice. The whole Eric Gordon recruitment smelled funny. The IU hardcore's will tell you all is fair in recruiting and that the "gentleman's agreements" are BS, but they exist and I just think there is more to Gordon being at IU than meets the eye.

I don't like what is going on down there these days and until someone is willing to watch the program a little closer this shit will continue to happen. It's a shame that a major university's athletic department needs to be babysat, but that is what they need down there.

2007 Pacers and Other Stuff

Well, here we are, five weeks into the NFL season and the Colts once again are heading into the bye week with an unblemished record. At 5-0 and atop the AFC South the team seems to be hitting on all cylinders and have looked particularly impressive the past couple of weeks. However, as the NFL moves from its first quarter of the season into the middle half it also means that NBA training camps are opening and our Indiana Pacers are no exception. As we move further into the Fall I have a few observations about the team and a couple of other subjects that always get me to thinking!

Let’s start with the Blue and Gold. The Pacers missed the playoffs last season for the first time in years. I’d like to think this was an exception, but I’m afraid it may be allowed to become the rule. Head coach Rick Carlisle was forced out after an uneventful (result-wise anyway) four years on the court. That didn’t bother me in the least, as I never thought Rick was the right man for the job and the only reason he lasted as long as he did was because of his relationship with Larry Bird. Carlisle lost control of the team in his first year. It was generally known that he was a stern leader who insisted on complete control of the team and one of those coaches players will tune out before long. Now not everything that went wrong over the past few seasons can be pinned on the coach. For fucks sake there is so much that went wrong and so much blame to pass around it almost defies belief. As they say, it’s a giant shit sandwich and they’re all going to have to take a bite!

One thing for certain is that the tighter Carlisle held on the less control he had. Carlisle’s first season as coach was brilliant. He led the team to the best record in the league, but lost to the rival Pistons in the conference finals. I remember thinking that I may have been wrong about Carlisle. Maybe he was a good coach. Everyone knew his reputation as a no-nonsense leader and not a “players” coach, but the future sure looked bright. We had Jermaine and Ron-Ron and a cast of young and good ball players. Unfortunately Carlisle soon lost the team’s ear and eventually control altogether.

I know a lot of old school guys will tell you that you can’t let the inmates (players) run the asylum (the team) but face it, like it or not, these hard-nosed throwback guys are not working in today’s environment (see Bill Parcells in Dallas) and it’s always easier and usually more cost-effective to fire the coach than all of the players. Players aren’t mindless automatons that will blindly follow a coach especially at the professional level. Face it old-schoolers, it really doesn’t happen in college anymore either. I’m not saying that is good or bad; it is just the way it is.

After the Pacer’s stellar 2003-2004 season it took just a couple of weeks into the 2004-2005 season for the wheels to come off of the Carlisle Express. The infamous brawl in Detroit showed just how little control Carlisle had over his team and brought into question some of the personnel moves made by club president Donnie Walsh. I won't rehash the event other than to say suspensions were plentiful and a palpable change of attitude in this city towards the team was noticed.

Team president Donnie Walsh had spent years beyond reproach. He hired Larry Brown in the early 1990’s and lifted the perennial mid-pack team into the upper echelon. The team was exciting to watch and, with the Colts struggling down the street, the city rallied behind the efforts of Reggie Miller, Rik Smits, the Davi and the rest of the team. We loved them for who they were and even in defeat it was as if they could do no wrong. Now with players like Ron Artest, Stephen Jackson and Jamaal Tinsley the team no longer had lovable players who made the fans loyal to the team. Ron Artest may have been the best basketball player in the NBA in 2003-2004 but his incessant troublemaking and boobery made him a target of ridicule and debate over whether he was even worth the trouble. The answer to that was apparent on a November night in Detroit.

With Ron-Ron suspended for the season and several key players for many games the season figured to unravel. Carlisle rallied the troops for a couple of weeks but they were a sitting duck and no one seemed to hold out much hope for the team. The support and goodwill the team had generated in the second half of the 90’s and early part of the 2000’s was going and quickly at that. In the middle of all of this chaos stood Walsh and his sidekick Larry Legend who was being groomed to take over the president job. I love Larry Legend, but we all knew that as a coach he did more delegation than coaching and as great of a basketball player as he was, I was not sure of his ability to run a NBA team.

The 2004-2005 season came to an end against Detroit and it was hoped that Ron-Ron would either be traded or if he came back the next season he would have learned from his mistakes and grow up and be the person commensurate with his balling abilities. We all know, it didn’t happen.
Meanwhile, in the offseason Larry Legend was in Europe falling in love with a short white point guard who would never turn into the player we all hoped he would. It was the first real chink in Bird’s armor. Sarunas never panned out to be anything more than a decent backup PG. To make matters worse, his game was geared towards an up-tempo game style, something Carlisle simply would not abide. I don’t know if he felt it was a loss of control, but it certainly wasn’t his style. Consequently Sarunas was never really a good fit in Indianapolis and by the middle of last season he was gone.

Bird was taking over the team’s personnel moves and his first big attempt had gone sour. Walsh seemed to be a figurehead and Carlisle was fighting for his job. Compared to the past 10 years the near future looked bleak. For example, in 1998 a lanky high school kid named Al Harrington was drafted by the Pacers. Al struggled for a couple of years before becoming a main cog in the Pacer team makeup. Unhappy coming of the bench though, Al was traded after the 2003-2004 season. The Pacers seemed to like Al and by all indications wanted to appease the young player but simply couldn’t or wouldn’t guarantee him a starting role. The irony of course is that less than a month into the 2004-2005 season, one of the players whose role he coveted would be gone for the balance of the season.

Bird continued to make questionable moves in the 2005-2006 season. Artest, back from his suspension asked for a week off early in the season to promote a rap record he had produced. Having not been granted his wish Artest pouted and a few weeks later asked the team for a trade. He said he felt the division between himself and the team was too much to overcome. Bird sat his star player, but made no moves to trade him. As a fan I wondered what the hell they were doing. You have one of the best players in the league SITTING out and instead of trying to trade him you just let him sit. In what can only be described as a bizarre set of circumstances Bird finally agreed to a trade for Artest. In typical Artest fashion (i.e. being a complete lunatic) the player told Bird he didn’t want traded to Sacramento. Eventually Artest capitulated and the trade consummated thus ending one of the saddest chapters, player-wise, in Pacer history. Bird wasn’t off the hook by any stretch of the imagination.

Prior to the 2006-2007 season coach Rick Carlisle proclaimed he was changing his offense to an up-tempo style. Of course by now Sarunas was mired on the bench and the team he had would play would struggle with any up-tempo game. So Bird turned to the Hawks and was able to get Al Harrington back in the fold. The idea was that Al would fit into the new system well and Al jumped at the chance to both be back in Indianapolis and to play the way he wanted to play. Unfortunately the experiment was to be short lived and probably was the death knell for Carlisle.

Al was unhappy as the Pacers up-temp game never materialized and in January 2007 he and several other players were traded for several players of questionable value. On court the team was a joke. They had no chemistry and the coach had no control. The handwriting was on the wall for Carlisle and many, including me called for Larry’s head as well.
Now before you jump on me about personnel moves let me say this. Yes, I know that it took Donnie Walsh several years before he got the hang of the NBA. But one thing Walsh didn’t excel in was hiring thugs until Bird was on board and it was the end of Walsh’s reign.

Prior to the 2005-2006 season several players including Jackson and Tinsley were in trouble for being at a strip club at 2:00 am during training camp. Jackson allegedly got into a fight and fired his pistol at his antagonist. No one was hurt but Jackson would have his day in court, again. (He too, was involved in the brawl in Detroit.)

By now the fortunes of Indianapolis' pro sports franchises had changed places. The Colts, who have had their share of run-ins with the law over the years, had had several solid years of success and were perenial favorites to win the Super Bowl which they finally did in February 2007. Many of the city's fans who supported the Pacer's in their heyday now were on board with the Colts and had largely forgotten the basketballers.

Last season, after a party the day after the Super Bowl, Tinsley was out at a bar and got into a fight where guns were involved rankling an already skeptical public and highlighting the difference between the two teams.
Then, recently, rookie Shawne Williams was caught driving without a license and being in the presence of someone smoking marijuana. Williams claimed he didn’t know it was in the car, but the office that arrested him noticed the smell as soon as he got out of his patrol car. An unregistered gun was also found in the car. To add insult to injury, Williams failed to show up for court at his appointed time claiming he overslept.

Now don’t get me wrong, people need to wake up and start taking responsibility for themselves, but some people are just no good. Unfortunately the Pacer’s have become an organization rife with those kinds of players. Colt fan likes to make fun of the Bengals with all of their legal problems, but fans of both the Pacers and Colts can’t laugh too hard when it is happening in our own backyard.

So here we sit at the precipice of another season. A season that features a new coach and his philosophy. He has said all the right things, but in essence is just another retread coach who talks a good game but has had just limited success in the league. Larry Legend may have screwed himself this time. While I want the team to succeed I don’t see it happening and I can’t believe that ownership will sit by and watch this franchise continue to circle the drain. I love Larry Legend but he is just plain in over his head. No one ever confused Larry with Einstein. He was a brilliant basketball player, but that doesn’t mean he’ll ever make it as a team leader. It’s time to put Larry on a short leash. If this team tanks or if the players continue their anti-social behavior then Bird has to be the man held responsible.


Friday Night Lights

Last season NBC presented a show based loosely on the book and movie made a few years earlier. With Friday Night Lights being one of my favorite movies I was anxious to watch the television show and see what it would be like. I wasn't disappointed in the least.

Anyone expecting an exact copy of the movie may be disappointed, but face it, you have an hour a week for 10-16 weeks and you simply have to develop characters more than in a two hour movie. For the most part I really enjoyed the characters and their storylines during the first season. Sure there were things that didn't work for me, but they were exceptions.

This morning I sat down and watched the first episode of the second season. For the most part I was pleased. The writing seemed stronger and while still dramatic, it wasn't quite as over-the-top as some of last season seemed to be. That said, there is a couple of story lines that I see developing that bother me.

I see that Lyla seems to have gone overboard on the religion idea. She was baptized on the show and proceeded to be a complete bitch about it to the point where she is really anti-Christian, especially at dinner one night with her mother, her mother's boyfriend and her brothers and sisters. Now I don't have a problem with religion, but coming from this particular character seems unnatural at best and clownish at worst.

The other story line involved Lyla's dad Buddy. Buddy is a booster who likes to stick his nose in everything Panther football. When confronted by his estranged wife he calls her boyfriend a tree hugger and a communist. I see this beginning a path of political views on the show that are not necessary to the show. Hopefully it was an isolated incident, but I really don't want to see this show go down that path just so NBC or the shows producers feel they need a platform to espouse their views.

I'll be watching the next few episodes to see how these story lines play out. If they go too far I probably will cease watching. The only other thing I have on the show is that they moved it to Friday night. I think the target audience is probably kids who are living Friday night lights and as such aren't home when it's on. I myself had to DVR it. It made more sense on another night to me, but maybe they wanted to bolster ratings or make it feel more authentic.

Rooney

Well apparently my cat has started his own blog. He was nosing around looking for some pictures the other day. When I asked him why he revealed that he wanted them for his website. I thought I'd throw him a "bone" and give out his URL.

His blog is called "It's A Cat's Life" and you can find it at http://puparoo.blogspot.com

Enjoy!

God Bless Tony Stewart and Other Stuff

That might sound like a strange headline coming from me. As most of you know I despise Tony Stewart and I think he is a bona fide jackass and a cry baby. I know he is a great race car driver and is generally good for the sport, but his bullshit outweighs (by a large margin) the good. That said, last week Smoke, as his fans call him, made statements on his radio show that enraged the powers that be down in Daytona Beach but endeared him to me.

Stewart said he was tired of NASCAR throwing phantom yellow flags near the end of races to bunch up the fields to provide a more thrilling finish. Strong words? Sure, but for those of us who have felt the same way and have been turned off by NASCAR's ways over the past several years it was music to our ears. Many claimed Stewart was just whining again because he was beat, but he said he knew he was going to lose and this was not an isolated incident.

As a race fan I used to be a big NASCAR fan. I admit that the sport hasn't been as big to me since Dale Earnhardt passed, but the BS that goes on in the NASCAR offices is what really pisses me off. Rules changes in season, 35-8, the provisionals, the phantom yellows and the general arrogance are what really has turned me off. I like the drivers and teams, and yes, even not liking a Tony Stewart or Jeff Gordon makes it fun to root against them because they are so good.

Tony Stewart said nothing more than people like me have thought for years. NASCAR has become a joke and is more entertainment than sport. Sure it rakes in millions of dollars daily, but so does the WWE.

Unfortunately we live in a world where short attention spans are the norm. NASCAR has decided that their fans either can not or will not abide a driver running away with the win. They have decided that their fans are only happy when the race comes down to 2 or more cars crossing the finish line within a half second of each other. Don't get me wrong, close finishes are good for the sport and fun to watch, but manufactured finishes like Smoke is talking about are what has turned a lot of fans against NASCAR. I mean, God forbid that a team comes to a track, has their shit together, has a driver who is focused and hungry, have the best race strategy and win by a wide margin because everyone else doesn't have their shit together.

For Stewart's part he was fined and placed on probation by NASCAR. he also "retracted' his statements. Fine, but obviously we can not "un-hear" his words. He said it, you know he meant it and a lot of fans agree. Even Ol' DW seemed to be leaning Stewart's way during the Phoenix race when no one could find any debris the brought out the yellow.

Maybe NASCAR will heed Smoke's (unspoken now) words and quit playing God with their races. The last few years the IRL seemed to be going down that route, but so far this year the have let them run. Maybe a driver winning by a lap isn't as exciting as a duel decided by .0001 of a second, but that .0001 of a second finish is only good if it is legitimate and not manufactured.

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Today is May 1. Sunday the Speedway opens for a couple of days of rookie practice with everyone getting going on Tuesday. Unfortunately excitement for the 91st running of the Indianapolis 500 doesn't seem to be at a fever pitch. Looking at it I don't even see 33 car/driver combos. But things change rapidly at the Speedway in May and they'll probably get there.
The housekeeping first. I'll be out there on Fast Friday (May 11), Pole Day (May 12), the second week of qualifications (May 19-20), Carb Day (May 25) and Race Day (May 27). I do have some tickets for sale if anyone is interested. I have two up high in the NW Vista (turn 4) and two in H Stand (coming out of 4) about halfway up. I'm looking for face value for them. The NW Vista are $85 each and he H are $70 each. Use the Contact Me link above left if you are interested.

As for the actual racing Dan Wheldon has to be considered the favorite going in. Target Chip Ganassi Racing team mate Scott Dixon looked fast last weekend and should challenge. Their main competition from last year, Penske, seems to be a bit off. Frankly I think Sam is already gone to NASCAR in his mind. Julio may be able to get it done, but the team has struggled everywhere but St. Pete. Tony Kanaan and Dario Franchitti both have been strong for Andretti Green, but Marco has been an embarrassment on the ovals and I think he is spooked, Danica has been so-so and God only knows what Michael will bring to the show.

Frankly, everyone else seems to be an also run. Tomas Scheckter had a decent run at Kansas, but if the winner doesn't come from Wheldon, Scotty D, Sam, Julio, TK or Dario I'd be surprised. I'd really like to hear Kosuke drop another F-bomb while he's here!

See you at the track!

R.I.P.

I killed my wife's car Saturday night. The green meanie rides no more. A word of warning, anyone going to Harley's Tin West would be well served by checking out the parking lot before going in. It is dark, oddly shaped and guarded by two retention ponds and mud. We'll miss the old girl, but honey is getting a new car this week. For the record I just dumped it in the drink, one of the other outlaws is good for the front right corner!!

The World Champion Indianapolis Colts!

When it was in the bag Sunday night and the final few second ticked off the clock I was torn between emotions. On one hand I was so happy to see my team finally get over the hump and win the Championship. On the other hand I had a great feeling of relief.

All week long I had really thought the Colts would win and that feeling never really escaped, but I had no illusions that the Bears would back down. But as the game approached I felt more and more anxious about what "they" would say if the Colts lost.

Sure I shouldn't care what the media says, but after being so close with this team the past few years and having them rip my heart out time and time again, I just didn't know how I could face another media blitz on the Colts and how they proved they could not win the big one and were simply a soft dome team. I was concerned that we would face another off season of questions about the players and coaches. Of course any time you don't win it all you face that, but this team has been preseason favorites the past three or four years and has always managed to fuck it up. By winning it, they put all of that chatter behind them and it just feels like a relief to me.

Honestly though I am just so happy. I got a little misty after the game when Don Shula presented the Lombardi Trophy to Jim Irsay. Monday morning I was watching Sports Center and Mike and Mike and flipping between tuners and pausing one when I went to the other. I read all of the articles in the paper and literally had tears streaming down my face. Good thing the wife wasn't home!!

Monday after the pep rally in the dome I was just drained. It was such a high for that 24 hours. By the time the rally ended I was ready to just lay down and sleep. Starting today we can start to dissect the draft. We can begin the talk about our free agents, who to keep, who to lose. We can discuss the chances for a repeat. Why didn't the defense show up until the playoffs? Is this team truly bored with the regular season? If so, how does winning it all help? Can this team regroup and take everyone's best shot next year and even make the playoffs? Do we have the makings of a dynasty or did we get ours too late into the game for our core group of players? How much longer will Marvin play? And for God's sake, can we take down those ridiculous "Wild Card" and "AFC Finalist" banners in the Dome?

All My Teams

The Colts are in Miami. Yesterday there were a couple of big send offs in town. Unfortunately I was unable to attend, but that's okay. It was cold anyway! It did make me think though. Here we are, fans of a team that is 60 minutes from a World Championship. 3600 measly seconds from the biggest thrill a fan of a team can have. I sometimes look back and see that the Indiana Pacers of the ABA were the only professional winners this city has ever had, but still, I have been lucky as a sports fan.

Those of you who know me, know also that I was a Bengal and a Raider fan prior to 1984 and the Colts arrival in Indianapolis. Being a long time fan of the game I knew about Johnny Unitas, Lenny Moore, The Greatest Game Ever Played, Ray Berry, John Mackey, Artie Donovan etc. I was never a Colt fan, but those were household football names. As a Raider fan however, I was ecstatic when they won it all in 1976 against the favored Vikings, again in 1981 as the first Wild Card team to win the Super Bowl and again in 1984 when, again as underdogs, beat the piss out of the Redskins. Hell by the time I was 24 my favorite football team had won three championships.

However, as time moved on and I became more and more involved with being a Colt fan, my love of the Raiders waned (despite what Neil might say!!) Sure I rooted for them a few years back against the Tampa Bay Bucs, but they were so outmanned it was ridiculous!

I also have been a Cincinnati Red and New York Yankee fan. The Reds took the title in 1976 and 77 and again, miraculously destroyed what everyone said was a superior Oakland team in 1990. The Yankee's always seem to be in contention and won three in a row at the end of the century.

These were all great as a fan, but they still left me wanting. Now of course there are the Indiana Hoosiers. National Champions in 1976, 81 and 87. Led by a series of All-American players and a hall of fame coach, the Hoosiers were a joy to watch and root for and few were bigger fans than me or my friends. We all knew when the team played and usually worked schedules around it. Of course we were all younger and had relatively few responsibilities, but by God, if the Hoosiers were playing we were together and watching.

Times changed for me over the years though. I still like the Hoosiers (although I really have not warmed up to the new coach) but it is nothing like the passion I had back in the 80's and 90's. Maybe it is because I feel like Bob Knight let us down beginning in 1994, maybe it was the lackluster teams. I don't really know, but in 2002 when the guys got to the title game I watched, but it was just different. Some of you may have been at DK's house when they won 1987 and know what that was like. Going to the final game in 2002 was nothing like that for me.

But all-in-all I have to admit I have had some good teams to root for. Hell, even Roncalli HS has given me some very proud moments over the years. The Pacers, well they had a couple of close calls, but still led us on some wonderful journeys over the years. But the Colts, well, pretty much until Peyton Manning arrived the team has sucked. Sure we had the 95 team that was so close to the Super Bowl. An unlikely bunch out of nowhere that was a dropped pass from playing the Cowboys.

But this time we are there and if the team can bring home the win I imagine it will eclipse all of the Raider, Hoosier, Reds, Yankee and Rebel wins combined. Like I said, I count myself lucky enough to have been fans of those teams when they won. Maybe it is just me being selfish. I do know what all this means, and I want it!

AFC Title Game Day

The Indianapolis Colts are going to the Super Bowl!! In what can only be described as an unbelievable game, the Colts exorcised their demons and beat the Patriots 38-34. You all know the story of the game, here are just a few thoughts from Sunday.

Got up early and went to church. Me and the Mrs. have been pretty remiss about that since we got married and it felt god to go. Naturally I prayed for the Colts, but I have no illusion that God cares who wins a football game. Nor should he. I just prayed that the guys played to the best of their abilities. For 25 minutes of that game, I was pretty sure my prayers were not to be answered.

Went to lunch at Bahama Breeze for Brooke's birthday and to their house for cake. By this time my stomach feels like it has bats instead of butterflies! I'm confident, but very anxious at the same time. After we leave we go by the house and I grab some brews, my hat and coat and a trash bag and we head to Tom's.

I get to Tom's first followed by Paw and Tim and finally Neil. We have Bombs to get the day started although I could go for a cat nap to get lunch past me. I have a Red Bull and feel fine. Another round of Bombs and a beer and we are ready to go. We pile in the Caddy and head for Mo's.
The atmosphere downtown is charged. There do seem to be a lot of Pat fans around the area and my anxiety level increases. I am not sure if I can handle a stadium full of those idiots. Still, there is a lot of blue as well. We make our way to Pullmans for what has become our traditional pregame stop. We have one, go to the can and I make a call to the wife and tell her we are heading in. I am assuming voice conversations once inside the dome are not going to be possible.

Once we get in the Pat fans are few and far between, but of course that doesn't mean there are 5 sitting right in front of us. Craig warns me to behave, later Eric does as well, but these guys look pretty harmless. I assure Craig all will be well. I really wanted to hit them a little later, but I kept my cool and just yelled louder and "accidentally" spilled a little beer on their jacket.

Most of the usual's were there. Butch and his crew, Dan-o and Mark, the Legend, the Girls, my buddy who always speaks (who unfortunately may have broken his ankle in the first quarter) was there, the BILF, the throwback helmet guy and the myriad of other usual fans were all in attendance!

Then the unthinkable happened. PM threw a pick that was run back for a TD. Patriots 21, Colts 3. Tom headed out to smoke and I don't think he came back until the half, Paw was giving up his tickets next season, Timmy was moved to seat 110 and I had pretty much thrown in the towel. The Pat fans were chest bumping and high-fiving. They were calling and texting their friends back in Boston or wherever Pat fans come from. Without the FG at the end of the half for the Colts the dome may have begun emptying out by the half.

The good news is that the fans didn't leave. We all stayed and we just yelled louder. I made sure the guys in front of me knew this fan was going to stay in the game. It was worth it! As the Colts stormed back from 15 down it was apparent PM was going to pick his game up. Even the 80 yard KO return after the Colts tied it up didn't bring us down.

Eventually, as you know, we pulled it out! Marlin Jackson, in place of the injured Nick Harper, picked off Tom Brady's pass with 16 seconds left to go and the game was over. The Pat fans in front of me were gone before I was done with my first hug. But only the Pat fan left. As you can see from this picture, Colt fan stayed late! We hugged and high-fived. We laughed and teared up. We felt the weight of not only the last few years of heartbreak, but of 23 years of trying to get over this hump. None of us had much of a voice left but who cared.

When we finally filed out of the dome, with smiles splashed across our faces the cheering continued. Number one fingers all around, more high-fives, chest bumps and general fun! We headed over to the Ugly Monkey and got drinks and went out n the patio and high-fived hundreds of passing fans and tossed snow balls at passing cars. All in good fun. We finally headed up Illinois Street in the Caddy and with the other idiots, honked our horn and joined in the fun! Even saw some Bear fan who promptly got the finger.

It was a great day. We can only hope that in two weeks we beat the Chicago Bears. While I have a problem when people say "we" meaning the fans deserve this, it is a great feeling and one I want to take into the offseason! Let's Go Colts!!

Stupid Pacer Tricks

Yesterday the Indiana Pacers made one of the stupidest trades in team history. Not since bringing back Bob Netolicky has the team veered so far of course. Yes, we are now rid of the thug Stephen Jackson, but love him or hate him, he could play ball. But as if that weren't bad enough, we also allowed Al Harrington, Sarunus and Josh Powell to the Warriors for four backups. Fuck Larry Legend, how much did you have to drink before pulling the trigger on this one?

Granted there are a lot of fans out there who are thrilled to see Jack gone, but we got the short end of the stick on what seems like a desperation move by the organization. this team spent the past two lamenting the loss of Harrington who they drafted out of high school 8 years ago. He spent two years in the ATL and seemed happy to be back in Indy. We were all told by Carlisle in the preseason how this team was going to play up tempo and be exciting. Unfortunately Carlisle's demand of control on the team would never allow him let the team play. As it is, the team is dull and hard to watch. Al has indicated he is happy to leave because of this.

So instead of making the change where it needs to be, at head coach, we gut the team to save the feelings of the coach. Bird is so far in over his head as an NBA team president it isn't funny. Donnie Walsh can't retire because Larry sucks. He scouted Sarunus for months in Europe proclaiming him a great point guard. He never really caught on and like Harrington, found himself at odds with the coach and gameplan.

Now we get that faggy Mike Dunleavy, slow and steady Troy Murphy, Ike Diogu, who may be he only bright spot when all is said and done and Keith McLeod who is now going to his 4th team in 5 years.

As a longtime Pacer fan I feel sick by these moves. Back in the day the team didn't win, but they were lovable and had some nice players. Larry Brown took us far and caretaker coach Bird got us to the finals. Since then it has been downhill except a couple years with the Pistons. This season wasn't going great, but we were 4 games over .500 and in playoff position. I wouldn't look for that to last. Maybe Larry is a genius and is setting us up for the Oden lottery before it's too late!

Go Colts!

Well Colt fan, here we are facing the biggest game in team history. Our first ever AFC Championship game in the Dome. For us loyal Colt fans, this is what we have been waiting for, especially with this team. I know it isn’t the Super Bowl and just getting there is by no means enough. Not by a damn sight. But the only way the Colts win it is to win Sunday. Twenty three seasons we have waited for an opportunity like this. Sure we were in this game in 1995 and 2003. Unfortunately we were on the road. Honestly we should have beaten the Steelers in 95, but we played poorly in Foxboro a few years ago.

Since then we have posted great season records including last years stellar 14-2. But as any fan can tell you, those games are pretty much meaningless unless the team backs them up in the playoffs. Ask anyone on the team, they’ll tell you!

This year has been different. This year the team had another great regular season, but was lousy on defense and struggled down the stretch. Looking back a month one wonders if they weren’t just ready to get to January and the playoffs.

So we go into Sunday, against the team I consider the Colts biggest rival. Pat fan might not call it a rivalry, but they are lying to themselves. Once they owned us. Hell for the first 21 years the Colts have been in Indianapolis they owned us. But on prime time TV both this year and last, the Colts have extracted a measure of revenge by beating them in their stadium, soundly. It may have been only the regular season, but if anyone believes the games meant any less than a playoff game to either team they aren’t paying attention.

As the week goes on expect the city to reach a fever pitch. The Pat fans say they are coming, but I bet their numbers in the dome are negligible. Look for more blue being worn. Posters in windows. Debate on talk radio. Discussion on TV. Expect the experts, especially the noted Colt haters Mark Schlereth and Sean Salisbury to call the Colts soft and incapable of winning this game. Expect to hear about how Pat coach Bill Belichick has Peyton Manning’s number and how Tom “Man purse” Brady is the best QB ever. Expect talk about how 18 has played in the playoffs, but don’t expect much about the D. Some of what you read and hear is true, some, pure folly. All of it, however, means they are talking about our Indianapolis Colts who stand just two victories from history.

And look out. If the Colts are to win, which I truly believe they will, watch for the media to jump all over the Bear or Saint bandwagon next week. Especially the Saints. God forbid they lose and ruin the “America’s new team” mantra some seem to have bestowed upon them.

Well America, you may not have been Colt fans before and you may not be now, but the bandwagon is gearing up again and there is plenty of room. Jump on board! Don’t let the uppity fans not let you. Let’s make this our week! As we know, these opportunities don’t come along very often!