- Saying NO to Special Interests: Special Interests and Lobbyists have become too powerful. It has gotten so bad that lobbyists are now writing legislation for Congressmen to act as sponsors. Of course if your job relied on having enough money to be re-elected, it would be hard for you to turn that money down. Obama is the ONLY candidate not to take money from specials interests or lobbyists. Therefore he will be accountable to those who are funding his campaign - individual citizens!
- Hope: Obama energizes younger and traditionally downtrodden people with his energy and optimistic outlook. I agree with Obama - this country can live closer to its ideals if ALL of us are part of it.
- Judgment and Vision: Obama has the vision to see what can be and is courageous enough to stand up for what he believes. Today that is clear is his (correct) stand against the gas tax holiday, which will decrease prices for a few days, increase demand, and take the prices back up, with that additional revenue going to the oil companies, not to our roads in disrepair. But on a far more important issue Obama took a far less popular stand in 2002:
Monday, May 5, 2008
Why I voted for Barack Obama
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Kudos to Coach Crean!
"Our staff is going to ensure that anyone who attends this university and wears the Indiana uniform will make this privilege among their highest priorities and not treat the opportunity as an entitlement. We fully expect our student-athletes to accept the responsibilities academically, athletically, and socially that come with representing one of the top programs in college basketball history.
There was a culture of entitlement in this program. And that had to stop."
- Tom Crean
And stop it did. On Friday new IU basketball coach Tom Crean announced the dismissal of DeAndre Thomas and that Armon Bassett and Jamarcus Ellis would not be reinstated. This comes on the heels of Thursday's announcement that Eli Holman would also be transferring. Of course, on his way out he allegedly threw a potted plan in Crean's office, leading to campus police being called.
With the exception of Bassett, the other players were all Kelvin Sampson recruits. He sure knows how to pick them. Of the eight players he recruited to IU, two were kicked off the team, one threw a plant while informing the coach he was transferring, and one was suspended for 3 games during his only season. Only two of the eight will suit up for IU next year.
IU will be lousy next year, but I don't care. For the first time since the Knight era, I really feel like IU is doing everything the right way. From bringing in good kids, to playing by the rules, to going to class, to being well-coached on the floor, the IU basketball that I loved is on its way back.
Thanks Coach Crean!
There was a culture of entitlement in this program. And that had to stop."
- Tom Crean
And stop it did. On Friday new IU basketball coach Tom Crean announced the dismissal of DeAndre Thomas and that Armon Bassett and Jamarcus Ellis would not be reinstated. This comes on the heels of Thursday's announcement that Eli Holman would also be transferring. Of course, on his way out he allegedly threw a potted plan in Crean's office, leading to campus police being called.
With the exception of Bassett, the other players were all Kelvin Sampson recruits. He sure knows how to pick them. Of the eight players he recruited to IU, two were kicked off the team, one threw a plant while informing the coach he was transferring, and one was suspended for 3 games during his only season. Only two of the eight will suit up for IU next year.
IU will be lousy next year, but I don't care. For the first time since the Knight era, I really feel like IU is doing everything the right way. From bringing in good kids, to playing by the rules, to going to class, to being well-coached on the floor, the IU basketball that I loved is on its way back.
Thanks Coach Crean!
Monday, April 28, 2008
Joe Flacco & the Ravens
The Ravens 2008 draft has received mixed reviews. Mel Kiper gave them a solid B while I've seen several other reviews give them a C or even a D. Of course, rating a draft a day afterward is absolutely ridiculous. You need at least 3 years to get a good read on its impact.
For the Ravens the success of this draft will ride predominantly on the success of first-round pick Joe Flacco. And I hate to admit this, but I REALLY like this pick. While I love his arm, three things have stuck out to me - his accuracy, his ability to learn quickly, and his seemingly unflappable demeanor. All three traits are vastly different from what Kyle Boller brings to the table. Add to that the fact that Cam Cameron will be mentoring him and the odds of Flacco succeeding just feel much higher than they did with Boller, who was a reach from the beginning.
As far as the rest of the draft, I don't think we'll see any immediate impacts. They drafted a couple more offensive linemen, which I like, but both will need to further develop before becoming starters. I like the pick of Tavares Gooden, a MLB from Miami, but he will be a backup next year. The pick of Tom Zbikowski, the safety from Notre Dame, was another good one but he will not start next year. The Ravens traded their 4th round pick for CB Fabian Washington, who was a bust in Oakland, so I don't feel that they've adequately addressed their CB situation.
Next year will be a very important year for some recent Ravens picks. It's time for Mark Clayton ('05), Adam Terry ('05), David Pittman ('06), PJ Daniels ('06) and Chris Chester ('06) to step up or step out. It's time for Demetrius Williams ('06), Antwan Barnes ('07), Prescott Burgess ('07), Troy Smith ('07) and Jared Gaither ('07) to make major progress. It will be important for Ben Grubbs ('07), Marshal Yanda ('07), and Yamon Figurs ('07) to continue their solid development. The Ravens are getting old very quickly. For the transition into (hopefully) the Joe Flacco era to be a smooth one, the younger Ravens must perform.
For the Ravens the success of this draft will ride predominantly on the success of first-round pick Joe Flacco. And I hate to admit this, but I REALLY like this pick. While I love his arm, three things have stuck out to me - his accuracy, his ability to learn quickly, and his seemingly unflappable demeanor. All three traits are vastly different from what Kyle Boller brings to the table. Add to that the fact that Cam Cameron will be mentoring him and the odds of Flacco succeeding just feel much higher than they did with Boller, who was a reach from the beginning.
As far as the rest of the draft, I don't think we'll see any immediate impacts. They drafted a couple more offensive linemen, which I like, but both will need to further develop before becoming starters. I like the pick of Tavares Gooden, a MLB from Miami, but he will be a backup next year. The pick of Tom Zbikowski, the safety from Notre Dame, was another good one but he will not start next year. The Ravens traded their 4th round pick for CB Fabian Washington, who was a bust in Oakland, so I don't feel that they've adequately addressed their CB situation.
Next year will be a very important year for some recent Ravens picks. It's time for Mark Clayton ('05), Adam Terry ('05), David Pittman ('06), PJ Daniels ('06) and Chris Chester ('06) to step up or step out. It's time for Demetrius Williams ('06), Antwan Barnes ('07), Prescott Burgess ('07), Troy Smith ('07) and Jared Gaither ('07) to make major progress. It will be important for Ben Grubbs ('07), Marshal Yanda ('07), and Yamon Figurs ('07) to continue their solid development. The Ravens are getting old very quickly. For the transition into (hopefully) the Joe Flacco era to be a smooth one, the younger Ravens must perform.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
1st Place Baltimore Orioles!
The opportunity to say that has been so rare over the past 25 years that I couldn't resist the headline, even if it's only 7 games into the season. Since the O's won the 1983 World Series, there have only been 3 seasons - 1989, 1997, & 2005 - in which the O's spent a significant portion of the season in first place. And in two of those seasons - '89 & '05 - they fell short of the post-season.
Despite this week's fun, I fully expect the O's to finish in last place. But that's OK. For the first time since the early 90's, they actually have a logical philosophy in place. While it's still early in his reign, Andy McPhail has a sound strategy and appears to be executing it well. Already, five of the players acquired in the Erik Bedard and Miguel Tejada trades are on the roster and contributing. Adam Jones is off to a slow start but has already gotten some timely hits. Luke Scott is batting .500 and hit his first HR today. George Sherrill, Dennis Sarfate, and Matt Albers have combined for a 0.00 ERA and 4 saves out of the bullpen.
As we go through the season, here is what I'll be watching:
Despite this week's fun, I fully expect the O's to finish in last place. But that's OK. For the first time since the early 90's, they actually have a logical philosophy in place. While it's still early in his reign, Andy McPhail has a sound strategy and appears to be executing it well. Already, five of the players acquired in the Erik Bedard and Miguel Tejada trades are on the roster and contributing. Adam Jones is off to a slow start but has already gotten some timely hits. Luke Scott is batting .500 and hit his first HR today. George Sherrill, Dennis Sarfate, and Matt Albers have combined for a 0.00 ERA and 4 saves out of the bullpen.
As we go through the season, here is what I'll be watching:
- Adam Jones: He may struggle early on. How will he handle it? What adjustments will he make? In 2006, his rookie season, Nick Markakis was hitting .200 in early June. He ended up near .300.
- Adam Loewen & Jeremy Guthrie: This is essentially their first full seasons as starters. How will they hold up? How will they adjust once the league has season them a few times? Can they develop into long-term members of the starting rotation?
- Dennis Sarfate, Randor Bierd, Greg Aquino, and Matt Albers: All 4 were acquired in the off-season and are in the bullpen. For years the O's bullpen has been a disaster. Are any of these guys long-term solutions? Will Albers be moved into the rotation?
- The Norfolk rotation: Triple-A Norfolk has 3 young pitchers with major-league potential - Garrett Olson, Radhammes Liz, & Hayden Penn. How will they perform at AAA? When will they get called up? If they are called up, will the O's start them out in the bullpen?
- Chris Tillman, Chorye Spoone, Jake Arrieta, Tim Bascom, Brandon Erbe: More young pitchers at the Single-A and Double-A levels. All have high ceilings. How will they develop?
- The Frederick Keys: This team has a ton of talent, including the O's past three #1 picks - 1B Brandon Snyder, 3B Billy Rowell, and C Matt Wieters. Their rotation includes Arrieta and Erbe.
- O's 2009 road uniforms: It's past time to put "Baltimore" back on the road jerseys! The deadline for changes is sometime in May.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Crean & Crimson!
IU introduced Tom Crean as its new mens' basketball coach today. After watching parts of his press conference all I can say is "Wow!"
Crean is the brother-in-law of new Ravens' head coach John Harbaugh. Both come across as great motivators and bring an incredible amount of passion and energy to situations that desperately need them. With the recent hires of Crean, Harbaugh, and Andy McPhail/Dave Trembley, all three of my teams are finally headed in the right direction.
There are two things I really like about Crean. First, he has a true respect for the tradition of Indiana basketball. He talked today about watching the '76 Hoosiers as a 10 year old in Michigan. He also talked about going to a Bob Knight clinic and being absolutely mesmerized. He understands and embraces some of our quirky traditions, like the candy-striped warm-ups.
The second thing I really like, and it is somewhat related to the first, is he strongly believes in doing things the right way. That means playing by the rules and graduating players. He said today that all 23 players he had at Marquette that stayed 4 years graduated. If I'm going to donote money to IU I want to know that the scholarships it funds are truly being used to gain an education.
The only thing he doesn't bring is the motion or Princeton offense. But if that's the only downside, I'm OK. It may take some time, but I am confident that IU FINALLY has found the man to lead IU basketball down the right path for years to come. After so long, I am again feeling good about the direction of IU basketball!
Crean is the brother-in-law of new Ravens' head coach John Harbaugh. Both come across as great motivators and bring an incredible amount of passion and energy to situations that desperately need them. With the recent hires of Crean, Harbaugh, and Andy McPhail/Dave Trembley, all three of my teams are finally headed in the right direction.
There are two things I really like about Crean. First, he has a true respect for the tradition of Indiana basketball. He talked today about watching the '76 Hoosiers as a 10 year old in Michigan. He also talked about going to a Bob Knight clinic and being absolutely mesmerized. He understands and embraces some of our quirky traditions, like the candy-striped warm-ups.
The second thing I really like, and it is somewhat related to the first, is he strongly believes in doing things the right way. That means playing by the rules and graduating players. He said today that all 23 players he had at Marquette that stayed 4 years graduated. If I'm going to donote money to IU I want to know that the scholarships it funds are truly being used to gain an education.
The only thing he doesn't bring is the motion or Princeton offense. But if that's the only downside, I'm OK. It may take some time, but I am confident that IU FINALLY has found the man to lead IU basketball down the right path for years to come. After so long, I am again feeling good about the direction of IU basketball!
Sunday, March 23, 2008
The future of IU basketball
With IU's basketball season ending in predictable fashion late Friday - a pathetic effort against a good, but not great Arkansas team - it is now time for IU to again hire a new coach. While I do not believe that Dan Dakich should be the new full-time coach, I think he outlined exactly what the new coach must bring to IU:
Amen, Brother! I guarantee that if the IU Administration had used the above as a guideline they would not have hired Mike Davis or Kelvin Sampson.
One thing that disturbs me about this search committee is that there are no former IU basketball players on it. I really believe there should be at least 2 - one from the Knight era and one from the McCracken era - as they truly understand the culture of IU basketball. Given that Dakich will be remaining at IU in some capacity next year, I hope his words have some influence.
One of the major challenges in abiding by what Dakich has outlined is that there really is no one in the "IU family" that has the record indicating that they understand the above AND that they can win. Dakich and Steve Alford come the closest but both of their coaching records fall well short of what IU demands.
Therefore I think IU will have to go outside of the "family." However, that doesn't mean they have to compromise their principles. My #1 candidate, Tony Bennett, actually does have some ties to IU (his sister Kathi was the IU women's coach from 2000-05). But more importantly, his own basketball background is grounded in a very similar philosophy. He grew up in the Midwest, the son of a coach who followed the same principles. He is young (38) and he has done an amazing job at a basketball afterthought in a tough conference. Yesterday I watched his team dominate a very good Notre Dame team by playing great defense and very disciplined offense. Growing up in the Midwest he certainly understands what IU basketball once stood for. Heck, his dad and Coach Knight are good friends.
I've heard some conjecture that he may not want to come to IU because he feels his sister may have been mistreated by Rick Greenspan. Perhaps there is truth in that, but at Kathi Bennett's resignation press conference this is what she had to say:
IU Administration - do the right thing!
"This needs to be built with a foundation of discipline. This needs
to be built with a foundation of accountability. This needs to be built back to where there is a real pride among the people that know everything that is going on within the basketball program, where there are former players that come up and have pride with what is having with what is happening in the basketball program...
I am just telling you the culture right now lends itself to exactly what is going on here. To get this right for Indiana people, Indiana fans, the Indiana nation want it done right. Where there is no embarrassment. Where there is nothing but pride in all areas. That is something that has to happen at IU. Doesn't have to happen everywhere but it has to happen at Indiana University. That is just the way Indiana University conducts its business. Particularly in the basketball program. Criticize it, say it is right, say it is wrong, criticize individuals all you want. Certainly that is being part of an Indiana basketball coach or
Indiana basketball player but I am just telling you there is a pride and a way that is bigger than whether you win or lose games. That takes care of itself with IU but you have to do things in a certain way. You have to do them right, you have to do them with people that care. You have to bring in the former players, bring the whole environment of what made this great. Whether it was the 1940 national championship, the 1953 national championship, the 1976 national championship---it has got to be. This is one of the few programs where it absolutely has to be. It is not a program of maybe yes, maybe no. It has to be here at Indiana and that is what makes it great."
Amen, Brother! I guarantee that if the IU Administration had used the above as a guideline they would not have hired Mike Davis or Kelvin Sampson.
One thing that disturbs me about this search committee is that there are no former IU basketball players on it. I really believe there should be at least 2 - one from the Knight era and one from the McCracken era - as they truly understand the culture of IU basketball. Given that Dakich will be remaining at IU in some capacity next year, I hope his words have some influence.
One of the major challenges in abiding by what Dakich has outlined is that there really is no one in the "IU family" that has the record indicating that they understand the above AND that they can win. Dakich and Steve Alford come the closest but both of their coaching records fall well short of what IU demands.
Therefore I think IU will have to go outside of the "family." However, that doesn't mean they have to compromise their principles. My #1 candidate, Tony Bennett, actually does have some ties to IU (his sister Kathi was the IU women's coach from 2000-05). But more importantly, his own basketball background is grounded in a very similar philosophy. He grew up in the Midwest, the son of a coach who followed the same principles. He is young (38) and he has done an amazing job at a basketball afterthought in a tough conference. Yesterday I watched his team dominate a very good Notre Dame team by playing great defense and very disciplined offense. Growing up in the Midwest he certainly understands what IU basketball once stood for. Heck, his dad and Coach Knight are good friends.
I've heard some conjecture that he may not want to come to IU because he feels his sister may have been mistreated by Rick Greenspan. Perhaps there is truth in that, but at Kathi Bennett's resignation press conference this is what she had to say:
"This is a decision of mine. I made this decision and it wasn't anything else but that. I want to make sure people know that for me, Rick Greenspan taking this job was a godsend. My relationship with him was great and he supported me a great deal. I think he is going to do great things here. The short amount of time here with him has been wonderful."Now that I've outlined what I think IU should do, do I think IU will actually do it? Of course not. Given that the administration has no former IU basketball players on the search committee indicates that they really don't care. They will hire the biggest name they can find, with a glitzy resume, regardless of what his principles are. Then they'll have a press conference where they pay lip service to the tradition of IU basketball and restoring IU back to those winning ways. The president will say a few words about the new coach being committed to playing by the rules and graduating players. Yada, yada, yada. (If you doubt me, see the transcript of Kelvin Sampson's introductory presser.) Heck, I've even heard an Internet rumor saying that a trustee has already confirmed that Rick Pitino will take the job and another rumor saying his wife was in Bloomington last week looking at houses. (Of course, I also heard that rumor in 2001.)
IU Administration - do the right thing!
Sunday, March 16, 2008
The State of IU Basketball
I have to admit, I'm almost glad that IU's season is almost over. This season was ruined the moment the news broke about Kelvin Sampson's latest cheating in October. Other than DJ White and 2 games in February, this team has not been worth watching. They are extraordinarily talented...and extraordinarily selfish and undisciplined. I'm not a fan of Bob Kravitz, but he sums it up pretty well:
IU's Selfishness
In a way, I feel for Eric Gordon. He seems like a good kid and he is incredibly talented. But I don't enjoy watching him play. It seems that he is a victim of his talent and today's screwed-up system. He obviously has NBA-talent but he just doesn't seem to know how to play good basketball. He constantly takes bad shots and is extremely careless with the ball. To say he hasn't lived up to expectations would be an understatement.
I have developed my personal list of coaches I would like IU to consider:
IU's Selfishness
In a way, I feel for Eric Gordon. He seems like a good kid and he is incredibly talented. But I don't enjoy watching him play. It seems that he is a victim of his talent and today's screwed-up system. He obviously has NBA-talent but he just doesn't seem to know how to play good basketball. He constantly takes bad shots and is extremely careless with the ball. To say he hasn't lived up to expectations would be an understatement.
I have developed my personal list of coaches I would like IU to consider:
- Tony Bennett (Washington State): There are 3 things I like about Bennett - (a) he's young, (b) he has an excellent record at a program with little history, a poor location, and plays in a tough conference, and (c) he has learned under 2 outstanding coaches - his dad and Bo Ryan. I have to admit, I love his connection to Bo Ryan. I love what Ryan does at Wisconsin with teams that usually don't have the most talent. Bennett has done similar things in a very short stay at WSU.
- Jamie Dixon (Pittsburgh): At first I though Dixon was just riding Ben Howland's coattails at Pittsburgh. Then I did some research and, much to my surprise, Dixon has been running that program for 5 full seasons now. In those five years they have played for the Big East tourney title 4 times, winning it last night. I've been impressed by 2 things - (a) the way he kept the team together despite a ton of injuries this year and (b) his ability to recruit New York. While I wasn't blown away by Pitt's style last night, I was very impressed with their intensity, especially given they were playing their 4th game in 4 nights.
- Sean Miller (Xavier): Again to my surprise, Miller has already been at Xavier for 4 years, so he has had the opportunity to put his stamp on the program. They spent much of this year in the Top 15 and clearly out-classed Coach AT&T when Xavier blew out IU in November. Being in Cincinnati he has strong midwestern ties, unlike Dixon.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
FINALLY Sampson is Gone
Another chapter in the seemingly never-ending soap opera of IU basketball closed Friday night with the buyout of Kelvin Sampson. Unfortunately it was about 4 months too late (see my blog of 10/28).
It's ironic that since the news broke of the severity of the NCAA allegations (which I predicted in that 10/28 blog), my passion for IU basketball has returned. Prior to the new allegations I had been to about 5 IU games this year, despite having season tickets. When I did go I just did not enjoy it. I felt like something very sacred had been corrupted and no one seemed to care. Since the news broke that all changed. In fact, other than a few students, I've been very proud of the way the IU have reacted. This article sums it up very well:
IU Fans' Character
So where should IU go from here? The next thing that needs to happen is to relieve Rick Greenspan of his duties. In the last week I had heard some rumblings about whether Greenspan truly wanted Sampson and I started to waver on whether he should go. However, if that was the case, then why did it take Greenspan a year to discover the problems, especially given Sampson's history? And why didn't he fire him in October?
As for this season I have no idea what to expect. They have a very tough game at Michigan State next Sunday. Purdue has 1 semi-tough game left - at Ohio State. Wisconsin's toughest remaining game is Michigan State in Madison. So I don't expect IU to win the Big Ten title. Could IU ride the emotion of Sampson's departure to a nice run in the NCAA? I guess anything is possible. One thing is for sure - I feel much better about being an IU fan than I did 2 weeks ago.
It's ironic that since the news broke of the severity of the NCAA allegations (which I predicted in that 10/28 blog), my passion for IU basketball has returned. Prior to the new allegations I had been to about 5 IU games this year, despite having season tickets. When I did go I just did not enjoy it. I felt like something very sacred had been corrupted and no one seemed to care. Since the news broke that all changed. In fact, other than a few students, I've been very proud of the way the IU have reacted. This article sums it up very well:
IU Fans' Character
So where should IU go from here? The next thing that needs to happen is to relieve Rick Greenspan of his duties. In the last week I had heard some rumblings about whether Greenspan truly wanted Sampson and I started to waver on whether he should go. However, if that was the case, then why did it take Greenspan a year to discover the problems, especially given Sampson's history? And why didn't he fire him in October?
As for this season I have no idea what to expect. They have a very tough game at Michigan State next Sunday. Purdue has 1 semi-tough game left - at Ohio State. Wisconsin's toughest remaining game is Michigan State in Madison. So I don't expect IU to win the Big Ten title. Could IU ride the emotion of Sampson's departure to a nice run in the NCAA? I guess anything is possible. One thing is for sure - I feel much better about being an IU fan than I did 2 weeks ago.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
An Ugly Week for IU Basketball
Anyone with common sense could not be surprised by the "new" NCAA allegations against Kelvin Sampson and his basketball program. The NCAA does not look kindly against people who knowingly break the rules and it especially doesn't tolerate repeat offenders. Throw lying into the mix, along with a school that hires a coach already under investigation, and you can't be surprised with the adjective "MAJOR" in front of the word "violations."
Since the athletic department chose not to fire Sampson when they should have - in October - the university must now investigate the further allegations. I would be shocked if they found anything that did not warrant Sampson's firing on Friday. The NCAA is going to come down hard on IU in June, as they should. If Kelvin Sampson is still the coach at that time, it will be much worse, as well it should.
That said, last night was one of the weirder atmospheres I've ever been experienced. The battle between 2 Top 15 teams was a relatively minor part of the storyline. The ESPN Gameday crew was in town, the game was very late (9:00) giving the students a lot of time to partake in pregame festivities, it was the first game since the 7-day investigation was announced, and it was really the first time the fans could truly react after having digested the allegations.
For the first time all year I was fired up about the game. It seemed that everyone finally agreed that Sampson had to go. The pregame introductions showed a great deal of support for the players and none for the coach.
However, by game's end, I was once again disgusted with the students. With IU up by 20 they showed that they seem much more interested in winning at any cost than doing things the right way. They started chanting "Kel-vin Samp-son!". Do they have any principles or class? Last year they couldn't be bothered to show up to games on time. This year we are inundated with constant "Bull----" chants and even an occasional "F--- you refs" chant. And then last night's disgrace.
Many years ago when I visited the University of North Carolina on a college visit, they told prospective students that during orientation there was a pep rally during which students learned all of the cheers and traditions of North Carolina athletics. I think it's time that IU does the same. IU students need to learn that IU basketball (and all IU athletics) has always been about a lot more than winning. It is winning by playing by the rules, with true student-athletes, and fans who show good sportsmanship (even if a former basketball coach didn't always).
I remember going to my first basketball game as a freshman. Coming from Maryland, I was blown away when the IU fans gave a very polite applause when the visiting team was introduced. At first I thought it was weak. Then I saw how hard IU fans cheered the Hoosiers and I learned that it was about class and sportsmanship. It is one of the reasons I have always been proud to be an IU alum. It's time IU gets back to that, before we lose a generation of students to this era of win-at-all-costs.
Since the athletic department chose not to fire Sampson when they should have - in October - the university must now investigate the further allegations. I would be shocked if they found anything that did not warrant Sampson's firing on Friday. The NCAA is going to come down hard on IU in June, as they should. If Kelvin Sampson is still the coach at that time, it will be much worse, as well it should.
That said, last night was one of the weirder atmospheres I've ever been experienced. The battle between 2 Top 15 teams was a relatively minor part of the storyline. The ESPN Gameday crew was in town, the game was very late (9:00) giving the students a lot of time to partake in pregame festivities, it was the first game since the 7-day investigation was announced, and it was really the first time the fans could truly react after having digested the allegations.
For the first time all year I was fired up about the game. It seemed that everyone finally agreed that Sampson had to go. The pregame introductions showed a great deal of support for the players and none for the coach.
However, by game's end, I was once again disgusted with the students. With IU up by 20 they showed that they seem much more interested in winning at any cost than doing things the right way. They started chanting "Kel-vin Samp-son!". Do they have any principles or class? Last year they couldn't be bothered to show up to games on time. This year we are inundated with constant "Bull----" chants and even an occasional "F--- you refs" chant. And then last night's disgrace.
Many years ago when I visited the University of North Carolina on a college visit, they told prospective students that during orientation there was a pep rally during which students learned all of the cheers and traditions of North Carolina athletics. I think it's time that IU does the same. IU students need to learn that IU basketball (and all IU athletics) has always been about a lot more than winning. It is winning by playing by the rules, with true student-athletes, and fans who show good sportsmanship (even if a former basketball coach didn't always).
I remember going to my first basketball game as a freshman. Coming from Maryland, I was blown away when the IU fans gave a very polite applause when the visiting team was introduced. At first I thought it was weak. Then I saw how hard IU fans cheered the Hoosiers and I learned that it was about class and sportsmanship. It is one of the reasons I have always been proud to be an IU alum. It's time IU gets back to that, before we lose a generation of students to this era of win-at-all-costs.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
More (long overdue) Sunday Musings
It's been a while since I blogged and I've got a lot on my mind, so here goes:
- I'm ecstatic with the Ravens' decision to hire John Harbaugh as their new head coach. I love how they are thinking outside the box with this hire - not hiring an offensive or defensive coordinator. A lot of terrific head coaches were special teams coaches at some point in their careers - Bill Cowher, Marv Levy, and Bill Belichick to name a few. And Harbaugh has done an outstanding job of hiring a coaching staff with Rex Ryan and Cam Cameron as coordinators. Now the Ravens need to find a QB.
- I'm very pleased with the O's decision to trade Erik Bedard for 5 prospects. The O's weren't going to win over the next 2 seasons with Bedard and he showed no desire to sign an extension with the O's to avoid free agency after '09. So, for the first time in forever, the O's did the smart thing and traded him for a boatload of young talent that can help the O's become contenders in '10 or '11. Andy McPhail is off to a good start in Baltimore. Now hopefully he'll be allowed to finish the job.
- Not only am I disgusted with the cheating of IU's head basketball coach, but now I'm disgusted with the student behavior at games. The constant "Bull----" chants were bad enough but the "F--- you refs" chants at the UConn game were downgrade disgraceful. Unfortunately, poor sportsmanship at college basketball games is now "cool", thanks to ESPN's glorification of the Duke students. I have no problem in creating a home court advantage and being very loud but I do have a problem with constantly belittling, booing, and cursing the opposing team and refs. You can call it "funny" or "witty" all you want but it also reflects poorly on the students and the university. Cheer hard but cheer with class.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Ravens Coaching Candidates - Part II
Here are some more candidates being considered by the Ravens:
Jason Garrett - Offensive Coordinator, Dallas Cowboys
Background
Garrett joined the Cowboys this season as Offensive Coordinator after 2 years in Miami as the Dolphins' QB coach. This year the Cowboys have continued the success they had last year with the NFL's #3 ranked offense. Tony Romo has also continued his success from last year with a 97.4 QB rating (compared to 95 last year).
Garrett's record as the QB coach in Miami isn't quite as impressive. In '05 Gus Frerotte was the primary starter and finished with a QB rating of 71.9, 28th in the NFL (but ahead of Kyle Boller's 71.8 and Anthony Wright's 71.7!). In '06 Joey Harrington was 29th in the NFL in QB rating with a mark of 68.2. While neither Frerotte nor Harrington are legit NFL QB's, Garrett didn't exactly help them play over their heads.
Garrett played in the league as a backup for many years, including 2 Cowboy Super Bowl-winning teams. He is well thought of because of his Ivy League education and the fact that Jerry Jones and Troy Aikman really like him.
Here is an article in Sunday's Baltimore Sun that goes into much more detail about his playing and coaching career: Garrett
DK's Thoughts
While I think Garrett may have a great deal of potential, I don't think he's done enough to warrant becoming the Ravens next head coach. One thing I learned at P&G - previous results are the best predictor of future results. I don't think Garrett has either enough experience or has proven to be a dramatic difference-maker in the experience he does have.
Jim Caldwell - Assistant Head Coach & QB Coach, Indianapolis Colts
Background
Caldwell has been the Colts' QB coach for the past 6 years, adding Assistant Head Coach to his duties in 05. As Indy's QB coach you basically show up to work every day and stay out of Manning's way (otherwise he might start pouting). In 2001 he was the QB coach in Tampa, where he mentored Brad Johnson. That season Johnson broke the Tampa record for completions in a season.
From 1993-2000 Caldwell was the head coach at Wake Forest, where he amassed a winning percentage of .292, the WORST of any Wake coach in the past 30 years. For comparison's sake, his predecessor Bill Dooley had a win percentage of .448 and his successor, Jim Grobe, has a winning percentage of .514.
Prior to that Caldwell was an assistant coach at various places in the college ranks, including Penn State from '86-'92. His bio gives him credit for Kerry Collins winning the Davey O'Brien award as the top senior QB. However, that happened 2 years AFTER Caldwell left.
DK's Thoughts
This would be an absolute AWFUL hire. He's "mentored" Peyton Manning. Yeah, that's got to be tough. He's never called plays and he was a HORRIBLE college coach. As I've stated before, the best predictor of future performance is past performance. This is a disaster waiting to happen.
Brian Schottenheimer - Offensive Coordinator, New York Jets
Background
Schottenheimer is the son of former Chargers coach (and supposed Ravens candidate) Marty Schottenheimer. He has been the OC for the Jets the past 2 seasons, leading them to a #26 total offense ranking in '07 and #25 in '06. He was the Chargers' QB coach from '02-'05, mentoring Drew Brees.
Schottenheimer held various assistant coaching jobs in college and the NFL from '97-'01. From '94-'96 he was the backup QB at the University of Florida, backing up Heisman winner Danny Wuerfel under coach Steve Spurrier.
DK's Thoughts:
Schottenheimer, like Caldwell, would be a terrible choice. He's inexperienced and the experience he does have isn't exactly stellar. I find it interesting that there is a rumor out there that his dad is also interested in the job (please no!) and that Marty has made it known that he could bring Cam Cameron as his OC. If Brian's own dad wouldn't even hire him as an OC, why should the Ravens hire him as HEAD COACH?
Jason Garrett - Offensive Coordinator, Dallas Cowboys
Background
Garrett joined the Cowboys this season as Offensive Coordinator after 2 years in Miami as the Dolphins' QB coach. This year the Cowboys have continued the success they had last year with the NFL's #3 ranked offense. Tony Romo has also continued his success from last year with a 97.4 QB rating (compared to 95 last year).
Garrett's record as the QB coach in Miami isn't quite as impressive. In '05 Gus Frerotte was the primary starter and finished with a QB rating of 71.9, 28th in the NFL (but ahead of Kyle Boller's 71.8 and Anthony Wright's 71.7!). In '06 Joey Harrington was 29th in the NFL in QB rating with a mark of 68.2. While neither Frerotte nor Harrington are legit NFL QB's, Garrett didn't exactly help them play over their heads.
Garrett played in the league as a backup for many years, including 2 Cowboy Super Bowl-winning teams. He is well thought of because of his Ivy League education and the fact that Jerry Jones and Troy Aikman really like him.
Here is an article in Sunday's Baltimore Sun that goes into much more detail about his playing and coaching career: Garrett
DK's Thoughts
While I think Garrett may have a great deal of potential, I don't think he's done enough to warrant becoming the Ravens next head coach. One thing I learned at P&G - previous results are the best predictor of future results. I don't think Garrett has either enough experience or has proven to be a dramatic difference-maker in the experience he does have.
Jim Caldwell - Assistant Head Coach & QB Coach, Indianapolis Colts
Background
Caldwell has been the Colts' QB coach for the past 6 years, adding Assistant Head Coach to his duties in 05. As Indy's QB coach you basically show up to work every day and stay out of Manning's way (otherwise he might start pouting). In 2001 he was the QB coach in Tampa, where he mentored Brad Johnson. That season Johnson broke the Tampa record for completions in a season.
From 1993-2000 Caldwell was the head coach at Wake Forest, where he amassed a winning percentage of .292, the WORST of any Wake coach in the past 30 years. For comparison's sake, his predecessor Bill Dooley had a win percentage of .448 and his successor, Jim Grobe, has a winning percentage of .514.
Prior to that Caldwell was an assistant coach at various places in the college ranks, including Penn State from '86-'92. His bio gives him credit for Kerry Collins winning the Davey O'Brien award as the top senior QB. However, that happened 2 years AFTER Caldwell left.
DK's Thoughts
This would be an absolute AWFUL hire. He's "mentored" Peyton Manning. Yeah, that's got to be tough. He's never called plays and he was a HORRIBLE college coach. As I've stated before, the best predictor of future performance is past performance. This is a disaster waiting to happen.
Brian Schottenheimer - Offensive Coordinator, New York Jets
Background
Schottenheimer is the son of former Chargers coach (and supposed Ravens candidate) Marty Schottenheimer. He has been the OC for the Jets the past 2 seasons, leading them to a #26 total offense ranking in '07 and #25 in '06. He was the Chargers' QB coach from '02-'05, mentoring Drew Brees.
Schottenheimer held various assistant coaching jobs in college and the NFL from '97-'01. From '94-'96 he was the backup QB at the University of Florida, backing up Heisman winner Danny Wuerfel under coach Steve Spurrier.
DK's Thoughts:
Schottenheimer, like Caldwell, would be a terrible choice. He's inexperienced and the experience he does have isn't exactly stellar. I find it interesting that there is a rumor out there that his dad is also interested in the job (please no!) and that Marty has made it known that he could bring Cam Cameron as his OC. If Brian's own dad wouldn't even hire him as an OC, why should the Ravens hire him as HEAD COACH?
Ravens Coaching Candidates - Part I
I apologize for the long layoff. Fall is peak recruiting season at work and then the holidays hit.
Since I've been away the Ravens, not surprisingly, collapsed down the stretch. Owner Steve Bisciotti made the difficult, but correct, decision to fire Brian Billick. Billick's first 5 years were fantastic - 47-33 with a Super Bowl Championship, an AFC North division title, one other playoff appearance, 5 playoff wins, and only 1 losing season. (Ironically that year may have been his best coaching job as the Ravens were the youngest team in NFL history after their salary cap purge of 2002.)
The last 4 years have been very disappointing with a 33-31 record, 1 playoff appearance, 0 playoff wins, and 2 losing seasons. The offense, supposedly Billick's strength, never developed, finishing in the top half of the league once in 9 years.
So now let's look at the names of candidates being mentioned in the media. Two names that I'm not going to discuss are Bill Cowher and Marty Schottenheimer since they are so well-known. I've done some homework on the lesser-known candidates and below are my thoughts:
Tony Sparano - Assistant Head Coach & Offensive Line Coach, Dallas Cowboys
Background
Sparano joined the Cowboys in 2003 & spent 2 years as Tight Ends coach. The Cowboys drafted Jason Whitten in 03 and by his second year with Sparano he was a Pro Bowl player. In '05 he became Offensive Line Coach and running game coordinator. In the past 3 years under his coaching 3 Cowboy linemen have been named to the Pro Bowl - Larry Allen, Flozell Adams, and Andre Gurode. In 2006 Sporano called plays under Bill Parcells. The Cowboys were 4th in the league in points scored and also scored the 4th-most points in Cowboys history.
Prior to joining the Cowboys Sporano spent 1 season as the Jaguars Tight Ends coach. Under his guidance Kyle Brady had his 2nd best season as a pro. He spent the '01 season as the TE coach with the Redskins and broke into the NFL in '99 with the Browns, spending 1 year as the quality control coach and one year as the OL coach.
From 1984-1998 Sporano coached at Division II University of New Haven. From '89-93 he was the offensive coordinator. From '94-'98 he was the head coach, earning 2 trips to the Division II playoffs, including a runner-up finish in '97. For his efforts he earned 2 Coach of the Year awards.
DK's Thoughts
Based on what I know, I think this would be a very good selection. He has had success at every level and in every type of position. I like the fact that he has head coaching experience but also has significant NFL experience under a couple of really good coaches - Bill Parcells and Marty Schottenheimer. The challenge may be keeping him away from Parcells and Miami. The one fear I have is that he has connections to Maurice Carthon and may hire him as Offensive Coordinator. That would be a disaster.
Rob Chudzinski - Offensive Coordinator, Cleveland Browns
Background
Chudzinski became the Browns Offensive Coordinator in 2007 and oversaw a dramatic turnaround. The Browns went from 31st in the league in offense (under Carthon) to 8th. They went from 265 yards and 15 points a game to 351 yards and 25 points a game. He finally got Braylon Edwards, Kellen Winslow, and Jamal Lewis to play up to their capabilities and helped make Ravens' castoff Derek Anderson a Pro Bowler.
In 2005 and 06 Chud was the TE coach for the Chargers, working with Pro Bowler Antonio Gates. Chud broke into the NFL as the TE coach with the Browns in 2004.
Chudzinski grew up in Ohio as a die-hard Browns fan (he would actually go outside and watch the game on the TV inside through a window to simulate the cold at Cleveland Stadium). He played TE at Miami from 86-90, winning 2 national championships and graduating with a degree in business (he earned an MBA in '96). He was TE coach through 2003, mentoring Bubba Franks, Jeremy Shockey, and Kellen Winslow. In 2001 he added offensive coordinator to his job. In '01 the 'Canes set a school record with 475 points. They topped that the next year with over 500 points and broke the school records for total yards and rushing TD's. In addition to the TE's mentioned, he also coached Clinton Portis, Willis McGahee and Andre Johnson.
DK's Thoughts
I really like this guy. He's young (39) but he's very smart and has been successful EVERYWHERE he's been. There may be some concern with his ability to earn the respect of the veteran Ravens with very strong personalities (JO, Ed Reed, Ray Lewis, Bart Scott, Willis McGahee). He dealt with some very strong personalities in Cleveland and got them to have outstanding seasons. Secondly, he knows Lewis, Reed, and McGahee, 3 of the strongest personalities, from his days at the U.
Another concern could be his strong ties to Cleveland. Given the fact that he grew up idolizing the Browns and was a tight end, I couldn't see him not wanting to work with Ozzie Newsome.
Here's a news story about his hiring. I watched the video of his introductory news conference. After watching it I couldn't help but to be motivated.
Chud
Since I've been away the Ravens, not surprisingly, collapsed down the stretch. Owner Steve Bisciotti made the difficult, but correct, decision to fire Brian Billick. Billick's first 5 years were fantastic - 47-33 with a Super Bowl Championship, an AFC North division title, one other playoff appearance, 5 playoff wins, and only 1 losing season. (Ironically that year may have been his best coaching job as the Ravens were the youngest team in NFL history after their salary cap purge of 2002.)
The last 4 years have been very disappointing with a 33-31 record, 1 playoff appearance, 0 playoff wins, and 2 losing seasons. The offense, supposedly Billick's strength, never developed, finishing in the top half of the league once in 9 years.
So now let's look at the names of candidates being mentioned in the media. Two names that I'm not going to discuss are Bill Cowher and Marty Schottenheimer since they are so well-known. I've done some homework on the lesser-known candidates and below are my thoughts:
Tony Sparano - Assistant Head Coach & Offensive Line Coach, Dallas Cowboys
Background
Sparano joined the Cowboys in 2003 & spent 2 years as Tight Ends coach. The Cowboys drafted Jason Whitten in 03 and by his second year with Sparano he was a Pro Bowl player. In '05 he became Offensive Line Coach and running game coordinator. In the past 3 years under his coaching 3 Cowboy linemen have been named to the Pro Bowl - Larry Allen, Flozell Adams, and Andre Gurode. In 2006 Sporano called plays under Bill Parcells. The Cowboys were 4th in the league in points scored and also scored the 4th-most points in Cowboys history.
Prior to joining the Cowboys Sporano spent 1 season as the Jaguars Tight Ends coach. Under his guidance Kyle Brady had his 2nd best season as a pro. He spent the '01 season as the TE coach with the Redskins and broke into the NFL in '99 with the Browns, spending 1 year as the quality control coach and one year as the OL coach.
From 1984-1998 Sporano coached at Division II University of New Haven. From '89-93 he was the offensive coordinator. From '94-'98 he was the head coach, earning 2 trips to the Division II playoffs, including a runner-up finish in '97. For his efforts he earned 2 Coach of the Year awards.
DK's Thoughts
Based on what I know, I think this would be a very good selection. He has had success at every level and in every type of position. I like the fact that he has head coaching experience but also has significant NFL experience under a couple of really good coaches - Bill Parcells and Marty Schottenheimer. The challenge may be keeping him away from Parcells and Miami. The one fear I have is that he has connections to Maurice Carthon and may hire him as Offensive Coordinator. That would be a disaster.
Rob Chudzinski - Offensive Coordinator, Cleveland Browns
Background
Chudzinski became the Browns Offensive Coordinator in 2007 and oversaw a dramatic turnaround. The Browns went from 31st in the league in offense (under Carthon) to 8th. They went from 265 yards and 15 points a game to 351 yards and 25 points a game. He finally got Braylon Edwards, Kellen Winslow, and Jamal Lewis to play up to their capabilities and helped make Ravens' castoff Derek Anderson a Pro Bowler.
In 2005 and 06 Chud was the TE coach for the Chargers, working with Pro Bowler Antonio Gates. Chud broke into the NFL as the TE coach with the Browns in 2004.
Chudzinski grew up in Ohio as a die-hard Browns fan (he would actually go outside and watch the game on the TV inside through a window to simulate the cold at Cleveland Stadium). He played TE at Miami from 86-90, winning 2 national championships and graduating with a degree in business (he earned an MBA in '96). He was TE coach through 2003, mentoring Bubba Franks, Jeremy Shockey, and Kellen Winslow. In 2001 he added offensive coordinator to his job. In '01 the 'Canes set a school record with 475 points. They topped that the next year with over 500 points and broke the school records for total yards and rushing TD's. In addition to the TE's mentioned, he also coached Clinton Portis, Willis McGahee and Andre Johnson.
DK's Thoughts
I really like this guy. He's young (39) but he's very smart and has been successful EVERYWHERE he's been. There may be some concern with his ability to earn the respect of the veteran Ravens with very strong personalities (JO, Ed Reed, Ray Lewis, Bart Scott, Willis McGahee). He dealt with some very strong personalities in Cleveland and got them to have outstanding seasons. Secondly, he knows Lewis, Reed, and McGahee, 3 of the strongest personalities, from his days at the U.
Another concern could be his strong ties to Cleveland. Given the fact that he grew up idolizing the Browns and was a tight end, I couldn't see him not wanting to work with Ozzie Newsome.
Here's a news story about his hiring. I watched the video of his introductory news conference. After watching it I couldn't help but to be motivated.
Chud
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