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Hall of Champions

Richard — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 16:07:26 +0000

Another jewel at White River State Park in downtown Indianapolis is the NCAA Hall of Champions. Of course at this time with NCAA basketball championships, the focus is on round-ball, but whatever college sport or legendary athletes that you identify with, there are tributes and fond memories to encounter. It’s more than a museum, it’s a hands-on experience where sports and memories come alive.

My favorite place there however is the downsized half-court which is made to resemble a small, old-time school gymnasium with tall windows and bleachers. You can even grab a basketball and play a quick game of HORSE with a companion or two…or maybe just PIG if it’s busy.

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Dogs House

Richard — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 23:43:41 +0000

How bout those Bull Dogs! It’s been really fun to watch them rise to the top over the last few years. Just lately though, it seems like there have been a lot of comparisons drawn between the Butler Bulldogs who advanced Saturday to the Final-Four in the NCAA Championship and the Milan High School State Champs of 1954. I guess writers have to come up with some kind of story line to make it interesting. I suppose I have to admit there are a few similarities. The 1954 championship was actually played in the Bulldogs home, Hinkle Fieldhouse for one thing, known as Butler Fieldhouse in those days. But what’s special to me is how the stars are lining up for Butler to play for the championship in their home town in front of a largely home crowd. That hasn’t happened since UCLA did it in 1972. You couldn’t write a better script for them if you tried.

The venues themselves are one thing that’s really similar. It’s not too hard to see that the design of Lucas Oil Stadium where the semi-finals will be played, was influenced by Hinkle Fieldhouse, built in 1928. Our sports heritage is important to us in Indiana.

I can’t wait until next Saturday’s game to see how the Dogs pull off this next one too.

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Hoops Unlimited

Richard — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 17:34:30 +0000

As tournament play unfolds now on our television screens and newspapers, I can’t help but think about the talk we’ve seen and heard lately about expanding the current 64 team field to 96 for the NCAA Basketball tournament. Since the NCAA national headquarters is here in Indianapolis, it’s local news, and so we get the full discussion in the sports section every day. It’s pretty transparent that a move like that would be mostly to gain more revenue rather than improve the tournament.

If they really want to expand the field and increase revenue, then why not include all 347 Division One teams? I’m sure there’s a way to adjust the brackets so the math would work. Maybe top seeds could have bye weeks? Lowest seeds would play a couple more games than they would now to reach the final four. A true national champion. Just think what the size of the brackets would be. And talk about increasing revenue…With a huge number of slots available, winning the office pool would be really lucrative then.

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Walking

Richard — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 19:00:57 +0000

The streets have been so icy for a while that eventually my normal routine of jogging was disrupted and instead I’ve just been walking occasionally, running a little when the ice is clear in spots. Sometimes instead I exercised and “ran” using the Wii Fit when it’s been really snowy…which is really fun and a more serious way of getting exercise than you’d think if you haven’t tried it. But today I had some time and wanted to get outside so I took a walk along the canal from Broad Ripple today. I hadn’t been there since last Fall and thought it would be more interesting than doing the normal routine around the neighborhoods and back. When I got to the trail, it looked like I might have been the first one there since the recent snows. No other footprints and very soggy where the snow had melted. So it was harder going than I hoped it would be. I did only about a mile or so down the path on the north side and then came back on the trail on the other “street side” of the canal on Westfield Blvd. That side had seen quite a bit of foot traffic but the slushy footprints had frozen into a really uneven surface and was difficult to walk or run on except in a few spots. Still I enjoyed the air and scenery and felt like it had loosened me up by the time I got back to my car…so mission accomplished. I took a few photos too.

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Colts Plan for Next Season

Richard — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 01:14:26 +0000

No one will argue that in order to win the Superbowl, the whole team, and especially all your best players, have got to be healthy. And, having home field all through the playoffs can be a huge advantage. Seeing as how the strategy of resting and protecting the starters, even at the cost of giving away a chance at the perfect season, seemed appealing to those calling the shots this last season, then I’ve got a plan I think they will love.

You have to remember that Indy is hosting the Superbowl in two years in January 2012. I think they should consider putting into motion a plan to rest the starters all through next season. Don’t play them at all. Oh, maybe a few series here and there possibly, but nothing too dangerous. Just imagine how healthy and hungry they will be then for the following season in 2011, where they could play for home field advantage all through the playoffs and including the 2012 Superbowl itself.

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The Day After

Richard — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 11:00:20 +0000

Yeah, it wasn’t the conclusion to the season that we wanted…and I know there is a lot of disappointment about the outcome of the game. But I checked myself, and sure enough, the sun DID come up again this morning, just like it has done for millions of years. The Earth is still rotating on it’s axis and orbiting the Sun, and all the REAL important things are OK. It would have been nice to have won the Superbowl, but thankfully, it’s just a football game.

Congratulations to the Saints who played an EXCELLENT game…and to the Colts for another MARVELOUS season.

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We’ll See

Richard — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 04:01:18 +0000

So the Superbowl is today and everyone has their angle figured by now. They are rooting for the Saints because of this… Or they are for the Colts because of that. Of course some are even making predictions about the outcome…and even point spreads! Yeah, Uh Huh. Like they can actually see into the future? Some people have been die-hard Colts or Saints fans for years and there is no question about who they are pulling for. That I can understand. What is really funny to me though are the people that are rooting not so much FOR one team, but against the other one. Nice! And what’s really odd to me are people that choose their allegiance based on reasons that don’t have anything to do with being a sports fan. Their choice being based on what is more fair or politically correct. That just kills me. Most of it is good natured fun though and makes it more interesting I guess.

With all the noise going, and all the predictions especially, it reminds me of this great exchange in the movie, Charlie Wilsons War. The character named Gust in the movie is talking to Charlie about a old Chinese tale. Gust says “There’s a little boy, and on his 14th birthday he gets a horse… and everybody in the village says, “How wonderful. The boy got a horse”. And the Zen Master says, “We’ll see”. Two years later, the boy falls off the horse, breaks his leg, and everyone in the village says, “How terrible”. And the Zen Master says, “We’ll see”. Then, a war breaks out and all the young men have to go off and fight… except the boy who can’t because his leg’s all messed up, and everybody in the village says, “How wonderful”. And then Charlie who now gets where this is going says, “Now the Zen Master says, We’ll see”.

So here’s a prediction I’ve been hearing a lot…”The Colts Are Going to Win the Superbowl!!”

I’m definitely not a Zen Master… Uh, not even an Zen Apprentice. But just like Charlie, I think you understand where I’m going with this.

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Shoe Dat

Richard — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 03:33:28 +0000

The Saints fans have their “Who Dat?” thing going in New Orleans. That’s cool I guess. Whatever gets them going. But I’ve asked around and Googled my fingers off trying to figure it out. Does anybody really understand what that means? I’d like to know. Regardless…the obvious answer to the question ”Who Dat?” from an Indy perspective is…Blue Shoe, Dats Who.

I took this photo in the grand lobby of Lucas Oil Stadium. A projector of some sort high above was beaming an image of the infamous Colts logo on the floor. I stood nearby and took about 25-30 shots of this while hundreds and hundreds of people milled around and walked through and over it. Finally the timing was such that for a second, it was almost unobscured…enough to take this.

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One win away

Richard — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 01:20:08 +0000

Normally I’d refrain from two posts in a row that had a similar subject, but this is special circumstances. With the win today, the Colts are the AFC Champions and will be competing in the Superbowl in two weeks. That’s quite an accomplishment in itself for any team, but I know they won’t be satisfied with just going there. They want to bring home the Lombardi Trophy and NFL Championship banner.

There’s no way the little drizzle outside could dampen the spirits of anyone at Lucas Oil Stadium or anywhere else in Indianapolis as they celebrate tonight. I know this town, and it will go crazy around here for a couple weeks. For Indy, this is beyond huge, and it will be fun to see the civic pride on display and electricity in the air.

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Colt’s secret weapon revealed

Richard — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 16:45:41 +0000

To shore up the middle of the defensive line for the remainder of the Playoffs, the Colts announced a stunning three player trade this week that sent two Indy second-round draft players to Buffalo in exchange for their goliath Defensive Tackle, Otto Blimponski who astoundingly had gone unnoticed by almost everyone on their practice squad. Coach Jim Caldwell said, “Otto should help us in a big way to stop the run, allowing us then to put even more pressure on the Jets passing game”. Another Colts insider speaking on a condition of anonymity said “the only drawback is Blimponski is such a competitor and uses so much energy in each series, that we are having a little trouble keeping him on his feet between plays. We’ve tried just about everything.” “Finding a uniform to fit him has been a problem too. We had to rush order one to be specially made by American Tent and Awning Company.”

Sunday at 3:00, the Colts play the Jets for the AFC Championship…the winner going to the Superbowl in Miami on Feb. 7th. My prediction for the game? No one really knows for sure what the score or final outcome will be. But it’s going to be very difficult to beat the Colts, especially at home. ‘D’ has been playing great…and Manning and company will figure a way to put some points up there like always. I’m going to have to go with the home team. That’s been a good bet all year.

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