Where are the shining moments?

Hard to believe it's the Final Four, and I find myself indifferent to it.  Overall, this NCAA Tourney has been boring to me without some of the drama of buzzer beaters and Cinderella stories. I love seeing a team like Leigh knock off high and mighty Duke.  But then Leigh goes out and gets knocked out the next round.

If you want to say there's a team that's not supposed to be in the Final Four, I guess you would go with Louisville.  But a fun stat there is in the past three years, the team that won the Big East Tourney has gone to the Final Four, UConn and West Virginia in previous years.  Therefore, Big East teams if you want a Final Four ticket, then win your tourney.

Kentucky is here and looks to be the most dominating team we've seen in the tourney in recent years.  They're the number one overall team, and playing like that.  You have Anthony Davis look to get hurt, sit out a play, and come right back.  Kentucky features guys who will go to the NBA probably this coming year, but still play together like college kids.  Can John Calipari knock off rival Louisville and rival coach in Rick Pitino?

Ohio State brings the Big Ten into the picture and knocked out number on Syracuse along the way.  This looks to be one of the better Ohio State teams, so I would imagine there's some pressure on this team to win and get that National Championship that has eluded them.

Here's an article I came across comparing Kansas to Butler, in the sense that Kansas is winning close games, but have made it this far.  That's quite the feat for Butler to be in the same sentence as Kansas, and just a few years ago, would you have imagined that?

So who wins the Final Four games and moves on?  With my bracket, I am going with Kansas and Kentucky with Kansas somehow slowing down Kentucky in the final game. I feel fairly confident in my final game picks, but not too confident in that champion pick.  That's the beauty of March Madness, and what's been missing. I am interested to see what will be thrown together for "One Shining Moment" because have there have been that many moments to put out there?

Blue Monday

The Running Backs

Is this the year Donald Brown breaks out?  He is going to be in a contract year, which is usually a sign that a guy will have a great year, so they can get paid with the next contract.  Colt fans haven't had much faith in Brown, but with Joseph Addai gone, I look for Brown to get more of the carries.  Delone Carter showed a little bit of flash in his runs, so he could be taking time away from Brown in the running game.  Or maybe the Colts employ running by committee, and work both guys in and out to get them going. It did look like Brown got better as he ran more, which is something to think about.  With a rookie quarterback, Andrew Luck, could he look to hand off more? The Colts haven't been a running team in the past decade, so maybe this is the year things even up more, and this offense can be versatile in running and passing.  Should be a good year to see what Donald Brown and Delone Carter can do.

On the Sidelines 40

On the Sidelines 40

Talking up Peyton Manning and where he's headed. Also other dominos fall because of that. Talking up the Indiana Pacers and their week so far. They play tonight in the finale of back to back to back. Finishing up talking up NCAA Tourney scores and highlights.
NFL News
Manning to the Broncos

Indiana Pacers News
Pacers Pick up a Win against Clippers
Pacers Stun the Wizards
Suns Run By the Pacers
Preview of Bucks and Pacers

College Basketball News
CBS College Basketball Page

Happy Trails Mr. Foster!

What better way to pay homage to Mr. Jeff Foster than with a montage??

Fact or Fiction concerning NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs

I borrowed some fact or fiction from ESPN and their round table debate to answer myself.


1. Fact or Fiction: The Bulls will finish with the East's best record.

This is a tough one because the Bulls and Heat might as well be 1 and 1A.  It's a close tight race between the teams, and I can't imagine either one dropping out of the first or second spots.  Chicago has a three game lead in the East right now, and their schedule looks favorable down the stretch, so I will say FACT that Chicago finishes the season with the best record in the East.

2. Fact or Fiction: Chicago and Miami are the only East teams with a shot at the Finals.

I want to say fiction because I want to believe the Pacers can get it together and make a run at the Finals, but if it goes through Miami that's going to be roughly. I feel better about the chances of a Pacers upset against the Bulls.  But the East is dominated by Chicago and Miami, so I have to begrudgingly state FACT that Miami and Chicago are the only teams with a shot at the Finals, unless something crazy happens.  So maybe that makes it fact with a chance of fiction.

3. Fact or Fiction: The Celtics will make the playoffs.

Fact as I see the Celtics sitting in seventh place with a small lead, but the veterans of that team, and the way they are coached will push them to stay in the playoff hunt.

4. Fact or Fiction: The Bucks will make the playoffs.

This is fiction because of my answer to the next statement, which is the Knicks will make the playoffs. I can't see the Bucks putting it together down the stretch, and see them stumbling at some point to drop out of the picture.

5. Fact or Fiction: The Knicks will make the playoffs.

Fact, especially after the way they handled the Pacers. I can see this Knicks team getting defensively put together, and their offense does enough to win games, therefore, they can put this team together to make a run at the playoffs and sneak into one of those bottom spots.

Peyton Manning Wants to be in the Mile High...Stadium

So that's that, Peyton Manning goes to Denver or will be going to Denver.  Tim Tebow looks to exit stage left, and fans of him in Indiana will be watching all Broncos games from here on out.  Nothing more to say, right?  I am a bit surprised he choose Denver as I was leaning towards Tennesse.  Think about how beloved he is in that state, and just imagine the merchandise sales of his Titans jersey.  Heck I am sure people still wear his college jersey just because they love him that much.


How about going to San Francisco, where they were just a few plays away from a Super Bowl??  And think about what the 49ers do now.  Do they tell Alex Smith "hey sorry about that, we want you to come back."  Is that like dating around only to get exclusive with some girl after some other girl turns you down?  Maybe not the best metaphor, but it makes sense.  


What does Miami do now if Alex Smith goes back to the 49ers?  They didn't make a move for Matt Flynn, even though the head coach of Miami has worked a lot with him.  That might say more about the ability of Matt Flynn.  That might be saying, he's not really that good, and probably not worth it.  Miami now probably drafts a guy and starts him right away.  Throw him to the fire, and see what he's got.


Funny, how one move can influence three or four other moves?  It's like dominoes after all, and the final domino is just about ready to topple over.

On the Sidelines 39- March Madness Has Begun

On the Sidelines 39

Since it's all about the NCAA Tourney right now, this is a special edition that will feature talking about all the action that's been happening.  Day One didn't bring much drama and excitement, but Day Two brought some surprises along the way.  Back next week with the regular programming.

NCAA Tourney Reactions: Day One

It's finally here.  A time to sit back and watch basketball games from noon until midnight.  Games that can end in exciting finishes or games that can get out of hand and end in a rout. I was remiscining about the tournament while watching the games, and thinking about when there was only CBS who aired a game.  You would have to wait around for a cut in and you got excited because usually those were the "Shining Moment" games.

There wasn't much in the upset department yesterday and some of the day was just boring.  For me, the standout game, and one that I watched the second half of was Wichita State and VCU.  Here's VCU coming off their Final Four run of last year to pull the old 12 beating 5 game.  They looked in control most of that second half and end up winning the game to move on.  They will play IU, who handled New Mexico State late in the evening.

Kentucky ran all over Western Kentucy, and showed they're definitely the top team of the tourney.  But Syracuse, a fellow #1, had to fight till the end against UNC Asheville.  Some bad calls went in Syracuse's favor, and Asheville couldn't get it together at the end.

How about Wisconsin allowing just 49 points by Montana?  And putting up 73 points of their own to put that game away?  Marquette won by 20 against BYU.  Vandy finally gets out of the first round after taking out a Sweet Sixteen of mine in Harvard.

I also lost UNLV who got beat by Colorado, who used a conference tournament to build momentum towards this one.

But overall, yesterday had a few upsets, but nothing that got you going.  I hope that today brings some of that excitement. Usually these first rounds are where that happens, and then you settle in to see what favorites will keep going.

Is it resigning or is it not getting fired?

Reading the news about Mike D'Antoni "resigning" makes me wonder if he really did want to resign or did he not want to get fired.  Usually in this type of case it's the team not wanting to fire the coach.  And this brings up another point does the team side with the players of a team or the coach of a team, and in this one, you can see that the players won.  In basketball, it's such a players league that it doesn't surprise me anymore when a coach gets the out first.

Sure in some instances, like Jim O'Brien and the Pacers, that a coaching change was due.  But how convenient that D'Antoni resigns after hearing reports that Carmelo Anthony had issues with him, and there was talk he might be leaving.  It doesn't take a genius to figure out what happened here.  The coach gets the boot and the player gets his way.

I'm glad the only coaching I've ever done was with a fifth grade basketball team. I don't know how some of these guys can do it with these millionaires, who want everything their way.  A player wants to be traded, he gets traded.  A player wants some teammate on his team, he gets that guy.  A player wants a coach fired that coach gets fired.  You'd have to have some thick skin to make it in this league.  It's amazing to think that someone like Jerry Sloan coached the Utah Jazz for over 20 years, and even he had to "resign" at the end of his coaching career.  He actually became the longest tenured coach for one team in all of sports.

"After Tom Kelly stepped down as manager of the Minnesota Twins in Major League Baseball in 2001, Sloan became the longest-tenured head coach in American major league sports with their current franchise. He resigned on February 10, 2011."

Coaches in this league really can't seem to coach anymore.  But more manage the personalities on the team.  That's why I am never surprised a college coach can't make that leap from college to the pros.  Think about how different the game is and how different the players are.  You have guys coming out of high school to coach at the college level. But at the pro level, you have guys with one year or more than ten years of playing experience making more people than most people see in a lifetime.  And just look at all the different characters to stop through the NBA, it's amazing coaches last as long as they do.

Selection Sunday- What is your NCAA Tourney Memory??

Well it's finally here!  One of the best days of the year as the NCAA makes their field of 68 come together for one of the best times of the year March Madness. A time where people are desperately checking their brackets this coming weekend to make sure their final picks are still alive.  A time where people are having games in the background while they are trying to work.  A time where teams can created moments that will always be around for us to remember years later.

For me being a Butler Bulldog fan, there have been two wonderful years of tournament runs that will not be recreated this year.  Butler came on at the end, but couldn't get their run in the Horizon League Tourney and will be going to some other post season tourney that no one will care about.

But I can take this moment and present my favorite moment tourney.  Two years ago, Butler went on a run to make it to the tourney.  There, they made their way through the rounds and had a shot to get to the farthest point they had been to, which was the Elite Eight.  Butler had made some Sweet Sixteen runs, but couldn't get past that round.

So who was waiting for Butler to advance only the number one seed, Syracuse.  Butler went on to beat Syracuse, and then defeated number two seed Kansas State to make it to the Final Four.  And where was the Final Four at that year?  Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, which was the home of Butler.  The first team a team went to play a Final Four in their hometown.  Talk about an environment.  That was such an exciting few days.

I remember people all had Butler shirts and Butler gear.  Everyone adopted them as their team, and Butler embraced that.  This was a group of players that some people said would lose the first round game, and here they were fighting in the Final Four.  Who did they beat in the Final Four to get to the championship game?  Michigan State, another team that always seems to be there at the end.  With that way, I had so much faith going into the final game thinking Butler could do this.  Who was standing in the way there in the final game?  Duke, a team that everyone loves to hate.  Duke, the team that just always seems to be around at the end as well.  Duke, a team that had won four championships before wrapping that fifth one that night.

This was a back and forth game that even say Butler hit a point of not scoring for way too long.  There were moments that Butler could have taken a lead and really got this game in another direction, but they couldn't finish against some big men of Duke.  But there was the final moment, where Butler had a shot that just missed, and that's the moment that will always be remembered.  I still hate to watch this moment, but I still love to watch this moment.

On the Sidelines 38

On the Sidelines 38

Well the Colts cut everyone, but the kitchen sink this week.  The Pacers lost two games and have two more this weekend to play.  Can they get one win in their trip to Florida?  Butler won't be dancing in the big dance this year, but might go to a small dance club.

Indianapolis Colts News
Should We Start Peytoning?
Colts Make Roster Moves

Indiana Pacers News
NBA Standings

Pacers Miss a Chance on Monday night
Pacers Lose Another One
Indiana Pacers and Miami Heat Battle it Out Tonight

Butler Bulldog News
No March Magic for Butler

Should we start Peytoning?

Oh the ways to go with this blog post.  Talk about who was right or what way this should have gone down, but there's no denying Peyton Manning was the face of a franchise, city, and state of Indiana that he will be always remembered for his time here.  What good times he has left? Giving the Colts a championship.  Beating the Patriots after struggling so much against them.  Throwing all those touchdowns throughout his 14 years with the Colts.  Giving his name to a hospital.  Just being a member of the city and doing what he could for it.  Those are things that Manning will be remembered for.

But what about on the field?  Is there a moment that stands out above the rest?  Do you have a favorite memory of Manning and that's how you will always remember him even when he's in another uniform this coming season?

If you want to truly get a feel for how great he was, just look at his stats and all those things that made him the great quarterback.  But what memory will stick out in my mind?  Is it this one?



The Colts came back in this remarkable AFC Championship game against who else, the New England Patriots. They were down by 21 at one point, and were able to come back to win, and was there any doubt that the Colts would win that Super Bowl, which brings up the next highlight.



Winning the Super Bowl and finally getting the monkey off the back had to feel great for Manning.



How about going way back and checking out Manning's first game against the Dolpins? And look who was the opposing quarterback...Dan Marino. A guy who Manning has always been compared to. Hard to believe that was Manning's first game.



Can't find video of all the highlights...but how about the comeback against Tampa Bay? Or all those touchdown passes against the Saints? Or the touchdown that broke the passing td record, which got broke by Brady? Or all the comebacks that Manning engineered? So many memories, and all the thoughts about what Manning means come flowing back. Here's a memory: Peyton Manning pass incomplete short right intended for Blair White. That's the last throw of Manning's career as a Colt. Still hard to believe.

No March Magic for Butler

Well it was a fun two year ride in the NCAA Tourney, but Butler won't be part of that madness this year.  Hard to believe after getting to back to back National Championship games that this team won't be there.  They got handled in their game against Valparaiso against that same Valpo team that had beat Butler twice already.

There are other postseason tourneys that Butler might be a part of, but let's admit it no one cares about those.  This team might be good to get experience playing in those, but fans won't really worry about where they go in that.

This was a team that struggled to score all night against Valpo, and especially in the paint as the big men of Butler (Andrew Smith, Khyle Marshall, and Roosevelt Jones) combined for four points.  Andrew Smith had zero points, and definitely got pushed around there on the block.  But keep an eye on Roosevelt Jones.  He is a freshman this year, who won newcomer of the year for the Horizon League, and should be a big focus for Butler next year. I expect big things from him in the coming years.

So this team will go home and wait to see if they are playing somewhere else, but this season was definitely an up and down year.  It started out with that brutal non conference schedule that had one conference game in there that Butler lost...to Valpo.  So going into conference play, Butler was sitting at 6-7 with a win against Stanford and then three wins to start off the conference season.

But it seemed that there would be a few wins, then a couple of losses, a few wins, and a loss.  Just not consistent enough to vie for the league title as Butler finished in fifth place, when they had a chance on the last game of the regular season to clinch up second place, and earn that double bye.

Who knows if that would have helped this team or not?  That Valpo team would have been tough to play in my mind anywhere Butler played them.  They just had their number this year.  Butler struggled on the offensive side of the ball at times, and that was what did them in their losses this year.

Hopefully, the shooting touch will come back around next year.  Guys will be more comfortable playing.  Roles can be defined more.  That experience of playing a year will help the freshman.  There's some talent coming in that can perform way.  Butler will be back playing in March.  Just have to sit out this year, and find another team to root for.  But man what a couple of years it has been!

On the Sidelines 37

On the Sidelines 37

What happened this week in local sport news for Indy?  Some video showed up of Peyton Manning throwing from Duke University.  The Pacers played a game and won.  They play tonight in what should be a win.  The Butler Bulldogs kept their season alive with a win last night, and a win tonight keeps it going.  

Indianapolis Colts News
Peyton Manning Throwing it around?

Indiana Pacers News
Five Golden Wins
Preview of Indiana Pacers and New Orleans Hornets
March Madness for the Pacers

Butler Bulldogs News
Game Recap: Butler 71 Milwaukee 49