Ahhhh, it's that time of year ... high school basketball is starting to wind down, as the boys begin their last month of the season, while the girls are wrapping up their seasons this week and gearing up for the state tournament. Even though it's been diluted by the advent of class basketball, which I've ran hot-and-cold on ever since its inception, the state basketball tournaments are still among my favorite sports-related times of the year. All IHSAA schools are a part of the tournament - yes, even members of the Winless Watch list - so there are no controversies over "bubble teams" and whether an 11-win Class 4A school should have gotten in over a 16-win Class A school.
Sunday, 1/29, was the draw for the girls tournament; the boys draw will take place sometime in mid-to-late February. The girls tournament starts on 2/6 at 64 sites around the state.
How did the draw pan out for the teams on the Winless Watch?
* 4A's Lawrence Central earned a bye in "Sectional 10" (the Warren Central Sectional). They will play the winner of 12-9 Indianapolis Cathedral and 14-5 Warren Central on Friday, 2/10. LC lost to Warren Central 81-27 earlier in the year, and did not play Cathedral.
* 3A's Gary Wallace also earned a bye in Sectional 18 at Kankakee Valley, and will play the winner of the game between 6-13 Kankakee Valley and 1-9 Gary Wirt on Friday, 2/10. Wallace and Wirt were scheduled to play on 1/6, but no one has reported the outcome to John Harrell as of yet; Wallace did not play Kankakee Valley during the season.
* 3A's Indianapolis Howe drew 4-14 Beech Grove; they will play on 2/10 in the second game at Beech Grove HS (Sectional 26). The two teams did not play during the regular season.
* In 2A, Sheridan is in Sectional 36, the North Montgomery Sectional. The Blackhawks drew 5-16 Fountain Central. The two teams did not play during the regular season.
* Churubusco's Eagles drew the host Garrett Railroaders in Sectional 37, and will play in the opening game on Tuesday night, 2/10. Garrett opened their season with a 71-40 win over Churubusco in early November.
* Lastly, winless Lake Station drew Boone Grove in the opening game of Sectional 33 at Hammond Noll. Boone Grove trounced the Fighting Eagles 67-26 on 1/11.
Monday, January 30, 2006
Sunday, January 29, 2006
Winless Watch (Girls): Down to the wire.
Two weeks ago, there were 11 winless teams on the season in Indiana high school girls basketball. Now, in the last week of the season before sectionals begin, chances are becoming fewer and farther between for those teams to get the "0" from around their necks. And teams are aware that they're up against the wall and reacting pretty positively, if this week's exodus from the Winless Watch is any indication.
Falling out of the Winless Watch this week includes West Vigo's Vikings, who turned in a 54-41 victory at Riverton Parke on 1/24. Meanwhile, Union (Modoc)'s ignominious season in all things basketball took a slight turn for the better, as their girls team is now off the list thanks to a 42-39 defeat of fellow WWer Indianapolis Howe. Hope the boys can do the same before the season ends!
Poor Lake Station. Ex-WW member LaCrosse posted their first win of the year over the Fighting Eagles - 38-36 on 1/26; two nights later, Lake Station had another contest against another to-that-point-winless squad, only to see it also end in defeat: the Pioneers of Hammond Clark defeated the Fighting Eagles, 38-27, on 1/28. If Lake Station's games were on TV this week, this graphic would be shown:
"Lake Station has lost two games in a row when the opponent scores 38 points."
Actually, the graphic would be more likely to read:
"When opponent scores more than 0 points, Lake Station is 0-18."
Sorry - that was a little rude.
Lastly, FW Keystone also finds itself off this week's WW, as they ran up the score on Howe Military, 25-17, on 1/21.
That leaves 6 teams left on the girls' version of the Watch this week. Ranked in order by average margin of defeat, with remaining regular season games and opponents' records also listed:
1. Lawrence Central (0-18) - (-35.9) - remaining opponent: Southport (5-12)
2. Gary Wallace (0-8 - limited schedule) - (-35.4) - remaining opponents: Gary West (13-5), SB St. Joseph's (16-2)
3. Indpls Howe (0-17) - (-34.8) - remaining opponents: Park Tudor (5-13), Indiana Deaf (13-5)
4. Sheridan (0-18) - (-30.6) - remaining opponents: W. Lafayette (12-8), Clinton Central (2-16)
5. Lake Station (0-18) - (-26.6) - remaining opponent: Westville (7-11)
6. Churubusco (0-17) - (-17.4) - remaining opponents: Central Noble (11-7), West Noble (3-14), Lakeland (14-6)
One neat note: None of the remaining winless teams are from Class A, the class for schools with the smallest enrollments. Lawrence Central is a 4A school, Gary Wallace and Indianapolis Howe are 3As, and the other three schools listed are 2As. Hooray for the little guys!
Winless Watch (Boys): Down to eight.
Top story in this week's Boys' Winless Watch is the reduction of WW members from 12 to 8. First, New Harmony falls from the list by sweeping fellow WW member Cannelton on 1/20 and 1/27.
2/9 - Woodlan vs. Southern Wells
2/21 - Cowan vs. Union (Modoc)
In addition, Morton Memorial posted their first win of the year, beating Indianapolis International 75-64 on 1/18, and have since embarked on somewhat of a tear, winning three of their last four (pending their outcome against Medora on 1/28). Triton Central edged Indianapolis Lutheran 52-50 on 1/21. And the last winless in Class 4A, Floyd Central, edged Jennings County 58-57 on 1/20.
Here's this week's Winless Watch, ranked in order of average margin of defeat:
1. Cannelton (0-15) (-49.4)
2. Howe Military (0-12) (-32.9)
3. North White (0-15) (-30.3)
4. Union (Modoc) (0-14) (-30.0)
5. Southern Wells (0-12) (-22.3)
6. Cowan (0-13) (-20.5)
7. Kouts (0-13) (-13.7)
8. Woodlan (0-12) (-10.2)
2/9 - Woodlan vs. Southern Wells
2/21 - Cowan vs. Union (Modoc)
This means there will be a maximum of six winless teams in the state this year, as Woodlan and Cowan will likely fall off. But looking out at the remainder of the schedule, who else has a good chance of winning?*
* - Yes, I know, as long as two teams suit up, any team has the chance of winning against the other on any given Sunday, as they say. But, barring the use of ineligible players by the opponent, mechanical failure on the visiting team's bus or chlamydia outbreak, you can safely say that a team that takes the floor against any of our WW teams has a good chance of coming out with a W. Facts are facts, and the below opinions are mine and mine alone.
Cannelton: The Bulldogs play a Kentucky school called Whitesville Trinity on Feb. 21. They've beaten the Whitesville Trinity-ans the last two years, including last year when they struggled to a 2-19 record. This appears to be the Bulldogs' best shot at a win this year, as their other games include two against the ironically named Restoration Christian Lions (who sport an 8-5 record), the 6-8 Springs Valley Blackhawks, and the 4-9 Evansville Day Eagles. 0-20 is not a sure bet yet for Cannelton, but I'd put money on it, given the less-than-competitive outcome of the bulk of their contests.
Howe Military: The Cadets play a mix of public schools and private schools not part of the IHSAA system. With seven games left, five are against IHSAA schools. This includes 1-10 Central Noble, 7-8 Fairfield, 7-5 Gary Wirt, 9-5 Lakewood Park (who's already beaten Howe by 50 earlier in the year) and 3-9 White's. White's has had the Cadets' number this year, beating them by 27 in their first meeting, but only ekeing out a six-point win in their second meeting. It's hard to beat a team three times in a season, so the third game against White's looks promising for the Cadets. Against the other two teams remaining, the Cadets have won 6 of the last 10 against LaPorte LaLumiere, and sport a 1-6 record against Clinton Christian. It's conceivable that the Cadets could finish the regular season with as many as 2-3 wins.
North White: After enduring three consecutive 0-21 seasons, the Vikings won twice last year, but have yet to break into the W column this season. One of their remaining games is a conference game against 8-7 Frontier, who the Vikings defeated last season. Uh-oh ... the Falcons whipped the Vikings by 43 in an earlier meeting this year. The other games against IHSAA schools include 3-11 Pioneer, 6-9 Twin Lakes, and 7-6 North Judson. The Vikings close against Kokomo Christian, which might be their best shot at a victory.
Union (Modoc): A team that is perennially not very good, the Rockets do have a contest against fellow WW member Cowan on 2/21. The Rockets have split the last six with Cowan, but have not been very competitive this season; the edge in their upcoming contest goes to the Blackhawks due to their homecourt advantage and the fact that they've been slightly more competitive than Union this season. Their game against non-IHSAA school Seton Catholic on 2/17 isn't likely determine whether Union ends up in the W column this season; their other games are against 3-10 Wapahani, 3-9 Hagerstown, and 2-11 Randolph Southern - easily the weakest remaining schedule of the WW members.
Southern Wells: Sitting at 0-12, the Raiders have eight games left, all against IHSAA member schools. 9-4 Southwood and 4-10 Garrett are next on their schedule before their showdown with fellow WW squad Woodlan on 2/9. 6-8 Wabash is next, then 1-14 Blackford, 8-8 Lakeview Christian and 10-6 Mississinewa. The Woodlan and Blackford games are probably the Raiders' best shot at a win this year.
Cowan: As mentioned previously, the Blackhawks will probably be slightly favored in their bout against WW team Union (Modoc) on 2/21. With 6-6 Wes-Del, 3-10 Wapahani, 2-11 Randolph Southern, 10-4 Monroe Central and 8-8 Lakeview Christian also remaining, their game against Union will be critical to their hopes of not ending the season winless.
Kouts: The 0-13 Mustangs do battle with 6-7 Knox next, followed by 2-11 Morgan Township (one of whose wins came earlier this year against ... Kouts), 8-6 West Central and 5-11 Hanover Central. However, Mustang boosters might be licking their chops at the final week of the schedule, when Kouts laces 'em up against the deliciously named River Forest Ingots (1-13) and 2-11 LaCrosse. Look for Kouts to take at least one of the two to get themselves off the list.
Woodlan: The winless Warriors probably have the best shot of our WW group of removing themselves from the list, as they've been competitive in the bulk of their games. Their worst loss has been by 18 to FW Concordia, and they've had two double-OT affairs. In addition to their showdown with winless Southern Wells on 2/9, they also face Harding (8-5), 9-4 South Adams, 6-6 FW Luers, 11-2 Norwell, 3-10 FW Elmhurst, and 4-10 Bellmont (coached by the tastefully named Flava Sirk). The Warriors should finish with at least a couple of wins to their credit this year.
(Special thanks, as always, to the inestimable John Harrell, whose Indiana High School Basketball site is priceless to me when putting together Winless Watch. The man should go into the Hall of Fame someday for his tireless work on compling current and recent Indiana HS hoops info.)
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
It's only temporary.
I didn't see it coming. At all.
I've detailed before (not in this space, but in a previous venture that is no longer linkable) my "friendship" that went down in flames before the 2000 presidential election. A quick recap:
Back in 2000, I had a female friend whom I had known for about three years through an old convenience store job I had. She wasn't a particularly close friend; in fact, time and distance brings me a near-hesitation to even use the word "friend." Granted, she was someone I would have crossed the street to say hello to if I saw her. (Is that the line between friendship and acquaintanceship? Your call. I'll use the word "friendship" from this point forward in this post.)
Our friendship grew in the years following my termination from the C-store gig. I'd see Liz in clubs; we'd usually buy each other a drink or two and make small talk about whatever band was playing. I believe she was a lesbian, and I was dating my future wife at the time, so everything was completely above board.
It all fell apart over drinks one night in the runup to the 2000 presidential election (Gore v. Bush). We were sitting together in a bar in Bloomington, and there was something on TV regarding the election. She asked me for my thoughts about it, and I casually mentioned that I was voting for Bush - unaware that making such a statement meant that that conversation would be our last.
She looked at me with incredulity, then started in on the reasons why she wasn't voting for Bush, including the "village idiot" argument, the "not-qualified-for-city-dogcatcher" argument, and the "women's rights will be destroyed" argument.
I deftly picked apart her arguments as well as my beer-soaked mind would allow: "He is *not* the village idiot! He would, too, be qualified for city dogcatcher if he were running! He will *not* destroy women's rights!" All the while, I tried to make it clear that I wasn't holding her views against her as a human being - I don't know how much clearer I could have made it.
I had just grasped onto the "culture of life" ideal that Bush put forth during the campaign, because I thought that was pretty awesome, and I began to relay that to Liz.
None of this swayed her, though, and she looked at me like a lover scorned. "You can't be serious!"
"I am." And I was.
She got up and went somewhere else in the bar to drink, away from me. I tried to dissuade her.
"Wait, where are you going? Just because ... I ... *sigh*"
That was the last time we spoke. I'm not even aware that I ever did see her again after that.
*****
I thought that my last encounter with Liz was an aberration, that she was just a woman who believed that I was something different from what I was, even though I never presented myself any differently to my knowledge. I don't really know what she thought I was, but I apparently turned out to be a conservative in liberal's clothing. Which, to her, was not something she wanted or needed in her life.
It's sad, really. She saw me as a decent, kind, wonderful, caring human being on the surface, until the "R" word passed from my lips, and then I became Instant Evil. I suppose being a conservative is an anathema to all of those warm fuzzy concepts.
Part of me wonders if she just had a lot more invested emotionally in her causes than I did in mine. That's not to say that I even had any causes at the time, nor do I now. Being a conservative might be a part of who I am ... but I don't think it defines me totally. (Does it?) I'm pretty ambivalent about a lot of political things - yeah, I believe that conservatism is the correct path that this country should take, but if it doesn't? The sun will still come up tomorrow, and as long as I wake up breathing, I don't think that a Supreme Court decision or a political campaign will define what kind of day I have.
Naively, I believed that this was how most of the rational world operated.
*****
I didn't see it coming. At all.
I should have known that my last encounter with Liz would be a harbinger of things to come. The political discourse in this country has taken a turn for the ugly in the years since Bush's election and re-election.
I'm really tired of reading about how if:
(a) Conservatives are evil, and
(b) I am conservative,
then therefore it follows that (c) I am evil.
(Let it also be known that I'm not particularly enamored with the thought process that says, "Liberals are anti-American" ---> "You are liberal" ---> "Therefore, you are anti-American." I'll grant, though, that I'm not as offended by that conclusion since I'm not a liberal. Still sucks, though, to be painted with such a wide brush.)
I think that people on both sides tend to forget that all of this is temporary. By "this," I mean not only the current Administration, the current Congress, the current makeup of the Supreme Court - but also life. (I will also grant that, if terrorists have their way, life would be a lot more temporary, and I'm willing to give this President the benefit of the doubt to make that outcome less likely. Some people, alas, aren't so willing.)
But in the end, the sun will still rise in the east tomorrow, and if you wake up breathing, that's a hell of a sight better than the alternative.
I've detailed before (not in this space, but in a previous venture that is no longer linkable) my "friendship" that went down in flames before the 2000 presidential election. A quick recap:
Back in 2000, I had a female friend whom I had known for about three years through an old convenience store job I had. She wasn't a particularly close friend; in fact, time and distance brings me a near-hesitation to even use the word "friend." Granted, she was someone I would have crossed the street to say hello to if I saw her. (Is that the line between friendship and acquaintanceship? Your call. I'll use the word "friendship" from this point forward in this post.)
Our friendship grew in the years following my termination from the C-store gig. I'd see Liz in clubs; we'd usually buy each other a drink or two and make small talk about whatever band was playing. I believe she was a lesbian, and I was dating my future wife at the time, so everything was completely above board.
It all fell apart over drinks one night in the runup to the 2000 presidential election (Gore v. Bush). We were sitting together in a bar in Bloomington, and there was something on TV regarding the election. She asked me for my thoughts about it, and I casually mentioned that I was voting for Bush - unaware that making such a statement meant that that conversation would be our last.
She looked at me with incredulity, then started in on the reasons why she wasn't voting for Bush, including the "village idiot" argument, the "not-qualified-for-city-dogcatcher" argument, and the "women's rights will be destroyed" argument.
I deftly picked apart her arguments as well as my beer-soaked mind would allow: "He is *not* the village idiot! He would, too, be qualified for city dogcatcher if he were running! He will *not* destroy women's rights!" All the while, I tried to make it clear that I wasn't holding her views against her as a human being - I don't know how much clearer I could have made it.
I had just grasped onto the "culture of life" ideal that Bush put forth during the campaign, because I thought that was pretty awesome, and I began to relay that to Liz.
None of this swayed her, though, and she looked at me like a lover scorned. "You can't be serious!"
"I am." And I was.
She got up and went somewhere else in the bar to drink, away from me. I tried to dissuade her.
"Wait, where are you going? Just because ... I ... *sigh*"
That was the last time we spoke. I'm not even aware that I ever did see her again after that.
*****
I thought that my last encounter with Liz was an aberration, that she was just a woman who believed that I was something different from what I was, even though I never presented myself any differently to my knowledge. I don't really know what she thought I was, but I apparently turned out to be a conservative in liberal's clothing. Which, to her, was not something she wanted or needed in her life.
It's sad, really. She saw me as a decent, kind, wonderful, caring human being on the surface, until the "R" word passed from my lips, and then I became Instant Evil. I suppose being a conservative is an anathema to all of those warm fuzzy concepts.
Part of me wonders if she just had a lot more invested emotionally in her causes than I did in mine. That's not to say that I even had any causes at the time, nor do I now. Being a conservative might be a part of who I am ... but I don't think it defines me totally. (Does it?) I'm pretty ambivalent about a lot of political things - yeah, I believe that conservatism is the correct path that this country should take, but if it doesn't? The sun will still come up tomorrow, and as long as I wake up breathing, I don't think that a Supreme Court decision or a political campaign will define what kind of day I have.
Naively, I believed that this was how most of the rational world operated.
*****
I didn't see it coming. At all.
I should have known that my last encounter with Liz would be a harbinger of things to come. The political discourse in this country has taken a turn for the ugly in the years since Bush's election and re-election.
I'm really tired of reading about how if:
(a) Conservatives are evil, and
(b) I am conservative,
then therefore it follows that (c) I am evil.
(Let it also be known that I'm not particularly enamored with the thought process that says, "Liberals are anti-American" ---> "You are liberal" ---> "Therefore, you are anti-American." I'll grant, though, that I'm not as offended by that conclusion since I'm not a liberal. Still sucks, though, to be painted with such a wide brush.)
I think that people on both sides tend to forget that all of this is temporary. By "this," I mean not only the current Administration, the current Congress, the current makeup of the Supreme Court - but also life. (I will also grant that, if terrorists have their way, life would be a lot more temporary, and I'm willing to give this President the benefit of the doubt to make that outcome less likely. Some people, alas, aren't so willing.)
But in the end, the sun will still rise in the east tomorrow, and if you wake up breathing, that's a hell of a sight better than the alternative.
Monday, January 16, 2006
Winless Watch (Girls Edition): Broncs win!
In my post below on the trials and travails of the Cannelton boys basketball team, as well as other boys basketball teams throughout the state, I should have given huzzahs also regarding this girls score from January 4:
Daleville 44, Indianapolis Howe 22
For those of you who follow such trivia, Daleville had a triple-digit losing streak snapped at the end of last season. I believe it was the longest such streak in state history. Anyway, it appeared that they were working on a new streak this season, but the futility of seasons past (in which 101-9 and 52-8 scores were more the rule than the exception) hasn't carried over, as three of their losses were by a combined six points. Three seasons ago, their closest margin of defeat was 30 points; two seasons ago, their closest margin of defeat was 9, while last season, their closest margin was 7 points (before breaking the skid with back-to-back wins over FW Keystone and Indianapolis Howe). So, they're improving. Good for them!
Girls' Winless Watch this week includes 4A's Lawrence Central, 3A's Gary Wallace, Hammond Clark, Indianapolis Howe and West Vigo, 2A's Churubusco, Sheridan and Lake Station, and 1A's LaCrosse, Union (Modoc) and FW Keystone.
Surprisingly, Gary Wallace and Hammond Clark don't play one another; Gary Wallace is playing what appears to be a shortened schedule this year (11 games). Meanwhile, Lake Station and LaCrosse play on 1/26, while Union (Modoc) and Indianapolis Howe may play each other in a tournament on 1/28. Otherwise - and I haven't looked at sectionals yet - none of these teams are slated to meet in the regular season.
Daleville 44, Indianapolis Howe 22
For those of you who follow such trivia, Daleville had a triple-digit losing streak snapped at the end of last season. I believe it was the longest such streak in state history. Anyway, it appeared that they were working on a new streak this season, but the futility of seasons past (in which 101-9 and 52-8 scores were more the rule than the exception) hasn't carried over, as three of their losses were by a combined six points. Three seasons ago, their closest margin of defeat was 30 points; two seasons ago, their closest margin of defeat was 9, while last season, their closest margin was 7 points (before breaking the skid with back-to-back wins over FW Keystone and Indianapolis Howe). So, they're improving. Good for them!
Girls' Winless Watch this week includes 4A's Lawrence Central, 3A's Gary Wallace, Hammond Clark, Indianapolis Howe and West Vigo, 2A's Churubusco, Sheridan and Lake Station, and 1A's LaCrosse, Union (Modoc) and FW Keystone.
Surprisingly, Gary Wallace and Hammond Clark don't play one another; Gary Wallace is playing what appears to be a shortened schedule this year (11 games). Meanwhile, Lake Station and LaCrosse play on 1/26, while Union (Modoc) and Indianapolis Howe may play each other in a tournament on 1/28. Otherwise - and I haven't looked at sectionals yet - none of these teams are slated to meet in the regular season.
Winless Watch: Cannelton, My Cannelton
It's always funny to hear about a traditionally strong basketball team having a rough season, especially when that team struggles to a 14-7 or 15-5 record. Must be tough - I went to a high school whose basketball team went 4-80 in my four years there, so I can't relate to the "lack of success" that these other teams are experiencing. I suppose I'm empathy-deficient.
I point this out because nestled down on the Ohio River in Perry County, IN, is Cannelton High School. The Bulldogs, not known as one of your perennial basketball powers, find themselves sitting on an 0-12 record with eight games left in the regular season.
("So what? Lots of teams are winless at this point - Floyd Central, Woodlan, Triton Central, Kouts, Southern Wells, Cowan, New Harmony, Union (Modoc), North White, Morton Memorial, Howe Military and Terre Haute Holy Cross, in addition to Cannelton. So what's the big deal?" you might say.)
Yes, but. Most of those teams have been losing by at least halfway respectable margins. Besides, you can even make a case that Holy Cross is not winless, since they beat someone called 'Fountain County Home' over the weekend. Howe Military has played only six games, as has Morton Memorial.
Cannelton, on the other hand ... hooooo boy. They opened with a 71-19 loss to New Washington (the Mustangs' only win on the year), before losing the next three games by a combined score of 255-57. They bounced back to lose their next game to South Central by only 32 points, before losing the next three by a combined score of 308-79. Then, they lost the next three by 44, 47 and 60, before coming close against Cloverport, KY (losing by only 6 points). They've given up an average of 82 points a game, while scoring an average of just over 26.
I feel bad for those kids. I've been there, both as a player and as an innocent bystander, and I remember trying to balance learning the game with an instinct for self-preservation that demands you act French when the opposing team is bashing your skull in night in, night out.
Uh-oh. New Harmony is on Cannelton's schedule for a home-and-home over the next two weeks. As noted by their inclusion on the above list, the Rappites aren't having much better luck this season, going 0-11 and losing by just over 30 a game. Wouldn't it be great if the two schools split their two games?
(In addition to the above list, the only other teams I can tell who play each other are Southern Wells and Woodlan, who are in the same conference. Terre Haute Holy Cross does play Morton Memorial and New Harmony late in the season also.)
Winless Watch will continue in this space as events permit.
I point this out because nestled down on the Ohio River in Perry County, IN, is Cannelton High School. The Bulldogs, not known as one of your perennial basketball powers, find themselves sitting on an 0-12 record with eight games left in the regular season.
("So what? Lots of teams are winless at this point - Floyd Central, Woodlan, Triton Central, Kouts, Southern Wells, Cowan, New Harmony, Union (Modoc), North White, Morton Memorial, Howe Military and Terre Haute Holy Cross, in addition to Cannelton. So what's the big deal?" you might say.)
Yes, but. Most of those teams have been losing by at least halfway respectable margins. Besides, you can even make a case that Holy Cross is not winless, since they beat someone called 'Fountain County Home' over the weekend. Howe Military has played only six games, as has Morton Memorial.
Cannelton, on the other hand ... hooooo boy. They opened with a 71-19 loss to New Washington (the Mustangs' only win on the year), before losing the next three games by a combined score of 255-57. They bounced back to lose their next game to South Central by only 32 points, before losing the next three by a combined score of 308-79. Then, they lost the next three by 44, 47 and 60, before coming close against Cloverport, KY (losing by only 6 points). They've given up an average of 82 points a game, while scoring an average of just over 26.
I feel bad for those kids. I've been there, both as a player and as an innocent bystander, and I remember trying to balance learning the game with an instinct for self-preservation that demands you act French when the opposing team is bashing your skull in night in, night out.
Uh-oh. New Harmony is on Cannelton's schedule for a home-and-home over the next two weeks. As noted by their inclusion on the above list, the Rappites aren't having much better luck this season, going 0-11 and losing by just over 30 a game. Wouldn't it be great if the two schools split their two games?
(In addition to the above list, the only other teams I can tell who play each other are Southern Wells and Woodlan, who are in the same conference. Terre Haute Holy Cross does play Morton Memorial and New Harmony late in the season also.)
Winless Watch will continue in this space as events permit.
They Get Letters: Cut the needy!
Out here in flyover country, we're pretty insulated from the sheer silliness of today's political climate. Even Democrats here are fairly sane folks. However, with a large, state-supported, liberal arts university just an hour up the road, the letters-to-the-editor section of the paper is not completely immune to the ravings of those who still call our commander-in-chief "Chimpy McBushitlerhalliburtonco."
Haven't you heard it said communists will take over without firing a shot?
Communists!!! (My God, are those people still around?)
But let's set politics aside for a second and consider the following. From Sunday's Bedford Times-Mail comes this enlightening, comically illiterate letter; my comments are in this font, in black.
Worst president in history
To the editor:
Terri Lynn Languell, of Springville, you took the words out of my mouth. We need more people like you. Iraq is another Vietnam; he's spent billions.I'm working on a comparison between Iraq and Vietnam; watch this space!
Biggest spender as a president in the millions and billions.Millions and billions and trillions and quadrillions ... 5-illions, even!
But they can cut the needy and give themselves a raise, Senate and House and judges. In 2006, they want to raise property taxes 10 percent,
Yes, I saw the report where the federal government wants to raise your property taxes. You're kidding me, right?
Also, cutting the needy would seem to be a good thing. Unless you mean "with knives."
deregulate the phone company.How random! "In 1979, the Soviets invaded Afghanistan, and that's how Jim Thorpe lost his gold medals when Neil Armstrong landed on the moon."
Bush is not truthful, and he'll go down as the worst president in history.
I doubt it. I refer you to a Mr. Stan Slabaugh of Chevy Chase, Maryland, who was City Council President of that city from 1984-1987. He was pretty awful. Also, I was French Club president my senior year of high school, and I was a pretty bad president too. I ran on the platform, "More crepes, less circonflexes!" But I didn't follow through. Compounded with an illegal, unethical war against the Chess Club, my French Club presidency was a disaster.
Also, Warren Harding wasn't a very good president either.
Rich got richer, poor poorer. Whoever wrote the Part D prescription drug bill must of been crazy.Yes, must of been!
No one can understand it.Much like ... this letter?
Under this president, no jobs, only minimum wage.Which is it - no jobs, or minimum-wage jobs? Now, if I recall my minimum-wage days correctly, I was making a hell of a sight more with minimum-wage than without a job. Not to split hairs or anything - I'm just saying.
President make jobs now!!!!!!
People lost homes, more homeless, hunger, high cost of everything,You can still get a double cheeseburger for a dollar if you know the right people. That'll eliminate the "hunger" and "high cost of everything" angle you're approaching.
can't afford insurance or medicine. Senate and Congress need a term limit like the president so we can get someone to work for the country and people.Brain ...... tired.
Haven't you heard it said communists will take over without firing a shot?
Communists!!! (My God, are those people still around?)
Looks that way.
******
Let's be fair: functional illiteracy isn't something to be laughed at; it not only makes you more apt to write letters like above, but also makes you more suspectible to the crap that you find at places like Democratic Underground.
But we haven't heard Bush being called a "communist" for a while. I'm afraid the writer is confusing her talking points - she read "fascist" but couldn't remember that epithet. Oh well - give her points for effort; she's bashing Bush at a fifth-grade level!
I love letters to the editor. Newspapers are so desperate for readers these days, and they're so glad that someone takes the time to write to them, that they will publish just about anything! A writer doesn't have to source anything, and you can still get away with blanket half-sentences like "Under this president, no jobs, only minimum wage."
ANYWAY, this letter stands on its own (lack of) merits. I don't have anything relevant to add.Currently selling on eBay .....
Currently selling on eBay:
Mr. Perfect doll - not a wrestling figurine, but rather a gag gift that says 16 ironic - errrr, romantic - phrases. Goes well with ...
Ms. Perfect doll - see above description.
Classic Winnie the Pooh bank - ceramic bank with old-style, classic Pooh and Piglet.
51-pc Incense Set - comes in five flavors.
My eBay ID is b9541; check them out.
Colts lose! (Again.)
Late in the 4th quarter of the Colts-Steelers debacle - and that's really what it was, as the final score doesn't reflect Pittsburgh's total domination of the game - my wife turned to me and said, "The Colts aren't ever going to go to the Super Bowl, are they?" I shook my head and said, "No," for I had had the same thought earlier in the game.
It's a bit of a defeatist attitude, to be sure - if we don't believe they're ever going to make it to the Big Game, what, then, is the point of donning my Brandon Stokley jersey every Sunday? What's the point of me practically begging for Colts clothing every year around Christmastime? - but sometime next year, we'll start believing again. Still, yesterday's game was another case of same song, new verse.
I don't have a football background. My high school was too small to field a team, and I never really started enjoying the game until the last 10 years. A lot of the intricacies and vagaries of the game still escape me. So when someone asks me what the Colts should do in light of yet another playoff failure, I don't have much of an answer besides "punt."
I know what I know: Peyton Manning passed for about 3 million yards last year and they lost in the playoffs. This year, the Colts retooled a little bit, strengthening a historically lackluster defense and ran off 13 straight wins to start the season ... and they lost in the playoffs again. In other recent years, they've been good for anywhere from 10-13 wins ... and a loss in the playoffs.
Is it coaching? Is it the defense/offense/special teams? I don't know. There are plenty of people who know more than I do about the game that can give you a better answer.
Despite yesterday's heartbreak, I still enjoyed the ride this year. It would do one well to consider all of the teams who have been on the cusp of greatness, who ran up gaudy records in the regular season and were odds-on favorites to win the Super Bowl, only to fail. The Vikings from about 6 or 7 years ago spring immediately to mind, as do the '95 Chiefs (when the Colts went into Arrowhead and pulled off what was then considered a mild upset). Those teams really didn't bounce back from those failures ... but I believe that these Colts, with this offense and this defense and this coach, can regroup (again) and take the next step next year.
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
Tube Tied - 1.10.06
"Cringeworthy" is the operative term when the Wheeee puts out a Raw like it did last night (1.9.06). Many of the elements within make me wonder why I bothered watching wrestling again in the first place.
Topping the card, of course, was the "live sex celebration" between Edge and Lita, in recognition of Edge's surprise win in the Elimination Chamber at New Year's Resolution (tm Chris Masters). Listen - it's not the Puritan in me that makes faces at things like a "live sex celebration" - it's the adult in me.
(It doesn't help matters that, when the Wheeeee puts the words "live sex celebration" in a goofy font like it did, I find myself flipping over to the Smoky Mountain Knife Works shopping channel for something to gouge my eyes out with.)
Anyway, it was a segment that went overly too long, no matter how nice the retrospective video segment they put together for The Toothy One was. (He's really come a long way from beating the hell out of the Hardys every other week, which seemed to be the gist of the video package.)
Ric Flair came out to save the segment, which evoked yips of joy from me, even though he's so old that his Social Security number is in Roman numerals. Alas, his head became the meat in a chair sandwich. And then John Cena came out, wiggered around for a minute and killed what remaining enjoyment I had for the segment.
In other Raw news, I thought Kurt Angle's performance last night was priceless, as always. The closeup of him concentrating intently on the end of tag rope while his tag partner Shawn Michaels was being beat down by Carlito and Chris Masters was humorous, as was his discussion with Daivari about his gold medal while Michaels was desperately reaching for the tag.
I don't get what they're doing with Shelton Benjamin, other than killing his career. I think that Barry Windham got more mileage with his Widowmaker persona than Benjamin is getting with this overprotective mother angle.
Topping the card, of course, was the "live sex celebration" between Edge and Lita, in recognition of Edge's surprise win in the Elimination Chamber at New Year's Resolution (tm Chris Masters). Listen - it's not the Puritan in me that makes faces at things like a "live sex celebration" - it's the adult in me.
(It doesn't help matters that, when the Wheeeee puts the words "live sex celebration" in a goofy font like it did, I find myself flipping over to the Smoky Mountain Knife Works shopping channel for something to gouge my eyes out with.)
Anyway, it was a segment that went overly too long, no matter how nice the retrospective video segment they put together for The Toothy One was. (He's really come a long way from beating the hell out of the Hardys every other week, which seemed to be the gist of the video package.)
Ric Flair came out to save the segment, which evoked yips of joy from me, even though he's so old that his Social Security number is in Roman numerals. Alas, his head became the meat in a chair sandwich. And then John Cena came out, wiggered around for a minute and killed what remaining enjoyment I had for the segment.
In other Raw news, I thought Kurt Angle's performance last night was priceless, as always. The closeup of him concentrating intently on the end of tag rope while his tag partner Shawn Michaels was being beat down by Carlito and Chris Masters was humorous, as was his discussion with Daivari about his gold medal while Michaels was desperately reaching for the tag.
I don't get what they're doing with Shelton Benjamin, other than killing his career. I think that Barry Windham got more mileage with his Widowmaker persona than Benjamin is getting with this overprotective mother angle.
Why rasslin'?
I had fallen out of wrestling fandom for about 3 years; the institution of marriage tends to pull a person away from such trivial pursuits, though sometimes it might push one toward them. Otherwise, there really wasn't an impetus for our separation, me and wrestling. Sometimes there's a "growing apart" that takes place, just like the one that took place between me and NASCAR, or me and Tori Amos, or me and "Lost," or me and ... well, just about anything I've held more than moderate interest in over the last 15 years. There are deeper reasons for these separations, and I won't delve into them here.
Anyway, I've been dipping my toe back into the water as far as my interest in televised professional wrestling is concerned. I'm not going to get into the deeper reasons as to why it would even hold my interest in the first place; superficially, however, I liken it to discovering that your ex-girlfriend is on TV regularly now. You may give all of the signals and make all of the right sounds that you don't care, and on some levels, you may not ... but you secretly tape her shows so that you can watch without anyone else knowing. Me and wrestling are the same way.
In this space on an irregular basis, in the spirit of the writing I did for my old 'zine, I'll cover my thoughts on the week's doings in televised professional wrestling (fake wrestling or whatever epithet you want to use this week). Mostly covering the happenings on WWE's Raw, it'll be called "Tube Tied." I hope you glean something useful from my thoughts.
Anyway, I've been dipping my toe back into the water as far as my interest in televised professional wrestling is concerned. I'm not going to get into the deeper reasons as to why it would even hold my interest in the first place; superficially, however, I liken it to discovering that your ex-girlfriend is on TV regularly now. You may give all of the signals and make all of the right sounds that you don't care, and on some levels, you may not ... but you secretly tape her shows so that you can watch without anyone else knowing. Me and wrestling are the same way.
In this space on an irregular basis, in the spirit of the writing I did for my old 'zine, I'll cover my thoughts on the week's doings in televised professional wrestling (fake wrestling or whatever epithet you want to use this week). Mostly covering the happenings on WWE's Raw, it'll be called "Tube Tied." I hope you glean something useful from my thoughts.
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