TrueHoosier62

LOL, When I first saw the thread title, my first reaction was, "Like I give a shiat"... I think you're right. Given the proximity between Illinois and Indiana, and Indiana's recent ascension on offense, it's entirely possible to nick a lineman or two from their previously committed, or yet to commit recruits. I've got to believe Wilson is already on top of this. He strikes me as someone who doesn't miss too many opportunities.

3-4 years would seem to be logical at most schools, but I'm not sure it applies here. We went and got a great offensive mind in Wilson, and understandably he responded by focusing mainly on that aspect of the program. Consequently, I believe we may now have one of the best, if not THE best offense in the league, (and possibly one of the better ones in the nation). Our flashy offense is just now, after four years, beginning to pay nice dividends in terms of recruiting, and in my opinion it won't be just that side of the ball that sees the benefit. Last year's defensive class certainly has the potential to become good, perhaps very good, but I'd wager the best is still yet to come. I'd say give this team two more years, totaling six for Wilson, and we should begin seeing our Hoosiers beating a steady path to bowl games.

The bottom line, as far as I'm concerned, is that we're recruiting better than we ever have, have better facilities, have better coaches and a growing fan base. In time, these factors will converge to either push us past the OSU's and Michigans of the BIG, or at least make the gap so narrow as to be a negligible factor. Rankings are so subjective anyway, and I like the team that coach Wilson is building. 

The kid sure does look like his dad, but doesn't look like he's 6'-2". I hope he has a cannon for an arm.

Welcome Titus! We look forward to cheering your efforts in the Cream and Crimson!

I can appreciate what you're saying, but too often the issues you mention as having been thrown at him were in fact conditions that his approach to coaching and recruiting helped to foster. Coaches everywhere have malcontents, inconsistent play from Freshmen, defections, etc, etc; so why should Crean be given a pass or an excuse for his inability to handle it? His two "amazing" years were only amazing in light of our recent history of utter failure. Would we have been just as excited about a trip to the sweet 16 in 1975, 1976, or 1980? Even in 1987, when we weren't expected to win it all, we would have been surprised and disappointed to have lost in the sweet 16. Nice that we got there? Yes. Amazing? No.  To paraphrase the Peter Principle of business: "Tom Crean has reached the level of his own incompetence".

You're probably correct, though even during some of his lean years, when talent wasn't there, his teams still played good ball and his coaching alone was worth 7-8 wins, perhaps more.

After four years of watching Crean's IU teams, I still don't see what hold he or his teams have on the masses, and can't understand their willingness to accept mediocrity. It's as if the pathogen that allows Purdue and Illinois fans to think highly of a .500 season has spread to Bloomington, and after four years of gestation, has given way to a full blown case of indifference.   Crean can't coach, and he has proven that beyond any reasonable doubt. A great coach, hell, even a "good" coach, can take average talent and make it very good at something, (Knight made a HOF career out of doing that). Crean's teams are generally average across the board. They don't have the talent to hang with the Kentucky's of the world and don't possess the continuity to compete with the Duke's, Michigan States and Louisville's. And Crean will never, ever be accused of "out coaching" Calipari, Izzo, Krzyzewski or Pitino. Of course, none of this really matters. To too many, his ability to lead us back from basketball oblivion after the Sampson debacle is reason enough to grant an indefinite pass and a ready excuse for "average" seasons. "We're no longer the IU everyone remembers", "The Big Ten is really tough", "Kids naturally transfer at high rates", "Just wait until the next class get's here".   Such are the symptoms of this malady that has infiltrated Bloomington.

"Crean is like an artist who gets about halfway through the drawing and then rips it up because he thought of something better. Except his next idea isn't better…it's just different".   One of the best, most accurate analogies I've seen on here in some time. Well said.

I think the fact that we're "constantly changing our uniforms" speaks volumes about the stability, (or rather, instability) of our football program. When one sees a team changing their unis, it's almost always because that team or program is on the down and outs, and by extension, trying to drum up excitement in the fan base or dollars to compensate for low gate receipts. I can't see where there's anything positive about it beyond the superficial. I really hope that Wilson develops a monster program that allows the focus of both fans and recruits to be on the play of the team, not the flashy gear.

In my opinion, #1 rankings, Big Ten Championships, Big Ten tournament trophies and the hype they create, are for perennial IU wannabees like Purdue and Illinois.   They're nothing more than baubles, made for the less fortunate; mere crumbs for the poor.

  Unfortunately, I think you're right.

I'm too old and too cynical to embrace this kind of change. They're nice if one wants to decorate their own house with what they like, but the school and team need to retain some semblance of tradition and consistency, (the exception being their won loss percentage). I still think our traditional school colors are the best, (Cream and Crimson). Adding or making black or chrome the predominant color, eliminating gloss from the helmets and making them "matte"does nothing for me. I I can see where someone could make a buck trying to introduce these changes, but as I see it, as long as the product on the field improves, our traditional uniforms will become a hot and marketable item.

Is this a trick question?    The obvious answer is "NO". 

A 6'-5" TE is always handy to have around, especially if he tacks on some muscle and can pile drive the DE, allowing our running game to flourish.

Kick-ass. I can't wait for football season to start. Brats on the grill, beer in my hand and a chill in the air.

The boy is going to grow into a full grown brick wall before he graduates. Whomever is our QB, they should excel with their blind side well protected. This could theoretically lead to another quality QB or RB signing.  All good stuff.  Now come on Defense!

If this coaching staff were comprised of anyone other than Wilson and company, I'd be concerned. As it is, whether it's Sudfield or one of the youngsters, we'll be alright on that side of the ball. Even with Tre leaving, it still leaves more questions on defense than offense.

I know I tend to sound like the proverbial "wet blanket", but....   1.) How bad do things have to get before Glass begins to ask questions; you know, like "What the hell happened"? 2.) If the success of our ability to draw top recruits is tied to someone other than the head coach, it says more about the coach than it does KJ or anyone else we may bring in to do the recruiting 3.) This program may or may not have good kids coming in next year, but with each negative news release or defection, regardless of whom is at the helm of the recruiting trail, convincing players and their parents to tie their wagons to IU is going to be a bigger and bigger issue. 4.) Crean had better show something this next year or he'll sitting on the curb of 17th St. with a cardboard box of his belongings, thumbing for a ride out of town.

This coaching staff continues to land very good talent on the offensive side of the ball. Even in years when they aren't getting all the breaks on the recruiting trail, they're good enough teachers to develop some fine players out of average talent. Now, if we can just get both the talent and teaching on the Defensive side of the ball, we'll start making waves.   GO IU!

Great get for our side.

  Well, I thought i was living in America, but since this and several similar stories like it have broke recently, I'm beginning to wonder. That Mr. Sterling has been prosecuted for discriminatory actions in the past is irrelevant. The only question is, were his words, in this instance, and this instance only, said in the privacy of his own home, discriminatory in and of themselves? In my opinion, the answer is clearly, "NO", they are not. They harmed no one in any tangible way, and they were used by his gold digging wife, presumably to extort money from him. They are racist in tone and in word, and they are ugly, but they are hardly discriminatory. He and his beliefs are nothing more than a fading echo of our Country's ugly past, but let's not make it something it isn't. He didn't discriminate against anyone in any tangible sense by stating a belief. I suppose one could make the argument that he discriminated against African American men having equal access to his wife's bed, as opposed to say, white males, but I'm not sure how that might play out in a court of law. And "Psychopathic" personalities? Seriously? He's an aging man, (actually, an aging man dying from prostate cancer) with racist attitudes, based no doubt on another era's ideals. He's losing control of both his life and his faculties and he has been taken advantage of by someone who is half his age with a recording device. Perhaps in your ideal Country, you'd have him fileted on the public square, but in America, most people still believe in privacy, and the freedom of thought and expression without recourse.  

As a matter of fact, I do support a totally unregulated free market, as the occasional downside of an unregulated free market is far better than a consistently unchecked, over reaching, and corrupt Federal government owning us, our lives and our thoughts. Additionally, can you show me where Sterling acted upon his racist comments? No? I didn't think so either. He merely uttered something stupid to his gold digging skanky wife, who happened to be recording it with the intention of using it against him in future. I have absolutely No problem with him having the right to think what he wants. In short, everyone has the right to be wrong. He doesn't however, have the right to act upon racist thoughts, and we don't have the right to crucify him for his beliefs, no matter how outdated they may be. If anyone should go to jail or lose money or be "crucified" it would be his wife and every hypocrite on the airwaves who self righteously denounce his statements while being far better examples of racists than an 80 year old man with failing faculties.

I've said from the moment the story broke about Sterling that they shouldn't do a thing to him. He's entitled to his opinions, no matter how misplaced and archaic they may be. Instead, they should void the contracts for every one of his players, allowing them to walk to whomever they please. Then let's see him put together a team. It'd be the laughingstock of the NBA. Fans would quickly quit going and Sterling would be losing tons of money. He'd soon sell the team, and the NBA wouldn't have to do a thing.

We could add the following to the list, any one of which would be an improvement over CTC:   1.) Martha the mop lady, who's State Farm commercials are classics. Yeah, she'd be an improvement 2.) Sammy Terry. Yeah, he's dead, but so what? He'd be an improvement 3.) Gene Keady. Granted, it'd make most IU enthusiasts vomit, but hey, they're already sick from watching the product these days. 4.) Rosie O'Donnell. Well, she's probably less creepy than CTC, plus she probably knows her way around a locker room or two. 5.) Ron Jeremy. Anyone who can make that much money, looking that bad, in that industry, has to know something about winning. 6.) Helen Keller. Dead or alive, deaf, blind and mute, she still probably knows more about basketball and how to beat a 2-3 zone. 7.) Charles Lockett, Warden at Terre Haute's Federal Pen. I don't know if he knows basketball, but I bet the boys don't leave. 8.) Bozo T. Clown: Admit it, it'd be funny as hell, and we already have the circus in place 9.) Jay Edwards. A failed NBA career and a "meh" career in autos since. Perhaps he could use that to our advantage. 10.) Fred Glass. Hey, he made the mess, he can clean it up.