moyemayhem

I was returning home in the car with the family after attending a memorial for my uncle. My wife was nice enough to drive so I could watch the end of the game, but she regretted that decision after a broke the review mirror celebrating the catch.

If we don’t bring in an experienced TE from the portal (and at this point the cupboard is looking pretty bare) I have to assume that is because Cig has high confidence in someone on the current roster. The top 3 TEs, Nowakowski, Staes, and Bomba are gone. Schott is a nice prospect, but I’d be surprised if Cig is already pencilling him in as a starter with virtually no college experience and no time working with our coaches. The only other TEs that we are bringing back from the current roster are Thiry (who may have some upside) and Barker (who looks like more of a block first type). Could there be someone else who they are in the process of converting to TE? I guess the only logical conclusion is that either Thiry or Barker has really impressed the coaches. In Cig we trust.

According to this the #3 state in ticket sales is Illinois at over 11%. I believe it was third in ticket sales at the last two IU playoff games as well, and we can safely assume the ratio for that group will be 99% Indiana fans. https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/heres-much-tickets-miami-vs-190238932.html?guccounter=1

These guys will be hungry. We are going to see some Dino Tucker and Hjelle snadwiches.

This guy has NFL level punting stats. A 46.2 yard avg, with 25 punts inside the 20, and only 2 touchbacks is very impressive.

I flew into Burbank airport today, and I’d say the ratio of Indiana to Alabama fans was roughly 4:1.

I purchased tickets from Illinois, and I think it’s safe to say that contingent is made up primarily of IU alumni in the Chicago area.

Tough one, but I’d probably go: Cignetti Cignetti Cignetti Cignetti

For what it’s worth Mike Katic said on Mark Titus’ podcast that Cignetti wouldn’t be going to Penn State. He said Cignetti is a Pittsburgh guy who hates central PA and Penn State, and more importantly his wife loves Bloomington. Also of note is that Titus’ cohost is Brandon Walker who called Cignetti a coward on Saturday’s Barstool pregame show. Needless to say, Katic addressed that as well. https://open.spotify.com/episode/2hi5xXaUEvN4gA6KSUoR8z?si=eyhXl7UKTA2Wb-mbvvZWaA&context=spotify%3Ashow%3A0eJdYO923ory6MIvZpoSVV

Tom Fornelli is also saying that Cig is staying. https://x.com/tomfornelli/status/1977462522870427729?s=46&t=xHjmpvrXkRF0KKDD8jPdPQ

In Mitchell's 5 seasons in Utah, the Jazz won a total of 2 playoff series and simply weren't going deep into the postseason. With that said, I think the Jazz would have kept him if he was happy there.

I think you are leaving out a lot of context in Ainge’s time in Utah. The Jazz weren’t going deep in the playoffs with Gobert and Mitchell, and made a decision to reboot. Ainge was brought in to tear it down, and he did a really good job maximizing return in the process. Getting 4 first round picks for a guy making $40+ million a year that often doesn’t play crunch time in playoff games is a great deal. Mitchell didn’t formally ask for a trade, but it was understood that he preferred to be traded. Conley had a great career, but he’s not a difference maker anymore. They will be bad for a while, especially in the West, but they at least have the picks and front office now to turn it around.

Loved this quote from the article: "It’s impossible to know how Haliburton’s injury will affect the rest of his career, but the run he had should forever transform how he’s perceived. Moving forward, no one who believes he’s overrated can be taken seriously. On the contrary, true visionaries who inhabit unteachable selflessness do not grow on trees. Haliburton will have coaching staffs around the league begging their primary scorers to sacrifice a little bit more. The sales pitch writes itself: Pass, cut, move, screen, and push more often and defenses will have a much harder time slowing you down." Haliburton and the Pacers' playing style is not only a great teaching tool for coaches, but it's also the template for entertaining and aesthetically pleasing basketball. Here's to hoping their influence is strong and durable.

Not making an excuse, but Haliburton’s mobility was clearly affected by this latest injury. He couldn’t create separation like the previous games. Add in Dort and his pass first mentality and this is the result.

Scott Foster is not a good referee. Last night was the worst officiated game of the series. And yet, it’s still not why the Pacers lost the game. They were up 4 with 3 minutes left and proceeded to go 0-5 from the field and 1-4 from the line with a turnover thrown in. The Pacers got away from their flow offense and let the game slip away. That’s why they lost.

Doyel asked “How is it possible to not fight hard enough to win.” Siakam had the correct reaction. What a joke of a question. It’s as if Doyel doesn’t understand the human condition or how competition works.

Great win by the Pacers. They have a grit that is undeniable at this point. It really is a joy to watch them play. They are so unselfish, they have unique players that just fit together, the effort is consistent, and they are never intimidated. And it all starts with Haliburton who has a special basketball IQ that is clearly contagious. Such a fun team to root for.

Are we expecting Leal to get another year of eligibility and then hit the transfer portal? We’re still in the transfer portal thread right?

If we get desperate, I hear there is a big transferring out of Tatooine State named J.B. "Jabba" Hutt. He's got great size, but is pretty stationary. He can certainly be used to clog up the lane. but he'll need to work on his cardio if he wants to get meaningful minutes.

https://x.com/pitlessball/status/1919952218125427189?s=46&t=xHjmpvrXkRF0KKDD8jPdPQ

I think DDV did an admirable job filling the roster with solid players that fit his style this year. I doubt we are elite, but I think we can be a competitive tournament team and hopefully get a positive glimpse of what's to come. I'm hoping with Johnson, Clark, and Adams in place we can start pulling in top tier talent next year that fits DDV system.

Most considered Oladipo a raw toolsy kid when he was recruited. Great athlete with very limited skills.

If Duke, UK, and Indiana don't bother investing in the program and are bottom dwellers for 10+ years, the fans will go away and that jersey will lose its worth. I know the comeback will be that Indiana hasn't done anything the last 20 years, but the truth is we've still had better results than roughly half the teams in the Big Ten. We've had recurring moments of hope provided by preseason expectations, or a blue chip recruit, or a new coach. It's been ugly and the administration's competence is rightly questioned, but you can't say they aren't trying. If we don't invest in NIL that would be proof positive we aren't trying, and the fans will eventually disappear.