Old Friend

What don't you understand about what I've been saying about Ramsey? I'm not wrong about what I've said. I may be wrong about what you've created, but that's on you. Not me. I'm happy for the kid. He makes some incredible plays with his legs. Yes...he does. He's been the quarterback of a team that won 8 games (5 of them, anyway), and Indiana has had team success with him. I think he's a decent leader. Never said otherwise. What is it you think I'm wrong about? And base it on what I've actually said. I already admitted I was wrong when I said he was bad. I said that after a horrible performance, and I should have said he was bad "today." I didn't. And I owned it. About what else do you need me to admit I was wrong? Comparing Randle El to Ramsey is ridiculous. Two completely different players in two completely different offenses playing two completely different roles, yet you're using one stat to make what you think is a definitive comparison. It's not. You can stop that one now.

I haven't seen the game yet, so I'll live it through the eyes of others. I just saw the box score and listened to the second half.

Could have been the game plan. Sounded like the play out of halftime was designed for him. I could write a book on how I feel about our entry passes for the last few years. But a couple of guys would have a heart attack arguing with me about it,

So you're cherry picking. Okay. Let me make something very clear. You....YOU have created my expectations. Not me. You're taking what I say and creating your own meaning. All I've ever said is Ramsey's arm limits the offense and it still does. Purdue's QB was their 4th string guy and HE has a better arm and therefore opens the offense more than Ramsey. Ramsey also makes poor reads on the read option a lot, and I was shocked to see him pull it for a 12 yard gain once. Finally. Whatever...Indiana and in fact Ramsey has been good enough at other things to make up for it. And as I said before, none of it matters because we're 8-4. I never said the guy can't win. I have said there are throws he can't make and he still can't with any consistency. I know you think I'm going crazy because he's had success and that's not at all true. It's not true because you've applied your own meaning. I said a couple of weeks ago I was happy for him, and I am.

You DID notice our offense died when James got hurt, right? Seems if Ramsey were the reason we scored those 31 points, the offense would have been just fine. I said I'm happy and I am; but if you're trying to prove me wrong with half truths, it's not working. Ramsey missed some big throws today. One, a completed long ball to Westbrook, if a better throw is a touchdown and that game never goes to overtime. That's the other side of reality you're choosing to ignore. But again...I have no problem and I'm happy we won. We can debate if you feel like it and I'll let you choose the topic; but don't ignore the entirety of what happened if you want to do so. Purdue's 4th string quarterback has a better arm than our second string quarterback and threw for 408 today. Yeah..our defense was awful. I get it.

Now THAT's funny. You're getting on me about facts, then get selective about the ones YOU use. Antwaan Randle El rushed for almost 4,000 yards and 44 touchdowns at IU. In his career, he accounted for over 11,500 yards of offense. He was one of the most electric athletes to ever play college football. Throwing the ball wasn't exactly his primary role, which....I don't know, is why he was moved to wide receiver in the NFL? You're comparing Ramsey to Randle El as a way to prove me wrong?? That's very funny.

Disagree only in the role he's been asked to play. He's a rotation guy defensively and gets the ball to scorers better than anyone we have healthy right now. He's not really a shooter. More a slasher and cutter. When everyone's healthy and in their roles, I think his will change and he'll fit a little better. We don't have a true point guard right now. We're playing with 3 guys who have the same type of game as Ben Gordon had...combo. Interested in seeing how things shake out when people are in the right positions. On the positive side, Franklin has a better than 2:1 A/TO ratio, which is much better than a couple of far more experienced players playing a similar role.

It's not killing me at all. In fact, I'm very happy for him and the team as a whole, but I'm guessing you didn't read that far...speaking of agendas. As I said in the next post, my real problem has been with you and maybe one more guy. His arm is weak. He's slow in the pocket. But he makes enough plays with his legs and completes enough swing passes and short throws against deep coverage to make up for it. His YAC increased this season. You surely saw that, right? You want to tell me his downfield throws were better or more consistent? They weren't. But...it didn't matter. Indiana's team is better and he had more weapons. He made great plays with his legs. That said...some missed throws and empty trips to the red zone due in part to bad reads and bad throws almost helped cost us the game. We lose today? You're not as cocky. But go ahead and gloat if you want to. We won. And perhaps it kills you that I'm happy about it.

By the looks of the box score, we shot 41% as a team. He better not be by himself in there. 4 of 5 starters missed at least 5 shots and it sounded on the radio like a whole lot were short. I wonder if they worked out hard this morning? 19 turnovers is ridiculous. Team effort obviously, but Green, our most experienced player, had 4 again. Can't have it.

Weren't you one of the guys who said Indiana needs to beat the big 3 in our division? Purdue makes another play against that horrid defense, we're having an entirely different conversation. You're right though...we won as a team and we'd have lost as a team. I'll leave Ramsey alone. He is what he is. Much of it's just fine. My problem is FAR more my own with a couple of people here, and they don't matter one bit. The team does. The win does. The season does.

His throws beyond 10 yards are wildly inconsistent. Or just bad. Surely to God you know that 68% completion percentage is skewed by the throws he makes.

Today, yes. But he's slow in the pocket, makes bad reads consistently, doesn't see the field well when he throws it (much better as a runner), and he has a very inconsistent arm. Just the facts as I see them, my man. There's a reason he lost his job. But...yes. As I said before....go back and read....the entire team looked soft. Purdue definitely wanted it more. The ridiculous stupid penalties have GOT to stop; and Indiana got very lucky. Indiana did not play well as a team today. There were bright spots, but the consistent issues remain.

We were missing our starting QB, all conference left tackle, and all conference RB. What's your point again, troll?

Ask them why they chant "IU sucks" when they're playing Northern Montana? The complex is real. Pity the poor people.

He missed a lot of throws, a couple would have changed the game. Fact. Made some horrible reads on run plays. Again. Fact. You can deal with it or you can't. We both know the answer, don't we? I believe I called the entire team soft, especially the defense; but do feel free to claim I "blamed the game on Ramsey." Your ability to ignore is once again noted. Are you really saying he didn't deserve criticism or are you just pissed it came from me because I was right again? Edit : Great win. Should never have had to pull it out that way. Ramsey made some great plays with his legs. There. You happy?

The entire Indiana program should be embarrassed and ashamed. A pathetically soft and helpless second half. And I'm sorry, folks. Peyton Ramsey is as at fault as anyone. His inability to hit Westbrook....with the wind....who was wide open and would have scored a touchdown, resulting instead in no points, is a microcosm of who he is. Yes..he has made some great plays with his legs, but Purdue's 4th string QB throws the ball WAY better than our 2nd string guy does, and it's about to cost us a football game. We also need tougher people. We're soft. And we look like we're getting bullied and don't know what to do about it. Absolutely embarrassing.

1) Can clearly see why some players are backups. 2) Can clearly see why Don Fischer compared Sampson James to Anthony Thompson. That touchdown was absurd. Wow. 3) The Big Ten needs to re-align football divisions. ' 4) Indiana really...really needs to eliminate big penalties. This is an ongoing problem...and this is a recording. 5) No sh!t on the grass. Good Lord....unacceptable from Purdue A&T.

So all that matters are raw numbers, is that correct? Many have complained about the strength of schedule. "We don't get anything from these games!" You've seen that, right? So in a game where we had a 23 point lead against an inferior opponent, letting that lead get down to 11 and letting them hang around is just FINE! We don't need to learn lessons from THAT! The second half doesn't matter...we don't GET anything from these games. Until you do that stuff against Purdue. Or Michigan. A good first half erases a bad second half? Pointing out (after complimenting a kid for 9 months) that he reverted back to his old ways for a half. A HALF.. Is "trashing him?" Um....wow. I said and others have said the entire team played poorly. Durham doesn't have Green's track record....so the comment really couldn't be made about him in the same way. Let's say your kid has a really great first half of the semester. Straight A's. His/her goal is to get into a great college he/she loves and it requires a high GPA to do it. (Indiana's goal is to win titles....follow me here) Your kid shows some lethargy around Thanksgiving. Grades drop a bit, focus drops a bit. You point out the facts. They've been watching more TV, going to bed later, spending more time with social stuff and less on their grades. So you say "hey man...you've had a terrific semester. You got off to a great start, but staying up until midnight may not be the best idea; and watching TV won't help your algebra grade. Let's make sure we maintain our focus for 5 more weeks, okay?" "DAD!!! STOP TRASHING ME!!!!!!" That's basically what you're saying. There is something else that needs to be "given a rest," and it's the absolute requirement around here that reality gets ignored sometimes in favor of what some want to hear. Whether that's good or bad. I've been first in line to point out why NOT to fire Tom Allen, Archie Miller, or Fred Glass because SO much is positive for IU Athletics right now. The team played a bad half. That happened. A kid who's had problems with turnovers, poor decisions, and selfish moments had a few of those in that same bad half. So pointing it out is trashing him because his overall numbers were okay? Fellas...just accept that sloppy's not okay. Mistakes of omission are not okay. 8 FG's in a half is not okay....and there are reasons that happened. They're not because we were missing good shots. Please accept not everyone looks solely at raw numbers as their basis for the whole story.

Agree, however my point is that player has to be selective and smart about when he looks to make plays for himself. Doing it when it's available and trying to create it at the wrong time are two different things. I LOVE when he plays aggressively. I don't love when he (or others) play selfishly or lazily (bad passing angles, that wrap around pass that's been stolen 100 times in his career, etc). All I'm saying.

It's not a vendetta at all. You said you can live with the bad plays.... I don't know a successful coach who can live with bad plays. Why - after being complimentary of him for several months - is pointing out that he had a bad half (as did about everyone who wrote about the game) and looked like the player he used to be for a few minutes a "vendetta?" Serious question. You see a different game than Coach Miller, too. He mentioned the quick shots, bad angles, and sloppy half. Why do I (or others) have a vendetta for mentioning the same things? There's a difference between creating "electric" plays or taking them when they're there. Green played much better late in the year last season because he stopped trying to create plays and let the game come. Took advantage of opportunities rather than trying to make them. The other night, for a half, he reverted back to trying to create them. And pointing that out (which is all I did in my original post) is a "vendetta?" Seems a little dramatic to me. Anyone who believes that needs to read the things said about him that were complimentary and frankly be more realistic about what's being written. The Big Ten is a league that's tough and many games are close. Living with bad plays will get you beat. If you take two teams with relatively equal talent; one takes advantage of opportunities, plays with solid fundamentals when they AREN't, and takes care of the ball; the other tries to create opportunities and lives with bad plays while trying to be "electric," which team is going to win 99 times out of 100? Edit : This is only my perspective, but I also said the whole team played poorly in the 2nd half. Green and others. And we let a team hang around. We let a 23 point lead get down to 11. I guess I don't understand at all why it's not okay to say that's....not okay. We all want to win, right? Then we can't take bad shots (and a quick 3 when you're up 16 when a team's coming back on you is a bad shot); you can't make passes through traffic or with bad angles because you're trying to be "electric." You want Indiana to beat Ohio State? Purdue? We can't have a second half like that. That's from Coach Miller...not me.

You and I watch basketball differently, then. You're either a team player or you're all about "me." And you either like fundamental basketball or "electric" basketball. Electric doesn't generally work in college (more an NBA thing where ALL players are elite), "me" plays aren't generally winning plays (even though they can be fun to watch if they work), and "me" plays are generally selfish, even if....yes, some heat check shots DO go in. That does happen. But...doesn't make them good shots in a team game. He plays for Indiana, not "Green." I think Green's better playing off the ball. When he runs the show, he tends to make "me" plays more often than when he plays off the ball. Maybe it's systemic? Late last season, Green eliminated the "me" plays and showed a few the other night. If you're okay with that, you and I disagree. I think "me" plays hurt teams and I've seen it for over 20+ years. An experience thing, Doesn't mean I'm pouncing, looking for reasons to criticize, or have some agenda. Means I see it different;y than you do. In fact, you know the truth? I am looking for reasons to compliment the kid. I saw old habits the other night and commented that it concerned me. The HORROR!!! That means I "pounced?" Please. You used the word "always" in your first sentence, but whatever. Seems to me someone else is eager to pounce. And that person DOES seem to have an agenda. Believe what you want about me. On you. Happy Thanksgiving and thanks for doing what you do for the board.

So heat check shots early in the shot clock when you have a lead are the same as missed shots? Making a hero-type low percentage pass is the same as dribbling it off your foot? Don't agree. Errors of omission vs. errors of commission. One man's opinion; and because of his history, the antennae are up just a little more for him. That's life and what he created.

This is where we disagree. Nothing "balances" turnovers and bad shots. Turnovers are - despite what Tom Crean said - NOT "part of the game." Especially lazy ones. He gave away at least 6 possessions. In a close game against a good team, he can't do it. Simple as that. Neither can anyone else. It's not limited to him; but he's been the one with the consistent problem over the last 3 years, so he's the most scrutinized for it.

All I said was I was concerned because of what I saw. Easy, tiger. Let's not get out the accusatory brush and make assumptions. His bigger picture has a history and you know that as well as I do. I have been complimentary of him, but a hot first half turned into a lazy, heat check second half. You saw that....right? And you can think logically and see a red flag, right? Not saying it's a permanent condition; and once again....every sportswriter in town voiced the same concerns because THEY saw the same things. It's not as if I'm the lonely opposition. Because of his history, he gets a little closer scrutiny. Just the way things are; and his better play doesn't erase his history, making him immune to criticism. You wouldn't by chance .....be waiting for a chance to pounce....on ME, would you? Pot...meet Kettle.

True, but where does that stop? We also haven't seen how they respond to a road game, when Archie gets a technical, when we get in foul trouble, if we don't make free throws, if Al Durham has an off night, in an afternoon game with sun coming in the windows, etc. Some of that can't be controlled by the schedule. There was no guarantee we wouldn't be down by 10-12 with the schedule we've played. And with a better schedule, there's no guarantee we WOULD. This isn't a controlled environment. There are a million things we "haven't learned," none of which could have been controlled with the schedule. A road game would have been good for them, but apart from that, everything's subjective.