LamarCheeks

We are getting bad shots, but at least we're missing them.

I know this isn't IU baseball, but it is B1G baseball -- so it's somewhat related and it was a bizarre finish. How crazy is this. Rutgers loses to Old Dominion (very near where I live), and the losing pitcher doesn't even throw a pitch! Bottom of ninth. Game tied. Runners on first and third. Two outs. New pitcher comes in. Keep in mind, the runner on first doesn't matter. He's irrelevant. Either the Rutgers pitcher has a brain fart or is trying to kill some nervous energy, but -- he throws to first. The only problem: the first baseman wasn't on the bag -- and why would he be? Oops! So the ball gets away and the guy on third comes home. Ballgame over.

Just read the story. Fisch said Knight's health is in decline, but added he didn't mean to imply that he's on his death bed. ... To me, that almost certainly means Alzheimer's or some type of dementia. That's what usually seems to be the case when discussing an older person with health issues. I really, really, really hope that's not the case, because that f---ing disease robbed my dad of most of his faculties before he passed in the spring of 2017 and I can tell you first-hand, that is very, very difficult to deal with. And it's very painful to watch someone decline in that way. If that is his issue, I wish him peace. If it's something else, I hope he can get well.

Which is more than enough to tide me over until Opening Day! (Although living in Virginia these days, I no longer get to experience the IHSAA tourney -- but to me, it really lost its luster when it went to four classes anyway).

I did not realize this until just last night: Wofford is ranked in the Top 25. The Terriers are No. 24. My mom owns a terrier. I do not think, however, that he is a Wofford fan. I'm pretty sure he roots for the boys in the candy stripe pants.

I've seen 13 years and $330 million. ... Good luck with that. ... It seems as if these contracts for 10-plus years rarely work out. Funny, when it seemed as if the Phils were a distant third to the Giants and Dodgers, their fans were bashing Harper on social media. ... Ooops!

Sparty 72 Hoosiers 66

A couple more from the Region (like the Hobart Brickies). Andrean 59ers (Dakich's alma mater; named because it was founded in 1959 and is on 5959 Broadway in Merrillville) River Forest Ingots (in homage to the nearby steelyards of Gary). If you listen closely when Dr. Richard Kimble is being chased by U.S. Marshal Samuel Gerard during the St. Patrick' Day Parade in the 1993 hit "The Fugitive," you can hear the PA announcer mention the River Forest Golden Ingots Marching Band.

I still can't help but wonder how or if our fortunes would've changed if after the 2000-01 season, the AD (Doninger at the time?) would've gone up to Mike Davis and said, "Mike, we really appreciate what you did for us after we had to make the change with Bob, but we've decided to go in a different direction. ..." I think Davis is a decent coach and a really good man, but for him to be given the keys to the program at that point was IMO, a monumental mistake. He just wasn't ready. Hell, he interviewed at Delaware after Mike Brey left for Notre Dame and didn't get the job. So he wasn't good enough for Delaware and we're gonna let him run one of the top 5 programs in the history of college basketball? I remember at some point late in that interim season, hearing Dick Vitale squawk on ESPN: "C'mon Indiana -- do the right thing, baby, and remove the interim from Mike Davis' title. He's done enough to earn the job permanently." ... I screamed at my TV: "STFU, Vitale and let us figure out who our coach will be!" It was a case of getting caught up in the moment. Yes, Davis did a nice job in navigating us through that season, but you have to stop and look at the bigger picture: He was in no way, shape or form ready to run a program like ours. And although we did catch lightning in a bottle with next season's NCAA run, the subsequent years proved this. Of course, with our administration's propensity for botching things back then, we probably wouldn't even have made the right hire anyway.

The Eagles are letting Nick Foles become a free agent, which would presumably leave Sudfeld as QB2 entering camp this year. Presumably ... https://247sports.com/nfl/philadelphia-eagles/Article/Nate-Sudfeld-Eagles-wont-hand-No-2-quarterback-job-129542851/

I'm from the same neck of the woods as Dakich and watched him and former Toiletmaker Jim Bullock play for Andrean High, so I used to be somewhat of a fan. ... Typically, he doesn't annoy me that much while calling IU games because for the most part, I think he provides good insight -- even when he's criticizing our players and Archie. ... But I did think his commenting last night on the officiating last night was -- kinda weird. It seemed every time we got a foul called on us, it was a great call. And every time Wisconsin was whistled for a foul, it was because the game was in "The Hall of Calls." ... I've watched just about every IU game he has called this season, and I think they way he called last night's game was, as I said, ... a bit bizarre, especially with regard to the refs. ... The free throws were 27 for us 25 for them (relatively even), but we had 24 fouls to their 17, so I'm not sure there was reason for anybody to cry about a disparity.

I just re-checked the box score from last night. Two things stood out (at least to me): 1. Both teams combined to go 30 for 52 from the FT line. Yikes! That's absolutely embarrassing -- and brutal. 2. Rob played 43 minutes and had 0 turnovers. I like that!

Am not a subscriber, so I can't read it. But it sounds interesting. And it's crazy to think what he went through ...

Justin Smith = Zion Williamson Who knew?

At this point in the game, nothing more than a tip-in should count. It is physically impossible to catch the ball and shoot in 0.8 of a second. It can't be done.

ROMEO!

After this timeout and made FT, Green, realizing his monumental eff-up, will drive and throw up a 32 footer and ... send us to a 3rd OT.

Devonte just took stupid to a whole new level of stupid.

Dunk it, Romeo!

So friggin' close to an and-1.

Stop and pop. ... Worked like a charm!

Davis working so hard to get good shots, then not making them. ... Frustrating!

That was AWFUL.

We can't go to another OT. ... I'm running out of beer.

We would eff up up a one-car funeral.