Hoosier Hysterics

[WayneFleekHoosier 48,314]

Hit piece out on Twitter against the Hoosier Hysterics under the #IUBB.  Some other accusations made underneath it all.  I don't have the best feeling about it all.  I am hoping it all works out great for IU.  Why must we constantly sabotage ourselves?   I personally have grown to enjoy their show but I wish they weren't one of the groups operating the NIL stuff.  I think that stuff should happen behind the scenes.  

[IUc2016 7,121]

33 minutes ago, WayneFleekHoosier said:

Hit piece out on Twitter against the Hoosier Hysterics under the #IUBB.  Some other accusations made underneath it all.  I don't have the best feeling about it all.  I am hoping it all works out great for IU.  Why must we constantly sabotage ourselves?   I personally have grown to enjoy their show but I wish they weren't one of the groups operating the NIL stuff.  I think that stuff should happen behind the scenes.  

Can you share the article/tweet?

[Hovadipo 56,100]

Zaleon's main question early in the piece has been mine from the beginning as well...allowing these guys this close to IU's major programs is very VERY much not an IU Athletics thing to do, so why are they doing it? It's just so strange to me.

[Stuhoo 80,638]

Here's the 'hit piece':

https://aviously.wordpress.com/2022/08/22/ius-nil-problem-is-not-so-hysterical/

Avi Zaleon is a 2014 IU grad and former IDS sportswriter. He really doesn't like the Hysterics and on many levels I get it.

Eric and Ward operate in the Barstool Sports/Portnoy lane. They have seriously stepped in it in the past - their behavior with Garcia, and especially with Fears was uncomfortable and just plain wrong.

However, they seem to truly love IUBB and its history. Pankowski especially has an encyclopedic knowledge of IUBB history. 

Three more things I like about them:

1. They seem to have learned from their mistakes; that contact with recruits is a terrible idea. I like that they can be on the edge but have matured and learned in ways that matter.
2. Their extensive podcast interviews at times are freakin' excellent. They are prepared, entertaining, and respectful. I HIGHLY recommend listening to their 90 minute discussions with:
   • Lawrence Frank (wow that's a hot listen)
   • President Whitten
   • George Leach
   • Jon McGlocklin (an IU great and starter on an NBA championship team with Kareem and Oscar from an era of just pre-Knight bball that I didn't know enough about)
   • Brian Evans
   • Coaches Ya, Walsh, Kenya, and Woody. And the Armond Hill one was really excellent too. Hulls too.
3. IU seems to be the leader in B1G basketball NIL collectives and I am thinking that these two guys are a big reason why.

The link infers NIL funny business going on, but offers no evidence towards that. The cringey stuff is true, but largely dated or labeled as NSFW content. For me the heart of what they do are the podcasts, and they do them very, very well.

For a rabid IUBB fan I currently consider them an absolute must listen. If you don't mind some salty language by Lawrence Frank, I defy you to start that podcast and not feel compelled to listen to the whole thing. 

 

[Loaded Chicken Sandwich 8,672]

Motorboating a statue and interviewing drunk people is about as much of a non story as you can possibly get. That's just the writer nitpicking crap to write a garbage article because he needed something in the universe to write about. The article could have been super simple. Times new Roman in like size 50 font.. "I find them really annoying." The end. Done. And move on. Because they are stupidly annoying. And by now I would figure, if you're going to be involved in helping with NIL and all that crap, to never be in contact with a recruit until after they commit and hit campus. 

[WayneFleekHoosier 48,314]

2 minutes ago, Loaded Chicken Sandwich said:

Motorboating a statue and interviewing drunk people is about as much of a non story as you can possibly get. That's just the writer nitpicking crap to write a garbage article because he needed something in the universe to write about. The article could have been super simple. Times new Roman in like size 50 font.. "I find them really annoying." The end. Done. And move on. Because they are stupidly annoying. And by now I would figure, if you're going to be involved in helping with NIL and all that crap, to never be in contact with a recruit until after they commit and hit campus. 

Fair.  They also often make less than professional decisions.  If they are our spokespeople/NIL creators it is a very risky move.  I personally think the NIL fundraising stuff should all be behind the scenes.  I want our NIL to rival the Blue Bloods and it probably never will but the $5 donors aren't going to get us there. 

Most schools who have big donors, aren't having these types of conversations and transparency.  IMO, it's just an unnecessary risk.  

I 100% want them to do their podcast.  Its funny.  It's pretty good.  

Separate the NIL stuff to invisible parties.     

[IUc2016 7,121]

Worrying about other people thinking they work for the university is an interesting take.

Hinting at NIL wrongdoing with absolutely no evidence or real reasoning is not good journalism AT ALL. If there was some evidence yes please, bring it about, but don't bring it up as a possibility with nothing more. 

Would these two guys be my choice to do what they are doing? NOOOOOOO. But they are getting the job done and are at times pretty funny. 

 

[BeerBQ 264]

32 minutes ago, Stuhoo said:

Here's the hit piece:

https://aviously.wordpress.com/2022/08/22/ius-nil-problem-is-not-so-hysterical/

Avi Zaleon is a 2014 IU grad and former IDS sportswriter. He really doesn't like the Hysterics and on many levels I get it.

Eric and Ward operate in the Barstool Sports/Portnoy lane. They have seriously stepped in it in the past - their behavior with Garcia, and especially with Fears was uncomfortable and just plain wrong.

However, they seem to truly love IUBB and its history. Pankowski especially has an encyclopedic knowledge of IUBB history. 

Two more things I like about them:

1. They seem to have learned from their mistakes; that contact with recruits is a terrible idea. I like that they can be on the edge but mature in ways that matter.
2. Their extensive podcast interviews at times are freakin excellent. They are prepared, entertaining, and respectful. I HIGHLY recommend listening to their 90 minute discussions with:
   • Lawrence Frank (so entertaining)
   • President Whitten
   • George Leach
   • Jon McGlocklin (an era of just pre-Knight bball that I didn't know enough about)
   • Brian Evans
   • Coaches Ya, Walsh, Kenya, and Woody. And the Armond Hill one was really excellent too.

The link infers NIL funny business going on, but offers no evidence towards that. The cringey stuff is true, but largely dated or labeled as NSFW content.

For a rabid IUBB fan I currently consider them an absolute must listen. If you don't mind some salty language by Lawrence Frank, I defy you to start that podcast and not feel compelled to listen to the whole thing. 

 

I think the funny business he’s implying is just that they’re too close to the program. I’ll trust the people involved in setting everything up on this one. 
 

I don’t think anyone likes everything they do, but it does look like they’ve learned from talking to recruits. 

[Stuhoo 80,638]

8 minutes ago, IUc2016 said:

Worrying about other people thinking they work for the university is an interesting take.

Hinting at NIL wrongdoing with absolutely no evidence or real reasoning is not good journalism AT ALL. If there was some evidence yes please, bring it about, but don't bring it up as a possibility with nothing more. 

Would these two guys be my choice to do what they are doing? NOOOOOOO. But they are getting the job done and are at times pretty funny. 

 

I disagree a little with the bolded part. I'm surprised I'm the one willing to play on the edge here -- @WayneFleekHoosier - where are you my man?!? :)  

We have a reputation as a stodgy, used-to-be. These guys are not that. And yet they consistently pay reverence to the McCracken and Knight eras.

We need recruiting with heavy NIL and guys that are media savvy, and media interesting. These guys have Hollywood connections and the players let loose with Eric and Ward just enough -- they are good for the product on the floor and the program. Unless they get us in trouble - then they are dead to me!  :)

[vemmeistars 202]

At some point, the schools are going to do revenue sharing and/or be allowed to directly manage/coordinate NIL deals with players. But, until that happens someone is going to have spend a lot of that personal time (unpaid) to create/manage a NIL framework. Obviously, there has been plenty of cringe, but without there efforts IUBB probably doesn't have top tier NIL in the BIG and there's a huge gap in documenting interesting moments/perspectives of famous figures in IU athletics history.

As long as they tone down their cringe and learn from their mistakes, I think they are a net positive for IU. If another (more professional) alternative existed to the Hysterics, I'd be inclined to support them in the podcast/NIL space. Also, I hope the author has scrubbed his social media because 95% of IU undergrads have worse moments than motorboating a statue. 

 

 

[Class of '66 Old Fart 84,742]

Our compliance department has been previously described as micromanaging our athletic programs so surely they're watching HH like hawks just waiting for an opportunity to pounce.

[WayneFleekHoosier 48,314]

57 minutes ago, Class of '66 Old Fart said:

Our compliance department has been previously described as micromanaging our athletic programs so surely they're watching HH like hawks just waiting for an opportunity to pounce.

That’s exactly the problem. They (compliance dpt) need to kick sand and let the program behave like winners. In that case we wouldn’t need all the dog and pony show. 
 

I’d like us to be a top 10 NIL program. We’ve previously had million dollar recruiting budgets that produced trash classes.  For a great business University we sure don’t behave like one.  

Edited August 22, 2022 by WayneFleekHoosier

[HoosierHoopster 6,963]

31 minutes ago, WayneFleekHoosier said:

That’s exactly the problem. They (compliance dpt) need to kick sand and let the program behave like winners. In that case we wouldn’t need all the dog and pony show. 
 

I’d like us to be a top 10 NIL program. We’ve previously had million dollar recruiting budgets that produced trash classes.  For a great business University we sure don’t behave like one.  

Yeah, kick sand maybe not realistic but compliance should be (hopefully now is, no inside knowledge) working with the athletic dept / Bball program advising on the rules and grey areas, advising where there’s room and isn’t, instead of playing the “gotcha” role, antagonistic to the program, as it has in the past. And maybe it is now, with NIL, maybe it’s now a positive. Hope so, just don’t know one way or the other

[hoosierdaddy_72 112]

You can tell on Twitter today these guys are divisive at best, or wildly unpopular at worst.  That's the whole problem.  You want people running your NIL stuff who bring everyone together. 

[lillurk 3,738]

I basically feel the way Avi, the author, does: if they cut out the cringe, off-color stuff, they’d be pretty ideal as an NIL funnel.

The catch-22, I think, is that the rah-rah stuff is how they build their audience AND the reason they step in it. It’s easy to say they should be boring, do occasionally good interviews, and funnel NIL $ to #iubb. But I’m not sure they’d have the audience and access to $ if they were more boring.

If there’s hope, it’s that many of the bad decisions Avi highlights were awhile ago in the arc of their narrative. Yes, some of it was even earlier this year…but it really seems like the podcast, Fan Fest fundraiser stuff, and NIL is their idealized form.

If they cut out the unforced errors, they still wouldn’t really be for me (save some of the pods). But like Avi, I’d feel much more comfortable with their affiliation and representation of IU under those circumstances.

[lillurk 3,738]

The other thing I’ll add is that I don’t see anyone defending the bad/cringe/gross stuff Avi brings up on their own merits. Like, no one is saying “objectifying that statue immaturely was good, actually.” They’re just suggesting Avi and other critics are jealous, or have some axe to grind.

I think that Avi was actually very fair, and it’s telling that the minor pushback has been name calling or “lighten up,” not really engaging with the valid critique.

[Stuhoo 80,638]

10 hours ago, lillurk said:

The other thing I’ll add is that I don’t see anyone defending the bad/cringe/gross stuff Avi brings up on their own merits. Like, no one is saying “objectifying that statue immaturely was good, actually.” They’re just suggesting Avi and other critics are jealous, or have some axe to grind.

I think that Avi was actually very fair, and it’s telling that the minor pushback has been name calling or “lighten up,” not really engaging with the valid critique.

Some of their gross stuff is...well... (*ducks for cover*) funny!

Gross, stupid humor can be really really funny as long as it’s not done in front of recruits or their parents or university stuffystuffystuffed shirts.

So — I’m your guy defending it now that they’ve gone over a year and hundreds of hours of air time without doing it in an inappropriate setting.

Guess I’m in good company with Hulls, Crean, Woodson, Jeffries, Knight, Tom Allen, Moren, Whitten, Walsh, Evans, Kenya, Cupps, Ya, Fischer, Peegram, Moye, and on and on and on and on.

[Hippopotamo 517]

These guys can be kind of annoying at times but it’s disingenuous to say they are anything but a net positive to IU, NIL, and IU Athletics. They come across as a couple of idiots at times, but they’re a huge voice of support for the entire university. 

[DWB 1,098]

When they first started their podcast, they filled a void for a lot of fans by bringing on past players to share their own personal stories. We got to know the players as people, not just players. I'm glad for that.

But over time, IMO, they've exposed themselves as being far more self centered, and egotistical, especially Pankowski. "Off camera" they are reasonably normal guys, as I've had a chance to talk to them privately. But as typical Luniwood types they crave the spotlight. Which is OK I guess if you're into that kind of thing. I'm not.

There is no doubt they are passionate about IU and BBall. That's great. And I think that's one reason they've been able to wiggle their way into being somewhat of an insider in the BBall program. Their access to players and coaches is envious. But I'm tired of their "schtick" when the microphone and camera are on. 

I hope some of you closer to the program are right about IU's compliance keeping an eye on them. I'd hate for 2 guys to muck-up a program that is on the way back to glory.

[Hoosierfan2017 21,344]

I can’t stand the Hoosier Hysterics guys. I find them extremely weird and cringe at basically every video they put out of themselves that I see. I try to avoid their content whenever possible. If they’re a net positive, great. Me not being among the people who have to interact with them, even greater.