Crumpled Notebook

Yeah, that was corny, I know. But when I think of Indiana, I think of fields, and when I think of fields, I think of corn and other crops.

Anyway, Tom Crean to Indiana? Who saw that one coming? Not me. The other night I was talking trash about him. I was probably bitter they beat Kentucky (again). I actually have nothing personally against him. I learned a few things about him tonight I didn’t know. Like for instance, he was an assistant coach at WKU. I did know he was married to former WKU football coach Jack Harbaugh’s daughter. Harbaugh incidentally is an associate athletic director at Marquette currently.

Anyway, I’m a fan of Indiana basketball. Well, I was for a long time. Maybe Tom Crean can bring back that love for me. I promise to even get over whatever I held against him that was unfounded.

A strange thing just happened. I was sitting here watching the Duke game and talking to my mom on the phone. She says, “Who are you for?” Naturally I say, “Not Duke,” and then proceed to tell her how I’m never for Duke and how much I hate Duke.

Then, here’s where the strange part happened. I realized I actually wanted Duke to win! I’ve never, ever wanted Duke to win. At least not post 1992, and I don’t remember much about them before then. Incidentally, the first time I ever felt such disdain for Duke was the infamous Kentucky vs. Duke game on March 28, 1992 in the finals of the East Region for a trip to the Final Four. Oh yes, I remembered all of that except the exact date. I have hated Christian Laettner since and if I ever saw him, I’d probably throw something at him (Okay, maybe I shouldn’t “hate” him, but I wish I never knew his name). It’s noteworthy to point out that just a week later is when I became an Indiana and Bobby Knight fan. April 4th I think. That was the date of the Duke/Indiana Final Four game for a trip to the Championship game. Duke won of course. But my dislike for them grew and was solidified and I fell in love with Indiana and Bobby Knight. That date, I actually remembered because I was at some relatives’ house the night before my great grandfather’s funeral and we were all watching the game.

Anyway, so writing this helped me remember exactly why I hate Duke. However, I’ve gained more respect for them. I’ve always liked Coach K, just not the team. I guess why I’ve had to lighten up on them (other than working for a Duke fanatic) is that I recognize that they are a powerhouse team. They are always a contender. As is Kentucky, North Carolina, Kansas, etc….What I don’t like is when random teams just pop up and think they are all that. When the media starts loving them when they haven’t really earned their keep. It takes more than just a few years to become a legendary basketball team or coach. That’s probably my folly when filling out NCAA brackets. I don’t pick the teams like Gonzaga (of recent). I don’t pick Xavier. I won’t pick Wisconsin. Not to undermine their talent this year. But that’s just it. It’s this year, or maybe this year and last year. I guess that kind of makes me a basketball snob, huh? What would you expect being from Kentucky though?

However, I will point out that I love Cinderella teams. The teams you don’t expect to win. The teams that aren’t ranked. The WKU, San Diego, Sienna teams. The Gonzaga the year they became the Cinderella.

I like teams with history. And I like Cinderellas. I don’t like teams like Xavier and Marquette and Wisconsin.  The teams that could very well become a Duke or UNC or UK or even UCLA, but they just aren’t quiet there yet, and they need to remember that. Yep, I’m a snob. And if that makes me actually want Duke to win a game or two, especially to W. Virginia, then I guess I’ll take it.

I still hate Christian Laettner though. If you don’t know who that is, look on YouTube. I refuse to put that rubish video here. Having to highlights of it during March Madness is enough.

Bobby Knight, the all-time winningest Men’s Division I coach, resigned today with 902 wins and only 371 losses. He’s currently at Texas Tech.
Not sure why, or if there is a reason, other than what is listed in this article here. I hope not.

If you read here, you know I am a fan of Bobby Knight. Always have been, at least since his time at Indiana, and will probably always be.

Anyway, it’s a sad day for NCAA Basketball, but wow, what a wonderful career this man had.