Laying it on the line

When Indianapolis takes on Jacksonville at home on Sunday, not only will the Colts be playing a pretty important game which decides who the kings of the AFC South are, but it will also be a chance for Indy to prove they're a very formidable team even with players like Ryan Diem or Marvin Harrison unable to play due to injuries.

Then again, that'd be an understatement. Indianapolis could once again be hitting their stride as a fire-breathing monster & Jacksonville, currently in 2nd place in the AFC South, is determined to make a statement of their own to stop the Colts' multifaceted offensive juggernaut, owing to the fact that their own offense couldn't get untracked at all in the first meeting (on the Jaguars' home turf, no less!!). Indeed, the Jags are looking for redemption in the worst way possible & what better way to find it than @ the RCA Dome.

But hopefully, the Colts are at the ready & are seeing to it that no letdowns of any kind bar them from taking it to Jacksonville this weekend. It won't be an easy game by any means, as this'll determine who gets first place overall in the AFC South. Then again, nothing has ever come easy for any opponent for the Colts for a majority of this season.

Go Horse!!

Current playlist

Since I've just started posts on all things pertaining to music again, I felt that this would be a great opportunity to give away the top 10 songs on my playlist right now, songs which stuck to me like glue thus far this week (album names are in italics) :

1. The Sea and Cake, "Shoulder Length," One Bedroom
2. Ulrich Schnauss, "Never Be The Same," Goodbye
3. Sam Prekop, "C + F," Who's Your New Professor
4. Steely Dan, "Peg," Aja
5. The Sea and Cake, "Middlenight," Everybody (BTW, great album overall)
6. Stereolab, "Miss Modular," Dots and Loops
7. Mouse On Mars, "Chromantic," Instrumentals
8. Neu!, "Fur Immer," Neu! 2
9. Band of Horses, "The First Song," Everything All The Time
10. My Morning Jacket, "It Beats 4 U," Z

I'll try to get another playlist up in a short while; until then, check this one on out!!

Giving Back Greek style

It's that time of year again.

Whereas plenty of duders find that this particular holiday season is nothing new, more of the same ad infinitum, I on the other hand feel quite differently.

I'm kinda bummed that I'm still doing most of this work from the outside but I've been sending Christmas cards out left & right for the past few days now. And such small acts of kindness truly mean something to me since I'm still showing my love for my Greek counterparts all over the place. If that isn't enough, I'm doing this out of the goodness out of my heart, going the extra mile to show my support is still alive, still strong, that I as an alumni have been keeping my fave sororities in my thoughts the entire time & that they're appreciated as well.

(side note: Some duders are out there, thinking, "I wish I could do the same." Well, for the men in question, it's not that hard to accomplish, whether one's an undergrad or alumni; if you truly respect women & give them plenty of heartfelt thought, doing the little things to cheer them up & make them smile shouldn't be difficult at all. Or should I say, it isn't & never was meant to be challenging; it's not beyond any dude in his right mind to take some time out of his day, go to the nearest Hallmark store & find some cards to send to his fave sorority sisters. And they'd loooove you for doing just that, guys.)

For others, it's a bit corny to send Christmas cards out to the above women so they don't bother. But if I were a corresponding secretary/secretary for a fraternity who receives cards from this sorority or that, I would have the heart to respond in kind, to show (once again!) that they are appreciated. Not only that, but they're also loved as well. To just write them off is plain wrong if not totally beat down (i.e. uncool).

For me, sending Christmas cards out is quite a whole other story. It's not only closing off every sorority sister's day on a cheerful & high note; it's also showing that though I'm far away, they're still close (& dear) to my heart & will always be.

A lucky bunch o' Irish

Just when we thought all was lost with Notre Dame, they put together a little winning streak to wrap up what can be considered a rather long & rough season in the world of Irish football. Not only that, but the fact that ND notched 2 straight wins in a row is a sign of hope & redemption for next season.

How gradually this youthful ballclub has matured in three months or so worth of time. As any football coach in his right mind can confirm, success doesn't come overnight, nor does improvement as a football team. Success for the Irish in 2008 can only come with experience along with marked improvement, & if that's not enough, growth in getting down the fundamentals which they could not use to save their lives for a majority of the 2007 season.

We had our doubts about Charlie Weis & how he was preparing his ballclub week in, week out. Somehow we persevered; somehow we endured just enough. Then wins over Duke & Stanford (in respective order) really got us thinking: Weis isn't as bad of a coach as we thought.

Likewise, we could say the same of Notre Dame after their last 2 games: they weren't the same team who got pounced on by Michigan or USC or Penn State. And their success during the past two weekends could serve short notice to next year's opponents that the Irish still have something relevant to say to us, that they're not going to repeat history in 2008. Until next season, we're wading things out.

(no subject)

In a coupla days, Thanksgiving will arrive. And I, among so many other folks, am certainly due for a much-needed break in the action.

Some of it'll be spent doing the obvious, getting one's grub on. Some of it'll be spent watching football & staying glued to the screen unless a minor emergency arises...lol. Some of it'll be spent with old friends, visiting old haunts, among all those things which remind us of being back home.

On the other hand, some of it'll be spent in reflection. And not only that, giving plenty of thanks.

How many of us will find the effort to do both of the latter on Thursday? Let's hope we take time out to give thanks where (& to Whom) it's rightfully due, because Thanksgiving is so much more than a great meal & good times, that much is for certain.

Calling out the Colts, continued

Well, my beloved Colts finally broke a two-game slide by beating the Chiefs 13-10 yesterday. And yet there are those two glaring issues which have plagued Indy for the last two Sundays which need to be addressed:

(1) Adam Vinatieri missed some field goals again. What the...? When the going gets tough & crunch time has arrived, one of the NFL's most reliable kickers can't seem to get some of his most recent kicks to go through (the FG which could have given the Colts a win @ San Diego being among them). Hopefully, he can fix this issue before it's too late...wait, he doesn't have much time at all to mull his kicking funk about in his mind since the Colts play in the ATL on Thanksgiving. Let's hope he has gotten over this issue for the remainder of this season.
(2) Indy's offensive woes. Sure, Peyton's short on receiving firepower but that doesn't mean that other players besides Joseph Addai have to exempt themselves from contributing. And sure, offensive lineman Tony Ugoh has been out of the picture for a spell...so what does that prove? If they want to score more than the 13 points which they put on the board on Sunday, leaders need to emerge & step up & make an impact, injuries or no. And one anticipates that the cupboard becomes full after the Holidays, because, man, the Colts offense needs a boost as well as additional motivation from the makeshift offensive line Peyton has worked with thus far.

Boos from the fans aside, one has to be grateful that Indianapolis got a much-needed victory. Now the next issue is when the Colts will once again be a fire-breathing monster which has thrown defenses off guard all season long.

Oh me oh my Ohio State!!

Ohio State's loss to Illinois last Saturday could hardly be the end result of the Buckeyes looking too far ahead to their marquee matchup against the Michigan Wolverines. Nah, their loss can be attributed to a whole lot more than that.

The Illini basically did whatever they wanted offensively, & particularly with their running game. Against an Ohio State defense who has been downright stubborn against the run & pass all year, Illinois ran at will, amassing 250-ish yards or so on the ground. Hardly the way the Buckeyes wanted to celebrate their final home game of the season but that's what happened.

Offensively, the Buckeyes could do no wrong. Or so it seemed with Todd Boeckman getting picked off three times.

And then there was the sixth play or so of the game, a play which Ohio State could have easily challenged then & there (for those who watched the events unfolding around that play, I'm sure you can find some common ground here)...I mean, how hard is it to challenge calls when you have a game on the line? Well, the Buckeyes could have done just that & shift the momentum of the game into their favor completely...But nope, they didn't. This may be my own personal opinion at work here but I surmise that specific play really cost Ohio State a victory.

Now I'm listening to the Wolverines-Buckeyes game going on at the Big House; so far Ohio State has the upper hand to the tune of 7-3. Let's hope they pile on the points & keep the Wolverines in check for good (as if they didn't do that enough for the first half!!)

Go Buckeyes!!

Calling out the Colts

Indianapolis may have had a boatload of inactives for last Sunday's game, among them 3 of Peyton Manning's top 4 receivers and rookie offensive lineman Tony Ugoh. Then one of the Colts' (& the NFL's) top defensive stars, Dwight Freeney, went down with a season-ending injury...ridiculous, right? Perhaps these factors may have been the reason why Indy fell to the Chargers 23-21 but I beg to differ.

First of all, San Diego didn't beat Indianapolis. To be honest, the Colts beat themselves & have no one else to blame for this defeat but themselves alone. Secondly, it all comes down to playing mistake-free football which Indy obviously didn't do: allowing an opening kickoff return for a TD as well a punt return later on, Peyton's 6 INTs, a shanked Adam Vinatieri field goal which could have won the game for good...the truth has to hurt but Indianapolis did themselves in with silly mistakes they could have avoided.

Now it's time to move forward & without Freeney leading the charge on defense, how will the Colts respond? Will the receiver corps which Manning delights in throwing to be ready to rock against the Chiefs? Will the offensive linemen be at the ready & give Peyton some time to find targets who aren't wearing the opposition's uniforms?

Let's hope so; let's pray that the Colts bounce back in every way possible this weekend.

In the Cards

For the first time in 11 years, Ball State is finally bowl eligible & that, to me, is one of the sweetest things that has happened in the world of Cardinal football for quite awhile.


Not too long ago, however, we would have been singing a drastically different tune.


Against teams like, say, Nebraska or Auburn, folks'd say that we didn't have a prayer & we blindly believed them, as the Cards fell without much fight. Even with Big 10 teams on our schedule, it would've come to the same adamant conclusion: We just couldn't win against the higher-echelon ballclubs.


If that's not enough, when it came to winning football games, we were downright laughable, even riding the nation's longest losing streak at one juncture (a good 1 1/2 years or so of futility). Then we upset Miami of Ohio in late 2000; one sensed the tide was starting to turn in our favor, that we could steer our wayward ship in the right direction. We came close to making some noise for the 2001 season; trouble was, to grab a bowl bid back then, we needed 7 victories as opposed to the current 6...were we ever close. After that, the wheels fell off our cart & it would take some time for Ball State football to make a resurgence of any kind, even once in a blue moon.

But last season, the Cards proved any doubters wrong, almost defeating Michigan & Indiana. We almost beat Nebraska this season; we put up more of a fight against Illinois & IU than some folks say we did. To be perfectly honest, it took some time for Ball State to get this far, a good decade of detours & hardships which accompanied those detours.

And here we are, having come full circle to the likelihood of playing in a bowl game. This isn't to say we have arrived; the Cardinals still have to play Northern Illinois & there's still so much work to be done. But for the moment, if you're a Ball State football fan, things are looking up & barring any letdowns during the holiday weekend one hopes they can stay that way.

Go Cardinals!!

Charlie, we hardly knew ye

Notre Dame is enduring one of their worst losing seasons in a dog's age & you can point out multiple factors for why the Irish are so horrid: they can't run the football, their offensive line is porous like the Atlantic Ocean (allowing roughly 60 sacks this season alone), QB-wise, they can't seem to find any consistency from game to game, yada yada yada.

But this time around, you can't help but pin much of the blame on Charlie Weis.

Sure, Weis has some very impeccable NFL credentials on his resume & these have worked wonders during his time @ South Bend. But these credentials weren't enough to save Bob Davie's job or even Tyrone Willingham's behind. Which leads to 2007, one of the most putrid years on record for one of college's football powerhouses: Where did the Irish AD go wrong when he hired Weis?

But that'd be digressing. One can see the youth, the inexperience of Notre Dame in who knows how many aspects of the game; we don't need to be told about this for the thousandth time. One can see the struggles which come with being green & inexperienced, stepping into pretty big shoes which you're not accustomed to wearing. We've seen it all before in who knows how many variations from the Irish all season long. It's on the head coach & his staff to set things right, to lead his ballclub in the direction where they need to go to become successful. And as hard as Weis has tried to steer ND back on course, it seems that his team is lost in translation, speaking a completely different language when they take to the field.

Then again, that would be a grievous understatement. Weis himself, it seems, has been on a different page than his ballclub & naturally enough is speaking a foreign language which is better suited for say, anyone who's in the NFL paying their dues. It's not that hard to figure out. But come next season, one hopes that Notre Dame doesn't repeat themselves as they have done way too many times in 2007, that they take one word into consideration fully & with sincerity, a word which they desperately need more than all else: leadership.

Who will step up as leaders? Who will lead the way selflessly? These are questions the players will find answers to, though they may not come easily. However, it is on Weis to find out who is up to the task as far as leadership is concerned.

PS Boy, did the Irish ever need leadership badly this season. And we thought that we'd get at least several wins for '07, Charlie? The very thought that we'd get 6 or 7 victories was another false hope which this season's ballclub has done nothing to change.

Something Brand Neu!

In 1973, Michael Rother & Klaus Dinger, otherwise known as the German duo Neu!, began working on their second release, titled appropriately enough, Neu! 2. Hoping to build on the accolades which their eponymous predecessor received, Rother & Dinger were not only hoping to change how rock music, in all of its primitive, raw glory was supposed to sound but they would also unknowingly or otherwise create something just as fresh & exciting: what we today know as the remix.

Midway through recording, as legend has it, Rother & Dinger realized that they were in dire straits as far as funding went: they were almost broke. So to keep their label happy, & give them more than enough material for a fully realized album, Neu! put two songs, "Neuschnee" & "Super" through some pretty major paces: "Neuschnee 78" is just that, a song going 200 mph on the Autobahn (with Dinger deliberately bumping the needle on the record player at one point). "Cassetto" is two minutes of hearing a tape player on its last dying legs (& with the above recording equipment about to call it a day, a cassette getting eaten up by the tapedeck). "Hallo Excentrico" is "Neuschnee" played at varying speeds (& Dinger, Rother, & engineer Conny Plank having a conversation in the studio). "Neuschnee" in its original form is Neu! carrying over their motorik vibes from their debut effort, a new bunch of sound rolling down the motorway for sure.

"Super 16" is "Super" slowed down to a seriously molasses-like crawl (again with Dinger jacking around with the record player's stylus at the tail end). On the other hand, "Super 78" is like hearing Alvin and the Chipmunks going punk...lol. Funny but it's true. "Super" at normal speed is punk all right, well before the term even came into existence; in fact, Dinger's ecstatic yelps on this song paved the way for all the Johnny Rottens which would step onto the scene just a few years later.

And that's all for side two of the original album. Side one is equally awesome in its own right: "Fur Immer" is the sound of Krautrock in a nutshell, reminiscent of the opening track to Neu!s debut: minimal layers of sound laid down over a driving, conveyor-belt groove which is irresistible & trance-like. This composition in a sense was a battle charge folks like Stereolab responded to with a passion (as well as plenty of experimental musicians & other post-rockers). "Spitzenqualitat" reveals Dinger's drumming at its most forceful & if I dare to say so most robotic. "Lila Engel" closes off the first half of things avant-garde punk style, Neu! rocking out like two dudes possessed.

Neu! 2 had its share of many admirers & fans: David Bowie, Blur, the aforementioned Stereolab, & Kraftwerk just to name a few. This is Krautrock at its most unique & most innovative (not to forget beautiful); at the same time, as the album's second half readily confirms, it's just as intriguing & adventurous: Neu! 2 could be called the first remix album ever made on earth.

One ugly weekend in general

In the world of college football & the NFL, it was a pretty awful one if you were in a Ohio State uniform, a Michigan uniform, a Purdue uniform, an Indiana uniform, & oh yes, if you saw Peyton give the Chargers 6 free gifts (i.e. he threw 6 interceptions...bleh!!) & Adam V shanking a field goal which could have won the game for the Indianapolis Colts.

Yep, it was a pretty uneventful weekend & a dreary one if you happened to be rooting for any of the above teams.

But it's time to move on, time to press forward: all is not as lost as one thinks.

There is hope & with it a chance for redemption. So why mope around when there's work which needs to be done? Just because each of these teams lost doesn't mean it's the end of the world; there are still games to be played, there is still a second chance to prove the doubters wrong, that they can't be counted out.

And if that's not enough, each team still has something important to say to all the haters/critics out there: we're still for real, love us or hate us. Yes, we will bounce back!!

Today's quotes to take note of

"Happiness is when what you think, what you say, & what you do are in harmony." - Mahatma Gandhi

"Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in getting up every time we do." - Confucius

"Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart." - Confucius again

"Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance." -Samuel Johnson

Can goods

In 1973, the German group Can was going through a small crisis, one of which could have easily sent other bands down the slippery slope of no return: their frontman for the past few years, Damo Suzuki, left to join the Jehovah's Witnesses (at which point, plenty of Can lovers were exasperated: what the...?). Yet the band, now a quartet, didn't fold to all the pressure & challenges which come with finding a suitable replacement to take over Suzuki's spot. To be honest, lead singers were always an afterthought with Can. Now in fighting trim & guitarist Michael Karoli taking over a majority of the vocal duties, they forged ahead to create their brightest hour ever as a band, 1974's Soon Over Babaluma.

The opening track, "Dizzy Dizzy," displays Karoli with icy croon & all, along with his fellow bandmates (keyboardist Irmin Schmidt, bassist Holger Czukay & drummer Jaki Liebezeit) putting the listener in a trance in short order & all this before the phrase "trance-rock" ever came into being. Syncopated & yet oh so subtle, the unique rhythmic undercurrent Can was always known for creating in their music is at full strength, & the next track "Come Sta, La Luna" with call & response vocals by Schmidt continues that trend.

The last track on side one, "Splash" is the composition which is about to send this album's floodgates open: Liebezeit, being the one-man drumming machine that he always was known as, is on fire, keeping things moving along like a well-timed clock, Karoli burns not only on violin but also during his moments on guitar (tonewise, he sounds a bit like Robert Fripp), Schmidt gets his two cents in on synth while Czukay keeps things tasteful & flowing along nicely on bass.

And like a lot of folks, I thought Brian Eno singlehandedly created what is today known as "ambient music." Boy, was I wrong. Side two features two compositions which combine for 20 minutes of fun, fun, fun (rivaling "Bel Air," their side-long tour de force from 1973's Future Days) & is where ambient in a sense began in earnest & the quartet saying, "Hey, Eno, we love you & all these ambient albums that you did but we were doing ambient first...lol." The first stanza, "Chain Reaction" could be the precursor of trance-rock on the dance floor, pointing its way out into the great unknown, with Karoli's Fripp-ish lines & Schmidt's icy, ambient synthscapes leading the charge. 11 minutes later, we hit a detour on "Quantum Physics." All is space, the sounds dissolving into one dreamlike state, an ambient ether which is as ominous as it is calm, the end of this album's musical journey but not without its foreboding, not without its mystery.

Soon Over Babaluma, I feel, is where Can really put ambient music on the map; Brian Eno didn't begin his ambient series until a year later with his masterpiece Discreet Music. Can already got the head start here though & in all of this music's ominous glory, we find the quartet at its highest point ever, as a collective of musicians working toward a common goal. For that, these guys should be rewarded. Long live the Can!!

Music for Today!

In 1964, when the Beach Boys were at their prime commercially, their chief leader & songsmith, Brian Wilson decided to call it a day touring-wise so he could concentrate fully on crafting the group's studio sound. Influenced immensely by Phil Spector's "Wall of Sound" production (& in fact, incorporating a boatload of musicians who worked with Spector into his scheme of things), Brian was out on a mission & in the process transformed the way a whole lot of folks listened to music back then. And what better way to gain new depth, strength & confidence in his production skills than with 1965's Today!

The first side reveals Wilson & the rest of the Beach Boys hitting their stride with songs like "Dance, Dance, Dance," "Do You Wanna Dance?" & "Help Me, Rhonda." In a sense, side one is a more naturally upbeat step up from the previous Beach Boys albums (e.g. All Summer Long). At the same time, it reveals a more heartfelt sound which "When I Grow Up" boldly confirms in spades: Brian was indeed maturing as a songwriter, the young buck that he was.

But side two of Today! is where everything falls into place about this album. At the time, it was risky to lay one's heart out on the line & to sound so introspective & personal as Brian did on songs like "She Knows Me Too Well," "Please Let Me Wonder," & "In The Back of My Mind." However, that's exactly what he did with the other half of Today!...good call indeed!! In fact, side two sounded like the perfect precursor to the next bold undertaking he & the rest of the Beach Boys would dive headlong into, 1966's Pet Sounds (still love that album!!) The whole second act is like listening to that above-mentioned album a year early, well before it was even released. And yet, the introspection, the aching beauty, the personal, heartfelt longing which Brian & the Boys captured so gorgeously on Pet Sounds...it's all here on the second half of Today! and is undeniably heart-wrenching.

Today! can be considered a big step forward for the Beach Boys overall. Not only that, but this effort find Brian emerging not only as a master songwriter with a great knack for crafting beautiful melodies & sounds unlike anything Spector himself envisioned throwing together: It also marked his emergence as a pretty awesome producer who knew how to make some pretty amazing-sounding songs which have stood the test of time over 4o years later.

A test of faith

The smoke has finally cleared at the RCA Dome, & the Colts are back to business as usual as they prepare for the San Diego Chargers.

No doubt this'll be a test of Indy's faith as all the other games before New England were tests to see how up to the task the Colts were in shutting down, say, Jacksonville (which they did to great effect) or staying resilient in away games @ Houston & Tennessee. San Diego, after getting blasted for 300 yards on the ground by Minnesota's Adrian Peterson, is hoping to redeem themselves in a major way & what better team to vent their frustrations on if it's Indianapolis.

The Chargers, with LT still kicking tail on the ground, knows how strong the Colts are offensively & defensively. 2 years ago they knocked Indy from the ranks of the unbeatens by exploiting their pass rush & pressuring Peyton like mad, among other things I won't go into here.

Indy, on the other hand, is determined not to let history repeat itself a second time against San Diego. Knowing that SD is still a dangerous team across the board, they don't have to be told what's at stake. They already sense that the Chargers are going to be another imposing challenge in a long line of challenges coming up for the majority of the remaining regular season games. And I'll be dipped if Indy's not ready to bounce back from Sunday's loss; I'm sure that they will be ready to roll but this upcoming game is not going to be a cakewalk.

This'll be a test of faith, a shot at redemption which won't come without a fight.

Down but don't count them out

Yesterday couldn't have come at a better time & what better way to wrap it all up than seeing the Colts go up against New England. Sure, the Patriots may have had all the offensive firepower on hand but I felt the Colts, with a pretty impressive defense, could counter by keeping those threats in check for most of the game.

And for most of the game, the Colts did everything that I hoped they'd do to neutralize Tom Brady & company. That is, until the fourth quarter, that other 25% which mattered most.

Up to then, New England was just in a lull...then a bomb from Brady to Randy Moss shifted the momentum to the Patriots for good. Yet another bomb later on which led to the winning score by Kevin Faulk: talk about making big, championship-level plays at this juncture. The Pats made the big plays which they needed to make when the need arose, whereas Indy on the other hand didn't make the big plays which they had to make to beat NE at their own game. Sure, they were pretty awesome on defense but offensively, without complete firepower at their disposal, the Colts couldn't respond in kind on the other side of the ball. No fault of Manning's, but without a full arsenal of receivers on hand, he was short on some much-needed artillery which could have knocked New England from the ranks of the unbeatens & at the right time too.
(Though of course, you gotta love how Joseph Addai stepped his game up here.)

But don't count Indianapolis out though New England beat them. Sure, they'll be up against a Chargers squad who just got burned alive by Minnesota & a case of happy feet courtesy of Adrian Peterson; San Diego is just as angry & hoping for redemption along the same lines as the Colts after this latest debacle. Let's hope, however, that the Colts get on the rebound & take their last game as not just a lesson learned but also the impetus they need to get through the remainder of the regular season unscathed.

Part Two

Taking Greek pride/support to a level no other dudes have made the effort to realize.

Even as an alumni, I still find ways to show my support every chance I get - & by support, I don't mean stopping back in town for Homecoming Weekend either & leaving my Greek pride at that, dudes!! - & none more so than with any philanthropies/causes/events my sorority counterparts in the Greek community are holding. A lot of fraternity members are thinking by now, "Damn, son, this dude still has nothing but love for sororities; what's up with that?" I'm not surprised that I've still got it, even now. Then again, plenty of undergraduate fraternity members with a heart, with character, with personality to match - should follow my lead here as well, rather than brood over how I'm getting all these praises & accolades when it comes to, say, showing up for Bid Day & cheering up plenty of sorority sisters in AOII, Alpha Phi, AGD, etc. or showing up for a philanthropic event any of the above sororities is holding. As I've said ad infinitum in previous posts/along similar lines, I do these things not because I feel like it but because I care about my sorority counterparts & because my love for Greek life, to me, is a lifelong thing & shouldn't come to a screeching halt after graduation - beginning & end of story.

That's the mark of someone who has taken his support & pride for all things Greek to a level which is going to be hard to top. How many undergraduate duders who happen to wear Greek letters are going to step up & do the same?

Done & Done

The last team standing wins & moves on.

This is the credo for any high school football team who is lucky enough to still be getting their gridiron groove on & for any team who has found the muster & faith to make it all the way to the sectional championship. In short, it's a do-or-die situation & only one team moves on to Regional play, plugging away another week or so longer than expected. The losing team, of course, goes home, but not without taking solace in the fact that they accomplished a lot this season & have nothing to be ashamed of if they got beat by a far more superior ballclub & still busted their tails for all four quarters. If they lost to a mediocre team, well...that's another story.

Two teams are laying their all on the line when the opening kickoff commences. Who is most ready to play, who has the most fire in their eyes, who is most prepared for whatever surprises the opponent has up their sleeve...that's who's going to grab the Championship outright, no questions asked. Oh, & it'll come down to who makes the biggest plays when they have to, & when they count most.

One senses the anxiety, the tension, all the excitement which comes with preparing for tonight's game in not only the players' psyches, etc. but also on the coaches' faces when it comes to giving a summary on what kind of team they'll be playing. At this point in time, nothing will come easy; everything will be hard-fought, regardless of the final score. The coaches know this as well as their assistants; they don't need to be told of the implications & dilemmas which are part & parcel of a Sectional championship gameplan.

At any rate, the last team standing tall is a winner, a champion & gets to play another week or more if they can help it. And may the best team who shows up to play tonight take all!!

Weekend Warriors

This weekend is shaping up to be one of the more awesome weekends on record when it comes to great football: first off, it's the Ball State-Indiana showdown, then it's the Colts taking on New England in a battle of unbeatens.

Nobody ever had it so good when it came to having an eventful weekend, with all the excitement, anxiety & nailbiting that's expected for games like these.

Ball State & the Hoosiers are hoping to grab a bowl bid any way they can; each team knows there's a lot at stake & nothing to lose as well. The Hoosiers in particular are in need of redemption after a three-game skid & what better way to seek it than against my beloved Cardinals. Yet looking at the Hoosiers, they've not only got the home field advantage but a lot of expectations to fulfill: winning one in honor of Hep & getting themselves a bowl bid, a topic which hasn't been discussed lately...until now. But don't underestimate BSU & the fact that they're seeking payback for their loss to IU last season; they're out to set things right & want to get over the hump of not being able to beat a Big 10 team.

Then we've got Indy-New England. The past three go-rounds, Indy's claimed the upper hand against the Pats. But from how NE has been playing of late, can the Colts maintain their home field advantage as well as a newfound confidence that they can beat the Patriots for round #4? If so, not only are the last team standing without a defeat but they've got one huge chip off of their shoulder for the remainder of the season. Then again, nothing ever comes easy, not even against a former AFC East nemesis as formidable as New England.

Gotta love how this weekend shaped up in the world of football: go Cards!! go Colts!!