Last week the Cincinnati Angels did their own version of the Harlem Shake. I know not all the girls who play with the Angels were a part of it, but it is good to see them having fun together.
Tag Archives: sports
Sportsmanship Wins Yet Again
Saw this video posted today on Facebook and it’s a great story of sportsmanship and putting others first. It reminded me of Jason McElway’s story that was posted a couple of years ago. In a time when both athletes and parents can get so caught up in winning and losing, stories like these are refreshing. Great job to both the coach of the team and to the player on the opposing team for what they did.
Great ESPN Article on Indiana and Basketball
With Indiana basketball back in the national spotlight, ESPN did a great article on the connection between the state of Indiana and the game of basketball. The stereotype that you can find a basketball hoop on just about any stationary item in the state is reflected in this article.
The feature covers cities in Indiana, including Martinsville where John Wooden played high school ball and Indianapolis. It highlights not only John Wooden, but Bob Knight, Cody Zeller, Brad Stevens, Damon Bailey and more.
It’s a lengthy article and you can check it out on the ESPN website.
Here’s a couple quotes to whet your appetite:
“When I was growing up, you had your ABC, NBC, CBS and then you had Channel 4, the independent channel. Every Friday night, they’d have Indiana games and then Purdue games. So when I was a kid, that’s what you did. You’d sit there and watch.” (ESPN analyst and former Indiana player and assistant coach Dan Dakich)
“High school was more intimidating. You’d play in front of 7,000 people and three-quarters of them you’d know personally. That was pressure.” (Cody Zeller)
My senior year of high school, we were playing and every seat was taken and they filled in the track. It’s overwhelming. It really is Hoosiers. That’s why that movie makes so much sense.” (Jordan Hulls)
Go check it out! Go IU!
Joe Turns 21 Today!
On this day, a mere 21 years ago, Joe showed up! He was born in Defiance (the name of the city, not his state of being) Ohio and much has transpired since then. We have lived in three different states (Ohio to Kentucky to Indiana and back to Ohio) and a sister joined the group a few years after his arrival.
Kind of hard to believe that he hits 21 years today. I was thinking this morning that I remember when I turned 21 and find it somewhat disconcerting that I now have a son that is 21.
He’s played football and basketball, performed in many band concerts, traveled numerous miles with Solid Rock, marched on many a football field, participated in several musicals, graduated high school and is making his way through college. A stroke darkened the picture for a little while in junior high, but he still managed to go visit Uruguay while in elementary school, take a trip to Southeast Asia with his grandfather and cousin and go to Ireland with a crew from college. Not a bad itinerary for the first 21 years of life.
I know God has good things in store for Joe and look forward to what He will do through him. So, Happy 21st Birthday!! Here’s a “cup of Joe” to help celebrate. (Hitting pf changs later in the day for a good birthday meal)
ACL Recovery Update
Several have asked how Syd is getting along with her recovery from surgery. She had a follow-up at her surgeon’s office today. They removed the stitches and checked on her progress. Overall everything looks good. He was pleased with the surgery itself and her progress to this point. Physical therapy has been going well and the team at Drayer are great.
She received one small piece of bad news today – she has to stay in the brace and on crutches for three more weeks. She was ready to be off the crutches, but Doc wants to protect the MCL as it heals. There was some damage to it when she tore the ACL, but nothing that required surgery.
Her surgeon is a pretty straight shooter and said that her knee looks good. She just needs to make sure she doesn’t screw it up (those were his words). He even gave her a shirt that says Beacon Orthopaedic on the front and this quote on the back: “Don’t be stupid.” Her job is to follow the therapy they have for her. I’m sure she will, but she was definitely ready to lose the crutches.
While at her appointment today, we ran into another young lady who plays high school ball and had ACL repair surgery yesterday. A Clinton-Massie boys player tore his ACL this weekend playing ball. Hate to see anyone go through that, but seems to be a pretty common injury anymore. Grateful for a good surgeon and therapy team to help them get better and back on the court.
Big Game, Tough Loss
Someone who saw yesterday’s post about the game against Bellbrook asked about the outcome. Unfortunately, Massie went down to Bellbrook, who shot well from the 3-point line. It was a good test for both schools and will (hopefully) help as they prepare for the tournament later in the season.
The Dayton Daily News did a nice write-up on the game. Perhaps Massie and Bellbrook will meet again later in the year. It would be a good rematch to see.
Bellbrook wins Division II showdown
The ability to hit 3-point shots was the main difference between Bellbrook and Clinton-Massie on Tuesday.
Home team Bellbrook got key points when needed from beyond the arc during a 58-47 win. It was a matchup between two of the area’s best Division II teams.
Both came in at 3-0 and loaded with returning talent from outstanding 2011-12 seasons. Bellbrook went 22-4 last season, losing in the D-II state semifinals to eventual champion Shaker Heights Hathaway Brown. Clinton-Massie went 19-4 with its season ending with a 44-42 loss in the sectional finals to Chamiande Julienne.
Bellbrook has four of its top six players back from the state tournament team. Seniors Erin Dorn and Gabrielle “G” Etter are the top returning scorers. They were the leaders Tuesday with Etter scoring 17 points and Dorn adding 16.
Both are shooting better off the dribble than last season. Dorn was 3-of-5 from 3-point range with two big shots early in the second quarter. A 6-0 run in the final 1:10 of the first quarter got C-M within 16-8.
Dorn took away the Falcons’ momentum burying back-to-back treys for a 22-8 Bellbrook lead. C-M could never get that margin below seven points the rest of the night. Every time it challenged, Bellbrook made a 3-pointer as part of 6-for-11 shooting night from long-range.
“This was a big win for us because they’re a really good team,” Dorn said. “We saw they could play last year in the tournament. So it was a good test for both of us. I think we stepped up and made big shots as a team, didn’t make many mistakes and had composure when they made runs at us.”
Clinton-Masse’s Sydney Brackemyre is one of the top juniors in the state. She has gotten a lot of recruiting attention from a host of NCAA Division I schools. The 6-foot-1 junior, who had 17 points and 14 rebounds, has her choices whittled down to Dayton, Michigan and Louisville.
“Good night all around for all of us,” said C-M coach Allen Wilkinson. “We’d like to have come away with a win, but we showed we can compete with a state tournament team like Bellbrook. Sydney showed she can play.
“Dorn hit those 3s in the second quarter to give them the cushion they needed. Hopefully we’ll get a chance to see them again in the tournament.”
Sportsmanship Wins Again
Several months ago there was a great story about a high school track athlete that quit running to help a fallen competitor finish the race. Listening to the radio this morning, I heard a similar story, this time on the football field.
A St. Clairsville, Ohio, football player was on his way to his 12th touchdown of the season, nearing the end zone after a 52 yard running play. He stepped out at the 1 yard line so a teammate could score a touchdown in honor of his father who just passed away from a stroke.
The player, who is a starter on the freshman team, plays sparingly at best on varsity and never lined up at running back. He followed his blocker and scored on the first play. It was his first touchdown and he said he knew his father was watching.
In a time where we hear of bad behavior from athletes – and parents, too! – it is refreshing to hear a story like this one.
You can read a more detailed account on the USA Today High School Sports website.
No IU-UK game this season
News came out today over Twitter feed that there will not be an IU-UK basketball game on this year’s schedule. With as much excitement and press this season’s game received, you would think it would be a no-brainer. According to the Indianapolis Star, it looks like location was a big part of the discussion.
Here’s what was posted on Indy Star today.
I’m not blaming Kentucky for insisting the rivalry be moved to neutral sites to increase revenue.
I’m not blaming Indiana for standing firm in its stance that the games stay in Assembly Hall and Rupp.
But one way or another, this was one of those issues where the two sides needed to lock themselves in a room until they figured out how to get it done.
IU-Kentucky is a rivalry that shouldn’t go away. No way. No how. It’s good for the schools. It’s good for the fan bases. It’s good for college basketball.
The excitement from an Indiana perspective that the regular season game last year brought with it is all the evidence you need. That single shot by Christian Watford was the signature image for all of college basketball from Dec. 10, 2011 through the NCAA Tournament. And the rematch was pretty good, too. There were a lot of people that believe that IU-Kentucky in the Sweet Sixteen was one of the more exciting games of the 2012 NCAA tournament.
And yet now it’s all going away simply because the two sides couldn’t reach an agreement on where it should be played.
Here’s my opinion: IU and Kentucky need to play next season. I don’t care if it’s on campus, in Louisville, or anywhere else, but the game needs to be played. Especially considering what happened last season. The 2012-13 IU-Kentucky was going to be the end all game to find out just how good the two teams were going to be a few weeks before heading into conference play. And both teams are expected to be very, very good.
Tom Crean indicated this week that he had spoken with John Calipari and that both coaches want the series to continue.
IU-Kentucky have played every season since 1969. How do you just throw all that away?
While the words in this press release are pretty clear that there won’t be an IU-Kentucky game next season, I still have to issue a challenge to athletic administrators from both schools to take a deep breath, take a step back, and then go back to the bargaining and get this done.
This is not the time for Indiana-Kentucky to become a thing of the past.
Good News For Hoosier Fans
Just read some good news for IU basketball fans…Zeller and Watford are staying in school! Here is the article that came across Twitter from The Crimson Quarry.
Jeff Rabjohns of Rivals.com is reporting that Cody Zeller and Christian Watford are both staying put. This is magnificent news for Hoosiers fans across the board. There was little doubt that Zeller was going to return for at least one more year of basketball but at one point certain NBA scouts thought it 90% certain Watford was out the door.
This is huge for Indiana as they now for certain return their starting 5 from the tournament run and 6 of their top 8 players in terms of playing time and production. Add that with a stellar recruiting class that is scheduled to hit campus June 16 and the preseason #1 ranking that IU currently has looks like it could be a legit thing as we get to the season in November. Depending on what Shabazz Muhammad and Nerlens Noel do tomorrow when they commit, Indiana has a great shot at holding onto preseason #1 assuming they don’t both go to Kentucky.
Super Bowl Party Pics
Each year we have Super Bowl parties for our students to watch the big game. This year we probably had more actual game watchers than ever before. Usually in the past, by halftime (or even before then), most attenders become disinterested and end up doing other things. This year, at least at one of the houses, just about everyone stayed engaged…even after the halftime show.
We have posted some pictures from our two different parties. Click on the link below to check them out.
