Bravehearts: From the Bottom to...Where?

It's been a rough few days since Bradley endured their worst loss in over 100 years at the hands of Wichita State. However, LitCS correspondent Kevin McClelland says there's still a light at the end of the tunnel for BU.

The Bradley Braves opened up Missouri Valley Conference play Tuesday, and took on the Wichita State Shockers.

Carver Arena had a certain excitement about it—Valley play was opening up; many people had time off between holidays, and in general it was a light atmosphere. While the student section was spartan, the Bradley red was abundant in the crowd.


Unfortunately, the crowd can't get on the floor and make baskets for the Braves, and they desperately needed them.


Bradley shot 25 percent from the field against a Shockers team with more length and depth than the Braves were accustomed to. The only starter to break into double digits was Taylor Brown, although Prosser sniffed at a double double with nine points and nine rebounds.


Our bench got outscored. Our starters were manhandled by their bigs. They changed our shots near the rim. We got out-rebounded, out-hustled, and out-worked, things Coach Ford will likely address at practice.


But even after this paltry performance, I have no doubt that Carver will be packed when the Braves take on the Salukis January 3. It should be a ghost town—Southern is the only team in the Valley with a worse record that Bradley—but Peorians have shown some mix of resiliency and hope, now that the "Jim Les Era" is over and Geno Ford has introduced some offense besides the three-man weave.


They've seen the mediocre teams that followed the Sweet Sixteen run, but they remember that Sweet Sixteen team and tasted a bit of what the NCAA tournament can do for the program, the school and the community. That taste hasn't yet been washed away by the bitterness of those losing seasons, and they know something else is on the horizon.


It just may take awhile to see the sun after all this darkness, and I'm sure Bradley basketball fans won't forget that any time soon.


KDM

Kevin McClelland is a longtime resident of the Ohio city colloquially known as "Believeland". Follow him on Twitter @K_D_McClelland.

Court Vocabulary

I thought I was on another planet the first time I played a gave of five-on-five at Bradley.

"All right, we're going to 15 by ones and twos", the kid said. I stopped in my tracks.

"Ones and twos?"

"Yeah, ones and twos."

"You mean twos and threes?" I said. Now they looked at me like I was from another planet.

I hadn't played or watched any game of basketball that used ones and twos in my life. I was from Chicago, where every single game was played to 32 by twos and threes. Never mind that just about every game stopped after the first few makes to figure out the score, or that fouls only started getting called when one team was two or three baskets away from winning. That's how the game was played.

Basketball, like any sport, has its own unique vocabulary, and Chicago differentiates itself more still. So if you ever do want to play ball with Derrick Rose (or myself), you've got to talk the talk before you can skywalk the skywalk. Here's a quick guide of playground terms:

twos and threes: n. Traditional method of scoring a pickup basketball game. Used in Chicago (and I'm guessing in most of the world).

ones and twos: n. Second method for scoring a pickup basketball game. Used in practice by sanctioned teams and in South Central Illinois.

baby: v. To dominate another player during a game, usually in the post. Synonymous with "son". Ex.: Remember the '01 Finals, when Shaq babied Mutombo?

Oh, you didn't remember? Here's a reminder clip.

cash: n. inj. Phrase shouted when a player shoots a jump shot; used to taunt an opposing player. Syn. money, burner, cookies

crip: n. When players are shooting around and a player's shot is rebounded, he is usually given the ball back for one last shot or layup, called a "crip". If this is not given, it is a sign of disrespect ("You're not going to give me my crip, joe?")

hoop: v. To play basketball. Ex.: Where are people trying to hoop?

joe: n. Way of greeting another person. Used whether the person's name is known or not. Can also be spelled as "jo". Originated in Chicago. Ex.: Wassup, joe?

 "Wassup Jo" by Chicago/Pennsylvania duo Kidz in the Hall

son: n. 1. Way of greeting another person, used whether the person is known or not. Originated in New York City. 2. n. Derogatory term for another person. Ex.: You're not on my level, son.  2. v. To dominate another player on the court, usually in the post. Ex.: Did you see dude just son that fool from Garfield Park?

 As I said, this just a short glossary of terms, so if you have any more that you know, send them to my e-mail jakestanley17@yahoo.com. In the meantime, feel free to use any of these while you're watching the Bulls-Lakers game today. Here's a free one to get you started: "Dag joe, D-Rose just babied Steve Blake hard. Guess the Lake Show didn't come to hoop."

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and see you in the cheap seats.

JS

Bravehearts: Bradley Women vs. Western Illinois

It's getting ridiculous out here.

Basketball is supposed to be difficult. It's supposed to be a seesaw affair, a teeth-clenching battle of wills where every loose ball counts and the ref's whistle makes the crowd draw a single, halting breath.

It's not like that at the Coliseum.

Bradley was facing an easy game tonight against Western Illinois and they made sure there would be no trap against the Leathernecks. Braves took the W, 93-64, behind 29 points from Catie O'Leary.

Ball don't lie

If you're looking for heart-stopping basketball excitement in Peoria right now, please stay away from the Bradley women's squad. If you're looking for close games and fast finishes, don't come out to the Coliseum.

In short, if you don't want to see a blowout, go somewhere else. That's what you're going to get from Bradley right now: hot shooting from the arc, points in the post, second-chance opportunities and solid free-throw shooting.

I may be getting ahead of myself; the conference schedule hasn't started and the grind of mid-season hasn't taken effect. Still, the Braves have not made the same mistakes that plagued them last year. They're limiting turnovers (they haven't crested 20 in the past two contests); they're rebounding well; the shooters are spreading the floor for the slashers and everyone has a role.

Kelsey Budd and Catie O'Leary, the Wisconsinites, are shooting the daylights out of the bucket. Budd tallied 31 Saturday night in the win over Iowa; O'Leary came off the bench with 29 tonight. Katie Yohn continued to break out of her slump with 11 points and Leah Kassing picked up another double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds.

Individual numbers don't nearly tell the story, though: Bradley dominated this game. They held the 3-8 Leathernecks to 32 percent field-goal shooting and 15 percent from three-point range. Bradley outrebounded Western IL 46-39, shot over 50 percent overall and from beyond the arc and picked up 53 points from their bench.

If all basketball was this easy, everyone would be playing.

On Wisconsin! And Iowa, and Minnesota...

It's no secret that Paula Buscher has recruited from the northern Midwest over the past six years. Renee Frericks and Jenny Van Kirk both hailed from Minnesota, as does freshman Michelle Young. Budd and O'Leary are from Wisconsin, while Mackenzie Westcott and Alyson Spinas-Valainis head back to Iowa on breaks. I don't know if the air is thinner or what, but the Wisconsin kids in particular can shoot from almost any spot on the floor. Kelsey Budd has the ability to control the game with shooting or passing (10 points and nine assists tonight), while Catie O'Leary can run the second unit.

The Braves' greatest asset might be their depth. There are five potential point guards on the team, two of whom can shift to the three of whom can shift to the shooting guard position. Westcott and Frings can both play small or power forward, and both can shoot from beyond 15 feet. Spinas-Valainis still needs to improve, but she clocked five points and six rebounds tonight, a building-block performance.

In short, the out-of-towners are really turning the cogs for the Braves tonight.

Grades

Offense: A+. I only saw one interior pass get stolen tonight, and the Braves outscored the Leathernecks bench 53-16. Next.

Defense: A. Six blocks. Ten steals. 23 points off turnovers. And Coach Buscher got a warning from the refs after the sixth bad call on what should have been a jump ball. The Braves didn't have to worry about an inside offensive presence, so they swarmed the basketball on the perimeter.

Atmosphere: C+. Again, sparse crowd, but the Morton Junior High Band did their best imitation of the BU Basketball Band and got loud on free throws. The guys next to me were all over the refs about fouls and got several glances from the zebras. Nice job, guys.

So.....what?

I'm sure that's what people are thinking after reading this, if they read to the end. "So what? Why should I care?" they're saying to themselves.

Right now, this is the streaking basketball team in Central Illinois. Bradley has won four in a row since dropping a four-point game to Wisconsin-Milwaukee on November 28. They're 9-3 going into conference play. They shoot, they drive, they make julienne fries! What more do you really want to see?

Two more games on the homestand starting next Thursday. Either find your seats on the bandwagon or get left in the dust. I know one thing: we're making noise in St. Charles come March.

See you in the cheap seats.

JS

Great Clips! A Seismic Shift in Los Angeles

There are sports franchises that are never supposed to win. I would say "in this day and age", but the old-timers remember the Washington Senators, who never won a World Series even with Walter Johnson pitching, or the St. Louis Browns, who needed World War II to win a pennant.

Some teams never catch a break, never draft the right player, or just don't get the right bounce at the right time.

The Los Angeles Clippers were one of those teams. This is the team that let Elton Brand go to Philly, kept Michael Olowokandi over Lamar Odom, and had two stars sustain terrible injuries on freak accidents in the preseason (Note: these videos are not for the easily squeamish).

Shawn Livingston's ACL tear

Blake Griffin's broken kneecap

Such was the fate of the Clippers, the team forever in the shadow of the Lakers.

Was.

On Monday night, the Clip Show served the Lakers to the tune of a 19-point victory. And they did with a subpar effort from Blizzy Blake.

It's too early for everyone to scream it from the rooftops, so I'll do it for you:

THE CLIPPERS ARE THE TEAM IN L.A.

Flash back to...

...last season, when the Clippers had just pulled a home victory over Miami, further adding to the consternation of Heat fans. I said then that Los Angeles' other team was moving in the right direction with the parts they had, but it would take a long time for them to challenge the Lakers for L.A. dominance.

After a flurry of in-season and offseason moves, the landscape is very different. The Clippers were the winners of the Chris Paul Chase, picked up Mo Williams in a midseason trade and also acquired veteran Chauncey Billups. They did lose key players Eric Gordon and Chris Kaman, but with Griffin, DeAndre Jordan and Caron Butler in the frontcourt with Paul and Billups in the backcourt, the Clippers suddenly have one of the most exciting starting rotations in the West.

Meanwhile, the Lakers lost their temper in their playoff series with the Mavericks and haven't stopped throwing temper tantrums since. After dangling Lamar Odom in their own proposed trade for Paul, Odom demanded his walking papers and went to, of all teams, the Dallas Mavericks. Can you imagine how many snide phone calls and text messages Mark Cuban sent Jerry Buss that day?

The Lakers picked up Josh McRoberts from Indy but not much else, and now Kobe's day-to-day with an injured wrist. Add to the mix Mike Brown's first season at the wheel and you have the perfect sh&t storm in Hollywood. Can things get worse for the Lakers?

Christmas magic

The San Andreas Fault sits right underneath Los Angeles, and scientists say eons from now, Lakerland will break off from the continent and float out to sea. That is also the generally accepted amount of time it will take for the Clippers to move past the Lakers as Los Angeles' favorite team.

I think it's coming sooner than that. The Laker fan base is dedicated enough to their team, especially from the glory years of the '80s and 2000s, but the Lakers are losing their. Kobe's 33 with mounting injuries; Derek Fisher is four years older. Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum will do their thing, but who's behind them in the rotation: McRoberts, Troy Murphy? Joe Smith? Theo Ratliff? 

The intagibles of Metta World Peace (yes, I will be calling him that until further notice) are not to be overlooked. Still, the Lakers have a slew of rookies and Luke Walton off the bench. Devin Ebanks and Derrick Caracter aren't ready. Shannon Brown is gone. How will the Lakers survive the second and third quarters of games?

The Clippers have lower billing against the Warriors Sunday night, but Golden State will be without Stephen Curry in another mini-miracle for the red and blue. The Lakers, meanwhile, have to contend with a better, hungrier Bulls team at Staples.

The time is right for the Clippers to move up the L.A. star charts. Will it be this season? The future isn't clear, but the magic 8 ball says, "Signs point to yes." If you don't believe me, ask DeAndre Jordan.

Rising over Gasol and Bynum? Can you say, "foreshadowing"?

Suffice it to say, Bill Simmons should be very happy this year. I will be, too, once I get my custom-made "Lob City" shirt.

See you in the cheap seats, Clippers fans.

JS

Note: Shouts out to Bradley alum Zack Andrews for making the Lakers' roster! Congratulations to #21, throw a power move from Sac-town.)

Bravehearts: Bradley Women vs. Iowa

Two years ago, you would be hard-pressed to say, "We still have a chance to win this game even if Katie Yohn doesn't score 20 points." Very hard-pressed. Even a year ago it would have been a stretch of the imagination.

To say Bradley could win if she scored less than 15? Crazy. Chalk up that 'L' and take it home.

That's exactly what happened Saturday night at the Renaissance Coliseum. Yohn struggled (by her standards) once again, and there was the Bradley women's basketball team, hooting and yelling as the final buzzer sounded on a 96-88 victory over the Iowa Hawkeyes.

One more time: 96-88.


Never mind the torrid Bradley offense: a women's college basketball game that saw one team score more than 90 points and only win by eight? That's a Christmas miracle of it's own accord.

Considering this was the first women's game of the season I had a chance to see, I'll go ahead and call myself "the key to victory." Why not?

Three-mendous


Imagine a glass case with liquid suspended inside, precariously balanced on a fulcrum. The liquid shifts back and forth endlessly, moving toward one end, then toward the other. Sometimes, the case never settles on one side, but most of the time, the liquid moves inexorably in one direction as the case finally drops to the surface.

The case in a liquid is a mirror of a good basketball game. One team makes a run before the game settles to a medium, then the other team pushes back. That's what Bradley and Iowa went through for the first half of their game Saturday night. The Braves shot better and hit more threes than the Hawkeyes, but Iowa controlled the glass and only trailed by six at the break.

The Hawkeyes picked up two quick baskets after the half, and even after a Kelsey Budd jumper from the arc, Bradley's lead had shrunk to three points.

Then the liquid in the case became a flood of points.

Budd hit another three, then a jump shot. Shronda Butts connected for three, then three more. Budd hit another distance J, followed by Kelly Frings and Yohn. With more than seven minutes to go in the game, Bradley led 74-55.

As I tweeted to Hayden Shaver, it was as if we had morphed into one giant Kyle Korver.

On the run again


When I first came to Peoria, the Bradley men's basketball team had just shocked the world by beating Kansas and Pittsburgh in the NCAA tournament. A large part of that was due to Patrick O'Bryant sonning the mess out of Aaron Gray, but the glue turning the Bradley wheels was in the person of their three-guard lineup. In 2006-07, that lineup was anchored by Daniel Ruffin (the Speedster), Will Franklin (the Slasher) and Jeremy Crouch (the Shooter).

The days of Jim Les and the three-man weave are gone from Carver Arena, but it seems his philosophy might have been passed on to Coach Buscher and the women's team.

Kelsey Budd's defining sequence Saturday was not one of her three that totaled 31 points. It was a call that didn't go her way: on a Braves turnover, Iowa was out in transition looking at an easy layup. Budd raced back alone, cut off the right side of the rim, and blocked the shot. She was called for an anticipatory foul (don't get me started on the officiating that night), but the message was clear as Kevin McClelland's announcer voice: no easy baskets.

Shronda Butts did not impress me at the Red-White Scrimmage, to tell you the truth. I thought she would be coming off the bench in favor of the quicker and taller Michelle Young. Butts, however, dropped 18 points against Iowa and showed an ability to get to the hoop and draw contact at will. She's not a true point guard and was more comfortable at the shooting guard spot, but the always-dangerous left-hander will be effective slashing to the hoop this season.

Katie Yohn has been cold lately, according to my boy Clark Benjamin, but she is still the main threat for Bradley. Remember, before this game, Budd's career high was 12 points. Katie hit a few shots and might be getting back into a rhythm, and she can still play solid perimeter defense (when she doesn't gamble for steals, of course). Having Katie put up 18 points on a minimum of shots spells victory for Bradley.

The Grades


Offense: A. The passing was the only problem; too many interior passes were stolen, especially in the second half. Bradley had eight turnovers at the half; they finished with 19. But what can you say about 96 points?

Defense: C-. The Braves had no answer for Iowa's Morgan Johnson, who led all scorers with 37 points, most of those on easy slip-screen layups. The Braves need to do a better job rotating in the post to contest those shots or deny the entry pass.

Atmosphere: C+. "Cram the Coliseum"? I doubt it was half-full. The women's basketball team has outperformed the men in the past few years, but you wouldn't know it from the fan support. This team deserves to get a better showing now that they're back on campus, period. If more fans don't show up at their next game, then Bradley fans don't really care about their school's basketball teams. Print it.

The Bradley women's basketball team is not a juggernaut, but their record is 8-3 with two weeks to go before the conference season begins. Coach Buscher has built a balanced team of perimeter shooters, post players (Leah Kassing didn't get lost in the shuffle, posting 10 points and outrebounding the taller Johnson 10-8) and bench contributors. The Braves have three more games at home before they go on the road again. I'll be there for all of them and I'd better see the cheap seats filled when I get there.
Otherwise you're going to miss out on the surprise team of the season. Let me spell it out for you:

"Northern Iowa, ISU: we comin' for you, baby!"

See you in the cheap seats.

JS

Voices from the Cheap Seats: Why Tim Tebow Isn't So Unbelievable

Another guest writer? I'm not being lazy, folks, I just keep getting submissions. Here's a piece from my boy Kevin McClelland (@K_D_McClelland on Twitter) on the truth about Tim Tebow (Bears fans, stop gnashing your teeth for a few minutes).

He did it again. We saw it happen.

"Unbelievable," they say. "TOTALLY believable," I say.

There were no secrets going into the Bears/Broncos game on Sunday: the Bears defense needed to stop Tim Tebow from running the ball and pressure him in the pocket so if he chose to throw, he would have little time to do so. The Bears offense only needed to not mess up.

On paper, and through a majority of Sunday's game, that's exactly what happened. Tebow was 3 for 16 with one interception at one point, and his passer rating was hovering in the 60s, if that.

But then, in the fourth quarter, he came alive. He suddenly had time to move around and find his receivers. He completed 10 of 12 passes during one stretch.

We can attribute this to a few things. The first is prior performance: over the past few starts, Tebow has been abysmal in the first three quarters, and electric in the fourth. The second is brains. Tebow has the football smarts and acuity to understand what a defense is doing, and after seeing that plan for three quarters, I'd imagine he'd figure it out. Third is his offensive line. They stopped the Bears' defense when they had to, when they saw the Broncos had a chance to make things interesting and possibly win the game down the stretch.


Tebow's Fallibility

Part of what makes Tebow's story so remarkable (understandable) is how well he knows himself. He knows that is not equipped with the fundamentals of Brady, the vision of Rodgers, or the offensive firepower of Brees.

He plays to his own strengths, as does the entire team. The offensive line bought him time in the pocket, and it was up to Tebow to read and see if he should throw, run, buy more time, or get sacked by Brian Urlacher, Julius Peppers and company (okay, maybe that last one wasn't an option, but the point is that credit goes to his offensive line). Credit is also due to the defensive unit that forced several three-and-outs in the fourth quarter when they realized Marion Barber was pretty much the only offensive option the Bears had and stuffed him several times.

That wasn't all Tebow's doing. He certainly inspired some of it, I'm sure, but his play until the last quarter was downright disheartening.


Clawless Bears

Caleb Hanie played arguably his best game as a starter: 12 for 19 for 115 yards, no TDs and no INTs. Definitely a great game considering how sloppy he has been with the ball of late. But with no one in their right mind kicking to Hester, Forte still out, and Hanie's inexperience in making big-time plays, the Bears didn't have the chutzpah to complete a third down conversion in the fourth. Credit the Broncos defense, which has helped keep them in games all year, but you also blame injuries: I can imagine if Cutler and Forte were around, the game would never have come down to the 4th quarter; it would have been an early rout.


For Broncos fans: keep believing in your "unbelievable" quarterback. Your story is an incredible one, but understand that Tebow will falter at some point. You will lose again. Ride this streak, but don't be surprised if it comes to a stop—and soon.

Bears fans, put your elbow on your knee, and start "Tebowing" that you can win next week and keep your playoff chances alive.

KDM

Kevin McClelland currently works Bradley University's admissions department. When not at work, K-Mac campaigns to change the name of the Cleveland Indians' stadium back to Jacobs Field. Donate to the "Remake the Jake" campaign on his site, http://atleastwerenotdetroit.wordpress.com/.

"Suck Now, Luck Later": Indy's Season of Despair and Contemplation (Part 2)

This is the continuation of Brian Spicklemire's post on the Indianapolis Colts' disastrous season and the decision they may have to make in the very near future: take Andrew Luck and say goodbye to their franchise player? (If you haven't read Part 1, check it here.)

Peyton's place

It's a rough topic to think about for a die-hard Colts fan. For many, Peyton is the only player they've ever seen take meaningful snaps. He was transcendent; watching him play against a defense and finding the open receiver was as close as sports come to poetry or a breathtaking Chopin etude. His preparation was unmatched. His intangibles were what separated him from QBs of equal physical talents: not just being able to make the throws, but knowing that you were going to make the throws and convincing the defense that they couldn't stop you. Remember a couple years ago, when Bill Belichick went for it on fourth and two deep inside his own territory because he didn't want to give Peyton the ball back with under two minutes left? That was what separated Peyton from other elite QBs, knowing that he could go Keyser Soze on you at anytime. It made Colts fans complacent; we didn't know how good we had it.

Your heart says that you don't want to see Peyton go, that he means too much to this city not to retire as a Colt on his own terms. He won a Super Bowl for this city, and essentially built Lucas Oil Stadium, which is bringing the big game (and the prominence and local economy stimulus that comes with it), to Indy this February. There's a children's hospital that bears his name, and his charitable outreach is impressive. With apologies to Uncle Reggie, Peyton Manning is the most important professional athlete this city has ever had. And we could be four months away from discarding him in a cold, mathematical business move.

Conventional wisdom says there's only one logical thing we can do: draft Andrew Luck with the top overall pick after either trading or cutting Peyton (cutting being the more likely of the options, as it's unlikely that anyone outside of Dan Snyder is going to trade for Peyton and be on the hook for the $28 million roster bonus he's due in March, and the Colts won't pay it just to draft a new QB a month later), and move on to a post-Manning landscape. 

Those of us in Indy with rose-colored glasses (me among them), will cite that with the new CBA, keeping both Peyton and Luck at a new low rookie wage-scale price isn't unthinkable, though it cripples the team to try to build around either QB for the present or the future. Also, it's unlikely Luck would want to sit for more than two years at the most, and might try to Eli-force a trade out (and no, the irony isn't lost on me there) if the Colts pick him come April. Which brings us back to looking towards the future with Andrew Luck, and letting Peyton go to finish his career elsewhere.

Pujols and Peyton

As a fan, it hurts to think about this, hurts to type the words that our sports icon could be on the move before long. Sports fans like the idea of the "hometown guy", someone who played in whole career for one organization. But not everyone gets to leave in a way that makes everyone happy. Brett Favre didn't. Joe Montana got traded from a team he won multiple Super Bowls for. At the end of the day it's business. Cold, hard, emotionless math. I can't imagine Peyton Manning in a uniform other than the Colts, or maybe I just don't want to.

[Full disclosure: When I wrote the original draft of this column, I made a joke about seeing Manning in another uniform being akin to Cardinals fans seeing Pujols in a Cubs next year because 1.) the image of him playing for St. Louis' most hated enemy seemed like a funny and easy way to rile up any Cards fans, and 2.) at the time, I didn't think there was any way he wasn't staying put. He meant (maybe still means, we're too early in the five stages of loss to tell yet) as much to that city as Peyton does to Indy. I never thought he'd go somewhere else just to chase money. When I went to bed Wednesday, the Marlins had essentially completely dropped out of the contest, and all the baseball insiders I was reading made it seem Pujols would be back with the Cardinals next year. When I woke up the next morning, he was am Angel.

I don't think Pujols and Peyton's situations mirror each other completely (just like Pujols and He-Who-Took-His-Talents-To-South-Beach-And-Shall-Not-Be-Named-On-This-Blog are less comparable than some irate St. Louis fans would lead you to believe), but there are several parallels. Both are stars that outshine their current or former market. Both were the driving forces in bringing championships to their respective cities. And both are aging to the point that they might not be worth the money they'll be making at the end of their current contracts. Pujols' deal was a reported $254 million for 10 years (That's "I'ma buy me an island" kind of money), which will put him at 41 years old at the end of the contract (and that's the conservative estimate. Remember, there are a lot of people around baseball that think he's two to three years older than he says he is). This is perhaps do-able in the AL, where he can play the Jim Thome-perfected "Old Guy Who Hits the DL Every Few Games" routine, but this would have been a crippling contract after about year six for an NL team like the Cardinals. And I think most Cards fans know it was the right move business-wise, but it still hurts to see a player like that go. To all my Cardinals friends, I can only offer a sincere "sorry," and a promise to buy the first round after Dan Snyder inevitably backs a Brinks truck into the Manning driveway.]

The end of Indiana (Jones)?

For what it's worth, I don't think it is Peyton's last year. His replacement is coming closer than we expected, but I don't think we know his name yet. I don't think [owner] Jim Irsay will ever trade or cut Peyton if he still thinks he can play (and when it's your franchise player, your owner gets to make that call). I think Irsay will do everything he can to either make Manning and Luck co-exist (doubtful), or find out Luck's willingness to sit for a few years isn't there, trade for more picks, and get into "win-one-for-Peyton-now" mode. Then maybe take a QB with the first pick in the second round (practically where Andy Dalton landed last year) and go from there (Don't think this is that crazy of an idea. Remember, we live in a world where Alex Smith and Joe "Freakin'" Flacco lead teams are in first place in their divisions).

There's improvements to be made all over this team, and that includes the front-office (Polian has had some really weak drafts in recent years, setting us up for our current predicament) and coaching staff (Jim Caldwell has to go. Sorry, but you don't get to go 0-fer and get another chance. If Irsay has any brains in that rock-n-roll loving head of his, he'll fire Caldwell when the game clock hits 0:00 on New Year's Day and be knocking on Jeff Fisher's door the next morning). But past all of that, the question still remains, do you take Luck or do you gamble on Manning's health for a few more years? 

In a league where one hit can end your season or career, a situation where one player has a lot more years left in him than the other, and a price tag that makes it supremely easier to build around the talented rookie than the hailed veteran, it's an easy decision for your head to make.

But not for your heart. That's what really sucks.

Brian Spicklemire is a composer and percussionist, staunch Indianian and current graduate student at Butler University. Check out his work on Soundcloud and on his website at http://www.brianspicklemire.com.

Albert Pujols and the Bitter End

It's all about the money.

Okay, let me back up. It can be about the stability of a long-term contract, a less-hostile sports environment, moving closer to family, or playing for a proven team.

None of that was in play this time. So it comes back to the money.

Albert Pujols had a choice: take big money and stay in St. Louis for a long time, or take big money and move out to the bright lights of...Anaheim (Seriously, can we pull the "Los Angeles" tag already? Orange County is a far cry from South Central). Even choice, but let's delve deeper.

Pujols had a choice: take a long-term contract for 200 million dollars-plus and stay in St. Louis, the town that he rebuilt. Take big money and stay in St. Louis, where he was a three-time MVP and two-time World Series champion. Take long-term stability and stay in St. Louis, probably retire as a Cardinal and have statues and memorials built in every conceivable green space that was not already occupied.

Stay in St. Louis and retain your public image as a prolific hitter that happened to be the most genuine unselfish ballplayer since Cal Ripken, Jr.

Or take a little more money and run...to Anaheim.

It was all about the money.

Legacy...

The immediate response has been awful toward Pujols. Many Cardinals fans are distraught their hero took a fast powder out of town. Some, like my friend who uploaded the photo below, are angry at him for stringing them along. Meanwhile, some writers are trashing him and his agent for pulling out every holdout trick in a ploy to get more money.

I wish it said "Muestrame la dinero", a la Rod Tidwell.

Is this unfair to Pujols? No. Plain and simple.

I said in February that Albert should stick around in St. Louis. He was the king there, the biggest face of the town since Kurt Warner/Marshall Faulk. The Rams were huge, but STL loves baseball, and the Cardinals are always going to be the draw. Simply put, Albert was "The Man."

Now, he's just another greedy ballplayer.

...of Champions

Three hundred miles up Route 66, another sentimental favorite and quality player chose sunnier climes as well. Mark Buerhle took about $15 million-per-year to play for Ozzie Guillen and the suddenly wealthy Miami Marlins after eleven years with the Chicago White Sox. Now if you don't know by now that I am a completely biased White Sox fan, your vision needs to be checked or adjusted. I wanted Mark Buerhle to stay with the Sox forever. I wanted him to pitch on the South Side for 20 years and win 300 games, three more Gold Gloves and at least one more World Series.

All of those desires were pipe dreams, but the sentiment remained: in my mind, Mark Buerhle was a South Side lifer. This is the guy who used the infield rain tarp as a slip-and-slide. The same guy who said "he hated going over to Wrigley Field" right before he started a game there. The same Mark Buerhle who pitched a no-hitter, perfect game and set the record for consecutive batters retired in a White Sox uniform.

Mark Buerhle was the best White Sox pitcher since Doc White (and if you don't know who that is, you're not alone: he retired sometime before World War I). He was a South Sider all the way.

But the White Sox were rebuilding, Ozzie was in Florida, and the Marlins were spending the money to win. The choice was clear for Buerhle. So he packed up and left.


The space between

So what's the difference? Two icons both left their teams via free agency without, it seemed, so much as a glance in the rear-view mirror. So why are White Sox fans wishing Mark Buerhle good luck in Florida while Cardinals fans are burning Pujols jerseys? (That hasn't actually happened yet, but I'm waiting for the first report.)

Reason #1: Cards fans still have the championship afterglow, while the Sox are going into rebuilding mode.


Anytime a team wins their league's championship, there's a "grace period" granted for that particular team, from the MVP down to the trainer. It can't be quantified, but in layman's terms, that championship team's value to the fan base is equal to the number of years they can get a table at the best restaurant in town without waiting. (This formula does not apply to the 1985 Chicago Bears; Kevin Butler could get a table at 7 pm on Friday night at Smith & Wollensky's.)

The Cardinals are a very successful franchise in terms of 'chips, but they still love baseball enough to go wild when they do win. Considering they were Atlanta loss away from not being in the playoffs, this championship banner means a bit more. So for Pujols, arguably the keystone offensive player of the postseason save for David Freese, the decision to jump ship hurt Cardinals fans who are still riding the high of winning the Series.

Sox fans, on the other hand, are coming off their third consecutive underwhelming season. Alex Rios and Adam Dunn badly underperformed with Jake Peavy not far behind; Gordon Beckham made baby steps toward regaining his rookie form; the Sox had an awful start to the year and couldn't make a sustained run at first place in the division. By the end of the season, Ozzie was gone, Joey Cora with him and Greg Walker was finally kicked out the door. The painful word "rebuilding" was on everyone's lips, and the Sergio Santos trade made it official.

Buerhle's departure wasn't that much of a surprise; he won't have a chance at a title for at least two years in Chicago, and the Fish are putting their chips on the table for the coming season. White Sox fans are a cynical, sarcastic bunch, but they appreciate their heroes, and Mark Buerhle gave them the World Series championship they had lusted after for years (even though ESPN spends too much time focusing on the Cubs to admit it...sorry, I've got to stop doing that.) They realized his decision was about more than money, and for that, they wished him luck.

Reason #2: The LeBron James Effect.

It could only have been more perfect if Pujols had gone to Miami instead of Buerhle. There are differences in the respective decision: Albert had already won championships in St. Louis (feeling salty, 'Bron?) and LeBron actually took a cut in pay to play in Miami. Still, the moves are too close in chronological proximity to not be compared. Albert's decision to leave seems about as selfish as LeBron's, but for a more lousy reason: it was only for the money.

Another parallel is how both men expressed their desire to remain in their "native" cities just before they decided to dip out. Can't you see Cardinals fans making a YouTube video with Pujols quotes peppered in while they talk about how he betrayed them?

That dude with the axe is really scary. He looks normal, but yeah, scary all the same.

Take heart, Cardinals fans: he went to Anaheim. They've been scooping up free agents with little results for the past five years or so. Just like LeBron, Albert won't be winning anything in the near future.

Reason #3: What'cha gonna do with all that cash, all that cash in that contract?


Now that I've gotten the hook from "My Humps" stuck in your head, take a trip back in time with me to 2001. Alex Rodriguez was putting up absolute insane numbers with the Mariners and was finally out of his rookie contract. The success-starved Texas Rangers decided to pay him an unheard of $249 million dollars over 10 years, making him the richest player in American sports. Six years later, he walked out on Texas after not delivering them to the promised land and signed an even larger contract with the Yankees.

What's the lesson here?

In a time of economic strife around the globe, the idea of athletes signing multi-million dollar contracts is ridiculous. The possibility of them receiving 10 million dollars or more per year to play a sport is absolutely ridiculous. Without getting too preachy, I'll just say that people are leaving college without the possibility of a steady job, while jackasses like Eddie House continue to eat. There's something wrong with that.

Albert Pujols was different. He used his fame for charity work, both in Missouri and his native Domincan Republic. A center for Down syndrome patients bears his name. The man realized the idea Charles Barkley put forth in his book I May Be Wrong, But I Doubt It: "If playing is all you're going to do, you've missed the boat." Pujols did more than just hit and catch a baseball, he gave back.

This time, he took. He took a lot. Money will color a lot of debates, but in this case, it's deserved.

The aftermath


I won't speculate on any other possible reasons Pujols decided to walk. Once the physical goes through (and wouldn't it be some scandal if it didn't?), Albert will be wearing a different team's red-and-white. He should be the powerful hitter the Halos have been searching for to back up their solid pitching staff. He might prove the experts and shunned fans wrong and still be a prolific hitter 10 years from now. In St. Louis, the Cards could go forward and remain playoff contenders, even with an inexperienced manager and without one of the five greatest hitters in baseball history.

These scenarios are hard to imagine, but it's baseball. Anything can happen. I should have realized that when I said that Pujols should stay in St. Louis. That he had to stay in St. Louis. I was thinking about legacy. I was thinking about the fans. I was thinking about the emotional values.

The whole time, it was just about the money.

JS

"Suck Now, Luck Later": Indy's Season of Despair and Contemplation (Part 1)

Ed. Note: There are still renaissance men in the world, and Brian Spicklemire fits that particular bill. Along with being an accomplished percussionist and composer, he's on the track for his Master's degree at Butler University and still finds time to crush the competition at Risk. Most important, "Styx" is a very good sports writer who has already contributed twice to this blog (see "Playoffs? You Kiddin' Me? Playoffs?" and "The ShawShaq Realization"). In this latest piece, he talks about living through the worst Colts' season of recent memory and what the upcoming draft means for the futures of Andrew Luck and Peyton Manning.

There are a few things I always look forward to whenever late November/early December rolls around:  eating left-over Thanksgiving turkey and pumpkin pie; winding down to the end of a semester and finishing some final projects; watching USA Network show Elf approximately 80 times a week (Which isn't enough for me. Elf is far-and-away my favorite Christmas movie. You can have your Santa Clause and It's a Wonderful Life if you want 'em; if there was a station that showed Elf and Jingle All the Way on repeat 24/7, I'd probably never leave the couch).

But there's one last thing that I always look forward to that won't be happening this year: my Indianapolis Colts fighting for playoff position. In fact, they're fighting for pole position in another race entirely. They've spent the season trying everything in their power to avoid it, but they're sucking for Luck.

Past mistakes


I'll save you the recap of the Colts' atrocious season so far for fear of getting half-way through and deciding to go gorge myself on ice-cream and say mean things about Kerry Collins. Let's just say that when NFL films makes their end-of-the-year video for Indy, the soundtrack is going to be provided by The Fray and the only highlight I can see thus far is covering the enormous spread at New England this weekend. We're awful. Putrid. If you had told me that we were being matched up with Boise State in the "Na-na-na-na-na-pa Know How Bowl," and the line was Colts +7, I'd be on the next flight to Vegas to bet against us and collect on what would essentially be free money. We're historically bad.

Maybe it's karma for punting away the perfect season two years ago against the Jets. Maybe we're too old, a team that rested on its laurels for too long and scored a bunch of points and won at least 10 games every year and forgot to take note that the same players making the big plays every year were getting older, and that in a game like football you truly have to continuously find good youth in maintaining your team. We essentially lost a good year out of Reggie Wayne, Jeff Saturday, Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis that we'll never get back. What worse is that all of those players just mentioned have expiring contracts in the next two years (most of them after this year), as do young talented receivers Pierre Garçon and Austin Collie, and we have no realistic chance of re-signing all of them.

Weighed, measured, and found wanting


But more than anything it just proves what the pundits and studio crews have said all year: you really do need an elite, high-caliber QB to compete in this league year after year. Back-ups who are unprepared to step into a starting role just can't get the job done (cue the entire city of Chicago nodding their heads begrudgingly). As much as the Indy faithful tried to talk themselves into Kerry Collins' brief Indianapolis vacation, and then poor blond Curtis Painter, and now Dan Orlovsky, we never really had a chance once Peyton got his third surgery right before the season.

Painter (who should have had way more motivation than anyone else on the team to get a few Ws this season so he wouldn't have to fight Luck for a back-up spot on the team next year), spent the last two months woefully under- or overthrowing receivers like an old man who put the wrong prescription glasses on. The defense got exposed for what it is: a below-average secondary whose only strength was its Freeney/Mathis pass rush which, as every single analyst will tell you, was built to play with a lead. (The more I hear that, the more it is starting to sound ridiculous. Have you ever heard of a defense being built with the mentality of, "OK guys, we pretty much have no shot of ever leading in this ballgame so we need you to basically do the offense's job for us, cause we have no prayer of ever having a lead." I mean, ya know, outside of Denver?) 

Besides a few early draft picks last April (who have been battling injuries all season), the offensive line hasn't been truly upgraded since team president Bill Polian threw them under the bus after the Super Bowl loss two years ago, and Betty White could have run back a touchdown against our special teams last week. The Colts aren't even trying to tank, and find themselves fait accompli to have the top pick in next April's draft.

Look for Part 2 coming later this week.

JS

An Open Letter to the NBA

December 3, 2011

To Mr. Stern, Mr. Hunter, Mr. Fisher, and all other parties associated with the National Basketball Association and the National Basketball Players Association:

You're getting off easy.

After the travesty of the 1999 lockout and the following years, when no one in the East really mattered come June, when the Lakers were winning everything, when Chicago was deadly quiet in the post-MJ years, you should have learned not to let this happen.

There was no competition. The second wave of high-school players was coming to prominence, burning brightly on the national stage before flaring out in a second. It was the era of Los Angeles over "whoever else".

You should have learned.

Didn't you watch the MLB strike and the years following? The initial blow to baseball paled in comparison with the future consequences. Baseball needed a fast way to get back on top; the answer was home runs and roided-up heroes. Even on the heels of an incredibly tantalizing World Series, baseball fans are still wary of drugs, big salaries and mealy-mouthed owners, intent only on making more money. Why do think MLB television ratings have fallen so far in the past twenty years? Hint: it's not all Joe Buck's fault.

1999 devastated me. I could have dealt with the break up of the Bulls. Michael, Scottie and Phil leaving was traumatic, but there were always new players. I could finally experience real playoff basketball instead of assuming the Bulls were going to steamroll everyone on their way to the Finals.

Then the league shut down.

Understand, there was nothing to hang your hat on in Chicago sports at that time, save for the 2000 White Sox and the Chicago Wolves. The Cubs sucked (always have, always will); the Bears were a year away from their crazy playoff season (Shane Matthews, everyone, Shane Matthews in the building!); the Blackhawks were slowly being strangled by Bill Wirtz. Now, Bulls went from NBA champions to the worst team in the league. This has a tendency to upset a 20-year-fan, and I was only 11.

After the '99 lockout, I quit playing basketball. I quit watching basketball. I didn't touch a basketball for three years. From that year until 2002, basketball meant nothing to me. I hope I was alone in this, but I doubt I was.

You should have learned from that.

The NFL made you look like petulant children this summer. They settled their dispute in time for a full season and got their fans to act as if nothing had happened. Meanwhile, you sat across the tables and fought over two percent of basketball-related income in the midst of a national debt crisis.

Let me say it again: while you were arguing over who was going to get two percent of the millions...and millions of BRI, the United States of America was careening toward bankruptcy.


You should have learned.

When I found out the season was back on, I was enthused, relieved, but still dissatisfied. 66 games will always mean an asterisk for whoever wins the Larry O'Brien Trophy this year. The Christmas Day games are a nice touch; who can really be upset about three genuinely marquee matchups? Still, the sting of these arduous months should weigh on the minds of any basketball fan.

This is basketball, America's true pastime. Don't let the struggle of business outweigh the beauty of the game ever again. I don't think I'm young enough to come back again.

Sincerely,

JS

What's Good: The Five "WOOOOOO!"'s of the Holiday (Sports) Season

It's almost a cop-out to do a holiday-themed blog post. I'll admit (okay, I'll brag), the Martin Luther King Day post on LeBron James was different, but it was still a "there's a holiday coming up, let's write something relating to that!" entry.

However, Thanksgiving is a winter sports tradition. There's the dozens of football games on Thanksgiving Day, college basketball throughout the weekend, hockey, and of course, the many families who go outside and take it upon themselves to work up a sweat through spirited competition, whether it be over the pigskin or the puck.

Things are somewhat bleak this Turkey Day without pro basketball and the recent injury to Bears' QB "Baby Fat" Jay Cutler, but never fear, Chicagoans: there is always something sports related to make you smile. So without further ado, I give you the first annual LitCS "Thanksgiving WOOOOO!" List.

Why the "WOOOOO!", you ask? Because there is no greater symbol of elation and joy than Ric Flair (see below).

Ah, Al Snow. You never cease to be unimpressive.

Now, for the list:

5. The Cubs have Theo Epstein.

Am I mad? Yes. Have I scoffed repeatedly and said, "Theo, no Theo, the Cubs still are going to tank?" Yes.

Am I frightened they might be good? You bet I am.

Theo Epstein played the Boy Wonder in Boston, bringing the Red Sox their first championship in 86 years. Then, rather than have them wait another near-century, he put the pieces in place for another chip in 2007. Theo is an incredibly smart man, a part of the "sabermetrics generation" of MLB, and like Kenny Williams, he's not afraid to damn the stats every once in awhile and go for a high-profile free agent. With Theo as prez and Tom Ricketts' bankroll, the Cubs could finally start to win consistently. (I'm going to go vomit now.)

4. No Bulls means no Boozer.

Carlos Boozer and Chris Bosh have more in common than initials. They both play the power forward spot, they are both skilled around the basket, and they were the most maligned players on the two best teams in the Eastern Conference. Bosh was able to get some under-the-radar redemption due to his solid playoff number, but Booz almost disappeared for the Bulls (unless Derrick Rose was dunking on Joel Anthony. Then you could hear Carlos screaming from Alaska.)

The Bulls might not be playing, but at least we don't have to see Booz fail in those many in-game situations where he's supposed to succeed. Such as playing defense.

3. It's Caleb Time!

If you've buried the memory of the Bears' painful loss to the Packers in last season's NFC Championship game, try and dig up a sequence from the fourth quarter. Specifically, the minutes between Jay's knee injury and B.J. Raji's stupid dance.

Todd Collins came in to replace Jay and, as he has been his entire life, was ineffective. So Lovie was left with no choice but to go with third-stringer Caleb Hanie. He promptly threw an interception which the Packers returned for a touchdown, seemingly sealing the game. Thousands of Bears fans probably turned off their TVs in disgust at that point and prepared themselves for the lonely coming winter.

Those thousands of fans missed Hanie's next two drives: a TD pass to Earl Bennett up the left sideline, and a scintillating drive to the Packer 30-yard-line. Of course, the next throw was the pick to Raji that ended the ballgame, but it didn't matter. The unknown Caleb Hanie had come into the largest game of his professional career and stood tall. He threw picks, sure, but he didn't shy away from what he had to do. Erase one of those bad throws, and the Bears take Green Bay to overtime.

Now, it's Caleb's turn again. With three mid-level opponents on the upcoming schedule (Raiders, Chiefs, Broncos), it will be a litmus test for the man I hope will be Chicago's next folk sports hero.

2. Steve Breaston pays homage to the once-great Razor Ramon.

If you haven't watched the "E:60" piece on pro wrestler Scott Hall, do so. It's a sobering reminder of the dangers of drug abuse while living the good life as an entertainer. The man my mother still calls "Razor Ramon" is little more than a shell of a man ravaged by drugs, alcohol, and injuries.

Still, he was great in his time, and his macho image has not been forgotten. Especially in the case of Steve Breaston, who oozed a little machismo with this touchdown celebration:

Steve wanted "the world and everything in it." Too bad he's with the Cardinals.

At this point, don't be sad for Scott Hall. Be happy for his time as "The Bad Guy".

1. The New Braves first appearance on the national stage.

It's been a short honeymoon for the new Bradley Braves and they've lived through the early fire, with a record of 3-1. Their first loss came yesterday to familiar foe Wofford. Now they face their first true test of the season: Friday night against 11th-ranked Wisconsin at the Chicago Invitational Challenge.

It's not the same as going into Cameron Indoor Stadium after a slew of injuries to face top-ranked Duke, but the Braves will have to climb the proverbial mountain in order to challenge Bo Ryan's Badgers. The matchup to watch: Wisconsin's Jordan Taylor vs. Dyricus Simms-Edwards. The dynamic point guards have to ability to slash, finish in the traffic, and hit jump shots. Whoever defends the perimeter the best should have the advantage. I'll be tweeting from the game, so follow me @kwandarykitten for updates on Friday.

For all you Sox and Blackhawks fans out there, don't worry. There's still promise for your squads yet. So tomorrow afternoon, join hands with your families, take stock of your life and be thankful for everything you do have. Remember: the seats may be cheap, but at least you got to the game.

Happy Thanksgiving, and see you in the cheap seats.

WOOOOOO!

JS

Bravehearts V1E4: Bradley vs. SEMO

And that's why grown men play the game.

In case you didn't know Braves fans, I'll let you know: it won't get any easier.

There will be more games like this. They will be stomach-turning. You'll lose your voice from screaming, whether your anger is directed towards the television, the opposing players or the referees. The wins will be as draining as the losses, and the losses will be worse than losing could ever be.

What we do know is the Bradley Braves will play until the absolute last tenth of a second has ticked away. It came down to that last tenth of a second yesterday night for victory to be assured, but when the buzzer sounded, the Braves had come out on top against Southeast Missouri State.

For the time being, we can breathe a sigh of relief and quote those tongue-in-cheek "Bradley Football" t-shirts:

Still Undefeated.

Final Score: Bradley 66, SEMO 65


I won't lie, I didn't take notes at this one. Anything I wrote would have become a jumble of lines on the page with some barely decipherable phrases: "Hayden...ugly shot...no free wings...Jake BEASTMAN...Okenna does look like Ewing...oooh, Dyricus' leg is...GIMME THAT BALL!" It wasn't as big as the Wisconsin game will be next weekend or the Illinois State game in January, but this was the first real game on campus since before the student body was born and the place was full (at least until halftime. More on that later.)

Suffice it to say I lost my voice before five minutes had ticked away in the first half. If you haven't been to the Coliseum yet, disregard the silly name and GO. The building is loud, not as loud as the Fieldhouse was, but loud. There is not a bad seat in the place, and the women's team will be making noise this year.

Now that we're done with that shameless plug, the grades:

Offense: B-. Once again, there were signs, but they came in spurts. Jordan Prosser had a rugged 15 points and seven boards while taking a beating from SEMO's bigs, while Dyricus Simms-Edwards and Walt Lemon, Jr. scored 13 and 11, respectively. The outside shooting was on for the Braves (5-12 from the arc, two of those from my man Shayok Shayok) and give credit to Jake Eastman (five points, a trey, five assists and five boards in 25 minutes) for giving the Braves a great lift off the bench. The team shot well at 55 percent, but 14 turnovers is too many, especially when most of them came on lost balls on drives to the basket.

Defense: B+. Bradley is going to get hurt on defense in the paint. They're just too small with Egolf out. SEMO showed a lot of hustle and either tipped or took away rebounds from the Braves on multiple occasions and turned them into 12 second-chance points. The Redhawks also exploited Bradley down low on backcuts to the basket and on drive-and-kick plays against the zone. But Bradley held SEMO without a free thew for the last minute and a half of the game, and two sequences ended up giving them a win: Eastman grabbing the rebound of Marland Smith's missed free throw (which would have made it a three-point game), and Charonn Woods' full-court, one-on-one defense and contest on Marcus Brister's desperation jumper (see Kirk Wessler's blog at the Journal Star website).


Atmosphere: A. I might be biased, but the band put in work. The cheerleaders and dance team did a great job with their routines, and the cheerleaders especially kept to the throwback theme by wearing uniforms from different eras of Bradley sports. However, this grade rests on the shoulders of the fans. I'll say it again: the place was LOUD. The fans, who have an average age of 45, got into this one. The students weren't the only ones making themselves heard. I would have deducted for the portion of students that took off after halftime, but they don't matter. The fans wanted this one and showed it.




This season won't be an easy ride. The ballclub is eventually going to have to take a few tough losses to effectively bond. The conference schedule is miles away, but some tough foes are waiting. Still, the Braves now know they can win games like this and they know what they have to do to win games like this. Doesn't make for immediate success, but it will make things very interesting when January rolls around.

You hear that, Northern Iowa?


It's BRADLEY, SON.

See you in the cheap seats.

JS

Bravehearts V1E3: Bradley vs. Missouri-Kansas City

Note: The seats may be cheap, but I can't afford them every game, right? Thankfully, we've got a lot of talented writers here in the balcony. Kevin McClelland is a 2011 graduate of Bradley University, and as a Cleveland native, he knows the ignominy of waiting until next year (sorry, man). Here are K-Mac's thoughts on Bradley's first real men's basketball game of 2011-12.


First and foremost, let's begin with the vitriol I spit at the UMKC coach, Matt Brown:

"Hey! You coach D-I basketball, at least put on a necktie!"

What self-respecting Division I coach has the gall to NOT wear a tie with his shirt? How hard is this to comprehend? Sheesh.

Now, for the game.

Final Score: Bradley 68, UMKC 58

Slow start on both sides. UMKC has some shooters, but that's about it. Jordan Prosser went "beast mode" and was the man on the boards—a career-high 17 rebounds, five offensive, giving the Braves a 44-33 rebounding edge. He has added some bulk and UMKC had little to no height advantage. Translation: he dominated inside defensively. His 12 points were also a career high. 

DSE had 21- including an impressive 10-11 from the line—more free throws than UMKC made as a team (7 of 18; one guy was an ugly 1 for 8). He was his usual athletic self, taking a breakaway steal and dunking it home late in the first half before UMKC tied it with a three-pointer to make it 29-all going into the break.

Taylor Brown's baseline J is still silky smooth, and nothing was rusty about his game: 20 points on 8-13 shooting and 4-4 from the line proves it. He had some great offensive rebounds (five, to be exact) which quickly turned into easy points in the paint. TB is excellent within 12 feet of the rim and his athleticism makes it easy for him to fake out and overpower opponents. He had a great block after a UMKC rebound—just hopped up and pinned it on the backboard. If he keeps his head out of his ass (no smoking!), he'll score 20 or more on everybody this season. 

Shayok Shayok and Walt Lemon did not have great games—in fact, barely approaching good. Walt DID have one helluva of a block in the second half that energized the team defensively.

However, I cannot shake the image of Jake BEASTman (Eds. note: that nickname WILL stick) coming out of nowhere to block a shot into the student section, and then again on the next possession. His energy and hustle can't be beat. He finished with a very quiet but important 12 points to go along with the aforementioned two  blocks, three boards, two assists, and a pair of steals. We'll need that from him every game. 

Things to work on: 

-GET SOME STUDENTS IN THE STANDS. Pitiful attendance for "the start of the Geno Ford era." (I hate that people are calling it that- it's not the second coming, for Pete's sake.)

-Get Walt to slow down. He's got great vision and his speed is unquestioned, but he needs to slow down mentally and use his skills in ways that help the team. 

-Stay aggressive defensively. The Braves showed lapses in their defense, and UMKC took advantage. TB lost his man on an easy back cut; can't have that. 

We've got a good team, not a great team, and by no means do I expect us to finish in the top half of the Valley but if we overachieve, then anything is possible.

Did he just say, "Anything is possible?" That's my line!

There's always next year,

KDM


When he's not cursing the name of The-Akron-Basketball-Player-Who-Will-Not-Be-Named, Kevin McClelland works for Bradley's Admissions Department and is the public address announcer for BU women's basketball and volleyball. Check out his blog, "At Least We're Not Detroit", at http://atleastwerenotdetroit.wordpress.com.

Bravehearts, V1 Issue 2: Bradley Vs. College of Wooster

Honestly, I wasn't sure what to expect from Bradley Tuesday night.

We've already gone over the facts of the upcoming season: Will Egolf's season-ending injury, brand new coach, brand new system, coming off an awful year, picked to finish last in the conference. After the pregame was finished and the lineups were announced, there was one more wrinkle to consternate Braves fans: two starting freshmen.

Yes, the fair-haired giant Nate Wells and Shayok Shayok (come on, say it out loud, it's so much fun) were in the starting lineup for Bradley in their final exhibition game against Division III College of Wooster. Even more unexpected, Jordan Prosser was out after emergency visit to the dentist. 

Note: Disregard the basketball game for a second: wouldn't that just mess up your week? Emergency dental work and you've got to be at practice the next day, playing the post, getting fouled, probably take a couple of shots in the mouth. Lousy.

Final: Bradley 81, CoW 71

I've heard the same thing from a lot of older Bradley fans this preseason, including myself: "I remember when we used to blow out the teams in these exhibition games." Yessir, Will Franklin, Daniel Ruffin and Zach Andrews would run, juke and dunk all over teams from the lower division when they came to Carver Arena years ago. Too bad those days are over. This game was a bit of a test for the team's newcomers and it will be a good while before Mean Geno and the boys are running all over preseason foes in preparation for the season.

That being said, the Braves displayed some of the talents that were criminally overlooked in the preseason ballots. Dyricus Simms-Edwards is in his third year on the Hilltop and has had to grow up quickly following Sam Maniscalco's injury and the departures of Manny, Dodie Dunson and "The Only One" Andrew Warren. Instead of faltering or stepping back, DSE has taken on a leadership role in this team while dramatically improving his game. Tuesday night was no exception. He was the first man in the huddle on stoppages in play and he was visibly upset when he connected on his first outside shot with eight minutes to go in the first half.

Dyricus has always had the ability to drive and finish, and after putting in work in the weight room, he can now score and absorb contact. He finished the half with a contorted scoop nearly underneath the basket after taking a shove from two of Wooster's big men, and he squeezed through three bodies for a lefty layup when it seemed there was no clear path to the hole. Not to put stars in your eyes, but he's starting to remind me of this guy...

Note DSE changed his jersey number to "1". Coincidence?

On the other side of the floor, Walt Lemon Jr. was incredibly impressive. Anonymous sources told me Walt shoots 200 threes and 100 free throws after every practice, and it showed. Walt came in last year with hops, speed and a suspect jump shot; Tuesday, Lemon hit three treys in the first half alone and sank both free throws after a foul. If he can consistently hit that jumper, no one in the conference will be able to guard him one-on-one. With his and Dyricus' abilities on offense and defense, they are a top-3 guard tandem in the MVC. Maybe the best in the conference.

Highlights: 3-2 zone defense that was in at the R-W Scrimmage looks to be a staple of the Ford Era; pays dividends with a Taylor Brown steal and two-handed jam...Walt Lemon stretches defense with early three-pointers...Jake Eastman plays extended minutes, will be nice off the bench...Shayok Shayok has a Jordan-on-Mercer block, dribbles the length of the court, loses a defender with a behind-the-back dribble and gets fouled on the layup attempt.

Lowlights: Wells has a lot of trouble defending in the post, gets beaten on weak side multiple times...Anthony Thompson has a decent offensive game but gets whistled for two offensive fouls, one 10 seconds after entering...Braves miss four of six FTs in first half...zone defense susceptible in the post; Sticks and Wells beaten on penetration and passes to cutters under the basket.

Did You Notice...the backup point guards? Limestone product Donivine Stewart and St. Louis walk-on Charonn Woods played well off the bench. One turnover for both, and Woods had a great steal and assist late in the first half.

Oh, before I forget...Dyricus had the play of the night midway through the second half as he turned the corner baseline, lost the defender and YAMMMMED ON 'EM for a one-handed dunk.

Grades:

Offense: C+. This is a preseason game against a DIII team and while the Braves were up 15 with three minutes to go, they still showed signs of weakness in halfcourt offense. The ball tended to bog down, and if the defense clogged the lane on drives, the passes weren't going to the perimeter. Even with Walt's new outside game, Bradley is still lacking in jump shooters.

Defense: B. No matter who you play, the defense has to be solid for you to have a chance, and Bradley might have the best perimeter D in the Valley. Dyricus, Walt, Shayok and Lil' Jake are all going to ballhawk at the arc, and Sticks and Nate will use their length to get blocks, change shots and force weak passes. Bradley did get beat on isos in the post (notably Nate), but give the big man time to mature and he'll be a force down low.

Atmosphere: Incomplete. The band was not present at this game (Come on, Dr. Vroman!), but as usual, the stadium music did not live up to the college standard. Half the time you couldn't hear it, the other half, it was super huff. The fans weren't catatonic, but they weren't exactly blowing the roof off. I'll give everyone a pass due to it being an exhibition, but the Bradley fan base needs to step its game up. You can't just fill the house for Illinois State.

So that's that. The Braves finish preseason 2-0 and will do it for real on Sunday against Missouri-Kansas City. I expect Bradley to have a better record than expected through non-conference play and trust me when I say this: this squad will be in their games against Wisconsin and Michigan.

IT'S BRADLEY, SON.

See you in the cheap seats, Bravehearts.

JS

The Day the Monsters Reawakened

Let's set the scene:

It's Monday, I'm sitting at home, wondering what to write/eat/watch on TV before I go in to another awful day of work. Then my roommate CRAW calls with news: he got two prime seats for tomorrow's Bradley game. I'm hopelessly excited to get the chance to see the College of Wooster in action, but then he tells me he's going to watch the Bears game.

I'm torn. I've been cheating on my boycott all season anyway, but as the only opponent to the Jerry Angelo Era, I can't be weak on this.

On the other hand, it's Bears-Eagles which not only means I'll get a chance to see Michael "Rottweiler" Vick, but I can finally do one of those Bill Simmons 'game diary' blogs. You know, the ones where he writes down what he's thinking at various times, makes fun of the refs, commercials, announcers and all that. Can't pass that up, right?

A stronger man would've done the right thing. Unfortunately, I haven't been to the gym in about five months. Here's a recap of last night's Chicago-Philly game:

First Quarter


14:54: First play from scrimmage: a Matt Forte run for seven yards. I imagine Mike Martz tied up in the coaches' box, screaming profanities.

12:22: Jay-Jay, inches from being sacked, throws off his back foot for a first down to Earl Bennett. Too stunned to cheer.

9:52: Forte stuffed for a two-yard loss. Uh oh, there's the first appearance of the Jay Cutler Face...

Can you believe Devin dropped another pass, ref? So unfair.

9:20: Hold on though! A touchdown pass to the "Tight End Not Named Greg Olsen" has the Bears up early. 12 plays, 79 yards and amazingly, 52 of those via the run. Martz is still yelling oaths through duct tape.

9:15: First appearance of my dog Vick (yes, there'll be more of those jokes). Robbie Gould puts the kickoff out of bounds, then quick Eagles first down. Bad sign?

6:39: Hmm, tipped pass. Thought Urlacher was getting too old, y'all?

6:30: Those military commercials feel so much less patriotic without the Hank Williams Jr. intro.

5:30: Another awkward pass to Not Greg Olsen. Now I'm getting intrigued.

5:15: And there's Stupid Penalty #1: 12 men in the huddle. Come on, man.

1:54: Jay ate his Wheaties today. He'll need it; Eagles have closed down the running lanes. By the way, how many times are Jaws and Jon going to sing the praises of Lance Louis tonight?

:51: You can tell the ESPN guys are waiting for Vick to get his inner greyhound on. So has all of football guys; nothing doing yet.

Second Quarter

15:00-3:52: Left the house and stopped at WacArnold's on the way to the bar. Not so bad, got to hear Jeff Joniak and Tom Thayer call the Major Wright interception. "And Vick's pass...IT'S PICKED OFF! Maaay-jor Wright!" I miss WBBM.

You, sir, are ridiculous.

3:30: Vick finally breaks a run! Too bad it's for two yards. So much for that aging Bears D.

1:51: CRAW on Devin Hester: "He's a runner, not a catcher." Very observant for someone who doesn't watch a lick of football.

1:38: Forte fumbles, Eagles run it in for a touchdown. Jay Cutler Face, Take 2.

Come on, Matt, you're on my fantasy team.

1:38: Thank goodness it's under two minutes in the first half, otherwise Lovie would challenge and lose a timeout.

1:34: Back-to-back offsides on Philly, then a false start on the Bears. Penalty score: 4-3 in favor of the Eagles.

1:00: Corey Graham said GIMME THAT BALL, BUDDY!

:50: How long has it been since Jay made a good throw? Years? Did those Wheaties wear off?

:43: Corey Graham's grown-man business,  a stupid Philly penalty and look at that—the Bears are on top at the half.

:32: Jeremy Maclin is ruining the Rottweiler's night. One catch, three drops.

0:00: Bears on top 17-10 at the break. The forced fumble was the quickest momentum shift I've seen since the Saints onside kick (sorry, Styx.)

Halftime notes


-It's a lot easier to watch "The Fastest 3 Minutes" with the sound off.

-More fun: watching the game at a hipster/non-sports bar. So far we've discussed inventing new drinks (look up a Georgia Moon), Jeff Bridges' incredibly scary voice, and the animosity between gays and bisexuals. Didn't even know about that.

Third Quarter


14:25: Two Vick runs and a first down to Brent Celek. Philly looking more like...well, Philly.


9:35: LeSean McCoy gets tired of Vick failing and makes the Bears look silly on a touchdown. Subsequently ESPN shows off their muscle by running a sports science highlight reel. I'm so sad that Disney owns everything Google doesn't.

8:10: Man, they still have Icy Hot commercials with Shaq in the fake Suns jersey?

7:25: Starting the "Pay Matt Forte" telethon. I think Bears' fans will be willing to donate...

7:24: ...Until he fumbles again! Thanks for that graphic about him not fumbling in over a year, guys!

6:25: Great, they just turned on the sound on the bar TV. Who's Jon Gruden going to jock today?

5:52: Two Cutler fumbles, two Philly scores. Wait, what? That wasn't Jay, that was Forte? Sorry, force of habit.

5:37: Jay Cutler Face #3 of the night as Roy Williams channels his inner Clifford Franklin.

First I was afraid, I was petrified...

2:53: CRAW and I have the following conversation:

C: Who's that dude with the long-ass name?

Me: Dominick Rodgers-Cromartie. He's like the fastest dude in football (oops, not true).

C: Is he the one they just did that highlight reel on?

Me: No, that was LeSean McCoy.

C: Then why the **** do I care about the other dude?

Again, doesn't watch a lick of football. He gets this game.

:30: They show a giant "THIRD DOWN" graphic on the stadium screen. Really, Philly? You need to be reminded what down it is?

:00: DWIGHT HOWARD! Now I really want Modern Warfare 3.

Fourth Quarter

14:56: It's official: Julius Peppers would be my first pick on my "professional players for pickup sports" team. For basketball and football. (LeBron is number two, then D-Rose.)

13:50: Bears draw Stupid Penalty #3 (holding), then Jay makes a ridiculous play to avoid a sack and gain positive yards. I'm actually cheering now, while the two hipster girls next to me make bored faces.

12:18: Fade route, TD, Earl Bennett! Jay does a half-Dougie before jogging to the sideline. No sign of the Face in at least 20 minutes.

12:18: This Droid Razr commercial is like the Immortals trailer: overhyped and saturating the airwaves. Makes me severely doubt the product.

11:38: Vick FINALLY starting to make plays. Jon Gruden FINALLY has a chance to dick-ride.

5:30: Uh oh, about time to head to work. Leave the bar to find I locked my keys in my car. Run down the street for my carpool without my proper work equipment, and I'm more concerned about the defense holding steady.

4:00: ESPN Mobile is terrible. Gould FG has Bears up by six. Is it Vick time?

1:39: Jeremy Maclin needs 10 yards on a fourth down; gets nine. Somewhere, JJ Stankevitz cries out in despair.

0:00: Bears hold on to win, 30-24! It's looking like another six-day week at work, but I'm just happy the Bears are a game back of the Lions for second place in the division. Jay-Jay outplayed Vick and Matt Forte got a chance to make something happen.

I suppose being steadfast and holding your ground is a bit overrated when it comes to boycotts. After all, someone will wise up and fire Jerry at the end of the season, right?

Unless....the Bears actually make the playoffs...

Hmmm, maybe I'll play consistently this year. Then Kristin will love me again.

See you in the cheap seats.

JS