By now, I am sure you have your own opinion on the debacle that took place Sunday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. What is usually the silver medal of the Nascar schedule turne dout to be nothing more than a mere pit-stop contest. A contest that costs a LOT of money to get into and during a bad economy. Goodyear and Nascar both have a lot of explaining to do.

     It is easy to just blame Goodyear. It was their crappy product that was shreading like cheese on the track. If you sat in turn 2, you probably felt like you were at a dirt track with as much tire dust and grime that was on you. Goodyear did little to test the tires and had no answers for why their product was so bad. I believe Tony Stewart was right when he badmouthed them back in March at Atlanta. Now, that being said, let’s not let Nascar of the hook either. It was they who did not make testing mandatory for this race. More importantly, they knew this was going to happen as early as Friday and had NO BACK-UP PLAN!!!! There is no excuse for that.

     To me, it looks like Nascar’s greed and marketing machine finally bit their rear end. Goodyear wanted to be the ONLY tire on the circuit, paid a lot of money and then flamed-out. Perhaps, if Firestone or Hoosier tires were allowed to compete things may have been different. I believe their money spends the same as Goodyear’s and if Goodyear doesn’t want to share the circuit, then leave! Competion makes things better, unless it is a competition yellow flag.

     While most view the Colts schedule as a cruel joke, I see the glass half-full. Granted, it is statistically the second hardest schedule in the league (behind Pittsburgh) and sure the Patriots have the NFL’s easiest schedule and a crappy division, let’s be positive. Maybe it is a good thing that the Colts drop a few and don’t have home field advantage.

     Last time I looked, the last 3 Super Bowl champs all played in the Wild-Card round of the playoffs. Last time I checked the Colts are winless when they have a bye in the playoffs. Last time I checked the Colts won the Super Bowl by going on the road. Just something to ponder. Also, if a team has to play AT Pittsburgh, AT San Diego, home for New England (on a short week) and then deal with the TOUGHEST DIVISON in the league, maybe they will be the most playoff ready team at the end of the year…..or it could all backfire. Just something to ponder.

2008 REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE:

Week 1: Chicago                 8:15     NBC
Week 2: at Minnesota       1:00     CBS
Week 3: Jacksonville         4:15     CBS
Week 4: BYE
Week 5: at Houston           1:00     CBS
Week 6: Baltimore             1:00     CBS
Week 7: at Green Bay        4:15     CBS
Week 8: at Tennessee        8:30    ESPN (Monday Night)
Week 9: New England        8:15     NBC
Week 10: at Pittsburgh      4:15     CBS
Week 11: Houston               1:00     CBS
Week 12: at San Diego        8:15     NBC
Week 13: at Cleveland        1:00    CBS
Week 14: Cincinnati            1:00    CBS
Week 15: Detroit                 1:00    FOX
Week 16: at Jacksonville    8:15    NFL NETWORK (Thursday Night)
Week 17: Tennessee           1:00    CBS

After looking over the Colts draft, I think a caller into my Sunday Night show said it best when he mentioned that this was “long overdue.” The offensive line needed a little support. They needed depth badly. As good as the starting unit is, injuries, as we saw last year, can be disasterious. I like the picks. Mike Pollak can compete for a starting job at right guard while serving as insurance for Jeff Saturday who is in the last year of his deal. The rest of the Colts draft class shakes out like this:

Round 3: LB Phillip Wheeler from GA Tech (Good open field tackler. Good speed and good fit for the cover 2. If he doesn’t play a lot of LB, look for his impact on special teams.)

Round 4: TE Jacob Tamme from Kentucky (Converted WR who went to play TE. Has great size at 6′4 and 234 lbs. Look for him to help fill the void left from Ben Utecht.)

Round 5: LB Marcus Howard from Georgia (Great pass rusher. Not much on coverage, but could be used like Robert Mathis who was also a LB in college.)

Round 6: TE Ton Santi from Virginia (Tamme will be the pass catching TE, while Santi will be the blocking TE.)

Round 6: C Steve Justice from Wake Forest (another insurance policy for Jeff Saturday and can also play guard which is needed badly.)

Round 6: RB Mike Hart from Michigan (Will have a spirited competition with Kenton Kieth for the back-up RB spot. Not fast, but great skills. Hard runner who could pick-up those tough 3rd and shorts. Also a good blocker with a chip on his shoulders. He will either win the back-up RB spot or be the last one cut.)

Round 6: WR Pierre Garcon from Mt. Union (Speedy with great hands, but can he do it against top notch competition?)

Round 7: C Jamey Richard from Buffalo (More depth for the line and hopefully one of the 3 centers drafted can be the eventual replacement for Jeff Saturday.)

       As for the rest of the NFL, It wasn’t a draft filled with big name guys, but the few that had those names didn’t fare very well.

-Hawaii QB Colt Brennan went in round 6 to Washington
-USC QB John David Booty went in round 5 to Minnesota
-Tennessee QB Erik Ainge went in round 5 to the NY Jets
-Michigan WR Mario Manningham went in round 3 to the NY Giants
-Notre Dame S Tom Zibikowski went in round 3 to Baltimore

It took a while, it took longer than it should have, but the man who is lucky to still have a jon FINALLY got it right with the most storied aspect of his job. Hiring Tom Crean was 100% the best thing that could happen to IU. Losing out on Tony Bennett was the best thing that could happen. If given the choice between Bennett or Crean, I’ll take Tom Crean.

     Few coaches get more out of less than Tom Crean. He knows how to recruit, has a history of success and WINS THE RIGHT WAY. It took a while, but FINALLY, like Purdue, Butler, and IUPUI, Indiana has a fantastic coach who respects the game and will do things the right way. It may take a few years to fix the mess left by the Sampson era, but if Indiana fans are patient, he will bring good things.

Sadly, the run is over for Butler. Tennessee was bigger, faster, more athletic and they still needed overtime to shake the ‘Dawgs. It was a helluva 2 year run for Butler. I know that a great recruiting class is coming in, but it may not be a quick return trip to the ‘Madness if the young kids don’t perform.

     For a mid-major to have the kind of success that Butler has had over the last 2 years is amazing. Think about this, 10 years ago, Butler would have been happy just to make it in the tournament, now they are expected to be there. On top of that, they did it “The Butler Way.” I know it sounds cheesy, but Butler has handled things with class and dignity the entire time. The players were true student athletes (Streicher is a freaking med student) and the administration has poromoted from within,. I can think of a certain NBA team and Big Ten school who could leran a lot from Butler.

     Enjoy the ride that the ‘Dawgs took you on. It doesn’t happen too often. Brad Stevens now has his work cut-out for him. He does have a great class coming in, but no Graves, Green, Campbell, Betko and Streicher will hurt on and off the court. The small private school from Indy made us believe in “Hoosiers” type of basketball. Great ride!…Enjoy it!

How does the NCAA reward a team that has beaten teams from most all major confrences, won their season and post-season tournament and has been in the top 10 in the nation most of the second half? The answer is screwing them over! Butler was hoping for a 4 seed and would “settle” for a 6, ends up a shocking 7! This means that the NCAA isn’t sold on what Butler is selling.

     If the ‘Dawgs want to make noise in this year’s NCAA tournament, they need to beat an athletic S. Alabama team IN ALABAMA nonetheless, THEN if they survive, the best #2 seed in the field awaits in Tennessee. Not a good draw at all for Butler.

     As bad as the draw was for Butler, Indiana has a much tougher road. They battle a scrappy Arkansas team in a tough 8 vs 9 game. The winner gets top overall seed North Carolina IN RALEIGH, NC. Nice! If the Hoosiers survive, it will be fun to watch DJ White and Tyler Hansbrough mix it up inside. However, for that to happen, D.J White needs help. It is time for Eric Gordon to forget about shooting three’s and go back to dribble penetration.

     The road for Matt Painter’s crew is a little easier. They get #11 Baylor in Washington, D.C. The winner of that game gets either an overrated Xavier team or a Georgia team happy to be there. The Boilers could land in the Sweet 16 if they can find some offense and their Freshman play with more maturity.

     Finally, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish are a mystery. Which team will show up? When they are right, they are as good as anyone in the country. Harangody inside and their guards outside could make some noise. However, tournament play hasn’t been too kind to the Irish lately. Both NCAA and Big East. Notre Dame takes on the cinderella from a few years ago in George Mason. Mason isn’t the same team as they were then, but their goal is to make George Mason…this year’s George Mason!

Here are the times and dates for the local teams. Games all on CBS.

#6 Purdue vs. #11 Baylor 2:50 on Thursday Afternoon from Washington, DC in WEST REGION

#5 Notre Dame vs. #12 George Mason at 9:50 on Thursday Evening from Denver, CO in EAST REGION

#7 Butler vs. #10 S. Alabama 2:45 on Friday Afternoon in Birmingham, AL in EAST REGION

#8 Indiana vs. #9 Arkansas 9:40 on Friday Night from Raleigh, NC in EAST REGION

 Random NCAA Notes:

-North Carolina doesn’t have to leave the state until a possible trip to the Final Four. First 2 rounds in Raleigh and next two in Charlotte

-Memphis is #1 seed in South, but could play a “road” game against Texas in the South Regional Final. The #2 seed is Texas and the game would be in Houston.

-I think Duke could be gone by the Sweet 16….again.

Best first round game:

#6 USC vs. #11 Kansas State: O.J Mayo of USC against the best player in the nation in K-State’s  Michael Beasley. 2 of the nations best players (both freshman) playing in the first round is good stuff!

-Possible upsets to keep an eye on:

1.) #10 Davidson over #7 Gonzaga. These guys can play. They gave North Carolina, Duke and UCLA all great games early in the season and ALL were on the road.

2.) #12 Villanova over #5 Clemson. Most years, a 12 beats a five at least once. ‘Nova out to prove they deserved an at-large bid against a Clemson team who may be emotionally drained after beating Duke and losing to Carolina in ACC Tournament.

-Toughest Region: The East

Even though Carolina is at home THE ENTIRE TIME, they have to get by some heavyweights in Tennessee, Louisville, Notre Dame, Indiana, Washington State and Butler.

My Final Four:

North Carolina, Kansas, Texas, UCLA
(North Carolina vs. UCLA in title game and UCLA wins it all.)

     I am at a loss. I have officially run out of things to say about this group of Pacers. From Marquis Daniels having a rapist in his house to Shawne Williams having a murderer in his, I am done. I am not done with the team. I will always love the blue and gold, but I have run out of thoughts to express about the off the court antics. What more can you say?

     The Pacers are like your worthless drunk brother who has served time for robbing an elderly lady. You are embaressed by them, but you still have a place in your heart for them at the same time.  They are still your family at the end of the day (or season.) That being said, I know that thi steam is going nowhere and I actually hope they lose every game. I want this team to tank and get a better lottery pick in the draft. I understand that to fix this mess, it has to be from the draft because no free agents are coming here and the last few draft choices not named Danny Granger are worthless (Harrison, Williams, and STANKO!)

    My friends think I am being “fair-weathered” by hoping they lose, I couldn’t disagree more. I care too much. I want to see this team matter again. I know what has to happen for that to go down. The Pacers must trade J.O and Tinsley to free some cash and rid themselves of Jamaal. The team needs to draft an athletic player in this years draft and build around Granger. Will they be title contenders? No, but they will be heading in the right direction. You build success from the draft, not from allowing Larry Bird to make one horrible trade after the other. When the Pacers mattered, how did they build that team? Reggie Miller…DRAFT, Rik Smits…DRAFT, Dale Davis…DRAFT, Antonio Davis…DRAFT! See my point? Winning games this year only hurts this teams chances to rebuild the right way. It may take a while, but I am willing to wait to see my team turn it around and rid its’self of thugs and players who don’t care.

     As the soap opera of the Hoosiers rolls on, so does the teams win total. Despite a wild week and specifically 48 hours from last Thursday to Saturday, the Hoosiers continue to roll near the top of the Big Ten. They are lead in scoring by Frosh Eric Gordon, but lead OFF THE COURT by their Senior Captain D.J White. Well, when he feels like it.

     This past Friday, D.J White was one of those who decided to skip the first practice and pre-game walk-through from interim coach Dan Dakich. D.J was rumored to be upset at the decision to remove Sampson and RUMORED TO BE upset that assistant Ray McCallum didn’t get the new interim coaching title. If these are true, I am not sure, but if they are not…why did he miss practice with 4 other teammates? Hmmm. That doesn’t sound like leadership to me.

     As memory serves me, it was D.J who also pouted and acted-up when Mike Davis was let go at Indiana, NOW he is accused of getting his teammates to skip a pregame practice? What is that? I try not to belittle a college athlete because of their age and amateur status, but D.J White’s “drama queen” act is getting old. Last time I looked, the name on the front of his jersey reads “INDIANA”….not “SAMPSON” or “MCCALLUM” or “WHITE.” Indiana is paying for this guy to attend school FOR FREE and this is how he repays them? I see being upset and emotional and at his age, it can be tough going through this. However, this is his SECOND TIME dealing with change. Be a leader and go to practice, Stop pouting and man-up. Be a Senior Captain and do th eright thing. Set the example for the others. Between the lines and on the court, D.J is amazing and he played well at the emotional Northwestern game, this has nothing to do with ON THE COURT. Being a capatin means doing the right thing on AND off. Stop being a “drama queen” and play. Put yourself in Dakich’s place. How would you feel if you just inherited this mess and your Senior Captain bails out? Great player, poor decision by D.J White.

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    By now you know the story of Kelvin Sampson. In the grand scheme of things, making a few illegal phone calls (okay, a few 700) isn’t that bad. USC is in a scandal where they may have hooked Reggie Bush up with cars, cash and houses. So, a few phone calls can’t be that bad. Well, it can. Especially if you lie to the NCAA. The NCAA is like your parent when you were a kid. Raise your hand if you have heard the “I am not mad at what you did, I am mad that you lied and tried to cover it up” speech. That is what Sampson is dealing with. The lying is worse than the crime. Especially to the egg-heads at the NCAA.     Sampson broke the rules. As he did at Oklahoma. So in addition to hating and wanting him fired, IU fans should be irate at Athletic Director and goon Rick Greenspan. This guy is a joke and has done nothing but make one poor decision after another in his time at Indiana. Aside from hiring Terry Hoeppener, this guy has thrown money away and destroyed the credibility of the school. IF SAMPSON GETS FIRED…GREENSPAN NEEDS TO FOLLOW. Who is to blame for this mess? Is it the sleazy coach with baggage or the guy who hired the guy knowing his background. The guy who hired the guy with baggage to coach one of the most storied names in the sport.