Under Construction

I rarely agree with Indianapolis Star sports columnist Bob Kravitz, but today’s column is right on target. “This IU team remains under construction” is an accurate description of the ‘07-’08 IU squad. This team is loaded with talent, but most of it is young, raw, and mostly under 6′8″. The Hoosiers narrowly defeated a bad Georgia Tech team at home last night in the annual ACC beat down on the Big Ten (Otherwise know as the ACC/Big Ten challenge, but it’s not much of a challenge for the ACC. They have won the Commissioner’s Cup 8 of 8 times, and they already have the ninth sewn up. The Big Ten should challenge the MAC or the CAC – or the SEC – if they want to win some hardware.) Had this game been in Atlanta, the Hoosiers very well may have suffered their second humiliating defeat in a row.

Yes, I said their second humiliating defeat in a row because the Hoosiers were dismantled on Saturday evening by the plucky (that’s lucky with a “p”) Jesuits of Cincinnati. The Xavier Musketeers are loaded with upperclassmen, indicative of a mid-level conference unable to recruit top talent. They compensate for their dearth of talent by playing, smart, disciplined, and tough basketball. Last Saturday night the Jesuits of Xavier out-played, out-hustled, out-smarted, out-toughed, and out-coached my beloved Hoosiers. IU earned the 80-65 spanking they received.

IU is still a team under construction. They were an overrated #8, and they are still overrated at #15. They have a tough match-up this Saturday in Carbondale, IL against the Southern Illinois Salukis. The way IU is playing right now, they may well lose this road game. IU neutered the Salukis last year by ten points – 57-47, but that game was played at Assembly Hall.

Until this talented IU squad learns to play as a team, they will continue to struggle against teams they should annihilate. It is unfortunate, however, that some people – such as this man – enjoy an IU defeat. Some people are so envious of the IU program, that they root for IU to lose no matter who they play. That is just shameful!

Year’s Most Pathetic “Sports” Story

We’ve all heard the joke about going to watch a fight and then a hockey game broke out. While fighting is most definitely one small part of hockey, a story from this morning’s Edmonton Sun is absolutely pathetic.

GUELPH, Ont. — Six hockey players and two coaches were suspended following a brawl between two teams of eight-year-olds in Guelph last week that has stunned police. Three players each from the Duffield Devils and Niagara Falls Thunder novice triple-A teams, and their respective coaches, were ejected from the Guelph Power Play Tournament on Friday after a brawl during a game.

“These are eight-year-olds,” said Staff Sgt. Neal Young of Guelph Police.

“How ridiculous is that?”

It is incredulous Staff Sergeant, that is what it is. Sure, hockey is a rough sport, but this did not happen because hockey is violent. This happened because the adults involved are idiots.

Police were called to the arena shortly before 6 p.m. Friday. A small fight had broken out between players on the ice and both coaches sent more players from the bench to join in the fracas, Young said. A member of the Niagara Falls coaching staff approached the Duffield bench and allegedly spit in the face of a Duffield coach.

I cannot imagine a coach allowing 8 year olds to fight, let alone sending reinforcements to join the melee. The fact that one coach spit on another is par for the course with this outfit.

 

This is a disgrace. The parents should demand that the “coaches” be immediately removed from coaching; never allowed to return. Obviously these men are not positive role models. They should not be allowed to influence children.

 

It is not foolish when a child behaves like a child. It is foolish, and often tragic, when grown men behave like children.

Is Huckabee a "False Conservative"?

UPDATED on Wednesday, November 28th. The update follows the original post.

On Monday, November 26th, journalist Robert Novak’s article “Huckabee: the False Conservative” was published. The article painted Mike Huckabee according to the stereotype: as a socially conservative but fiscally liberal Republican. Some intelligent political observers, such as my good friend Philip, agreed with Novak’s tired and uninformed criticism.

Does Robert Novak have it right? Does Fred Thompson? (He accused Huckabee of being a “pro-life liberal”) Is Mike Huckabee a false conservative? In the words of Lee Corso, “Not so fast my friend!”

Susan Stilley of the blog Politics and Christianity has written an excellent response to Novak. Please do not swallow the stereotypes. (If you think Huckabee is a closet liberal you probably also think that Thompson is lazy. Well, that may be a bad analogy. Fred does appear a tad lethargic at times!)

Read Stilley’s post Robert Novak: the False Journalist. To whet your appetite I will include this snippet from the post:

Novak claims that serious Republicans know that Huckabee “is a high tax protectionist advocate of big government”. I consider myself a serious Republican and know no such thing. As a former resident of Arkansas during Governor Huckabee’s tenure I know that he pushed through the Arkansas Legislature the first major, broad-based tax cuts in state history – a $90 million tax relief package for Arkansas families. He also doubled the standard deduction to $2,000 for single taxpayers and $4,000 for those who are married. Some taxes he eliminated entirely: the marriage penalty, bracket creep caused by inflation, income tax on poor families, and capital gains on home sales. To encourage investment, he cut capital gains for both individuals and businesses. To help people better themselves, he provided tax credits for employee training and education. In total, he cut taxes and fees nearly 100 times during his ten-and-a-half years as Governor, saving the people of Arkansas almost $380 million.

UPDATE: read Dick Morris’ article – “Huckabee is a Fiscal Conservative”. Morris includes actual data to back up his assertion that Huckabe is indeed fiscally conservatice.

Peace Talks in Annapolis

I believe in dialougue. I genuinely do. But sane people must be engaged in the dialogue for anything positive to result. I do not believe that is the situation in the case of the Annapolis talks. If you haven’t followed the story, I’ve linked to some articles that you might find useful.

• The Day After Annapolis

• No Lasting Peace

• Annapolis and a History of Abject Failure
  

Weekend Sports Wrap

The weekend just past was a good one for Hoosier sports fans (at least IU and Colts fans are happy). The weekend began with a thrilling victory for my beloved Hoosiers over the accursed Boilermakers. The IU footballers showed true grit in holding on to their sizable lead against the Boilermakers who decided to make a game if it in the fourth quarter. The two premier players for IU – QB Kellen Lewis and WR James Hardy – were both brilliant and played up to their potential, but the team needed Austin Starr to make a 49-yard field goal with 30 seconds left to hang on for a 27-24 victory. (Hopefully, Lewis and Hardy will return to Bloomington next season. I’m sure that Lewis will be back. I’m not so certain about Hardy.) This win cemented a winning record for the football squad, returned the Old Oaken Bucket to Bloomington, and placed the team in a likely position of earning a bowl bid; the team’s first in about fourteen years!

The IU basketball team cruised to an easy 100-49 win over the Longwood Lancers. Eric Gordon once again led the team in scoring, and Lance Stemler even played well.

The Colts rounded out this fine sports weekend with an all too close victory over the below average Kansas City Chiefs. Without Dwight Freeney the pass push was nonexistent. Teams will be able to double Mathis and prevent the Colts from pressuring the QB. Without pressure the Cover Two will be picked apart. The offense was anemic, and Vinateri is suddenly worse than the Canadian. He missed two field goals before hitting the 24 yard game winner.

The Colts should beat the hapless Falcons on Thanksgiving, but the remainder of their schedule is difficult. The team may struggle to get ten wins, and I fear that a postseason victory is highly improbable.

Then again, I thought a second half comeback against the Patriots in last season’s AFC Championship game was highly improbable!

This was a good weekend for Hoosier sports fans.

Rounding Third and Heading for Home

Cincinnati icon Joe Nuxhall died late Thursday evening at the age of 79. Nuxhall had been admitted to the hospital Monday after experiencing difficulty breathing while visiting his oncologist. The hero of Hamilton had been undergoing chemotherapy since October to treat lymphoma, and had been battling many health problems over the last few years.

At 34 I was never able to see the Ol’ Lefthander pitch for the Reds, but I religiously listened to his broadcasts of the Cincinnati Reds’ games; along with his longtime radio partner and good friend Marty Brennaman. I enjoyed following the Reds. Marty and Joe were a huge part of that. The Reds broadcasts have not been the same without Joe, and not because he was a slick broadcaster. He wasn’t. It was just good to have him in the booth. His passion for the Reds was contagious. His interaction with Marty often hilarious.

Below are some links about Joe Nuxhall.

• Red.com Joe Nuxhall tribute
• Cincinnati Enquirer tribute
• Dayton Daily News report
• IndyStar report
• Nuxhall’s career stats
• Joe Nuxhall photo gallery

The Writers are Still on Strike!!

Big deal!

Cal Thomas, one of my favorite commentators, has written an excellent column about the Writer’s Guild of America strike. You may read that article here, and I hope you will. I do want to comment on a few of Thomas’ observations. Thomas writes:

Female “scientists” on the crime shows display enough cleavage that if the commercial were for Victoria’s Secret, viewers wouldn’t notice the transition. Such fantasies don’t resemble any female scientist I know, nor would a professional woman dress like a hooker for the office.

I normally watch sports, news, and PBS shows exclusively, although I do enjoy the occasional crime drama. (I admit to being a Law & Order junkie, and I do watch Lost.) Last night I watched about 15 minutes of the CBS show Criminal Minds and all of CSI: NY. As I watched I noticed that every female FBI agent and/or scientist, with very few exceptions, was thin, attractive, and wearing a blouse that had a revealing neckline. I recalled a conversation that I had with my parents the week before. Dad was poking fun at one of my Mom’s favorite shows – Murder She Wrote. Dad said the show was so unrealistic because everywhere Angela Langsbury visited, someone died!

That conversation came to mind because the newer TV shows, with their “realistic” images, technology, etc. are even more unrealistic that the Angela Langsbury classic. How many police departments – local, state, or federal – are entirely populated by beautiful people? The only overweight and ugly character on Criminal Minds was shot in last night’s episode. They may have killed her off!

Here again is Cal Thomas:

Rather than watch re-runs (new or old), now would be a good time to consider turning off the TV and returning to those thrilling days of yesteryear, before the Lone Ranger, even before TV. That’s when families scheduled dinner together and talked about the day’s events and developments in the world. Useful information was passed from adult to child and back. Before TV, more people read books. They also read newspapers and there were more of them to read. Readers talked with others about what they had read. Good stories by good writers transported readers to other worlds, giving them vicarious experiences that made them feel good, offering hope and laughter.

He makes an excellent point. I’m sure most of the Oxgoad readers are unaffected by the WGA strike; even unaware of it. Still, it is good to be reminded to not only take time out for one’s family, but to make time. Eat at least one meal a day together, at the dining room table not on TV trays in front of the TV. Purposefully communicate, not just in do’s and dont’s, but about your day and theirs, about what is going on in the world, and, most importantly, about God’s Word and how it relates to them and their environment.

The WGA is on strike, and no end is in sight.

Big deal!

She Knows the Answers (and the Questions)

Senator Clinton’s embarrassing staged question act has brought much criticism down on the head of the Democratic front runner, and rightfully so. If you are unfamiliar with the story, follow this link to read about it and watch an interview with the student who was given the question. The strategy was a clumsy attempt to promote the Senator’s viewpoint, and it reveals a level of dishonesty within her campaign.

As I read about this story, however, I could not help but think of two moments in my past in which I had similar experiences. First, while serving as the youth pastor at the Dearborn Baptist Church in Aurora, IN I led in an event called “Grill the Pastor Night”. The Pastor and his wife attended our monthly youth fellowship for the express purpose of allowing the students to see and interact with their pastor apart from church building, the suit and tie, and the pulpit. A major part of the evening was a Q & A with the pastor.

Here is where the Clinton story connection comes in to play. I had scripted several questions for students to ask. These were not the only questions the students were allowed to put to the pastor, but I wanted to grease the tracks; as well as set a type of question precedent. With only one or two exceptions, the scripted questions were the only ones asked. Still, I was happy with the evening, and chalked the lack of inquisitiveness up to the fact that this was a different type of event for our kids.

I do not think that this incident is a fair comparison to the Clinton debacle. Not so, however, with my next example.

Before the start of a special evangelistic service I was approached by a fellow church member and given these instructions (this was pre-pastoral days): “Go forward as soon as the invitation begins. That will prime the pump. Others will be motivated to go forward as long as they aren’t the first ones to step out.”

I submissively nodded. As soon as the invitation began my feet hit the aisle, and I headed straight for the altar.

I now regret that decision. Why? Because the Holy Spirit does not rely on manipulation. The dear church member who told me to go forward was zealous for people to talk about spiritual matters with the pastor or someone else at the church’s front. His desire was well meaning, but the execution of his desire was misplaced. My participation in the invitation was staged, much like the young Grinnel College student’s question was staged.

This is Nice!

In Eric Gordon’s first official game with my beloved Indiana Hoosiers the frosh phenom from Indy poured in 33 points, and the Hoosiers dominated their over-matched opponent 99-79. Yes, I am aware that IU was hosting the Chattanooga Choo-Choos from the Southern Conference and not a team from the suddenly unstoppable Atlantic Sun conference.

For those of you unfamiliar with NCAAB, the Atlantic Sun is a “mid-major” conference comprised of small, ususally private schools which are supposed to be shelled by the public universities from the “major” conferences such as the Pac-10, Big East, and SEC. Evidently, the Atlantic Sun didn’t receive the early season memo. As of today, three Atlantic Sun teams have defeated teams from the aforementioned big-time conferences.

1. Gardner-Webb humbled the Kentucky Wildcats 84-68.
2. The Belmont Bruins declawed the UC Bearcats 86-75.
3. Mercer beat the OJ Mayo led and 18th ranked USC Trojans 96-81.

All of these games were road wins for the upset kings from the Atlantic Sun.

Yes, Chattanooga is a team the Hoosiers are supposed to beat, especially since they played at Assembly Hall, but UK, UC, and USC were supposed to beat G-W, Belmont, and Mercer respectively; only they didn’t. Yes, Eric Gordon was supposed to play brilliantly, and he did. OJ Mayo also played like everyone expected. He put up big numbers, leading his team in points (32), assists (4), and steals (2); too bad his team lost. Gordon had a sweet box line as well: 9-of-15 from the field (much better than Mayo’s 12-of27), 7-of-11 on 3-pointers, six rebounds, four assists; plus his team won going away.

Even though IU trailed at the half, and even though DJ White had his customary brush with an injury, this team looked explosive and entertaining. This year there will be no long scoring droughts. They will not put up an anemic 49 during this campaign, as they did against UCLA in last year’s NCAA Tournament. IU is a young team, so there will be significant growing pains, but they are a talented team. Newcomers JaMarcus Ellis, Jordan Crawford, and DeAndre Thomas all contributed to last night’s dominating effort. (By the way, DeAndre Thomas is one large man. It’s about time that IU had a big bruiser down low.)

Next up for IU are the Longwood Lancers. This may be a tough one.

Not really!

It’s All Tubby’s Fault!!

The University of Kentucky Wildcats were unceremoniously booted from the 2K Sports College Hoops Classic by the formidable and historic basketball powerhouse Gardner-Webb.

No Gardner-Webb is not the name of a player; it’s the name of a small North Carolina college that until 1969 was a junior college. The school moved to D-1 before the 2000-2001 season. The school, along with Central Arkansas, was scheduled by the mighty, mighty Wildcats as early season fodder for the home crowd, before the mighty, mighty Wildcats trekked north to play the big boys at Madison Square Garden. The big boys being UCONN, Oklahoma, and Memphis. All the aforementioned universities have also scheduled cupcakes at their home floors before moving on to New York for the semi-finals and final of the Coaches vs. Cancer event.

Some of those schools may be feeling a little pressure right about now.

Speaking of pressure, I wonder how first year coach Billy Gillispie is feeling right about now? After all, Gardner-Webb of Boiling Spring, NC is not supposed to waltz into the house that Rupp built and dismantle the mighty, mighty Wildcats 84-68. That is a 16-point thumping, at home, by the hand of Gardner-Webb; a school which just started playing D-1 basketball seven seasons ago.

I’m sure that the Kentucky faithful know who to blame. Billy the Kid just got started, these aren’t his players. Yeah…that’s it! The real blame lies with Tubby Smith. He screwed it all up!!