(Flashback) In ancient times, the best way to look was to cover yourself with some dead animal or wildabeest that you slaughtered 15 minutes ago. After you finished gutting the carcass you could throw the skin over your shoulder to give you a more masculine, yet rugged look. This worked for some time however the lady cavemen were growing tired of the bloody, dead animal hanging over the shoulder of their men. Cavemen for years wondered how to improve their look to help grab the attention of more ladies so they could club them over the head and drag them back to their cave. Then one time a caveman, named Ugh, came across a brilliant idea that has set the precident for men today to look totally awesome. He cut holes in the arms of the animals to wear them like a jacket and pants. He used a pre-historic tree leaf to tie around his neck to give him an elegant look. He shined up some old turtle shells to put on his feet. Yes my friends I'm talking about suits! (End flashback)
It was Ugh's vision that has helped us catch the eye of the ladies day in and day out. This is why I always recommend suiting up for your day. Not only does it help give you the perception of actually getting some work done, but it gives you the power to wow the ladies. How many times have you heard girls talking about how hot or great a guy looks at a wedding when you are standing right next to them? I'm willing to bet quite a bit. It is a day when guys get the most compliments. Yes a lady's legs will quiver with excitement by looking at a man in a suit. It is the best way to catch the eye of the young woman to reel her in. But why aren't you getting the compliments? Perhaps it's the way that you wear the suit.
You might be saying to yourself, "But Matt, I just don't feel comfortable in a suit. They make me feel all bunched up." My response to that would be that you are most likely wearing too tight of clothing possibly underneath the jacket. The biggest thing is the dress shirt, which I'm guessing because you don't wear suits too often is still one that you have from your high school or college days when you were thin. Get a dress shirt that is a little loose in the arm pits and lets your neck breath just a bit because remember you will be wearing the jacket. Don't have the neck too tight that you feel like you are cutting off circulation. You can loosen up the collar and pull the tie in so that it helps with that issue. Also you may not have the proper jacket. It could be too small. I recommend getting a new suit. Once you wear a suit for a few days you might realize the power and comfortableness they provide. I was hesitant just like you at wearing my Sunday best. But I can assure you that if you do wear it, you will surprise yourself and catch the eye of the ladies. I love wearing suits and have started a collection of them. This though is just step one of being awesome.
There are 5 reasons to wear a suit.
1. Because they're awesome!
2. The ladies love a man in a suit.
3. People respect the business man.
4. They give you confidence.
5. Because they're awesome!
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Friday, December 17, 2010
Are You Blind? Officials and the Right Calls
Of course we all know that refs are probably the most hated people on a basketball court, football field, or in any other sport. Which is probably why I became one 9 years ago. I've had a many people ask me why I do it if I am constantly being yelled at by fans, coaches, players, mascots (yes those guys can be a little feisty too). So I decided to write about it to answer their question and the question about the most yelled about call in basketball.
Well I'll tell you this, if it bothered me or hurt my self esteem in any way shape or form I wouldn't do it. People can yell at me all they want about a call but to let you know when you yell, I'm probably laughing back at you. The reason is because I would say 95% of people when they are yelling and screaming at the tv or at a game or an official, honestly don't even really know what they're yelling about and don't know the actual rules. Oh and by the way, with football in high school, college, or grade school they don't use Sunday rules. Just remember that because it's a rule in the NFL, doesn't mean it's a rule across the board. One example of people not know the rule is in basketball. We hear it everytime we go to a game, watch it on tv, or sit next to someone who has their team playing. This is the famous "OVER THE BACK!!!!" call.
Well I hate to break it to you but there is no such thing as over the back in basketball. This is your Basketball 101 lesson. There is no foul for over the back, it's when your on the back that it's a foul. (This same sentence was actually used by Clark Kellogg in a game a few years ago between Valpo and Marquette when Tom Crean was still coaching there. Crean wanted an over the back and of course didn't get it. That's when Clark said that sentence. One of the only people that I have ever heard on tv actually get this right! I still have it on my TiVo if you would like to see it because I couldn't believe that someone got it right when they were announcing a game.) Let me explain. A player can physically reach over the top of someone to grab a rebound or steal the ball away from someone and it's not a foul. This is because you can not penalize someone for either being taller or out jumping the other person. In this situation you would be penalizing a persons physical abilities to out perform someone else.
Now it is a foul if there is displacement of an individual to get the rebound or steal. Basically it is a foul if the person rebounding the ball has position and the player going over the top of the rebounder pushes, hits, or climbs on the rebounders back to get to the rebound. The best way to describe it is that the player went through the back of the rebounder not over the top. Now sometimes this occurs and there is no foul that is called. This is because the rebounder was able to get the ball with no problems even though the defender was going through them to get to it. Usually this occurs if it is only slight contact, because you do not want to interupt the game for a small foul like this when there was really no advantage gained by either team. It slows down the game and saves a foul while keeping the flow. You don't want to be stopping the game every 5 seconds for a foul. Now if there is a decent amount of contact, the foul usually is called. This usually happens if the player loses the ball for a second or has to take a few steps to regain the rebound.
So just remember the next time you are yelling for "OVER THE BACK!!!", it's not a foul. You have to be on their back or going through it for it to even be a foul. Hopefully this clarifies things a bit for you. I'll probably put a few other rules on here as well eventually, but this was the one that I had the most questions about.
Well I'll tell you this, if it bothered me or hurt my self esteem in any way shape or form I wouldn't do it. People can yell at me all they want about a call but to let you know when you yell, I'm probably laughing back at you. The reason is because I would say 95% of people when they are yelling and screaming at the tv or at a game or an official, honestly don't even really know what they're yelling about and don't know the actual rules. Oh and by the way, with football in high school, college, or grade school they don't use Sunday rules. Just remember that because it's a rule in the NFL, doesn't mean it's a rule across the board. One example of people not know the rule is in basketball. We hear it everytime we go to a game, watch it on tv, or sit next to someone who has their team playing. This is the famous "OVER THE BACK!!!!" call.
Well I hate to break it to you but there is no such thing as over the back in basketball. This is your Basketball 101 lesson. There is no foul for over the back, it's when your on the back that it's a foul. (This same sentence was actually used by Clark Kellogg in a game a few years ago between Valpo and Marquette when Tom Crean was still coaching there. Crean wanted an over the back and of course didn't get it. That's when Clark said that sentence. One of the only people that I have ever heard on tv actually get this right! I still have it on my TiVo if you would like to see it because I couldn't believe that someone got it right when they were announcing a game.) Let me explain. A player can physically reach over the top of someone to grab a rebound or steal the ball away from someone and it's not a foul. This is because you can not penalize someone for either being taller or out jumping the other person. In this situation you would be penalizing a persons physical abilities to out perform someone else.
Now it is a foul if there is displacement of an individual to get the rebound or steal. Basically it is a foul if the person rebounding the ball has position and the player going over the top of the rebounder pushes, hits, or climbs on the rebounders back to get to the rebound. The best way to describe it is that the player went through the back of the rebounder not over the top. Now sometimes this occurs and there is no foul that is called. This is because the rebounder was able to get the ball with no problems even though the defender was going through them to get to it. Usually this occurs if it is only slight contact, because you do not want to interupt the game for a small foul like this when there was really no advantage gained by either team. It slows down the game and saves a foul while keeping the flow. You don't want to be stopping the game every 5 seconds for a foul. Now if there is a decent amount of contact, the foul usually is called. This usually happens if the player loses the ball for a second or has to take a few steps to regain the rebound.
So just remember the next time you are yelling for "OVER THE BACK!!!", it's not a foul. You have to be on their back or going through it for it to even be a foul. Hopefully this clarifies things a bit for you. I'll probably put a few other rules on here as well eventually, but this was the one that I had the most questions about.
Monday, December 6, 2010
IU - A Coaches Second Worst Nightmare
Ever since I can remember, I wanted to go to IU for college. I remember the first time I saw a last second shot in an IU game when I was little. The shot seemed to float through the air and took an hour to come down. Eventually it did. At the horn IU wins! I don't remember who they were playing. The only thing I remember is the reaction of the crowd, the team, and the people around me. That was the first time I really wanted to go to IU. And so I made that dream a reality and attended IU for college.
One reason I don't remember who they were playing was because I was 4.
My friends will tell you that I am a very big and loyal IU fan. I have been to every home football game since my freshman year in 2000, with the exception of 5 games. Weddings have been the cause of 4 of the 5 missed games. I have gone to an IU football game over a Notre Dame game when I was offered a ticket once, if that tells you anything. If I could afford them right now, I would have season basketball tickets. I guess that's the price you pay for starting an insurance agency at my young age. But I watch the games on tv each night. As well as the Pacers and Colts.
So why is it that IU is a coaches second worst nightmare? To me it would be the dream job. But to others it could be a way to get the ax after 2 seasons. This is the reason it is the second worst and not the worst nightmare for a coach because you get 2 seasons. Notre Dame I think takes the cake at number one in my opinion because you really only get 1. If you don't perform right out of the gate at ND, they're calling for your head. It even seems this way if you are 7-5 or 8-4 and going to Bowl Games. This is why I would say Notre Dame is #1. Especially when one example I can think of is when you have the most wins since the Lou Holtz era and are responsible for ending a 9 game bowl losing streak. Which ironically started in the Holtz era. At Notre Dame you are constantly under the microscope no matter what.
At IU, they at least give you 2-3 years. Oh and by the way, we will still pay you after we fire you because that's what we do. I thought Fred Glass, when he became athletic director, said that contracts are going to mean something at IU again. Well, Bill Lynch probably would disagree with him here. Now while I understand that Lynch had only one year left on his contract after this season, I thought we were still going to finish out our contracts like we said we were going to in the begining? IU has had 4 different coaches in each basketball and football since 2000. That's 8 for you math majors. How can you build a program with this turnover? I know that it would have been to either finish out the contract without an extension or to extend the contract because you think Bill Lynch is the man to help position yourself a top the Big Ten.
If you can't tell, I'm not a big fan of the firing of Bill Lynch as the football coach of the Hoosiers. This is for 3 different reasons.
1. I have never seen the team play as hard and tough as they have the past couple years in football since Bill Mallory was coach in the 80's and early 90's. Now they did play this hard the two years that Hoeppner was here. However, they had a mental toughness about them that I had not seen before. Also Bill Lynch had an exciting attitude on the sidelines. He really enjoyed coaching the Hoosiers. The other coaches since the late 90's just went about their business on the sidelines not showing any excitement for their team. The only two that I felt had the excitement and were fun to watch on the sidelines were Lynch and Hoeppner. (By the way, did you know that Terry Hoeppner said that his dream job was to coach at IU?)
2. IU has hired 4 different coaches in both basketball and football since 2000. That's an average of 2 1/2 years as coach. Again I ask, how can you build a program if you are not given time to do so in the first place. It takes years to build a program. It is not something that can just happen over night. Look at any sports program. They have 5 to 10 years of success followed by 10-20 years of down seasons or struggling. (With the exception of Ohio State who seems to have only 1 or 2 down seasons every 10 - 15 years. They are what we call a freak of nature.)
And 3. IU won't spend the money to get a coach anyway. Why is this you ask? Well I don't necessarily think that it because they don't care about the football program. Because they do. It's their largest revenue earner. But rather, they might not have the money to spend because we are too busy still paying off the other coaches that we fired who were still under contract the last 10 years. The only way to change a program over night is to spend millions of dollars on a very big name coach, that all you have to do is say his name and recruits will sign on the dotted line no matter what school it is. Again, it takes time to build.
IU really was playing well the last 2 years under Bill Lynch. I felt the program was going in the right direction. Granted the wins were not there. But the last 2 years they have lost 7 games by a total of 33 points (largest was 11 against Penn State). This is an average of 4.7 points per loss. Of which, all 7 of those games they were leading in the 4th quarter. All of these loses were to Big Ten schools. Schools that before in the past they didn't even compete. And most of those games were on the road as well. Before losing to Iowa last year 42-24, they lead 24-21 in the 4th. Now also they have not been able to finish the past 2 seasons, but they are improving. This will come with time. Yes I know the Wisconsin game this year was bad, but every team has a really bad game like that every now and then. (Ohio State lost to USC in 2008 35-3.) And Lynch had a great recruiting class coming in too.
That's really all I have to say right now on this matter. I don't have enough time to go into detail on it further because I have to go here in a minute. So I just hope that whoever they hire next is given at least 5 or more years to build the program. I just hope they don't let Tom Crean go anytime soon. He's doing a great job with the team.
One reason I don't remember who they were playing was because I was 4.
My friends will tell you that I am a very big and loyal IU fan. I have been to every home football game since my freshman year in 2000, with the exception of 5 games. Weddings have been the cause of 4 of the 5 missed games. I have gone to an IU football game over a Notre Dame game when I was offered a ticket once, if that tells you anything. If I could afford them right now, I would have season basketball tickets. I guess that's the price you pay for starting an insurance agency at my young age. But I watch the games on tv each night. As well as the Pacers and Colts.
So why is it that IU is a coaches second worst nightmare? To me it would be the dream job. But to others it could be a way to get the ax after 2 seasons. This is the reason it is the second worst and not the worst nightmare for a coach because you get 2 seasons. Notre Dame I think takes the cake at number one in my opinion because you really only get 1. If you don't perform right out of the gate at ND, they're calling for your head. It even seems this way if you are 7-5 or 8-4 and going to Bowl Games. This is why I would say Notre Dame is #1. Especially when one example I can think of is when you have the most wins since the Lou Holtz era and are responsible for ending a 9 game bowl losing streak. Which ironically started in the Holtz era. At Notre Dame you are constantly under the microscope no matter what.
At IU, they at least give you 2-3 years. Oh and by the way, we will still pay you after we fire you because that's what we do. I thought Fred Glass, when he became athletic director, said that contracts are going to mean something at IU again. Well, Bill Lynch probably would disagree with him here. Now while I understand that Lynch had only one year left on his contract after this season, I thought we were still going to finish out our contracts like we said we were going to in the begining? IU has had 4 different coaches in each basketball and football since 2000. That's 8 for you math majors. How can you build a program with this turnover? I know that it would have been to either finish out the contract without an extension or to extend the contract because you think Bill Lynch is the man to help position yourself a top the Big Ten.
If you can't tell, I'm not a big fan of the firing of Bill Lynch as the football coach of the Hoosiers. This is for 3 different reasons.
1. I have never seen the team play as hard and tough as they have the past couple years in football since Bill Mallory was coach in the 80's and early 90's. Now they did play this hard the two years that Hoeppner was here. However, they had a mental toughness about them that I had not seen before. Also Bill Lynch had an exciting attitude on the sidelines. He really enjoyed coaching the Hoosiers. The other coaches since the late 90's just went about their business on the sidelines not showing any excitement for their team. The only two that I felt had the excitement and were fun to watch on the sidelines were Lynch and Hoeppner. (By the way, did you know that Terry Hoeppner said that his dream job was to coach at IU?)
2. IU has hired 4 different coaches in both basketball and football since 2000. That's an average of 2 1/2 years as coach. Again I ask, how can you build a program if you are not given time to do so in the first place. It takes years to build a program. It is not something that can just happen over night. Look at any sports program. They have 5 to 10 years of success followed by 10-20 years of down seasons or struggling. (With the exception of Ohio State who seems to have only 1 or 2 down seasons every 10 - 15 years. They are what we call a freak of nature.)
And 3. IU won't spend the money to get a coach anyway. Why is this you ask? Well I don't necessarily think that it because they don't care about the football program. Because they do. It's their largest revenue earner. But rather, they might not have the money to spend because we are too busy still paying off the other coaches that we fired who were still under contract the last 10 years. The only way to change a program over night is to spend millions of dollars on a very big name coach, that all you have to do is say his name and recruits will sign on the dotted line no matter what school it is. Again, it takes time to build.
IU really was playing well the last 2 years under Bill Lynch. I felt the program was going in the right direction. Granted the wins were not there. But the last 2 years they have lost 7 games by a total of 33 points (largest was 11 against Penn State). This is an average of 4.7 points per loss. Of which, all 7 of those games they were leading in the 4th quarter. All of these loses were to Big Ten schools. Schools that before in the past they didn't even compete. And most of those games were on the road as well. Before losing to Iowa last year 42-24, they lead 24-21 in the 4th. Now also they have not been able to finish the past 2 seasons, but they are improving. This will come with time. Yes I know the Wisconsin game this year was bad, but every team has a really bad game like that every now and then. (Ohio State lost to USC in 2008 35-3.) And Lynch had a great recruiting class coming in too.
That's really all I have to say right now on this matter. I don't have enough time to go into detail on it further because I have to go here in a minute. So I just hope that whoever they hire next is given at least 5 or more years to build the program. I just hope they don't let Tom Crean go anytime soon. He's doing a great job with the team.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Why the Colts will be ok.
Everyone has their own opinions on things. Some people take their opinions to be gospel and that no one else could be right. Some people are actually open to other peoples thoughts and listen. That is actually the key to an opinion. Listening. Something we do not do too often. I am guilty of it myself from time to time. We just have to remember that our thoughts and opinions may not always be right, but just what we think could be or could happen. This is my opinion on the Colts for 2010-11. Take it or leave it. I'm not asking you to agree, but just think about it and be open.
The Colts will be fine the rest of this season and could position themselves for another Super Bowl.
Here is why I think this. We have been spoiled as Colts fans the last 10-11 years. Perfection is something that most teams are not used to. In fact, no team is used to it except maybe the 1972 Miami Dolphins. They were the only undefeated team to complete a season without losing a game. They finished 17-0. Now you could always make the argument that there have been teams, with just as many or more wins, that could possibly have been better than the 72 Dolphins. The Dolphins just did not play as many games as the teams do now. The Patriots finished the season in 2007 with a record of 18-1. The Colts in 2009 finished 17-2. So where am I getting at with these comparisons?
Well, we have been used to 12 and 13 win seasons the last decade for the Colts. This is something that is hard to come by and that not very many teams are ever used to doing. Especially for so many years in a row. What was it, 4 years in a row that the Colts started at least 8 or 9-0? Again, a lot of teams aren't even used to winning that many games in a season on a regular basis. If we were any other team right now with a 6-5 record, tied for first in the division, we would be jumping for joy that we are in the hunt for one of 6 teams out of 16 that could make the playoffs in our conference. But it seems that some Colts fans are talking about how they won't even make the playoffs because they are just not a good team right now.
Here is what I would say to that...
Let's not forget the position we are in right now. We are in a tie for first place in the division while having a banged up team that is a little off of their game right now. They are missing the big plays by a matter of inches. How often have you seen Reggie Wayne take a pass off of his facemask, or Peyton Manning miss a wide open Garcon down the sidelines? Not very often. Again, they are just off of their game at this time by a slight margin. Once they get clicking again, and it will happen as we all know, they will be an extremely tough team to beat in the playoffs. We saw how the Patriots this season escaped a loss to the Colts ealier this year and that was with a limited number of players while playing AT New England. The Jaguars beat us with a rediculous kicker who somehow manages to have a foot made of heavy metal and make a 59 yard field goal to beat us in the closing seconds of the game. And that was not the only time he has done that to us. Also, when the Colts won the Super Bowl in 2006, they lost 4 of their last 7 games to close out the season. Do you remember what people were saying then? "The Colts are not Super Bowl contenders." "The Colts will not even win their first game in the playoffs against Kansas City." "The Colts can't stop the run."
And what ended up happening? "The Colts are world champions!" "The Colts have allowed the fewest rushing yards in the playoffs!" "The Colts beat New England for the first time in 6 attempts!"
Again I feel that the Colts are just fine right now and we should not worry about missing the playoffs. I feel they will be there. Remember that every team goes through a tough year now and then, even with their star players. The Patriots had one or two this decade while Tom Brady was their quarterback. They still made the playoffs at 9-7. Again, you just have to believe in your team and support them no matter what. Even in the worst of seasons (as most of you know my love for IU). They can pull through and I believe they will.
Again, this is just one mans opinion. You can take it or leave it. Just be open to the idea.
The Colts will be fine the rest of this season and could position themselves for another Super Bowl.
Here is why I think this. We have been spoiled as Colts fans the last 10-11 years. Perfection is something that most teams are not used to. In fact, no team is used to it except maybe the 1972 Miami Dolphins. They were the only undefeated team to complete a season without losing a game. They finished 17-0. Now you could always make the argument that there have been teams, with just as many or more wins, that could possibly have been better than the 72 Dolphins. The Dolphins just did not play as many games as the teams do now. The Patriots finished the season in 2007 with a record of 18-1. The Colts in 2009 finished 17-2. So where am I getting at with these comparisons?
Well, we have been used to 12 and 13 win seasons the last decade for the Colts. This is something that is hard to come by and that not very many teams are ever used to doing. Especially for so many years in a row. What was it, 4 years in a row that the Colts started at least 8 or 9-0? Again, a lot of teams aren't even used to winning that many games in a season on a regular basis. If we were any other team right now with a 6-5 record, tied for first in the division, we would be jumping for joy that we are in the hunt for one of 6 teams out of 16 that could make the playoffs in our conference. But it seems that some Colts fans are talking about how they won't even make the playoffs because they are just not a good team right now.
Here is what I would say to that...
Let's not forget the position we are in right now. We are in a tie for first place in the division while having a banged up team that is a little off of their game right now. They are missing the big plays by a matter of inches. How often have you seen Reggie Wayne take a pass off of his facemask, or Peyton Manning miss a wide open Garcon down the sidelines? Not very often. Again, they are just off of their game at this time by a slight margin. Once they get clicking again, and it will happen as we all know, they will be an extremely tough team to beat in the playoffs. We saw how the Patriots this season escaped a loss to the Colts ealier this year and that was with a limited number of players while playing AT New England. The Jaguars beat us with a rediculous kicker who somehow manages to have a foot made of heavy metal and make a 59 yard field goal to beat us in the closing seconds of the game. And that was not the only time he has done that to us. Also, when the Colts won the Super Bowl in 2006, they lost 4 of their last 7 games to close out the season. Do you remember what people were saying then? "The Colts are not Super Bowl contenders." "The Colts will not even win their first game in the playoffs against Kansas City." "The Colts can't stop the run."
And what ended up happening? "The Colts are world champions!" "The Colts have allowed the fewest rushing yards in the playoffs!" "The Colts beat New England for the first time in 6 attempts!"
Again I feel that the Colts are just fine right now and we should not worry about missing the playoffs. I feel they will be there. Remember that every team goes through a tough year now and then, even with their star players. The Patriots had one or two this decade while Tom Brady was their quarterback. They still made the playoffs at 9-7. Again, you just have to believe in your team and support them no matter what. Even in the worst of seasons (as most of you know my love for IU). They can pull through and I believe they will.
Again, this is just one mans opinion. You can take it or leave it. Just be open to the idea.
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