Wrestlemania XXX: The Coronation of Daniel Bryan

Tuesday January 28, 2014 was probably my lowest point as a wrestling fan. Sure, there are plenty of ugly days in wrestling history, but to reference an old storyline, January 28 was when I “lost my smile.”

In case you need a refresher, that was the day it become public knowledge that CM Punk left the WWE, and there was no return in sight.

While this in itself wasn’t horrible news (though it was pretty bad), it came on the heels of Daniel Bryan stealing the show in his match with Bray Wyatt two nights prior at the Royal Rumble, yet he was left out of the actual rumble match. While I never really expected him to be in the match, friends that I watched the rumble with and so many fans online seemed to expect it, that I started thinking it was possible.

Of course, Bryan wasn’t in the rumble, a returning Batista won the thing, and we were (apparently) left with the Wrestlemania main event of Batista vs. Orton: the match that no one wanted to see… except for the higher-ups in the company.

You see, wrestling is full of cynical fans, but I’ve always thought of myself as a pretty optimistic fan. Even though I know better, I often let myself believe that things are heading or could still head in a positive direction. But in the Royal Rumble aftermath, there was no optimism to be had. The “Road to Wrestlemania” had a seven-car pile up blocking the way.

A lot of the fan cynicism has to do with the fact that the WWE has a monopoly over the business. During the Monday night wars, the business thrived because there were two companies competing for viewers, and they had to keep giving people what the wanted. Now that there’s only one show around, what’s “best for business” isn’t always what the fans want to see.

We live in a day in age where EVERYONE has a voice on the internet, and it appears that many people with a voice choose to use that voice to complain. I understand most of the complaints of the fans, and agree with many. Still, I’ve tried to stay optimistic and read as little online as I can…. But the Royal Rumble aftermath sent me to a new low. I vowed that I would never spend another dime on the product until either Punk returned or Bryan won the title (Of course, I bought the WWE Network… but this feels justified simply because if/when the current product sucks, I’m forced to reflect on when the shows were much more watchable)

Of course, everything seems to have worked out now with Bryan primed to earn a spot in the main event and likely claim the championship. My optimism has been restored (for now). But before I discuss Daniel Bryan, let’s look at the rest of the main events for the show.

In the WWE World Heavyweight title match you have long-time friends turned long-time rivals, who were part of one of the most unique factions in the modern era, squaring off, joined by a small, unlikely wrestler who, in real-life had learned his trade through apprenticeships around the world and made his way to WWE, finally getting his shot at the most significant wrestling title in the world, at the biggest event of the year. In doing so, he’s challenging the establishment—a pair of guys who between the two of them, had dominated the WWE main event scene for nearly a decade.

Then there’s a non-title match that features the company’s biggest name going against a “bad guy” that threatens to tear down his legacy, and for whatever reason seems to be getting cheered by half the fans. This heel has taken the company by storm over the past eight months and could be the company’s next breakout star.

Then you have the Undertaker putting his streak on the line.

OK, I admit the last one is kind of cheap, but in case you hadn’t figured it out, I was actually describing some ‘Mania main events from the past. The first one is the triple threat title match at Wrestlemania XX between HHH, HBK and Chris Benoit. The second is Bret Hart vs. “Stonecold” Steve Austin. And of course, Undertaker’s streak has been a major storyline for about a decade now.

I mention these past matches because 1) wrestling is and always has been a repetitive/copycat business. Even the most compelling stories have been told before in some form or another. And 2) I’d like to examine what those previous stories can tell us about this year’s main events.

John Cena vs Bray Wyatt

Some will argue that this isn’t a main event, but don’t kid yourself. If we learned anything from CM Punk’s 434 day title reign, it’s that if John Cena is involved in a match, that match is a main event.

I’m actually really looking forward to this one. While most fans in my demographic (male 18-35) hate Cena, I’ve learned to tolerate him.  His character is definitely stale, he’s not what you would call a technically sound wrestler and I’m far from being a fan, but he has shown in the past that he’s capable of putting on a great match given the right opponent. I believe Wyatt is the right opponent.

Not only do I expect this to be a solid match, but I also see Wyatt coming out with a clean win. Yes, Super Cena loses on the “Grandest Stage of them All” for the third time in four years.  Think about it, next to Bryan, Wyatt is the fastest rising star in the company, and a loss means nothing to Cena. Besides (spoiler alert), a “heel” has to win one of the main matches, and I just don’t see it happening in any of the others. I’m also hoping the loss sends Cena into a downward spiral that actually gives his character some depth… but even I’m not THAT much of an optimist (Cena’s character evolving? What a novel idea!).

Naturally I don’t expect there to be a double turn like we saw in Hart/Austin, but I do see this match catapulting Wyatt into stardom like it did for Austin, though obviously not quite the same level.

Undertaker vs. Brock Lesnar

The WWE…..er, I should say… Paul Heyman has done an outstanding job of making me actually care a little bit about this match. With his one-match-per-year schedule, Taker should have his A-game, and Lesnar has been pretty entertaining in his part-time matches since his return almost two years ago, so the match should be high quality.

But let’s be honest, there’s NO WAY the streak falls. My guess is this plays out a lot like the first (technically second) HHH-Taker match. Lesnar dominates for the majority, and Taker uses his last gasp to lock-in the Hell’s Gate and make the former UFC star tap at “The Showcase of the Immortals.” (Have I used all the Wrestlemania clichés yet?)

Andre The Giant 30-man Battle Royal

This seems pretty wide open, and in the grand scheme, I doubt this match ends up meaning too much. But I’m a sucker for a trophy that means nothing aside from “bragging rights” (a la King of the Ring) and potential spin-off angles. Anyway, I could see any number of guys winning this, but for argument’s sake, my pick is Sheamus…. Or an unannounced “surprise” participant like RVD or Jericho.

Triple H/Daniel Bryan vs. Batista vs. Randy Orton

I never believed it would actually get to this point until about a month ago, but now it seems Bryan is destined to take the title at Wrestlemania XXX. The success of the WWE Network depends on it, and the network was a big gamble… they HAVE TO send the fans home happy.

I don’t pretend to believe that the WWE planned this all along, but for the fun of it, I’ve decided to take it a look at the “slow build” of Daniel Bryan getting to this point.

To me, Bryan’s ascension started two years ago at Wrestlemania XXVIII. Bryan entered as the World Heavyweight champion and had somewhat of a cult following. Nearly 80,000 fans chanted “Yes!” along with Bryan as he hopped down the aisle to defend the title against Sheamus in the show’s opening bout.

Bryan dropped the belt in 18 seconds, and many fans were appalled, including myself.

In reality, the quick end was probably the best thing that could have happened for Bryan. The internet fans started to believe Bryan was never going to get a fair shake as a main-event player, and the casual fans soon followed. The “Yes Movement” had begun.

He was then paired with Kane in what started out as a comedy routine. That evolved into a highly entertaining tag team, which gave Bryan not only the fan support, but it also allowed him to showcase his skill to the casual viewer.

His popularity grew to an all-time high last summer, and finally he won the title from Cena at Summerslam…. Only to be screwed out of it by the Authority. The angle that played out over the following months was fascinating from the standpoint that carried out a real-life story as on on-air storyline (the story being that Bryan is only a “B+ player” and not good enough to be the face of the company), but the execution was horrendous.

Pay-Per-View after Pay-Per-View ended horribly, and it seemed Bryan was destined as an upper mid-carder when Big Show as given a title match and Bryan was inserted into a feud with the Wyatts…. But then something very unexpected happened. WWE actually started listening to their fans!

I believe that when Punk quit, the WWE had little idea what they were going to do with the Wrestlemania card, aside from the Taker/Lesnar match. The constant CM Punk chants despite his absence, the “Yes!” chants and the boos for Batista that coincided with the upcoming launch of the WWE Network, the company knew it had to do something. They FINALLY had to give the fan something to be happy about.

And with that, plans were set in motion. Bryan got screwed out of the title again at Elimination Chamber. While my friends were once again pissed by the outcome, I came out of that PPV with a small sense of satisfaction.

While the match was certainly disappointing, the post-match commentary was completely centered around how Bryan was repeatedly getting screwed, and while the past had given me little reason for optimism, I felt like they were laying the groundwork for Bryan to make his way into the title match at Wrestlemania.

And now, here we are. Of course, Bryan has to beat Triple H first, but it’s just a formality. It’s likely that that match will end with some sort of shenanigans. Either Hunter cheats to win, and our host Hulk Hogan restarts the match (if precedent holds, The Rock was the host at Wrestlemania three years ago and somehow had the authority to restart the WWE title match)… or maybe there’s a draw and both men end up in the title match.

Either way, it’s difficult to imagine Bryan not holding up both belts at the end of the show as everyone at the Superdome in New Orleans chants “Yes! Yes! Yes!”

It’s amazing what a difference two months can make.

More than just a quarterback

(This column ran in the Oct. 19, 2013 edition of the Vincennes Sun-Commercial newspaper. I chose to post it here so I would be able to keep some personal record of it, but also because I have friends that do not have the newspaper readily available to them.)


I'll never forget the first copy of ESPN the Magazine that I bought. The cover was graced with half of Peyton Manning's face and half of Ryan Leaf's face, the two quarterbacks that were vying to be the top pick in the 1998 NFL Draft. I bought the issue specifically because the Colts held the No. 1 pick, and one of these two would, presumably, be the face of my team for the next decade plus. I don't remember any specific details, but I remember reading the cover story and thinking that Peyton Manning was a lock to be the first choice. 

I never thought I'd be rooting against Peyton.

That's why I don’t know how I’m going to feel when I walk into Lucas Oil Stadium Sunday. My family and I have had Colts season tickets for over 10 years now, and I’ve been to more than my fair share of big games. I’ve seen classic quarterback duels, come-from-behind victories and playoff games, but nothing comes close to comparing to what I’ll witness tonight.

I’ve been thinking about this game for over a year now, ever since the moment I heard Denver would be playing in Indianapolis. Peyton's coming back to the Circle City to play against the franchise he helped build into a perennial contender for over a decade (That's how it is to be a Colts fan, more specifically a season ticket holder, by the way. We've had such a intimate relationship with our quarterback for so long that we're on a first-name basis with him.). Clearly I have some bias, but to me this matchup is unprecedented.

Sure, many athletes have left the franchises with which they were once synonymous and later came back to play against those teams, especially quarterbacks.

The closest example of a future Hall of Fame quarterback playing against his former team was in 1994 when Joe Montana, then with the Kansas City Chiefs, took on his former teammates from San Francisco. Like the Colts, the 49ers had a young stud (Steve Young,  a future Hall of Famer) ready to take control, so it was easy to let Montana leave. However, that game took place in Kansas City. There was no homecoming for Montana.

The next example that jumps to mind is when Brett Favre left the Packers in 2008 and ended up with division rival Minnesota after a mediocre season in New York.  But that situation doesn’t even compare, in my opinion, for two main reasons. The first is that Favre left Green Bay on pretty bad terms.

Favre left his team in limbo while trying to decide whether or not to continue his career or head for retirement. The Packers, much like the 49ers, had a credible back up quarterback in Aaron Rodgers who was ready to become the face of the franchise, and ultimately Green Bay decided to cut the chord. While many fans were initially upset with the decision, the prevailing sentiment was that Favre was being selfish with his indecisive waffling.

But the biggest difference between the two situations is that Packers franchise was already one of the flagship franchises of the NFL. Before Favre, the Packers had 11 NFL championships (Super Bowls I and II, and nine pre-Super Bowl titles). Aside from a few quality years from Eric Dickerson and a brief, loveable underdog run with "Captain Comeback" Jim Harbaugh, the Indianapolis Colts were a perennial loser.
Peyton put Indianapolis on the football map.

While the Colts have a considerable amount of history, the vast majority of that history took place in Baltimore. Considering owner Robert Irsay left a bad taste in the mouths of many NFL fans when he snuck the team out of Baltimore in the middle of the night in late March of 1984, it’s no wonder many people didn’t believe Indianapolis to be a true football city.

Peyton changed all of that.

Several years ago in this space I mentioned a conversation I had with some college friends in the Fall of 2003 where I argued that Indianapolis was not a football town. For starters, I argued, the Colts had little to no history in the city. At the time, Peyton had had some success, but his first four seasons included a 32-32 regular season record and two disappointing playoff losses. 

The other argument I made was that Indiana was a basketball state. Despite Reggie Miller being in the twilight of his career, the Pacers owned the city, and basketball seemed destined to be the king sport forever.

Fourteen months after that debate, the Pacers gave the NBA (along with several unsuspecting fans in Detroit) a black eye, and all but a few diehards turned away from what was once Indianapolis's premier sports team. Where would they turn? Who would be the face of the city, and essentially the state?

Peyton made things pretty easy. Even though the Colts suffered two infamous playoff losses in New England, Peyton gave every sports fan a reason to believe. While members of the media and non-Colts fans questioned Peyton's clutch status, we Colts fans were content knowing that our team would put up at least 10 wins (it ended up being seven straight seasons of at least 12 wins) and be in contention every season.

Say what you want about Peyton's lack of success in the postseason —and if you've paid any attention to the news this weak, you know Colts owner Jim Irsay has— but speaking from experience, it's pretty fun to know that your team is going to be in the playoffs every year.

I could go on and on about Peyton's accomplishments in Indianapolis, but much of that wouldn't be anything you couldn't find by doing a quick Google search. What you may not find is that perhaps his greatest accomplishment is capturing the hearts of fans everywhere, and that's not limited to the state of Indiana. 

Five years ago I visited some friends in Houston who happened to be youth ministers. In their youth group was an 8-year-old boy who just so happened be a Colts fan. Why? Because of Peyton Manning. Last year, I went to Kansas City to watch the Colts take on the then-lowly Chiefs. I talked to about 20 other Colts fans who happened to be in attendance, and not one of them was from the state of Indiana.

The point is that the Indianapolis Colts matter, not just to a small fan base in the midwest like they did 15 years ago, but across the sports world. We have Peyton to thank for that.

So who wins Sunday's game? Perhaps the better question is, who will the fans be rooting for? For me, it's a no-brainer. I'm a firm believer that a sports fan picks his or her team and sticks with it. But while there's a part of me that will undoubtedly get the urge to scoff at every orange No. 18 jersey I see walking around downtown tonight, I understand. I'm extremely grateful for everything Peyton has done, and given everything I've just written, it's not surprising, nor is it wrong that some fans will choose to root for him this evening.

No matter what the outcome, the majority of fans will likely head home happy this evening. Either the young upstart Andrew Luck (Yes, there are two quarterbacks playing tonight) knocks of the old dog, or Peyton continues his torrid pace and gets some bragging rights. 

Regardless, the fans of Indianapolis deserve to see Peyton play one last time, and if there were ever a time where the player was more important than the team, this is it. That is what makes this game, and ultimately Peyton Manning's relationship with this franchise, so special.

Indiana Football and My Fading Optimism

As the Indiana Hoosiers begin another football season this evening, a season that is sure to be mediocre at best, I find it hard to be optimistic. 

I'm a Hoosier through and through, and I will ALWAYS support the Cream and Crimson. I always joked that Indiana basketball was 70% of the reason I opted to go to school there (20% partying, the other 10% for an education, if you must know), and truthfully that assessment wasn't that far off. I grew up an IU basketball fan, and since I got my degree from there, that fandom has definitely grown. It's surely grown by how much I care about IU basketball, but it's also grown in every other sport.

Any time Indiana has success in a sport, I feel I have reason to cheer. Soccer was great last year, and I can't wait to see if the baseball team can build off this past season's historic run. Football is no exception, despite there often being very little to cheer about. Hell some of my fondest memories of being a student are because of football. Most of them are from tailgating before (and sometimes after) the games, but regardless, I LOVE Indiana football. I will always root for them, regardless of whether or not the success ever comes.

I've always tried to be optimistic with this team, but but let's be honest. When looking at the IU schedule this year, it seems highly improbable that it will win a road game (Michigan St., Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio St.), which means the Hoosiers must go at least 7-1 at "The Rock" this season in order to assure themselves a bowl bid. While this is far from unlikely, I've been let down by this team too many times to even remember over the past 10 seasons, so putting it nicely, I'll say I'm skeptical, at best,  that this will happen.

Say what you will about me letting myself even get sucked in in the first place, but that's what we do as sports fans. We're hopeless romantics who keep thinking that things will turn around. Talk to any Cubs fan, and I imagine you'll hear a similar tune. I talked myself into potential bowl appearances every year I was in college, and the Hoosiers only made it one of those years... and even THAT took a fourth-quarter field goal to get there.... and we promptly got blasted by Oklahoma St. once we made it (at least I witnessed the greatest IU football moment —video below— in the past 25 years... maybe ever. RIP Coach Hep). I even bought into the hiring of Kevin Wilson... and he's won five games in two seasons. Rooting for IU football is a constant kick in the groin.

That's why I'm keeping my guard up this year. I'll watch every game, and I'll root for the Hoosiers, but I'd be content with a 6-6 season. If 6-6 sounds optimistic, please consider that IU has home games against fellow bottom tier conference teams Illinois, Minnesota and Purdue, not to mention a non-conference slate with home games against Indiana St., Ball St. and Navy. Anything less than 6-6 could mean a new head coach for the Hoosiers in 2014

But please, don't feel sorry for me. I've got the Cardinals, who seemed primed for another postseason run and are only two years removed from a championship. I've got the Colts, who should have a decade of Andrew Luck at the helms. And I've got the Thunder, who should be contenders as long as Durant and Westbrook are together. I think I'll be OK.

Still, it's never easy to root for a perennial loser. At some point the Hoosiers have to turn it around... right? I just don't think this is the year.

The Long Road Back

Cody Zeller made two free throws. Victor Oladipo hit a 3-pointer. Yogi Ferrell buried one from deep, then another. Oladipo added two more, Christian Watford tallied the Hoosiers fourth jumper from beyond the arc and Zeller got another easy two. Just like that Indiana jumped out to a 18-7 lead against No. 1 Michigan last Saturday night. At that moment, what I had suspected and hoped to be true for over a year was finally (in my mind) confirmed. Indiana University basketball was back.

You might be thinking that I’m a little late to the party on making this statement, and based on T-shirt sales, there’s no question you’d be right. I’m not sure whether it was when Zeller announced he’d attend IU several years ago, if it was at the beginning of last season, or when Watford made Hoosier Nation flood McCracken Court last December. Whenever it was, some wise man in Bloomington decided it was a great idea to start printing shirts that said, “We’re Back,” and now a quick Google search will show you there are at least five different variations of this shirt.

 

Seeing those shirts nearly everywhere (it’s still nearly impossible to watch a game without seeing at least one in the crowd) got me to thinking about what “We’re back” means and what exactly have we been coming back from? For me, those questions are trickier than you might think. On the surface, I’m sure most people think “We’re back” means that the dark years, plagued by the lingering shadows of Kelvin Sampson’s tenure, are over. While this is partially true, I’d like to go back even further.

On September 10, 2000 I walked out of the RCA Dome after a tough Colts loss to hear even worse news: Indiana had fired Bobby Knight. Before Sampson came along, this was probably the darkest day in IU basketball history. Still, while Coach Knight is a living legend in the Hoosier state, his last six seasons in his classic crimson sweater are pretty forgettable. While the Hoosiers reached 19+ wins in all of those seasons, they exited the tournament in the first round four times and were one-and-done in the other two seasons. So, are the Hoosiers “back” to where they were before Knight got fired? I’d still go back even further.

Twenty years ago Indiana went 31-4, and though the Hoosiers bowed out to Kansas just before reaching the Final Four, it was still a pretty successful season. That season the Hoosiers won their seventh Big Ten title in 14 seasons, they were the top-ranked team in the nation heading into the tournament and they were only six seasons removed from winning a National Championship. 

That was also the last time the Indiana basketball program really, truly mattered on a national level. And to me, that’s what “we’re back” from: irrelevancy.

It’s a bitter (and humbling) pill to swallow, but I have to admit it. Indiana didn’t matter to the rest of the country for nearly 20 years. Sure there were some hiccups of relevance during that time. Hell, I lived a lot of it.

I’ll never forget in 2001 when the Hoosiers knocked off No. 1 Michigan State at Assembly Hall. I remember because I slept through most of the game (although I can’t remember why), but woke up just in time to see Kirk Haston drain a 3-pointer to give Indiana the win. That win gave me the confidence to proclaim that with Haston in his fourth season and Jared Jeffries in his second, the Hoosiers could win it all in 2002 (Seriously, I did). Despite Haston unexpectedly, and foolishly, leaving for the NBA, the Hoosiers nearly made my premonition come true.  With the unforgettable play of guys like Tom Coverdale, Dane Fife,  Kyle Hornsby, A.J. Moye, Jeff Newton,  and even, to a lesser extent, Jared Odle and George Leach, Jeffries got the Hoosiers to the championship game before faltering against Maryland. No IU fan will ever forget beating No. 1 Duke on Kentucky’s home floor during that run.  Still, I couldn’t help but get the impression that the rest of the country was thinking, “Aww, how cute. Indiana thinks they can play with the big boys.” It’s actually pretty similar to what many thought of Notre Dame’s run to the national title game this past football season, but I digress.

Coach Mike Davis followed that run with a second-round tournament dismissal and two literal tournament no-shows. 

(Quick tangent: Am I the only one that thinks “What if” every time I see the Atlanta Hawks’ Josh Smith play on TV? Few people seem to remember that Smith, who would have been a freshman in the 04-05 season, was Davis’ top recruit before he declared for the draft. While many expected him to opt for the pros instead of making an appearance in Bloomington, I can’t help but wonder how Davis, and thus the subsequent hire of Sampson, would have played out. Would Smith’s talent have given Davis another 20-win season or two? Probably. Does this buy him another two or three plus years in Bloomington? I’d think so, but then what? I feel like this is one of the biggest “What ifs” regarding IU basketball in the past 20 years that no one seems to talk about.)

Me, Lyndsey, J, and Steve-o at the IU/Duke game.

Davis’ last season in Bloomington started with some promise, highlighted by a near-upset of top-ranked Duke in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, before the team fizzled in conference play and Davis graciously resigned before IU had the option to fire him. I remember this season specifically because I was a student at IU, and I was lucky enough to sit 10 rows from the court for the Duke game. I’ll never forget Marco Killingsworth throwing down a game-tying dunk just before the eight-minute timeout. Unfortunately for Killingsworth, and Hoosier Nation, his career was all downhill from that moment on. I'll also remember that season for this music video.

On March 29, 2006, I was sitting in Doc Sailes’  “Sports and the African-American Experience” class in Woodburn Hall with my buddy Steve-o when I got a text saying Kelvin Sampson would be the next Indiana coach. It sounds so stupid now, but I was excited. I knew IU wasn’t the high-profile job that most fans thought it should be, but I was naïve enough to believe that Sampson was a highly credible guy. At that point, it seemed like we were on our way back.

Look, it’s easy to say now how much of a scum bag Sampson is/was, but no Hoosier fan can tell me they weren’t excited when they heard the news that Eric Gordon was coming to Bloomington. Unfortunately I let that one bright spot convince me that Sampson could do know wrong. I turned a blind eye to the accusations that came out before the season started, and I sat back and enjoyed the ride as it seemed like this was finally the time when we were getting back to national relevancy. I mean, we did have the best freshman (Gordon) and the best big man (D.J. White) in the conference. It really seemed that a deep tournament run was on the way.

Then, naturally the week that College Gameday was coming to Bloomington, the shit hit the fan. I got to Assembly Hall at 7:30 a.m. to wait in line for Gameday, and was appalled when they spent the first 10 minutes of the show talking about Sampson’s violations. Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t appalled because I thought the allegations were false. By this time, I had pretty much expected the season to end badly. I was appalled because, before the season started, this game, on the national stage, was supposed to be our moment to announce that “We’re back.”

You know what happened next, so I’ll skip ahead to the day Tom Crean was hired. I really don’t have any specific memories of this, because even though Crean said and did all the right things, my heart was broken by the Sampson-era. I felt like such an idiot for getting sucked in by Sampson, it was difficult to trust anyone who followed him. I was still an IU fan, but I had to keep my guard up.

Coach Crean's autograph

Those three down years are all kind of a blur. Crean’s first season was my last as a student. I remember going to Hoosier Hysteria and getting my “Crean & Crimson” shirt signed by Coach Crean. I remember Daniel Moore playing WAY too much, and being optimistic seeing the team improve while he played less. I remember Verdell Jones III being “The Man” and taking all the big shots when everyone else was scared to take them. I remember my first game as a non-student when we upset Michigan at Assembly Hall, and I remember a two weeks later when Crean got his first win over a ranked opponent, No. 20 Illinois.

The rest of the story has been written a thousand times by this point. Cody Zeller commits. Other top recruits follow. Watford hits the shot. Indiana beats No. 1 Kentucky. “We’re back.”

I’ve been meaning to write some or most of this for about four months, and have never really been motivated until now. Everything clicked Saturday night. The spotlight was shining bright on Bloomington, and the Hoosiers answered the call. It was the first time I truly believed we could win a National Championship this season. Having that belief, not only by a team's fans, but by college basketball fans across the country, year in and year out is what dictates national relevance to me. Duke gets that every year. Kentucky and Kansas have it. Though down this year, you'd be foolish not to expect North Carolina back near the top next season. Michigan State, and now probably Michigan, is on that level too. So are the Hoosiers.

I should actually rephrase my previous statement. I had previously thought we could win it all, but was under the impression that we’d have to catch some lucky breaks on the way there. Now, I’m confident that if we play our best game, we can and should beat anybody. Why can’t we? I mean, we’re back, right?

Some Nights the Magic Disappears...

On August 18, I made what I thought would be my last trip to Busch Stadium this season to watch the Cardinals take on the Pirates. I got invited by my brother at the last minute (almost literally the last minute. He called at 11 a.m. that morning and game time was at 4:15) I quickly packed a bag, made the three hour trek solo and got there about 25 minutes before the first pitch. If you don’t know me, this is almost like getting to a game late. Typically I like to get to games when the gates open so I can watch batting practice and possibly get some autographs, although anymore, I feel like I’m too old to get a baseball signed by some guy who’s my age or younger.

Anyway, I went through the gate and straight to our seats with my sister-in-law Trisha, as my brother and his friend tried to get rid of some extra tickets (They didn’t have any luck). Normally an August game between the Cardinals and Pirates wouldn’t mean much, but this year was different. The Pirates had a game and a half lead for the final wild card spot. The Cards ended up winning the game, 5-4, and as you’re probably aware (despite dropping two of three in the series) they stormed past the Buckos for the final wild card spot. (Pittsburgh actually finished the season 12-30 after that game… pretty typical unfortunately)

But the one thing that stood out about that game was when I saw this. It’s entitled “Some Nights You Win the World Series." It’s a clip of home videos taken during Game 6 and 7 of the 2011 World Series, spliced together to the song “Some Nights” by Fun.  Between the first and second innings this video popped up on the big board at Busch Stadium. It almost instantly gave me chills, and to be completely honest, my eyes welled up a little bit. 

As you probably know if you’re reading this, I was at Game 6 of the World Series last year, which has been called by many experts as one of, if not, the greatest World Series game ever. That right there is enough to make it a special championship. I even bought the game on iTunes for $1.99 so I could always take it with me on my iPod.

But there’s more too it than that for me. Last season was an incredible ride, from beginning to end. That’s why I love this video too. It covers it all, from Wainwright’s season-ending injury in Spring Training, to the collapse of Ryan Franklin’s career, Tony LaRussa’s shingles issue, Daniel Descalso’s close-and-late clutch stats early in the year, Pujols’ broken wrist against the Royals. Add to that that I attended six games at Busch Stadium in 2011, while seeing each pitcher in the Cards rotation make a start. Also I went to two games at Chase Field in Arizona where I saw my first ever walk-off home run at an MLB game, hit by Justin Upton. I saw my second walk-off home run a month later when Pujols hit his second walk-off in as many days against the rival Cubs. I never fully connected the dots and realized I saw a third walk-off home run until about a month after the World Series ended. Yes, I was THAT caught up on the moment. It was just a very special season for me personally.

I knew something special was happening for the Cardinals on September 20, 2011. The Redbirds had just finished a big win over the Mets, so I immediately flipped to see how the Braves were doing, since that’s who the Cards were chasing. I had just tuned in when the Marlins’ Omar Infante hit a walk-off home run off Craig Kimbrel to deal the Braves another loss. (This is pretty much the only reason I’ll be rooting for the Tigers to win it all. Thank you, Omar.)

You know the rest.

This year the Cardinals snuck into the playoffs, and I have to admit my expectations were tame. I mean, I knew a World Series run was possible because I was less than impressed by the other NL playoff teams, but Lance Berkman, a hero from last season, was gone, a rookie that came out of nowhere was now starting at short, and as much as I like Descalso, I don’t really trust him starting every day.

I’m not going to rehash what happened in the wild card game with the Braves, because I could probably write an entire blog about it, but long story short the Cardinals got a questionable call that went their way and ended up winning the game. I was listening to the game on the radio while watching my brother coach at a high school football game. I’m not sure I’ve told anyone this until now, but as soon as Jason Motte recorded the final out of the game, the siren went off to signify the end of the the third quarter. Almost immediately from the PA speakers came the song, “Some Nights.” It truly seemed like a sign that something magical was happening again.

My feelings appeared to be reinforced one week later. The Cards fell down, 6-0, early against the Nationals and things seemed pretty bleak. I opted to go to a friend’s house and eventually headed out to bar to watch the conclusion of the game. As you the Redbirds rallied for four runs in the top of the ninth, as I yelled like a madman when Descalso and said rookie, Pete Kozma, got the game tying and eventual winning hits. That magic or luck, whatever you want to call it, from last season wasn’t going to end. It was definitely a memorable night, and a repeat trip to the World Series seemed inevitable.

Again, you know the rest. The Cardinals got a 3-1 series lead over the Giants before the pitching and hitting completely vanished for the final three games, and when we fell behind, the magic was no where to be found. It was definitely a disappointing end to the season, especially since I returned to Busch Stadium for Game 5 to see the Cards try and clinch the pennant.

So what’s next for the Cardinals? Well, it’s tough to count them out of contention next year. They’ll likely get a full season out of Chris Carpenter to go along with Adam Wainwright and likely Jake Westbrook. After that the rotation is a question mark, but it will probably be in good hands. Jamie Garcia should be back, but his late-season injury makes him a question mark. Kyle Lohse is gone, as it’s not likely the Cardinals will want to pay a 34-year-old pitcher the $12-15 million a year he’ll be asking. The holes in the rotation will be filled by bullpen studs Trevor Rosenthal, Joe Kelly or top prospect Shelby Miller. That staff should equal or better the 2012 version.

The bullpen is a question mark. It seems likely Motte, Mitchell Boggs, Fernando Salas and Marc Rzepczynski will return if I understand their contracts correctly, but the rest is up in the air. Cardinal fans probably aren’t excited about the return of the latter two, but bullpen pitching is such a volatile position. In 2011 Salas served as a part-time closer, part-time rally killer, and this year he was horrendous. I believe he and Rzepczynski can turn it around next year. Likewise, I never trusted Boggs in 2011 but he was pretty reliable this season. So, like always, the bullpen is up in the air.

The outfield seems pretty well set. I have a big concern about Carlos Beltran matching this year’s numbers, but assuming he’s close to the same, we should be pretty solid. Yadi Molina is a lock behind home plate, and David Freese and Allen Craig are good to go on the corners. Up the middle is where it gets tricky. Furcal is under contract for next year and is likely to get the nod at short assuming he’s healthy, but second base, as always, is a question mark. Descalso did an admirable job there, but it’s hard for me to imagine he’ll be the starter going into next season. Skip Schumaker is a possibility, but again I’m doubtful. I’d love to see the Cardinals spend money for this spot next year, but given the history, it’s  unlikely (and I’m not even sure there’s anyone worth a big contract available).

All in all, if everyone stays healthy, the Cardinals should be right in the mix next season. But I don’t think anything will ever compare to the 2011 championship.

That’s one of the reasons I got over Monday’s loss relatively quickly. Sure, I was upset, but it served as an important reminder... A reminder of how difficult winning a championship can be, and thus it made last year’s run that much more special. I'm not sure it will ever fully sink in. Not the championship, but the fact that I was actually there for it. Nothing will ever be able to take away the memories of that crazy ride away from me. And in just about four months that ride starts back up again.

Edgerrin James: Future Hall of Famer?

It was a normal Saturday morning, April 17, 1999.  Like most football fans I was sitting in front of the TV watching the NFL draft. I’d only been a fan of the NFL for several years, but I knew this was a very important draft for my team. See, the Indianapolis Colts were coming off a 3-13 season, the rookie campaign of the previous year’s No. 1 overall pick Peyton Manning. They had their franchise QB in place. Now they were looking for the running back to go along with him.

It’s not like they didn’t already have one though. I remember many being shocked when just a few days before the draft they decided to deal future Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk. It’s never been made entirely clear why the Colts made the move, but the general consensus is that Faulk wanted more money that the team wasn’t willing to pay him, and they were afraid his attitude could negatively affect the young nucleus. Plus with the fourth pick in the draft, the hole at running back could easily be filled

It was disappointing at first, but all hope wasn’t lost. Manning’s future running mate seemed likely to be on the board when Commissioner Paul Tagliabue announced the Colts on the clock. It seemed a foregone conclusion that Indianapolis would draft Heisman winner and (at the time) NCAA career rushing leader Ricky Williams out of Texas.

Sure enough the top three picks fell into place. Cleveland took a quarterback, Philadelphia took a quarterback and Cincinnati took a quarterback. And there was Williams, ready to go from being a Longhorn to a Colt.

But it didn’t happen.

You all know what happened. Colts GM Bill Polian opted to take a running back from Miami named Edgerrin James instead of the proven commodity. I’ll never forget my brother, the biggest Colts fan I know, collapsing on the floor and laying face down with his face buried in his arms for at least 15 minutes. The only words he spoke during that time were when his phone rang. “Hello,” he muttered. “Yeah… I know.” And then he hung up.

Nearly 13 and half years later James will return to Indianapolis this Sunday to be inducted into the Colts’ Ring of Honor at Lucas Oil Stadium. James will be just the eighth name to join the Ring since it’s inception at the RCA Dome in 1996. This Colts fan couldn’t be prouder.

Sure, I could hold my brother’s reaction to the selection of Edge over his head, but the reality is that outside of the Colts brain trust, I doubt anyone thought they made the right move that day.  What they ended up accomplishing was avoiding a career-long headache in Ricky Williams while stumbling into a future Hall of Famer.

That’s right, I said Hall of Famer, and I’ll get to those credentials in a moment, but first I have to say how ironic it is that Edge will be going into the Ring this season. While many around the organization don’t want to say it, the Colts are in a bit of a rebuilding mode. Hell, one of the marketing phrases that have gone around this new era (meaning new GM Ryan Grigson and new head coach Chuck Pagano, not necessarily Andrew Luck, though it’s hard not to consider him the “face” of the new era) is “Build the Monster.” The irony of Edge’s induction to me is that he was one of many that helped build the previous “monster” that ruled in Indy. As a matter of fact,  Manning, Edge and Marvin Harrison were known by fans as the three-headed monster. I had trouble finding evidence of this, but I specifically remember posters being made of the three of them that said “three-headed monster.” (Though I did find this)

Regardless, no one can deny that, while Manning received most of the notoriety, Harrison and James were also pretty big part of creating a football juggernaut in Indianapolis. That makes it even more disappointing to me that Edge never fully got his due from the casual fan.

See, while fans grow attached to teams, the players that stand out in their memories are typically the ones that were involved in a championship. Unfortunately for Edge, he wasn’t around by the time the Colts reached the Lombardi trophy.

The Colts got the ultimate prize at the end of the 2006 season, but it was the previous year that stands out the most to me. I still believe the ’05 Colts were the best team of the Peyton Manning era. It was the one season when our defense finally came close to catching up with our offense.  Sports Illustrated even did a feature on it.The team started 14-0 and coasted to the No. 1 seed before getting clobbered by a hungry Pittsburgh defense in the playoffs. I didn’t realize it at the time, but that loss to the Steelers was Edge’s last game in a Colts uniform.

That offseason came with Edge and No. 2 receiver Reggie Wayne hitting free agency. Every Colts fan knew we couldn’t afford to keep both of them. I hate to admit this now, because Reggie is one of my all-time favorites, but at the time I was hopeful that we’d keep Edge. It made sense to me only because we already had Marvin Harrison out wide, and I assumed that with Peyton, and receiver could come in and succeed. While that second assumption may have been true, ultimately the Colts chose to cut ties with Edge and keep the younger receiver.

The decision proved to be a wise one, especially now considering Wayne is a veteran and one of the Colts true leaders during this rebuilding process. Edge went on to have two quality seasons in Arizona before facing an injury-plagued third season and moving on for a one-year swan song in Seattle.

But the end of Edge’s career should have no bearing on Hall of Fame status. It started his rookie season when Edge took the league rushing title with 1,553 yards, the ninth rookie ever to accomplish that feat, a feat which hasn’t been done since then. The best season of Edge’s career came in year two when he ran for 1709 yards, winning a second rushing title.  He added 63 receptions and amassed a league leading 2303 yards from scrimmage, the ninth highest total in NFL history.

Edge battled injuries the next three seasons, but still reached the 1000 yard plateau five more times in his career, including resurgences in 2004 and 2005 when he rushed for 1548 and 1506 yards.

But all of these numbers mean little until you put them in context of other Hall of Fame running backs.

•  Edge is 11^th on the league rushing list with 12,246 yards, more than Hall of Famers Marcus Allen, Franco Harris, Thurman Thomas, John Riggins and O.J. Simpson. Jerome Bettis is sixth and is the only non-Hall of Famer ahead of James. 
• He is 13^th all-time in yards from scrimmage with 15,610, over 200 yards more the Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson.  Only three players in front of him on the list are NOT Hall of Famers: No. 5 LaDainian Tomlinson, No. 11 Terrell Owens and No. 12 Tiki Barber.   
• His 80 touchdowns rank 18^th in league history.
• Edge averaged 82.7 rushing yards per game, good for 13^th all-time and slightly better than Earl Campbell and Emmitt Smith.

It’s hard to say Edge is a lock for the Hall of Fame, but considering he played in an era where passing became more and more prevalent and he still was able to put up numbers in the top 15 in the history of the league is pretty impressive.

Three years ago, Edge made his first trip to Lucas Oil Stadium and his last trip to Indianapolis as a player, playing for the Seattle Seahawks. He didn’t play a lot during the game, but he had a few carries. At the third quarter came close to ending the PA announcer said something about staying tuned at the end of the quarter for a special presentation. At that, I had no idea what was about to happen.

When the quarter closed, a video montage popped up on the big screen showing highlights of Edge’s career. I’d be lying if I said a few tears didn’t well up in my eyes.

This Sunday, Edge comes back to Indy, and I’m glad to have a reason to pull out my No. 32 jersey at least one more time. More importantly, I’m glad Edge will be there to see the new “monster” of Indy its infancy. Thanks for the memories, Edge. And here’s hoping that there are more winning Colts memories to come in the not-so-distant future.

Colts Training Camp

This weekend I had the opportunity to see my two favorite professional sports teams in action. On Friday and Saturday I made the trip up to Anderson University to watch the Colts at training camp, and on Monday I went to see the Cardinals play for the first time this season at Busch Stadium. I planned on writing about both teams today, but my writing about the Colts went on longer than expected… and I’ve already written about the Cardinals on here (I may or may not get to them later). Anyway, here are my thoughts from Colts Training Camp.  

On Friday we arrived to camp a little late. Well, we were there right when the Colts were beginning their team practice, so from a standpoint of being able to see, we were definitely late. We stood in the corner of the endzone and got to watch a couple of passes come our way. Ultimately, with vision obstructed, we decided to check out Colts City and the Colts Pro Shop, and come back early the next day to get a good seast. For those who wish to experience Colts City, don’t get your hopes up. It’s almost identical to what the Colts bring with them on their tour throughout the state. The only difference is that, as a I mentioned, they have the pro shop set up and there are plenty of booths trying to get you to sign up for stuff. These booths are easy to avoid, but if you go around them, you’ll miss out on free chocolate milk and free ice cream (not at the same stand).

While I’m here I should mention that this is the first time I’ve been to Anderson since the Colts held camp there in the mid to late 90s. Since Terre Haute is a much closer drive for me, I was prepared to say that Rose-Hulman was a much better host than Anderson. But truthfully, I have to say that as a host the two sites are almost identical. Which brings me to my main point: Why can’t the Colts work out a deal with both schools to alternate sites every year? Doesn’t this make too much sense?  Why would anyone want to drive more than three hours to get to camp? This way fans from all over the state get to attend Colts training camp every other year without having to give up an entire day to do so. (So, technically this kind of disregards northwestern Indiana and Southeastern Indiana, but aren’t most people in those places Bears or Bengals fans anyway?)

Two things really stood out at the pro shop. One was the new Nike jerseys. They look fake and too slender for a big guy like me. I’m not a fan. Fortunately the three jerseys I’ve worn to games over the past two seasons (Wayne, Mathis and Bethea) are all back with the team, so I won’t have to worry about buying a new jersey for a while.

The second thing that stood out was all the jerseys and memorabilia that were on sale. Joseph Addai jerseys, Dallas Clark jerseys and even an Adam Vinatieri jersey (he’s still on the team! Do they know something I don’t?) were on sale for a measly $20. And of course, anything with Peyton Manning on it was at least 20 percent off and probably more than that. Look, I understand why Peyton left and I really don’t blame either side for the way it happened, but that doesn’t make it any easier.

What does make it a little easier is what I saw on Saturday. We arrived much earlier on Saturday, and after getting our seats near the 50-yard line, waited only about 30 minutes before the special teams took the field. This may sound boring, but I was highly entertained. What excited me most was that the first person out on the field stretching was T.Y. Hilton. In case you don’t know Hilton was the Colts third round pick out of Florida International as a wide receiver. It’s unclear right now whether or not he’ll be returning kicks, punts, both or neither once the season starts, but the fact that he was the first one out there at least tells me he knows he’s got a chance. I later checked out his highlight video on youtube and was amazed with his speed. I also enjoyed seeing him make plays against Florida, Kansas and Louisville. Obviously those last two aren’t great football programs, but they’re in BCS conferences, so at least it’s some sort of competition. And who knows, maybe he’ll be a bust, but right now he’s got me excited. The Colts have never had a returner that opponents needed to fear, and I think we finally may have one.

And of course, how can I talk about Colts training camp without talking about Andrew Luck. Several people said to me, before going to camp, “Hey, let me know how Luck looks.” I never really knew how to answer that. While I know a lot about football, I’m far from being an expert on the quarterback position, especially analyzing it. Especially when you consider that the only NFL QB I’ve ever really watched was Peyton Manning. All I can really say is this: From watching Andrew Luck, Drew Stanton and Chandler Harnish, it was clearly evident who the starting quarterback is. Harnish and Stanton each made several bad throws, and, in going against live defenses, held the ball far too long. From warm-ups to scrimmage, to goal line plays, I probably saw Luck throw 40 to 50 passes. I can only remember him throwing one bad ball (on a goal line play, linebacker Kavell Connor undercut a receiver on what was either a slant or a crossing route—hard to tell from our angle—and picked off the pass. Optimistically, I choose to look at this as Connor, who  will start at inside linebacker along with Pat Angerer, making a great play).

I also (illegally) took some video of Luck hitting three different receivers in stride on a deep ball. I’d love to post them, but I really don’t want to face the NFL’s wrath. I’m sure Luck will face some growing pains, but I’m truly excited about what he’ll bring to the team. I was also pleasantly surprised with the offensive line. Only two players return from last year’s abysmal line, and one of them (Anthony Castonzo) was a rookie and will be vastly improved. The running game will be a question mark, but at some point, you’d think Donald Brown would feel the need to live up to his first round selection. My biggest concern/disappointment is Coby Fleener. This is mainly due to my high expectations, but still. The dude is really tall, but he’s also much skinnier than I thought he’d be. That alone wouldn’t be a concern, except that he doesn’t appear to be able to block that well, which is at least in part contributed to his skinny frame. On the bright side, everyone I talked to around camp seemed to be high on the other tight end we drafted, Dwayne Allen. As long as one of these guys can make an impact this year, I’ll be happy. And who knows, maybe Fleener can run some plays out of the slot.

The defense will be very interesting. I’m excited to see what the 3-4 defense can bring, especially with Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeny playing new positions. They’ll still line up on the defensive line in nickel and dime formations, but when the Colts run the base 3-4, they’ll be standing, and with that will occasionally drop off in pass coverage. The defensive line will be much improved, and Angerer and Conner should be solid up the middle. I really like the addition of Tom Zbikowski to play safety alongside pro bowler Antoine Bethea, but the corner position is a great concern. Jerraud Powers is OK, but there’s a big drop off after him. On the bright side ESPN’s John Clayton pointed out that, with new head coach Chuck Pagano’s familiarity with Baltimore’s personnel and GM Ryan Grigson’s with Philadelphia, the Colts will likely add their No. 2 corner when those two teams make cuts.  Now, it’s hard to get too excited because obviously whoever we add wasn’t good enough to make the Ravens or Eagles. But on the other hand, they’ll be better than what we have now.

Ultimately I loved what I saw from the Colts' practice. It would be very overzealous of me to expect this team to go to the playoffs this season, but I will say that crazier things have happened. What really works out in the Colts favor is that (Clayton pointed this out in the above link), while the road schedule is difficult, home games include possible matchups against Christian Ponder, Blaine Gabbert, Brandon Weeden, Jake Locker and Ryan Tannehill. I think it's entirely possible for the Colts to win nine or even 10 games, but EVERYTHING WOULD HAVE TO GO PERFECT for that to happen. People around the organization are trying to avoid the word "rebuilding," but the truth is, that's what the Colts are doing. And typically things don't go perfect for teams in rebuilding mold. This weekend someone asked me what the Colts would finish, and without really thinking I said 6-10. Four or five wins would be a safer bet, but regardless, this will be a playoff team sooner rather than later