Rodento Drive

The new Lucas Oil Stadium has wowed fans with big windows, a beautiful brick facade, and several new amenities. However, apparently what's out-of-sight of the patrons is becoming a problem.

Health inspectors cited over 500 food/safety violations including discoveries of mouse mice meese poop feces. Investigators found the droppings in kitchen and storage areas, including an over, along with many live mice in the area. The Health Department is sending more people out this weekend to determine just how big of a problem they have at Lucas Oil Stadium. Supposedly, they're going to set up mouse traps and see how many they kill. Awesome.

Considering I've eaten media food at Lucas Oil Stadium on at least eight different occassions during various events, I'm not feeling great about this news. I had a chili dog there last week. If there is a food where mouse droppings would hardly be noticeable, wouldn't it be chilli? (Pauses to throw up).

There's a hot dog stand for $3 under the bridge on East Street leading into the stadium. It's shady. The last two times I've walked by it, there's been a guy with like three teeth on a rusty bike doing circles around the stand, and another homeless guy sitting on a milk cart singing show tunes five feet away. Sure that's dirty, but at least I know that it's dirty. I'm not misplacing my trust. It's not a mouse crap chilli dog on a plate with parsley on the side, and a sparking water to drink.

I won't touch even a potato chip at Lucas Oil anymore.

Colts' Midseason Report Card

We have reached the halfway mark of the 2009 season, and the Colts are 8-0 (yawn). However, even with teams that are undefeated, there are always areas to criticize..

Colts overall ranks: Total Offense 6^th (27.1 ppg), Total Defense 2^nd (13.5 ppg)

RUSH OFFENSE: D+ Rank: 29^th (85.4 ypg)

Say what you want about their paltry overall production, but the rush offense has been an upgrade over the nightmare of 2008. The Colts are averaging 3.7 ypc, which is up from their 3.4 ypc last season. Addai’s yards-per-carry is identical to last season, but it feels like he’s running better. This rush offense only has to be better than terrible, and so far it’s just been bad, not terrible.

PASS OFFENSE: A Rank: 1^st (302 ypg)

Peyton Manning has once again been spectacular and the Colts have gotten great contributions from both Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie. Dallas Clark has taken his game to a new level production-wise, and Reggie Wayne is still playing on a Pro Bowl level despite seeing consistent double-teams

RUSH DEFENSE: B- Rank: 14^th (108.1 ypg)

If you take out the 239-yard game in Miami, the Colts are giving up only 89 yards per game on the ground which would rank them third in all of football. I know you can’t take that game out, but it warrants mentioning. Indy has been burned on some big plays and some long runs, but overall, I think the Run D has been pretty solid. It’s by no means great, but it’s leaps and bounds better than what we saw from this unit earlier in the decade.

PASS DEFENSE: A Rank: 9^th (195.3)

While they may rank 9^th in yards given up per game, the Colts have only yielded an NFL-best four touchdown passes through eight games. This is one of the premiere units in the league once again, and has been for years. Considering all the injuries in the secondary, it’ll be interesting to see whether or not they’re able to keep up this pace.

SPECIAL TEAMS: C Rank: 24^th in KR, 27^th in PR (5.1 ypa)

Where have you gone Clarence Verdin? I’d give them an A for kick/punt coverage and an F for kick/punt returns. This return game is a joke (Jamie Silva? Seriously?) and always has been. Matt Stover (6/6 FG, 8/8 XP) has filled in nicely for Adam Vinatieri and Pat McAfee (43.7 avg, 11 TB) has impressed as a rookie.

COACHING: A

What can you say? Jim Caldwell is 8-0 and that’s a better start than I thought he was going to have. Larry Coyer has done a wonderful job with an injury-riddled defense. There’s some improvement in the Special Teams under Ray Rychleski. Howard Mudd, Tom Moore, Clyde Christensen are all doing great jobs as per usual. The Colts are lucky to have such a great staff.

That'll do, Pig

How many words does a thesaurus list for "inexcusable"?

I thought after 24 hours, I'd be better able to gather my thoughts, but I'm going to need an extension. It takes more than a day to properly describe what consecutive home losses to Navy means for the Notre Dame football program.

Hooray Championships!

So the New York Yankees are Champions of baseball again. While I never take any of my favorite teams winning championships for granted, it's tough to get super-excited about a team with a $200 million+ payroll dismantling the rest of baseball.

The real importance and legacy of 2009 is that it put several postseason failures (most notably this one) and many failed free-agent signees officially behind the Yankees.

Normally, a nine-year gap between titles wouldn't be considered a "drought", but so much has happened in my life since the last time the Yankees called themselves champions.

Since October of 2000, I have:

- Graduated high school.

- Watched the Knicks actually win a playoff game.

- Been on-campus for Indiana's 2002 run to the National Title game.

- Believed Tyrone Willingham was a savior.

- Graduated college.

- Screamed for Tyrone Willingham to be fired.

- Lived in six different permanent addresses.

- Held five different jobs.

- Received four speeding tickets coming from or going to South Bend, Indiana.

- Completed three different radio internships.

- Dated two chicks from the state of New Jersey.

- And hosted a radio show.

It feels like a lot longer than nine years.

Fun with Speak & Spell

We mentioned it randomly on today's show, but I wanted to re-live some childhood memories with the Speak & Spell (which I incorrectly referred to as Speak & Say on the show).



How could you not buy something endorsed by Bill Cosby?

Replay Ain't Right

Indisputable adj (comes from the latin word “indisputabilis”)
Incontestable; not open to question; obviously true.

A couple of bad replay overturns involving local teams this year...

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Notre Dame/Michigan

Situation: Armando Allen’s 42-yard TD run on a screen pass ties the score with Michigan at 7.
Play: It looks like Allen’s heel may have touched out-of-bounds, but it is unclear whether it actually hit the line or merely shadowed the sideline.
Result: Notre Dame has to settle for a Nick Tausch field goal and goes on to lose the game by four points – the margin of Allen’s overturned touchdown.

Notre Dame/Washington
Situation: Washington appears to have taken a 31-22 lead with 7 minutes left.
Play: Chris Polk appears to maybe have been down before crossing the goalline. Still shots show that his knee may have been down, but it is unclear where the football was and if it had crossed the plain of the goalline.
Result: Notre Dame goes on a goalline stand to keep UW out of the end zone and rallies for a 37-30 overtime victory.

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This is not indisputable video evidence

Indiana/Iowa
Situation: following an interception return for TD by Iowa, Indiana drives down the field and appears to have extended their lead to 27-14 with the extra point pending.
Play: Terrance Turner appeared to have dragged his foot in-bounds, but in reality it was nearly impossible to tell which hit first, his knee or foot and if either were in or out-of-bounds.
Result: Nick Freeland misses a 28-yard field goal and IU comes away empty-handed.

NCAA rules state: "The replay official may reverse a ruling if and only if the video evidence convinces him beyond all doubt that the ruling was incorrect. Without such indisputable video evidence, the replay official must allow the ruling to stand."

Does that sound like the rule that is practiced by officials?

Shots' NBA Preview!

I have tried to shy away from predictions over the past few months due to my ill-fated Super Bowl picks of the last two years (Seattle vs. San Diego in 2008, New Orleans vs. Baltimore in 2007), and a horrifically bad NBA Finals prediction for the 2007-08 season (Suns vs. Bulls).

But ever since I picked Cincinnati to win one of the AFC Wild Card spots (I don't think I need to mention that winless Tennessee was my other WC pick), I'm feeling good. Doing the bull dance, feelin' the flow.

Here goes nothing...

EASTERN CONFERENCE
1) Boston – Most talented and deepest team in the NBA with the additions of Rasheed Wallace and Marquis Daniels along with the re-signing of Glen Davis.
2) Orlando – Losing Hedo Tukuglo drops them behind the C’s. Vince is a great scorer, but I don’t know if he can be relied upon as much as Hedo was.
3) Cleveland – I’ve been heavy on the Cavs for two years now and they’ve disappointed me each time. So I’m going to knock them down a peg. The addition of Shaq still didn’t address their biggest need: a reliable 2nd scorer for LeBron James.
4) Atlanta – they won 47 games last season and it’s tough to believe they’ll improve on that, but this team appears to be the best of the rest. When you don’t need Jamal Crawford to be your #1 scorer like the Knicks did, he can be a good player.
5) Chicago – I think people are overrating the loss of Ben Gordon. John Salmons may be less of a high-reward player, but he’s also less streaky. Add in a healthy Luol Deng and the continued progress of Derrick Rose and they’ll be better.
6) Washington – Worst to sixth? You can believe it with this team. A healthy Gilbert Arenas, plus Caron Butler and Antwan Jamison makes this an intriguing team.
7) Detroit – they go up one spot for spending a boatload of money trying to turn themselves into a UConn All-Star team.
8) Miami - putting them here is more a representation of just how good Dwyane Wade is. An aging J.O., and eccentric Michael Beasley, and a bunch of nobodies (outside of Mario Chalmers) aren't going to give them much.
----------THE REST----------
9) Philadelphia – Elton Brand is old, but the rest of the team is young and exciting. I really like Thaddeus Young. He’s going to be a star.
10) Indiana – this is the classic example of a team that will be better, but it won’t necessarily show as far as wins and losses are concerned. Exciting wins over contenders will be off-set by head-scratching losses to bottom-feeders.
11) Toronto – I didn’t really understand the Hedo Turkuglo signing. Tough team to gauge really… Could finish as high as 5th, could be bad as 14th if they tank early and sell off Chris Bosh and other assets.
12) Charlotte – when you’re terrible defensively and you swap a guy like Emeka Okafor for Tyson Chandler, chances are you’re going to get worse.
13) NY Knicks – seven players on expiring deals. Seven! Nate Robinson, David Lee, Wilson Chandler, and Danilo Gallinari would all be nice players… as a 7th man on a contending team that is.
14) New Jersey – good young core. In a similar situation to the Knicks in that they’re banking on making a splash next summer.
15) Milwaukee – No Jefferson, No Villanueva, No Sessions = No chance to crack 30 wins.

EAST PLAYOFFS
First round: Boston over Miami, Orlando over Detroit, Washington over Cleveland, Chicago over Atlanta
Conference Semis: Boston over Chicago, Orlando over Washington
Conference Finals: Boston over Orlando

WESTERN CONFERENCE
1) LA Lakers – give me one reason why I shouldn’t put them here. Ok, fair enough. But, cancel out the “season-wrecking, mass-suspension brawl incited by the newly-acquired Ron Artest” and I guarantee you can’t think of one.
2) San Antonio – as sick as this makes me to put them here, they are perhaps the deepest team in the West. The additions of Richard Jefferson and Antonio McDyess aren’t exciting, but will pay dividends. It’s all about staying healthy (especially Manu) for this group.
3) Denver – I don’t think they’ll be able to duplicate what they did last year, but Carmelo’s continued maturation makes me a believer. Plus, it’s tough to doubt any team with Chauncey Billups running the show.
4) Portland – I’m not sure what they’re planning to do at point guard with Andre Miller and Steve Blake, but this team is stacked all over the place. It’s time for this group – specifically Greg Oden – to take the next step.
5) Utah – they’re very, very good, but not great. They’ve got a bunch of #2s (Deron, Boozer) playing in a Conference where all of the contenders have a #1 (Kobe, Duncan, Melo). That and it's hard to imagine a Jerry Sloan coached team not making the postseason.
6) New Orleans – I have decided that I like Chris Paul way too much. If this team had a shooter (ala Peja ten years ago) they’d be a legit Finals contender.
7) Dallas – they seem to be caught in the NBA purgatory of being good enough to consistently make the playoffs but not good enough to be a serious title contender. Shawn Marion and Jason Kidd? Eh.
8) LA Clippers – I locked into this before Blake Griffin’s kneecap went the way of Michael Jackson’s nose… too soon?



----------THE REST----------
9) Phoenix – Nash is 35 and running on fumes and there is a huge question mark with Amare Stoudemire returning from a retina injury.
10) Houston – the injuries are just too much for this team to survive, even though I like replacing Artest with Trevor Ariza. Smart move.
11) Golden State – too much controversy with Stephen Jackson and Monta Ellis, plus what appears to be a lame-duck coach in Don Nelson.
12) Oklahoma City – with Durant, Harden and Green, the future looks bright. But, the future isn’t now.
13) Memphis – Allen Iverson + Zach Randolph + O.J. Mayo + one basketball? Doesn’t seem like a good equation. I will say that I like some of the youngsters like Gasol, Conley, Mayo (talented but erratic), and Thabeet.
14) Minnesota – they drafted two points guards in Ricky Rubio and Jonny Flynn, then spend $16 million on another in Ramon Sessions? Way to go, David Kahn!
15) Sacramento – pretty much universally regarded as the NBA’s worst team.

WEST PLAYOFFS
First Round: LA Lakers over LA Clippers, San Antonio over Dallas (yawn), Denver over New Orleans, Portland over Utah
Conference Semis: LA Lakers over Portland, San Antonio over
Conference Finals: LA Lakers over San Antonio

NBA Finals: Boston over LA Lakers in 6 - they're the most talented and deepest team in the league, and having a healthy Kevin Garnett back makes them that much better defensively. That and I'm going chalk because I don't feel like being risky.