BAD DOG(S), BAD!!!



via

The ball is passed to Shelvin Mack with seconds remaining...he scrambles around to find an open shot...he lofts the ball up in the air...3...2...1...The crowd holds their breath as he releases it from his hands and sinks it in from outside the 3-point line as time expires....Butler Bulldogs by 3 over the UCONN Huskies!!....HOORAYYY!! <<CELEBRATION! JUBILATION! HINKLE FIELDHOUSE, INDIANAPOLIS, THE NATION, GOES BANANAS!>>

Right?....Well, sadly that was only the end of the first half. 

I once heard a saying: "If 'if' was a fifth, we'd all be drunk" Well "if" the game ended at the half, Butler would have won the National Championship and the season would have truly ended in the fairy tale fashion that everyone had anticipated.  Instead, it was like Cinderella got all dressed up for The Big Dance: new dress, shiny glass slippers, hair and makeup to the nines, and then the Prince went home with another girl (and trophy)....Disappointing!

Don't get me wrong, I am proud of the Butler Bulldogs, their players, cutie-patootie coach Brad Stevens, their passion for the game and their electrifying back-to-back runs to the National Championship.  They have been tremendous, on and off the court, and I know that collectively, the city is super proud of them.  But, and this is a BIG but, it was painful watching them play what is probably the worst game of their careers, and sadly, the last for a few players, too.  Like my boyfriend D, they just couldn't stay up til the end of the game. 

In the first half, both teams struggled offensively and defensively but it seemed like Butler had the defensive edge for a while -- and the momentum going into halftime.  I thought for sure that Brad Stevens was giving his team a momentous --"If you put your effort and concentration into playing to your potential, to be the best that you can be, I don't care what the scoreboard says. At the end of the game, in my book, we're gonna be winners." (from the movie, Hoosiers) -- kind of pep talk in the locker room and that the Dawgs were going to emerge with a vengeance, like hungry dogs ready to sink their teeth into a t-bone steak-- or like a team seeking redemption and ready to finally capture the prestigious trophy and title that eluded them last year against Duke.  But what happened in the second half was anything but that: absolutely no offense with a complete inability to get inside the paint (let alone actually score in there-there were only three the entire game!); and lackluster defense (unlike what we've seen in previous games) with poor rebounding on both sides of the court.  Smith, Hahn, Mack, Vanzant, Howard, Nored -they all fell flat, like someone just let the air out of Butler's tires and they just couldn't keep up with the Huskies. 

Mack, Hahn and Howard via Indy Star

I'm not a sports writer or even someone who is competent enough to give you a recap of the game so for the details (in case you didn't witness it ), here's ESPN's Pat Forde.  They say, everyone is a critic nowadays but I was slightly annoyed that I stayed up til close to midnight watching the game, despite having to be at work at 6am so I'm dealing with a bit of a sports hangover.  But this too shall pass and so will the bitter taste in the mouths of Butler fans (both true and fair-weather).  I hope that the team receives a warm and loving reception this afternoon at the welcome home ceremony taking place at 4pm because they deserve it and hey, there's always next year, right?

Love it: Creative growth in Indiana

When I was younger, I always thought that Indiana was sooooo behind the times (in comparison to bigger cities like LA, NYC, Miami and Chicago) and lacked artistic expression, a sophisticated palette and an eye for fashion.  Boy, was I so wrong!  Indiana is fast becoming a contender in every genre.  We've already shown the nation we're a force to reckon with when comes to sports--football, basketball, racing.  But we're also showing a great emergence in fashion, food and drink, music, fine arts, media and I'm loving every second of it.  Recently, I've seen several Indiana restaurants featured on shows like Diners, Drive-ins and Dives as well as Man vs. Food.  Events like Midwest Fashion Week and First Fridays are more and more frequent. 

This morning, I slept in til 5am this morning after staying up too late catching up with D.  So that meant I ran out the door this morning without eating breakfast; just a glass of nonfat milk.  Although there is a cafeteria not too far from where I am, I'm going to try and hold off until lunch time (munching on Breath Savers).  Instead, the masochistic side of me decided to torture myself by reading through local Indianapolis-based food and lifestyle blogs.  I love finding talented, interesting and inspirational bloggers, make it a local or Midwestern one and I'm even more smitten.  These amazing men and women do such a wonderful job educating the public about everything that is great about Indiana or sometimes not so great.  Eventually they will land a permanent spot on my BlogRoll but until then, I want to take a moment to highlight some of my faves:

• Indianapolis Amy
• The Fitted Apron
• Thrifty Decor Chick
• The Daily Claire
• Indy Restaurant Scene
• Random Dude Eats Random Food
• Circle City Style
• FLOEats Indy

I am always on the lookout for others, so contact me if you host a blog or know of any others.  Going grocery shopping today so I hopefully will have some yummy meals to share.  Have a wonderful day!

Hoosiers in the Headlines: IN geniuses and GO DOGS!!

I love when Hoosiers make the national news spotlight for reasons other than being a Teen Mom.

Here we have 12 year old Jake Barnett, a child prodigy, who is already taking college-level astrophysicist courses and is being recruited by Indiana University.  To read the full article here.

In other news, the Butler Bulldogs leave Indianapolis at 2pm this afternoon, making their way to Houston to compete against VCU in the Final Four; Blue 2 (their beloved Bulldog mascot that was banned from travelling to the previous tournament games) will be joining them on Friday.  This is the first time in Bulldog history for back-to-back trips to the Final Four.  Last year, they narrowly lost to Duke in the championship game which was hosted in Indianapolis.  The Bulldogs, the talented group of classy players (including Indiana native Matt Howard) and the passionate, young coach, Brad Stevens have truly made Indiana proud and now they are forcing the nation to stand up and take notice.  My Facebook newsfeed has been bombarded with Butler support as well as hopeful VCU fans.  (I lived outside of Richmond all through elementary and junior high) so it is split 50/50 in terms of FB status updates.) 

I am in no way, a college basketball enthusiast.  It is safe to say that I am a bandwagon fan when it comes to college hoops.  Don't get me wrong, I LOOOOOOVE basketball.  I played to for several years when I was younger.  I was a huge fan of the legendary Indiana Pacers who were led by Reggie and the gang back in the mid-90s.  But I am always excited to stand up for the hometown, no matter IU, Purdue, Butler, IUPUI Jags.

Hoosier Hang ups: Former Indiana Pacers star, Jalen Rose, was arrested in Detroit on March 11 on suspicion of DUI.  I am certainly disappointed.  He's done a great job in his retirement getting commentary gigs through ESPN and I hope that this latest snag doesn't derail that progress (probably won't).  I lived across the street from him when I was in high school, during his glory days with the Pacers.  Occasionally, I would see him drive by and would wave to him as he sped by.  I even went Trick-or-Treating at his house (as a freshman) just to catch a glimpse.