For the past 318 days the Leatherneck Basketball players and coaches have thought of very little other than that heartbreaking 52-50 OT loss to South Dakota State in the Summit League Championship game. That's a type of game that sticks with you. One you never forget. It stings you deep down. It's a pain you have trouble putting into words.
The Leathernecks were devastated after that game. Tonight in Western Hall they have a chance to exact a measure revenge.
While this game may not be for a trip to the National Tournament, it's a chance for the Leathernecks to show the Jackrabbits that this isn't 2012 anymore. To show them that they're for real. Tonight, along with the big game versus North Dakota State on Saturday, they can show the entire conference that this Leatherneck squad is a force to be dealt with. A storm that isn't going to settle.
When the Jackrabbits enter Western Hall tonight they're going to enter an electric atmosphere that the arena hasn't seen for many, many years. Maybe even ever. The stands will be packed. The crowd will be loud. The environment is going to be something SDSU has likely never experienced inside Western Hall: hostile.
I know for a fact that since I've been here there hasn't ever been this much hype about a Leatherneck home game. The entire community is talking about it.
The Leathernecks have certainly earned that support. They enter the game at 14-3 overall, 6-0 in conference play, tied for first in the conference, and riding a program record eleven game winning streak.
Over the next few days the Leathernecks have a chance to send a message to the rest of the conference. To make a statement that simply says: the Conference Tournament may be held in Sioux Falls, but the road to the top of the Summit goes through Western Illinois!
GO LEATHERNECKS!!!
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Leatherneck Basketball Returns
...and I could not be more excited!
On Thursday, Leatherneck hoops returns (kinda) in their first exhibition game of the year. For those that followed me last year, you know I'm basically obsessed with this team, and it seems outrageously inappropriate to not post about them.
I'm thinking I'll probably be posting about them again this season, it just won't be as in-depth being that I'm no longer traveling with them/calling their games...:(...but I'll do my best to keep up! It shouldn't be too hard because I know I'll be at every home game and listening to every road game. I'll try and make it to a few road games as well, but some of those trips are prettttty far.
The first exhibition game is Thursday at home against Harris-Stowe State...who I've never heard of. Tip is at 7pm, and you know I'll be there!
GO LEATHERNECKS!!!
P.S. Here's a link to highlights of last season for those who missed out (or just want to relive it)!
'11-'12 Leatherneck Highlights
On Thursday, Leatherneck hoops returns (kinda) in their first exhibition game of the year. For those that followed me last year, you know I'm basically obsessed with this team, and it seems outrageously inappropriate to not post about them.
I'm thinking I'll probably be posting about them again this season, it just won't be as in-depth being that I'm no longer traveling with them/calling their games...:(...but I'll do my best to keep up! It shouldn't be too hard because I know I'll be at every home game and listening to every road game. I'll try and make it to a few road games as well, but some of those trips are prettttty far.
The first exhibition game is Thursday at home against Harris-Stowe State...who I've never heard of. Tip is at 7pm, and you know I'll be there!
GO LEATHERNECKS!!!
P.S. Here's a link to highlights of last season for those who missed out (or just want to relive it)!
'11-'12 Leatherneck Highlights
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
The Microwave...
 |
| Oh how I despise this machine... |
If you want to be kind and donate us a new microwave, you would be my hero until the end of time.
As a reward for following along with my little rant, here's an awesome music video featuring an awesome guy...
May the force be with you...always.
Friday, July 6, 2012
Joining the "Real World"
For anyone who has not heard (I'm guessing there's not much of you who haven't), after sending out applications all over trying to find a job, I got a call out of the blue from Prestige Radio (where I interned at last summer) right here in Macomb with a job offer! I immediately accepted and so it looks like Macomb, IL will be my home for a little while longer!
No, I do not have a problem staying in Macomb for now. I still have lots of friends here and it is not an expensive place to live so I should be able to save money somewhat easily.
As of right now, I do not officially live anywhere. The lease on our house for the past two years ended last week and so until I find my own place, I'm staying at a friends apartment. I'm going to look at apartments today, so hopefully I will have my own place soon.
Now, the transition into the real world...up until getting this job, I had not been doing much of anything. I would wake up whenever I felt like it and basically do nothing outside of working out for the rest of the day. Not a bad lifestyle in my opinion, but I was rather bored...a lot. Then I started this job and everything changed. I have to come in around 4:30am everyday and typically finish up around 12:30, depending on how busy I am (for instance, Fridays are usually busier). Needless to say, I've had to adjust quickly.
Despite how abrupt my schedule change was, I think I've taken it rather well. I have not minded getting up really early. Don't get me wrong though, I have definitely found myself missing the "college" lifestyle at times, but I know that this is a necessary transition. Plus, it's nice to have something to do everyday. What I like the most is that everyday is different. I hate doing repetitive work that requires the same thing over and over and so it's great that this job keeps me on my toes and lets me be creative.
I like my co-workers a lot. Generally, radio people are very easy to get along with and add in the fact that I was already here last summer and it made everything very easy on me.
That's it for now, I'll try to post some pics of the new job area at some point!
No, I do not have a problem staying in Macomb for now. I still have lots of friends here and it is not an expensive place to live so I should be able to save money somewhat easily.
As of right now, I do not officially live anywhere. The lease on our house for the past two years ended last week and so until I find my own place, I'm staying at a friends apartment. I'm going to look at apartments today, so hopefully I will have my own place soon.
Now, the transition into the real world...up until getting this job, I had not been doing much of anything. I would wake up whenever I felt like it and basically do nothing outside of working out for the rest of the day. Not a bad lifestyle in my opinion, but I was rather bored...a lot. Then I started this job and everything changed. I have to come in around 4:30am everyday and typically finish up around 12:30, depending on how busy I am (for instance, Fridays are usually busier). Needless to say, I've had to adjust quickly.
Despite how abrupt my schedule change was, I think I've taken it rather well. I have not minded getting up really early. Don't get me wrong though, I have definitely found myself missing the "college" lifestyle at times, but I know that this is a necessary transition. Plus, it's nice to have something to do everyday. What I like the most is that everyday is different. I hate doing repetitive work that requires the same thing over and over and so it's great that this job keeps me on my toes and lets me be creative.
I like my co-workers a lot. Generally, radio people are very easy to get along with and add in the fact that I was already here last summer and it made everything very easy on me.
That's it for now, I'll try to post some pics of the new job area at some point!
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
The BCS and College Football
With the news this year that the highest level of college football will finally implement some sort of playoff system, I wanted to talk about how this is a very long time coming. Plus, I haven't written in a while so hey, why not...
I have been saying for many years now that the BCS is bad for Division 1A college football (now titled the FBS level). I understand the tradition of bowl games but the last decade has just proven, in my mind, that the BCS is a broken system. I even wrote a couple papers in college about how terrible the system is and how much they need a playoff.
If you look at the level of college football right under FBS, the FCS (or any other level of play for that matter), you can see how successful a playoff system can be. They have a great combination of using conference champions as well as at-large bids to create an exciting environment for finding the best team in the nation. It's been working for them for a long time.
So, why has it taken the FBS level so long to catch up? The obvious answer is money. Then there are also those fools who say that the BCS system works. But how do they explain the situation in 2003 back when USC and LSU split the national title? That's simply outrageous.
There are also times like this past season when the championship game was a rematch of a game we had already seen: LSU vs. Alabama. LSU had won the first game, Alabama won the "championship" game. OK, so each team beat each other once...what has this solved? Some could make the argument that Alabama got it done when it counted most, but do you know how hard it is to beat a team twice in one season? Extremely hard, especially in football and especially when it's already a rivalry game.
Alright, now that I've gotten my little rant in about how awful the BCS is, the question now becomes...what kind of playoff system will they create?
I am extremely hopeful that they will go about this the right way. The best thing to do, in my opinion, would be to adapt a similar system to what the FCS level has, but I know this is just a fantasy. There is too much money to be made in bowl games for them to completely eliminate them. However, the next best solution would be a 1, 2, 3, 4 system. Simply have a committee (similar to the type of committee they use to select the field for the NCAA Tournament every year) pick the top four teams in the nation, seed them #1 through #4, and have then playoff against each other. This way, you can still play the other bowl games while also finding a TRUE national champion.
There are some that are saying they need to keep the BCS involved in the selection process, which would just be insanity. The BCS should be put to death, buried and forgotten. If they find a way to keep the BCS involved, I'll be furious.
There is also the question of where they would play the semi-final rounds of the playoff (the championship would obviously be on a neutral site). There are basically two ways of doing it. One is to play them on a neutral site. This would likely involve making say, the Rose Bowl and Orange Bowl semi-final playoff games. The other way to do it would be to have the higher seeded school host the game.
I think both ways are actually good ideas. Looking at the first one, it's a great way of keeping the bowl game tradition alive while also implementing the playoff. As for the second one, how awesome would it be for a school to host a playoff game? Imagine the type of atmosphere if a school like Ohio State or Michigan got to host a playoff game. I know that some are saying that there are some schools who's home towns are just too small to host such a big event, and maybe that's true. But I have faith that they could find a way.
Truth is, no matter what kind of a system they develop, it will be better than what they have had. No longer will I have to suffer through watching a team like Boise State, the year they beat Oklahoma and went undefeated, not even have a shot at the title.
I hope you enjoyed this and feel free to argue with me.
I have been saying for many years now that the BCS is bad for Division 1A college football (now titled the FBS level). I understand the tradition of bowl games but the last decade has just proven, in my mind, that the BCS is a broken system. I even wrote a couple papers in college about how terrible the system is and how much they need a playoff.
If you look at the level of college football right under FBS, the FCS (or any other level of play for that matter), you can see how successful a playoff system can be. They have a great combination of using conference champions as well as at-large bids to create an exciting environment for finding the best team in the nation. It's been working for them for a long time.
So, why has it taken the FBS level so long to catch up? The obvious answer is money. Then there are also those fools who say that the BCS system works. But how do they explain the situation in 2003 back when USC and LSU split the national title? That's simply outrageous.
There are also times like this past season when the championship game was a rematch of a game we had already seen: LSU vs. Alabama. LSU had won the first game, Alabama won the "championship" game. OK, so each team beat each other once...what has this solved? Some could make the argument that Alabama got it done when it counted most, but do you know how hard it is to beat a team twice in one season? Extremely hard, especially in football and especially when it's already a rivalry game.
Alright, now that I've gotten my little rant in about how awful the BCS is, the question now becomes...what kind of playoff system will they create?
I am extremely hopeful that they will go about this the right way. The best thing to do, in my opinion, would be to adapt a similar system to what the FCS level has, but I know this is just a fantasy. There is too much money to be made in bowl games for them to completely eliminate them. However, the next best solution would be a 1, 2, 3, 4 system. Simply have a committee (similar to the type of committee they use to select the field for the NCAA Tournament every year) pick the top four teams in the nation, seed them #1 through #4, and have then playoff against each other. This way, you can still play the other bowl games while also finding a TRUE national champion.
There are some that are saying they need to keep the BCS involved in the selection process, which would just be insanity. The BCS should be put to death, buried and forgotten. If they find a way to keep the BCS involved, I'll be furious.
There is also the question of where they would play the semi-final rounds of the playoff (the championship would obviously be on a neutral site). There are basically two ways of doing it. One is to play them on a neutral site. This would likely involve making say, the Rose Bowl and Orange Bowl semi-final playoff games. The other way to do it would be to have the higher seeded school host the game.
I think both ways are actually good ideas. Looking at the first one, it's a great way of keeping the bowl game tradition alive while also implementing the playoff. As for the second one, how awesome would it be for a school to host a playoff game? Imagine the type of atmosphere if a school like Ohio State or Michigan got to host a playoff game. I know that some are saying that there are some schools who's home towns are just too small to host such a big event, and maybe that's true. But I have faith that they could find a way.
Truth is, no matter what kind of a system they develop, it will be better than what they have had. No longer will I have to suffer through watching a team like Boise State, the year they beat Oklahoma and went undefeated, not even have a shot at the title.
I hope you enjoyed this and feel free to argue with me.
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Goodbye WIU!
This is just a little late, but i wanted to post about saying goodbye to WIU...
On May 12th, I officially graduated from Western with Magna Cum Laude (2nd highest honors...I had a final GPA of 3.777!) and I'm not gonna lie, it was a weird feeling. For so long I have identified myself as a "college student" but now I'm not!
On graduation day, my mom, dad, sister, and brother-in-law came to see me graduate and we went out for lunch afterwords. It was there that I receive a HUGE surprise...
...a ton of graduation cards! Apparently my mom collected these from various family members without me knowing and so when she handed them to me I was completely blown away! Thank you so much to everyone that sent me one, I really do have the best family ever!
After my family left I hung out for a while and relaxed a bit. I was on very little sleep as a result of graduation being at 9am and me going out the night before to start the graduation celebration a little early...you do the math. Then that night me and a bunch of my friends (both grads and non-grads) went out to the Change of Pace to celebrate. It was a really good time and pretty much all of my friends were there, which was awesome because I'm not really sure when I'll see some of them again.
In all, graduation weekend was a complete success and a great way to say goodbye to the school I love so much.
The four years I spent here at WIU have been an unforgettable experience. I met so many great friends and had more awesome times than I can possibly remember. I will NEVER forget my experience or the friends that made it so incredible for me. I can't even imagine what my life would be like if I hadn't chosen to come to school here and I can honestly say I have no regrets about my time in college. I couldn't have asked for a better four years and can't wait to come back and visit as an alumni!
It still feels weird knowing I'm not in school anymore and that it's time to go out and get a "big boy job," but I know that I'm ready for the next step and I can't wait to see where my next journey takes me...BRING IT ON REAL WORLD!!!
On May 12th, I officially graduated from Western with Magna Cum Laude (2nd highest honors...I had a final GPA of 3.777!) and I'm not gonna lie, it was a weird feeling. For so long I have identified myself as a "college student" but now I'm not!
On graduation day, my mom, dad, sister, and brother-in-law came to see me graduate and we went out for lunch afterwords. It was there that I receive a HUGE surprise...
...a ton of graduation cards! Apparently my mom collected these from various family members without me knowing and so when she handed them to me I was completely blown away! Thank you so much to everyone that sent me one, I really do have the best family ever!
After my family left I hung out for a while and relaxed a bit. I was on very little sleep as a result of graduation being at 9am and me going out the night before to start the graduation celebration a little early...you do the math. Then that night me and a bunch of my friends (both grads and non-grads) went out to the Change of Pace to celebrate. It was a really good time and pretty much all of my friends were there, which was awesome because I'm not really sure when I'll see some of them again.
In all, graduation weekend was a complete success and a great way to say goodbye to the school I love so much.
The four years I spent here at WIU have been an unforgettable experience. I met so many great friends and had more awesome times than I can possibly remember. I will NEVER forget my experience or the friends that made it so incredible for me. I can't even imagine what my life would be like if I hadn't chosen to come to school here and I can honestly say I have no regrets about my time in college. I couldn't have asked for a better four years and can't wait to come back and visit as an alumni!
It still feels weird knowing I'm not in school anymore and that it's time to go out and get a "big boy job," but I know that I'm ready for the next step and I can't wait to see where my next journey takes me...BRING IT ON REAL WORLD!!!
 |
| Tom Durso (and old family friend, employee in the broadcasting department, and all around awesome guy) and me. |
 |
| Me looking all cool in my grad gear in front of the banner for my college. |
 |
| This is in front of the football field, I'm sitting on "Rocky," a statue that routinely gets painted different colors by various people on campus. |
 |
| Kelsea, Andrew, and me. |
 |
| The whole fam...all college grads! My parents and me all from WIU and my sister from Bradley! |
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Life After Basketball
Well I almost forgot I even had this thing, so hey I'll just give a good ole' update about my current life post-basketball...
The short story is: my life is boring now. I went from traveling all over the country and being gone every weekend, to being in the same place all the time and not doing anything. Don't get me wrong, I love Macomb but I guess I've just realized how little there is to do when you're not traveling all the time.
As soon as the basketball season ended, I basically let myself go. My hair is pretty long and I went over a month without shaving. It wasn't a pretty sight. The good news is that I did finally shave and I'm working on the hair thing (Mom says I need to get it cut before graduation).
Spring Break in Colorado was nothing short of a blast. Mega thanks to Dawn for paying for the condo we stayed in! The weather was perfect all week (not a surprise) and we had a great time. It was super cool seeing one of my oldest and best friends, Tom O'Malley, who lives/goes to school out there. We hadn't seen each other in over a year. It was definitely a great last spring break ever.
School is basically done for me (graduation is May 12th, so you should come and celebrate with me!) and so I have very little homework. The day before graduation I'm going to this awards ceremony because I'm graduating Magna Cum Laude. They're giving me a medallion and some other stuff, so that's cool. Yes, I plan on wearing it the whole weekend.
I only have to go to class a total of six times a week and so even that takes up very little of my time. My main concentration right now is getting a job. I have my resume together and I'm working on putting together my resume DVD. I applied for a job in Galesburg, which could be cool because I could stay kind of close to Macomb and my friends, not be too far from home, and be a little closer to Chicago. Not a bad spot to be in my opinion. Hopefully I can lock down a job sometime before or soon after graduation because that way I can start looking for a place to live before I become homeless on June 31st (the day our lease for the house ends). It'll be a sad day when we have to move out of this place :(. I'm just taking things one step at a time right now and hopefully things work out well!
Well, that pretty much sums up my life right now, I hope you enjoyed! I'm looking to make a trip up to the Chicago area sometime soon to visit family, so hopefully I'll be seeing you guys soon!
-Speaking of family, I have some sad news to report...my beer boot has been broken. I received this boot as a present from my cousin Pete when I graduated high school and it nearly made it all the way through college. It was one of my most treasured possessions and so I was sad when it was broken to say the least. But know that when it was alive, it lived well.-
I'll end this blog with some wise words from the great Homer Simpson, "Facts are meaningless. You can use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true!" Classic.
 |
| Here's a random picture of me doing what I do best...nothing. |
As soon as the basketball season ended, I basically let myself go. My hair is pretty long and I went over a month without shaving. It wasn't a pretty sight. The good news is that I did finally shave and I'm working on the hair thing (Mom says I need to get it cut before graduation).
Spring Break in Colorado was nothing short of a blast. Mega thanks to Dawn for paying for the condo we stayed in! The weather was perfect all week (not a surprise) and we had a great time. It was super cool seeing one of my oldest and best friends, Tom O'Malley, who lives/goes to school out there. We hadn't seen each other in over a year. It was definitely a great last spring break ever.
School is basically done for me (graduation is May 12th, so you should come and celebrate with me!) and so I have very little homework. The day before graduation I'm going to this awards ceremony because I'm graduating Magna Cum Laude. They're giving me a medallion and some other stuff, so that's cool. Yes, I plan on wearing it the whole weekend.
I only have to go to class a total of six times a week and so even that takes up very little of my time. My main concentration right now is getting a job. I have my resume together and I'm working on putting together my resume DVD. I applied for a job in Galesburg, which could be cool because I could stay kind of close to Macomb and my friends, not be too far from home, and be a little closer to Chicago. Not a bad spot to be in my opinion. Hopefully I can lock down a job sometime before or soon after graduation because that way I can start looking for a place to live before I become homeless on June 31st (the day our lease for the house ends). It'll be a sad day when we have to move out of this place :(. I'm just taking things one step at a time right now and hopefully things work out well!
Well, that pretty much sums up my life right now, I hope you enjoyed! I'm looking to make a trip up to the Chicago area sometime soon to visit family, so hopefully I'll be seeing you guys soon!
-Speaking of family, I have some sad news to report...my beer boot has been broken. I received this boot as a present from my cousin Pete when I graduated high school and it nearly made it all the way through college. It was one of my most treasured possessions and so I was sad when it was broken to say the least. But know that when it was alive, it lived well.-
I'll end this blog with some wise words from the great Homer Simpson, "Facts are meaningless. You can use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true!" Classic.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)