As we are in the middle of March Madness, I thought I would share a story on why I AM NEVER LATE, EVER...PERIOD.

Growing up in northwest Indiana, one was either a Purdue fan or Indiana fan.  I was an IU fan and with that came the man, Bobby Knight.  So, going into my 8th grade year I signed up to attend the IU basketball camp.  If you have never been on IU's campus, it is beautiful and they conduct most of the camp out of the HYPR, which is a string of probably 10-13 courts.

Anyway, I am at Bob Knight's camp, summer of '83, I believe - John Cougar's "Small Town" was being taped on campus, etc.  So I get to meet Dan Dakich, Joby Wright and stay in the dorms on campus...cool stuff for a kid.  I remember always wearing a George Gervin jersey so I was nicknamed "Ice" at the camp.  I didn't exactly possess his silky smooth skills, but I could hold my own. 

As you attend Knight's camp he has a bunch of lesser known coaches running the camp.  He addresses the camp on the front end and gives a speach the night before the camp ends.  Now, love Knight or hate him - you have to know that he was literally a hero in the state of Indiana - larger than life.  He spoke, you listened.  So, I get through the camp...me and my buddy rooming together and had a late scrimmage the evening Knight was supposed to speak.  We shower, he takes off as I wasn't quite ready and I am like, "Where the hell did he go?"  So I get out of the shower and realize I am running way late, so I sprint from the dorms over to where Knight is scheduled and I get to the building, to the area where Knight is and realize..."Oh shit!"  He has already begun.  So, I decide to sneak in to along the side and Knight looks over at me and says, "Come here!"  Now remember, I am what - 12 years old?  I turn beat red and say, "Yes Sir."  He says, "Why is it you are late? I tell him and he proceeds to make me do 100 pushups in front of the entire camp...easily over 1,000 kids and coaches. 

Moral of the story:  DON'T BE LATE!  Love 'em or hate 'em, Knight was good at giving life lessons...sometimes in a professional manner, sometimes not so much.  Anyway, hope you enjoyed that because it was literally something I look back at with fondness thinking of the glory days of IU hoops.

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Time to stretch my legs on this blogging thing. Been a while. Hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season.

Well, the Bears got smoked once again yesterday. No real surprise in itself but wow has this team quit on Lovie. In that regard, it has got to be time for him to pack his bags. I'm not going to spew the venom that some Bears fans have regarding Lovie Smith. He is a classy enough gentleman so no need to add to the obvious. The team has regressed and I just don't envision a scenario that brings Smith back.

In addition to Smith, Jerry Angelo is offering up quotes to defuse the report by Comcast Sports Net that said Smith was safe. Big issues with Angelo offering up anything at this point. And his willingness to even consider responding to this is more telling than anything else that has come out of Halas Hall. Angelo is in full blown CYA mode. And he should be. I said at the time, that two firsts plus Orton was too much for Cutler. I was laughed at. Told you have to do it. Couple that with the 2nd round pick for Gaines Adams and I do believe Angelo screwed the pooch this year. Make no mistake about it: I don't subscribe to the one year makes or breaks a trade but Cutler has been Rex Grossman in every sense of the word other than his win/loss record and Gaines Adams has not been used. Add to the fact that Angelo has been downright brutal the last three years in the draft. Add to the that Kyle Orton and Cedric Benson and you have major trust issues with Angelo. It's a dynamic that speaks on two things: coaching and evaluation. Angelo deals with evaluation and he is in charge of personnel and his staff. Smith and Co. are responsible to make these players work inside the system. Both have failed very large. Three years outside the playoff picture, your former players working out for other organizations, and in house decisions that have been awful. And make no mistake about it, Brian Urlacher solves nothing. They gagged away a playoff shot last year with #54 in the middle so I don't want to hear about the difference he makes. Too many people underachieving. Upstairs, on the field, on the sidelines. Systemic, is the word I choose. So, blow the sucker up!!!! Take some C4 and make the changes. I used to think it was impossible, but the excellent piece over at Windy City Gridiron on the Bears financials make it clear that an organization with a net worth at or over 1 Billion can absorb the contracts of Lovie Smith, Ron Turner, his staff, and Jerry Angelo.

But understand this: it all begins and ends with the McKaskey's and Ted Phillips. In that regard, Angelo needs to shut the trap and be humbled by this pathetic team and staff he has put together. THAT, falls on his shoulders. He isn't self evaluating, he is covering his a**. And that is pathetic. At least Lovie Smith has the dignity to accept his effort may not be good enough.

Enjoy Christmas and New Year's everyone. Bear Down!

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