Thoughts from the Archangel

Some days it’s hard enough to come up with something coherent to write down, let alone a nifty little title that might grab your attention.  Some days I can’t do either, and so I don’t post at all.

I am in a mood today, I tell ya.  I’m feeling snappy and snarky.  I shouldn’t  – had a good weekend and got plenty of sleep last night – but I do.  That being said, I have few things to discuss so the nebulous annoyance I’m chillin’ in doesn’t infiltrate EVERYTHING I do today.

Butler Basketball:  Went to the game at Hinkle yesterday, and watched a heartbreaker.  It was a crazy sort of day…the Dawgs got behind at the very beginning of the game and never got it back.  It seemed for the most part that they couldn’t break a 9-point deficit.  We’d score and get within 10, and Loyola (the Ramblers…wonder what their mascot looks like) would go and score a 3 to put us back down.  The game had a pause late in the second half – a little girl went missing within Hinkle and both teams agreed to chill until she was found.  The kid was 3…scary for the parents that she wandered off or whatever.

I’ve said before about these boys being so young…freshmen and sophomores, mostly, and they are going to be great as they mature and stop taking every open three they think they see.  It was awful at times.  it was also great at times.  College basketball is nothing if it isn’t a show of heart and determination.  It’s from the players all the way up to the coaches…and it’s awesome.

Indiana Ice:  For kicks, the DH and I decided to go to the hockey game for Valentine’s Day.  We got some really great seats, but I had forgotten that the Ice have fallen so far.  When I was younger, they were considered the “farm team” for the Chicago Blackhawks, and so the guys were older, a bit more practiced, and totally appropriate for athlete crushes.  Now, they’re a super low level team that might be appropriate for college scouting.  Do they even have farm teams in hockey anymore?  Well, I know they won’t be harvesting any of our boys for a while yet.  Do I need to say that the Ice lost?

There was no structure – no defenders, centers, nothing – you either were a goalie or you weren’t.  There was a glove-dropping, helmets-off, sweater-yanking fistfight in the first 5 minutes.   There are some fundamentals that are seriously lacking:  passing was bad, receiving the puck was ridiculous, and it seemed that the guys couldn’t pay attention to who was on their team – many a pass went to a defender beautifully.  The Ice had better than 40 shots on goal and 2 scores.  The Des Moines Buccaneers (they have Buccaneers in Des Moines??) had less than 30 shots on goal and 3 scores.  In the first period, I think they had 2 scores for 6 shots.

Insanity, I say.  Stick to the basics, stick to the basics!

Anyway, I’m going to do actual work.  No really.  I won’t just be scouring the internet for hot athletes.  Well, not JUST.

Good:  Had a great Valentine’s weekend with the DH.

Bad:  Hottie Joe Mauer is restricted here at the beginning of Spring Training because of some surgery done to remove a kidney blockage.  He’s fine (no shit), but needs to take it easy for a bit.

Ugly:  The fans at the hockey game were all sorts of white trash.  I know, I’m a judgemental bitch, but really.  I saw more chick mullets than I’d seen in a long time.  I don’t know WTF that mascot is supposed to be, and those folks were just mean.  They cursed openly in front of kids at the players and shouted for their team to “rip his head off!” and to “punch his face in!”.  Wow.

Funny:  Some of Chris Cooley’s thoughts and observations about the Pro Bowl…plus that story and video of Larry Fitzgerald leaving him hanging on a celebration are great.  Check it out here.

Bonus Hot Guy Pic:  Butler Basketball coach Brad Stevens