We’re faced with another week in fall sports where all the competition is slated for Friday (football sectionals) or Saturday (all other fall sports). Area athletes who were still practicing this week, good luck in your continued postseason runs.
I’m interested to see how many Indiana Hoosier football fans who said, “I’m done watching football” in the recent years since name, image, likeness (NIL), and the transfer portal were in full swing… are they watching their 7-0 Hoosiers since their big win over Nebraska?
The Hoosier football squad is testimony to the benefits of aggressive recruiting via the transfer portal. I’m not here to bust your chops if you’ve changed your mind due to IU’s recent success. I won’t begrudge you the relevance you’re enjoying that is usually absent in the Hoosiers’ football season by the time they customarily for from 4-0 to 4-4 after a few Big Ten Conference games.
I bet last Saturday’s visit from Fox’s game day crew was fun, but we’ll see how many more of these you’ll get to enjoy.
Ohio State fandom makes me exceedingly high and mighty, and it’s one aspect of life where I don’t even try to be humble, especially among Purdue, IU, and Notre Dame fans here. My lungs aren’t filled with smog from my birth city (Cleveland). My lungs, instead, are filled with scarlet and gray… smug.
Area Buckeye fans won’t say it aloud, but when Indiana’s two Big Ten teams enjoy success, here we sit saying to ourselves, “Oh YOU guys… good for you. GOOD for YOU.” Like a kid who stays in the line when he or she are coloring.
So, if you’re wondering how Buckeye fans feel about IU’s season, I just shed light on the silent part.
With all this said, I still enjoyed the Hoosiers’ 56-7 win over Nebraska last weekend. The team has a great defense to watch on Saturday noon games, and the head coach is a great hire.
While I’m in fandom mode, I must confess to a fandom fail I experienced the night of Warsaw’s 35-21 victory over NorthWood October 11th.
En route to home via Indiana State Road 19, picking up a 10-year-old cream puff car to replace my wife’s recently totaled vehicle, I followed her while listening to the first 8 minutes of the game on NewsNow! Warsaw, 99.7 FM.
I called my wife and told her to keep driving home because “Warsaw is going to be down 21-0 in about another two minutes.”
They were, as I predicted, but my wife replied sharply, “No way, we’re going. It’s a gorgeous night, and it’s time for the Tigers to make a comeback. I can’t believe you’re even saying this, Chip!”
I reached the parking lot, and while trying in van to find a parking space I dialed her again telling her something is telling us we shouldn’t be here. She recommended a parking place that was good to walk to the stadium in nice Friday night weather.
What got into me? I still cannot figure out my rationale. I was tired, and even the fresh air would have done me good, so why did I try to balk twice?
I listened to my better seven-eighths, and we watched Warsaw score 28 of their 35 unanswered points. As we heard the announce already announce a Tiger touchdown as we walked to get tickets, I was nudged with Shawna’s elbow as she said, “It only took about a minute or two, see? You’re grade for tonight’s game as a fan is an ‘F’!”
As the fourth quarter was rolling, and Warsaw had the ball, I said to Shawna, “Let’s send good vibes so we don’t fumble on this drive. We cannot fumble here.”
Another nearby fan said, “Hey! We don’t use the ‘Fffff’ word here. That’s enough of that talk!”
Shawna replied to her, “Oh, he already had an epic fandom fail tonight!” She continued to also inform her of the two balks I made on my way to the game.
The fan’s rejoinder was, “You’re the announcer, so what’s wrong with you today?”
All I replied sheepishly was, “May I have a do-over?”
I’ll end on a good note. Football fans, Halloween was a Thursday night in 2019, but Trick or Treat in Warsaw was slated for Friday, November 1, clashing with the area sectional semifinals. Well, this year, Trick-or-Tret night is on Thursday, October 31 so we won’t miss the costumed kiddos this time.