beating big men.

Saturday night's game against Colorado State was one of the best all the way around. For one, the team won a non-conference game by 10 points and showed that a small, fast team with good guard play can beat a team with a big front court. Granted, CSU is not Kentucky, so we're not popping champagne corks just yet.

From a PA announcer perspective, everything went according to plan as well. We finally got the sound dialed in to where it should've been since the first game. And I think we're all getting more comfortable with the new set-up. Of course, we had a situation where the scoreboards went out in the second half. Why? Anybody's guess, really. A cord came loose is all I can figure. We got it figured out and the game went on without a hitch.

Akeem Clark and Brandon Cole are going to be a strong one-two punch in scoring this season. George Hill is going to be a great player for the next four seasons. You watch.

oh yeah, we won.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wednesday night's game, from a game management standpoint, has been the best thus far. I wouldn't dare say it was perfect, but we seemed to have less glitches. Well, I take that back. I somehow screwed up the team's intro music, so it was very "retro" by today's standards.

People may or may not be aware, but I also coordinate all the music as well as do PAs. No, it's not brain surgery; but when you're shifting gears from announcing one thing and having to cue up two or three different pieces of music inside of a minute or two, it's easy to get scatter-brained. I'm working on lessening such episodes.

The best remedy, of course, is repetition. The more I do it, the more natural it becomes. As it is, I'm still working to put new names with new faces, keep track of the timeouts and fouls, make sure I've got everything in place for promos and such, and so on. Please don't mistake what I'm saying for a one-man show. That's hardly the case. I am merely the conduit through which all avenues intersect on this side of the game.

Indeed, the game's the thing and I'd never suggest otherwise. I merely act as a friendly guide for those in attendance. I'm not here to take over, just enhance your experience by keeping you up to speed . . . and hopefully do so from a Jag-centric place. Maybe I need to be more revved up, but I'm something of a throw-back. I don't like PA announcers who think they're the star attraction. That dude up in Detroit, Mason, I just can't do that. I won't do that. I don't like it one bit. Give me the old-school Pistons announcer. Give me the dude from the Lakers. Ray Clay did his thing during the starting line-ups for the Bulls, but didn't distract during the game. I can even say the same of Reb Porter here in Indy. I try to work it like that.

I'd like to think I do a decent job, but I know I've got a long way to perfection. So far, though, I'm just happy IUPUI gives me the opportunity.

And oh yeah, the men's team won the game. We'll see how they do against Colorado State on Saturday.

Enjoy your Friday.

iupui - 53; evansville - 61.

So our women's team lost the home opener last night. Things seemed to be looking all right in the first half; but they just seemed out of sorts in the second half. Evansville brought quite a crowd of fans, I must say.

Sometimes our fans sit on their hands. The women's program is in full re-build mode, if you ask me. With a new coach, things will change. I like the intensity she brings. I think the players are feeding off it, but it's still her first year.

The glaring stat of the night for me is 9-for-36. That was our free throw shooting. Ouch. That's on par with my free throw shooting!

In terms of PA, I'm still getting used to the new system and set-up. For some reason, I feel more detached from the game, but I think I'm just not used to things yet. I'm learning to hate my headset mic, though. Hopefully tonight will be better.

Men's home opener this evening vs. Huntington College. I have to keep my head in the game because it's a lot faster than the women's game. And last night's game seemed to be pretty fast-paced.

tonight's game.

Exhibition is over. Tonight is the women's home opener vs. Evansville at 7 p.m.

Here's to a good game!

leave the fists at home.

Maybe I'm hypersensitive to fan behavior or something, but I was completely disgusted with the brawl last night in Auburn Hills. I was disgusted with the players. I was disgusted with the fans. That situation will sort itself out and the NBA will go back to business-as-usual in no time. But who is going to address the escalating problem of fans disrupting games? We all know about the incidents at professional sporting events, but it also happens on the collegiate level.

A couple years ago, during my second season as the Jags PA announcer, Oakland University Head Coach Greg Kampe charged off the bench and confronted a heckler, threatening, "I'm gonna kick your ass!"

The situation calmed almost as quickly as it erupted, but it opened the eyes of the A.D. that we have some hecklers who position themselves directly behind the visitors bench a la Robin Ficker. The program responded by no longer allowing "home team" fans to sit behind that bench.

While the solution was successful, it didn't really address the over-arching problem.

Last season's home finale nearly turned into a situation when chippy play between the Jags and UMKC quickly turned into an on-court fight. If that wasn't bad enough, I noticed that fans directly behind the men's bench were out of their seats, inching toward the floor.

Order was quickly restored, but not by security. I'm not blaming them for any of this, but it points out that organizers of sporting events are not actively planning for such occurances. "It'll never happen again," is what they often say. But he keeps happening.

Again and again.

Not 24 hours after the Pacers-Pistons incident, an on-field fight broke out in South Carolina's final football game.

It's time for players AND fans to check themselves. Cheer. Boo. Yell. But please, leave the fists at home.

home openers.

The home openers for IUPUI basketball are next week.

Women's opener
Tuesday, 23 November vs. Evansville

Men's opener
Wednesday, 24 November vs. Huntington College

Both games start at 7pm at the IUPUI Gymnasium on IUPUI's campus.

Be there!!!!

night & day.

We had our exhibition basketball games this past weekend. Man, I forget how fast the game goes! The men's game on Friday was, of course, fun; but it was like learning how to work a b-ball game all over again. Every year, the first game is always like that. In fact, the first few games go like that. You just have to get your "sea legs" I suppose.

Add to that a new P.A. system and it's only more difficult.

The men's team lost their exhibition game to Premier Sports. I, for one, don't think it's bad that they lost the game. Hopefully they'll identify the weaknesses exposed by the opponents.

By Saturday night, the women's exhibition game, we got most of the kinks ironed out with sound. Learning the new soundboard just took a little time. I think we've got most of it dialed in.

The women's team won going away, too. Of course, they were playing an NAIA team, so they should've won. Not to take anything away from the Jags, though. They showed more spirit and athleticism in this game than all last year. Hopefully that'll continue throughout the season when they take on the big teams.

game on.

Well, the clock just struck midnight. In 19 hours, we have our first basketball game of the season. It's an exhibition game, but still, this is not a drill.

This is my fourth season doing PA for IUPUI and I can't wait. It never gets old.

Game on.