Congrats to the women's team at my alma mater, IU South Bend.



From today's South Bend Tribune:

IUSB wins CCAC with Titanic finish

By MATT KOPSEA

SOUTH BEND -- Liz Moulis got her revenge Saturday afternoon.

The 5-foot-5 senior guard provided a huge lift off the bench with 16 points and six rebounds, helping Indiana University South Bend claim the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference women's basketball tournament crown with a 70-65 triumph over No. 25 (NAIA Div.-I) St. Xavier (Ill.) at the Student Activities Center.

Moulis' two free throws with 3.1 seconds left sealed the Titans' (23-10) fifth bid to the NAIA Division I national tournament and first since the 2000-01 campaign. Read more.

Within the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference in the NAIA, IUSB's women's team is something of a powerhouse. This is their fifth championship in about eight or nine years.

a long, cold summer.

Wow. The season is over. I can't believe it's already March. Six months goes pretty fast, I guess.

Our men's team had its final game on Monday night in what could be a harbinger of the future in the Mid-Con tournament. Oral Roberts may have won this game, but we may see them again. That could be a stellar game. IUPUI doesn't have the inside game it had last season, but it is a quick, quick team with deadly outside shooting. I hope they bring their A game to Tulsa.

For me, the last game of the season is always bittersweet. I always feel like I'm just getting into the swing of things with announcing just as we shut it down. it's always a privilege and an honor to work the table. We keep bugging the SIDs for our own page in the media guide. Alas, they have held steadfast in their denial of our hopes and dreams.

Senior Night is always an anomoly because we have TONS of announcements to rip through. Overall, it went pretty well. Unlike a couple seasons ago, I've learned to relax and not grip up if the timeline needs to change on the fly. I'm getting better at being an instrument of the game. Still, I need to always remember to focus. You'd think, after nine years of doing this, that I'd not get freaked out by the sound of my own voice over the P.A. You'd be wrong.

My favorite thing this season was, without a doubt, the pep band announcement. We have several boilerplate announcements that I have all but committed to memory; such is the case with the pep band announcement, which goes a little something like this (feel free to read aloud to achieve the full effect):

The IUPUI Intercollegiate Athletics Department would like to thank the IUPUI Music Department for their sponsorship of The Bend Band. The Pep Band is comprised of IUPUI students under the direction of David Copeland.

Twice a game I read that. This year -- I don't recall which game -- I switched it up a bit and said, "...under the expertise of David Copeland." Later on, expertise gave way to expert tutelage. I don't even know how or why it started, but it became a thing where I'd alwys key on Dave's name. I think it all started when I called him "Diamond Dave" Copeland. Throughout the season he was, among others:

* misunderstood genius, David Copeland
* billionaire playboy, David Copeland
* under the ironfisted regime of David Copeland
* ...of David "don't call me Doc Severinson" Copeland
* evil genius, David Copeland
* under the P. Diddy-esque direction of David Copeland
* David "Chocolate Thunder" Copeland (makes me laugh to this day)
* The next American Idol, David Copeland
* J. Lo's new husband David Copeland

The list goes on and on and I honestly don't remember them all. Half the time I made it up on the fly. But now, I've started a thing so I've got to start keeping a list for next season.

My favorite part of that is it got the band into it and some of the folks in the crowd. I'm not one to over-do it on yucking it up, but I do think you can be funny if you're clever and well-timed with it.

The David Copeland segment was my favorite all season long.

I already miss this season. It's a long, cold summer to basketball season. How long to November?

mickey mouse nonsense.

Last weekend I had my one and only opportunity to re-visit my college alma mater, Indiana University South Bend. I went to IUSB from 1988-94 (two years were part-time). It was at IUSB where I cut my teeth as a P.A. announcer. I believe it was the 1991-92 basketball season when I first gave it a shot. I did P.A. announcing for about two seasons while a student. I had absolutely no prior training of any sort. I simply took the mic when the then-coach and A.D. Jerry Jones (not that Jerry Jones!) and Eugene Love (director of student life) asked if I'd do it. They were in a jam, so I agreed, somewhat reluctantly. I graduated in 1994 and moved to Indianapolis. As luck or fate would have it, I took a job at IUSB in 1997 and immediately got involved with the athletics program as soon as I could.

Once again, when they were in a pinch, I filled in as a P.A. announcer at the last minute. I spent that first season being a "part-timer" and then did it full-time for a couple seasons.

When I came back to Indianapolis in 2001, I found my way to the IUPUI athletics dept. and got involved right away. Again, with luck or fate on my side, I backed my way into the P.A. gigs with the soccer and basketball teams (both, men's and women's).

So I guess I've got about nine years of experience as a P.A. announcer under my belt. Not to sound like a bigshot (because I'm sooooo not!), but I can't help but pay extra attention to announcers whenever I watch a game on TV or attend one in person.

It was with that in mind, that sent me back to campus last Saturday for IUSB's Senior Day 2005.

The program is different than when I was there. They've got their own on-campus facility. But fan/student interest wanes. It sucks, too. Granted, it's NAIA, but still. I digress.

I commend the athletics department for doing their absolute best to put on a professional operation. In many respects, I think they do a great job. I only wish SOMEBODY would light a fire under that student body!

As for their announcer....well, I'd bet he's a college student. And I'd bet he's friends with people in the program. I don't think I'd ever say it to his face, but he needs to at least make an attempt at professionalism, in my opinion.

Everything seems like a big joke to him. He's not very good. He doesn't have a very good voice. He doesn't coordinate the music very well, so there's lots of dead air. In short, he's pretty Bush League.

Grow up, son. And take it seriously. You can certainly have fun at it and even sneak in a one-liner or two. But don't shirk your duties. It's an embarrassment to the team.

I'd ditch him next year, if I were that A.D. If you want to be taken seriously, you've got to ditch the Mickey Mouse nonsense.

Fortunately, the women's team won while I was there. The men's team got rolled. IUSB's women's team has been dominant in their conference for the past 10 years. The men's team? Well...

I hear they're hiring their coaches full-time next season. That's quite a turn for this program. Now lets' hope they start building a following and growing that program.

Man, what I would do with that program if given the opportunity...

strange opportunities abound.

There must be something in the water over at IUPUI during basketball games or something. Last night I did P.A. for a men's basketball game; same as I've done for four seasons here (and about four or five seasons prior to that at IU South Bend). After the game I notice a fellow walking toward me from the opposite side of the court. He was a tallish, African American fellow; maybe in his late 30s or early 40s. I could tell by his gait that he was approaching me at the scorers table, where I sit and work during the games.

"How are you doing?" he said, politely.

"Good, you?" I replied in a curious tone. Typically, when a person approaches me after the game like this, it's to request I announce something (missing car keys, etc.)

"Do you work for the University, or do you work on your own?" he asked.

"Uhh, no, I don't work for the University. I used to," I replied, somewhat perplexed.

"I was just wondering," he continued. "Because I'm the owner of a new ABA franchise we're starting up here and I wondered if you do announcing anywhere else but here."

"Sure, yeah, I do other announcing other than here," I responded.

"Do you have a card?" he asked. "I'd like to call you, because I really like your style."

huhwhat?

Did he just say he likes my announcing "style?"

I gave him a card with my cell phone number on it. He introduced himself as Rob Blackwell. After a quick bit of googling, I learned he is, in fact, the named owner of the Indianapolis Alley Cats, a new franchise in the ABA.

Aside from the astonishment to the news that the ABA is starting up again (after a very recent and public failing), I was equally stunned to be approached.

Truth be told, I think I do a decent job as a PA announcer. I make mistakes from time to time, but overall I think I am better than average. I admit that I'm somewhat snobbish when I hear shitty announcers; but this is not to make anybody think I'm some sort of pro.

Nevertheless, I've received more positive feedback from complete strangers for my announcing than ever before. Opposing team fans, college girls at a cheerleading gig, and now the owner of a team in a fledgling league.

I'll take the guy's call, should he decide to phone me. I'm a big enough whore (and smart enough whore) to at least listen to what he's got to offer. But I'm also highly realistic. The ABA has failed twice already; once in the 70s and once a couple years ago.

But I sort of have visions of working Indiana Pacers games. I have goals of working NCAA National Basketball Championship tournament games (including the Final Four). So I'll take the call. Hey, a little extra work can only help.

But the truth is this: I still have a long way to go to be as good as some of those guys in NBA arenas.

those scrappy jags . . . and ed "macgyver" holdaway.

After a largely difficult and trying season, our women's team left it all on the court tonight and came away winners in their final home game of the season. It was impressive, to be perfectly honest. The women's team -- and I say this with absolutely no malice -- is not as talented as many other teams in the conference. In fact, I would bet our best player isn't as good as any one of Chicago State's top four. But what they lack in talent, they make up for it in scrappiness.

Early on in the season, the women's team was getting pounded out of games. But they seem to have found a bit of a rhythm as a gritty team that won't go quietly. I honestly hate watching them lose because they're such good kids, every one of them. They have good attitudes and seem to want to have fun on the court. I'm glad to see they were able to finish the season respectfully. Of course, they'll have their work cut out for them when they go to the conference tournament in a couple weeks. Who knows? Crazier things have happened. Maybe they can shock the world; or at least Tulsa and the Mid-Con.

Overall tonight's game was fun. We had a spirited crowd -- both home and visiting fans -- and had a good game to watch. A couple friends even came out tonight, which was really cool. They now know I'm actually doing this and not making it up. Of course, the game was not without technical difficulties. We lost one set of speakers due to faulty wiring. Thanks to Ed "MacGyver" Holdaway, we were able to get the sound back for the second half.

We also had our Senior Night recognitions for Eboni Jamssens and Jessica James. They're my first "four-year" players. I've been there at the scorers table for four years, so I've watched them all four years. I'm glad they left on a winning note.

Let's hope the men do the same tomorrow and next Monday.

vengeance is mine, sayeth the announcer.

We only have one more women's home game. Last night was the Valpo game and, well, we lost. It sucks, but oh well. This is not meant to be an overt dig on the team: they are not as talented as most teams in this conference, but they are a scrappy bunch. They've gotten better about fighting for every game. The problem is, they just don't have the scoring ability to come back from five, six, or ten points down.

The game had better attendance than I had anticipated. Most teams and fans are the same: if you don't win, they don't show up. Period.

The girls on the team are really nice kids so I wish they had better crowds and more wins, but those are the breaks.

I won't be able to travel with the teams to Tulsa for the conference tournament. If I had a cheaper way to board my dog, I might. And if I could afford to take the time off, I would. It's different, now that I no longer work for the U.

It's funny. Two of the IUPUI Dancers were beside themselves when I told them I walked away from a job that gave me seven weeks off a year.

Stop looking at me like that!

I tried incorporating as many "love" songs in the game last night, but nobody really caught on. After the SID gave me some grief over on error, I paid him back in full. I played YMCA, by the Village People. He hates that song and it makes him insane.

Ha.

Ha. Ha. Ha.

where has the season gone?

Saturday was our last basketball doubleheader of the season. In fact, we only have four total games left at home. Wow, where did the season go? I can't believe we've already gotten through three months of the season.

Despite losing on Saturday afternoon, our women's team is improving. Granted, that's a very relative term, but they're a far cry from where they were early in the season. It's a very scrappy team, really. The overall talent level is low, I'm sorry to say, but they play with a lot of heart. I think they'll make the conference tournament, but probably won't get that far. Then again, we had a golden opportunity to knock off the #1 seed last season, but choked away a 10-point lead. Perhaps that's why we have a new coach this year.

The men's team are so Jeckyll-and-Hyde that it probably gives Coach Hunter a facial tic. On Thursday, their free throw shooting and field goal percentage were so bad that they could barely hit the floor. Saturday night they shot the lights out. Sure, Southern Utah is not as good as Valpo, but our shooting is so up and down anymore that you have no idea what to expect out of this team. They scare me, going into the tournament. They're the most unpredictable team in the tourney. UMKC is the most surprising.

Saturday was a very fast day, really. We had so many promotions and such that I felt like I was talking all day long. My personal favorite, obviously, was the game sponsorship for UITS. I had three good years of employment with them, so it's always great to see them. Although I forgot to do an announcment in the men's game for them. I hope Angie A. finds it in her heart to forgive me.

It's sort of bittersweet when we wind down the season. I always feel like I have to put it back on the shelf just as I'm getting in perfect sync. I've probably had more fun this season doing PA than any other season I've worked. I'm not ever sure why.

Oh well, there's always next year. I hope they have me back again.

cinderella goes to the ball.

History shall recognize Thursday, 3 Feb 2k5 as a pivotal moment in the life of Kevin the P.A. Announcing Monkey. Just as that November evening in 2k1 was momentous in that I graduated from P.A. duties at an NAIA school to an NCAA D-I school, last night I moved up to working at Conseco Fieldhouse.


All alone in this big, empty house. Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis.

Conseco Fielhouse is:
* one of the finest basketball arenas in the country
* home of the Indiana Pacers and Indiana Fever
* where Ron Artest is currently being held without bond

I do P.A. announcing for the IUPUI Jaguars and we played our first game ever at Conseco last night. It was, without a doubt, a major moment for the program. Sadly, we lost the game, but it did not dampen my ability to bask in the moment. I got there early yesterday, knowing it would be a great opportunity to take it all in; sort of like that scene in Rudy when Rudy's dad entered The House That Rockne Built for the first time.


That's me, standing right directly on Conseco Fieldhouse's Center Court. Yeah, the stat guys giggled when they saw me doing this.

Okay, that's a little puffery, but it's not everyday I get to step foot on the same court used by Jermaine O'Neal and Reggie Miller. So what did I do?

* Stood on Center Court and made phone calls to my brother and my boy Franny
* I called my mom whilst dribbling a basketball on that spot and said, "do you hear that? I'm dribbling a ball on the floor at Conseco!!!"
* I shot hoops in the shoot-around with the team (under asst. coach's instructions, I was not permitted to leave the court until I made a shot...I think I was one-for-eight from the field and couldn't hit an NBA three to save my life.

Doing P.A. with real, professional equipment was something to behold. To hear my own voice echoing throughout the Fieldhouse was both cool and frightening.

My initial thoughts on the floor:
* It seems "bigger" on TV
* It's really surprising how well you can see faces far away from the floor
* You can feel the floor vibrate under your feet when you pound the basketball
* The nets are actually hand-woven; not pre-woven
* Stat guys are the same, no matter age or place

Do I have visions of pursuing this beyond my gig with the Jaguars? I'd be lying if I said taking a shot at it, should it come available, isn't a private goal.

In the meantime, I shall bask in the moment. Even if we did fucking lose the game.

d-day.

Tonight's the night.



The Clash at Conseco
Valparaiso Crusaders vs. IUPUI Jaguars
7 p.m. tonight.

You can listen on ESPN 950 AM locally, or at Indiana Sports Radio on the Web.

this and that.

I forgot to blog about a couple recent events.

Last Weekend

I PA'd a cheerleading/dance competition at Plainfield High School. It was actually better than expected. The first day was quite grueling, though. Eight hours or so of PA in one day? Yeah, I was fried. It was made easy for me by the crew working the event. It was staffed by many cheerleaders from local colleges. They all were very nice and friendly.

It was fun to branch out and work a "gig" for a change.

If they ask me to do it again, I'd do it.

Monday's Women's Game

Admittedly, it's tough to get excited about the season this year as the team continues to struggle. But on this night, the Jags showed something. They were down by 16 points to open the second half.

And won.

They held UMKC to just 12 points in the second half. Twelve points!

Considering the amount of tough luck this team has experienced this year, it was nice to see them leave it all out on the floor and come away with a win.

It was their best effort of the season, thus far.

struggling program.

We had a women's game last night. "Dismal" doesn't even begin to describe it. Coaching changes always shake up a team, and mounting losses are to be expected for a program in transition. But this season is just getting tougher and tougher to watch. Last night we played Western Illinois University, the first place team in the conference. Within mere moments of tip-off, it was already 10-0 in favor of WIU. And it never got better.

The team seemed almost lifeless on the court. There didn't seem to be much energy at all. Granted, it doesn't help when you're playing in front of a sparse crowd.

It makes it tougher for anybody to get into the game when there's nobody there. No people, no energy, no synergy.

The outcome of this game was decided so early that the game ended quickly; less than 1:45 from beginning to end (a game w/ media timeouts -- as was this game -- usually takes a full two hours or more to play).

I love the kids on the team and want them to win, but it's getting harder and harder to watch. It's never easy to watch a struggling program trying to find its footing.

whiskey voice.

Our first doubleheader of the season went off fairly well yesterday. The women's game was a non-media game, so it was over fairly quickly. Non-media games, though, provide some nuances in terms of game management. In a game with media timeouts, we can count on a time out at least every four minutes, and we can keep a pretty tight schedule with promotions, dancers, etc. Non-media games? All bets are off. We had to "wing it" on a couple promotions as well as when the dancers hit the floor and when the band would play. I guess it wasn't too difficult from my standpoint because I pretty much told everybody to watch me when a timeout is called and I'll let them know who's up. Yeah, I was quite the field marshal.

The women's team played a spirited game for about 35 minutes. Unfortunately, games are 40 minutes long. They ended up losing as they ran out of gas.

The men's game had me nervous, actually. They played so poorly against UMKC that I was afraid Oakland was going to blow our doors off. And then there was George Hill. He finished the game with 16 points and 16 rebounds. Did I mention George is a freshman guard? He played like a man on this night and made a crucial difference in the second half. IUPUI won going away in the second half.

Up to this point in the season, Coach Hunter was forcing himself into developing a post-up game with a big man. It was like hammering a square peg into a round hold for Hunter. He prefers a team of quick, slashing guards creating shots. And that's exactly what they did against Oakland. It was good to see them come back so strongly after such a dismal performance.

From our side of the table, things went pretty well. We added a new promotion that seemed to really go off pretty well in the men's game. "Express Man" gives away a hot, free pizza to the loudest fan. It's a pretty fun promotion, actually. Over the last week or so I've felt the most comfortable I've been all season. It only takes a few games to work out the kinks, but I also was adjusting to the new set-up at the scorers table. I'm finally at home with the timing, the equipment and familiar with all the players and such. So now I can focus on giving it my best voice.

Last night was great because I had the perfect "whiskey voice" for the game. This might either make you laugh or shake your head, but I like to go out the night before a Saturday doubleheader. A few cocktails (not so many where I get drunk) in a smoke-filled bar and some loud conversation until 2 a.m. puts me in the best game-day voice. I just have that "thump" in my voice after a night out.

At halftime of the men's game a fellow from the Oakland crowd walked over to me and said, "I just wanted to tell you that you sound great. You do a great job." I was honestly stunned and flattered. I thanked him and shook his hand.

I don't know what it is, but I've been getting a lot more compliments this season than last. If I were to guess, i'd say it's our new P.A. system. The sound is considerably better.

Either way, I'll take the compliment with a smile.

frustration.

Our women's team lost in double OT last night to Oral Roberts. It was frustrating on so many levels that I can't even begin to explain it. Somwhere around halftime, it seemed like the wheels fell off. I completely bit it during a promotion at halftime. It was pretty bad. And then I cued up the wrong music for the dance team in the second half. Yeah, that went over well. As in radio, dead air during a promotion and such is deadly.

The funniest part was the look Ed, the assistant SID, gave me after the halftime debacle. I don't know how to explain it. His face was a combination of disgust, laughter, disbelief and wonderment. It was like he was saying, "what the HELL happened to you?!?!?!"

I still have no answer to that. I think I've been mailing it in the past couple games. I got away with it once, but not last night.

The game itself . . . I can't even begin to talk about it. I really can't.

sucking the air out of the room.

Tonight's men's game was nearly as forgettable as you can get. In the three-plus seasons I've watched this team play, this was easily the worst performance I've ever seen them give. The halftime score was 30-31 (we were down). By the first media time out of the second half, the score was 33-44 UMKC. Yeah, it just ran away from them in a big, damn hurry.

UMKC has a way of sucking the air out of that gymnasium. It was a 'blah' vibe at the start and became a 'blah-ER' vibe in the second half. It was like everybody just gave up.

It sucks losing a conference game. These are the ones you need. UMKC showed what happenes when a team that relies on outside shooting can't hit a jumper.

Hopefully we rally for our first double-dip of the season this weekend. We also have a women's game on Thursday night. Big week for IUPUI b-ball.

"you should know better by now."

For starters, our men's team won tonight 64-50. They're 6-5 heading into the conference schedule. Go Jags.

I'm not sure if I was particularly on my game tonight or what, but one fellow came up to me at halftime and paid me a very kind compliment. I'm guessing he's a parent of the opposing team (I know he was at least there to cheer on Samford). He came up to me and told me, in so many words or less, that he really liked my P.A. announcing and that I was very articulate and such. I thought it was very kind of him, really. He also offered a polite correction on one name, which I took graciously.

I'm honestly humble when it comes to doing this P.A. stuff. Oh sure, I love it and think I do a halfway decent job at it; but I think that's because I know I'm not the star attraction. I'm just coloring in some of the gaps for the spectators. That's my job. Period. Yes, I am cheering for the home team and will be more exuberant when they score and such. But I absolutely REFUSE to stoop to "homerism" like you see from that jackass at Auburn Hills. It's just not my bag, baby.

So when a fan comes to me and tells me they appreciate the job I'm doing, it makes me feel like I'm doing something right.

Another fan, after the game, asked me if I also work the Pacer games. I giggled a bit about that, but smiled and said no. I didn't get a swelled head over that. The only reason she said that, I believe, is because I made an announcement that the gym was closing in two minutes and punctuated it with a "two minutes . . . TWO-ahhh" a la Pacers P.A. guy Reb Porter.

Kevin Buerge, our S.I.D. shook his head, laughed and said to me, "we expect a lot more out of you in this job."

"You should know better by now," I replied.

The conference portion of our schedule is coming up. This is gonna be good.

giddy up!

Tonight's basketball game against Western Michigan was one of our men's teams first really big tests of the season. It seemed the Jags just didn't match up all that well against them. Although Hunter's game plan was obvious: find an Achilles Heel by raining three-pointers. It held up all right for the first half. Then WMU's perimeter game seemed to grind down the Jags in the second half. Sure, they made it interesting with same 11th hour heroics; but the hole was already dug.

I do believe this is how a team and program gets better -- facing tough teams in the non-conference schedule. So will the Jags get a breather? Well, they've got Louisville next. You do the math.

Tonight's game seemed to go off pretty well, from a PA/game management standpoint. Sure, we had our second scoreboard meltdown of the season. For reasons beyond any of us, the scoreboard just shuts down. Somewhere between the actual scorekeeper (the computer-looking thingy), the wires and the scoreboards, something went afoul. The only thing that works was shutting down all the power on the scorers table for a second then turning it back on. Too bad that momentarily took down the radio broadcast. Desperate times call for desperate measures, so I don't fault BuergeNation one bit. He had to do what he had to do.

The promotions -- pop-a-shot and halftime -- went well; although I must admit it's more fun when Anna and Co. can sit at the scorers table. It gives me somebody to talk to during the game (as though I don't have anything better to do with my time, eh?).

On yeah, I got a gig! Kris, the cheerleading coach asked me if I'd do PA for some big cheerleading competiton at Plainfield High School. it's a two-day event at the end of January. Why not? I don't mind being a hired hack. I imagine it won't be as much fun as these basketball games, but they're going to pay me. So giddy up!

a case of the yips.

We had a women's basketball game Wednesday night that felt awfully like a throwback game to me. Three years ago, our women's team built 20+ point leads and carried them into the second half . . . only to lose. It was heartbreaking and frustrating to watch. They'd play their hearts out and then get a case of the yips and run down their own shot clock with a prevent-style offense. It was miserable.

Wednesday night had that same look and feel. The team built a double-digit lead in the first half by swarming all over Loyola-Chicago. But you could feel things changing before the first half ended. Nobody was passing into the post. Nobody was rebounding. Nobody was making shots. Nobody was looking for shots. Here come da yips!

Late in the second half, during a timeout, I turned to Joe, the official scorekeeper, and said: "Four minutes to go, we're up by eight. They've got us right where they want us."

Did they ever. Loyola-Chicago forced overtime. We ended up winning the game, but not before making it interesting. It's worth noting IUPUI never relinquished the lead. They just didn't know how to protect it.

It's always more fun to watch the home team win.

As for the announcing duties, it's nearly business-as-usual. I've got the board figured out, the music dialed in, the sound amplifying good. Things are good from the scorer's table.

We have a couple interns from the NCAA helping us out this season, Anna and Beth (I don't know their last names). I know Anna was a competitive track runner at Univ. of Washington out in the Pacific Northwest.

I think it was during halftime she said to me, "You really have to multitask, don't you?" It was a very kind compliment, really. This PA thing is hardly brain surgery. I remind people of that every chance I get. It's something that I do purely for the fun of it. Plus, I get the best seat in the house. But it's always nice when somebody pays you an unsolicited compliment.

I hope I don't blow the karma by stepping all over myself Wednesday night when Western Michigan comes to town.

mailing it in.

IUPUI's men's team had a non-conference game Saturday night against IU Southeast, an NAIA team. IUPUI won the game going away. The score was something-to-something. This is what happens when teams of different divisions play one another -- nobody cares.

This is, by no means, meant as a dig against IU Southeast. They knew it would take the best game of their lives to beat IUPUI. It would be like IUPUI playing Kentucky...oh wait, we did that a couple years ago. But that was in The Big Dance, so it mattered just a bit more.

When NCAA D-I teams square off against NAIA teams, it's rarely entertaining. Therefore, everybody mails it in for the night. Even the fans were sitting on their hands all night. When the outcome is all but assured -- despite what any coach worth his or her salt will tell you -- nobody pays much attention to the details.

Believe it or not, though, I thought I was going to lose my voice during the game. I was surprised to find that I was not in good voice when I got to the gym last night. Usually, a game after a night of hanging out until 2 a.m. drinking beer gives me a perfect "whiskey voice." Not this time, apparently. I have to be careful, though. A couple seasons ago I lit it up pretty good one night. The following day gave me a double-header and I gave a performance for the ages...on Alternate Reality Earth, where mistakes are celebrated.

Lacy, who used to work the press row phones for us, scolded me and told me I was no longer allowed to go out the night before a game. It was humbling, I must say, getting chastised by a 21-year old.

But back to last night....

I'm sure nobody noticed a difference in the radio broadcast or the in-game PA announcing; but believe me, our performances were yadda-yadda-yadda.

Come back in February when we play Valparaiso at Conseco.

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.