GOODBYE, RED

Nothing much to add here...the passing of a legend.

MANAGEMENT RESERVES THE RIGHT TO KILL YOU IN THE MORNING

There are a billion videos on YouTube, give or take a hundred million or so. You'd think, out of all the garbage out there, that the greatest sword fight in movie history would be on there. That's right, the duel at the top of the Cliffs of Insanity between Inigo Montoya and the Dread Pirate Roberts in "The Princess Bride."

But of course, it's nowhere to be found.

However, this had me laughing out loud...very clever. Of course, it's based on one of the most clever scripts with some of the best word play ever committed to celluloid.

And kudos to Rob Reiner...do you realize that in an eight year stretch (1984 to 1992), he directed seven movies, six of which were "Spinal Tap," "Stand By Me," "The Princess Bride," "When Harry Met Sally," "Misery," and "A Few Good Men." If you put together Top Five lists of the greatest mockumentaries, coming-of-age stories, fairy tales, romantic comedies, chilling horror flicks, and courtroom dramas--an eclectic mix, to say the least--the argument could be made for inclusion of all of these. Very versatile, that Meathead.

LET ME PRESENT THE NEXT HOLLYWOOD DIVA

This is Stacy Solodkin. She's an actress and, happily for her, my step-sister.

As someone that had a dream and am presently getting a chance to realize that (for me, coaching college basketball), I have a deep respect for what Stacy has accomplished. She moved out to L.A. in the early 90's and by every definition was a struggling actress.

In all probability, she's never going to become a major star, recognized the world over. That being said, how cool is it to have roles in stuff like "CSI," "NYPD Blue," "Angel," "Cold Case," "24," "Charmed," and "Desperate Housewives" on your resume?

FIRST THERE WAS KOOL KONE

It was located on Charlestown Road, almost close enough to my childhood home to be within walking distance, and it had a swing on the side of the building. We went there after baseball games. I remember meeting a little girl named Kim that was in my class there in 2nd grade. No idea of her last name or what happened to her after that year.

But then Kool Kone closed, and it was Zesto's for the Sullivan family. Mom waxed nostalgic about it, as Clarksville had had one when she was in high school. The only one left was in New Albany, so we thought, and I was there enough in high school that the girls in the white outfits behind the counter started preparing my treat as soon as my car pulled up. What can I say, I loved their M&M Cyclones.

Then one day I'm on a recruiting trip, driving up the eastern border of Indiana between Richmond and Decatur, when what to my wondering eyes should appear but the familiar white building with the familiar blue and gold logo? Huh? I was so stunned that I stopped, asked for the manager, and found out that Zesto's had been a chain! What? My little egocentric view of yummy goodness, changed in an instant.

And it wasn't just in Indiana! Imagine my surprise when I was coaching a tournament down in Columbia, SC last March and found two of them in town!

If you're ever in New Albany...or South Dakota...or Atlanta...or South Carolina...by all means, pull over and try out what I thought was a New Albany classic but evidently has been scattered throughout the eastern 2/3 of the United States since the early 50's.

And please don't confuse it with the burger and fish joint in Seattle (although I was happy to hear they had Ms. Pac-Man there).

NOT TO GET ALL TECHNICAL ON YOU

Lots of legal mumbo jumbo to go through. If you're so inclined to read this. Not sure why it popped into my mind, but suddenly I found myself thinking of the time that John Fogerty was sued for sounded too similar to Creedence Clearwater Revival.

Of course, Fogerty was the lead singer and driving creative force behind CCR, so you would think this was understandable. But Fantasy Records, who owned the rights to "Run Through The Jungle," thought that "The Old Man Down The Road" sounded an awful lot like it and slapped him with a lawsuit. There are different comparisons you can do on the link above to judge for yourself. Ultimately, Fogerty won the case.

"The Old Man Down The Road" was one of three hits ("Centerfield" and "Rock And Roll Girls" are the other two) that allowed Fogerty to enjoy a solid revival in the mid-80's. And we've been plagued with frivilous lawsuits ever since.

HOOSIER NATION REJOICES

It's been a long time since fans of Indiana University basketball had much to celebrate. With the exception of a remarkable blip that was their run to the NCAA championship game in 2002, the Hoosier hadn't been to a Final Four since my senior year in high school, hadn't won a title since I was early in my junior high years.

The apparent verbal commitment from North Central High School senior Eric Gordon is a step in the right direction. Since the dismissal of Bob Knight in 2000, IU has gotten killed when it came to in-state recruiting. Player after player after player who could have truly helped the Hoosiers fled the state rather than play under the previous coaching staff. The same would have been true of Gordon if not for the hiring of Kelvin Sampson.

North Central coach Doug Mitchell has called Gordon a 6'4 version of LeBron James--he once coached the NBA superstar in a high school all-star game. Heck, if IU were getting a stronger and more offensive-minded Greg Graham, it'd be a step in the right direction. For whatever impact Gorden has on the court, however, his mere presence will make waves in recruiting circles. Already, there's strong talk that the top point guard nationally in the senior class could be winding up in Bloomington; he and Gordon are teammates in the summertime.

To get a slight perspective of Gordon's athleticism, check out this...the single greatest defensive play I've ever seen a high school player make.

WOO HOO!!!

Go Bobby...1000 wins, here we come!

BEEN OUT OF THE GAME FOR AWHILE

Sorry for the absence...the wife and I resolved that we would have the entire house unboxed, painted, and presentable by Harvest Homecoming. So I've been on a ladder pretty much from after work until 11:15 each night, leaving not a lot of time for blogging, watching television, eating, stuff like that.

This weekend, blisfully, marks the start of college basketball season, which has both been my passion for about 22 years and a career for the past ten. So for all you Hoosier fans out there, a little something to get you in the mood before Midnight Madness.

I HAVE NOTHING TODAY

Just a busy weekend of painting, watching football, riding in the town parade, and getting caught up on a little bit of work. With no real theme to touch on today, I offer for your viewing pleasure:

What happens when you cross Chris Farley's SNL Chippendale's sketch with Napoleon Dynamite? Let's see.

Second most successful movie franchise--behind Star Wars--of all-time? James Bond
Highest grossing movie all-time, adjusted for inflation? "Gone With the Wind" Fastest movie to make $200 million? "Spider-Man 2"
Biggest earner in 1990? "Home Alone"
These and other interesting movie related monetary facts at the web site for Box Office Reports.

Teddy Ruxpin goes berserk (sort of).

Bruce Springsteen plays comedian during his introduction of U2 into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

President George W. Bush doing his rendition (speaking of U2) of "Sunday Bloody Sunday"

Bizarre play in the Colts-Jets game that nearly gave me a heart attack driving back from Elizabethtown last Sunday. Reminiscent of another play in recent years that went from exhilirating to downright painful in a matter of seconds.

THANKS, JACKIE & CORY!

I lose track if this is Year 9 or 10 for my favorite web site of all-time. In 1996-97, some friends asked me to write for a site called 24-7sports.com (don't bother to check, it's not there anymore). I agreed, but on the condition that they allow me to spend at least a third of my time covering girls high school basketball. We hung it up after a year, but I was pleased shortly thereafter to find out about a site devoted exclusively to that subject.

It was designed originally to give on-line covereage to players in the section of Indiana known as The Region, located to the southeast of Chicago. It has developed into much more than that over the years, and is the best site of its kind in the world. I don't know many fans, players and coaches in the state that don't frequent it.

The couple that run it are in the web development business, and I would highly recommend their services if you're in need of putting together a web site. And if you're looking in the latest for stylish sports-related outfits, adorned by Region Roundball motiffs, look no further.

I have found this to be an invaluable resource in my chosen profession. More importantly, I've met a lot of good people over the years via this site, and have really enjoyed those relationships. Keep up the good work!

STOP ASKING ME THE QUESTION!

Ever wonder what happened to some of the minor celebrities that you vaguely remember from your past? I'm not talking about the schmucks that are doing reality shows and garbage like Celebrity Boxing. Just average folks that had their fifteen minutes of glory for one reason or another and then dropped back into oblivion shortly thereafter. Take, for example, Tom Wilson. Who's Tom Wilson? Not a clue, right? But if I ask you to remember Biff from the "Back To The Future" trilogy you'd have a pretty good picture in your head. Seems that Tom is a stand-up comedian these days and if you haven't heard this bit yet, please do yourself a favor immediately.

BRIAN'S THROWBACK TO THE SIXTIES WEEKEND

Well, that was just about the most eventful weekend I can remember. Friday night, it's off to Churchill Downs (home of the Kentucky Derby) for the first concert that anyone can remember at that hallowed venue. How's this for a twin bill: Alice Cooper followed by the Rolling Stones?

I was more excited about Alice Cooper than anyone else in my group. They were hoping for Kanye West or Dave Matthews, who are also spotting as opening acts among others along the way. He puts on a hell of a show and despite his public persona, now that he's conquered his personal demons he's just a heck of a nice guy by just about every account. Plus, if you're ever out in Phoenix, he's got a restaurant you should stop by.

The Stones, well, what can you say? I found their forays into the blues for a couple of songs to be outstanding, we got two songs of Keith Richards on lead vocals, the biggest crowd participations--surprisingly, I thought--was for "Honky Tonk Woman"...I'd have to rank this show just ahead of Prince and slightly behind U2 in my top three concerts I've ever been to. The stange set-up was mind-blowing...it had to be eight stories high and a city block wide, from my estimation out in BFE. Jagger certainly doesn't move around like someone in their mid-60's, he was all over the place and non-stop energy.

Saturday, going in a completely different direction, I saw my first Notre Dame football game ever. You hear all about the Golden Dome, Touchdown Jesus, blah, blah, blah. Trust me, it's an overwhelming experience to be there in person for the first time. First off, it's a campus-wide event for hours leading up to it. Just walking through campus--the most beautiful in Indiana--and soaking it all in leading up to kickoff was just as impressive as anything inside the stadium. Being in the middle of a crowd of 80,000 rabid Irish fans (well, about 74,000 Irish fans and a very vocal group of Purdue supporters), awesome. Hearing a crowd that size sing "America The Beautiful" and the national anthem was beyond description. And it was refreshing as all get out to be at a sporting event that was minus pyrotechnics, loud music blasting, basically an all-out assault on your senses. It was football, plain and simple, no frills and I loved it.

Finally, I almost ran this guy clean over as I was walking into the stadium. Had to apologize profusely before realizing who it was. Sorry!