Coach Tiller

It was a cold Thursday in Chicago. Cowboy Joe was standing on the grass of Soldier Field taking a picture for the press. He was smiling and a flanked by his two greatest proteges, Drew Brees and Kyle Orton. Joe Tiller had made a postseason stop in Chicago to watch his two star pupils go head to head as NFL starting quarterbacks. He was just stopping by before he rode off into the Montana sunset.

Coach Tiller had just completed his final season as Purdue's football coach after 12 seasons. This last season had been a disappointing losing season, but Tiller went out a winner in his last game with a smashing victory over intrastate rival Indiana.

It's hard to fully appreciate the impact that coach Tiller had upon Purdue and the Big Ten. He came to a Purdue program in 1997 that had been a losing program for 13 years. He completely changed Purdue's offense from a running based attack to his fabled "basketball on grass" spread assault. This offensive makeover was seen by other coaches in the Big Ten as ridiculous. The Big Ten played in harsh weather conditions and most teams followed the "three yards and a cloud of dust" mold popularized by Woody Hayes and Bo Schembechler. The coaches thought Joe was crazy and that the spread would never work.

The other coaches look silly now. Boy were they wrong about Joe and his offense. After falling flat against MAC school Toledo in his first game, Purdue came out and beat out traditional power Notre Dame (Purdue had been ND's punching bag for many years) in a program changing victory. They went on in that first year to post a winning record of 8-4 and then win the Alamo Bowl. It was the first bowl game for Purdue in 13 years.

Joe furthered his success in the next few years. With little known, undersized Drew Brees as his quarterback, Tiller coached the Boilermakers to more winning seasons making the Alamo and Outback bowls. However, his crowning accomplishment came in 2000. That year Purdue beat Big Ten powers, Ohio State and Michigan, going on to become Big Ten co-champions and earning a berth to the prestigious Rose Bowl. Brees also did well that year. He was a Heisman finalist and won the Maxwell Award as Football's most outstanding player.

When Brees graduated, Tiller made tall, rocket armed Kyle Orton his quarterback. With Orton, Purdue continued to have winning seasons. They went to the Sun Bowl multiple times as well as the CapitalOne Bowl. However, they suffered a heart breaking, program changing loss against Wisconsin in 2004.

The next few years would be tough for Coach Tiller. Without a superb quarterback to lead his attack, he suffered 2 losing seasons in 4 years. He also had problems keeping players under control as many legal troubles and attitude issues ate away at his team. It was clearly the decline of his success with Purdue Football. As the pressure on him mounted, Joe agreed 2008 would be his last season before retirement. He then picked former assistant, Danny Hope, to succeed him and serve as his apprentice during the 2008 season.

Tiller left the Big Ten having opened some eyes. He had made Purdue a respectable Football team that was accustomed to winning and bowl games. In 4 seasons, he took Purdue from Big Ten cellar dweller to a Big Ten championship and a Rose Bowl berth. Also in 2008, it was noted that the stodgy Big Ten had changed a lot too. 8 teams of 11 (including powers Ohio State, Michigan, and Penn State) now ran some form of the wide open spread offense. He was now known as an offensive innovator within the Big Ten conference.

As coach Tiller eases into fly fishing and retirement, I give my sincere thanks. He practically made something out of nothing with Purdue Football. He also coached many players who would go on to NFL success. Cowboy Joe will always be known as a good and beloved coach to his players and fans.

Picture Perfect

It's funny to note how people react when you tell them their picture will be taken. They usually get nervous and self conscious. The reactions span from people putting on serious faces, taking off glasses, primping and preening their hair beforehand, and even displaying real live action poses haha. Many people ask to see the picture and want another one if they feel it doesn't put their best foot forward. In a way it shows how many people are very self conscious (we all are to an extent). It also shows how we are often our own worst critics (it's not as bad as you think, really). However, the importance we put on pictures also belies the fact that in our society, perception is very key when it comes to making a favorable impression on others.

When I had my picture taken today, I am sure it wasn't ideal. However, I never think of it being that big of a deal anymore. I know that if I flash my smile, it will be good enough to represent me.

Tough as Nails: David Goggins

A few weeks back I received the latest issue of "Runner's World" in the mail. The most interesting feature of the magazine was a section entitled "Running Heroes." The section consisted of one page write ups for various running figures like distance running legend Haile Gebrselassie and Olympic sprint phenom Usain "Lightning" Bolt. Among these heroes was a person I had never heard of before. His name was David Goggins.

David Goggins is a US Navy SEAL. After experiencing the loss of a few friends in missions gone awry in Afghanistan, he decided to dedicate part of his life to raising money for the children of his fallen comrades. A highly motivated individual, David googled the "10 hardest things to do in the world" and decided he wanted to complete the Badwater ultramarathon for himself and for his charity cause.

There were a few kickers about this situation. First of all, the Badwater ultra is known as one of the toughest endurance events in the world. It's a 135 mile race held in the July heat that begins in Death Valley, California and rises in elevation up to the portal of Mount Whitney. Secondly, although David Goggins is a Navy SEAL, he had never ran a marathon, let alone an ultramarathon.

David asked the race director to let him enter the race. The director told him he needed ultramarathon experience first. So David looked quickly for his first ultramarathon race. He soon entered the San Diego 24 hour 100 miler. Despite breaking metatarsal bones in both feet and suffering kidney failure (he urinated blood), David managed to finish the 100 mile race in about 19 hours. Ten days later, he amazingly ran the Las Vegas marathon in 3:08. His career as an endurance athlete and philanthropist had begun.

David went on to place well in many races including the vaunted Badwater ultra. He even placed second in the 2006 Ultraman Championships, a double ironman race held over the course of a few days. All the while, David has raised around $200,000 for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation which provides college scholarships to the children of fallen special operatives.

A few things are evident from reading David's story and website. First of all, David is obviously extraordinary in his ability to endure and tolerate pain. He is motivated by discovering how far he can push his limits. To me, he is definitely one of the most inspiring individuals because of his toughness and his commitment to his cause.

If you would like to read more about David, check out these links:
http://www.roadrunnersports.com/rrs/content/content.jsp?contentId=content3808
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-243-408--12944-0,00.html
http://the100mileman.com/davidgoggins/

Here's a link to David's charity cause, Special Operations Warrior Foundation:
http://www.specialops.org/

Chicago Marathon 2008

After a disastrous outing last October, I ran the Chicago Marathon again.

This year we were hoping for better conditions compared to the oppressive heatwave and humidity of last year. However, the race day temperature was still high since it pushed up into the 80s.

Luckily, the race organizers learned much from last year and decided to take extra precautions. For example, they increased the number of water stations from 15 to 20. This helped out a lot for dealing with the heat.

I also was smarter this year. Last year we didn't stick with a consistent pace and ended up burning out early. So this year my plan was to hang around the 4 hour 30 minute pacers. I ran with a friend from my training group and tried to stay steadily ahead or with the pacers.

My plan worked out well. Through most of the race we were a minute or two ahead of 4:30 pace. It wasn't until mile 20 or 21 that my friend had to slow down. A little bit after that I started to slow and saw some of the pacers pass me. This immediately inspired me to catch up with them. I tucked behind the pacers for most of the last 6 miles knowing if I stayed with them I would beat my goal. They only built a slight lead on me as I hit the last 2 or 1.5 miles of the race. However, I knew at that point if I could keep them in sight and run this out, I would best 4:30.

The last 2 miles were particularly brutal. I concentrated by looking at my shadow in front of me and imagining that I was keeping the shadow man running. All around me I heard people calling my name and cheering me on (I had a good marathon shirt with my name on it this year), but all I could focus on was finishing out a distance that is usually a routine run. Eventually, I turned on to Roosevelt and felt like I was running in concrete due to the slight incline. Finally I rounded the last corner and saw the finish line. That's all I needed to see. I ran out the last stretch.

I looked down at my watch and saw I finished shortly after 4:29. I had beaten 4:30, I was happy with that performance.

I want to thank all those who came to watch me on the course. I would also like to thank those who wished me well and tracked me at home. Finally I would like to thank my training group leaders and teammates. Your support means a lot to me. I couldn't accomplish this without you guys.

Thanks.

Pretty Little Hype Machine

In this day of multiple 24 hour news channels and 6 hour Super Bowl previews, one thing becomes clear to me. We live in an age where we are constantly bombarded by the modern day equivalent of "Barnum and Bailey." The media would have you believe that the hype and hoopla that surrounds an event is greater than the event itself. They try to create an environment where the slightest downturn is transformed into the deepest despair and pessimism. Meanwhile a solidly good thing is dressed up into being the greatest phenomenon since Jesus.

They like to create this roller coaster among the masses because the drama and sensationalism sells while gathering tons of viewers. This wild ride is further exacerbated due to the fact that the media holds great creditability as an official, accepted, and convenient authority about happenings in our world.

In my experience, I have found most of the jokers in the media to be pretty clueless when it comes to interpreting events or forecasting the future. In my mind, they live to stroke the flames of the herd mentality.

There is no better place to look in regards to this than the fortunes of the stock market. Back in the late 1990s and early 2000s, technology stocks were all the rage. Analysts, commentators, and hot shot fund managers told everyone that tech stocks were the only ones to own. They projected recent annual 50 percent returns well past 10 years into the future. Jim Cramer was telling everyone that the tried and true stock principles of Benjamin Graham were dead and that tech stocks were the only ones worth owning. It suddenly became fashionable to load up on fast rising stocks of companies that didn't have profitability or a good business case. The public eagerly bought in, not wanting to miss the tremendous gains. The bubble grew and grew with many people never expecting it to end. Then all the sudden, it popped. Leaving in its wake a vast destruction of wealth.

Today, we are faced with a similar situation. The housing bubble recently burst and suddenly everyone was calling in their debts. The chain reaction shut down respected brokerages like Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers. It threatened to topple giant companies like Citibank and still is a concern for the big three US automobile manufacturers. The entire market tumbled and everyone went into a panic. People were selling like crazy and were dumbfounded by their losses. Pessimism set in.

In reality, I don't believe the situation to be as bad as people or the media make it out to be. If you think things today are dire then think back to 1930s. The world was going through a Great Depression where people drifted through the countryside exchanging a day's work just for food. We haven't reached that point.

Also you must look back in history to when market crashes occurred. Eventually the market rose again to prosperity. In time people once again believed the hot streak would continue forever. It's not as though these things haven't happened before. They appear to be somewhat cyclical.

You must think for yourself and not be carried away by the torrent of hype that others have sold you. Despite the cries of panic and despair, there is another perspective to adopt in regards to this situation. It is the viewpoint of optimism. The attitude that despite all of the bad things that happen, there is always an opportunity to be had. This opportunity is that market securities are now trading at a discount and will most likely ride high again. Much as they did after the Great Depression.

In the end, remember what Public Enemy said, "Don't Believe the Hype."

186 and Holding

Awhile back I was listening to a morning talk radio on one of the popular FM stations. During this show, they usually take topic suggestions given by the listeners. They then take calls from listeners who want to talk about or comment on a particular topic. One topic was about motorcyclists in Chicago and how they were upset about almost being killed by crazy motorists.

One local guy called in about this topic. After briefly acknowledging that he hated Chicago drivers for almost blindsiding him, this guy went on to talk about a more interesting point. He described to the radio show how he liked to take his motorcycle out on Interstate 290 during the day and proceed to accelerate up to 186 MPH while swerving in and out of traffic. He then went on to say how his high speed exploit was on YouTube and how everyone should check it out. The radio hosts viewed the video and decided to post it up on their webpage. Immediately, the pleased guest blurted out his gratitude. Even going as far to say "this will help get me hits man!." Wow what a display of shameless self promotion.

Of course, the topic couldn't die there. The radio show decided to take other callers on the topic. The next caller was a semi truck driver who operated in Chicago. The man had a very confrontational and angry tone, but he had a few interesting points.

The truck driver went on to challenge the motorcyclist claiming that his high speed exploits were a danger to other motorists around him. The motorcyclist then responded that he was a skillful driver and would be careful not to crash into other people. The motorcyclist went on to say that his actions were fine because he would be the only person who would be hurt or killed in case of an accident. The truck driver countered with a hypothetical. He said that if the motorcyclist crashed in front of his truck at that speed, there would be no time to react and avoid running over the motorcyclist. The motorcyclist once again reiterated that the crash would only kill him. However, the truck driver made perhaps the most poignant point. He said that because the motorcyclist was engaging in this dangerous behavior, he was not only harming himself. He would be placing the burden and guilt of his death upon the truck driver since there would be nothing the truck driver could do. For that reason, the truck driver believed that burning up I290 at 186 MPH was wrong and dangerous.

After the heated exchange, the radio host had a change of heart. He decided to remove the video of the motorcyclist. He did not wish to promote his dangerous behavior. I believe this was the correct decision.

The whole discussion evoked one key thought within me. This was the fact that no matter how much we believe ourselves and our actions to be isolated, we do affect others in many undesired and unseen ways. No man is truly an island.

The Joker

One movie is sweeping the box office this summer, “The Dark Knight.” The latest Batman installment from Christopher Nolan’s revitalized franchise is bigger and better than even I personally expected. The story is good, the action is good, and most notably the characters are excellent. Although the movie is centered on the caped crusader, the character who really keeps you fixated on the screen is the frightening Joker played by the late Heath Ledger.

Ledger’s Joker is a vast departure from Jack Nicholson’s version in 1989’s “Batman.” While Jack portrays the clown prince of crime with a silly goofiness and clearly defined clown makeup, Ledger makes the Joker dark, scary, and psychopathic. His hair is green, greasy, and unkempt. His makeup is flaky and smeared mightily across his face. It looks as though a madman or a two year old applied his red lipstick and the black halos around his eyes. The transformation of Ledger, an actor who started years ago as a teen heartthrob in “10 Things I Hate About You”, into a unrecognizable lunatic is incredible. He changed his movements, his voice, and his laugh in order to fully become the Joker.

The Joker is not an intriguing character just because of his physical mannerisms, but also due to his mindset. Most people’s actions are shown to be driven by common motives such as love, power, money, or revenge. The Joker doesn’t appear to be motivated by any of these things. He wants to create mischief and chaos simply because he enjoys it. He laughs at the best laid plans of others around him and revels in exposing society’s hypocrisies and denied truths. Alfred describes the Joker best when he tells Bruce Wayne, “…some men aren't looking for anything logical, like money. They can't be bought, bullied, reasoned or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn.”

When the movie debuted, I was watching a History Channel show about Batman’s psychology. In one segment, they decided to focus on the Joker. They talked about how Batman and the Joker serve as counterpoints to each other, especially with their philosophies. Batman is a man who was scarred by the senseless murders of his parents at a young age. His hurt leads to anger and a thirst for revenge. He believes that the world is divided between good and evil, justice and injustice. He feels he could be an agent of influence who sways the world’s balance between these extremes toward what is good and just. The Joker on the other hand doesn’t believe in justice. He thinks that the world is simply chaotic and unpredictable. His shocking actions further illustrate and contribute to this overall mayhem and chaos. To the Joker, the world and life are just a big joke. So he figures he may as well enjoy himself while exposing and laughing at others.

His biggest challenge is Batman. The caped crusader is very steadfast and true to his principles and beliefs. The Joker’s goal is to break him down and show that the structure of his philosophy is flawed. The Joker figures that Batman’s actions are all for nothing. If there is no sense of justice or good in the world, then there is no point for Batman to even exist. This is the ultimate opposition to Batman’s philosophy.

Olympic Spirit

That time has returned. The time when soccer moms, the elderly, and even small children become experts on subjects such as how many points are deducted for a hop step on a gymnastics landing and what makes Michael Phelps a superhuman swimmer. Yes, the time of the 2008 Summer Olympics have arrived.

The Olympic Games is one of those events that captivates minds the world over. Its reach is far and wide, crossing boundaries of culture, language, age, and gender. For a rare occasion in the summer heat, the best of the best from around the world congregate to compete and bond.

While there is an element of global brotherhood, there is also the inherent presence of competition. The Olympics is one of those occasions where people rally behind their nation for good old fashioned bragging rights. In the past, the Olympics have served as a peaceful parallel to the struggles and rivalries waged in the real world. Who could forget the race between the USA and the Soviet Union for the most medals? What about those unforgettable head to head clashes between the superpowers in sports such as basketball? Despite being a sporting competition on the surface, the Olympics have always served as a stage for making statements and for proudly representing one’s country.

Even though it may sound jingoistic and sentimental, I feel a stirring as I sit and listen to “The Star Spangled Banner” and see our champions softly singing the lyrics. It’s hard for me not to feel a great sense of pride in our country, in our team.

The decades have passed and many things have changed on the Olympic landscape. First of all, the rival has changed. Now instead of the Soviets, the Americans are vying with the emergent Chinese for medal supremacy. Also the statement at these 2008 Beijing games is very different than before. The overwhelming message of these Olympics is that China has arrived as a major world power. Things going forward in the next twenty years will be very different than to what we have grown accustomed.

The Stage is Set for the Baby Boilers

As a young kid, I remember the years when Purdue and Indiana were almost always at the top of the Big Ten standings. Those were the times that the legendary Bob Knight and the scowling Gene Keady prowled the sidelines. Those were the days when Calbert Chaney, Alan Henderson, Brian Evans, and the school boy superstar Damon Bailey wore the proud cream and crimson. They faced off against the likes of Glenn Robinson, Cuonzo Martin, Brad Miller, Chad Austin, and Brian Cardinal in the old gold and black. Most years in the early to mid nineties, the IU – Purdue basketball games were a heated rivalry between two good teams. They played not only for bragging rights in the basketball crazed Hoosier state, but also usually for a Big Ten title. At that time, the rivalry was closer in recognition and importance to North Carolina and Duke.

Oh how times have changed. Purdue fell into a horrible slump of losing since their 2000 elite eight appearance under Gene Keady. IU, meanwhile continued to be respectable (even making the 2002 title game vs. Maryland), but were never quite the same after the legend Bob Knight was fired. The upper echelon of the Big Ten was filled by teams such as Illinois, Michigan State, and Ohio State. While the rivalry remained important to Purdue and Indiana, the national significance faded. This was mainly due to Purdue stumbling and Knight’s departure.

This year has been a return to that feeling I had as a young fan. Coach Matt Painter took over in a succession plan for Gene Keady and led the Boilermakers back to the NCAA tournament last year with seniors Carl Landry and David Teague. He then pulled off a stunning coup by landing the Big Ten’s best recruiting class and one of the best ones nationally with the Fresh Four (JuJuan Johnson, E’Twaun Moore, Robbie Hummel, and Scott Martin). All four players hailed from the state of Indiana and were widely regarded as four of the nation’s top 75 high school basketball players for their class.

The fresh four’s impact has been immediately felt. After Purdue struggled early in the preseason with losses to Iowa State and Wofford, they have come on strong in Big Ten play. They have shocked everyone by going on an eleven game winning streak and posting a league leading 12-1 record with their lone loss coming at Michigan State by three points. Counting key wins over ranked Michigan State and twice over Wisconsin, Purdue has seen awesome contributions from many players in their balanced attack. Freshman Robbie Hummel has shown himself to be a versatile jack of all trades while E’Twaun Moore has emerged as a smooth scoring threat. Sophomores Keaton Grant and Chris Kramer have also stepped up. Kramer remains the young leader of the team playing smart basketball, strong defense, and exhibiting incredible toughness. Grant is quite possibly the Big Ten’s most improved player showcasing a three ball this year that has proven to be deadly. Overall, Purdue has been one of the most physical teams and they play great, suffocating team defense. People expected them to compete for the conference crown a year or two down the line, not right now. But the baby boilers have arrived earlier than expected, and they are wise beyond their years.

Indiana meanwhile has had a great season themselves. They enter the game 21-4 overall and 10-2 in the conference. They have been led by the Big Ten’s most potent one two punch, D.J. White and Eric Gordon. White is the senior stalwart and resident inside enforcer for the Hoosiers. He’s had a great year averaging around 17 points a game and is considered by many to be the front runner for Big Ten Player of the Year. Gordon is another in a long line of Indiana high school greats. The freshman phenom leads the Big Ten in scoring this year and can just hurt you in so many ways. His talent level is so great that he is certainly a one and done player to the NBA.

IU has faltered some this year. They lost at home to a surging and now ranked UConn team. They have lost twice to Wisconsin. However, they have shown they are still a good and dangerous team. They most recently routed a ranked Michigan State at home, mostly without the services of D.J. White due to a knee injury.

This game means so much. It is the only scheduled meeting between two bitter instate rivals. It is probably the most influential game of the conference championship chase. The winner will not only earn state bragging rights, but most likely Big Ten supremacy. The feeling of old has returned, and the stage is set.

Go Purdue!

Bobby Fischer (1943-2008)

Like myself, I think most young Americans who learned the game of chess came to revere and idolize Bobby Fischer. What wasn’t there to like about his Chess skills? Fischer started off as an astonishing prodigy whose accomplishments were never seen for someone so young. He later fulfilled his potential by taking on the Russians and becoming the first American World Champion in Chess. He played an open, attacking style of Chess characterized by ingenious tactical maneuvers. Bobby Fischer was to young chess players what Michael Jordan was to aspiring basketballers.

If you watch “Searching for Bobby Fischer”, you see his youthful brilliance on display with the various historical clips. There are multitudes of pictures of the young Fischer playing adults. There’s the video where the youngster walks around a room with ten chess boards and plays ten seated people simultaneously. At 13 years old, he became the youngest US Junior Chess champion. At 14, he became the youngest US Senior Chess champion. At 15, he was at the time, the youngest player to ever attain the Chess rating of Grandmaster. Fischer’s display of precociousness is amazing

Despite his life as a young prodigy, Bobby Fischer is probably best known for his adult exploits. In the early seventies, Bobby Fischer went on an electrifying run of 20 straight official match victories. This ultimately led him to the showdown in Iceland with Russia’s Boris Spassky for the World Chess Championship. There in Iceland, Fischer shocked the world by defeating the incumbent Spassky. He became the first American to earn the distinction of World Champion, breaking the dominance of Soviet champions that lasted a quarter century. His win resonated on multiple levels. Many saw Fischer’s triumph as a symbolic US victory over the Soviets during the cold war. Also due to the match’s media coverage, interest in the US for Chess exploded and peaked in the mid 1970s.

However, after his defining victory, Bobby Fischer’s career effectively ended. He forfeited his World Chess Title in 1975 after he refused to agree to a title defense. Fischer then became a recluse the world over. He only later emerged to play Spassky in a 1992 rematch held in Yugoslavia. It was this move that made him an exile from the US due to the match being a violation of the UN sanctions on Yugoslavia at that time. Ultimately in his twilight years, strange behavior such as Fischer’s extreme comments on Jewish people and on the 9/11 US attacks came to define his image. Many people came to question his sanity.

Despite his eccentricities and his extreme comments, I choose to remember Bobby Fischer for his great talent and skill. I see him as one of those rare human beings who achieved mastery in his favorite pastime. His talent and achievement stand mighty like the Colossus, inspiring those who come after him to match his brilliance and style.