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The Drunken Observer
sometime in the early morning on 1/04/05by OC Rambler
So, I feel like I cannot truthfully call this the "Drunken Observer," because I'm definitely sober enough to read what I'm writing as I type, which was definitely not the case the last two times I wrote (and I'm not likely to fall asleep as I write this, like last time). But I definitely had my share at the Hospitality Room, and then left Bruno's with the last of the Ramblermaniacs, so I'm as qualified as any to write this column.
Tonight, the Ramblers .... played, and won. I think those that saw it in person can safely rank it amongst the more unexciting games we've seen, but it's an LU win, so it's difficult to complain... Side note, which may take some time -- is an unexciting win better than a thrilling loss? Tough question; without a doubt the LU game I remember best is a loss, the LUC/UIC HL Championship Game in '02; brutal, brutal, BRUTAL loss, but something I will never forget. True, I'd never have forgotten a win in that particular game, but I doubt I'd remember the details of a blow-out win, or a boring one, as intensely as I remember those of that horrible last-second loss; the heart-stopping possessions to get to OT, the lead with just a few seconds to go, the Bailey turnover (to Martell Bailey), the Cedric shot, the Clancy ---JUST THIS CLOSE--- desperation heave, the girlfriend sleeping with a random stranger in Florida on Spring Break while I cried in Cleveland on ESPN ... all that horrible stuff. Just an aside to think about.
Anyways, tonight. The Ramblers won -- woo-HOO! Win another, that's two in a row! Another, and that's a winning streak! It has been done before. I guess it would definitely be difficult to expect a better game out of a starting line-up that consisted of all underclassmen, like LU put out there tonight. I hope the rest of the season's starting line-ups look similar ... the results of all those games won't be as nice, likely, but we're not going to get any better without some experience. There were definitely some nice moments in tonights game (including Omari Westley's show-time dunk with about 90 seconds left), and some of them were Loyola moments. Free throw shooting -- easy to compalain about when it's bad, and even easier to forget when it's good, and tonight is was good. Over 82%! Can't really ask for anything more. All those free throws we took in the last 2 minutes certainly made the game take forever, but better to win that way than lose.
I think if we can get some big guys in there soon (I know, not a reall original observation), our success will skyrocket. Telander and Kou would be so much better if there weren't defenders flying at them every time they got the ball and guys weren't double teaming them off screens every time a pick was set. But, with no real inside game yet, them's the breaks. Schilb continues to be a great threat, but once we've a real point guard, his threat will becom that much more effective. I see good things in this team's future, but there's going to have to be some patience this year as the boys go through some growing pains.
TONIGHT'S BOOZE-TASTIC MOMENT IN RAMBLER HISTORY... The afore-mentioned 2002 HL Championship. Not so much the night of the actual championship, but the opening round. If anyone here (besides those who remember the '63 team) has a better LU basketball memory than seeing Loyola, fresh off their season-ending victory over Butler at the Joe, beat up on Wright State in the first round of the tourney, and then explaining to the Butler bee-otches how to drive back to Indiana-no-place (Euclid to E. 22nd, I-90 West to I-71 South, to I-270 West...) after Greg Babcock and UW-GB messed up all those tourney brackets by ending Butler's season, well, I'd love to hear it. Quite a few Ramblermaniacs (see Ramblermania picutre pages 14 and 15) made the trip and were there to witness the glory, and then booze for free ALL DAY AND NIGHT at Great Lakes Brewery, (thanks, Klu! Thanks, Mom!), then head over to the Flats for cigars and some late-night boozing Only one of us got to witness Luke puking in his front-lawn, though. Mazel Tov!
Previous Columns:
The Drunken Observer - 12/05/04
The Drunken Observer - 11/07/04
Big Joe's Two Shots and the Ball - 12/29/03
Big Joe's Two Shots and the Ball - 12/22/03
Big Joe's Two Shots and the Ball - 12/15/03
Big Joe's Two Shots and the Ball - 12/08/03
Big Joe's Two Shots and the Ball - 12/01/03
Big Joe's Two Shots and the Ball - 11/24/03