Look who's in first baby

I have to start off with the exciting news, the Boilers are in first place in the Big Ten with 4 games to go, trying to win our first big ten title since 1996. The schedule doesn't get any easier with a tough road game to the barn and Minnesota Wednesday, and then after that hosting a PISSED off Michigan State team, so keep your fingers crossed.

Lets look back first. Thank you to all of you who said a Boiler Up for me last Wednesday, as you helped propel the Boilers to a 60-57 win over the Ohio State Buckeyes at Value City Arena, handing them their first home loss of the year. We used a similar game plan that we did at Michigan State getting out to a good lead, and then holding on for dear life as a three point attempt was missed at the Buzzer, sending yours truly into a euphoric state! Ohio State had the best individual, Purdue had the best team.
Some observations from the game via TV of course.
If you had told me we'd only get 4 pts from Junior superstar Robbie Hummel and we'd win, I would have laughed at you, however JJ stepped up once again with a big 24 pt game, and the biggest factor was Keaton Grant's 13 pts off the bench including a 4 point play in the first half.

Of course TONS of media covering this one a match up of two top ten teams, but my favorite thing I read was courtesy of ESPN's Pat Forde who was blogging live. Commenting on the OSU crowd which had its first sell out of the year, "this crowd is supposedly a sellout just not too enthusiastic yet" and later said "If this game were at Purdue's Mackey Arena the crowd would be 400 times louder than this" I loved that line, and how true. Here's the thing about OSU they have a HUGE ego, sure they can fill a 110,000 football stadium, but they are and always will be a football school. A 20,000 seat basketball arena a little ambitious for them.

In the end this was a HUGE win on the road, and we now have 4 wins over top ten teams this year, with 2 coming on the road, 1 at home, and 1 on a neutral floor. Only 2 other teams in the country can claim that. As good as the win was we had to come back yesterday and beat a SCARY Illinois team. Not scary because they are great, but scary because sometimes they are great sometimes they suck. You never know which team is going to show up. They shot 50% against us, yet timely three point shots, and another great game from Keaton Grant, led to a Boilermaker Victory!! We now stand 23-3 and after Ohio State beat Michigan State today we're all alone in first place!!! Just need to somehow get thru the next two and it looks good. We're also closing in on a #1 seed which hasn't been done since 1996. Right now it's great to be a Boilermaker.

Speaking of the NCAA tournament, I am planning on doing the Bracket Contest yet again, and in order to make that work I need your help again. I am hoping I will have enough people participate to make it fun. Bekah is the defending champ so she has no choice she has to compete :) If you are new to my blog, or weren't around last March and want in, please let me know. Basically you are assigned a region and pick the region all the way out, and the four region winners will then pick the final four with me for a chance to win some prize. Hope you will all participate again.

Winter Olympics
OK I admit I am getting into the games. The halfpipe with Shaun White was INSANE that trick he did at the end was AWESOME!! Tonight Team USA beat Canada in hockey I believe that's an upset, and even watched some Ice Dancing the one US team did a cool routine that was Indian pretty neat. Of course I have a MAJOR crush on Tanith Belbin of the US. Watching the bobsled, and luge scares me I have no idea how they keep it on that track going as fast as they do, it's nuts! Here is one thing though I don't understand, in the summer olympics softball has been dropped from the games and one of the reasons given the US is too dominant, even though they didn't even win the gold in Beijing. What I don't understand is then how does the Olympic committee explain Womens Ice Hockey? Canada beat some team like 18-0 and the US has beaten a team 12-1, and I am not sure if these teams have played again but from the sounds of that is routine. So, what's the difference? It doesn't appear the other countries are anywhere near catching the US and Canada, so why is Womens Hockey allowed to stay in the olympics and softball is not? I would much rather watch softball. Are you all watching the olympics? I am still a summer fan, nothing tops the summer games but it has been fun watching these games.

A few entries ago I wrote about my mom breaking her wrist some new developments have happened since. After 4 weeks in her hot pink cast, she went in for another check up and x-ray where it was revealed she needed to have surgery. It sucks because she was getting excited to almost be done and have her cast off, instead now she has another 6 weeks. So, she had the surgery this past Tuesday, everything went well even though it took longer than they thought because the break was apparently worse than they thought. Now however the swelling isn't going down, and it's hurting so she is going in tomorrow to see what's going on. Hopefully it's an easy fix she's been through too much already!!

That's all I got for ya, everyone have a great week. I am pretty excited here I can see my grass again, the snow is melting!!!
Phats