March Madness it's AWESOME baby

Since the calendar officially flipped to March it's time to start gearing up for the best sporting event in the world, serious nothing beats the first weekend, of the NCAA tournament!! I love and have loved it since I could walk, and for me it has already started I am like a BIG geek once championship week starts checking ESPN scores daily to see how teams are doing. Anyway the Big Dance is nearing, and selection Sunday will take place March 11th will your team be in? For awhile there I was worried about my Boilers but we have fixed some problems and are ROLLING having won 5 out of 6 and honestly I wouldn't want to play us right now as we are dangerous. I am hoping I can count on all of you to play in my March Madness Bracket Contest again our defending champion is Travis! Once the bracket has been released I will start sending out emails and if you have a team in the tournament I will try to put you in their region. Also I usually give a sweet prize you can ask former winners.

March Madness started early for me as Wednesday night I headed over to Mackey Arena with some friends to watch Purdue play Penn State on a night that I knew would be EMOTIONAL. It was Senior night for the Boilers, and that meant seeing Mr Robbie Hummel play is last game at Mackey Arena, he didin't disappoint leading the Boilers in a blow out win with 26pts and got to exit to standing ovation. I have to stay that I am not one to cry over sports, get upset, frustrated, pissed, happy, elated sure but cry not usually with a few exceptions and last night was one of them I will not a shed a tear for Mr Hummel. For those that don't know the story he is one of the best to wear the Black and Gold in the history of the program, and one of the nicest and best students off the court. Anyway his Junior year hitting the stretch run the Boilers were ranked #4 in the nation headed to a #1 seed and hopefully a final four in Indy it happened. During the Minnesota game he made a move to the basket and cut went down it was revealed he tore his ACL was out the for the last 4 regular season games. We were still able to win the Big Ten, and advance to the sweet 16 but it still hurt. Anyway he worked like mad to rehab and get back, and the dark cloud struck again. I remember like it was yesterday the Boiler football team oddly enough was playing Minnesota and a hush went over the crowd as everyone was finding out Hummel had re-torn his ACL on the first day of practice. We still had an amazing season losing in the 3rd rd of the NCAA tournament but the picture that spoke so much louder after that game was Hummel on the bench in tears. Later he spoke about it and said "I let Purdue, and the fans down" It just broke my heart to hear him say that. Anyway, he came back this year and after struggling with his knees for most the season he is finally healthy and playing maybe the best basketball of his career right now so yes, I got emotional. It's easily the loudest ovation I have ever heard for a player on Senior night. We hopefully still have a lot of basketball to play and I for one plan to sit back and enjoy Hummel everytime he represents our great university.

To kind of put it all into perspective of what Hummel means to Purdue I place him at the top of the list right there with our greatest ambassador Drew Brees, if you know me, and know my love for Brees you know that is high praise. Anyway the best student section in the nation, The Paint Crew put together a special video for Robbie, thought i'd share it with you, not sure if anyone will watch but hey I can try :) I have to stay my heart breaks all over again at the 8:00 minute mark.



So, thank you Mr Hummel no matter how this ride ends this march you are the true epitome of what it is to be a Boilermaker.
Boiler Up!