Author: Wayne Lawrence

Welcome to our 35th edition of 2026 MARCH MADNESS !!!!

SORRY ABOUT THE DELAY:  MY SERVER BLEW UP!!  Welcome To Our 35th ANNUAL Version of MARCH MADNESS !!! Yes I will have “MY PICKS” so you can compare your picks to mine. (And Laugh or Cry) I will have A “MASTER BRACKET”,  “WHAT IF YOU CHOSE THE HIGH PICKS”  for each game.  Yes I will have MY PICKS.      An “UPSET” will be RED on “ALL HIGH PICKS”  Bracket.  GREEN indicate HIGH SEED Win. What is a seed?  Merely a starting place.  Although unlikely, IT is possible for two 16 seeds to meet in the final game.  Would lets say , DUKE, to be seeded as a number 16.  They would still have  to win all games to be CHAMPION ! SEEDING: Attempts to give a more favored team an easier path to the CHAMPIONSHIP.  Seeding should lead to  the best 2 teams playing in the final game.  However there  is always that upset minded team;  or  the chance that the favored team has a bad game, a stand out player is sick or injured.   For more information feel free to go to…     https://ftm.coursemateai.com/home 🏀 I   pinned Artie Fischal, (who really does not know much about sports), into revealing some of his picks.  HERE YOU ARE FINAL FOUR:  ArizonaWildcats,  Duke BlueDevils, Houston Cougars, and Michigan Wolverines. CHAMPION:  Duke Blue Devils 74        Arizona. Wildcats 68   NOTE: To enlarge pick sheets; HOVER over the sheet.  Look at bottom of sheet and click the (+) PLUS . MASTER BRACKET [pdf-embedder url=”https://fromthemiddle.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2026-March-Madness-MASTER-Brackett.pdf” title=”2026 March Madness MASTER Brackett”] HIGH PICKS [pdf-embedder url=”https://fromthemiddle.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2026-March-Madness-ALLHIGH-PICKS-Brackett.pdf” title=”2026 March Madness ALLHIGH PICKS Brackett”] MY PICKS [pdf-embedder url=”https://fromthemiddle.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2026-March-Madness-MLY-PICKS-Brackett.pdf” title=”2026 March Madness MLY PICKS Brackett”] Views: 1

I AM BOSTON: CHAPTER 4 FIRE IS A MEMORY

  Fire is older than houses:  Fire remembers things.  When I lie in front of the fireplace, I am not just warming my body.  I am listening to something ancient speak in a language without words.  Fire crackles the way the land does when it settles at night.  It hums. It breathes.  You think I like the heat.  That is only part of it.  Fire means safety that has already been negotiated. Fire means the night is being held back by intention.  Why I Choose That Spot:  You have rugs. Chairs.  Soft places that smell like you.  I choose the floor in front of fire.  Because it is honest.  The heat comes from one direction.  The rest of the room remains watchable.  Nothing sneaks up on a creature who places himself correctly.  Also, from there, I can see you. I pretend not to notice how often you glance over to make sure I am still there. Coming Inside Is Not Failure:  Sometimes you sigh when I come in.  You think, Finally.  You think I have given in.  I have not.  Coming inside is a strategic pause.  Every guardian must know when to rest, when to sharpen awareness, when to trust the systems they have put in place.  You are part of that system. What Home Means to Me:  Home is not walls.  Home is consistency.  The same land.  The same paths., The same voices calling my name the same way every time.  You do not move things around much.  This is good.  It lets the territory settle.  It lets me relax, knowing nothing has shifted while I was gone.  Home is where I can leave and still return to everything exactly as it should be. Why I Always Leave Again:  Staying inside too long dulls the senses.  Smells stagnate.  Sounds lose their edges.  Time stretches in strange ways.  Outside resets me.  Outside reminds me who I am.  I leave not because I don’t love the fire—but because I love the land more.  The Moments You Don’t See:  There are moments that never appear on camera.  Me sitting beneath stars so bright they feel close enough to touch. Me watching frost form and melt in silence.  Me listening to night creatures argue over things that don’t concern me.  These moments belong only to me. And that is how it should be.   On Being a Black Cat:  You know people say things.  Black cats are unlucky. Black cats disappear at night.  Black cats are hard to read.   Good.  I like being underestimated.  My fur absorbs light.  My eyes return it.  I move through darkness without announcing myself.  I belong to the spaces between things. I have learned that humans project fear onto what they cannot easily see. That is not my problem. What My Green Eyes See:  Green is the color of patience. My eyes catch motion before it becomes movement.  I see the twitch of intention.  The hesitation before a decision.  I see you watching me with worry wrapped in love. I see more than you think.  The Promise I Never Say:  You have never asked me to stay.  Not directly. You respect my nature, even when it scares you.  So I make you a promise I never speak aloud:  I will come back.  I will check the doors.  I will guard the machines.  I will lie in front of the fire when the night has been handled. I will let you hear my voice at the back door so you know everything is still in order. Why Watching Me Exhausts You:  You try to follow my life from a chair.  I live it on foot.  Of course it wears you out.  Still—you watch.  And that is love, even if it looks like worry.  When I Leave Again:  When I step back outside, I do not look behind me. Not because I don’t care.  Because I know you are there.  And I know exactly where to find you. End of Chapter Four Views: 3

Them “Classics” Ain’t Classic — They’re Just Old

  Jus’ read “braniac” Fischal rant on “CLASSIC BOOKS” Now I’m fixin’ to say somethin’ that’ll get me side-eyed by folks who keep a leather-bound set of so-called “great books” sittin’ up high on a shelf where nobody can reach ’em.  But I ain’t never been much for whisperin’ truth just ’cause it makes somebody’s tea go lukewarm. They tell us certain books are “classics.”   That means, near as I can figure, that enough professors, critics, and city folks done agreed they’re important, and the rest of us are expected to nod polite and say,  “Yes ma’am, yes sir,” even if we couldn’t stay awake past chapter three. Two of the biggest sacred cows in that pasture are Moby-Dick by Herman Melville, and A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. Well, I’m here to say they ain’t classics ’cause they’re great.  They’re classics ’cause they’re old and survived.  And that ain’t the same thing.  Age Don’t Equal Worth. See, folks get age confused with quality.   Just ’cause somethin’s been around a long time don’t mean it deserves the front porch rocker.  I got a busted washtub out back been sittin’ there twenty years.  Don’t make it fine china. “Moby-Dick” gets praised like it’s holy writ.  But ask the average reader what they remember about it, and you’ll hear:  “Whale.” Maybe “Call me Ishmael.” After that?  Fog rolls in.  It’s three hundred pages of whalin’ facts, rope measurements, and cetology lectures that feel like you’re trapped in a maritime hardware catalog.  If I want to know the cross-section of a sperm whale’s skull, I’ll ask a marine biologist.  When I sit down to read a novel, I expect a story — not a shipping manifest. Now I ain’t sayin’ Melville couldn’t write.  The man could string a sentence long enough to wrap around a lighthouse twice.  But just because you can make a sentence run on like a creek after rain don’t mean you ought to. A classic ought to move people.  It ought to speak plain enough that a working man or woman can hear it.  Instead, “Moby-Dick” reads like it’s challengin’ you to a duel. You ever notice how folks who praise it loudest also like to mention how many times they’ve reread it?  That ain’t devotion.  That’s survivorship.  Hard to Read Ain’t the Same as Deep.  There’s this notion floatin’ around that if a book is difficult, it must be profound.  Like if you don’t understand it, that’s your fault — not the author’s. Now I’ve sat through sermons that wandered so far from the Good Book you’d think the preacher got lost in Numbers.  That don’t make ’em holy.  It just makes ’em long.  Same with “A Tale of Two Cities.” Dickens opens with that famous line:  “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…”  Folks clap like he discovered oxygen.  But what comes after?  Paragraphs so packed with description they feel like they’re elbowin’ each other for room.  Dickens loved words the way some folks love gravy — just keep pourin’ till the plate disappears. You ever try handin’ that book to a teenager raised on clear storytelling?  They look at you like you handed ’em a brick.  Language evolves.  Storytelling evolves.  But we keep pretendin’ struggle equals significance.  It don’t. If Nobody Reads It Willin’, Is It Truly Classic?   Let me ask you somethin’ plain.  If a book is mostly read because a teacher assigns it — not because folks can’t wait to turn the page — what exactly makes it timeless?  Take them school curriculums.  They haul out “Moby-Dick” and “A Tale of Two Cities” year after year like they’re heirloom quilts. Students read ’em, write papers, and then—soon as the final exam’s done—they never open ’em again. Now compare that to stories people pass hand to hand without bein’ told to. Stories that get dog-eared. Stories quoted at kitchen tables.  A classic ought to live outside a syllabus.  If it only breathes in a classroom, that ain’t timeless. That’s institutional life support.  The Weight of Academia Here’s somethin’ nobody says out loud: the idea of “classics” gets guarded like a gated community.  Scholars write papers about symbolism in the whiteness of the whale.  They build careers discussin’ the psychology of Ahab’s obsession.  They analyze Dickens’ critique of social injustice in revolutionary France.  Now, don’t get me wrong — themes of obsession and injustice matter. But if you need a doctorate to enjoy the story, maybe the story ain’t doin’ its job.  A true classic don’t require a commentary to function.  It hits you in the chest first, then in the head.  When you gotta read three essays before you can appreciate a chapter, that’s homework — not art.  Story Should Come First Let’s talk bones and meat.  A novel’s backbone is story.  Character. Momentum. “Moby-Dick” spends chapters driftin’ like a becalmed schooner.  You get whole sections that feel detached from the main pursuit.  It’s like Melville forgot he was tellin’ a tale and started writin’ an encyclopedia.  And “A Tale of Two Cities” — well, Dickens had a habit of publishin’ serially, which means he padded and stretched and cliff-hung to keep readers buyin’ the next installment.  That makes for drama, sure, but it also makes for bloat. If you trimmed both books down by a third, you might have something lean and strong.  Instead, they’re monuments.  And monuments ain’t meant to be lived in. The “Important” Argument.  Anytime you question these books, someone says, “But they’re important.”  Important how?  Because they influenced other writers?  Because they captured their era?  Because critics agreed they mattered?  That’s history, not necessarily greatness.  We don’t call every old courthouse beautiful just ’cause it stood through two wars.  Influence ain’t the same as readability.  Historical value ain’t the same as emotional power. If a modern writer turned in a manuscript structured like “Moby-Dick,” an editor might politely suggest tightening it up.  If a new novelist opened with Dickens’ density, half the… Continue reading Them “Classics” Ain’t Classic — They’re Just Old

WAY TOO EARLY PROJECTION OF TEAMS IN 2026 MARCH MADNESS

Below is MY perceived 2026 NCAA Men’s March Madness 68-team bracket summary along with why these contenders are projected where they are and who the last four in might be. With clear sections and some bracket context based on multiple bracketology sources and current standings. 🏀 2026 NCAA March Madness – Perceived Bracket & Summary  Top Seeds (Projected No. 1s) No. 1 Seeds: Duke, Michigan, Arizona, UConn These are the teams currently leading polls and bracket projections: Duke has taken over the AP No. 1 spot after a signature win over Michigan, Michigan and Arizona remain elite in NET and poll rankings, and UConn is dominating the Big East.  🏆 Projected Bracket — Top Regions (This is a  field combining multiple bracketology projections through February) No. 1 Seeds Duke – ACC powerhouse with top metrics and high Quad-1 win totals.  AP News Michigan – Elite resume, strong analytics profile across KenPom & NET. Arizona – Undefeated and dominant in Big 12 play.  UConn – Big East leader and consistent NET top10 team. �table 2–4 Seeds (Consensus among projections): Purdue – Listed as a 2-seed and inside the top 10 NET as well.  Illinois, Houston, Iowa State, Gonzaga – All regularly projected as 2–3 seeds due to strong resumes and Quad-1 victories.  Texas Tech, North Carolina, Florida – Frequently slotted in the 4–5 range.  🔥 Bubble & At-Large Favorites These teams are frequently projected in the middle seed range (6–10) and are viewed as strong bubble contenders: Wisconsin – Now considered a lock with a solid Quad-1 profile.  Bucky’s 5th Quarter NC State, Villanova, Utah State – Often seen as swing seeds (7–9).  Tennessee, Alabama, Iowa, Louisville – Held inside projected field in most bracketology lists.  📉 Perceived Bubble & Tiering Likely In (just inside): NC State, UCLA, Auburn, Missouri, USC, SMU � Traditional Bubble (needs wins to secure): Butler, Creighton, Seton Hall, UCF, San Diego State � 🏟️ Last Four In (Play-In Candidates) According to recent projections such as Sporting News’ field of 68 and other bracketology builds: 📌 Projected Last Four In Texas Ohio State Texas A&M New Mexico These teams typically show up just inside the 68-team range but with resume gaps that could easily drop them on Selection Sunday.  ❌ First Four Out (Near-Misses) Teams often crack the bracket: Just outside the field, meaning they’d need late resume boosts to USC Santa Clara Virginia Tech Missouri These programs hover near the cut line due to inconsistent Quad-1 wins or fewer signature victories.  🧠 Why These Projections Make Sense 📊 Standings & Metrics The teams near the top of the NET and AP polls (Duke, Michigan, Arizona, UConn) also have strong strength of schedule and Quad-1 win totals — key components the Selection Committee values.  NCAA.com+ 📍 Conference Strength Big Ten, ACC, Big 12, and SEC teams are well-represented due to conference depth and quality wins. The Big Ten alone has numerous projected bids.  Bucky’s 5th Quarter 📉 Strong Mid-Majors Gonzaga and Utah State often appear in the field due to excellent records, strong conference performance, and Quad-1/Quad-2 victories.  The Slipper Still Fits Views: 4

I AM BOSTON CHAPTER 3; Names Are Not Accidents

My name is Boston. You did not choose it lightly, even if you think you did.  Names carry weight. They shape how a creature moves through the world.  Boston is a name with edges, with weather in it, with history and brick and stubborn survival.  It fits a black cat who does not ask permission to exist. I know my name.  I respond to it because it matters.  Not all sounds do. Why I Learned Human Words: Humans talk too much.  You fill silence because it frightens you.  You name things so they feel contained.  You repeat yourselves to make reality hold still. I noticed early that certain sounds bent your behavior.  Doors opened. Bowls filled.  Eyes turned.  So I experimented.  At first, it was imitation. A shape of sound.  Then refinement.  Tone.  Timing.  Context.  “Out” worked best when delivered without apology.  “I want out” added urgency.  “Mama” was… interesting.  That word carries something extra. It pulls you forward. It overrides hesitation.  It works even when you are tired.  I am not cruel. I use it sparingly. What I Mean When I Speak:   When I say “out,” I do not mean please.  I mean:  The perimeter requires attention.  When I say “I want out,” I mean:  Something has changed. When I say “mama,” I mean:  Trust me.  You always do. The Front Door Problem (Revisited): You have tried, gently and not so gently, to convince me the front door is acceptable.  It is not.  The front door is loud.  It opens into exposure.  It invites the world instead of negotiating with it.  The back door understands transition.  It is where inside and outside shake hands.  I will not compromise on this. Some rules keep order.  Watching Humans Watch Me:  I see you through windows sometimes. You don’t realize this.  You lean forward. You squint.  You hold still like prey trying not to be seen.  You follow my shape on a screen as if your attention itself could protect me.  It is… endearing.  Unnecessary.  But endearing. If something were truly wrong, you would know.  Not because of the camera—but because the land would feel different.  You are more connected than you think. Storms:  Storms do not frighten me.  Storms announce themselves honestly.  They give warnings.  Pressure shifts.  Birds behave foolishly.  Wind smells sharp.  I position myself accordingly.  Heavy rain is loud but harmless.  Thunder is theatrical.  Lightning is arrogant but brief.  I have places for all of it.  You count hours, I count patterns. What I Think About Fear: Fear is useful in small doses.  Too much fear makes you imagine threats that aren’t there.  Too little fear makes you walk into trouble smiling.  You live somewhere in the middle, weighted by love.  I live closer to clarity. This does not make me braver than you.  It makes me simpler. The Cars Again (Because They Matter): Machines confuse you.  You see them as tools.  I see them as shelters that move.  The warmth they hold. The scent of roads.  The stories clinging to their undersides.  When I lie on them, I am reading where they have been.  Also, from there, I can see everything.  Visibility is security.   Sleep, Reconsidered:  When I sleep, I choose it carefully.   One eye always opens first.  Dreams come and go quickly.  I do not linger in them.  There is too much happening in the real world to stay lost in imagined ones.  Still, sometimes, by the fireplace, I dream of nothing at all.  That is the deepest rest. Why I Wander Farther Some Days:  Some days the territory feels… stretched. Smells drift farther.  Boundaries blur.  The world feels like it is holding its breath.  On those days, I walk more.  You watch longer.  We are both responding to the same thing.  What I Would Tell You If You Asked:  You never ask directly. But if you did, I would say this:  I am not lonely.  I am not cold. I am not lost.  I am exactly where I am supposed to be.     End of Chapter Three Views: 2

SUPER BOWL LX: HOW SEATTLE TOOK THE NIGHT, MOMENT, AND THE LOMBARDI

  A complete wrap-up of the game that defined the 2025 NFL season Super Bowl LX will not be remembered for last-second heroics, miracle catches, or officiating controversy. It will be remembered for something rarer in the modern NFL: control. On February 8, 2026, under the bright lights of Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, the Seattle Seahawks delivered a methodical, physical, and unapologetically old-school 29–13 victory over the New England Patriots, claiming the second Super Bowl championship in franchise history.  This was not a fluke.  It was not a shootout that broke one way or another.  It was a game that unfolded exactly as Seattle intended—snap by snap, quarter by quarter, possession by possession. Super Bowl LX was a reminder that championships are still won the same way they always have been: franchise history., and the ability to impose your will when the moment gets heavy. The Weight of the Matchup The league sold this game as a rematch.  And it was—at least emotionally. Seattle and New England last met on the Super Bowl stage a decade earlier, a game forever frozen in NFL history by one decision at the goal line. That memory lingered, especially for the Seahawks fan base.  But this Super Bowl was not about revenge in the cinematic sense.  It was about closure through dominance. Both teams arrived in Santa Clara with 14–3 regular-season records. Both were conference champions.  Both had survived playoff runs defined by toughness rather than fireworks.  Yet beneath the symmetry, the teams were at very different points in their football lives. Seattle was built to win now. New England was built to arrive early. The Patriots, behind rookie quarterback Drake Maye, had already exceeded expectations by reaching Super Bowl LX. The Seahawks, meanwhile, had been quietly assembling one of the most balanced rosters in the league—elite on defense, efficient on offense, and lethal on special teams. The question entering the game wasn’t whether New England belonged. It was whether they were ready. By the end of the first quarter, that question had an answer. First Quarter: Setting the Tone The opening fifteen minutes of Super Bowl LX told the story that would define the night. Seattle won the toss and deferred, a subtle but confident decision.  When New England took the field, the Seahawks defense immediately announced itself—not with a sack or turnover, but with pressure. Drake Maye was forced off his first read repeatedly.  Receivers were contested at the line.  The Patriots punted without ever crossing midfield. Seattle’s first offensive possession was deliberate.  No hurry.  No trickery. Kenneth Walker III carried the ball early and often, testing gaps, leaning into contact, forcing New England to commit extra defenders to the box. The drive stalled inside the red zone, but kicker Jason Myers converted the first of what would become a historic night: three points, Seattle. That sequence—defensive stop, clock-chewing drive, points—became the rhythm of the game. By the end of the quarter, Seattle led 3–0, but the scoreboard understated the reality.  The Seahawks had already dictated terms. Second Quarter: Pressure Turns Into Damage If the first quarter established control, the second quarter turned that control into separation. New England attempted to open things up offensively, trusting Maye’s arm and mobility.  That decision played directly into Seattle’s hands. The Seahawks’ front seven began collapsing the pocket with increasing speed, while the secondary challenged every throwing window. Midway through the quarter came the game’s first truly defining play. Facing third down near midfield, Maye tried to force a throw across the middle.  Linebacker Uchenna Nwosu read it perfectly, stepping into the passing lane and intercepting the ball cleanly.  What followed was a reminder of why defense still travels: Nwosu returned the interception for a touchdown, weaving through traffic as the Seahawks sideline erupted. In one play, the score jumped from a manageable 6–0 to a commanding 13–0. New England never fully recovered.  Seattle added two more field goals before halftime—both the result of drives that mixed Walker’s power running with short, efficient passes from Sam Darnold. The Seahawks didn’t need explosive plays. They needed precision. At halftime, the score stood 19–0, and the Patriots had yet to cross the goal line. Halftime Reality Check Down 19 points in the Super Bowl is more than a deficit—it’s a psychological barrier.  For New England, the locker room conversation wasn’t about panic. It was about survival.  The Patriots had to score quickly in the second half to have any chance.  But urgency is a dangerous thing against a disciplined defense. Seattle, meanwhile, made no speeches about finishing strong.  They didn’t need to.  Their approach was simple: keep doing exactly what had already worked. Third Quarter: The Grind The third quarter of Super Bowl LX will never make a highlight reel, and Seattle would not have it any other way.  This was championship football stripped to its core.  Seattle opened the half with a drive that lasted more than seven minutes.  Walker carried the ball.  Darnold converted third downs.  Tight ends blocked.  Receivers ran routes designed not for glamour, but for leverage. The drive ended—again—in a field goal. Myers made it 22–0, extending a Super Bowl record pace for kicking accuracy. New England finally managed sustained offense late in the quarter, but even then, nothing came easily.  Every completion was contested.  Every yard earned.  When the Patriots crossed midfield, it felt like a small victory rather than momentum. By the end of the third quarter, the score remained unchanged.  Time, the most unforgiving opponent in football, was now working entirely against New England. Fourth Quarter: Sealing It The Patriots entered the fourth quarter knowing they needed miracles. What they got instead was more Seattle control. Early in the quarter, Darnold delivered the only offensive touchdown Seattle would need—a composed, play-action strike that caught New England overcommitting to the run.  The score moved to 29–0, and any remaining suspense vanished. To their credit, the Patriots continued to fight.  Maye led two scoring drives late, finally finding rhythm… Continue reading SUPER BOWL LX: HOW SEATTLE TOOK THE NIGHT, MOMENT, AND THE LOMBARDI

2025 SEASON NFL DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP CONFIDENCE PICK SHEET

WHO WILL PLAY IN SUPER BOWL LX ??????????? For those of you who are new here. This is how confidence ranking goes, let me explain. If we were playing an office pool,(which we ARE NOT).  The object is to score the most points. To obtain the score YOU rank the teams by how confident you are a team will win its game.  EXAMPLE:  Say this week we have 16 games.  The team you are most confident will win you would assign the number 16 and follow down to the team you are least confident in and assign that number 1.   You add up the TOTAL CORRECT PICKS.. That would be your score.  We use the Monday night (Last game played) as a TIE BREAKER.  The tie is broken by the closest to the total (that is the COMBINED score of the two participating teams) final score, without going over. YOU can adopt the scoring  described above.  Or, the optional method.  A  negative score for missed games.  We will continue to get a positive score for correct predictions.  EXAMPLE:   if you scored     1 pt on the first game and you had 15 pts on the second game and lost you would still have  1 pt. 1.  HOWEVER. with the same scenario new scoring system would result with a –14 score If we were playing this is how my sheet would look;  My pick will be in bold Capital letters.  you can use circling, underlining, or highlighting.  I will show my correct points in Bold I will fill in my picks Thursday.  Until then feel free to: Just copy and paste for your own Fun Pool Use.  Or to see if you can beat me. IF YOU SEE I MADE A MIS-COPY OF THE GAMES AND TIMES FEEL  FREE TO EMAIL ME AND TELL ME I GOOFED. BYES: NONE  TRIVIA TIME:   Who was the first head coach of the Seattle Seahawks?                                            Answer below pick sheet  All Times EST GAME TV VISITOR SCORE HOME SCORE CONFIDENCE       SUNDAY 01/12/25 15:00 1 CBS PATRIOTS (16–3) 10 @ Broncos (15–3) 7 2      2 /2 SUNDAY 01/12/25 18:30 2 FOX Rams (14–5) 27 @ SEAHAWKS (15–3) 32 1       3/3 100%/100% GAMES  2/0 100%/0%   Points Possible 3 Tie Break  (Total score last game) 46 Total points scored 58 Points off -12 TRIVIA ANSWER Jack Patera Views: 3

Feeling Sorry for the Hoosiers — and Anyone Headed to Florida

I have to say, I feel genuinely sorry for the Hoosiers. Not because of anything they’ve done on the field — quite the opposite. They’ve played an incredible season, battled through every challenge, and put themselves in position to finish undefeated. That’s something special, rare, and worth celebrating. What makes me feel for them is that, to keep chasing that dream, they have to go to Florida. And they’re not alone. I feel just as bad for the announcers, the media crews, the traveling staff, and anyone else who has to pack up and head to Florida. You can dress it up as a “destination game,” but let’s be honest — Florida is Florida. Heat, humidity, crowds, chaos, bugs, and all the headaches, not to mention IT IS FLORIDA.  I cannot think of anything good to say about Florida.   But I have always been a told if you can’t say something good about someone or thing, say nothing.  So I will say this.  Florida would be a good place for all the evil people of the world to be placed, then chop it off the USA and send it into the ocean. Meanwhile, the Hoosiers will be expected to stay focused, block out distractions, and perform at their absolute best in an environment that’s basically designed to make you sweat, wilt, and question your life choices. As much as I would love to see Indiana complete the season undefeated — and I truly would — there’s a limit to what even my fandom can tolerate. People keep asking me if I’d go to the NCAA championship game.  My answer is simple: not unless someone steps up with $1,000,000 a day, plus all expenses paid. Airfare? Covered. Hotel? Five-star, beachfront, and air-conditioned. Transportation? Private. Food? Top shelf. Security? Absolutely. And that million dollars per day? Non-negotiable. Until that offer is on the table — in writing — I’ll happily watch from home, in comfort, with the thermostat set exactly where I like it. Still, none of this takes away from what Indiana has accomplished. Undefeated is within reach, and if they pull it off, it will be a season people talk about for decades. So here’s to the Hoosiers: stay cool, stay focused, and bring that perfect season home — preferably as quickly as possible so you can all get out of Florida. GO HOOSIERS!!!!!! Views: 3