I like…

New York Magazine’s Vulture blog took it upon themselves to list the Top 10 Video game movies that haven’t been made yet and even picked directors to make them. Wouldn’t you want to see a Michel Gondry Tetris flick?

The Indianapolis Star has a nice piece about IU wideout James Hardy and his relationship with Coach Hep.

I don’t like…

Indianapolis Star columnist, and IU alum, Bob Kravitz writes today he thinks IU needs to bring interim head coach Bill Lynch on permanently.  I blogged about this last week and when I saw this story on my newsreader, I didn’t realize it was a column and thought they had made, what I believe to be, the decision that could bury this program once and for all. I don’t think Kravitz is close enough to this program for his opinion to be valid, in my opinion. I doubt very seriously that he caught Lynch’s bad clock management at the end of the game at Northwestern. I think he is seeing the end product and giving all the credit to Bill Lynch and not enough credit to what’s really at the heart of the Hoosiers 6-4 record: their weak non-conference and conference schedule. 

I like Indiana’s interim head football coach as much as the next guy. Bill Lynch seems like a very capable, intelligent guy who cares about his players and about this program. He has been undoubtedly been put into a tough spot and performed admirably. Following Terry Hoeppner is no easy task. Hoeppner in his short time at IU had become something of an iconic figure in Bloomington, a symbol of the program’s new hope and any coach would have a tough time following that. It’s always tough being the guy after the guy and Coach Hep was well on his way to becoming the guy at IU. This program, now more than ever, needs someone with Hep’s charisma and Hep’s enthusiasm and likability and I just don’t think Bill Lynch is that guy.

Frankly, whatever success the Hoosiers are having this year and whatever the result of this season is, bowl berth or not, Indiana athletic director Rick Greenspan would do well to remember why student ticket sales for the last three years have been on the rise and why there is a renewed enthusiasm surrounding this program. Indiana football is on the up and up because of Terry Hoeppner. Terry Hoeppner was the face of this program and Terry Hoeppner was a difficult guy not to like, not to follow and not to believe.

I remember sitting at Alumni Hall in Bloomington when Hep held his first ever meeting with the student body at IU, shortly after being brought on to coach the Hoosiers. His excitable was palpable. You could feel that he was thrilled to death to be in that room, be on that campus, and wearing that cream triton on his chest. That passion and that excitement was absolutely contagious. One would be hard pressed to listen to Hep for 15 minutes about his vision for Indiana football and not start believing.

This season, while it is certainly a fitting tribute to the memory of Coach Hep, who passed away in June of this year from brain cancer, it has less to do with Bill Lynch’s leadership and more to do with IU’s schedule, which was ranked as one of the nation’s weakest before the season began. Frankly, with a non-conference schedule that includes three MAC teams and Div. I-AA Indiana State and a conference schedule that didn’t include Ohio State or Michigan, if there was ever a season for the Hoosiers to “Play 13,” it was this one.

At the end of the day, the guy who replaces the guy who filled in for Terry Hoeppner this season needs to be someone who shares Hep’s vision for this program’s future and an equally clear love for it. That guy just isn’t Bill Lynch. Greenspan needs to keep the ball rolling, needs to keep student interest in this program that Hoeppner helped build. He needs someone to do for IU football what Greg Schiano did for Rutgers and Jim Leavitt has done for South Florida and candidly, what Ron Zook is doing across the border in Illinois.

Yesterday was kind of a busy day here in Destin, ran around and had a bunch of interviews for Saturday’s paper so I didn’t get a chance to post a Line or an SEC preview. Today’s Line will be stories from yesterday as well as stories from today.

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No, seriously…

Pittsburgh hospital takes a stand against crocs.

AMC doesn’t carry nickels?

Apparently life is tough when you share a name with a boy wizard.

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Is this the last year for D-Nabb in Philly?

McNabb appears to be showing promise early in training camp.

The Ocho Cinco has some money set aside for fines.

More of the Fanhouses Big Ten preview:

• Most overrated players
• Coaches on the hot seat
• Key position battles
• The five best players
• The underdogs
• Toughest schedules

Penn State QB Anthony Morelli is confident but is he overconfident?

Virginia Tech hopes football season will mark a return to normalcy.

Joe Theismann says he urged Tony Kornheiser to stick with Monday Night Football.

Eagles fans crash Cowboys training camp.

The Colts are parting ways with defensive tackle Corey Simon.

Pro d-backs put Indiana wideout James Hardy through his paces.

‘Browns insider’ says Brady Quinn’s agent is the reason rookie QB isn’t in camp yet.

Wolverine players tell Jim Harbaugh where to go over academic criticisms.

SI’s Peter King says Brady Quinn is a fool for not being in camp.

What a dope Michael Strahan is.

Joe Paterno considers staying in the press box. Consider this — retire.

Wilbon on the death of Bill Walsh.

IU to pay tribute to Coach Hep on uniforms, helmets.

Big Ten commish Jim Delaney proving once more that he really is a complete idiot.

UCF is loving their new digs.

Baton Rouge Advocate talks some LSU football.

Vince Young proves that his low Wunderlich score wasn’t a fluke; punches teammate’s helmet with throwing hand.  The Tennessean.

Tech group files complaints against sports leagues over fair use.

Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio expects the Spartans to be bowl bound in ‘07.

A nice story on the rise of Michigan true quarterback Ryan Mallett. Expect to see Mallett some playing time this season in mop-up duty. In time, I firmly believe Mallett will prove to be a much better quarterback than his rival Notre Dame QB Jimmy Clausen. 

The State (Columbia, S.C.) ranks the SEC quarterbacks.

The AJC’s Tony Barnhart ranks the SEC best running backs.

The NFL to produce a Vince Lombardi biopic.
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Well-rounded news…

The University of Iowa could become the first university to name one of its colleges after a corporation following a $15 million gift from Blue Cross and Blue Shield.

Disney has pulled the plug on its plans for a ‘Ratatouille’ wine.

Two-a-days are becoming a thing of the past in the NFL.

Even investment bankers love them some Facebook.

Blogger thinks new Bourne film is an attack on the Bush administration.

Wyclef says Lauryn Hill is the reason there hasn’t been a Fugees reunion.

Halo 3 to feature online multi-player co-op.

Tech blog Valleywag urges Facebook to stop counting its money and fix the site.

First season of Heroes to come out on DVD later this month. YES!

John Mayer, Dave Matthews and Nas set to play gig at Virginia Tech in September.

Cinematical reviews The Bourne Ultimatum, which I am excited beyond words to see tomorrow night.  Another review from Time Magazine.

Robert Downey, Jr. talks about playing Iron Man.

Rumors swirl over the title of J.J. Abrams’ new project. Some production stills from the set.

The Detroit Free Press interview Cold War Kids frontman Nathan Willett.

Not everyone was a fan of Rocco Dispirito’s cameo on Top Chef last night.

Entertainment Weekly wants to know who you like more: Bond or Bourne?

American Airlines will test in-flight broadband next year.

The Indianapolis Star is reporting that IU football coach Terry Hoeppner while he attends to “personal heath matters.”

IU’s Media Relations people are being good and vague, as media relations people are ought to do but I think most people can assume that it’s something to do with the brain surgery he had last year.

For whatever reason, this news is hitting me kind of hard. And I suspect that anyone who closely follows (or in Terry Hutchens case, covers) Indiana athletics.

I’m a fan of all sports, especially college football but I am, and will always be, a Hoosier.

I guess I’m not horribly surprised by the news that Hep is taking some time off to make sure his health is in order. I spoke with Coach for a story I did on the National Championship game in January and, having heard him speak before, he seemed tired and rundown. In spite of that, he was still funny and incredibly sharp and his passion and love for the game of football is palpable when you talk to him.

IU football has been a turd. During my four years there, we had some gems — beating Oregon in Eugene during DiNardo’s last year, beating Minnesota on what had to be the windiest day ever in Bloomington and last year, Hep’s Hoosiers upset Iowa and came 1 win away from being bowl eligible for the first time in over a decade.

If anyone can turn this program around.. it’s Coach Hep and if anyone deserves our thoughts and our prayers.. it’s Coach Hep.