At Long Last Go Purdue

I grew up in an IU family. I grew up learning to hold Purdue in contempt. My 1957 IU Graduate Mother loved to say that Abraham Lincoln was one of her least favorite Presidents because he approved the land grant for Purdue. I was often engaged in fights as a boy in Purdue’s Mackey Arena because a Boilermaker Partisan would rip my Indiana Derby hat off my head.

The School lunch room fights pitted my Bobby Knight Surrogate self against the whole school of Purdue Coach Gene Keady Advocates. The joke for my side was that Gene Keady and successor Matt Painter only play 14 holes because they can’t find the Final Four.

But now I’m 62 and I know my Purdue friends have suffered a lot. Elite 8 losses in 1988, 1994…2000, and the horrific loss to Virginia in 2019 have more than left scar tissue. I can’t leave out the tragic knee injury to Star Robbie Hummel in 2010 when that team had sights on the Final Four in nearby Indianapolis.

Coach Matt Painter also recruits a lot of 2 and 3 star players who play team basketball and who know not to break curfew on the road or get arrested at Taco Bell at 2:30 AM.

Given the class of their coach and Star Giant Center Zach Edey I actually rooted for Purdue against Tennessee Easter Sunday. I was happy for my childhood friends with whom I used to fight. Yes, I’m actually happy for them for all the right reasons. Sorry Mom. I know you would be appalled but in this Time of the Transfer Portal and NIL big bucks I think she would understand my change of heart. after all, she earned her Masters from Purdue.

So Boiler up to Purdue Nation. I’m actually for you.