Whenever the Cardinals and Bobcats meet, I am reminded of my inspiration to join the merchant marine. As a student, I sat across from the benches, looking at red to my left and green to my right; then one night while canoeing off the shores of Gallipolis, I looked up at the Silver Memorial Bridge piers and saw red on the left and green on the right and thought: This is what I was meant to do. It was a short career. Shortly after graduation, I went to another Ball State vs. Ohio game, sat on the other side of the building, and became confused when those colors were reversed. Later that week, I ran the A.W. Bayer aground downstream from Weirton, WV and have not set foot on a water-bourne vessel since.

Earlier this week, there was a chance of light snow and the logistical pains that come with it on Wednesday. That has dissipated and the forecast is for mostly cloudy weather. Such a relief for so many reasons. Out of towners: feel safe to drive. Students: Do not fear ruining your new suede UGGS walking across campus.

Ball State is a three win basketball team, but they have steadily improved throughout this first season under James Whitford. Granted, those three wins are against teams of dubious merit (Southeast Missouri, a middling OVC team coached by Dickey Nutt; NAIA Taylor; and defending Christian College National Invitational Tournament Champions Oakland City), but their two MAC losses have been by small margins against the same opponents Ohio has gone 1-1 against.

James Whitford and his staff know what they will be dealing with in The Convo. As an assistant under Charlie Coles at Miami, Whitford recruited Jason Grunkemeyer there and has now brought the Bobcat turncoat on board as an assistant on the Cardinal bench. Although so many of our students are too young to know the name, there are plenty of folks around that will have their interest in hating Ball State renewed.