A Banner Day!

I've been so busy tweeting that it's been days since I posted to my blog. But today cannot be confined to 140 characters, or to an entry on Facebook.

This afternoon, in spite of missing Robbie Hummel, Purdue advanced to the Sweet 16. This really shouldn't be too much of a surprise, since Purdue was seeded higher than both opponents. But yet, sports wiseacres who decided that Purdue was all Robbie Hummel, called them underdogs. Neither win was a walk in the park, but then, anyone who goes to the Big Dance should be a tough opponent. Besides, no one else is like Duke, who always gets to play close to home, and gets the easy early games. No, Purdue won against worthy opponents who just weren't as good. It is the right place for the team that ranked #4 through most of the season, and won its first 16 games.

Then, tonight, in an historic vote, the House passed a health care bill that President Obama will sign into law tomorrow. Immediately Americans will no longer be held hostage by the insurance companies. It is not right that in a time when people are making hard decisions about how to spend their incomes, and defer seeking medical care because of cost and an inability to pay, that insurance companies are posting big profits while denying claims for people who pay them for the coverage.

There is a hue and cry from the right, but it all boils down to power. The right wants the power, and will resist anything that they can't control. Personally, I'm sick of politics. Good health should not be a political decision. Doctors should not have insurance clerks telling them which tests they can or cannot run. Americans should not have to see a doctor based, not on who will give them the best care, but on who their insurance company will pay. No realistic alternative has been offered. The bill that passed is full of ideas from both Republicans and Democrats. Republicans even took to opposing traditional Republican ideas, just to oppose the bill.

Tonight is a huge victory, something that should have been done years ago. Just ask people how long they've had to negotiate with insurance companies, and you get the idea.

100 years ago, Teddy Roosevelt first introduced the idea of health care reform. 40 years ago, Ted Kennedy started fighting for it. Tonight, in spite of opposition that was primarily based in special interest influence, Teddy and Ted are smiling down in satisfaction.

Purdue Boilermakers Dance Into Round Two

On Thursday Purdue beat Northern Iowa (although not as handily as I had hoped) to advance in the NCAA Tournament. Woo hoo! Go Boilers!

On Saturday afternoon, they will face off against the Washington Huskies. I've been hearing about that team all year here in the Pacific Northwest, and there's no question that they are talented, tough and well-coached. They will also have the added advantage of virtually being the home team, playing as they are in Portland. It will be one of the best games in the tournament, rivaling even the finals. But I am an optimist! Purdue is a team that came from the middle of the pack to win the Big Ten championship. They are on a roll, winning games away from their home court.

The Purdue Boilermakers are a fun team to watch, and loaded with talent. Although there are several great players, my favorite player has become sophomore Robbie Hummel. 'Though it's no surprise that Matt Painter's team is tough, there is something about Hummmel's enthusiasm and intensity that I find immensely enjoyable to watch. And he always seems to be in just the right place to get things going.

Whether or not Purdue moves on after Saturday's game remains to be seen. Optimist that I am, I have them reaching the finals, in spite of having to face the UConn Huskies if they beat the Washington Huskies. Anything can happen in the Big Dance.

March Madness (Go Boilers!)

The Purdue Boilermakers men's basketball team is in the Big Dance with a 5th seed in the West. They will be playing in Portland, Ore., and if they win their first game they will face the Washington Huskies, a team I've been familiar with this year due to their coverage in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

But I have a beef with the NCAA. Why is there a "West" bracket being played on the east coast? And why does a team like Purdue or Wisconsin have to play two time zones away, but Duke and North Carolina both get to play in North Carolina? Shouldn't the divisions labeled things like "Midwest" and "South" be for teams from those geographical areas?

While I realize that they try not to have a cluster of the top seeded teams play each other in the first rounds because they are in the same division or geographic area, it seems that they should either place every team away from a home court advantage, or go back to keeping everyone home and tough it out.

Think about it, NCAA. If you tried that kind of unequal division in a preschool class, you'd be in time out.