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SIU Edwardsville Cougars at Indiana Hoosiers December 17, 2010 7:00 pm Assembly Hall BBState Stats/Recap

Hi Kyle-- I should go ahead and preface this by saying that I'm a lifelong Bloomington resident and a student at IU now. I've spent my entire life on the other side of the Red Line and agonized over games that were cause for celebration in your world (Lipscomb, Northeastern, Boston U in recent years come to mind). Nevertheless, I'm a big fan of The Mid-Majority. I've been aware of your work since the ESPN days and I've followed this site sporadically for the last few years before really throwing myself into it this year.

Sure, I love rooting for the underdogs and pointing out the injustice of major college athletics, but more so I find myself relating to your writing style and the substance of your posts. The searching, the wondering, the occasional finding of answers so often mirrors my own thoughts and expresses them in a way I'm incapable of doing.

I wanted to say hi at the game tonight but you left before I had a chance to get over to press row and from the looks of your twitter updates it probably wouldn't have gone over well. I'm not entirely sure why I'm writing this message. Part of me is upset that you seemed to equate IU with everything that is wrong with high-major basketball. You've spent enough time in Indiana to know that people here are sensitive about their basketball and I'm no different.

I acknowledge that IU is guilty of some of the sins associated with high-majordom: guarantee games have increased, true non-conference road games have decreased (this year, at BC in the ACC-Big 10 Challenge and at Kentucky in an ongoing rivalry series are the only two), and the influence of money is always apparent if one is willing to see it. However, I just don't know if I'll ever be able to fully dissociate myself from this school and this team and admit all the flaws because of how much it's meant to me throughout my life. The Mid-Majority appeals to my love of upsets and Milan Miracles (or Hickory High, for the Gene Hackman-inclined), but IU appeals to my heart. It's home.

I think I'll have to stop following your site for a while and reconcile my thoughts on this. I'll still check the scoreboard for RLUs and I'll still root for mids against every other high-major, but for now, at this point in my life, I can't buy in totally to this way of life. I need comfort and home more than I need the hope and highs and lows that come from fully investing in the Mid-Majority way, so to speak.

I'll come back someday but until I do, here's a parting gift. Go back and look again at your twitpic of the NCAA championship banners at Assembly Hall. Beneath the press row up there, where it says "Hoosiers" in crimson, the final railing at the top of the stairs bisects the first "s" just so that it looks an awful lot like a dollar sign. Thought you might enjoy that. Stay warm.

Sincerely,

Sean B.

@midmajority Game Tweets

Boxscore

at INDIANA 88, SIU EDWARDSVILLE 54 12/17/2010 SIU EDWARDSVILLE 2-10 (0-0) -- M. Messer 5-8 4-6 15; N. Bundalo 1-5 4-4 6; C. Chatt 2-8 0-0 5; C. Wickware 3-7 4-6 12; D. Boarden 1-9 1-3 3; K. Stineman 2-3 2-2 6; L. Murphy 0-1 1-2 1; C. Rincker 2-3 0-0 4; Z. Schneider 1-2 0-0 2; A. Mitchell 0-5 0-0 0; D. Mavrak 0-0 0-0 0; A. Newlin 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 17-51 16-23 54. INDIANA 8-2 (0-0) -- M. Creek 3-6 1-2 8; V. Oladipo 4-6 0-0 8; J. Rivers 1-3 4-4 6; M. Roth 1-1 2-2 5; W. Sheehey 4-6 0-1 8; D. Elston 5-8 3-3 14; C. Watford 6-8 2-2 18; J. Hulls 3-4 0-0 7; T. Pritchard 2-3 1-4 5; D. Moore 2-3 2-2 6; B. Capobianco 0-1 0-0 0; K. Barnett 1-2 0-0 3; T. Wayer 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 32-52 15-20 88. Three-point goals: SIUE 4-18 (A. Mitchell 0-1; D. Boarden 0-4; K. Stineman 0-1; C. Chatt 1-4; M. Messer 1-3; C. Wickware 2-5), IND 9-16 (K. Barnett 1-2; M. Roth 1-1; M. Creek 1-4; D. Elston 1-2; J. Hulls 1-2; C. Watford 4-4; T. Wayer 0-1); Rebounds: SIUE 22 (N. Bundalo 5), IND 34 (M. Creek 6); Assists: SIUE 8 (C. Chatt 3), IND 18 (J. Hulls 5); Total Fouls -- SIUE 18, IND 18; Fouled Out: SIUE-None; IND-C. Watford.