I have told the story many times. On March 18, 1983, I walked into the Sears store in Clarksville, Indiana, a place I would come to know well, and found a cassette tape that changed me. This was my Ed Sullivan moment. This was my Buddy Holly moment. I looked down and saw this curious artwork on what, compared to an old vinyl album, looked like a postage stamp. It said: Including Nights in White Satin. I like that song, I thought. On my 15th birthday, I received a gift that has stayed with me all these years on.

As I type these words, I am listening to that exact cassette 42 years later. It still sounds great. I found the music that would be the soundtrack of my life. It still is. Even though I have written and recorded three proper albums. Even though just the last few weeks I have been practicing the most important song I have written this decade, when I listen to The Moody Blues things just seem a little better.

Only a couple of weeks ago, I saw The Moodies’ John Lodge and his band for the first time. I have seen Justin Hayward, and his merry group of players, perform ten shows. This on top of 54 Moody Blues concerts between 1986 and 2017. In 2017, my dear wife, Carrie, and I left The Ryman balcony before the last note of the encore Ride My See-Saw died. Never reaching the end is the way I needed to leave it. From The Other Side of Life to playing Days of Future Passed Live. It was a full circle experience for me that most fans can’t comprehend. But I was there. Was I ever.

So, I turn 57.

The year went by too quickly. I have enjoyed it for the most part. In my 56th year, I saw the Indiana Hoosiers become ultra-significant on the college football landscape for the first time in my life. I didn’t expect to live that long. Thanks goes to Indiana AD Scott Dolson and IU Football Coach Curt Cignetti. My sources tell me that Scott Dolson, who chose Coach Cig, will be able to select the next IU Basketball Coach. Dolson was not afforded that chance the last hiring cycle. I wanted it to work out for Coach Woodson. I watched him play at IU. He was a better college player than he was a college coach.

The fact that the number 56 above is a bit fuzzy is nice symbolism. As a high school football player, the only full-on season I played was in 1982 as a freshman. A back injury stole 1983. That back injury relegated me to punting and kicking in 1984. After a rough start to the season in 1985, I played the last 5 games at center, in addition to kicking and punting. I don’t think it was a completely popular decision at home. The results were there. 2-3 and much more competitive in the losses, after an 0-5 start. We gave the top two teams in the conference a tussle in two of the last three losses. We won the first sectional game ever played at North Harrison in 1985 in the next to last game of the season. All of that seems so far away now. There is probably a reason for that.

What’s next?

We keep pressing onward. I plan on playing my guitar more and listen a little closer for the next song to come into my life. Sometimes there are things you need to do so you can do the things you want to do. On that very special occasion, these two things merge together and change your life for the better. For me, music brings these two worlds together, as long as you do right by the song. Yes, Tim Krekel, your words and your voice still resonate with me.

I suppose one of the greatest gifts I have been bestowed is my audible memory. Between the things people have said to me, the songs that move me, the sports announcers I hear in my head and heart, or listening to Justin Hayward sing Nights in White Satin or Forever Autumn one more time, my ability to listen closely has led me on. Writing songs with no formal training and holding my own in a room with guys I had no business being around, I am thankful for my listening discernment.

Only this week have I found another great Birthday gift. Justin Hayward with Mike Batt and The London Philharmonic Orchestra recorded a version of one my favorite songs from my teenage years. They revisited The Dream Academy’s Life in a Northern Town, and it is a wonderful listen. I never imagined I would hear Justin Hayward sing this song. I am glad he said yes to whomever suggested this recording. It worked.

Full circle. I end this listening to the 2017 Days of Future Passed live recording.

For old time’s sake, I’ll lift the needle before the last note of Ride My See-Saw dies. Never reaching the end.

Speaking the 56-57 rights…

Danny Johnson

John Lodge spent Christmas Day 2023 in hospital, as the English say. He had suffered a stroke. There were many days ahead in hospital for John. He wondered if he had come to end of his journey.

I’ve heard music can be a source of strength for some stroke victims. Count John Lodge in that number.

This past Friday night, John Lodge was in Nashville, Indiana at The Brown County Music Center keeping the music of The Moody Blues alive and well. This was a promise he made to his old bandmate Graeme Edge before Graeme passed away in 2021. He is keeping the music of The Moody Blues alive and well as long as he can. John Lodge is 81. He still has the heart of a young English Rocker. There is no better explanation.

Leading up to seeing this show, I really didn’t know what to expect. The last time I saw John onstage was at The Ryman in Nashville, TN not Nashville, IN in 2017. In subsequent years, I have seen his old bandmate Justin Hayward play ten acoustic, scaled down shows. Hearing “a band” again was really special and I didn’t know how much I had missed it. The guitar helps John Lodge keep his balance. Walking out to the mic is delicate for him. Once he is there, he is home. And he can still put on a show. Why? He means it. He lives it. He belongs there. He’s been there a long time. Friday night, he told a story about how he was in a group with future Moody Blues member Ray Thomas called El Riot and the Rebels in the early 60s.

They routinely played gigs at a club outside of Birmingham, England. They were always “Top of the Bill”. One night they showed up and the promoter told them they were not top of the bill that night. The promoter went on to say this group from Liverpool, with a new single called Love Me Do, seems to be the rage. Lodgy said that night was the beginning of the British Invasion of popular music in his eyes.

That’s the kind of history we witnessed Friday night. To hear Ride My Seesaw, I’m Just a Singer (in a Rock and Roll Band), Isn’t Life Strange, and actually really enjoying Gemini Dream for the first time in nearly 40 years of hearing it, I was taken back. I thought about that 18-year-old me walking into The Louisville Gardens to see The Moody Blues for the first time in 1986. When the guys came out, I thought it was a good thing I got there when I did. There’s no way these guys will keep this up much longer! Ahh, the hubris of the young. What did I know? I’m now twelve years older than Graeme Edge, the oldest member of The Moodies, was that night in 1986. 45 looked too old for a rock and roller that night. Not so fast my friends…

John Lodge and Justin Hayward are all that is left of a group that was called The Moody Blues. Many fans wish they would get together again and play as their duo-led 1975 album called Blue Jays. Not me. I say leave these boys alone. Let them do their own thing. They had their run together. After seeing both of their solo shows now, I see why it will probably never happen. I don’t think it would work now. We know I have been wrong about these boys before.

Either way, this show by John Lodge and his band was a triumph. Long time Moodies side man Alan Hewitt on Keyboards and backing vocals, former 2nd Moodies drummer Billy Ashbaugh, Cello player Jason Charboneau, and guitarist Duffy King who also provided backing vocals. They took us back and delivered us forward at the same time with music that is timeless. Not a bad way to spend an evening.

Tragedy

This past Monday, we had to say goodbye to our son Jarrett’s dog Hot Rod. He took a sudden turn for the worse.

When Jarrett was stationed at Fort Bliss near El Paso, he and a friend came across Hot Rod in the desert. Jarrett was probably out there to see how fast he could make a car go without blowing up the engine. All I know is that he found Hot Rod with a back partially filled with buckshot apparently left there to die. Not so fast my friends!

Hot Rod gave us 14 great years. I have never known a kinder dog, providing you were on his side. He was protective as well.

Our alarm for the UPS and Fed Ex truck is gone.

I don’t know if all dogs go to heaven or not, as the story suggests. This one did.

Speaking the rights.

Danny Johnson

I know I have used this one before. My buddy Carl posing in Lake Placid in 2018. He was so proud to be there. So was I.

Some things get better with age. I am one of those and I am not one of those.

Knowing I was alive and well and of an age, 12, to know what a big deal it was, I still rewatch The Miracle on Ice. I watch the MIRACLE movie.

I have told the story before. When I was a college student, I did a phone interview with Herb Brooks. Herb was the coach of the Miracle on Ice team. I was writing a paper about the team for a class. He talked to me. I didn’t get much. He certainly made an impression. He thought the players should be the ones I was calling.

When Carrie and I visited the Herb Brooks Arena where the games were played in 1980, I was told I could sit anywhere I wanted in the team box. This was as close as I could bring myself. Nothing in sports has meant more to me. This team and this event are other-worldly to me.

I came across this photo recently and thought I would share it. The two from the love story of A-Ha’s great song and video Take on Me all these years later. The lead singer and the actress in the video.

Back to 2018. On the way back home from our trip to The Berkshires in 2018, we stopped by The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. I swore I would never darken the door until The Moody Blues were inducted. They were that Spring.

One of the coolest things I came across during our visit were storyboard illustrations for the video of A-Ha’s Take on Me song.

If you were a teenager in 1985, you know what I am talking about. This video transcended everything we had ever seen before. I still enjoy watching it.

Speaking the rights…

Danny Johnson

I wish I had time to dig out some of my football cards to share with you. If I started that at this hour, I would never get this writing taken care of. But I’d dig out my Eagles and my Chiefs.

If you of a certain vintage, you’ll know these names. You kids who haven’t been here since lunch won’t know them. Just like I didn’t know a soul during the twenty-three minutes I viewed The Grammys on TV last Sunday.

These are my Top Ten Eagles!

Ron Jaworski Quarterback. He wore #7 and came over to the Eagles from the Rams. Backup to James Harris who had a handle on the Rams QB job from 73 to 76, the Polish Rifle was a great fit for the Eagles. Led them to Super Bowl XV in… wait for New Orleans! Yes, the sight of this year’s Super Bowl. It was the second time the Superdome hosted the Super Bowl. Super Bowl XII was the first one to be played in the Superdome. That was a Dalla Cowboys victory over the Denver Broncos. The Eagles lost Super Bowl XV to the Oakland Raiders. Linebacker Rod Martin intercepted three of Jaws’ passes.

Harold Carmichael Wide Receiver. He wore #17, all 6-8 of him. Roger Wehrli, a DB for the St. Louis Cardinals was the only guy I ever saw hold his own defending # 17. Harold caught 590 passes during his Hall of Fame career. Tallest WR in NFL history.

Keith Krepfle Tight End. He wore #84. Krepfle caught 152 passes in his 8-year NFL career. 7 of those seasons were with the Eagles from 1975-1981.

Bill Bergey Middle Linebacker. Bill wore #66. He started his career with the Cincinnati Bengals in 1969. The five-time Pro Bowler played for the Eagles from 1974-1980. Talk about a different time. When Bergey was an NFL player, he was also a member of the lieutenant in the Army Reserves. Bergey passed away this past Christmas Day.

Charlie Smith Wide Receiver. Charlie wore #85. An undrafted free agent, Smith played for the Eagles from 1974-1981. He caught 218 passes in his NFL career. When they doubled up on Harold Carmichael, Charlie Smith had sure hands.

Wilbert Montgomery Running Back. Wilbert wore #31. Montgomery was a hard runner. Toting the mail for the Eagles from 1977-1984. In 1979, he was fourth NFL in rushing with more than 1500 yards. In front of him? Try Earl Campbell, Walter Payton, and Ottis Anderson.

David Akers Kicker. Akers wore #2. David Akers kicked for the Louisville Cardinals when Howard Schellenberger was coaching the team and for Ron Cooper the two years after Howard took his pipe and left town because he would not be on the sideline for a team in Conference USA. David Akers scored 1712 points in his NFL career.

Horst Muhlmann Kicker. Horst wore # 16. German born kicker who looked more like an appliance salesman than a kicker. Really, I worked with a guy at Sears who looked like Horst. Truth is I just liked the guy’s football cards. He looked like he was having a good time. Horst kicked for the Bengals longer than he did for Eagles (75-77). I like the name Horst.

Reggie White Defensive Tackle. Reggie wore #92. An All-American at Tennessee, Reggie was All-World for the Eagles. A sack master, Reggie White was just fun to watch. He chased quarterbacks while wearing an Eagles jersey from 1985 to 1992. Sack master I tell you!

Spike Jones Punter. Spike wore #6. He punted for the Oilers, Bills, and Eagles. Three of those years, 75-76-77, were for the Birds. I still take pride in knowing my punting average as a senior in high school was higher than Spike’s in 1976 and 1977. He averaged a paltry 36.6 yards in 1976 and 37.2 yards in 1977. Be sure to know that both of those seasons he placed more than 20 punts inside the 20. That’s pretty good.

Honorable Mention goes to Herman Edwards.

For me all I need to know about the Philadelphia Eagles are within these curtains. These curtains were in my bedroom in our house in Brownstown until we moved from there in 1979. The were hung in my new bedroom in Ramsey that summer. I took this picture today. My old curtains are still there.

Here is where the story gets good. When my little brother, Darrell, was just a toddler, he and I were looking at these curtains one day. I asked him which team was his favorite. He said, “I like the Eagles!”

I looked at him and slapped my hand to my forehead and yelled, “Eagles!” I then feigned a fainting spell, and he just sat there and laughed like only a three-year old can. I sat back up. He looked at me and said, “I like the Eagles!” He looked to see if I was going to faint again. I put on again. He laughed with even more vigor.

My brother Darrell is now 41 years-old and his favorite NFL team has, since that day, been the Philadelphia Eagles. So, you know darn well who I am for.

Fly Eagles Fly!

Speaking the rights…

Danny Johnson

On February 3, 1959, Buddy Holly was killed in a plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa. Don McLean wrote about this, in a roundabout way, inside his iconic tune American Pie. In the song, we know he referenced Holly’s passing as The Day the Music Died.

This is known to be the last photo taken of Buddy Holly that dreadful night. Recognize the bass player to his right? Waylon Jennings.

Five years and six days later, the bunch Buddy inspired began landing via airplane. February 7, 1964, was the day The Beatles landed in New York ahead of The Ed Sullivan Show.

I wish I could have been there. The Beatles are as ubiquitous to me as any group can be. I think the word is timeless. Timeless. A word that gets thrown around at bit for effect. For me, timeless and The Beatles fit. When I was eight, I was listening to The Beatles. The song Got to Get You Into my Life was on a new 45 in 1976. Rock and Roll Music was the album, I guess. Some kind of re-release. I don’t know. The point is The Beatles were a mere six years broken up at the time. But for me, it could have been forever ago. Right at this moment I am listening to The Beatles’ song Here, There, and Everywhere. This song has not grown on me. I hear what I heard in 1977 on the Love Songs compilation.

That is what I am listening to right now. A 48-year-old piece of well-preserved vinyl. And The Long and Winding Road was melancholy then and it is now. The music of The Beatles has not grown on me. This music grew with me. We got along straight away all those years ago.

For those of you who watched The Ed Sullivan Show that night, my hat is off to you.

Buddy Holly showed the way. Writing his own songs. Having a say in the recording process. He knew what Tim Krekel told me many years ago. “You have to do what is right by the song.”

A nod to Tim Krekel.

I was lucky enough to be standing a few feet away from Don McLean one night on a high school football field as he sang American Pie. Don signed my poster after the show.

A cold month that brought so much music to so many of us. Timeless.

Speaking the rights.

Danny Johnson

Written while listening to some great vinyl from 1971 and 1972. Justin Hayward’s “You Can Never Go Home” on Every Good Boy Deserves Favour is beyond his 24 years when he wrote it. Unreal track. I heard him perform this live in 2014 during a solo show. One of the greatest tunes ever crafted for me. It was not a hit. The great ones usually are not.

The Indiana Hoosiers finished the 2024 campaign with an 11-2 record and a #10 ranking in both the AP and Coaches polls. This is the highest finish for any IU team in my lifetime. I have been here a long time. I just missed the 1967 team that was ranked higher. You do the math.

A dear friend of mine gave me this poster this week. My comment was that this is the first time IU ever got ink ready for a football schedule calendar before June. I believe that. I know a guy who works in the printing department up there who could verify.

Sticking with football for a moment. This was my favorite Super Bowl. Terry vs. Roger. Doomsday vs. The Steel Curtain. They didn’t need hype. They created it on the field. This was everything you hope a Super Bowl will be, unless you are Cowboys fan, and you are still haunted by Jackie Smith. I was ten. I remember it like it was the day before yesterday.

Did we have snow around here or what? It was beautiful.

This is the start of my walking trail that leads to a hill that looks like this in fall:

This is the opposite direction. In the snow it looked a little different.

I will be glad when things warm up. I am ready to walk this trail again.

The Blue River from just below the house. Earlier in the year, I took a few pictures along the river in the fall.

This was taken in October.

This was a day when I wished I had a REAL camera. I did the best I could.

The haze about this photo is emblematic. Things are cloudy. Losing the likes of Jimmy Carter only makes things cloudier.

See what I mean. At Jimmy Carter’s funeral, only one guy didn’t get it. He never will. Trump and truth know nothing of each other.

Trump won’t be elected President.  Folks are crazier than I can remember…but not that crazy.  And that I sure miss the days of making fun of tree huggers when we could still count on the GOP.

I wrote this while reading real newspapers in the Northeast while vacationing in the Berkshires in June of 2016. I have said this here before. I rooted for the GOP for years when we had a GOP. Trump showed up and ruined that. I don’t blame him. I blame the GOP leaders who could have shut him down. Yes, they did exist. They were cowards. I guess I kind of foreshadowed this in the last sentence up there.

My reference about the “tree huggers” is novel. Ironically, the political horizon looks like a photo negative of what it once was. The liberals used to be the whiners. Now the Republicans are the whiners, and they have nothing to offer except whining and lies.

Look, for myself, I have to draw the line somewhere. I understand that this is a free country. If you wish to buy into a load of lies, you have that right. Merry Christmas to you. I can’t do it. I can’t support someone who is A-OK with people storming my nation’s capitol. If you are, my first inclination is to ask you just how much battery acid have you been drinking? You have been fooled.

I can’t imagine supporting a guy who has prostituted Christianity with bibles printed in his own image. On Christmas Day Trump was telling folks via his Truth Social Account (laughable irony) to “Go to Hell.” That’s rich.

What’s next? Will Franklin Graham will come down from the Blue Ridge Parkway with two stone tablets with NINE COMMANDMENTS. Though Shalt Not Bear False Witness Against They Neighbor need not apply in 2025. That one is out! Trump has seen to it.

There is always hope. That came in the form of Bishop Budde this week. Someone needed to say it.

This ole gal spoke the rights!

Danny Johnson

2024 was not kind. We need kindness to prosper in a civil and stately manner.

As the College Football Playoffs have played out, there has been just as much complaining and whining from teams that thought they should be in the mix as when we had only four teams vying for the spots. Maybe more whining and complaining. What do you expect? Whining and complaining and throwing around meaningless accusations has never been more popular in this country. Truth, while at a premium, means less than it used to. Why should college football be expected to give us higher comportment?

To the Alabama folks who thought your team should have gotten into the CFP, I can tell you there was a time when Lewis Grizzard and you would have said, “If we had beaten Vandy, we would have made it in. We didn’t beat Vandy for God’s sake! We don’t deserve squat.”

To the Ole Miss folks, I feel your pain. I was hoping the Rebs would get in. But when I knew Indiana would be there, I knew that committee would not let SMU go quietly. The Mustangs, thanks to the Hoosiers, were IN. Had the Rebs beaten Kentucky at home, the Cats only conference win, then, well, see the Lewis Grizzard reference above. You know it. I know it. Jimmy Swaggart knows it.

The Indiana Hoosiers were the darlings of College Football this year. Strange but true. Did they belong in the College Football Playoff? Maybe they did and maybe they didn’t. Doesn’t matter a bit. You and I were not on the CFP Committee. End of lesson.

I gave up predicting the games this season after Week # 13. Family time and just a lack of juice left me without much desire to continue picking the games. I won’t pick the finals. I expect Oregon will play Notre Dame for all the bananas on January 20th. So there, I guess I picked the finals.

All the college football season long, I have been thinking about this address on Waterwood Drive in Brandon, Mississippi. It has been more than a year since I spoke to my Aunt Barbara about college football. Our last conversation was about exactly that. That and I think we both knew our talks were finished. It was tough I tell you. You have no idea how much it hurt not being able to call her when Indiana was ranked higher than Ole Miss in the polls. Her response would have been this, “Go ahead. Go ahead and crow about Indianer!” It wasn’t Indiana with her. It was Indianer. It wasn’t Oklahoma with her, it was Oklahomer. Iowa was Io-way. I reveled in each syllable from her mouth. College Football will never mean so much to me again. She was my Ole Miss Football buddy.

I will share this photo one last time. Very little means more.

On a brighter note! My brother Darrell and his wife, Emily, will be having a BOY in the Spring. We can’t wait to say hello to this little young’un. Talk about good times.

You know our football is serious when my granddaughter, Penny, and I are both serious about a game so out of control.

We were in Florida watching in Old Oaken Bucket game. Indiana was in firm control. Penny and I were still serious about it.

I think this is her game face.

Her game face is intact even when coloring on Grandma’s lap.

When I walked onto the field at The Rose Bowl in 2018, I was looking at the spot where Vince Young had scored the winning touchdown in the 2006 Rose Bowl to lead Texas to an upset win over USC. That set the stage. I was about to kick some field goals, and I was not going to miss in The Rose Bowl.

Last week I watched the documentary “05” about this team’s journey to winning the Rose Bowl that year. It is worth watching.

I’m not sure where to start here. Mr. Keith Oppel was Mr. North Harrison High School. Keith passed away in late November this year. I always liked Mr. Oppel. We didn’t have one cross word. He was my PE teacher. He and my dad coached track together for more than a decade.

He tried to help everyone around him. Keith coached basketball, track, cross-country and was the Athletic Director at North for a long time.

I was always glad when he and my dad would sit together in the east endzone at North Harrison High School football games these last few years and banter back and forth as if the rest of us were in Shreveport. Those were special times. I know I have complained about North Harrison not having a great sense of history to be found anywhere. I hope someone gets around to naming the Field House on the west end of campus after Keith. It will be a case of better late than never. But it needs to be done.

1986 ad from my first Moody Blues concert.

2024 ad from the latest concert. The Moody Blues died with drummer Graeme Edge in 2021. Justin carries on with a simple solo acoustic act with the help of Mike Dawes, Julie Ragins, and Karmen Gould. I only wish the tickets for this show were $15.50.

Seeing Justin play and smile doing it is a pretty cool thing. He is the best.

Times change and we keep moving. Like F. Scott Fitzgerald said at the end of The Great Gatsby:

-tomorrow we will run faster, stretch our arms farther… And one fine morning-

So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.

Press onward and hopefully truth will make a comeback in this tired land of ours.

Speaking the rights.

Danny Johnson

My apologies to Charles Dickens. Obviously, Dickens inspires this title to a degree. Truth takes over somewhere after that.

Let’s get it out of the way.

This bunch saved the college football season for me. I had given up on college football for the most part. All that business. The blue bloods getting bluer and the rest trying to survive. I was less than enamored with Coach Cig when I first saw and heard him. Turns out, he meant it all. Hope turned into meaning. I don’t think I have heard him use the word “hope”.

I’m still down on college football. For the first time in memory, I haven’t kept up with the players in college football like I used to. No point in investing any hope in any of them. They could be gone tomorrow. I liked it better when we were hoping some kid from Columbus would work out. It is all an amalgamation for me now. When the whistle blows, I watch the game play out a little closer. Don’t get me wrong. It’s still a great game.

I haven’t posted anything on here in almost a month. These have been difficult days. I did not report last month that I took a spill between the bleachers at Notre Dame Stadium right after the game ended on November 16th. My old crony Kelly Samons and I were living the dream until I hit the deck. I was fortunate. I did not hit my head. Kelly was heading to the aisle to go down the stairs. I was beside him. I couldn’t tell you which leg gave up on me. I don’t know. All I know is I went down on a combination of left side and backside. That my head stayed off the ground was a miracle. I believe that. I was stunned in every literal sense of the word. Two guys in front of me came to my aid before Kelly looked back and saw me on the ground. I did everything I could to play it off. I tried to joke with the guys helping me up with an old line from my Granny. She was prone to falling. I looked at these guys and said, “I hit the deck, and I haven’t even pulled a cork!” The walk to Kelly’s truck was the most painful thing I have ever endured until I had to sit down in the truck. We drove nonstop from South Bend to Seymour. I drove on home wondering at times if I was needing to stop. I felt myself drifting off a few times is a state of shock I suppose. I had to talk myself into remembering how to keep a car on the road between Palmyra and New Salisbury.

I have been asked if I went to the doctor. I figured if I was walking there was no need. My mother, the nurse, asked if I had seen the doctor. I answered, “What for? There is no cast for my ass.” She said I had a good point.

Tonight, I spent 30 minutes on the elliptical. This is the most daunting workout I have had in over a month.

I wish the bad news could end there. Two weekends ago, my dear wife, Carrie, and I had plans for a nice, busy, and relaxing time of it. We went to The Big Ten Championship Game on a Saturday.

Of course, we were there rooting on Penn State. They lost. I pity the next team that goes up against the Oregon Ducks. The old throwback was sitting there trying to imagine he was watching an old-fashioned Rose Bowl between a PAC-12 team and a Big 10 team. Hard to do. Penn State got to the Big 10 in 1993. Not exactly old school for either of them.

I figured the next day had to be better. I figured wrong.

We made it out of Indy and got on I-70 heading to St. Louis. A Justin Hayward concert was on the books, as my friend Tim Mullins would say. The streak is still alive. Save the 2020 Covid year, I have not missed seeing The Moody Blues who are now no more, or Justin Hayward solo since 2003. That’s a great deal of Nights in White Satin, but never enough.

Turns out, the old boy is mortal. Me, not Justin. Driving across I-70 almost to Terre Haute, I was not feeling well. Like my great-grandmother, Ivy Nowling, I take a blood pressure pill. I just don’t talk about it as much as she did. I started counting and figured I was on my 4th day in a row without my blood pressure medicine. It happens. On to an Urgent Care center in Terre Haute we go. Two and half hours later and a trip to the Meijer store pharmacy was next. That was another wait. Alas, the little pill I took helped in a hurry.

By the time we arrived in St. Louis to a hotel that was a five-minute walk to the theatre and not all it was advertised to be, the Marriott man will never make this mistake again, there was not enough time to eat dinner. The breakfast we had in Cloverdale was going to have to hang on just a little while longer. On the show!

The old boy did not disappoint. Wow. Justin Hayward is 78 years old. This was the 11th solo show we have seen. On this occasion, his voice did not crack a single time. Not that it does often. This was another level of emotive sound from all of them. 14 songs and a 6-song medley that turned into 2 full songs and a 4-song medley.

For me, seeing the red Gibson 335 for the first time in six years was a treat. He played it on two encore songs. He ended the show with acoustic guitar on I Know You’re Out There Somewhere. That 18-year-old who went to The Louisville Gardens to see The Moody Blues with unhinged anticipation in 1986 didn’t know what was ahead of him. Some dreams we really can live out and we don’t even know it.

After the concert it was back to the hotel. Called out for pizza. Was told it would be there between 10:17 and 10:21. We were hungry. The pizza never showed up.

The next morning was more like a nightmare. Our car was parked in a lot behind the hotel, off the street. Off the street and away from most everything. Everything that is except for someone with one of those devices that tells you the car out there is unlocked when you see the lights of the vehicle come on. Our Explorer fits the profile, I guess.

The Explorer was not damaged. No forced entry. But all the bags of Christmas gifts we had acquired the day before at the Outlet Mall in Edinburg, as we were heading to Indy, were gone. The glove box had been rifled through. All of its contents were on the passenger seat. Gone was our very comprehensive first aid kit and our jumper cables. My blood pressure med was in the door ready to be taken again later that day. Well, it wasn’t anymore.

Carrie and I slinked out of St. Louis feeling as though we had been gut-punched. To go from the listening to the greatest music on my earth to being robbed was not a 360-degree turn I would wish on anyone.

So there. The good news is that I feel better. I’m still pissed about losing our Christmas presents. I told my brother Darrell the thief was not a Philadelphia Eagles fan. The Eagles calendar I got him was still there. I know. We were not hurt physically. Had I walked out there while that was going on…well, who knows.

The Indiana Hoosiers play Notre Dame Friday in the College Football Playoffs. I have seen both of these teams play this year and each one can get the other. It all depends on where they spot the ball (channeling my inner Dan Dierdorf). No, really. Indiana can win this game. I don’t think ND has seen a D-line that will give them fits like IU will. As long as the Hoosier defense doesn’t break down and is left watching Jeremiyah Love’s back running away from them, Indiana can do it. The O-line also need to protect Kurtis Rourke. He’ll find the receivers. The IU punt team will not lose it like it did against Ohio State.

Any other year, I could’ve told you what number Jeremyiah Love of Notre Dame wears. I don’t have the first clue. I’m just watching these guys play one game at a time.

Speaking the rights.

Danny Johnson

This is not to take away from anything accomplished by the 2024 Indiana Hoosiers Football Team. The AP Top 25 came out today and the Indiana Hoosiers are ranked #10 in the land. They should be that or higher. Indiana, I am all for you.

All is not lost! Good grief, man, we are talking about a 10-1 team at a school that went 9-27 in the previous three years. A school that has never won 10 games before. I think the Hoosiers will make this year’s extended college football playoff after they dismantle Purdue next weekend. That is a Cinderella Story that no other playoff-era team can make claim to. Understand, this is phenomenal.

Look, I understand the history. I was in Section 11 of Memorial Stadium the last time IU beat Ohio State, and it has been too long. Ronald Reagan was still President. Talk about good old days that made sense.

This past Saturday a 10-0 Indiana Hoosiers Football team arrived in Columbus, Ohio in a glass carriage and left Ohio Stadium in a pumpkin at 10-1. A self-inflicted pumpkin at that.

Let’s recap.

The Hoosiers led 7-0 after a 70-yard drive that meant business after holding the Buckeyes to an opening three and out. Defensively the Hoosiers were doing well. Defensive back Jaylin Walker fought off an uncalled hold to make a tackle for a loss. For a quarter, the body language and the look in the eyes certainly favored the Indiana Hoosiers. The first quarter ended unlike nine other games with Indiana not being scored on. End of the 1st Indiana 7 Ohio State 0.

To start the 2nd quarter, the Buckeyes had 4th and 1 at the Indiana 2-yard line. The Buckeyes went for it. Indiana HELD THEM!

Indiana has the ball at the 12:29 mark in the 2nd quarter and Indiana had made 4 of 4 3rd down conversions to Ohio State’s 1 out of 4.

At the end of the first half, the Indiana pumpkin started making its way to Ohio Stadium. Kurtis Rourke had been sacked three times. The Hoosiers were looking at 4th and 15 deep in their own territory with 1:47 left in the half with the score tied 7-7. Disaster struck. Here comes the pumpkin.

The punt snap to Indiana punter, James Evans, went through his hands. Ohio State takes over at the Indiana 7. Three hard-fought plays later, Buckeye running back, Treveyon Henderson, was in the endzone celebrating an Ohio State touchdown. The pumpkin gets closer.

I love punters. I get them. God bless James Evans. I know he is hurting. This is where the game really turned. Suddenly the Hoosiers were facing two opponents for the first time this season. They were playing the Buckeyes and the trying to get past themselves. We have not seen that this season. Indiana wrapped a present and handed it to the Buckeyes a month and two days before Christmas. Halftime score: Ohio State 14 Indiana 7.

The second half started with another special team disaster when the Hoosiers punted from their own 27 yard-line with 13:06 left in the 3rd quarter after an Indiana 3 and out. James Evans got the punt away this time. It was fielded by an OSU returner at the Buckeye 21-yard line. Indiana’s Mark Langston whiffed on a tackle at the Buckeye 25 and that was that. 75 yards later the Ohio State Band, in those goofy hats they wear, were cranking up that annoying Ohio State school song. Suddenly, the score was 21-7 thanks to the Indiana punt team that has been nothing but stellar all season leading up to this game. That was the difference. There is not another play in football that can invigorate a team stronger than a punt return for a touchdown. Why? Because the 11 defenders just forced a team to punt and the punt return team, thanks to the defense, just made the other team pay the highest price.

All season long, the Indiana Hoosiers have had stellar special teams play. They still have not missed a field goal or an extra point. The punting game has been amazing until the game in Columbus.

Yes, we can all agree that after Indiana’s first drive, Ohio State certainly made some defensive adjustments that made the offensive line of the Indiana Hoosiers pay dearly along with their beleaguered quarterback, Kurtis Rourke.

Here’s the good thing. All is not lost for the Indiana Hoosiers. They can learn from this experience in Columbus, and I think they will. The Hoosiers have proven (10-0) that they are quick studies. Don’t give up on these guys yet. I won’t. But my dream of watching them in the Big Ten Championship Game just up the road is gone. A miracle would have to get them there now. Penn State and Ohio State would have to lose next week. That ain’t gonna happen.

The silver-lining of the weekend for the Indiana Hoosiers? Well, that would be the cannibalization of the SEC. Ole Miss was beaten by a 5-5 Florida team. The Rebs have three losses, and I hate that. I was not rooting against them. Alabama was beaten by a 5-5 Oklahoma team. The Tide has three losses, and I love that. Get them out of the way. 4-6 Auburn beat Texas A & M. The Aggies have three losses. Get them out of the way. Sorry Paul Finebaum. Your argument just lost a great deal of water. All that is left for you is hot air and there is plenty of that! Keep talking about the Hoosiers as they make the CFP Playoff. I know you need to play up to the SEC.

Speaking of the SEC, I watched games from noon to 2 AM last night when USC finally beat UCLA. I had two TVs going all day and all night. After watching Ole Miss v. Florida, UK v. Texas, Oklahoma v, Alabama, Texas A&M v. Auburn, and LSU v. Vandy, I came to conclusion that the SEC teams in the College Football Playoff don’t stand a chance of winning. After watching this much late season November football, it is not a good look for the SEC when you see that the third leading tackler in the conference is the ref’s whistle. I have never seen so much dancing from runners and defenders… dancing until the sound of the whistle when they stop and move on to the next play. They don’t want to bend their backs and make a tackle. Maybe this is because of the lack of knee pads on players these days? Either way, this spells a portent of doom for the SEC when they meet a team from a league not afraid to tackle. Let Paul Finebaum chew on that.

Yes. This Indiana Hoosiers Football team has been one for the history books. I have tickets to the Big Ten Championship game because of it. I don’t see them there now. I’m not sure I see me there now. But, thanks to the SEC, I see a place for the Hoosiers at the CFP table after a dominating win over Purdue next week.

The Pumpkin did show up for the Hoosiers in Columbus, but guess what? That is not where College Football will have its Final Ball!

Speaking the rights…Go Hoosiers!

Danny Johnson

Last weekend was special. A November day in South Bend to see the Notre Dame Fighting Irish take on the Virginia Cavaliers. ND won 35-14. It wasn’t that close.

The last time I was here the temperature at kickoff was 21 degrees and the wind was howling out of the North. I have never been colder in my life. Still, it was a great time as my Dad and I watched the Irish defeat the BYU Cougars.

Last Saturday, it was me and my old friend and Irish fan Kelly Samons. We met in 1979.

The Irish have a balanced attack. Quarterback Riley Leonard will likely not lose a game for you. And he won’t exactly set the world on fire either. The Irish running game hold the bacon. Running back Jeremyiah Love had 137 yards on 16 carries. Love can fly.

On to this week..

The last time the Indiana Hoosiers beat the Ohio State Buckeyes was in 1988. I was twenty. The Hoosiers didn’t win, they annihilated the Bucknuts 41-7. This was on the greatest and awestruck games I have ever seen. We couldn’t believe what we were watching.

Anthony Thompson ran for 190 yards and 4 touchdowns that day in October 1988. I was there.

Tomorrow will be the time for this year’s Indiana Hoosiers to bring it out in Columbus and take care of business. Indiana wins if they can win the turnover battle, contain Quinshon Judkins on the corners when he carries the ball, and not miss a bunch of tackles. On offense, the Hoosiers will need to make hay on first down. First down has to be kind to them. Getting to 3rd and long against OSU’s defense will not work well. Also, if you can get points early take them. Don’t get too cute with going for it inside the 30 on 4th down. The name of the game is to score now when it matters. The touchdowns will come.

Storyline #1 for me is seeing Kurtis Rourke, Indiana’s quarterback, go to the Horseshoe and put on a show. He played 4 years at Ohio University down south in Athens and played games in a stadium that held less than a-fourth of Ohio Stadium’s 102,000-plus capacity. This is a big deal for Kurtis Rourke. That is the story I want to see come through.

No 10-0 team has ever taken the beating the Indiana Hoosiers have taken from a biased media that just can’t give credit where credit is due. Paul Finebaum this week said that if the Indiana Hoosiers played in the SEC that the Hoosiers would have 6 losses. Paul Finebaum indeed. The SEC really just needs to leave the NCAA at this point and just play among themselves. That is the only logical answer. The rest of us would get along just fine without them. If they could pull off a TV deal like the Big Ten did, the SEC would not be quite as obnoxious they are. Speaking of Saturdays in the South, this week former Auburn football coach and fledgling politician Tommy Tuberville said that “Indiana we out and bought them a team.” He was referencing the state of NIL in college football. Hate to tell you Tommy Boy, the Hoosiers don’t have SEC NIL money yet.

Last week saw 8 winning picks and 6 losers. Not a good week. Not a good week at all. The season total is 122 winners and 46 losers. Let’s go!

Indiana beats Ohio State… Yes. IU wins by 10. 41-31 perhaps. Since 1988 the Hoosiers are 0-30-1 against the Buckeyes I believe. The last time the Hoosiers won in Columbus was 1987. Then coach Earle Bruce called it “The Darkest Day in Ohio State Football…” It’s time. This is Indiana’s time and Paul Finebaum will have another excuse.

Iowa beats Maryland… Can the Hawkeyes lose at Maryland in November? I don’t think so. I know the Iowa boys are down.

North Carolina beats Boston College… In a close one, the Tarheels, who achieved bowl-eligibility last week win this one in good fashion.

Ole Miss beats Florida… Looks like UF is going to hang on to Coach Napier after a late season rally. Lane Kiffin would not look good in Gator blue anyway. The latest CFP has Indiana hosting Ole Miss. This will change and gladly so. That would be no fun for me.

SMU beats Virginia… SMU has team speed that UVA won’t be able to stay with.

Colorado beats Kansas… The Jayhawks are having a tough season of close losses. The Buffs won’t keep this one close. Look for Travis Hunter to pull away in the Heisman race after this one.

Texas beats Kentucky… The Wildcats go to Austin! Poor kitties.

Michigan beats Northwestern… I remember when Northwestern beat Michigan in their run to The Rose Bowl in 1995. Not today.

Penn State beats Minnesota… Some are calling this one a close one with Minnesota at home. I don’t think so. Penn State is like Ohio State and Indiana. They are all playing for EVERYTHING. Oregon has punched their ticket to Indy for the Big Ten Championship Game.

Louisville beats Pitt… Louisville has to be one of the unluckiest teams of the season. Careless and foolish penalties costed them at Stanford last week. Standford wins on a 52-yard field goal on the last play of the game due to penalties.

Notre Dame beats Army… Too much speed. Army won’t be able to hang with the Irish.

Alabama beats Oklahoma… I don’t remember watching these two tradition-rich schools playing. Should be fun to watch for a quarter for sentimental reasons if nothing else.

LSU beats Vandy… We’ll see if LSU can take down a Vandy team that beat the Crimson Tide and narrowly lost to Texas. Oh, my mistake. These are all playoff worthy teams of course…

UCLA beats USC… The Bruins have found a better way to play. Seems like it took them half the season to get in sync offensively. They came close to beating Penn State in Happy Valley. The Indiana Hoosiers torched the Bruins in The Rose Bowl in September. Words typed wearing a UCLA sweatshirt.

Have a great time of it tomorrow!

Speaking the rights…

Danny Johnson