This year’s Purdue team seems to mirror Peter Jok’s last season at Iowa. (lost a bunch of seniors from the year before, with only 1 very impressive holdover) Only without all the promising freshman Iowa brought in in 2016. Those Hawkeyes went to the NIT. Do you see the same fate befalling Purdue? -- glassjawsh
Boilerman: We need to make it the rest of the way and still be a .500 team by season’s end.
Beez: With a little luck and hard work, Purdue will hopefully make the CBI.
Thumpasaurus: basketball is a dumb sport
Zuzu: Nah. They suck this year.
Basketball Question: Over/Under Eight B1G teams making the NCAA Tournament?-- DtownK
Boilerman: I’m thinking 9 is possible, so I’ll put 100 Delany Dollars on the over.
Candystripes: I’ll actually take the push here and say it’s exactly 8 teams.
Jesse: I’m convinced this is going to be a carnage year within the conference, so give me the under, although I’m with Candystripes and leaning towards 8 being the real number.
Stew: Push it, push it real good. The conference is going to be blood and spiders, but I think there’s enough good going that 8 is the number.
Beez: Under. 7. Why? Because when has the B1G not disappointed us in the past...decade, 7-M aside.
WSR: I’ll take the over for now, only to be disappointed and frustrated when it doesn’t happen.
BRT: Under (7), and I don’t care, as long as Nebraska is one of them! And they maybe could be?
Zuzu: Under because the B1G never reaches it's full potential in anything that it should.
Since you brought Elvis into the equation which B1G school/city has the best rock tradition, and how would you seed them in a tournament of strength? I am ashamed that the best my Buckeyes can do is… probably OAR? If you expand to the entire state, then they gain quite a solid backbone with The Pretenders, Devo, The Black Keys, etc. Although all of those are from Akron so the Zips might have something to say about it if we expanded to include other conferences.
In any case I say Michigan would be the #1 seed with essentially all of Motown, and Northwestern would be #2 riding off of Chicago. Then there is a clear separation into a lower tier from there, although Minnesota does get Prince, so upsets are certainly possible. -- Broated Nutcrackle
Boilerman: Since I’m the first to answer, I get to simply reply, “Wut?”
Jesse: Um… it’s probably Conor Oberst and I’m not super excited about that. I suppose we can also talk about the time Tommy Lee did that reality tv show in Lincoln, but that was weird.
BRT: Jesse. We are to NEVER talk about that. What are you doing?
GF3: Are we suddenly pretending “all of Motown” has Michigan degrees?
Beez: I like the idea behind the question, but it’s gotta be limited to the city, IMO. And in that case, I have no idea. I’m not a huge music person honestly.
Thumpasaurus: Ann Arbor is not Detroit and Evanston is not Chicago. Case in point: if you invite someone to an event in Evanston or Ann Arbor, they don’t ask you to clarify what part of the city it’s in and then breathe a sigh of relief when it’s not in a mostly-abandoned block of gutted houses, or anywhere near where the White Sox play.
Anyway, I suppose Champaign/U of I can claim REO Speedwagon (which was formed in the ISR dorm), Ludacris (who, as I’ve mentioned, apparently has no hoes in the 217 area code even though it seems like it would be difficult to avoid collecting a hoe or two along the way), legendary jazz organist Brother Jack McDuff and the most exciting bass trombone player in the jazz scene today, my onetime classmate Reggie Chapman.
WSR/MNW: HI WE’D LIKE TO TELL YOU ABOUT REAL BANDS THAT FUCKING ROCKED. Minneapolis is the home of The Replacements and Husker Du and Prince and I want to claim The Hold Steady because Craig Finn just won’t shut the hell up about everything that happened in the Twin Cities.
By the way did you know Trampled by Turtles is from Duluth hey where are you going come bac--
And in the attempt to say something nice about them for once, madison is responsible for Garbage and that’s one hell of a silver medal.
Zuzu: I don't understand this question.
If IU and Purdue combined their roster for a Indiana Big Ten all star team, what would their ceiling be in in the big ten? Same question for Illinois and Northwestern, and Michigan MSU -- Beckman1993
Andrew K: We talking hoops? If so, an MSU/UM hybrid would have to be a national title favorite - I like Michigan’s chances to win it already, throw a post presence like Nick Ward and an actual useful PG in Winston onto that squad and you’ve got a stew going.
Beez: I assume this is for football, and honestly, I don’t know that there’s a TON of room on the better of each pair’s team to incorporate players from the lesser team. I assume Indiana has a defensive player or three Purdue would like. Surely Illinois has someone on offense that can help Northwestern. For Michigan State, uhhhh I don’t know. A player or two from the DL can go to Michigan?
MNW: The coach of Illinois/Northwestern would be a red-faced motherfucker, that’s for sure.
Zuzu: Ceiling for IU-PU football would be like... a 9-10 win season. For basketball probably National Championships. Northwestern and Illinois... 9 win season, basketball still be meh. Michigan and MSU could be conference champions, possible NCAA champs.
How much are you enjoying Nebrasketball this season? -- BRT
Boilerman: See my Stock Report.
Dead Read: Seems like it’s going well! I would have to watch more of it to fully enjoy it, though. Hoops ain’t my bag.
Jesse: I LIKE THIS QUESTION AND I ENJOY THIS SEASON VERY MUCH THANK YOU
Stew: I liked it a lot better when Andre Almeida was prominently involved.
Beez: More now than I will after they beat Wisconsin.
Thumpasaurus: Thanks for taking us quietly behind the shed and bludgeoning us to death with no drama. Better than those Ohio State assholes who let us get a lead at halftime.
MNW: Stew is correct that Andre Almeida is what made Nebrasketball great.
Nebrasketball is actually kind of fun to watch in the way that you’re not entirely sure how they’re scoring that many points or allowing that few, but damnit if they aren’t doing it and it’s kind of amusing to watch.
It’s gonna be a shame when Nebraska fans get involved and ruin the fun of Nebrasketball for the rest of us.
BRT: I’m enjoying it a lot! They are winning some games and Glynn Watson is the cutest ever.
Zuzu: I always enjoy Nebrasketball just for the word Nebrasketball.
Do you get presents for your pets at the holidays, or is that a bridge too far? -- BRT
Boilerman: I do not but to each their own, and may God bless us, every one.
BRT: I do not. Cats are wonderful in pretty much every way, but one of their few shortfalls is that they do not get very excited about presents. Maybe I’ll get him some wet cat food, or make some tuna and let him lick the can.
Andrew K: Hell yeah, I’m a millennial and have therefore decided that my special generation will be the last one and in lieu of having kids, I treat my dog like my firstborn. He’s such a spoiled shit, but he knows which side his bread’s buttered on, there’s no taking that from him.
Jesse: I have a cat and my gift to her is letting her do whatever it is a cat does day-to-day. I am not buying her a present.
Beez: No. My mom gets a present for my dog every year, and it’s super adorable and my dog likes it, but I just buy whatever my dog needs or wants when she needs or wants it!
Thumpasaurus: My family does that for me. They think it’ll make her love them more. But that’s not possible because she already loves everyone the maximum possible amount.
Except MNWildcat.
WSR: Yup! Every year Puck gets a new tag for her collar and a box of Milk Bones and a gift certificate to the butcher shop in town because she’s the best damn little dog ever and deserves recognition for being part of the family that I can tolerate.
MNW: Usually just some catnip and maybe a little leeway to bat at ornaments or climb the tree. Our cat’s a lap cat through and through, and he doesn’t need much other than some chin scratches because he’s a good little weirdo, yes he is, yes he is...
He’s the only one in the house that actually has a stocking, though.
Zuzu: Of course! New toys, new treats, new chews, and we let them open their gifts themselves. Lots of torn wrapping and tissue paper everywhere.
Poll
Pet presents?
This poll is closed
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55%
Yes! They are part of the family!
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44%
No way, you weirdo.