Over The Pylon

Joseph Ducreux is quite pleased it’s Friday!

It’s Friday, but settle down Rebecca Black. We’re not going to bust into spontaneous song because the calendar just happens to be at the end of the work week. However, since it is summer, and it is Friday, this is the perfect opportunity to not only extol the various ins, outs, and what-have-yous around Cardinal Nation but also pass on our own personal recommendations for things that make summer… well… summer. If you’re like myself, Edge, or RV (and perhaps Nathan, though unconfirmed from personal experience) the thing that sets summer apart from the rest of the year is the ability to walk out to the deck, turn on some tunes, crack open a beverage, and just enjoy the long days and warm temps. So not only will we keep you up to date with all the BSUness you can handle, we’ll keep you on the cutting edge of awesome to impress your friends, neighbors, or romantic interests with your musical and hoptastic choices.

• OTP has never ventured that far away from football, mostly because that’s what we know the best, but also because in our times at BSU, that was one of the few sports we all actually attended. Edge and myself though did attend a few BSU baseball games and had the privilege of  seeing a future #1 draft pick in Bryan Bullington. The coach at that time? Rich Maloney. Who did a Hoke before it was cool, leaving the Cards for the Michigan Wolverines. Maloney has returned to Muncie, taking back a BSU program that has struggled since he left. That’s a good thing for Maloney, as the expectations and “have-one-bad-year-and-GTFO” attitude are no longer there. For BSU, it does a couple things. First and foremost, it means that BSU immediately becomes a program to watch in the MAC in baseball. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the most successful time in BSU baseball was when he was at the helm. Perhaps most exciting though, is this is AD Bill Scholl’s first hire and I’d argue that if the hires only go up from here as most first hires do, then perhaps BSU athletics is in for a remarkable few years.
• Unlike when Edge and I hit the links, BSU alums dominated the golf course in the Indiana amateur. Current BSU golfer Tyler Merkel and former BSU letterman Scott Pieri slayed Prairie View Golf Club in Carmel. Having never played the course, I’m sure it was tough. I’m also sure those two are far better than Edge, myself, or RV. However, perhaps if the OTP guys were allowed to play a best ball between the three of us and give a half dozen strokes per side, I have to believe we’d be competitive.
• A BSU alum has started a food truck for the paleo diet. Now, I am not a foodie, nor am I in top physical condition. However, that whole paleo craze just seems tough to manage. No dairy? No grain? So White Russians and/or beer is a no-no? No thanks. But good luck to Shelby Malaterre as he tries to make a go of this in the food truck business. If (and it’s a big if) I ever decide to try this I will hit him and his truck up. If you’re on the paleo bandwagon and live near Carmel, give it a try. And then drink a beer, for cripe’s sake. Weirdo.
• Edge and myself got together for this week’s beer and bop selections where we bring you a brew to try and a band to give a listen to. When possible, we’ll try to tie the two together somehow. In this case, we went with two Chicagoland staples…
  • For the brew, we went with Dreadnaught from 3 Floyds Brewery. Both Edge and Alan approved, this Munster, Indiana brew delivers a wonderful hoppy IPA, one that will surely be able to help you distinguish whether your friends have a palate for good beer. It’s a virtual certainty that hopheads in your life will love it. Those that consider PBR or Miller Lite their “scene” may have a hard time with this one, but it’s good to know those sorts of things. It’s won a ton of awards, but that’s not really why we love it. We love it because it’s good. Give it a whirl and thank us later.
    
  • For your musical selection for the weekend, Edge and I are giving our stamp of approval to the new Smashing Pumpkins album Oceania. The Pumpkins have been around for a while, and I am admittedly not a dedicated fan. However, after checking out the album and giving it a once over, I can say with certainty that it’s worth your time. This is Violet Rays. The whole album is solid.
    

So there you have it boys and girls… the latest news from the Cardinals’ nest and a brew and music selection to get you in the right frame of mind for this weekend. Enjoy it responsibly. Or not. We won’t. In the words of Kanye West, “Go nuts, go apeshit”.

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