Some Indiana University students recently produced an anything-but-modest rap song to promote school spirit for the current NCAA basketball season, and I’ll give it an A for effort, but other than that… hooray, more white kids rapping. Call me a hater or whathaveyou, but I think we’ve about exhausted the college rap song genre. It’s just getting old, but college sports reggaeton… that’s the future!

Look, I’m not trying to come off as the crotchety old white man here, but if I hear one more college team remix of Wiz Khalifa’s “Black and Yellow”, I’m going to throw out my autographed Snow poster and start listening to country music. Seriously, did you hear Tom Hanks’ son’s version for Northwestern? It’s not fun anymore, if it ever was at all. And I’m not trying to pick on Indiana here – congrats, you have an awesome history – but my school has a rap song, too, so I’ve suffered enough.

Video after the jump…

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As it turns out, Wrigley Field isn’t much of a football facility.

For those that missed it, the historic ballpark is actually hosting a college football game tomorrow against Northwestern and Illinois. But since the field doesn’t seem to be big enough for a regulation field, a ruling was handed down from the Big Ten dictating that…well, losers walk.

After seeing the tight configuration required to fit a football field in the home of the Chicago Cubs, James E. Delany, the commissioner of the Big Ten, announced that the teams would run all of their offensive plays in one direction, toward the western end zone. Every time the ball changes hands, the players will be turned around so the action heads west — toward the third-base dugout and away from the right-field wall.

The move followed a number of news reports that questioned whether the tight east-west configuration of the football field at Wrigley might cause an injury. For instance, a corner of the eastern end zone is less than two feet from the wall in the right-field corner, which has been padded for the game. The back of the center of the eastern end zone is six inches from the right-field wall, and the uprights are attached right to the wall. (The other goal post stands in front of the third-base dugout.)

–NYT.

Switching after every change of possession? That seems a little ridiculous. Wouldn’t it have been easier to just take 5 yards out of the middle of the field. Sure, that leaves you with a 95-yard field, but then at least you’d avoid the situation of players picking their teeth out of the ivy.

Of course, the internet has been loving this development.

Bowls – Missouri topped my alma mater Northwestern in a close-fought, 30-23 overtime battle.  Jeremy Maclin is getting due credit for the win, but Mizzou kicker Jeff Wolfert missed a 44-yard field goal at the end of regulation, meaning that if the Wildcats hadn’t blown a PAT, they would have won their first bowl game since 1949.  Wheeee.  God, I hate it when I care.

In a related story, Jason Whitlock is bitter he didn’t get into the Medill School of Journalism.

NCAA Hoops — #8 Georgetown upset #2 UConn in Hartford.  Eh, wake me up in March.

NFL – Rod Marinelli, Romeo Crennel, and Eric Mangini all got canned yesterday.  In more interesting news, the NFL is finally moving the Pro Bowl to the week before the Super Bowl.  Holy crap, people might actually watch it!

This Big Ten Network commercial surfaced on Awful Announcing yesterday, and even if you're not clued into all the foibles of the coaches in the country's Midwesternest conference, it's worth it just to hear Joe Paterno fight off dementia long enough to try to complete a sentence.  Also, for the record, Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald looks like every Marine infantry officer I've ever known: thick neck, deep-set eyes, Cro-Magnon forehead.  Thank God the Marine Corps doesn't have Northwestern's record.

After the jump is the highly recommended, new and improved version from Every Day Should Be Saturday and demented image wiz LSUfreek.  It's like watching Mr. Subliminal, if Mr. Subliminal were funny and on cocaine. 

The Big Ten tournament just got underway a few minutes ago, so now seems like a good time to use this SI on Campus photo of the day from last month.  I can't say I know much about Michigan basketball specifically, but I'm not inclined to question the veracity of the claim made by these MSU students.  I certainly watched more of 2girls1cup than I have any Big Ten game so far this year.

If you're the gambling type, don't sleep on my Northwestern Wildcats — they went 1-17 in-conference this year, so you just know they're due for a run!  I hope they've got their Dancin' shoes shined and ready to go!  ROWR!

[35 Seconds] 

Remember last week when I telegrammed Norman, OK and Austin, TX to remind their football squads that they were in the Big 12 and not in the Big Ten, and thus were not allowed to lose to just any team.  I received many emails regarding the humor of that line that read something like "Good one, KD" or "You're funny for a Dutch-Irishman" (Note: No complimentary emails were actually received).  That wasn't a joke sexy readers, as the final tallies of the Middle West's 11-team conglomeration of fecal matter attests. 

First, Illinois defeated #5 Wisconsin.  And you thought you buried Chief Illiniwek at Wounded Knee.  Well you were wrong.  Really wrong.  And by 'you', I mean 'me'.  And by 'really wrong', I mean 'the Badgers will cover'.  Then lowly Northwestern bested mighty Michigan State.  Perhaps East Lansing's athletic squads should shed the Spartan nickname and adopt the name of that other tribe of Greeks that pussed out in The 300 – the Achaeans, I think?  Can #23 Purdue upset #4 Ohio State?  My pocketbook is strangely quiet on the subject. -KD