Belt Loops: Welcome To Hell!

Mid-American Conference recruiting definitely dominated the headlines the past week.  Miami scored big in finding their quarterback of the future, who chose the RedHawks over UConn and Rutgers.  Ball State added a tight end that Western Michigan pursued as an outside linebacker, while the Broncos built for 2015 with Michigan's high school rushing record holder.

The baseball world lost another good one on Monday.  Tony Gwynn was unquestionably the greatest hitter of my generation.  The numbers are staggering, unlikely to be duplicated, and too numerous to list.  Here's just one for you.  In 1986 Gwynn struck out 35 times in 701 plate appearances. What's the MAC connection here?  The only pitcher to strike out Gwynn three times in one game was Eastern Michigan legend Bob Welch, who died last week.  Gwynn was 54.

In what will forever be viewed as the sloppiest and clunkiest seque in the history of Mid-American Conference sports blogging, I have just been informed that virtually all restrictions have been lifted from what I can include in Belt Loops.  Excerpts from the email sent by Hustle Belt brass, dated June 17th, 2014, received at 1:14 PM:

"link dump post will evolve again"

"still be a link dump of sorts, but with much less restrictions"

"It should be whatever the hell we want it to be."

Welcome to Hell.

The magnitude of this opportunity cannot be understated.  Upon reading that email, I had a feeling similar to playing video games as a kid.  Pre-Interweb we thirsted after codes (not cheats) to give us an advantage in classics like Contra, Castlevania, and Mega Man 2.  That's what's happened here.  Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, I'll say whatever the hell I want.

Perhaps it's more like Howard Stern, possibly the greatest media personality in the history of media personalities.  His first day on satellite radio after departing its terrestrial counterpart was an odd one.  Unencumbered by the FCC's tyrannical restrictions, there was no limit to the depravity he could put out on radio airwaves.  It didn't happen immediately though.  Such freedom has to be navigated delicately.

Not for me though, maybe for the other guys.  It's gotta be disrespectful.  Chock full of great heaping mounds of disrespect.  Keith Wenning tossing 5 first half touchdowns against Miami disrespect. Disrespect like this:

I'm just kidding.  The disrespect will be respectfully doled out in small doses.  I just needed a reason to include the above video, which is probably one of the top five of all time.

Other stuff:

Joe Montana and an FBI sting.

Professional hockey and bombs, a look into Los Angeles politics.

Donald Sterling is continuing to learn that money can't buy everything.

And because my name is at the top of the article:

Ball State's new football building.

Chirp, Chirp!