Hope Springs Eternal on Opening Day

I would argue that hope is the most powerful feeling in the world. The possession of hope, or the lack thereof, can be equally invigorating or demoralizing. It doesn't matter what area of life it is whether it is personally, professionally, as a fan of a team whatever, hope makes you believe that no matter what the odds are there is a chance you can get something done.

That's the beautiful thing about the Opening Day of Baseball, 30 teams covering the country all have hope. Now this hope isn't always the same, for example Cubs fans are hoping for their 2nd World Series Title in as many years, while Braves fans are just hoping for a competitive team. But that hope is still there. And for some reason, and I've never been able to put my finger on why, the start of the baseball season feels different than the start of other sports leagues. Maybe it's because Opening Day is the official day that marks the change from Winter to Spring - and summer is right around the corner, but the euphoria surrounding a baseball stadium on Opening Day cannot be match anywhere else.

I've been lucky enough to attend many Opening Days throughout my life, none being more memorable than when Jason Heyward made his debut at a packed Turner Field and subsequently hit a three-run homerun in his 1st at bat off of Carlos Zambrano - I'm getting goosebumps just thinking about it right now. But the return of sitting in the stands during sun-filled days, eating hot dogs, and drinking an ice cold beer is just a feeling that cannot be equaled anywhere else. This Opening Day is even more special as Braves fans since SunTrust Park will be officially christened as the new home of the Atlanta Braves, and even if the product on the field has returned to early 2010's levels yet, I am confident that the Braves' new crop of talent will help kick on the rebuilding process in the near future.

Without further ado, here are my predictions for the 2017 Major League Baseball Season, if I didn't pick your team to make the playoffs I'm sorry and I promise I don't hate your team. Unless your team is the Cardinals, in that case I actually do hate your team.

American League

East: Boston Red Sox
Central: Cleveland Indians
West: Houston Astros
WC: New York Yankees, and Texas Rangers

National League

East: Washington Nationals
Central: Chicago Cubs
West: Los Angeles Dodgers
WC: New York Mets and San Francisco Giants

ALCS: Cleveland Indians in 6 games over the Houston Astros
NLCS: Los Angeles Dodgers in 7 games over the Chicago Cubs

World Series: Cleveland Indians in 6 games over the Los Angeles Dodgers

Go Braves! (Please be competitive that's all I ask)

Duncan Hensley
Indiana University
Kelley School of Business '18

The End of the Tom Crean Era

My first recollection of Indiana Basketball was the team headlined by Eric Gordon and DJ White in 2008. After Mike Davis flamed out of Bloomington, it seemed like Sampson was bringing the good times back to Indiana - and a 6th banner would shortly follow. Flash forward to the offseason, and the NCAA was knocking on doors investigating reports of recruiting improprieties. Next thing everyone knew Indiana was worse than it had ever been since Bob Knight was unceremoniously dismissed, and the program was crippled. Whatever coach that would come to Bloomington would have one of the biggest reclamation projects in all of college sports, and a fan base that demanded excellence was not going to make this process an easy one. Eventually the man that had the audacity to undergo this daunting task was Tom Crean.

Everyone remembers the first press conference where Crean held up a "Crean and Crimson" t-shirt, and when asked why he decided to take the job Crean made his now famous refrain - "It's Indiana". The next few years seemed to live up to the difficulty that people around the country thought the rebuilding task would be. Crean led the Hoosiers to a record of 28-66. These growing pains would eventually turn in to one of the most unforgettable Indiana seasons of recent memory in 2012. Indiana toppled the hated rival and undefeated Kentucky Wildcats at home in the "Watshot" game, won the Big 10 Conference Title outright with a defensive stand on the road at Michigan, and fell in the Sweet 16 to the future National Champions Kentucky. Everything seemed in place in Bloomington for Indiana to return to their rightful spot among college basketball's elite programs. Crean was recruiting at a high level, and beating some of the best teams in the country. Indiana rode this momentum to a preseason number 1 ranking before bowing out in the Sweet 16 for a second consecutive season to Syracuse. This is where things seemed to begin to unravel. Seniors graduated, underclassmen left early, star recruits never panned out, and Crean was on the hot seat after missing the tournament and then just squeaking in back to back years.

Then something magical happened last year. The Hoosiers struggled mightily out of the gate, and after a horrid performance in the Maui Invitational the chorus calling for Crean's head was never louder. But something changed in the 2nd half of the Crossroads Classic matchup against Notre Dame, and the Hoosiers would storm to another Conference Title with two games in hand. Roster Turnover and injuries would strike again this year, and while I am not sure if this team would still be playing if the likes of Collin Hartman and OG Anunoby were at full strength all season, I am sure this team would have competed to defend the Big 10 crown. Unfortunately these circumstances were not enough to protect Crean, as he was relieved of his duties as the NCAA Tournament began last Thursday.

I have been a relatively staunch Crean supporter, sans the 12 hours after the Duke game last year, but I understand the reasoning behind moving on. At a certain point if a coach cannot push his team over the top, you have to look your program in the mirror and evaluate whether or not you can continue on this path. Fred Glass was forced to make this decision, and at the end of the day I think he made the right one. That being said, a little part of me will miss seeing Coach Crean patrol the sidelines in Assembly Hall next year.

Tom Crean's legacy at Indiana is much bigger than X's and O's and records. Crean came to a program that was in shambles, and brought Indiana back to the national conversation. I am not sure if players like Cody Zeller, Yogi Ferrell, or Thomas Bryant ever don the Candy Stripes without the work that Crean has put in to resurrect the program. Crean also instilled an environment that championed academics, evidenced by perfect or near-perfect NCAA APR scores year after year. And you would be hard pressed to find someone that ever said a negative thing about Tom Crean as a man. Whether it was helping others through his faith, or serving as a true father figure for the players he coached - the image of him embracing Thomas Bryant following the NCAA Tournament loss last year shows you that he was man inspired by more than just winning basketball games.

Courtesy: kentsterling.com

Sometimes in relationships people have to break up to move to a better place. It is not that each person is unhappy, but in order to reach their potential people have to move on. That is where I think Indiana Basketball found itself with Tom Crean. Any true Indiana fan will always appreciate what Crean has done for this program, but this appreciation does not mean that we are satisfied. Coach Crean will land somewhere, even if he makes a stop in the media in the interim, he is too good of a coach and person to stay unemployed. And Indiana Basketball will move on, and I honestly believe that with the right coach Indiana is closer to unfurling a 6th Banner than unveiling the 5th. Whenever that 6th Banner is hung in Assembly Hall, I will be sure to drink a toast to Coach Crean because without him none of this possible.

Duncan Hensley
Indiana University
Kelley School of Business '18

President Trump is failing to "Make America Great Again"

I would really enjoy writing a post about my Sevilla Trip. Sevilla is an incredibly underrated city, and I would highly suggest visiting it if you have the opportunity. The people are genuinely nice to tourists, the weather is beautiful (it's sunny there 300 days a year), and it has a great marriage between the old city and modern advances. I would really, really enjoy writing about that- but unfortunately I cannot do that.

Everyone that knows me knows that I do not have a problem letting my opinion be heard. While that might rub some people the wrong way, I have always been that way and always will be. With that said in wake of our election last November I decided to hold my tongue. It wasn't that I was afraid of disagreement with those who voted for our now-President, I couldn't find the appropriate topic or discourse to voice my displeasure with the election of President Trump. It was disappointing for me to see that our country elected someone who was so openly xenophobic, who bragged about sexually assaulting women, and seemed to lack just general decency to his competitors throughout the campaign. President's Trump's words and actions weren't the only thing that concerned me during his campaign. I just genuinely disagreed on a majority of policies and, regardless of his temperament, I thought he would move the United States in the wrong direction. After his election I felt like it was best to move on from my disappointment, and hope that as he entered the office President Trump would become less radicalized and put the country first. Many people pointed to his Election Night speech where President Trump said "... it is time for us to come together as one united people. It's time," as the example that he would set for himself as he moved into the highest office in the land. While I was extremely dubious, I had hope that this would be the case.

Quickly into his term as President, President Trump has proved my doubts to be correct. I'm going to focus on two of his "landmark" actions in his term, and explain why I think that our President has already veered off of his course to "Make America Great Again".

The first topic I'd like to address is NAFTA, TPP, and Trade as a whole. As a relatively free market economy, competition and trade are two things that are absolutely necessary to help our economy survive and thrive. I am going to reference a study by the Congressional Budget Office entitled How Preferential Trade Agreements Affect the US Economy. I will include what I have found is particularly relevant in the study, and if you want to read it yourself I will link to it at bottom of the post.

We can start with why is trade good. According to the CBO, Trade, "Trade increases competition between foreign and domestic producers....... As a result, trade encourages a more efficient allocation of resources in the economy and raises the average productivity of businesses and industries in the United States. Through that increase in productivity, trade can boost economic output and workers’ average real (inflationadjusted) wage". Wow, we don't even need to go an entire page til we see that trade benefits not only the companies in our country, but also the real wages of workers. Many people would question this, and say that they don't see these increases and that trade actually moves their jobs away from the United States and to countries abroad. This is a completely valid point, but one where people are putting their own wants and needs ahead of the country's. People love to say that those on welfare should just get a job and stop relying on social programs to help provide for them. Why don't these people do the same? If it is so easy to break into the workforce, why don't these people learn new skills and change career paths to help meet the needs of the 21st century consumer? It's obviously not that simple to develop the requisite skills to be a competitive candidate in the job market, but that doesn't stop people from trying to make it seem as if it is.

Here are some more findings from the CBO study that help support the idea behind Preferential Trade Agreements (PTO) "...relatively small positive effects on total U.S. trade (exports plus imports) and, primarily through that channel, on the U.S. economy". And "As a result, the indirect effects of PTAs on productivity, output, and employment in the United States have also been small and positive". Specifically on NAFTA, CBO states "The likely increases in overall trade from NAFTA are significant but still small". There is a slight variety in the estimations of how much trade growth has resulted from NAFTA, but the range is 2.9-7.9% growth. In an economy the size of the United States, even 2.9% growth is significant, and while it isn't ideal that these agreements have cost people their jobs I would argue that sacrificing some jobs to help the consumer and economy as a whole are worth that price. Other studies have found similar results like United States International Trade Commission's study entitled Economic Impact of Trade Agreements Implemented Under Trade Authorities Procedures, 2016 Report which I will also link at the bottom. Trade is good, NAFTA is good, and a United States Economy that is protectionist is bad for consumers, bad for jobs, and bad for the US Government.

I would also like to address President Trump's Executive Order that banned travel from 7 countries and completely halts all refugee admission for 120 days. While it might be easy to call the EO un-American, a rejection of the ideals of the Constitution, or just plan wrong, I am not going to do that. What many people fail to understand is the already extreme vetting that the Department of Homeland Security already completes as part of the refugee admission process, and the same goes for getting a green card. The United States of America does not have open borders where people can flood in by the droves, and if you believe that you either A) are completely mistaken or B) have Breitbart as one of your bookmarks on your computer. For those that still believe this EO was necessary, I'd like to ask you a question. How many people have died via acts of terrorism by people that are affected by this EO in the United States? A grand total of 0. Even if you choose to ignore this information, just know that this EO is the exact propaganda that terrorists organizations like ISIS use daily to radicalize impressionable, young men and women abroad. Terrorism thrives when people are angry, skeptical, and scared, and this EO is a reflection of a segment of our society that feels that way.

You want to know the best way to combat terrorism? Invite those that want to come to America with open arms. Show them what it is like to be proud of your country. Sing the Star Spangled Banner with pride and feel the hair on the back of your neck stand up as your fellow citizens, refugees, and green card holders join you doing the same. Show these people that the answer to hate is not closing our borders and saying it's not our problem, but to come together and show enemies at home and abroad that we are better and stronger than they are.

I am not naive enough to believe that everybody that reads this will agree with 100% of what I said. The beautiful thing about this country is that we can have a open, amicable dialogue about what we believe in and don't have to fear any repercussions. If you think I am wrong tell me. What I ask you not to do is come to me with talk of emails, corruption charges, or Hillary Clinton would've been worse. The President of the United States is Donald J. Trump, and we must now focus on his actions as our leader. I wanted, and hoped that President Trump would help improve the lives of every day Americans throughout the country, but so far I, and the rest of America, are being let down.

Duncan Hensley
Indiana University
Kelley School of Business '18

Sources:

Congressional Budget Office: https://www.cbo.gov/sites/default/files/114th-congress-2015-2016/reports/51924-tradeagreements.pdf

United States International Trade Commission: https://www.usitc.gov/publications/332/pub4614.pdf

CNN: http://edition.cnn.com/2017/01/28/politics/donald-trump-travel-ban/

New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/29/us/trump-refugee-ban-muslim-executive-order.html?_r=0

Politifact: http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2017/jan/29/jerrold-nadler/have-there-been-terrorist-attacks-post-911-countri/

Porto Trip!

For the first time during my time abroad, I left Barcelona with a group of friends to visit Porto, Portugal. While it might not have the cache of London, Paris, or Barcelona, Porto married a small town feel along the river with a large European Vacation destination and it did not disappoint. The architecture was beautiful and people were incredibly friendly, even if the only word we truly spoke of Portuguese was thank you. The proximity to the Atlantic Ocean allows Porto to have access to an incredible wealth of seafood, and I particularly enjoyed octopus and codfish- which seemed to be everywhere and very prominent on every restaurant menu. Sunday we took a tour via Tuk Tuk, a small taxi-type vehicle that we bounced around on as we passed through the narrow streets along the cobblestone streets. As a city that was owned by the Catholic church for a long time and remains very religious today - a large number of restaurants and shops weren't even open on Sunday - there are around 50 churches of different sizes, architectural influences, and colors strewn throughout the city. On Saturday afternoon we took a tour of a couple of different Port Wineries, which in fact aren't grown or even held in Porto as the grapes are grown in the Douro Valley and held in the city of Gaya which is just across the river from Porto. After the tour I think it is safe to say my wine knowledge and snobbishness now can equal my Dad's! In all seriousness Porto is a great city and if you want to get a different experience from the big European metropolises I would highly suggest Porto.

This upcoming week will be filled with more actual educational time rather than spending half of the classes reviewing the syllabus and getting to know the professor and classmates, but the nice thing is that with each day that I become more comfortable in the city the more willing I am to explore new areas and try new restaurants. I think my love of Sangria and Croquetes knows no bounds, so I am attempting to try them at as many different restaurants as possible- I will get back to you once I have found the best. Next weekend will be another adventure as we head down to Sevilla to explore more of Spain.

Duncan Hensley
Indiana University
Kelley School of Business '18

European Adventures

Two weeks in to my semester abroad and thus far I have to say it has been everything I was expecting and more. This is my first time in Europe so I was really looking forward to immersing myself not only the people, but the culture as a whole. Even though Barcelona is a large, cosmopolitan city a la a New York, Chicago, or Atlanta, there is still a big transition in terms of moving from the US to European- and specifically Spanish lifestyle. The biggest transition has had to be just the general structure of the day here. Obviously I am used to the three big meals that is common in the US, but here the meals are structured more with five smaller meals spread throughout the day. While this is a transition, you don't have to tell me twice to eat, and I've loved trying all kinds of new meals that are native to Spain - plus the seafood has been delicious! As part of my program I was really looking forward to practicing and furthering my Spanish skills, and I can already tell that my conversational Spanish continues to grow. And this isn't a knock on my Spanish education in the States, but there is just a certain flow and jargon that can't be emulated in the classroom. My Business Spanish class has definitely helped, but the biggest aid has simply been living in a homestay and having conversations with my family about the past day and what I am looking to do in the near future. Each night I can tell that I am more comfortable and willing to push my abilities.

This past week I had my first European Soccer experience, and I can say it did not disappoint. For "El Día de los Reyes", my homestay family got me a ticket for the Copa del Rey match between Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao. Knowing that Barca lost the first leg 1-2, I knew that they would come out looking to force the issue early and Messi, Neymar, and Suarez et al would not relent until the job was done. The match atmosphere was unmatched to anything I've ever been to in the States, and the performance on the pitch equaled the atmosphere. Barca went up 2-0 early in the 2nd half thanks to goals from Suarez and Neymar, but Bilbao came back with a header to make it 2-1 and tying up the aggregate at 3-3. Barca had to kick it back into high gear, but Bilbao proved to be a tough outfit. It wasn't until late on that some Messi Magic on a free kick put Barca up for good. I was lucky enough when I was younger to see the greatest of all time Michael Jordan play a game, and even though it was past his prime it was steal incredible to see the GOAT play at all. That's how it was with Messi as well, there was just something about him that even when he was not on the ball he seemed to be calculating the perfect run to stretch the defense- even if the run would set up a teammate rather than himself. Messi wasn't the only Barca play that impressed me. There is a certain amount of the game that I think you have to be in the stadium to see, and the way that Pique and Iniesta play lends itself perfectly to this sentiment. Every step they took, every pass they played, their communication throughout the match, it all seemed perfect. They controlled the match from their respective positions, and if they were ever put under any pressure they calmly dealt with it. It was really a sight to behold, and it is clear why those two are consistently among the best in the world for their respective positions.

The last thing that has amazed me, and I'm not sure why in 2017, but the relative ease at which I can follow everything else that is happening around the world. I joked with Will one day that I was in a cafe in Spain, drinking an Italian coffee, listening to a podcast about American Politics, and texting my brother in Tennessee. It was really cool for me to realize the ease at which people around the world can communicate and stay informed about things that seem so far away. Hell- I can FaceTime anyone I want with a touch of the button. And maybe it was my ignorance, but I don't think I will ever get over how cool that it. Plus all this technology lets me follow along with my Falcons who are just 60 minutes away from the Super Bowl, if you aren't on the Falcons Bandwagon by now I'm not sure what's going to get you on- granted I've been optimistic about Atlanta teams who have fallen short, but this team feels different (I also say this a lot, but in this case I actually believe it).

With that being said, I'll sign off for now. The next two weekends I will be Porto, Portugal and Sevilla, Spain so look out for more stories and pictures to come.

Adios,

Duncan Hensley
Indiana University
Kelley School of Business '18

JDF16

Every day in this country and around the world, people lose their lives. In many cases it is something out of each person's control, and unavoidable in our lives. But with that said there is something that much more tragic about young life being ripped away. Unfortunately, that is what happened this past weekend. Obviously I was not born when Len Bias tragically overdosed after being selected as the 2nd Overall Pick in the 1986, but I have to imagine that the feeling across the sports culture landscape was similar to yesterday morning. Like many people I awoke to the news that Jose Fernandez, pitcher for the Miami Marlins, tragically passed away in a boating accident late Saturday night. He, along with two fellow passengers, were found during a routine patrol by the US Coast Guard. 

There are some many different angles which reinforce how devastating this story is, the least of which was Jose's ability as a baseball player. Jose was on the fast track to Hall of Fame status with his eyes set on a massive contract that would have probably totaled in excess of $200 Million, but like I said baseball in this case does not begin to address the full extent of this tragedy. Jose Fernandez was living the American Dream. A Dream that people around the globe aspire to achieve every single day. Fernandez unsuccessfully attempted to flee Cuba and come to the United States three times. After unsuccessful attempts, Jose found himself in Cuban prison as a teenager where he was surrounded by perpetrators of far more serious crimes.  Even through all of these experiences, Jose sacrificed it all again and on his fourth attempt was on his way to arriving in the United States. As he began to embark on his journey to the United States, someone on the boat yelled "Man Overboard!". Little did Jose know, his mother had fallen into the water where 8-foot waves crashed against their boat. Against all odds Jose dove into the water, saved his mother, and then made it to the United States to begin living his American Dream.

Even after getting to the United States, Jose still faced numerous difficulties. Trying to learn English, his teacher would not let him use the restroom without asking in English. As Jose anguished and pleaded constantly to his teacher just repeating "Baño, Baño", his teacher refused to give in. Later he told ESPN's Buster Olney he learned English with the help of watching him every night on "Baseball Tonight" - a similar way I've learned Spanish by watching and listening to soccer commentary. Jose then preserved, eventually earning his United States Citizenship. His love and passion had no bounds, evidenced not only by how he played and enjoyed the game, but how he conducted himself during the MLB's Fort Bragg Game earlier this year. Fernandez soaked up every minute as he enthusiastically interacted with the military servicemen and women, including having every member of the Marlins sign a flag for a member of the 82nd Airborne Division. 

Maybe the most devastating fact of it all is that Jose and his girlfriend were expecting a child. Fernandez recently posting a picture of his girlfriend with the caption, "I'm so glad you came into my life. I'm ready for where this journey is gonna take us together. #familyfirst". 

Jose was much more than just a baseball player. Jose was the manifestation of the American Dream. An immigrant from an oppressed nation who came to this country in hopes of achieving his dream and providing for his family. As I said earlier any life that is lost is tragic, but when said life had such a bright future and so much to live for, it begs the question why did it have to be him? Jose Fernandez will never play another game of Major League Baseball, but the man that he was on - but mainly off- of the diamond will continue to live on for the rest of time. Rest in Peace Jose Fernandez, you will be missed. 

Courtesy: Major League Baseball

"Atlanta" is already a Treasure

I have always been a big fan of Donald Glover's. Whether it was his lovable character Troy Barnes on Community, or his rapping as Childish Gambino, I have always enjoyed the product that Glover is a part of. That is why I was so excited when I first heard that he would be creating a show about my hometown "Atlanta" on FX. Well after much anticipation and waiting, the premier of the show was last week, and after watching the first two episodes that were released back to back, I am very excited for what the future of the show has for us.

Courtesy: Jones Magazine

The story of the show follows Earnest "Earn" Marks (Glover) and his cousin Alfred Miles "Paper Boi" (Brian Tyree Henry) where Paper Boi is an up and coming rapper in the always competitive Atlanta rap scene. I won't give away any spoilers, but the first two episodes do a lot of laying the foundation for the relationship between the two cousins, and what motivates them to succeed in their lives. 

When I tell people from Atlanta, I always have to preface it with the fact that on a good day I'm 45 minutes north of the city. For people that know Atlanta, I'm definitely OTP, and nowhere near ITP. But with that said, I have always identified with the city itself. After moving from Jacksonville before 1st Grade, Metro Atlanta has been my home. It is where I've grown up, and to be honest I don't really remember most of my life before living there. With all of that said, "Atlanta" the show is definitely ITP. For all of the luxury and comfort I have lived my entire life with, the show and the lives of the characters is pretty close to the exact opposite of my growing up. My exposure to the actual city of Atlanta and its inhabitants has been pretty sheltered. For the most part, the most exposure I've gotten in the city would be walking through Five Points on my way to the Braves Shuttle, numerous visits to The Varsity, and the many flights in and out of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

For all of these reasons, this is why I enjoy the show so much. Even in the first two episodes, I've been exposed to a different Atlanta, not one full of suburbia and country clubs, but the gritty underbelly of the city that I call home. For all of those times I've been to The Varsity, I've never gone in to JR Crickets right down the street. For all of the times I've been to the airport, my interactions with workers have been more out of necessity than choice. And for all of the times I've driven through the city I love so much I haven't even dreamed of venturing into "The Projects".

"Atlanta" from the standpoint of television is an incredible show. The actors seemed to be chosen perfectly for their roles, the writing is fantastic, and the show balances humor with real life problems and dilemmas. But all of these reasons are just ancillary to why I have already enjoyed this show so much. This show has given me a lens, and entirely new lens, of how to view the city that I call home, and I cannot wait to see what else is in store.

Duncan Hensley

Indiana University

Kelley School of Business '18