Ya, what a twist of fate comes hither this evening hour! On a very serious note, I feel rather honored to be placed in the middle of quite a coincidental situation that is currently gaining a lot of buzz. As many of you have probably already heard, Patrick Bade was arrested late last night for public intoxication after creating an incident outside of Harry's. And wouldn't you know it, not 24 hours later I have to profile the guy for the "'Days to Purdue Football" Countdown.
That's right. The coincidence of the whole situation is so profound it is a bit unsettling. But, nevertheless, it is 63 Days to Purdue Football today, and that means that Patrick Bade must be examined just like everyone else! So, without wasting anymore time, let's chronicle something I would like to call "The Ballad of Patrick Bade", shall we?
Patrick Bade - Jr.
Hometown: Indianapolis, IN (Franklin Central HS)
Offensive Tackle
6'7", 227 pounds
2012 projection: Deep reserve at Offensive Tackle
As many fans probably know, Bade began his odd path through Purdue sports as a basketball player under Matt Painter. After a stellar high school career at Franklin Central in Indy, Pat was heavily recruited by many college teams, but ultimately chose the old gold and black over offers from schools like Butler, Iowa and Miami of Ohio.
Beginning his Purdue basketball career in 2009, Bade saw action in all 35 games and even recorded one start as a true freshman. Then, in his sophomore campaign the next season, he managed to make four starts and was utilized as the Sixth Man on occasion, but his production and minutes didn't improve from his freshman performance a year before. Instead, many fans would agree that Bade's most memorable qualities during his basketball career included lacks in strength, toughness, athleticism, and awareness. Needless to say, he was never really a fan favorite. In fact, as I personally recall his presence in Mackey Arena, his entrance onto the court was usually followed by a powerful sea of groans seemingly coming from the upper deck.
But then last June, Bade shocked Boilermakers everywhere when he made the decision to hang up his basketball jersey and exchange it for a football helmet. Although he was an exceptional football player in high school and was also heavily recruited for his work on the gridiron, many fans were deeply confused by Patrick's interest in changing sports since the last time he played football was his junior year of high school and the move would effectively terminate his basketball scholarship.
Nonetheless, Bade walked onto Danny Hope's football team last summer, became a Tight End (where he was a reserve behind the likes of Crosby Wright, Gabe Holmes and Justin Sinz), changed his jersey number from 41 to 88 and went on to see no playing time in the 2011 season. Consequently, his presence among the Boiler Nation hive mind seemed to fade afterward. That is, until news coming from spring football practices earlier this year reported that Bade had been selected as yet another guinea pig in the confusing and moronic Danny Hope "Let's Convert Tight Ends Into Lineman" Project. Ironically, it seemed like quite a hilarious "give-up" move by Coach Hope, as his "special" project seemed to put an end to the equally odd Patrick Bade "I Play Foosball Now" Project.
Let me be clear. Bade is in no way an Offensive Tackle. Currently listed at 227 pounds, he is no better off trying to earn playing at his new position than his old one. In fact, he is worse off.
Yet, none of that really mattered when the news broke. Due to the sheer comedy of the circumstance, many fans were now interested in seeing how the situation would play itself out. And just when things couldn't get any more odd, Patrick had to go and get arrested late last night.
As I referenced at the top of the article, the Lafayette Journal & Courier reported earlier today that Patrick Bade was spotted fighting a bouncer in the doorway of Harry's Chocolate Shop just before closing time this morning. The story claims that a rather inebriated Bade showed up outside the State Street bar at 2:50 am demanding entrance, even though it was ten minutes until closing time and five minutes after the bar stops accepting customers. In his scuffle with the bouncer, Bade allegedly attempted to push his way through the front door of Harry's and broke one of its windows, after which he fell to floor.
Whatever provoked the big guy into carrying out his drunken escapade, the ramifications he is sure to face for these actions do not bode well for his already bleak standing as a solid football player.
And there you have it! Now that we are up to speed on chronicling his journey in West Lafayette, the question must be asked: Is this where the Ballad of Patrick Bade comes to an end?
There is no way of knowing right now. But I can tell you, although his story seems like a sad tale that is due to peter out in a soft wind, I suspect we will come across more interesting chapters in the Ballad of Patrick Bade before his time at Purdue is done.
As I wrap up this article, I would like to point out that although I certainly had a lot of fun at Patrick Bade's expense in this post, it was all simply for the comedic flair. Truthfully, I wish him all the best in the future and hope that he can overcome his unfortunate run-in with the law.
If, in fact, you are a huge Patrick Bade fan, then you can flock with the other rare breeds over to his Twitter at @pbade88. But, if you are like most of us, you will probably get a bigger kick out of @fakePatrickBade, especially after last night's arrest.