Former IU athletes to speak at Yung Joc concert tonight

Former IU basketball and football stars Eric Gordon, D.J. White, James Hardy and Tracy Porter will speak at Sigma Alpha Mu today during the Yung Joc concert.\nAssistant promoter DaJuan Wagner said the athletes will speak to the crowd about IU athletics and thank them for their dedication.\n“(The fraternity) just wanted to show their appreciation for the players,” Wagner said. “James Hardy had expressed interest in coming. We just reached out to Eric Gordon and and Tracy and D.J. to see if they wanted to do the same thing. It was just a hard time for IU sports (this year) and they persevered and made it to the bowl game and postseason.”\nOn Monday, Gordon declared himself eligible for the NBA Draft. Porter is eligible for the NFL Draft because his eligibility is up, while Hardy prompted to forego his senior season.\nSigma Alpha Mu President Abe Benson said he hopes the athletes’ appearance will draw more people to the concert.\n“We want people to realize this is a great opportunity to support IU basketball and IU players,” Benson said. “I believe it will help bring in more people.\n“These athletes are coming to Sigma Alpha Mu because we are recognizing them for their accomplishments as athletes. Brothers in the Sammy house have close ties with Eric, and we believe he deserves recognition for his dedication to IU basketball.”\nEven though the fraternity believes seeing the athletes speak is a great opportunity for fans, freshman Curt Ogborn was skeptical and said their appearance won’t influence his decision to go.\n“Maybe if (the conert) was good, I would go,” Ogborn said. “But I think (the athletes) are just regular people. It’s not a really big deal to see them somewhere.”\nThere will be several opening acts, including the IU Essence Dance Team and a reggaeton group, before Yung Joc’s performance begins.\nFor those still shell-shocked from Wednesday’s DMX concert, the fraternity is prepared to offer discount tickets to anyone with a DMX ticket. \n“We realize people are upset with the DMX concert,” Benson said. “We want people to have a good Little 500, and unfortunately the DMX show was a bust.”\nBetween 1,500 and 2,500 people are expected to attend, Wagner said. \nSigma Alpha Mu will offer $15 tickets to anyone who brings a DMX ticket with them. Students can buy tickets from fraternity members or on www.ticketalternative.com for $20. Tickets at the door will be $30. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and the concert begins at 7 p.m.