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(08/11/11 3:16am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It’s easy to think that in this day and age, athletes have it easier — exponentially easier — than your average student. In fact, on the surface, it’s almost hard not to think that. When the public only hears about agent-organized parties, discounted 2011 Pontiacs and leased beach houses along the Southern California waterfront, it’s a no-brainer to conclude athletes are living the life of a superstar. It seems as valid as Reggie Bush’s Heisman Trophy back in 2005, right? Think again. There are 17 spots allowed on a Division I men’s basketball roster and 105 for football. Thirteen scholarships are available for basketball opposed to the 85 offered for the gridiron. That means about 20 percent of each roster in these two revenue-generating sports are made up of players doing it for love of the game and nothing else. Yet, these walk-ons and preferred walk-ons are required to still follow the same strict, up-at-dawn routines so common during a sport’s competitive season. The study time is minimal. The social time is minimal. And the summer is almost nonexistent. It doesn’t have anything to do with pay-for-play. We’re talking about the lifestyle of the average college athlete — the overwhelming majority of which will never suit up in a professional uniform. If it weren’t for tutors and academic advisers, graduating with a degree in four or five years would be almost impossible. Of course there are the pessimists who want to think all athletes are majoring in Kilroy’s staff management in the School of Partying and Easy A’s. Don’t say that to a guy like Ben Chappell — currently in camp with the Washington Redskins — who earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees in accounting during his five years in Bloomington. Let’s put academics aside for a hot second and look at that infinitely small portion of larger-than-life superstars in the collegiate ranks. If you think the average college athlete’s lifestyle of little sleep and little down time is tough, think about how monster media outlets like ESPN become the worldwide leader in sports. Exploitation leads to ratings, which in turn leads to prominence. Each day, primarily in college football and basketball, the top-tier athletes are hounded, criticized and approached by the media to an almost depressing frequency. You even saw the most straight-laced of them all, Tim Tebow, fire back at ESPN NFL analyst Merrill Hoge for ripping the former quarterback to shreds. Not to say it’s that bad around college sports consistently, but it’s not uncommon. The fact of the matter is that college athletes have perks normal students don’t. Then again, there are upsides to being a normal student. Chances are, before you head out to your local campus brew house during Welcome Week, there will not be many athletes in sight. It’s a different game with different rules. — ftherber@indiana.edu
(07/28/11 1:17am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Now that a sort of relative decency has finally set in among franchise owners — and, yes, some of the players sitting across the table — it’s time to get back to the 2011 NFL offseason that should have begun months ago.Slated to begin August 4, the start of the NFL league year will mark one of the most frenzied and shortest official offseasons fans have seen in decades. With players allowed to report to their respective team’s camp 15 days before its first preseason game, 10 clubs could have officially opened camp as early as yesterday.Especially for teams that underwent coaching changes before the lockout began March 4, the pressure is on.Here’s a look at what teams are doing to catch up before the preseason arrives :System Implementation: For teams that did see coaching changes, playbook distribution was the first thing on coaches’ and team executives’ list when players walked through the doors.It’s easier for teams like the Carolina Panthers, as Ron Rivera assumes head coaching duties, and first overall pick, Cam Newton, will likely assume the signal-calling duties. Regardless of where Newton was picked, he’d be learning a new system.For a team like the Cleveland Browns, who have a new coach but a young, incumbent quarterback in Colt McCoy, the lockout may take an even heavier toll. Free Agency: The new Collective Bargaining Agreement allowed for teams to begin signing their own restricted and unrestricted free agents as early as Monday, as well as their drafted rookies that night.Team executives will be forced to make millions of dollars worth in salary cap decisions in only a few days.As if that weren’t enough for personnel officials, there is the league-wide free agent pool. After teams take care of their own free agents, team needs will take center stage. Physicals and Conditioning: Overlooked by many fans amid the return of football is the state of its players.With the free agent frenzy, it’s easy to forget that some guys, like the Colts’ Peyton Manning, underwent medical procedures like they would in any other offseason. Evaluating the physical condition of veterans this close to preseason games is vital before putting pads on. A four-month offseason has been boiled down to just a few days. The good news is, aside from the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio, there wasn’t a whole lot that came at the expense of the lockout.That said, let the games begin.
(06/26/11 11:13pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>One of two things has happened during the last three or four years. Either someone forgot to send the memo to Bob Knight that it was time to get back to reality, or the three-time national champion and all-time Division I wins leader decided long ago he’d let his arrogance take center stage. On June 18, IU saw one of its glory boys return to his alma mater. IU announced Calbert Cheaney would assume the role of Director of Basketball Operations. He will take Drew Adams’ spot, as Adams now holds the same position under Steve Alford at New Mexico. IU coach Tom Crean has been saying it since he was hired: that he wanted those who made the program great to become regulars around Assembly Hall. Since then, we’ve seen or heard the likes of the Tom and Dick Van Arsdale, Ted Kitchel, Damon Bailey and Cheaney, either being honorary captains or spending time around the basketball program. But still, after three years, there is one name in particular that glares in its overdue absence from that list. After sincere, and probably undue, attempts at reaching out to Knight on the part of Crean and Athletics Director Fred Glass, Knight basically told IU fans, alumni and students, to shove it.Now, what would happen if someone told Bob Knight to shove it? We all know Knight to be everything, including a disciplinarian, an insolent baby, a proponent of academia, a winner and a generous person. There is the Bob Knight who allegedly kicked late President Myles Brand out of practice, and there is the Bob Knight who paid for Landon Turner’s medical bills after a car accident that left him paralyzed. But now, we know Knight to be two things: self-centered and childish, nothing short. Here’s the reality of the situation: the IU Board of Trustees, University President and Athletics Director from the year Knight was fired are no longer in Bloomington. Yeah, the administration that fired Knight was questionable. It also made the controversial decision to fire Bill Mallory, and the University took far too long to enlist Knight in its Athletics Hall of Fame. IU could have easily pulled the plug on Knight at least a decade before it actually did. But it didn’t. It allowed Knight to stick around in a time when the IU job was more appealing than ever. The Hoosiers would have had no trouble landing a coach that would have come in and win games, but they stuck with their guy. Whether or not IU made a mistake, they stuck with their coach for years longer than they had to, as did the majority of its fans. It’s time for Knight to follow suit with his former players and make amends. It’s time for Knight to repay IU for serving as the program that made him what he is today.Until then, the joke’s on the General.
(06/15/11 11:33pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Here we sit in the third month of the NFL lockout, and it seems as if not much has improved. Judging from the media scrutiny and daily reports surrounding the talks — or lack thereof — nothing really has changed since the Collective Bargaining Agreement expired. One of the few measurable things continuing to change from the public’s perspective is its increasing hostility towards the league, its owners and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. Since the lockout began and daily extensions on the CBA proved futile, Goodell and his 32 team owners have become synonymous with greed, exploitation and selfishness. This happens while the players across the NFL, all of whom earn over $300,000 in 17-week periods, are viewed as an oppressed group of humble men. Let’s stop right there before I yack all over that last paragraph and get a few quick facts straight. The lowest paid player in the NFL made $325,000 in 2010. The league owner with the lowest net worth is a multi-millionaire. The average fan can only dream of both those salaries. Colts owner Jim Irsay recently said it’s easy to think greed is the central factor when a $9 billion issue can’t get resolved timely, but there’s much more to it. Irsay went on to tweet that he and Pro Bowl Center Jeff Saturday could have resolved the issue on “cocktail napkins.”My only question is why hasn’t that reservation to Rick’s Café Boatyard in Indianapolis been made yet? Because right now, talks between the players — well, former Players Association — and the NFL are not only about as fruitful as LeBron James in the fourth quarter.But fans and critics alike are letting the greed of the owners and league skew their view of the opposite side. Start with Goodell. The former intern with the NFL is now paid nearly $10 million per year to do two jobs: enforce the rules and integrity of the league while acting as the NFL’s chief “owner.” That means reflecting the views of his inferiors, whether he likes it or not. If you were to ask Goodell behind the cameras, notepads and lights, I bet a good sum of money he’d tell you league owners are acting out of line. But, just like it’s a defense lawyer’s task to defend a crook who is almost surely guilty, it’s Goodell’s job to act as the figurehead for his 32 employees. While the public gets caught up in the antics of the owners, there’s also a hidden agenda on the part of the players. We all saw the sideshow act the Saints and Vikings put on opening night of the 2010 season by standing together in “solidarity.” The only thing I saw while their arms and helmets were raised were their fat pockets hitting the ground. Let’s reserve that act for underpaid workers and oppressed child laborers overseas.Plus, there’s some hypocrisy to go along with the players’ actions. If so much of the greed the owners have put on display is wrong, then how does Peyton Manning (who just so happens to be a chief plaintiff in the players’ lawsuit) have the right to hold out on signing a contract until free agency resumes? So he can make his payowut anywhere from a nickel to a million dollars higher than Tom Brady’s? Let’s remember who’s won three Super Bowls and who’s won one. But most of all, let’s remember the good guys’ perception isn’t really that good — it’s greedy.
(06/02/11 12:09am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>What has taken place in Columbus, Ohio over the last six months, but especially over the last four days, is nothing less than a crying shame. A crying shame for the landscape of college athletics and college football, which is arguably the new American pastime thanks to baseball’s downfall.A crying shame for Terrelle Pryor, once the most prized recruit in the game’s recent history, who is now a recruit Michigan fans and alumni are grateful they never saw set foot in their state. And it’s a crying shame for Ohio State University, an institution that has done a pretty good job of talking the talk in terms of doing things in an honorable manner over the years. For even the worst of Ohio State football apologists, the fact that the now-former Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel and five starters, including Pryor and receiver DeVier Posey, were covering up said starters’ sale and trade of team memorabilia for tattoos is a disgrace. It’s a disgrace to the Big Ten, a disgrace to their university, a disgrace to people like me who saw Ohio State football as a program that could win the right way and a selfish, hypocritical disgrace to the false manner in which Tressel has carried himself over the years. Where was this Buckeye mantra of integrity when it became evident Tressel knew about the tattoos, discounted car deals and money accepted for Big Ten Championship rings and other memorabilia? And where was the initiative of university President E. Gordon Gee and Athletics Director Gene Smith — who ironically chaired this year’s NCAA Tournament selection committee — when Pryor was seen manning a new ride every month or so? The sad thing for Gee and Smith is that this mess should never have gotten this far. Tressel and his staff should have been forced out in late April after emails cornering him and his involvement became public, which is why the fact that former assistant Luke Fickell has been named interim coach for 2011 is a bit puzzling. What’s even sadder for everyone associated with Ohio State and Pryor himself is that this investigation is nowhere close to being over; thanks largely to Pryor’s thinking it was wise to pull into Monday night’s team meeting in a brand-new Nissan sports car with temporary tags. If I were Fickell, I would think it’s very reasonable to believe Pryor has played his final game in Ohio Stadium and would get ready for a contingency plan at quarterback as early as Tuesday morning. Let’s not get away thinking Ohio State people are the only ones to blame for this ongoing ordeal. One major question still remains, and it may be the most perplexing one of all. How is Ohio State being held so accountable by the NCAA when the league itself allowed Pryor, Posey and others to play in the Sugar Bowl after it was known they were in the rings-for-cars loop?One logical explanation is that if five key athletes lost their postseason eligibility, television ratings in the non-Buckeye households would have severely dwindled, along with that bowl revenue. The NCAA contradicted itself and gave its blessing to Ohio State’s continued play of ineligible players. In today’s world of college athletics, there are simply too many influences — influences from unscrupulous sports agents, heavy revenue from television contracts, sleazy benefactors and win-at-all-cost boosters. It’s not reasonable for the head coach of a major college program to be aware of every dollar a player acquires, nor should it be. But when presented with evidence there is some sort of pay-for-play going on, it becomes a whole new responsibility. It’s an added responsibility to meet the demands of winning, especially after Tressel’s Ohio State teams lost three out of their five most recent BCS games, two of which were for national championships. Right now, if Jim Tressel hopes to ever have a chance at getting back in college football and settling for something less than his dream job, he needs to take a page out of his own prophecies. “To many people, winning is everything. Striving for a conference championship can be a passion that turns into an obsession.”That verse lies in the acknowledgements of his book entitled “The Winners Manual: For the Game of Life.” Striving for a 2011 conference and national championship changed from a passion to an obsession, an obsession that sealed his fate at one of the most recognized settings in the game. An obsession that is all too common in the world of college football.— ftherber@indiana.edu
(04/27/11 3:45am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Let’s take a step back from the win-loss column for a minute, as hard as that may be with job securities, publicity and recruiting having a more than significant impact in today’s college sports landscape. First of all, let’s get one thing straight: College athletics has evolved from an attraction to an industry. It’s hard for many to fathom, especially when that class includes a four-letter organization that conducts its business of overseeing the “well-being” of student-athletes right up the road in Indianapolis. College athletics and its logistics are no longer the sole means of providing talented athletes with a way to obtain an education while also utilizing their talents. In the present day, that objective is still accomplished — although not as well — but all signs suggest the dollar factor and “win right now” demeanor has taken the biggest focus. For example, who is to tell a student-athlete that he or she cannot try to earn his or her degree in a specific major because it would be too time-consuming? It’s a highly debated issue and rightfully so. There’s also the “win-at-all-costs” mentality, which has arguably become an even bigger problem than the “cooperate” factor. With the spring sports’ conference and national tournaments just around the corner, IU students, boosters, administrators and athletes alike should keep one thing in perspective: They are part of an institution that conducts its business the right way. Aside from one mistake on the part of a past IU administration — the hiring of Kelvin Sampson — you would have to go back to the Stone Age to find a major violation taking place in Bloomington. In fact, it was in October 2008 when Athletics Director-to-be Fred Glass said IU was going to make contracts mean something again. In other words, IU would try to refrain from firing a coach who had a subpar season(s) or lost a couple rivalry games from year to year. Don’t think financial consideration should be a totally disregarded aspect of college sports. It has to be considered with travel costs, recruiting budgets and the need for upgraded facilities. But where does the line dividing ethics and a sleazy brand of sports lie? Yeah, it’s been a while since IU propped up a banner in, well, a lot of sports. But, you’re dealing with a program still winning Big Ten championships and contending at the highest level while doing it the right way. As former IU basketball coach Bob Knight pointed out last week during a speaking engagement in Indiana, there are programs that have basketball players not attending spring classes but still competing in March.There is the NCAA’s mind-boggling blessing toward major football programs to use technically ineligible players in bowl games — another testament to the TV money issue — a controversial issue that just took wind this January in the Sugar Bowl. Isn’t it at least somewhat comforting to know that IU has an athletics director — and thus administrators and coaches below him — committed to doing things the right way while still setting the program up for a bright future? The 2012 basketball recruiting class — near or at the top of every scouting service’s list — is a prime example. Look at the academic side of things. IU’s Graduation Success Rate is in the 82nd percentile, a number that exceeds the national average by six percent. The basketball program helped this average by raising its Academic Progress Rate standing 164 points just a year after the Sampson meltdown. As it has always been and always should be, the bottom line at the collegiate and professional levels is winning. With respect to that, all programs have their down seasons or eras. What separates the good, the bad and the ugly is how respective universities, coaches and administrators handle those periods. On the road to recovery, IU is earning a nearly perfect score on that report card. — ftherber@indiana.edu
(04/20/11 3:18am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU men’s golf coach Mike Mayer has always said to his current and former athletes that success breeds success.Probably the most notable of those current and former golfers, Jeff Overton is living that philosophy through his weekly ventures on the PGA Tour. The Evansville native and five-year Tour veteran has yet to miss a cut in major championships in which he’s participated, and he helped lead the United States in a monumental comeback effort on the final day of last year’s Ryder Cup in Wales. Although the Americans lost the Ryder Cup to the Europeans at the Celtic Manor Resort, it was an awakening for other touring professionals that there was a new player in town — a player who, according to Mayer, could have slipped through IU’s fingers in the recruiting process. “He was a recruit I could have lost,” Mayer said. “We were tight on scholarship money and I probably went overboard (on his recruitment), but who knows where this program would be without him.” Mayer’s efforts prior to Overton’s commitment and his time with him during his four years as an IU golfer continue to pay huge dividends, as they relate to Overton’s professional career and the current state of the IU golf program. To date, Overton has racked up more than $7.5 million in career earnings and played through the weekend at his inaugural Masters Tournament two weeks ago.Mayer said it wasn’t until Overton was well into his college career that he saw something special in him. As a junior in the fall of 2003, Overton won the 49er Classic, finishing at 17-under (64-67-68). “I’m not sure if there was a real epiphany, but I remember a tournament down in Charlotte Jeff’s junior year,” Mayer said. “I felt like if he continued down the same road as he did in that tournament that he could be something really special.” In an age when golf’s main attractions include record-shattering drives, surreal ball control and trick shots most amateurs will never accomplish, it was the little things Overton did to make people believe in him. “I think the one thing he showed was the ability to shoot low numbers,” Mayer said. “He wasn’t afraid to make birdies and keep making them. Some guys aren’t able to handle that pressure, but Jeff always looked to get further under par.” While Overton continues in his attempt to clear the next hurdle and win a major championship, his effect on the IU golf program is still present. Last fall, Overton donated $50,000 to IU and its efforts in the PGA’s Play Golf America University program. And aside from his monetary contributions, Overton makes it a point to find time to tutor IU’s current golf team.“We get a perspective of how good you have to be to make it at the next level,” said sophomore golfer Corey Ziedonis on the opportunity to play with Overton. “It’s the little things he does well. Everyone hits it long, but it’s those little things that got him to the next level.” With the 2005 Big Ten Championship, Ryder Cup status and contribution to IU already in the bag, Overton’s best days could very well lie ahead of him. Overton’s next shot at his first career win in the professional ranks will come at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, a course Mayer said Overton is very comfortable with. It’s not too often that a player of Overton’s caliber comes around a collegiate program. But when one does, it’s a unique connection for the individual and the program.“We made a couple of changes in his putting and equipment (selections),” Mayer said. “But once all of those pieces come together, I think we could see something very special.” From Evansville to the IU golf team to Augusta National Golf Club and the rest of the PGA Tour circuit, that special legacy continues to leave a mark.The only question is, how much impact will it have?— ftherber@indiana.edu
(04/13/11 3:20am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>I’ve always wondered where the All-Star break has been in college athletics. There’s no bye week, no All-Star games that provide study or relaxation time, no chance for the body to get a little rest and catch up before the various conference and league tournaments begin.It wouldn’t hurt for the NCAA to take a look at implementing one, but no one knows how far that would get with the possibility of a dollar or two lost at the expense of the athlete.Little 500 week is a break from academic rigor for many students. Athletes, on the other hand, don’t have this luxury. They lack a certain All-Star break that the pros enjoy. With this being as close to the All-Star break as we’ll get in the days of 9 p.m. start times for the sake of TV revenues, here’s my IU All-Star team at midyear.Alex Dickerson: The junior has hit four dingers and notched a .364 batting average while contributing to the baseball team’s 20-11 record (4-2 in the Big Ten). The reigning Big Ten MVP is a guy that can do it all and carry IU when the pitching has its off days. Dickerson can expect to be playing in a certain other league that does have an All-Star break in the near future.David Erdy: Erdy’s second-place finish at the adidas Hoosier Invitational this past weekend helped IU capture its third consecutive win in its host-invite. Erdy, who competed in the 2009 U.S. Open at Bethpage Black, finished at 3-under while securing his third top-five finish of this season. Erdy has the lowest average on the IU golf team, shooting a 72.19.Sara Olson: The senior pitcher and utility player has hit seven home runs and knocked 27 RBI. Olson has a .989 fielding percentage to go along with a .364 batting average for the IU softball team, which begins the final stretch of its season at 4-2 in the Big Ten.Isade Juneau: Juneau has come into his own during his sophomore year for the men’s tennis team. Juneau has won a combined 36 matches already this season, as the Hoosiers sit atop the Big Ten standings at 7-0. As a singles player, he’s 21-9 and 9-1 in his last 10 matches. Juneau is the x-factor for IU with the Big Ten Tournament a little more than two weeks away.Leslie Hureau: Hureau is another diaper-dandy and versatile athlete on the clay for the Hoosiers. The sophomore has won a combined 44 matches to date and is 22-8 as a singles player.MVP: Derek Drouin: Last March the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association named Drouin its National Field Athlete of the Year. The first Big Ten athlete in history to win the award, Drouin cleared 7 to 7.75 feet to break the all-time Big Ten record. His feat earned him his third NCAA championship in as many years and his second-straight indoor title.
(04/06/11 3:16am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Five years ago, it was common for someone to not respond to a text message due to the “limitations” on the monthly bill sent home to Mom and Pops. Now it seems as if paying the $10 or so per month for an unlimited text plan is a must in the sports world, especially when recruiting and inter-office matters are taken into consideration (something one basketball coach knows all too well). But wouldn’t it be interesting to see some of the text conversations media figureheads, coaches and athletes alike share on a day-to-day basis?Yeah, we get the gist of what coaches say to their potential recruits through the typical Q&A sessions. But rarely, if ever, do we get an insight as to the specifics of those serious, laughable and surely sarcastic text exchanges.Personally, I’d love to see the following hypothetical messages...IU coach Tom Crean to Michigan State coach Tom Izzo: Can ur student mentor his teacher in some recruiting Xs and Os? Former IU football coach Bill Lynch to current IU football coach Kevin Wilson: Coach, what flavor of juicy fruit you throwing in 2day?! Assembly Hall Gorilla to IU Athletics Director Fred Glass: Mr. Glass, when is my big head going behind the basket?IU high jumper Derek Drouin to former IU receiver Tandon Doss: Me ’n u in 40-yard dash for ur 1st signing bonus? PGA golfer Jeff Overton to junior outfielder Alex Dickerson: Can I get a lesson in the long ball? Watching Tiger right now isn’t helping me very much, lol.Former IU basketball coach Bob Knight to former Purdue basketball coach Gene Keady: Ur making me look bad still coaching, u can have one of my rings if the whole first championship saga is behind the St. John’s assistant gig...With those unlimited plans, there are always going to be responses...Izzo to Crean: Sure, after they hang a banner!Wilson to Lynch: Out west we don’t chew gum, coachGlass to Gorilla: Only if u show ur face!Doss to Doubin: How about in September? We can get some TV exposure since there won’t be ne football on.Dickerson to Overton: If u give me the scoop on Tiger b4 TMZ gets it.Keady to Knight: Aren’t u due for a live report about now, Bobby? — ftherber@indiana.edu
(03/30/11 3:26am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>I got to thinking the other day that if we as students are subject to midterms, those in higher powers should be as well. Some of these grades for the IU Athletics Department are given on the basis of effort, but the more crucial ones, such as recruiting, for example, are given by the numbers alone. Marketing : A+It’s pretty evident that Athletics Director Fred Glass brought his background in professional sports and its suit-and-tie aspect from Indianapolis’ Capital Improvement Board with him to Bloomington in January 2009. Assembly Hall’s environment, for better or worse, has been turned into a professional sports venue in some aspects. The big heads, game show sounds after free throws and pregame interactive rituals have spiced the place up. Some may think it’s juvenile, but it all ties in to a concerted effort on the part of Glass in a time where circumstances are anything but normal. Throughout and around Memorial Stadium, the scene has been livened up. For alumni, younger kids and prospective students the northwest part of campus is a fun place to be on game day now. Stability: CTurnover has been the word across a couple of the bigger sports, mainly football, during the last couple of years and really the last couple of months. Since the middle of December, IU football was ditched by four already-hired assistant coaches in Brent Pease, Jerry Montgomery, Corey Raymond and Jemal Singleton. Men’s basketball saw Steve McClain replace assistant Roshown McLeod after just two seasons on the IU bench. It’s no secret that stability is a major key to success in today’s age of major sports programs and franchises. A positive, though, is the signing of Wilson to a seven-year deal back in December. Athletic Mission: AThis is something you don’t see a lot of publicity for, but something for which Glass and the athletics department deserve a round of applause. Last year IU implemented its Spirit of Indiana: 24 Sports, One Team mantra. This type of mission statement is something to which all IU athletes can connect. Earlier this week, in conjunction with the motto, Glass announced IU would begin the annual “Spirit of Indiana Showcase,” highlighted by various awards for academic and athletic achievement. Each year the ceremony will be highlighted by the Spirit of Indiana Director’s Award, an annual accolade given based on nomination from the 24 head coaches and selection from the athletics director. Yes, there’s a serious effort from a facilities, recruiting and winning standpoint, but this is something that separates IU from many other programs across the collegiate sports landscape. — ftherber@indiana.edu
(03/23/11 2:46am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Everyone, even the most serious addicts among ESPN junkies, needs a break from the “armchair quarterback” position sometime. And spring break fills that role perfectly.While we were spread across the country, partaking in a plethora of festivities, it was a big week for current and future IU athletes. With the spring sports calendar now in full swing, here’s a recap of what happened across the Hoosier sports landscape, as well as what to watch for in the coming weeks. Cody Latimer named WHIO-TV’s Athlete of the WeekThe 2011 Hoosier football signee and Jefferson Township High School (Dayton, Ohio) senior is making noise this spring on the hardwood. Latimer averages a double-double with 14.8 points per game and 11 rebounds per game. He joins Jay McCants and Shane Wynn as the 2011 IU wide receiver commits. “He’s a very unselfish young man, and I think all the kids look up to him,” Jefferson Township assistant basketball coach Mark Parker said during an interview with WHIO-TV. “He doesn’t think he’s above everybody else because of the phenomenal athlete he is.” What to Watch For:Latimer could find his way if IU football coach Kevin Wilson implements a pro-style (or spread) attack, as the first-year head coach has said his offensive scheme will adapt to its personnel. If Latimer does see the field, he will add to a deep and experienced receiving core, including sophomores Kofi Hughes and Duwyce Wilson, as well as senior Damarlo Belcher. IU wrestling finishes 25th at NCAAsThe All-American campaigns of graduate student Ricky Alcala and junior Matt Powless helped earn the Hoosier wrestlers a 25th place finish at the NCAA Championships last weekend in Philadelphia.Alcala defeated Spencer Myers of Maryland in a 5-4 decision to finish fifth in the heavyweight category. Powless, on the other hand, finished seventh in the 197-pound weight class and is the school’s first ever All-American recipient in that class. Bloomington natives Paul Young and Kurt Kinser finished their collegiate careers at NCAAs alongside Alcala and Powless.“Kurt and Paul had great careers, and Matt and Ricky becoming All-Americans was a great cap to the season,” IU coach Duane Goldman said. “Everyone showed a lot of heart and wrestled well.”Goldman has taken the Hoosiers to the NCAA Championships 19 times in his 19 years as head coach. What to Watch For: This one is easy. Watch for IU finishing better at the NCAA Championships next season. The Hoosiers lose only two of the four that competed this weekend to graduation.Dickerson wins Big Ten Player of the WeekJunior outfielder Alex Dickerson won his first weekly award of the 2011 season and the fourth of his career this past week. The 2010 Big Ten Player of the Year tallied nine RBI and hit .393 during the Hoosiers’ trip to Florida. During the stretch, IU went 5-3 and played three 10-inning games. Dickerson hit a game-winning home run against UMass on March 16 in the 10th inning.IU will make its way around the state this week, as the team travels to Ball State on Wednesday and have a home-and-away series against Evansville this weekend. What to Watch For: Despite a slow start, Dickerson’s recent success this season has Hoosier fans drooling at the possibility of another Big Ten triple-crown season. The junior already leads the Big Ten in home runs with four and is coming off of a spring break stand that bred a .786 slugging percentage. — ftherber@indiana.edu
(03/09/11 3:26am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Right about now, road trips, beach parties and other things that should probably be left out of print media are running through students’ heads in hopes of spring break quickly approaching. It seems as if this week can be broken down into three groups of people: the ones all but on their way to the Sunshine State, me, who is unconventionally off to Cleveland come Friday and the ones training for Little 500. These guys’ and gals’ trips down south have nothing to with the typical college life. For the riders, spring break debaucheries like excessive calories, lounging around during the NCAA Tournament and festivities on St. Patrick’s Day are polar-opposite routines of what they will go through during what we tab as vacation. Sophomore and Greenfield, Ind., native Eric Hulse will make his first Little 500 appearance next month as a member of the Pi Kappa Phi team. The team, which qualified 13th and placed 17th a year ago, will take its talents to St. Augustine, Fla., to prepare for April.“This is the biggest week of training for us before qualifiers,” Hulse said. “We do two-a-day workouts with endurance rides usually in the morning and hard sets in the afternoon. We also focus on making a lot of clean, fast exchanges.” For those who may think it’s a spring-warrior type of thing, think again. For members of the Pi Kapps team and countless other greek and independent riders, it’s a year-round commitment that they hope will pay off through a spot on the track come race day. The year-round training, differing in levels of intensity and forms of physical conditioning, is to build a level of conditioning allowing for optimal training in the spring when the race nears. The winter presents obvious adverse circumstances for training, so riders try to maximize on the opportunities fall presents to keep some sort of physical fitness intact. “In the fall and winter we try to be on the bike five to 10 hours a week,” Hulse said. “Usually we are either in (our fraternity house) on rollers or at the SRSC on the stationaries. If you don’t have a solid base, you can’t train efficiently when it’s time to get on the track.” For some, it’s a new experience breeding both excitement and nerves. Pi Kapps lost all of its members from last year’s team due to graduation and eight riders studying abroad. For Hulse and the rest of the newcomers, it’s an event that can’t come quick enough. “We needed guys to step up and fill spots and with my background in running in high school, I figured cycling would be a perfect fit,” Hulse said. “I couldn’t be more excited.” With just less than two months remaining until race day, the “season” begins for the Little 500 riders. When you think about it, much of the time consumption aspect, as it relates to school and training, is similar to those of school-sponsored sports, minus the publicity. This week let’s raise one of our drinks, whether it’s in Ft. Lauderdale or a frozen tundra like Cleveland, to one of the biggest sporting events in the college world and the athletes who put in the yearlong efforts. Cheers.E-mail: ftherber@indiana.edu
(03/02/11 2:50am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>We’ve all heard of those program-changing years, the years that make a certain team go from bad to good, good to great or great to historic. The year of 1976 changed the IU basketball program from great to historic. We are still waiting to find out if 2007 was that bad-to-good year for IU football, when the Hoosiers won their first Bucket game since 2001 and began construction on one of the most state-of-the-art facilities in college football in hopes of boosting recruiting and the game day atmosphere. Let’s give it two or three more years. And this year, the IU Athletics Department could be facing one of those make-or-break years as it relates to its baseball program. New stadium or no new stadium, IU baseball fans have something to be excited about. At 3-1 during its last four games, the baseball team beat then-No.18 Coastal Carolina in 16 innings and then-No.14 Connecticut 3-1. Prior to the 2009 season, in which Tracy Smith’s team won the Big Ten Tournament, IU had lost at least five of its first nine games the previous three years. IU has experience to go along with three straight winning seasons and one NCAA tournament appearance in that span. The question is, will it turn the corner? It’s more than fair to assume this could be the year IU makes a deep run in both the conference and league tournaments. Last year, after sending seven underclassmen off to the pro ranks, IU tallied a winning season and finished third in the Big Ten. In order for IU to take the collegiate baseball world by storm in 2011, two things have to happen specifically relating to this team. One, and probably the most crucial, is for the Hoosiers’ bats to pick up where they left off with the gaudy offensive numbers. Last season, IU averaged a remarkable 7.9 runs per game, thanks largely to Big Ten Player of the Year and First-Team All-American Alex Dickerson’s ridiculous .419 average and 75 RBI. The junior has started all 113 games in his two-year collegiate career thus far and will be expected to carry the workload offensively for IU. The second thing that must happen for the Hoosiers is they must remain healthy. This is a team with just six seniors on the entire roster. Underclassmen, including Dickerson and juniors Brian Ritz and Josh Lyon, played a vital role in last year’s winning record. If IU can stay healthy, they could be a tough force with which to compete with regards to the experience factor. And there are the off-diamond implications that a successful year could bring. The most important thing in my mind is the status of a new facility. Why is winning now important with regards to the status of a new stadium? Nothing breeds dollars like winning games. Yes, players, coaches and fans have the right to feel somewhat jilted as it relates to continual postponement of a new stadium. The bottom line is that while many involved with the baseball program feel snubbed by construction being continually postponed, the best thing they can do right now is win, and win fast. The opportunity for a hallmark season is there for taking, as is the formation for a case advocating a new stadium in the very near future. E-mail: ftherber@indiana.edu
(02/22/11 5:06am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Some weeks have that certain aura, that certain buzz, which brings a different, sometimes hateful atmosphere to cities or college campuses. Welcome to that week, Bloomington residents, or at least what it should be. Through the years, and even in recent years, there have been moments defining the IU/Purdue rivalry as one of the most storied across the Midwest sports landscape. When a rivalry is taken into consideration, there are three main aspects that need to be addressed in this armchair quarterback’s mind. First, unless it’s some type of series dating back to days of the peach basket, there needs to be some sort of distance factor. It could be a border war, like West Virginia and Pittsburgh’s Backyard Brawl, or an 8-mile bout between North Carolina and Duke taking up the minds of those traveling Tobacco Road. For IU and Purdue, it’s a battle between the northern and southern halves of the state. Second, who was/is notable and why? Is it in-state football or basketball players staying home and taking their high school rivalries to the next level? Or is it future World Series, NBA or Super Bowl Champions having roots in some of the great games or record books at their respective schools? What’s neat about this and sometimes pops up in the pro ranks are teammates who went to rival schools or faced off against each other in the rivalry games. If one were to look at the IU/Purdue notebook, you would see the classic story of the 2009 New Orleans Saints, hallmarked by former Hoosier Tracy Porter’s game-winning interception alongside former Purdue quarterback and game MVP Drew Brees. Finally, and probably most importantly for the sake of fans, players and especially recruiting, there is the bragging rights factor. What in the recent series’ history makes the loser hate the winner increasingly until next year rolls around? Rivalries. The average sports fan need not look far to see that the Hoosiers and Boilermakers pass this litmus test with flying colors. Location: Not a whole lot to argue or debate here. IU probably has a more consistent following as it relates to men’s basketball on a national level, but a short drive through Indianapolis into the northern part of the state on Interstate 65 will show there is a Boilermaker faithful just as strong and dear as there is in the southern Indiana’s Hoosierland. Figureheads: Again, not really a whole lot to debate when the big picture is taken into consideration. Here’s a very short, multiple-sport excerpt from a list that would take days to write and tells a long enough story: Bob Knight, Gene Keady, Bill Mallory, Joe Tiller, Mickey Morandini, Bill Allen, Drew Brees, Antwaan Randle El, Calbert Cheaney and Glenn Robinson.History: The nice thing about rivalries is that they can still possess the same amount of resentment, produce the same amount of publicity and draw the same fan interest if a top two or three ranking isn’t on the line year-in and year-out. With ten Final Fours between the two basketball programs and Big Ten Championship and NCAA Tournament seeding usually taking center stage, IU and Purdue’s basketball rivalry never disappoints. In recent years, a bowl game has often been on the line for both or one of the teams vying for the Old Oaken Bucket. With that, happy Purdue week. Even though there is no bowl game, College World Series or top ranking in the basketball polls on the line, this Wednesday’s basketball game and last week’s Big Ten Swimming Championships (in which IU and Purdue both finished in the top five) makes the calendar week a good time to pay attention to a great interstate battle. It’s a rivalry, so let’s treat it as such.
(02/16/11 1:13am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It can only mean one thing in Bloomington and the greater part of the Midwest when it turns 50 degrees with some snow and ice residue remaining on the ground: Spring is in the air. And with that, IU begins its third trimester of the in-season sports calendar. Heading into spring, though, I have a few pressing questions about things outside of the box scores. With the departure of four assistant coaches before their first game in Memorial Stadium, it’s been an interesting off-season, to say the least, in the Hoosier football world. Basketball recruiting has probably gotten higher ratings than Rihanna and Drake’s performance at the Grammys. Here are a few things I’ll be interested in seeing play out during the next few months before we pack it up and head to the homestead. Will the basketball recruiting keep its skyrocketing pace and land Gary Harris and/or Jeremy Hollowell? If so, what is head coach Tom Crean’s plan to make enough scholarships available? I’d be hard-pressed to believe that if both of these recruits wanted to join Cody Zeller and company in 2012 that Crean would turn one of them away, especially given what the three-year IU coach has had to deal with since his arrival.How will IU baseball bounce back after sending seven players to the pro ranks last year, and 10 during the last two years? If the 2011 Hoosiers can keep pace on the scoreboard with the 2010 team, runs will not be a problem, as IU averaged 7.9 runs per game last year. However, the Hoosiers can look forward to the return of the Big Ten Player of the Year, Alex Dickerson, and his respective hitting and slugging percentages of .419 and .805. Can IU get the necessary pitching support if it is to have another stellar offensive year? Also, will a good season prorate the initiation of construction on a new baseball stadium? Will this be the year the IU golf team turns the corner from good to great? IU fell just short of a second-straight Big Ten Match Play Championship this past weekend in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. Junior David Erdy, who played in the 2009 U.S. Open at Bethpage Black, came into the season with a scoring average of 73.62 — fourth best in IU history. While that experience is present, the team is overall still young. Ben Beville and Ren Han are the only two seniors on the roster. IU will have to rely heavily on seasoned underclassmen Corey Ziedonis and Chase Wright, should they have a big year on the links. What went through — and maybe still goes through — the minds of IU football players after four assistant coaches took a hike for more prominent jobs? As winter runs and workouts are well underway, it seems a little late for a prudent coach, or coaches in this case, to dash with spring ball just more than a month away. Lastly, who will replace Ben Chappell as quarterback, and how long will it take for him to adapt to a competitive pocket passer in Kevin Wilson’s offense?Just a few things to ponder during some of the major seasons and off-seasons. Happy almost-spring.E-mail: ftherber@indiana.edu
(02/09/11 5:21am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Right now, the IU Athletics Department needs more change as much as John Daly needs a fifth of Jack Daniel’s and a trip to Hooters. You name it, and it’s likely to have changed during the last 10 years. Whether it’s the head coach of the football and basketball programs, official logo of the University, even the official colors of the University, say hello to IU 2K you-fill in-the-year. That’s not to say all change is bad. When you’ve witnessed the amount of change IU athletics has had during recent years, there has got to be a period of consistency and uniformity. Granted, the mess that Kelvin Sampson left the athletic department en route to his final trip up State Road 37 and the hostility left from the Bob Knight firing in 2000 have made that one of the last things on administrators’ minds, and rightfully so. And, now, it seems IU may be on that path to consistency, especially as it relates to the various faces inside athletic department. The two coaches of the two biggest money-making sports in the athletic department, football’s Kevin Wilson and IU’s Tom Crean, each have seven years remaining on their contracts. Those two sports also underwent a major facelift with the building of Cook Hall and the North End Zone Facility. And while I know it’s not a fan-favorite to write, I’ll take the optimist side of things and remind you that, yes, a baseball stadium is in discussion. Late in the second half of the Illinois-IU game two weeks ago, my attention was redirected back to the older days of IU sports that I witnessed as a kid when Assembly Hall came alive like it used to. Not long after, I read an article on IU’s 2002 Final Four team and got to thinking about where just a few of the notable faces of yesteryear have gone. Here’s a glimpse back to the early 2000s and red sweater days:Jorge Campillo, GolfCampillo came out on fire for his European Tour qualifying campaign posting four sub-70 rounds in his home country of Spain. Campillo shot 81 in his final round to slightly miss out on his first international tour card. Campillo finished tied for second at the NCAA Championships and won the Big Ten Championship as a junior in 2008. Campillo competed in one PGA Tournament last year but failed to make the cut. Bracey Wright, BasketballWright, one of the most highly touted recruits for IU basketball during the 2000s, spent a year (2005-2006) with the Minnesota Timberwolves and their Developmental League team. Wright averaged 16.2 points as a freshman at IU and increased that number to just above 18 over his final two years. Although his play often suffered on the road, Wright was named First Team All-Big Ten as a junior and finished as IU’s 15th all-time leading scorer in his three seasons. Wright currently plays European basketball in Croatia. Kris Dielman, FootballDielman was “Mr. Versatile” since stepping foot onto the Bloomington campus in 1999. After starting out as a tight end, Dielman switched to defensive tackle prior to his sophomore year. The current San Diego Charger was a two-time honorable mention All-Big Ten defensive lineman and has been voted to four Pro Bowls as an alternate or starter at offensive guard. Dielman, an IU benefactor, has a meeting room named in his honor inside The North End Zone Facility.Kirk Haston, BasketballHaston solidified his name in IU basketball history with his buzzer-beating 3-pointer to give defending national champion and then-No. 1 Michigan State it’s first loss of the 2000-01 season. The Charoltte Hornets selected Haston with the 16th overall pick in the 2001 NBA Draft. Nagged by a lower back injury throughout his pro tenure, Haston averaged just 1.2 points per game in 27 contests and finished his professional career in America with the Florida Flame of the Developmental League. After a brief stint overseas, Haston retired and currently coaches high school hoops at his alma mater in Tennessee. ftherber@indiana.edu
(02/02/11 3:20am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>During the last few months as I’ve assumed my armchair quarterback position and flipped on ESPN, I can’t get away from seeing something about the scandals of Reggie Bush, Cam Newton or Enes Kanter in one sitting. Wouldn’t an ESPN-TMZ be nice? Maybe add yet another channel to the ESPN family of networks especially dealing with things like undercover pay-for-play, temporary Heismans and the bank accounts of foreign athletes taking their talents to the United States? Maybe then on the hundred-some other ESPN stations we could get more of what fans across the country pay the big bucks to see. You know, the good guys — the former usual suspects. With fall sports having drawn to a close, the winter sports calendar here in Bloomington at midyear and spring sports knocking on the door, it’s time to focus on a few of the people around IU athletics doing it for guts and glory. Kevin Bush, football Nothing, not even a 14-month tour as a U.S. serviceman in Iraq, would stop Fort Wayne native Kevin Bush from running down his dream of playing football for the Hoosiers. Bush, who spent a year on the University of Toledo team in 2004, joined the armed forces in July 2005. After coming back to the United States in 2008, Bush elected to attempt to join the IU football team as a walk-on. After being limited to the scout team and sitting out the 2009 season due to transfer rules, Bush played in all 12 games this year as a defensive end special teams member. The sophomore blocked a punt in the season-opener against Towson and had four tackles against Penn State. Taylor Wayer, basketballStill feeling a personnel burden heading into year three of his rebuilding process, IU men’s basketball coach Tom Crean added true walk-on guard Taylor Wayer at the beginning of the season. Wayer’s role as a show team player has paid huge dividends throughout the year. Crean alluded to the freshman’s value in his postgame press conference after the team’s 52-49 win against then-No. 20 Illinois last Thursday — the first win against a ranked team in his tenure. “You finally saw what happens when our team brings their true practice game to the real game,” he said. “We couldn’t guard Taylor Wayer during practice this week,” Crean said referring to Wayer’s role preparing the team for Illinois guard Demetri McCamey. Matt Serfling, baseball Stating that walk-on Matt Serfling will have come a long way since his days as a freshman and sophomore is a severe understatement. Serfling, a Bloomington High School North alumnus, has appeared in just eight games throughout his first two years but is slated to start for IU baseball coach Tracy Smith with the Hoosiers this spring. Serfling has made his limited time count thus far, as he tallied a pinch-hit in his only appearance as a freshman in 2009. Last year, Serfling made seven appearances and recorded a run scored off a pinch-run against Illinois.E-mail: ftherber@indiana.edu
(01/26/11 4:55am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Former Cathedral High School golfer Jason Seward knew Corey Ziedonis could be the X factor in helping the Irish obtain their first-ever team championship when he began his sophomore campaign. “All through tryouts I heard he was the stud coming in,” Seward said while recalling his sophomore year. “I thought, ‘OK, I’ll see what he’s got, since I got to play with him all throughout tryouts.’ At the end I was like, ‘Wow,’ because he never went high. I knew before our first tournament he was going to be great.” Seward, a current IU junior and high school senior at the time, did not know just how big that “X” would be, nor did any other member of the Cathedral team or golf fans around the state. That’s because it wouldn’t become evident until the final putt of the 2008 high school season in the Indiana State High School Championship at the Legends of Indiana Golf Club in Franklin, Ind. And it wasn’t your ordinary six-footer for par to end a sunny day on the links. “I was biting my lips hoping he’d make the putt,” Seward said of his teammate’s sudden death playoff. “He did, and we all just went nuts.” Ziedonis, an IU sophomore and member of the IU golf team, sunk a birdie putt on the first playoff hole to defeat current teammate Chase Wright of Delta High School, securing an individual state championship and Cathedral’s first-ever team championship. “Everything happened so fast,” Ziedonis said. “We were up on the tee box, and I didn’t realize there were so many people until I hit the putt to win.” Most people connect that type of ending to a high school championship to basketball in Indiana, with the location being Conseco Fieldhouse.Thus, when it comes to an in-state athlete and story like Ziedonis, it usually relates to a basketball player packing for Purdue or Indiana with hopes of etching a Final Four or national championship into his or her school’s history. Names like Damon Bailey, Jared Jeffries or Glenn Robinson would immediately come to mind. The only difference for Ziedonis was that while many shot baskets in their driveways as a young child, he had a club in hand.The time in the backyard paid off for 10-year-old Ziedonis, who finished 12th in The Optimist International, a tournament in West Palm Beach, Fla., that some of the best junior amateurs in the world play in. Similar to any blue chip basketball or football recruit, it was the same type of up-at-dawn routine and ruthless hours for Ziedonis during his high school years, where he was a four-time team MVP. Taking the Tiger Woods approach of mixing golf workouts with strength and conditioning, Ziedonis would go on to cap off an incredible high school career with both an individual state and city title, in addition to six invitational championships. Ziedonis also placed 10th at the Future Collegians World Tour National Championship prior to his freshman season at IU. Since then, the junior has made noise on one of the Big Ten’s premier teams as he finished in the top-25 standings of two tournaments. Ziedonis’ 75.23 scoring average ranked 12th on the IU all-time list for IU freshmen.While some may not know his name or story, Ziedonis takes after other in-state greats who went on to call IU their home. Although it was a different road traveled than Eric Gordon or Steve Alford, Ziedonis’ goal and dream of ending his collegiate career on the golf course doesn’t differ from any other Hoosier great. His plans? A national championship.E-mail: ftherber@indiana.edu
(01/19/11 3:51am)
Frank Therber gives his take on what IU has done to keep up with the national athletic powerhouses.
(01/12/11 7:12pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In 2010, Hoosiers spanned the sports universe, both in and outside of Bloomington. It was a year that included the Super Bowl, Ryder Cup and pressing off-field issues. Here’s a look back at some of the major stories that broke in 2010 with Hoosier ties.Porter seals the dealSuper Bowl XLIV — Feb. 7, 2010 — South Florida: The Colts returned to Miami, a site where three years prior, the team won Indianapolis’ first Super Bowl with a 29-17 victory against the Chicago Bears. This time, the Colts would face an emotional NFC Champion in the New Orleans Saints. The Saints, the first team to ever take a three-game losing streak into the playoffs and win the Super Bowl, overcame an early 10-0 deficit thanks to an almost surreal 32-of-39 passing performance by quarterback Drew Brees. The game will be remembered for its second half, in which New Orleans coach Sean Payton successfully opened the half by calling an onside kick to add to one of the most memorable Super Bowls ever. With 3:12 remaining in the game, second-year Saints defensive back and former IU standout Tracy Porter intercepted Peyton Manning and took the pick for a touchdown to seal the game. “When we got inside of two minutes, I knew we were going to win the game,” Porter said to USA Today. “I didn’t want to take anything for granted. I knew we still had about (three) minutes to go in the game, and we had to go back out there, but ... once we got the fourth down stop in the red zone with 55 seconds left, then I knew we were winning the game.”Overton represents IU2010 Ryder Cup — Oct. 1-3, 2010 — Celtic Manor, Wales: PGA Tour surprise star and former IU golf great Jeff Overton’s successful season earned him a spot on the 2010 U.S. Ryder Cup team; a team which hoped to defend its 2008 championship against the Europeans. Overton, an Evansville native, recorded six top-10 finishes and three runner-up finishes in 2010. Despite a memorable comeback by the Americans on the final day of play, the Europeans captured the cup. Overton gained notable publicity during the event on the first day of play. Donning a rain suit and battling sloppy conditions, he hit a 35-footer for birdie and yelled the familiar Indiana phrase, “Boom Baby.” “Some days you hole the putts, and some days you don’t,” said British open champion Padraig Harrington after the first day’s round to PGA.com. “It was Jeff’s day today. ...” Moye suffers strokeA.J. Moye (IU basketball 2001-04), who stuffed Duke’s Carlos Boozer under the basket with seconds remaining in the 2002 Sweet Sixteen matchup, suffered a stroke while playing professionally for the Deutsche Bank Skyliners Frankfurt on Nov. 18. The former Hoosier star fell after a head-on collision with a teammate and was rushed to a hospital in Frankfurt, Germany. During the first week of December, Moye began rehabilitation.Although members from IU’s 2002 national runner-up team are about as spread out as the Oregon offense was Monday night, the season still lives vividly in the mind of Hoosier fans across the country. A 74-73 Sweet Sixteen win against Duke and an 81-69 rout of Kent State in the Regional Final propelled IU to the 2002 Final Four. Moye’s presence on that team is one that will not soon be forgotten amongst the IU faithful.E-mail: fterhber@indiana.edu