Sports

Different day, different Hoosier star

What I know and what I think

Football wracked with injuries ahead of Penn State clash

Last week, both the IU and Penn State football teams had dreams dashed. IU lost its seventh game of the season, making it impossible for them to go to a bowl, while Penn State had its undefeated season busted, likely knocking the team  out of contention for the national championship.

Alvarez: Greenspan good for IU football

When Rick Greenspan cleans out his Assembly Hall office at the end of December, he’ll leave four emotional years and plenty of memories – good and bad – behind him. He’s saddened by the loss of his colleague and friend, former IU football coach Terry Hoeppner, to cancer. He’s frustrated by the IU football team’s regression in 2008, a season many expected to end with a second-straight bowl appearance. Most of all, Greenspan regrets that he won’t be a Hoosier when that program prospers and reclaims Big Ten relevancy. But he’ll also leave the foundation upon which that program must be built, something many fans have overlooked. Inundated with criticism mainly attributed to the sanctions levied on former IU men’s basketball coach Kelvin Sampson, Greenspan announced his resignation June 26, effective at the end of the calendar year. Even with the cloud hovering over IU athletics, Greenspan’s decision to resign shocked many co-workers. “I didn’t think Rick was going to step down, and neither did a lot of us,” Mark Deal, associate director of football operations, said. “To say Rick Greenspan’s legacy is the whole Kelvin Sampson saga is about one-hundredth of all the good things he’s done here.”When Greenspan stepped foot on the Bloomington campus in 2004, he faced a struggling athletics department welcoming its third leader since 2001.Prior to his arrival, the IU football team wasn’t the primary focus of the department, despite being the top revenue-generating sport at most schools. The program was also in the midst of a lengthy postseason drought.

Internally, Hoosiers are sound

Emblazoned on a white banner, black letters proclaimed something a growing chunk of Bloomington felt. “Fire Bill Lynch.”

Crean era begins Saturday against Northwestern State

For the past seven months, Tom Crean’s life has been as frantic and high-paced as the “William Tell” overture.

Club overcomes obstacles, thrives

Senior Lizzie Millis has been skating since she was four years old and has been skating competitively since she was seven years old. Even though Millis had a lot of skating experience, the vice president of IU’s intercollegiate skating team had never competed in synchronized skating prior to coming to IU. “In synchronized skating, you need to have a different mind-set,” Millis said. “It was difficult for me to rely on people. I am not a huge team sports person. If someone is doing something wrong, you can’t control it ... you have to get along with people. You don’t want to nag.”

‘Unmistakable bias’ in hiring

INDIANAPOLIS – Minorities are getting more interviews but aren’t getting enough college football jobs, according to the Black Coaches and Administrators. Almost a third of the candidates interviewed last year were minorities, said a study released Wednesday by the group, but only four were hired for 31 head coach openings in Division I football. The recent firings of Ty Willingham at Washington and Ron Prince at Kansas State – efective the end of the season – left the Bowl Subdivision, the NCAA’s top division, with only four black head coaches, plus one Latino and one Pacific Islander.

Perfect 10

As poor college students, we always look for the biggest bang for our buck. As poor college students who are diehard sports fans, finding a good steal to satisfy your sporting needs can be difficult. It’s hard for so many reasons. It’s hard because HDTV is expensive. It’s hard because there are no professional teams in Bloomington and the major IU athletic teams – that’s basketball and football for those wondering – are in minor slumps. But most importantly, it is hard because of ticket prices.

Johnson solidifies Trifecta in Phoenix

Carl Edwards had all the momentum he needed to unseat two-time defending Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson after winning two weeks ago at Texas Motor Speedway. Not so fast, Johnson said, as the driver from El Cajon, Calif., scored the pole, led the most laps and won convincingly Sunday evening at Phoenix International Raceway. In doing so, Johnson squashed nearly any chance Edwards had at an upset title shot. By the numbers, Edwards fell from a 106-point deficit to a 141-point deficit – meaning Johnson only has to finish 39th or better Sunday afternoon at Homestead-Miami Speedway to clinch the season points championship. It’s been nearly six months since Johnson has finished so poorly.

Brawled out, IU club hockey zones on games

With the tumult of last Friday’s brawl at the Frank Southern Ice Arena behind them, the IU club hockey team will get back three of their four players who were suspended last week. Tyler Bohman, Sal Calace and Travis Montembeault will be back after sitting out last Saturday’s game against Wright State. Junior Adam Logue was suspended three games for excessive roughness and still has to sit out both of the team’s home games this weekend. Defenseman Casey Christensen is confident as his team hosts Ferris State, despite the fact the Hoosiers are still looking for their first Great Midwest Hockey League win this season.

IU men's soccer conference tournament kicks off

The end is near. After a 2-0 drubbing of No. 11 Northwestern, IU will head to Madison, Wisc., to take on Ohio State in the Big Ten Tournament, the final stop before the NCAA tournament. While only posting a 3-3 conference record, the No. 3 seeded Hoosiers hope to justify themselves as one of the nation’s top teams.

5 of 6 Hoosiers send in letters of intent for ’09

Tipton (Ind.) High School star Derek Elston was sold on both coach Kelvin Sampson and IU men’s basketball. He verbally committed to the Hoosiers last September.PODCAST: Hoosier Headlines

Garrett deserves better

Even after he is dead, Bill Garrett always seems to be slighted.

The season starts Saturday

The tables turned more than a bit Tuesday night at Assembly Hall.

Hockey team unknown despite success

Between the renowned basketball team and the football team’s popularity exists a virtually unknown club hockey team.

IU grad brings the ‘cheeseburgers-and-bus league’ to Bloomington

After IU’s 72-54 victory against Bemidji State, IU coach Tom Crean talked about the importance of his team playing with energy – something the Hoosiers will prepare for before their regular season opener. Conversely, Bemidji State coach Matt Bowen talked about preparing for the 16-hour bus ride home awaiting his team tomorrow.

Hoosiers bailed out by bench in team’s final exhibition game

Their regular season doesn’t begin until Saturday, but the Hoosiers have already had to grind out a win at home. With their starters off-key in the team’s final tune-up, IU needed a second-half run and a strong showing from its bench to pull away from Division II school Bemidji State, eventually winning 72-54.

Calzaghe likely gives Jr.’s last career loss

It was round one and Joe Calzaghe was lying on the canvas. He was no stranger to this situation, as he had been here before in his recent fight against Bernard Hopkins. This time, stunned by a Roy Jones Jr. uppercut, many wondered if the rest of the script would go differently for Calzaghe than it did against Hopkins. In that fight, he went on to dominate Hopkins, one of the biggest names in boxing. Though, in round one against Jones, he looked like a slow, 36-year-old boxer with diminished skills.

Quiet big man speaks loudly when needed

If silence is golden, then Tom Pritchard is worth billions. The freshman forward is so quiet that IU coach Tom Crean implemented a new team rule earlier this fall. If Pritchard doesn’t yell after he dunks, everyone has to run. Everyone.