Bill Benner

From the department of no good deed goes unpunished, I present to you Herb and Mel Simon. You know, those “greedy billionaires” who have done so little for this city over the years. Except to keep their business here and grow it into the largest of its kind in the country. Except to personally employ […]

John Adams was speaking by cell phone from northern Indiana somewhere along U.S. 31 en route to witness a University of Notre Dame/ Villanova University contest in South Bend that will be his 55th game of the season. It’s a number that will reach 75 by the time the nets are cut down and One […]

A friend asked me to share singular moments or entire movements that have changed the face of intercollegiate athletics over the years. Title IX would be a prime example. On my list was a game that took place 30 years ago this month. It was Michigan State University versus Indiana State University in the championship […]

Of this, that and the other while wondering if NBA Commissioner David Stern had just taken a hit off Michael Phelps’ bong when he proclaimed this to be “the golden age of basketball” during his all-star weekend news conference in Phoenix. OK, perhaps the marijuana reference is a little harsh, but the golden age of […]

Locally, the Capital Improvement Board is swimming in red ink and trying to figure how to fund our glistening sports venues-Lucas Oil Stadium, Conseco Fieldhouse and Victory Field. The Indiana Pacers report losing money nine of the last 10 years. And this year’s team seems to be sliding toward a spot in the NBA draft […]

 Dear Jim:It’s me again. You probably don’t remember, but 2-1/2 years ago-Sept. 4, 2006, to be precise-I penned my fi rst open letter to you in this very space. I never heard back from you on that one, not that I expected to. Hey, you’re a busy guy. I wrote that letter when perhaps only […]

On Jan. 27, the Indianapolis Colts pinkslipped 25 front-office employees. The next day, the Capital Improvement Board announced that operating costs for Lucas Oil Stadium and Conseco Fieldhouse are running millions of dollars in the red. Both brought to mind a column I wrote a while back, wondering when big-time sports, both professional and collegiate, […]

The term “pancreatic cancer” gets my attention. That’s because two years ago, my wife and I were shaken to the depths of our souls by the thought that she might have it. A year of her “just not feeling well” led to a battery of diagnostic tests and x-rays that fi nally revealed she did, […]

By nature, coaching is a transient profession, increasingly so in these days of not-soguaranteed contracts (by either the employer or employee) and the mentality of, “What have you done for us?” not lately, but, uh, like today. Or an hour ago. For some, the only thing shorter than attention span is perspective. So, for the […]