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SPORTS: In defense of the indefensible blue and gold

Yes, I’m writing about the Indiana Pacers. Their struggles-and, yes, the scrapes with the law and bad judgment exercised by a few-have exposed an ugly underbelly that says as much about us as it does about them. It’s a cautionary tale for those riding-high Indianapolis Colts because (1) Peyton Manning won’t play forever, (2) Tony Dungy won’t coach forever, (3) Bill Polian won’t be the decision-maker forever, and (4) the law of legal averages eventually will catch up to any…

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Big Ten Network battle rages

UPDATE (March 11): The Chicago Tribune and Street & Smith’s Sports Business Journal are reporting today that officials for Comcast Cable and the Big Ten Network are closing in on an agreement to put the channel on an expanded basic tier. One…

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Champ Car files bankruptcy

Champ Car Wednesday filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy, igniting what could potentially be a bidding war for its assets. The Indy Racing League last month agreed to acquire certain assets of Champ Car, but the bankruptcy court could open things up….

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George pursuing F1 return for 2009

Negotiations are heating up between Formula One and Indianapolis Motor Speedway officials that could bring F1 racing back to Indianapolis in 2009. Speedway boss Tony George told an audience at yesterday’s IU Business…

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Robin Williams puts Roark in orbit

Brownsburg-based Roark Custom Titanium Bicycles got a big marketing boost from a man from outer space–figuratively and literally. In its annual buyer’s guide published last month, VeloNews, one of the nation’s largest cycling…

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Indy trails in sponsor exposure race

Recently released data shows NASCAR’s Daytona 500 is still miles ahead of the Indianapolis 500 in terms of value the race delivers to sponsors. But, with the unification of the Indy Racing League…

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New Orleans to bid for Super Bowl

Competition to host the 2012 Super Bowl suddenly has become a lot tougher. Last week, officials for the city of New Orleans and New Orleans Saints said they are set to bid for the big game, thrusting the hurricane-battered city…

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SPORTS: Memo to IU: Hire the right people this time

Deadlines for a weekly publication are tricky. Sometimes when news breaks, you get lucky. Sometimes, you don’t. In this case, forgive me if I’m a little late to the parade and-following the elephants with broom and shovel-to the sorry mess involving the men’s basketball program at my alma mater, Indiana University. So, to sum up, this is what bothers me most: Everything. And who’s to blame? Everyone. It’s the culture. It’s the media. It’s gross mismanagement. It’s poor hiring. It’s…

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EVERYBODY’S DOING IT: SECONDHAND PROSE: Volume discounts offered at library sale

EVERYBODY’S DOING IT SECONDHAND PROSE Volume discounts offered at library sale Inside Secondhand Prose, a CD of old-timey bluegrass music plays softly as a half-dozen volunteers quietly go about their business. They’re emptying bags and boxes, sorting through thousands and thousands of books and stocking shelves in preparation for the Indianapolis-Mar ion County Public Library’s next book sale, March 7-9 and 14-15. Six times a year, the library opens up its shop inside the Library Services Center, 2450 N. Meridian…

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Commentary: Morris: From hunger to hoops

How do you go from fighting world hunger to polishing the tarnished image of an NBA basketball team? That’s the task at hand for Jim Morris, who said to a recent breakfast gathering, “I reached a point in my life when I realized that nothing I would do going forward would be as important as what I just did.” I suppose a number of us reach a similar place in our careers when we realize we have “hit the peak”…

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Legislature set to give tax breaks to big events: NCAA asks for ‘super’ perk that NFL already requires

Lawmakers last year approved a bill that would have given the NFL a onetime tax break on spending and revenue tied to the 2011 Super Bowl, a moot point once team owners awarded the game to Dallas. Now, similar legislation has passed both chambers of the General Assembly-this time extending the exemption to the NCAA, which has committed to hosting its Final Four basketball championships in Indianapolis regularly through 2039. If signed into law, the measure would allow the NFL…

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Knight’s ESPN deal draws reaction

Not surprisingly, not everyone is thrilled with former Indiana University and Texas Tech basketball coach Bob Knight joining ESPN’s in-studio crew for its NCAA March Madness coverage. Knight’s move to the media…

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Will Ferrell gives bounce to ABA

New Line Cinema today is releasing its latest feature film, giving a comedic glimpse of life in the American Basketball Association. Will Ferrell plays Jackie Moon, an ABA player-owner trying to break into…

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Pacers deal with more bad press

A throng of media members besieged Indiana Pacers players and front office executives after the team’s practice today at Conseco Fieldhouse, seeking comment about the latest off-court incident involving a Pacers player. This…

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In motorsports, does 1+1=3?

Does Gov. Mitch Daniels’ anointing of auto racing industry veteran Rollie Helmling as the state’s motorsports development director–or the unification of the Indy Racing League and Champ Car–create more motorsports business opportunities here? While state officials say yes, others in…

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Move over Danica

There could be as many as four women drivers in this year’s Indy Racing League season. Danica Patrick and Sarah Fisher already have signed deals to race this year. Yesterday, Venezuelan Milka Duno…

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Lilly puts name on tennis title

The local stop on the ATP Tour now will be known as The Indianapolis Tennis Championships Presented By Lilly. Eli Lilly-which will use the tournament to promote specific drugs such as Humalog…

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Tennis event gets title sponsor

Despite rumors-and a report in this space yesterday-that WellPoint will be announced as a title sponsor of the Indianapolis Tennis Championships today, WellPoint and tournament officials say that’s not the case.

Officials for the Indianapolis Tennis Championships, formerly the RCA Championships,…

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NFL Combine, Ice smash records

It was a big weekend in Indianapolis. A record 420 credentialed media poured into town to report on the NFL Scouting Combine at the RCA Dome, while a 2007-08 league-high 12,575 fans…

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