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SPORTS: IU’s basketball drama isn’t the only show in town

So much news, so little space. Over the last two weeks, there was that evolving situation involving the IU basketball coach. The Hoosiers, Butler, Purdue and Notre Dame made Indiana the only state with four teams ranked in the nation’s top 25. Butler climbed to No. 8, its highest ranking ever, and Purdue took the Big Ten lead under Matt Painter, at this point the odds-on choice for national coach of the year. My buddy and former colleague, Robin Miller,…

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Sampson scandal may repel IU donors

Based on 50 conversations IU Foundation President Curt Simic had with donors the week after news broke of the potential firing
of men’s basketball coach Kelvin Sampson over alleged NCAA improprieties, the chief of Indiana University’s philanthropic
arm says he has little fear the latest athletic department controversy will affect financial support to the school.

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NOTIONS: Emerging from Eden, wanting to head straight back

Last week, my wife Cherí and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary with a trip to Turks and Caicos. We walked for miles along the white sand beaches of Grace Bay, snuggled in a hammock at sunset, slathered on sunblock and, between us, polished off 10 books at poolside. By midweek, we’d finally chilled from the tension of the daily grind. Unfortunately, about that time, the anticipatory anxiety of returning home set in. “I don’t wanna go back,” was our…

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VOICES FROM THE INDUSTRY: Protestors shouldn’t control community development

N e i g h b o r h o o d activists in Pittsburgh are fighting a development that would bring a grocery store, job training center, youth programs and other social services to the area of the Pittsburgh Penguins’ $290 million arena. The Pittsburgh group was planning a march in protest. Is retail and commercial development next to a sports arena a bad idea? A Cambridge, Mass., neighborhood group was opposed to the development of three townhomes, arguing…

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IU donors could stage own boycott

The situation at Indiana University is so bad, several former athletes and big-time donors are calling for Athletic Director Rick Greenspan’s termination. Some think financial support to the school will be hurt if the situation regarding the men’s basketball program…

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IU players threaten boycott

CBS Sports this morning is reporting that Indiana University men’s basketball players are threatening to boycott the remainder of the season if coach Kelvin Sampson is forced out. Quoting unidentified sources, CBS Sports reported that players and IU Athletic Director…

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Colts change strategy with Clark

Indianapolis Colts tight end Dallas Clark is getting a raise. A big one. Two years ago, Clark was making $650,000. With the six-year contract Clark inked yesterday, he now figures to make $6 million plus per year. That doesn’t approach…

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At last, open-wheel unity!

UPDATE (Feb. 22): Owners of Champ Car and the Indy Racing League completed an agreement in principle today that will unify the sport for 2008, said a statement released at 4:40 p.m. by the Indy Racing League. Several Champ Car…

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NFL Combine happy in Indy

With all that’s happening on the local sports scene, it’s easy to forget about the NFL Scouting Combine, which begins today in the RCA Dome. The Combine, which was first held in Indianapolis in 1987, is an event that has…

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Danica look-alikes at LaGuardia

AirTran Airways, a sponsor of Danica Patrick’s, recently announced that passengers at LaGuardia Airport in New York will have the privilege of their own personal pit crew to get through check-in fast, thanks to a hustling team of Danica Patrick…

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Open-wheel deal raises questions

The Indy Racing League series will hold a press conference tomorrow to announce its unification with Champ Car, sources close to the series said. John Griffin, Indy Racing League vice president of public relations, said though the exact timing of…

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Irsay remains key to Super Bowl bid

While Mayor Greg Ballard and his team plan to announce today their intent to bid for the 2012 Super Bowl, sources within the league said Indianapolis Colts’ owner Jim Irsay will be the determining factor.

“They could be the Emerald City,…

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A positive spin for IRL defections?

With its season opener six weeks away, the Indy Racing League is getting some preseason exposure from an unlikely source. During the run-up to NASCAR’s biggest race, the Daytona 500, the spotlight shined on two IRL alums vying for the…

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Does IU already have a short list?

Indiana University President Michael McRobbie announced Feb. 15 that the university will launch an immediate investigation into new NCAA allegations against men’s basketball coach Kelvin Sampson.

Athletics Director Rick Greenspan will oversee an assessment as to whether allegations of potentially “major”…

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Manning vs. Manning II

Less than two weeks after Super Bowl XLII, N.Y. Giants quarterback Eli Manning is already picking up ground on older brother Peyton, Indianapolis Colts QB, at least in terms of jersey sales.

Merchandise sales is a big revenue line for the…

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Big Ten tourney interest rising?

Thirty six hours ago, it looked like the Big Ten tournament at Conseco Fieldhouse March 13-16 would be an attendance blockbuster. Indianapolis has had difficulty matching the tournament’s crowds at Chicago’s United Center, but this figured to be the year…

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Burton’s prime time smack down

Rep. Dan Burton, R-Ind., was front and center yesterday at the hearings on steroids in baseball. Burton appeared to side with pitcher Roger Clemens, while repeatedly attacking Clemens’ former trainer Brian McNamee.

McNamee has said he injected Clemens on numerous occasions…

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IU phone flap packs financial sting

With the revelation that the NCAA discovered more possible wrongdoings by Indiana University basketball coach Kelvin Sampson than the school reported in October, the embattled coach and his boss, athletic director Rick Greenspan, could become marketing liabilities for the school…

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Danica races into SI swimsuit issue

You can’t say Indy Racing League driver Danica Patrick doesn’t make a splash. Patrick can be found gracing the pages of Sports Illustrated’s annual swimsuit issue, which hits…

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Smart strategy or spinning wheels?

While the lights for an Indy Racing League-Champ Car merger appear to be turning green, smoke is apparently pouring from Champ Car’s balance sheet. Two well placed sources confirmed Champ Car will likely file bankruptcy, possibly as early as today.

Champ…

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