All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth … if, perhaps, I were a member of the Indiana Ice. Who are playing pretty well, by the way. But there are other things in the realm of sports I would include on my list. All I want for Christmas is for those cheatin’ dog New England Patriots to have their comeuppance. Preferably from the Indianapolis Colts. In Gillette Stadium. In a driving snowstorm. In the AFC Championship. All I…
The money is seductive: an “easy” $1.6 billion. That’s what gambling brought to Indiana in taxes this year. The prize might not be as big in 2008. There’s new competition. And a big drop in gambling revenue would spoil the negotiations that all the nervous Indiana politicians have been doing. Their jobs are on the line, and they know it. Hoosiers are embarrassed. They don’t like that. I have a beautiful picture of two of my children standing inside the…
Several central Indiana radio stations will ring in 2008 with new formats and on-air talent, and new marketing campaigns bellowing the changes to listeners and advertisers. One station is keeping its plans secret, fearful of an industry domino effect if its strategy leaks out. There’s plenty at stake. Listener ratings for the first quarter of 2008 will be watched closely, local media buyers said, and could affect spending later in the year. A t l a n t a -…
I am going to chat with Angelo Pizzo, author of the best sports film of all time. Pizzo is the writer and coproducer of feature films “Hoosiers” and “Rudy.” He and I will debut “Mickey’s Corner,” a project patterned after TV’s Bravo Network program “Inside the Actor’s Studio.” The conversation will happen Jan. 16 at 7 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center, 6701 Hoover Road. Why don’t you drop in? Pizzo grew up in Bloomington and stayed home for his…
Tiny Helmsburg in rustic Brown County is a rural hamlet that is so small outsiders might not even realize they’ve passed through it. So it’s no surprise that one of Indiana’s best-kept secrets is headquartered there, in an old school building that, appropriately, masks its identity. For Bare Feet has been knitting socks for 21 years and has amassed an impressive array of clients. It’s a league-licensed producer of socks, headbands and wristbands for the four major sports leagues: Major…
Just so you know, I already had decided to revisit the Indiana Pacers this week. At the quarter post of the marathon that is the NBA season, the Pacers were performing admirably and above most expectations. They had knocked off Utah and Dallas. They had won three of four games on a West Coast trip, including a victory at Denver. They scored a huge road victory over the rapidly rising Eastern Conference power, Orlando. That left them at .500 through…
As the year draws to a close, the business community remains focused on taxes and the health of the economy. The governor’s privatization of the Indiana Toll Road generated a windfall of $3 billion. If managed properly, that money should fund Indiana’s road and bridge repair work. However, perhaps we should consider investing some of the interest to radically change our stature in the global economy. Canada possesses coastlines along the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic oceans; has abundant natural resources,…
Dec. 9 was slated to be the Big Day for Indianapolis’ new Central Library. After five years and more than $150 million, the project-which seemed preposterous from the start-has finally come to fruition and sits ready for a grand opening. From the beginning, I wondered how you even move an entire library. What’s more, how do you set it up in a new location, then tear it down and move it back? Imagine moving hundreds of thousands of books, magazines…
PROFILE MICKI STIRSMAN Education at heart of growth Continued training is part of her biz plan Your face might be Micki Stirsman’s canvas. Instead of applying paint to paper or molding clay into sculpture Stirsman and her staff use their artistry to transform their clients’ appearances. The Speedway native is owner of Salon 01, a business she started with a $10,000 contribution from her grandmother that has grown into a million d o l l a r- p l u…
Speedway officials are in discussions
to bring an airplane race to Indianapolis. The Red Bull Air Race World Series is a 5-year-old airplane race circuit that combines
the intrigue of a high-wire circus
act, thrills of an alpine ski race, and cutting-edge technology of Formula One auto racing.
And so it has come to this, the college football season that will give us the “accidental” champion. The nation’s pundits, purporting to represent the nation’s public, are apoplectic over the prospect. Imagine, The Ohio State University, the allegedly inferior winner of a purportedly inferior league-a year removed from being exposed and embarrassed by the University of Florida in the national championship game-walking off the Superdome carpet with the trophy in hand on the evening of Jan. 7. Or imagine…
Uncle Uriah Marcus visited us on Thanksgiving. It took over a week to recover. He blames “the @#%$# unions” for most of our state’s woes. Uncle Uriah asserts “them big unions scares businesses away from Indiannie.” A sample of his views: High property taxes: It’s the teachers’ union’s fault because teachers keep pushing up their earnings and reducing their responsibility. Congestion in cities: Bus workers’ unions keep fares too high for anyone to ride the bus. The battle between the…
Gatorade’s inventor, Dr. J. Robert Cade, who died Nov. 27 in Gainesville, Fla., left a legacy in Indianapolis that stretches back four decades to the birth of the multibillion-dollar sports drink industry. The invention became a blockbuster product for an Indianapolis-based company and spawned the creation of an Indianapolis-based trust that has doled out tens of millions of dollars in royalties to inventors and other beneficiaries. The city continues to get an economic jolt from Gatorade, with nearly 500 local…
Of this, that and the other: A fond childhood memory is of summertime evenings spent with my father on the screened-in back porch of our farmhouse. While my dad enjoyed a cigar and a frosty libation after a hard day’s work, we would dial in either a Cincinnati Redlegs or Chicago White Sox game on the radio. There, as the sun went down and the flickering dance of the lightning bugs became visible, we’d follow through the static the exploits…
While other states strive to find their places in today’s international economy, the Hoosier state has made a reputation for itself in the life sciences arena. It’s an important effort, especially when you consider that our state’s past successes were in the field of manufacturing. Con sidering that the 2007 Indiana Manufacturers Directory reports Indiana lost more than 17,000 manufacturing jobs in the past year, this new economic model built upon technology and life sciences is important, if not essential,…
The Indianapolis Indians are rewarding stockholders in the franchise following a season in which revenue and profit grew,
thanks to significant increases in ticket, concession and merchandise sales. The higher profit fueled a 75-percent dividend
increase this year and an increase of more than $6,500 in the franchise’s standing offer to repurchase shares.
I’m not an athletic director, but I do get to play one in IBJ. So play along with me: Purdue University should keep Joe Tiller as its football coach. Indiana University should do likewise with Bill Lynch. Add this to what I’m sure is plenty of unsolicited advice directed at Morgan Burke and Rick Greenspan, the respective athletic directors at Purdue and Indiana. They can thank me later. Of course, by the time you read this, the futures of both…
If you are among those who believe-and I am among them-that the University of Notre Dame treated Tyrone Willingham unjustly three years ago when it fired him as its football coach just three seasons into his tenure, then you probably share my sense that what goes around has come around in South Bend. If you also are among those who believe-and, again, I am among them-that one of the reasons Charlie Weis is a chunky fellow is because he’s so…
Embattled Finish Line Inc. has quietly sent the family that founded and ran its Man Alive chain packing. The company on Nov. 12 announced the appointment of former Haggar Clothing Co. executive Lou Spagna as president of the struggling 96-store urban apparel chain. Tucked in the press release was a quote from Finish Line President Glenn Lyon expressing “our appreciation to the Bublick family for the service they have provided.” It was a major overhaul. Gone are Jeff Bublick, 47,…
Medical Animatics LLC hopes its latest product helps double its size while helping patients shrink theirs. The small Indianapolis firm plans to roll out bariatric-education software by yearend. By tapping the popular surgery procedure, Medical Animatics’ officers hope that product grows sales enough to double its nine-person work force in a year. The new product launch is the first major initiative for Medical Animatics since it secured angel investments from two former WellPoint Inc. officers earlier this year. Jane Niederberger…
