by Kent Sterling
It’s hard to justify optimism for the Indiana Pacers after last night’s 16-0 run to start the third quarter as the biggest game of the regular season got away from them.
But I’m going to bring that optimism because what the hell is the point of believing that the postaseason will bring more of the same for a team that looked like they were worthy of a championship banner.
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I can’t speak for Fox 59 sports director Chris Hagan, but I still believe that when the bell rings for the playoffs, the Pacers will answer it.
That’s not all going on in the world of sports. The Masters is ongoing, but as much as I love the tournament, without Tiger and Phil playing this weekend, it’s not likely to compel casual golf fans to watch as Jim Nantz’s soporific tones set the mood for a weekend of naps. Bubba Watson leads by three, and only two of the last seven players leading by three after 36 holes have walked into Butler Cabin wearing a Green Jacket in the Sunday gloaming.
John Calipari has written a book, and at first you and I would both think that this book was written with the sole purpose of stuffing more cash in Cal’s network of wallets, but he writes some very interesting things in “Players First: Coaching from the Inside Out.” His 13-point plan for fixing the NCAA reads like I wrote it myself.
We’ll talk to the Sklar Brothers, who are good guests because they know all about sports and they are funny. Interviewing funny people used to make me a little nervous because if you don’t ask the right questions, they might not be as funny as they would like to be. Then I remembered interviews that Johnny Carson did with funny people. I don’t remember a single question he asked. Carson just let the funny people be funny while he listened. Good strategy.
The Cream & Crimson football scrimmage will be played in Bloomington today. Traditionally, that’s the day that close friends and family crown the first three rows at Memorial Stadium to watch the one game Indiana is guaranteed to both win and lose. Athletic director Fred Glass will join us at Noon to tell fans why the game will be a little different this year and fans should make their way to the stadium for an afternoon of fun.
We will also hear from Indiana Sports Corporation president Allison Melangton and IUPUI head basketball coach Jason Gardner. Melangton is prepping for the Super Bowl pitch to the NFL owners next month, and North Central grad Gardner is trying to turn around the fortunes of the Jaguars.
This is likely to be the very best show we have ever done, and I can’t wait to get started!