Author Archives: Kent Sterling

Top 10 ways Indiana sports fans can enjoy what seems to be a slow month of June

No better place in Indy on a June night than Victory Field.

These are the doldrums for Indiana sports fans, people will say.

Between the Indianapolis 500 and first Colts preseason game, those who enjoy sports hibernate a little bit in Indiana.

And it’s ridiculous.

You might have to look a little harder, but there is so much going on that I have to make a difficult choice as to what I will either do or watch every night.

You say nothing is going on – I say different. The month of June is chock full of fun, if you know where to look.

Here are 10 great events that can occupy your time and attention during June (some have occurred already, but mark your calendar for next June!):

10 – NCAA Spring Championships. They aren’t held in Indianapolis, but track & field, softball, and baseball championships are televised during late May and June, and I love all three. Every race in track is a novella unto itself, softball moves at the pace I wish baseball did, and baseball is a good time too – especially when Indiana, Louisville, or other teams featuring local talent compete. Continue reading →

Top 10 tips for those who want a job in sports media or want to host a Sportstalk radio show

You can’t be the next Dan Patrick in media, but you can be the next you.

Getting a job in sports media in 2016 is impossible – or nearly impossible.

The traditional media industry is searching for efficiencies in most places, and that not only means companies aren’t looking for new employees – they are cutting staff. Those folks who have been shown the door are now applying for the same jobs as the recent college grads.

Sports media is certainly no different. Thousands want a talk show, to anchor on TV, or write about sports, and many ask me how they can go from a job as a rental representative at Enterprise to hosting afternoon drive at a sportstalk radio station.

I have had five conversations just this week with people who covet what they feel are the coolest jobs on the planet.

The answers aren’t complicated. Here are top 10 questions I am asked by those who want a job in media, and the answers:

10 – Is it fun? Yes, but it’s the work that is the most fun. If you think hosting a show is like sitting in a bar and talking about sports, you’re missing the best part of the gig. I get to have conversations every day with (mostly) smart people who grind away (again, mostly) to build great careers. Learning from them by satisfying my curiosity is almost magical.

Click here to follow Kent on Twitter

9 – Is ESPN a great place to work? I’ve never worked there, so I don’t know personally, but I know plenty of people who have built careers on the Bristol campus, and that experience seems to feature the good and bad that come along with working at most companies. The cafeteria is ridiculously cool, the pay is comparatively excellent, but the overriding emotion of many who are there is fear of being among the next cuts.

8 – Why is Skip Bayless popular? Because his takes generate a response. Whether or not his opinion makes a lot of sense is a different question, but that his takes are either agreed or disagreed with is beyond debate. His willingness to say – and apparently believe – the absurd is his gift.

7 – Is radio dying? Reports of radio’s demise are greatly exaggerated. While people are listening a bit less, there are more people listening today than ever. Great content will find an audience, and no medium combines immediacy, spontaneity, and a dynamic delivery system like radio. As long as radio companies focus on providing unique content and client messages delivered on the radio continue to generate a audience response, radio will be fine.

6 – Why do you care so much about sports? For two reasons – number one, sports is fun and frivolous. It’s a silly diversion from our everyday lives that allows us to bond as a community. Number two, sports are a wonderful microcosm for life. Every lesson we learn about life is proven in sports. Failing to prepare is preparing to fail. The total is greater than the sum of the parts. How about – if the road is easy, you are likely going the wrong way. These are good lessons that are revealed every time we watch sports if we pay attention.

5 – What’s the difference between a good and bad host? Good hosts prepare, perform, and never take for granted the opportunity they have to inform, entertain, or enlighten. The hosts who yammer on and on to fill time with complete sentences bereft of meaning are a dime a dozen. At stations where management weakly condones such ineptitude, they can make a living before their insipidness becomes obvious even to them.

4 – How do I start a career in sports media? By doing something. Back in the day, all you needed to be the best writer you could be was a typewriter, some paper, and an imagination. In electronic media, all you really need is an iPhone. If you can afford a MacBook Pro, all the better. Hosting a show through a Google hangout is painless, fun, and free. Periscope and Facebook Live give you video access to consumers. Social media like Twitter allows you to build an audience. If you want to get into media, waiting for an invitation is pointless and a waste of time. You want to host? Go ahead and do it. TODAY!

3 – How can I be the next Dan Patrick? You can’t. Dan Patrick is already Dan Patrick. Not to be trite, but you can only be the next you. You give yourself the best chance to succeed by being the best version of yourself. That takes fearlessness and comfort – both of which can only be gained through relentless work or a natural arrogance. Authenticity and raw honesty don’t guarantee success, but being fake guarantees failure.

2 – How do you talk for three hours everyday? I talk (or write) for 12 hours a day, not three. If I didn’t have a microphone or laptop, I would still talk all day. I have very animated conversations with myself in the car, and while that might be a hallmark of the insane, it’s a prerequisite for being a radio host and/or writer.

Click here for a $1 comprehensive dental exam done by the best dentist in Indiana – Dr. Mike O’Neil at Today’s Dentistry

1 – How can I get a job like yours? By saying yes thousands of times when asked to do things you aren’t enthusiastic about. Eventually, trust is gained, and opportunities offered. Then, it will be up to your level of ability to connect with the audience. If you think you are above working an overnight board shift or passing out coozies at a remote, do something else because everyone who works in media today did their time in anonymous drudgery. I spent many afternoons in 1990 in a conference room stuffing envelopes with Mike Greenberg of Mike & Mike. Neither of us bitched for a single second.

Kent Sterling hosts the fastest growing sportstalk show in Indianapolis on CBS Sports 1430 every weekday from 3p-6p, and writes about Indiana sports at kentsterling.com.

Top 10 potential new Indiana Pacers who could push team to NBA Championship

If Mike Conley wanted to come back home, I’m sure Larry Bird would find the roster spot and cash needed to make it happen.

This is an offseason where the Pacers will show their hand as a team that believes it can contend in the East, or one committed to building a roster that might a championship in three years.

Pacers president Larry Bird appears to believe that now is the time, or why would he replace the longest tenured coach in the franchise’s NBA era with Nate McMillan?

This draft is a weird one filled with intriguing choices. There are young players who are long term projects, and others with lower ceilings ready to contribute now that will be available when the Pacers draft 20th overall.

Free agency also provides the Pacers a chance to upgrade at the two spots where they appear to be weakest – point guard and power forward – and they will have a lot of cap room to spend.

Here are the top 10 players who might help the Pacers reach that ultimate goal of winning the championship that has eluded them for each of their 40 NBA seasons of existence:

10 – Tyler Ulis – Short, light, and fast, Ulis will bring a unique level of speed and quickness to the team that drafts him. His 149-pound frame will make for interesting matchup challenges, but he might be able to make up for it by being a relentless and clever pest. Continue reading →

Top 10 reasons I find LeBron James to be so easy to dislike

Wearing headphones without them covering your ears is odd, but it’s no reason to dislike LeBron James.

LeBron James will either win the next three games against the Golden State Warriors, or he will fall to 2-5 in his seven NBA Finals.

Regardless, there will be those who love what he represents, and others who do not. Count me as one of those who doesn’t.

There is no question LeBron is THE player of his era in the NBA, but there is also no questioning his lack of charisma.

He is a great player, endorsement shill, and will make more money as a business owner than player, but that doesn’t make him likable.

Here are the 10 reasons I don’t like LeBron James:

10 – He’s a tank among gazelles. Popular players of the past were graceful athletes who thrilled fans with their fluidity and explosiveness. Michael Jordan, Julius Erving, Dominique Wilkins, and others elevated, finished, and smiled. Magic Johnson, Isiah Thomas, and Larry Bird competed, waved towels, and grinned through years of excellence. LeBron is more like Ivan Drago in Rocky IV. There is no question he is the best player of his era, but he seems not to enjoy it. Continue reading →

Top 10 lessons Muhammad Ali taught us all

Muhammad Ali’s impact is best captured not in his jabs and right crosses, but in his many lessons.

Muhammad Ali is being laid to rest today, and everyone in the world is either privately or publicly eulogizing him.

It’s impossible to get any remembrance of Ali exactly right because he was too grand a figure – both as an athlete and cultural leader to capture in mere words.

My thoughts of Ali this week center on the lessons I have learned through Ali’s unconquerable spirit, lightning fast left jab, ability to take a punch (both literally and figuratively), and decision to voice his disdain for illogic.

Here are my favorite 10 lessons taught by Ali:

10 – Life’s about where you finish, not where you start. Muhammad Ali grew up on the west end of Louisville and became the most famous person in the world. He showed thousands in Louisville that the road from the west end to massive fame is hard to find, but not impossible. Continue reading →

Top 10 rules for Indianapolis Colts leaving minicamp for seven weeks of self-regulated work/vacation

Minicamp ended today for the Colts, but for the smart players, the work never stops.

These are the times that try coaches souls.

Chuck Pagano said goodbye to his team today for a period that will end in late July when his roster reconvenes at Anderson University for training camp.

Each player left the Colts Complex with a binder and iPad containing a day-by-day schedule of workouts, diet, and study that Pagano trusts will keep his team on the straight and narrow – ready for a healthy and productive camp and five preseason games – three more than necessary, but that’s a belief best left for another list.

The option of continuing a self-disciplined regimen of toil as a professional or a few weeks of sloth and late nights is a great sifter for the NFL. Some behave like men determined to maximize their value, and others buy the hype that they are indestructible and able to burn the candle at all eight ends without suffering consequences.

Here are the top 10 rules for surviving summer break in the NFL (these are oddly similar to another set of rules for surviving your freshman year in college):

10 – “Clear eyes, full hearts can’t lose!” If Coach Eric Taylor said it on Friday Night Lights, it must be true. Keeping your eyes clear requires a lifestyle that a couple of drops of Visine can’t correct. Super bowls aren’t won at the moment of a great throw, catch, or tackle. They are won – and lost – because of the tenacity during every drill at practice or rep in the weight room prior to that moment of victory – or defeat. Continue reading →

Top 10 reasons why the Indiana All-Star series should stop including Kentucky as an opponent

Mr. Basketball Kyle Guy will represent Indiana against Kentucky as his last act as a high school basketball player prior to heading to the University of Virginia.

Mr. Basketball Kyle Guy will represent Indiana against Kentucky as a high school basketball player prior to heading to the University of Virginia.

A group of Indiana high school players representing its state and their high schools as the final act of a long pre-college basketball career is a cool tradition.

Being forced to play against a ragtag bunch of all-stars from Kentucky as the last test in that process is unfairly dreary. The 22-point win the Indiana seniors posted last night against the Indiana Juniors will likely be more competitive than either of the two games against Kentucky.

For decades, Indiana has played Kentucky in what used to be a fun test of hoops skills by kids from two states where basketball was king. Then, Indiana players improved in ways Kentucky could not match, so the series devolved into an embarrassing mismatch that needs to be retooled or the Indiana All-Stars may be rewarded for its superiority with a permanent pink slip.

There are ways to save this important tradition for the generations of Indiana All-Stars to come, but the first step must be the pursuit of a new and improved opponent. Just as the University of Kentucky refused to play Indiana again after Christian Watford’s buzzer-beater beat the Wildcats in 2011, the time has come for Indiana to stop looking to the south for its annual all-star series opponent.

Here are the 10 reasons why Indiana needs to look away from Kentucky:

10 – Being slaughtered as their last act as a high school athlete is a sad end for Kentuckians. It’s unfair to continue to ask Kentuckians to accept their annual fate as lambs led to slaughter at the hands of Indiana kids in front of embarrassingly small crowds. Continue reading →

Top nine great things about a trip back to Wrigley Field – or the Indianapolis Motor Speedway

There is no place more hallowed or beautiful than Wrigley Field because of the memories that flood back every time I return.

Wrigley Field still exists mostly in the same form as when my Dad first took me to a game in 1968 – a 9-8 loss to the Reds despite an Ernie Banks home run.

Being able to walk up the same steps to the box seats that Dad and I used on that beautiful Spring day is magically nostalgic. I can still feel his hand as he led me to where I enjoyed a view for the first time so colorful it continues to defy description 48 years later.

People in Indianapolis have the same feeling when they return to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway year after year. The smells, sounds, and sights are very similar to what they enjoyed with their dads, moms, grandparents, and friends.

Most iconic places from our youth are replaced by newer, more luxurious versions that new generations will love until they are themselves replaced.

There are very few places we can visit that remain mostly as they were when our eyes were first opened to the wonders of the world through those of our fathers. I’m thankful Wrigley Field, to which I returned again Saturday, is among them.

Here are the nine best things about revisiting a place where you and family shared great moments with a specific eye on Wrigley and my experiences:

9 – Marking the evolution of friendships. When I was in high school, taking the Metra to the Howard with Nick Anson was a summer staple. Going to countless games with Bill Pabst and John Lanctot when we lived six blocks south of the ballpark was a wonderful diversion from 1988-1993. After that, Julie and I brought countless groups to share an afternoon or night at Wrigley, and we continue to. Continue reading →

Seven greatest fights for Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali is impossible to describe to those who never saw him at his best. No one looked like him. No one acted like him.

Muhammad Ali was released two days ago from the body and mind that were taken from him long ago by the ravages of Parkinson’s Disease.

We remember and mourn him as a championship boxer and better human being whose beliefs drove his actions despite daunting repercussions that could have robbed him of more than the three years of boxing he lost during his prime.

There are icons in American sports, but atop that group stands Ali, a man whose contributions to our society are impossible to list or adequately describe.

Writing about Ali is a fool’s errand because no combination of words can be assembled to adequately describe either the fighter or man.

He was a beautiful and charismatic athlete in a brutal sport that welcomes neither, and a man whose spirituality and kindness seemed at odds with his day job.

Seven is a very important number in the Islam faith, so our list today of Ali’s great fights is limited to seven:

7 – Against the racism in Louisville. Ali was raised Cassius Clay in Louisville, a city just across the Ohio River from the north, but a place with deeply rooted racism. He gave blacks in Louisville a sense of pride and resilience that changed the city. He gave whites a reason to question the idiocy of their prejudice. Continue reading →

Top 10 reasons for Indiana Pacers fans to look forward to pick 20 in 20 days

Larry Bird is going to try to find the next big piece of a Pacers championship roster in 20 days.

In 20 days, Indiana Pacers president Larry Bird will have another opportunity to look like a genius or a lunkhead.

The Pacers, based upon years of scouting, private workouts, and intense interviews will cast their lot with a young man who will either prove them astute or silly with his talent and behavior.

Stretch four and prototypical point guard are the Pacers glaring needs. They might indulge there – or they could draft the best player available regardless of position.

Salary caps will explode all over the NBA this offseason, so the Pacers need to figure out whether the immediate improvement they sought by replacing Frank Vogel with Nate McMillan will come from a free agent or a player selected in the draft.

Maybe they grab a couple of free agents and draft a project with the 20th overall pick.

There are so many possibilities, fans can’t wait for selection #20 just 20 nights from today.

Here are the 10 reasons Pacers fans should be counting the days to June 23rd:

10 – When the Pacers pass on Tyler Ulis, it will keep UK fans from road-tripping to Indy. No fanbase base packs a healthier dose of annoyance than Big Blue Nation, and Indy is just close enough that members of that bizarre fraternity might decide to make the two-hour drive to see Ulis play against John Wall, Eric Bledsoe, Nerlens Noel, or some other former Wildcat who did a short stretch in Lexington waiting for NBA Draft eligibility.

Click here to follow Kent on Twitter

9 – Teams picking ahead of the Pacers are going to screw up. GMs of lottery teams are going to try to uncover a gem that might carry them to relevance and a contract extension (except in Boston where relevance and extension for Danny Ainge and Brad Stevens have already come), and several good players who might develop into championship level components will be pushed out of the lottery where the Pacers will have access to them.

8 – Thon Maker is a win/win if he is picked. For those who love Bird, Maker represents a chance for Bird to steal a player with all-star upside to form a young and talented front line with Myles Turner and Paul George. For those unsure whether Bird is as smart an executive as owner Herb Simon believes, Maker is also a potential bust who might make the Tyler Hansbrough selection in 2009 look prescient.

7 – What the hell else is there for us to think about? Indy is a great sports town from late August to the Indy 500 or the end of Pacers season – whichever comes first. Outside that window, it’s all about drafts, minicamps, and minor league baseball.

6 – Pacers appeared to get smart last year. Grabbing the under-appreciated Myles Turner was a stroke of genius that will benefit the Pacers for the next decade, and Joe Young is an engaging hard-working player who can score the ball at an elite level. While genius seems to visits the Blue and Gold only every five years (2005 – Danny Granger; 2010 – Paul George; 2015 – Turner), this draft appears filled with talent enough to help coach Nate McMillan succeed in year one.

5 – Another chance to talk to Bird. I find Bird to be engaging and quite funny. Sitting in the media room as he answers dozens of questions about his team is usually a very good time. There aren’t that many people who can make me laugh hard. Bird is one of them.

4 – Anything can happen. The Pacers are notorious for not leaking their intent. In fact, Bird has said there are drafts where he’s not sure who the Pacers will take until the name pops from his mouth during the call to announce the pick. The Pacers could trade up or back, or stand pat, and mock drafts almost never get the Pacers pick right.

3 – There is depth at both positions of need. If the Pacers are looking for a power forward and true point guard, there will be a bunch available when the Pacers select 20th. Brice Johnson (North Carolina), Ben Bentil (Providence) and Damian Jones (Vanderbilt) should be available at the four while Demetrius Jackson (Notre Dame) and Ulis could be available when Larry makes the call.

2 – This is a freaky deep draft. There is not much separation between the 10th best player in the draft and the 40th. Some drafts have shelves of players beneath which the talent level plummets. This is not one of them. There is even a reasonable chance the Pacers can get a player worth gambling on with the 50th pick.

Click here for a $1 comprehensive dental exam done by the best dentist in Indiana – Dr. Mike O’Neil at Today’s Dentistry

1 – Much more likely to draft a star than sign one in free agency. It makes no sense to me that athletes would prefer to live in Miami, New York, or Chicago than Indy, but NBA free agents make decisions based upon criteria I may not fully appreciate. Regardless of the logic, Indy seems to be one of those cities that are not top of mind for star players. That leaves the draft as a conduit for excellence. If the Pacers are destined to win a championship, it will be with a roster of stars build through the draft – and this draft is a key in that effort.

Kent Sterling hosts the fastest growing sportstalk show in Indianapolis on CBS Sports 1430 every weekday from 3p-6p, and writes about Indiana sports at kentsterling.com.