Author Archives: Kent Sterling

Thugs at Kansas State finally release Leticia Romero to transfer

by Kent Sterling

Leticia Romero is not pointing to the school where she wants to go, but at least now she has options.

For people interested in a quick primer as to why reasonable men and women want to see a recalibration of NCAA rules and policies, if not an entire redux of the relationship between athletic departments and athletes, please enjoy the story of Leticia Romero.

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Romero just finished her freshman year at Kansas State where she was one of the best best women’s basketball newcomers in the Big 12. The best player on a bad team, even Romero’s excellence (14.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game) couldn’t save coach Deb Patterson’s job.

Because the coach she came to play for was canned, Romero – a newcomer to the United State from Spain, decided her needs could be better serviced elsewhere. K-State exercised its right not to release her, and then asked for Romero to prepare a list of schools where she might be interested in transferring. Romero assumed that K-State would approve at least a few of them, so her list was a long one – either 94 or 100 schools, depending upon the report.

K-State threw a curve and denied all schools on the list. Romero appealed, and the appeals committee denied her plea. The reason cited was potential tampering issues by the previous coaching staff, which moved on to Northern Colorado.

Oddly, Romero’s very long list of potential schools presented for K-State’s okay did not include Northern Colorado, so what tampering might have been taking place was never answered by K-State officials.

School officials claimed that the decision of the committee is final and cannot be overturned, which seemed ludicrous because the rule that would make the committee’s decision absolute and the last word would be a K-State rule that could be overturned at their whim.

Just a week ago, K-State vice president Jeffrey Morris said, “Thus, the university process concludes with the appeals committee’s decision. Also, the final and binding nature of these decisions does not allow for them to be overturned by university administrators.”

ESPN quotes K-State athletic director John Currie as he hilariously tried to claim the high ground three days ago, “Although it is unprecedented, I believe that it is in this student-athlete’s best interest for the committee to reconvene to consider this new information and potentially approve her request for a conditional transfer release.”

Suddenly, the best interest of the student-athlete is tantamount among his concerns. Oh sure. The pressure national media brought to bear had nothing to do with the sudden change of heart.

Today, Romero was granted her release. I guess “final and binding” has a different meaning than in the rest of the English speaking world.

The lone condition of Romero’s transfer is that she cannot transfer within the Big 12, but is allowed to head anywhere else.

In the end justice was done, and Romero is free to play basketball wherever she likes outside the Big 12, but it took a lot of outrage being expressed by many at ESPN and CBS to motivate administrators to locate the right thing to do.

When schools can exert that level of control over a kid in their own self-interest, something needs to change. Amoral administrators minus adequate oversight make decisions that defy reason.

My guess is the phone in Currie’s office rang, and a very serious person was on the other end of the line – maybe the person to whom Currie reports. The didn’t ask for an explanation, just a speedy resolution. If you want a bureaucrat to make the right call, finding the lever that causes his or her boss to call for action is the only sure way.

Minus the threat of unemployment, Romero would likely still be stuck in dreary old Manhattan.

Dunderheaded Chicago Cubs continue to confound with signing of Manny Ramirez

by Kent Sterling

The future of top prospect Javy Baez is now being trusted to disgraced former all-star Manny Ramirez. Why? Because we all deserve a second chance. Huh?

For a bad team on track to lose nearly 100 games for the fourth season in a row, the Chicago Cubs sure don’t mind inviting criticism in new and creative ways.

Cubs president Theo Epstein announced the signing of 41-year old former major leaguer Manny Ramirez to a minor league contract as a player/coach for the iowa Cubs. He is hoped to be a mentor for the young prospects the Cubs are counting on to be the foundation of the relaunch of the world’s least successful franchise.

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It’s not exactly hiring Richard Speck to be the dean of nursing, but other than his estimable talent to drive any pitch at any time out of the ballpark, there was nothing in Ramirez’ behavior during a 19-year MLB career with five teams that hinted toward a second career as a mentor.

Epstein claims their is no chance for him to earn a promotion to the big league club, and that he will not take important at-bats from prospects. That’s a curious position in that every at-bat in Iowa should be important for a prospect, and if Ramirez hits .422 with 12 home runs in June, why the hell wouldn’t he be promoted?

The reason for the hire, according to Epstein, is redemption, “I think Manny deserves a second chance because humans deserve second chances. I believe in redemption. It’s a human trait to make mistakes and we should judge people by how they respond. The Cubs giving Manny a second chance will benefit our young hitters and player development.”

This signing comes immediately on the heels of the release of a thoroughly insulting and foolish video with owner Tom Ricketts deriding his own facility, making a big show of mocking the clubhouse batting tee the Cubs use to warm up prior to pinch hitting. It was as though the construction of a batting cage is itself prohibited by the looney contract with the rooftop owners.

The video immediately followed the painting of the red marquee sign that is the most iconic image seen from the outside of Wrigley Field. It was painted green to honor the original color scheme. Harmless? Sure, but moronic.

Despite their willingness to employ a two-time PED suspendee, the Cubs refuse to even acknowledge the existence of all-time team leader in home runs. Sure, he was a selfish pain in the ass, and likely used PEDs. We know he used a corked bat. The Cubs refused to invite Sosa to a ceremony celebrating the 100th anniversary of Wrigley Field, but they pay Ramirez to teach a game he sullied to young players.

I am in no way a champion of Sosa’s. He was strange, self-immersed, and a cheat. Baseball rejected him, and the Cubs should continue to ignore his legacy – likely built through chemistry.

Epstein should spend less time helping former players find redemption, and more time making the Cubs a 70-win team. If Epstein is the smartest guy in the offices at Clark and Addison, the rest of the guys in the room must not be too bright.

Indiana Pacers – 2014-2015 roster likely to look quite a bit different

by Kent Sterling

Lance Stephenson is going to sign for a significant raise in this offseason. Whether it is with the Indiana Pacers or somewhere else is the question.

The 2013-2014 season isn’t over yet for the Indiana Pacers, but the odds of a trip to the NBA Finals grew long as the buzzer sounded following the Heat’s 102-90 victory in Game Four.

Coming back from the 3-1 deficit the Pacers currently face is a tough putt. In the 222 times in NBA history teams have taken a 3-1 advantage, 214 have managed to win one of the final three to advance to the next round or win the championship. That 96.4% success rate is difficult to ignore, especially when the Heat’s previous wins have been less than dramatic.

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Talking about how this team will evolve forward is a little premature, but certainly relevant as the Pacers return home for what might be a swan song of a group that has experienced great highs, terrible lows, and everything in between.

There is a book to be written about this edition of the Indiana Pacers, but the person who decides to revisit the preseason trip to Asia, the 33-7 start, the diverted flight and broken bus to San Antonio, signing of Andrew Bynum, trade of Danny Granger, roller coaster second half, and maddening postseason will earn his or her money.

That book might be to the author what “Season in Hell” was for Eddie and the Cruisers – a journey from which a complete psychological recovery might not be possible. The author might not fake his own death like Eddie Wilson did in the mid-1980s HBO favorite, but a toll will be taken.

If past is prologue, a look at the changes that came after the 2013 seven-game failure against the Miami Heat might provide a peak at what lies ahead as Pacers president Larry Bird re-tools the roster for 2014-2015. The core stayed the same, but virtually everyone else was jettisoned.

Every non-starter but Ian Mahimni was gone by this season’s trade deadline. Among them were Tyler and Ben Hansbrough, Gerald Green, D.J. Augustine, Danny Granger, Orlando Johnson, Sam Young, Miles Plumlee, and others. Many were free agents, and others were traded or cut.

This offseason will provide the challenge of Paul George accounting for an additional $12.5 million against the cap. His salary will jump from $3,282,003 to $15,800,000. Including the George bump in pay, Bird has already spent $65,708,778 of the $77 million luxury tax threshold above which he says the Pacers cannot spend.

Under contract for next year are George, Mahinmi, George Hill, Roy Hibbert, David West, C.J. Watson, Chris Copeland, Luis Scola, and Solomon Hill. Lance Stephenson, Evan Turner (eligible for a very unlikely to be made qualifying offer of $8,717,225), Lavoy Allen, and Rasual Butler will be free agents.

The most compelling question of the offseason is whether Stephenson can be signed, and whether the Pacers would choose to. Stephenson is a really interesting player. Mercurial in behavior on and off the court, Stephenson is just 23, and has a level of brashness and competitive fire that is unmatched on the roster.

Stephenson is also a bit of a loose cannon who will come with a price tag approaching $10-million per year. His upside is huge, and his downside is hard to ignore as well. What isn’t unknown is that the Pacers will have no more than a few shekels to throw around if they ink Stephenson. A lack of a first round draft pick helps a little bit, but filling the roster while staying under the magic $77 million mark without dealing some current salary will be difficult if not impossible.

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The Pacers are the second best team in the Eastern Conference, the two-time Central Division Champions, and their best player is entering his prime. That’s a spot many teams envy, but is it reasonable to expect a different result for the Pacers if the Heat stay together. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh have player options worth more than $20 million apiece after both this season and next.

If they choose to become free agents, the Pacers become odds on favorites to inherit the Heat’s throne as beasts of the East if they retain their core, including Stephenson. If Stephenson is allowed (or chooses) to leave, Bird will have a little cash to play with, but not enough to make a splashy move.

When Bird announced the resigning of David West, he pointed to Stephenson who was standing behind the media and said that next year it would be his turn. Bird is usually pretty certain of what he wants, and he has been a champion of Stephenson since he drafted him 40th in 2010.

And we haven’t even mentioned the possibility that Frank Vogel might not be retained. To beat the Heat as they are currently built, something with the Pacers need to change, and it’s up to Bird to decide whether Vogel’s leadership is taking the Pacers closer to their potential than another coach might.

Should be a fascinating offseason, and it might be 36 hours from beginning.

Indiana Pacers down 3-1 after never being in 102-90 Game Four loss

by Kent Sterling

I’m no expert on body language, but this pose from Pacers center Roy Hibbert seems an appropriate companion to a Game Four wrap.

This one was over shortly after it started. Chris Bosh scored early and often, and the Heat’s defense had intensity the Pacers were unable to match at either end.

Last year, it appeared throughout the Eastern Conference Finals that the Pacers were the better team. Not so much in 2014. Not sure what happened after Game One to throw LeBron James into the extra gear no one in the world has, but the Pacers sure as hell wish it hadn’t happened.

Just as the Pacers were the aggressors in Game One, the Heat dominated this one. The difference in intensity showed itself at the foul line with the Heat making 30-34 while the Pacers were 11-17.

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The 12-point final margin game was cosmetically affected by a Pacers run. After a Udonis Haslem layup made the score 94-71, the Pacers went on a 19-5 run to slice the lead to single digits at 99-90 with 1:29 left.

After scoring in double figures in seven of the last eight postseason game, Roy Hibbert put up his fourth doughnut of the postseason. It appeared that Hibbert had righted the ship that was the source of such wild speculation, but after tonight appearances appear to have been deceiving.

Whatever positive vibe this group had early in the season is history – long gone. Whether the Danny Granger trade, Andrew Bynum signing, fatigue, bumps to the noggin, or astrological misalignment cause the fracture of the team chemistry that appeared to be the Pacers chief asset – it is gone now. Or at least against the Heat, it appears to be.

When playing against two of the best players in the world, good teams can look a little lost, but this malaise appears to be the result of the Pacers effort, not the Heat’s excellence.

Miami hasn’t lost a playoff series in a long time, and it requires intense focus possession by possession to beat them. Getting back defensively is a must 100% of the time. Making the Heat pay on the other end for their traps and jumps into the passing lane with quick ball movement is the name of the game to score consistently. Neither happened tonight. The result was predictable.

The officiating had nothing to do with the result of the game, but not many whistles came the Pacers way. A James three-pointer was immediately preceded by an obvious travel, and a mystery offensive foul late on Lance Stephenson when the Pacers had a chance to cut the lead to seven with 3:19 left didn’t help, but if you, me, and and one of the kooks from Area 55 called this game, the Heat still win.

So Game Five comes Wednesday night, and if the Pacers can’t recover the collective will needed to exceed the Heat’s, that will be that. The Heat will head for their fourth NBA Finals in the four-year run of the Big Two (you can include Bosh as part of a “Big Three” if you like, but he’s Potsy to Wade’s Richie Cunningham and James’ Fonzie), and potentially a threepeat of championships.

If the Pacers are going to claw back into this series, it will take a significant reversal of attitude and focus. Winning three straight against the team that has just run off three games itself is a tall order, and whatever caused the current three-game run would have to flip on its head because games two thru four were not flukes – they were both the embodiment of what the Heat have become and an indictment of who the Pacers are.

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It’s way too early to begin talking about what the direction of the franchise will be following this season. The offseason roster and coaching discussions can’t start in earnest until the final nail is in the coffin, and that means a fourth loss to the Heat.

Whether that comes Wednesday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse depends upon what is left in the hearts of this collection that four months ago appeared to be ready to be successful at this level of the playoffs and beyond.

The only way to a Game Seven is with Game Five and Game Six wins. Do the Pacers have the resolve to make that happen? The answers will come Wednesday and (if necessary) Friday nights.

Indianapolis 500 – Five ways to save the Greatest Spectacle in Racing

by Kent Sterling

Keep the milk as a tradition, but let’s embrace some serious change at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, including the end of the arcane local live TV blackout.

A stunningly good race, beautiful weather, and the closest thing to filled grandstands in years make a discussion about saving the Indianapolis 500 a wasteful exercise – or so the staff at 16th and Georgetown might think.

Not me, not after spending a couple of previous Memorial Day weekends 230 miles away from Indianapolis in St. Louis, where I couldn’t find a single person who gave a damn about the race, any of the collar events, or a single person under the age of 30 who knew it existed.

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Not after looking at the grandstand during qualifications or practice this May to see dozens of people who sat in virtual isolation watching the mostly mundane “action.”

Don’t get me wrong, I love the Indianapolis 500 – the history and tradition, magnificent facility, dedication to honoring those who paid the ultimate price during battle all give me chills every year, and even Donald Davidson’s ruminations on all 500s past. The first lap is the most thrilling 45 seconds in the history of sports.

The racers of the past who risked everything to wrench an extra mile an hour out of a car far less safe than the rig Ryan Hunter-Reay won in yesterday make the Indianapolis Motor Speedway hallowed ground.

I want the Indianapolis 500 to not only survive but thrive. I want the rest of the world to understand the race for what it has always been, rather than for what its image is today.

In that spirit, here are five quick and easy ways to make the Indianapolis 500 relevant to a greater swath of people – particularly a generation that has no recollection of the days of A.J. Foyt, Rick Mears, the Unsers, Johnny Rutherford, Gordon Johncock, or Mario Andretti.

End the local TV blackout – There are so many reasons to change this bizarre and archaic policy that it could fill a book, but this is a 1,200 word post, so we will be forced to edit the list down a bit. Back in the 1940s and 1950s, there was a notion among baseball owners that local TV would kill the live gate. Chicago Cubs owner P.K. Wrigley was convinced that there could be no marketing more impactful than the three-hour daily commercial game telecasts on WGN represented. For a putrid team that is not likely to win more than 70 games for the fourth straight years, the Cubs will draw far more than two-million as they always do.

The last professional sports franchise to embrace the notion that watching home games should be a privilege reserved for those who buy tickets was the Chicago Blackhawks. Owner Bill Wirtz died in 2007, the blackout was lifted, and the average Hawks attendance jumped from 12,727 in 2006-2007 to 16,814 in 2007-2008 and then to 22,245 in 2008-2009.

Operating outside reason and logic is a great way to turn away the young. They are smart, and when parents are forced to answer the question, “Why isn’t the race on TV?”, the answer is either “I don’t know” or a bunch of gobbledegook just as illogical as the policy itself. Kids walk away thinking that their parents are as stupid as those running the IMS.

Exposing the young to a great civic event will engage interest and ticket sales, not repel it. Back in the day, people waited patiently for the replay, and those who attend the race still watch, but to think that locals will plan their Sunday before Memorial Day evening around watching an eight-hour old race is nuts (especially when live in-car coverage is available on ESPN3).

Louisville allows the Kentucky Derby to be broadcast, and Churchill Downs continues to enjoy record attendance. Those who don’t attend the day of racing either host or attend Derby parties. It’s time that this civic celebration extends to neighborhoods.

Live TV can be the gateway drug for a whole new generation of fans.

End the fans bringing their own cooler business – This cuts close to my heart because taking advantage of the ability to bring beer and sandwiches into the track reduces cost for fans, but the revenue loss to the IMS is huge. The logistics of selling concessions to a quarter of a million people would even depress Wavy Gravy (a very dated reference to a hippie who helped serve breakfast in bed for 400,000 at Woodstock), but where there is a buck to be made, there is a way.

Eventually, someone is going to sue the speedway for its role in not monitoring the alcohol consumption on the grounds, if they haven’t already, and why shouldn’t the Hulman-George Family make a lot of money by selling beer to the thirsty.

Monitor the lines for beer at collar events – There is nothing like an hour long wait for a beer to make concert goers or race fans intractable in their decision to never return. During Saturday night’s Jason Aldean concert in Turn Four, the wait for warm beer was nearly that long – even in the VIP area. There were a total of two tents and two portable carts offering beer sales, for what appeared to be 10,000 thirsty customers for those who paid a significant premium to be “VIPs”.

To say people were impatient and intolerant is an understatement. There was a limit of two beers per customer, but many left with entire six-packs. It was camp runamok out there, and the vendors were unable to control the thirsty cowboy boot and jeans clad crew who asserted their own limits – or lack thereof.

When you host a party, beer must be easily and plentifully available. If it isn’t, people find alternative arrangements. Aldean was great, and so was Tyler Farr, but all people were talking about was the disappointing length of the lines for warm beer.

Never end a race under yellow again – There is nothing less satisfying that watching 198 laps of great racing only to see a back marker clip the wall and cause a drab finish under caution. Drama should build throughout the race until the checkers fall, not come to an abrupt end with a couple of laps left.

The powers that be made a bold and brilliant call yesterday when they red flagged the race with under ten laps left as Townsend Bell crashed. Sure, it might have altered the result of the race for the teams and drivers, but spectator events need to embrace the needs of spectators.

An Indy 500 should be like sex – the climax needs to be at the very end.

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Ignore the traditionalists when re-building the Indy 500 – An event should be deconstructed year after year to ensure continued evolution to improve customer and participant satisfaction. Indianapolis is very imaginative as hosts for the Super Bowl, Final Fours, and Big Ten events. The Indy 500 should mirror that creativity, and hiring Mark Miles as the Hulman Company CEO should continue to enhance that process.

Miles is crazy smart, and knows exactly how to build fun events from the ground up. Hopefully, he is able to get done what needs to be done year after year without interference from those who would like the month of May to return to what it was back in 1958.

Concerts, music festivals, additional races, tighter (less complicated) qualifications, and a better overall customer experience have continued to move the experience forward, but there is a lot more to be done. My wife wants the IMuSic Fest on Carb Day and the day after. I like it. Why not have a Lollapalooza type show with multiple stages servicing 80,000 who then stick around for the race?

I love the direction the Month of May is heading, but with a couple of annual tweaks the Indianapolis 500 will become a must attend event for people all over the midwest. It’s time that people in St. Louis, Chicago, Columbus, and Louisville see the magic at 16th and Georgetown as a traditional pilgrimage whose allure is more than tradition.

Indiana Pacers – Miami Heat halfway home in best-of-seven after 99-87 win

by Kent Sterling

LeBron James is the best player in the world, and sending him home is going to be tough for the Pacers now down 2-1 in the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Pacers 42-38 halftime lead might have been the most precarious in basketball history. At the downtown Indianapolis Kilroy’s, no Pacers fan felt confident, and no Heat fan was unsure they would find a way to win.

For some strange reason, I can’t believe it’s a purposeful strategic decision, the Heat begin every game playing a passive defense that allows the Pacers to move the ball without resistance to create whatever open shot they choose. Last night, as the Heat’s defensive pressure increased, so did the Heats offensive efficiency.

Tough defense leads to easy offense for all basketball teams, but especially for the Heat.

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As was the case in Game Two, the stat line for both teams was virtually identical, minus the shooting percentages. The Heat and Pacers had exactly the same number of offensive rebounds (6), defensive rebounds (23), and assists (17). The Heat forced two more turnovers and committed two more fouls.

The difference in the game – as it is with most games – was in the shooting. The Heat made four more three-pointers than the Pacers on three fewer attempts. That precisely accounts for the 12-point difference in Game Three.

Ray Allen and Norris Cole were both stellar off the bench for the Heat. Allen hit all four of his three-point attempts, and Cole chipped in nine points while playing very aggressive defense. Mario Chalmers continues to start for the Heat, but Cole plays more often and much more productively.

Game Three leaves the Heat with a 2-1 lead, and as ESPN has told us ad nauseum, teams with a 2-1 advantage have won a seven-game series 76.1% of the time.

But being down 2-1 with home court advantage is different for the Pacers. If the Pacers can win two of the next three, a home Game Seven will follow. Down 2-1 with Game Seven on the road means winning three straight is almost a must.

The Pacers are no less built to beat the Heat today than they were at the beginning of the season. Paul George and David West have not played well since Game One, and that won’t hold true forever. Both will get theirs, but the two best players in the series are LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, and that makes the Heat a very difficult quarry.

At no point in a game is that more true than during the final five minutes of a game with the score within five points. Throughout the playoffs, the Heat have outscored opponents in that situation 41-17 with a crazy field goal percentage of 64.7% to their opponents 20.8%.

Seven-game series are made up of up to seven individual chapters of a book, and to project success or failure after three games is folly. That said, Game Four is a big one – not essential, but big. To lose that game would put the Pacers in a jackpot requiring them to sweep the final three against the two-time champs with a top-five all-time player. That is the definition of a tall order.

All that work and all those dreams of getting to this spot for a chance to beat the Heat. All the drama of the early regular season success followed by a second half malaise, and finally securing home court throughout the Eastern Conference Finals. The comeback from down 3-2 in the Atlanta series that would have been incredibly disappointing, and another comeback against Washington landed the Pacers in the ECF, but it will take another comeback for the Pacers to advance to the NBA Finals for the second time in franchise history.

Greatest all-time “Ahead of the Curve” on tap today at 11a with Hagan & Sterling

by Kent Sterling

When Game Three of the Eastern Conference Finals is tonight, the Indy 500 is tomorrow, and Colts owner Jim Irsay was charged with two misdemeanors yesterday, hosting a sportstalk show like sitting in a sports bar having a conversation.

That is the good fortune of Fox 59 sports director Chris Hagan and I this morning at 11a on 1070 the Fan, 107.5 FM, and 1070thefan.com.

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When people on the street are talking about what we are talking about, that is called being relevant. Not sure everyone in sportstalk radio gets that, but on a day like this talking about what others care about is shooting fish in a barrel (which seems like a cruel thing to do for such an oft-used phrase).

The Pacers are ready for Game Three tonight at 8:30p. Paul George has been cleared to play despite wearing a red penny (one of those little mesh tank tops that they pass out in gym class to tell one team from another) in yesterday’s practice. In this case it was to remind teammates during practice that George was not to be touched. No sense jostling is already slightly bruised brain. You’ll hear from George today.

George Hill is ready to go too, and you hear a one-on-one with him. When Hill is aggressive, the Pacers play well, so we’ll ask whether he gives that any thought as he is playing or whether he simply allows the game to happen.

If you ever wondered what Rasual Butler sounds like, today is your lucky day. His career was on the scrap heap last year, but he kept fighting, and found his way into meaningful minutes during the Eastern Conference Finals. Butler will talk about what surprised him about the D-league and summer league experience, and you will understand why pro athletes should stay off of social media.

The Indy 500 is tomorrow, and Chris has been out at the track all week spending time with the drivers. We’ll talk plenty of racing, and the 500 Festival Parade starts at 12p, so maybe we’ll catch some of the drivers as they are winding their way through Indianapolis. We’ll also talk to parade veteran Ruth Buzzi! Not really, but I always enjoy busting Ruthy’s chops over her gig in the parade. She hasn’t been on a Dean Martin Roast or Laugh-In in 40 years, and no one under the age of 45 knows who in the hell she is but every year she waves to increasingly confused parade attendees.

Irsay was charged yesterday in Hamilton with two misdemeanor counts related to his OWI arrest March 16th, but the punishment for his poor decision making is not over. The NFL is surely not eager to be accused of a double-standard regarding its treatment of rich white guys versus African-American athletes like Justin Blackmon and Josh Gordon.

Chris and I need four hours to give all of these topics their just due, but we’ll do all we can to make this the best two hours of our week. Hope you join us.

Can’t wait!

Hamilton County gives Jim Irsay a pass; what will Roger Goodell and the NFL do?

by Kent Sterling

If it’s unfair to look at Jim Irsay as a criminal because of his disease, why is it different for Josh Gordon and Justin Blackmon.

Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay is an addict. He has a disease, and doing time is going to do nothing to change that, so the Hamilton County prosecutor’s office filed charges two C misdemeanors related to his March 16 arrest.

Is there a double standard at work here? Would you or I have access to that same level of forgiveness and compassion from law enforcement if we found ourselves in the same jackpot? Likely not.

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Money buys great lawyers, and great lawyers stand heavy on the defendants side of the scales of justice.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will now look at the charges and decide whether Irsay’s poor decision to drive high requires a consequence beyond what the legal system prescribes.

Players will be watching. Fans will be watching. And the media will be watching.

A double standard is what they will be looking for. When NFL players with a history of drug abuse screw up, the NFL brings the hammer down with swift and sure precision.

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon tested positive yet again for marijuana, and is facing a one-year ban. Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Justin Blackmon has flunked multiple tests for pot and is also looking at a ban for the 2014 season.

The test Irsay flunked was not administered by the NFL, but there is no conceivable justification be for Irsay to be treated differently than either Blackmon or Gordon. He too is a repeat offender, and he too sullied the Shield.

Irsay did nothing to diminish the Colts on-field product, but neither did Gordon or Blackmon. If you want to make a case by case comparison, a couple of young black athletes doing a few bong hits is trumped by an NFL owner driving 10 mph with multiple prescription bottles and $29,000+ in cash. Gordon and Blackmon are indiscreet youths. Irsay? We don’t quite know what they hell was going on there.

As far as damage done, a successful Super Bowl bid would have meant a huge influx of cash to the Indianapolis community, and while owners have told members of the Indy delegation that Irsay’s arrest was not a factor in it finishing third among Minneapolis and New Orleans, it didn’t help.

While Vikings owner Zygi Wilf was lobbying his follow owners to get the votes needed, Irsay was in 12-step meetings baring his soul. Not that he would have done a lot of good had he not been arrested – billionaires tend not to listen seriously to pill fiends – but Irsay dealing with his demons removed him as an asset.

I’m no expert on the personal conduct code by which all NFL personnel are bound, but I’m pretty sure there isn’t a clause that excuses addicts, or both Gordon and Blackmon would be candidates for absolution too.

There are very few civic assets worth more to the City of Indianapolis and its citizens that the Colts. It isn’t too much too ask that the team is led by a reasonably sober and responsible man or woman. Irsay has recently given ample-plus reason for doubt in those two areas

Goodell has shown himself capable of stepping to the disciplinary plate with a big bat, and if this was a circumstance where what was best for Irsay was the most important consideration, his decision on penalty would likely mirror the Hamilton County prosecutor.

But the players and its union are watching closely, and won’t tolerate a double standard. Addiction is a disease, but hypocrisy is a curse that could turn the sad story of a lonely and struggling man into a mess that will captivate the media.

The NFL enjoys negative media attention like Colts fans appreciate former wide receiver and Super Bowl onside kick fumbler Hank Baskett. Look for Goodell to leave no doubt that there is one set of rules for the NFL regardless of wealth, status, or disease.

Indiana Pacers – Paul George and the kids are alright heading to Miami for games 3 & 4

by Kent Sterling

Paul George (left) in his no-contact red penny said he believes he’ll be ready to go tomorrow night.

The weight of the world and resulting slumped shoulders of the Indiana Pacers are gone, replaced by smiles, banter, and a bounce in their step.

For a long time during the last third of the regular season and the playoff series against the the Atlanta Hawks and Washington Wizards, the Pacers looked like playing basketball was a chore.

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There were occasional moments of enjoyment and positive results like March home games against the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat, but the overall disposition of the Pacers players was sour.

When the much hoped for rematch of last year’s Eastern Conference Finals materialized as expected, the clouds parted and smiles returned.

After punting Game Two of the Eastern Conference Finals Tuesday night against the Miami Heat to allow the series to be evened at one game apiece, I wasn’t sure what I would see at today’s practice at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

Would the shroud of gloom re-deploy, or would the glee remain? Scowls or laughter? Laconic and slow or enthusiastic and brisk? Which would it be?

There were smiles everywhere, even on the face of red-pennied concussion victim Paul George, who assessed his chances of playing tomorrow night at 100%. When asked whether teammates are having fun at his expense because of the no-contact red penny, he joked, “Yeah, they’re calling me ‘Peyton.'”

He said that all symptoms of his first-ever concussion have been gone for two days, and that one thing he learned is to keep information about a black-out between himself and the training staff next time.

Lance Stephenson continued to make three-pointer after three-pointer during after practice shooting, yelling either “making ’em all,” “Can’t miss,” and “all-day long,” before each effort. By my count, he made 18 straight before one shot finally rimmed out.

David West grinned as he made free throws, and when West is grinning, you know something good is happening. Rasual Butler put on a shooting exhibition of his own, relentlessly dropping threes into the basket with exactly the same arc, distance, and rotation.

George Hill agreed to do a one-on-one with me for tomorrow’s “Ahead of the Curve” that was enjoyable. I like Hill, but he is not a huge fan of talking to media other than Indianapolis Star columnist Bob Kravitz or ESPN’s Mike Wells. I don’t blame him. I wouldn’t be thrilled about talking to media either, but when you ask Hill a reasonably good question, he comes with a well-thought out response.

This did not look like a group that believes anything but good is coming to them tomorrow night or beyond. They weren’t cocky, but they sure weren’t tight either.

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What that translates to on the court tomorrow night is anybody’s guess, after all LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and the other guys aren’t likely sweating what is now a best-of-five series with three at home. It’s been almost three years since the Heat allowed a team to excuse them from the playoffs before they lifted the Larry O’Brien Trophy, and their thirst for a third is as strong as ever.

Wade showed his resolve in Game Two be kneeing George in the back of the head, and the Pacers should expect full on mayhem from the Heat if cornered. Miami is like the pro-gun bumper sticker, “If you want my trophy, you’ll have to pry it from my cold dead fingers.”

But the Pacers appeared to behave like winners in the first two games and today’s practice.

My original prediction for Game Three was a substantial Heat win, but after catching the vibe at today’s practice, I think the Pacers might just find a way to not only win that Game Three but Game Four as well to return to Indy for a clinching Game Five. I still think the Pacers win in seven, but the Pacers did not look like a team that felt this series would mark the end of their season.

If the SS Pacers took on water Tuesday night, the crew sure didn’t look concerned about it today. They appeared to know something the rest of us don’t.

Indy 500 – Jim Nabors singing “(Back Home Again in) Indiana” one final time before Sunday’s Indy 500

by Kent Sterling

Jim Nabors will sing for a quarter million once more on Sunday, and then call it a career.

In 49 states, Jim Nabors is a ghost of TV past … but this is Indiana.

To those living outside Indiana, the thought of an actor without a single credit in the last 23 years being the the centerpiece of a pre-race ceremony – any pre-race ceremony – is ludicrous.

It sounds more Kokomo Raceway than Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but for people in Indiana who have listened to the guy who played Gomer Pyle on TV sing “(Back Home Again in ) Indiana,” it’s a treasured tradition.

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Nabors will make the long flight from Hawaii to the Brickyard one final time for the opening ceremonies of the 2014 Indianapolis 500.

As peculiar (and that is being kind) as it is, there will be a lot of tears shed in the grandstand as Nabors ends the final tradition that links the glory days of the Greatest Spectacle of Racing to the present. A.J. Foyt retired as a driver prior to the 1993 race. Tom Carnegie passed away in 2011 after serving as the public address announcer at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway from 1946 to 2006. Qualifications and race times have changed enough times that the event, minus 200 laps and 33 starters, is almost completely changed over the last decade.

Continuing a tradition for tradition sake can hamstring growth, but the quaint continuation of inviting Nabors to sing prior to the Indianapolis 500 makes race day magical. And this year the magic will sadly end.

Nabors will turn 84 in a couple of weeks, and the travel from Hawaii to Indy is a little bit too much for him. But for one more Memorial Day Weekend Sunday, a quarter of a million fans will scramble through the gate, and get to their seats in time to listen to the same voice that welcomed them when Foyt, Bobby and Al Unser, Mark Donohue, Mario Andretti, Johnny Rutherford, Gordon Johncock, and Gary Bettenhausen were the marquee names of racing’s marquee event.

Things change, but for the sporting venue where change comes most slowly, this is one that will be most unpleasant a year from now. Nabors is as big a part of the race day experience as kissing the bricks and the winner drinking milk after taking the checkered flag. It would be wonderful if it could continue forever, but that’s not the way human beings work.

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If you aren’t an Indy 500 fan or from Indiana, you will shake your head in disbelief, but Nabors’ final effort will bring tears and loud cheers.

It makes no logical sense, but I cannot imagine race day without hearing Nabors sing – even when he was too ill to attend, his voice was there. I’m glad we get a chance to thank Nabors for the 40-plus years of memories that spans the life of most fans.

Race day Weather forecast is partly cloudy and a high of 80

Here is the full schedule of events for race day (including the final Nabors performance at 12:04p:

5:30 am – Gates Open – IMS
5:30 am – 2:00 pm – IMS Midway – IMS Infield
5:30 am – 2:00 pm – IMS Kids Zone Open – IMS
7 am – Snake Pit presented by Miller Lite Opens – Infield Turn 3
7 am – Matt Dash Performance – Snake Pit
8 am – Spectacle of Bands
8 am – 10:00 am – Dillon Francis Performance – Snake Pit
9:30 am – Celebrity Red Carpet – Pagoda Plaza
9:45 am – 500 Festival Princess Lap
10 am – 12:30 pm – NERVO Performance – Snake Pit
10:15 am – Cars Grid on Track
10:15 am – On the Banks of the Wabash – Performed by the Purdue University All-American Marching Band
10:35 am – Green Flag Delivered by Andrew Luck – Yard of Bricks
10:50 am – Vintage Car Laps
11:10 am – Military Recognition Lap
11:33 am – Indianapolis 500 Driver Introductions
11:43 am – America the Beautiful – Performed by Martina McBride
11:45 am – Military Address
11:47 am – God Bless America – Performed by Florence Henderson
11:49 am – Invocation
11:52 am – Taps
11:53 am – National Anthem – Performed by LeAnn Rimes
11:55 am – Flyover – IMS – Performed by the Black Diamond Jet Team
11:57 am – Drivers to Your Cars Announcement
12:04 pm – Back Home Again in Indiana – Performed by Jim Nabors
12:12 pm – 98th Running of the Indianapolis 500 (200 Laps)
12:30 pm – Hardwell Performance – Snake Pit
6 pm – Gates Close – IMS