Author Archives: Kent Sterling

Twitter Follower Standings for Indianapolis Radio, TV, and Print Sports Anchors/Hosts/Reporters

by Kent Sterling

Feel free to follow me @kentsterling, or any of the folks below.

No one really knows how many people are watching TV or listening to the radio. The ratings methodologies are flawed as hell, and are only accurate over an extended period of time.

With Twitter, there is no doubt about the accuracy, so when I started doing a little research on a piece on the twitter follower numbers for professional sports leagues and franchises that will be published later today or tomorrow, I stumbled into a few accounts belonging to Indy sports media types, and decided a list of standings would be disruptive to their egos and a distraction from their routines.

How better to spend a few minutes? Right or wrong, the strength of a media person’s brand is measured by the number of Twitter followers. Some embrace Twitter as a method to reach lots of people, and isn’t that what working in the media is all about.

I have subdivided these lists into radio, TV, and print:

Sports Radio in Indy

Dan Dakich – 1070 the Fan, 58,151 (obviously buffeted by exposure nationally on ESPN)
JMV – 1070 the Fan, 17,219
Michael Grady – 1070 the Fan, 8,329
Jake Query 1260 WNDE, 7,084
Mark Boyle – Pacers play-by-play, 6,979
Kevin Lee – 1070 the Fan/NBC, 6,121
Greg Rakestraw – 1070 the Fan, 4,302
Eddie White – Pacers Postage, 4,207
Derek Schultz – 1260 WNDE 3,385

TV Sports Anchors/Reporters in Indy

Dave Calabro – WTHR, 6,881
Anthony Calhoun – WISH, 5,159
Chris Hagan – Fox 59, 4,282
Dave Furst – RTV6, 4,005
Rich Nye – WTHR, 3,881
Jeremiah Johnson – Fox 59, 3,701
Eric Yutzy – WTHR, 2,042
Jason Spells – RTV6, 1,729
Brittany Diehl – Fox 59, 1,619
Chris Widlic – WISH, 1,402
Larry Hawley – FOX 59, 1,062
Amanda Maynard – WISH, 829
Brad Brown – RTV6, 496

Print – all with Indianapolis Star (beat in parenthesis)

Bob Kravitz (columnist), 33,760
Mike Wells (Pacers), 24,145
Mike Chappell (Colts), 12,317
Terry Hutchens (IU), 12,025
Curt Cavin (Racing), 11,922
Kyle Neddenriep (Preps, recruiting), 10,011
David Woods (Butler), 5,518
Zak Keefer, 2,401
Michael Pointer, 2,000
Mark Ambrogi, 1,378

My Twitter imprint is not enormous, but given the lack of daily traditional media exposure, or a specific beat, I’m happy with continuous growth to 2,258. You can follow me @kentsterling I post about all things sports and media, and there are links to everything written at kentsterling.com on that Twitter feed.

IU Baseball – Win or Go Home Game Tonight for Hoosiers Against Oregon State

by Kent Sterling

All you need to know about the Indiana vs. Oregon State game tonight at 8p is that the winning team will be very happy, and the losers will go home. The rest just clutters your brain.

My whole life I have tried to learn everything relevant about the games I would watch, so watching a game where I have a rooting interest but no knowledge whatsoever is a joy.

Not only do I know nothing about the team Indiana plays tonight in an elimination game of the College World Series, I have no way to learn. Oregon State will be the opponent, and aside from the stat page on the Oregon State sports website, there is no information to be gleaned anywhere.

As we have been inundated with minutia about the NBA Finals, and have to suffer through endless inane analysis from men without any real insight at all, tonight we get to watch a game played by entirely anonymous young men who have always dreamed of this moment.

For the same reason, I love watching the girls softball World Series too. I don’t need to know a damn thing, and there are reminders throughout the game that knowing stuff really doesn’t enhance the enjoyment of watching.

What the hell do I care what the shortstop for Oregon State hits with two outs and runners in scoring position? It doesn’t matter. What does matter is the result. And I don’t need to know whether Indiana or Oregon State is favored. Sometimes context can get in the way.

That’s a shame because I make my living trying to figure out what’s important in a sporting event, and write or talk about it in an interesting way.

Here’s the story about this game: two teams will play. The rules of baseball will be followed. After nine innings, there will be a winner, and the loser will be driven to the airport to fly home in reflection.

Hell, it’s pretty much the same as every game!

I will root for Indiana because I went to college there and because my son played basketball with starting center fielder Justin Cureton at Cathedral High School. Sounds like low stress fun.

I love it when sports just washes over us like it will tonight.

Performances Like Manu Ginobili’s in Game Six Are Permanently Painful

by Kent Sterling

Not sure whether this photo captures a Manu Ginobili turnover from last night, but I wouldn’t bet against it.

Every professional athlete has a moment when he realizes he can’t do what he once did – that the physical gifts that once seemed so much a part of his DNA have eroded to the point where he is now a liability to the team that once counted on his skills.

That moment came last night for San Antonio Spurs wing Manu Ginobili in Game Six of the NBA Finals, and barring a miraculous pivot toward good fortune, his performance will remain etched in his brain as the reason the Spurs don’t return home with their fifth Larry O’Brien Trophy.

There were times during the game he looked like the drummer who filled in for The Who in San Francisco when Keith Moon passed out on stage, except that drummer adequately kept time. Ginobili was the guy not like the others. He was slow, weak, and misguided in his choices with the ball.

The plus/minus statistic keeps track of the scoring differential every second each player is in the game, and Ginobili’s plus/minus last night was -21 during his 35 minutes. Conversely, hall of famer Tim Duncan was a +16 in the three-point overtime loss.

Ginobili’s comment after the game was, “I’m devastated.” Yep.

The media get to see that devastation after the games in the locker room every once in a while. Al Harris was one of the best defensive backs in the NFL during the 2000s. When he tried to come back to play for the St. Louis Rams in 2011 he was exposed as a 36-year-old against the New York Giants. As the rest of the team showered and dressed after a loss at MetLife Stadium, Harris sat in the locker room, still in pads and jersey, with his head in his hands. He knew.

Ginobili felt something similar last night after turning the ball over a career high eight times while scoring nine points. It wasn’t the tonnage of the turnovers, but the timing and the quality that showed every bit of tread off the tires of the soon-to-be 36-year-old.

The three-year extension that Ginobili signed in 2010 expires after this season, so this is likely the last chapter of a Spurs player who helped his team win three NBA Championships. He might play somewhere again, but it likely will not be in San Antonio, and it won’t dull the memory of last night’s unpleasantness.

The difference between young and old is in the ability to bounce back physically. Ginobili showed he is capable of brilliance in Game Five when he hit 8-of-14 for 24 points and 10 assists, but repeating excellence as athletes age becomes impossible.

There are others who will willingly share some blame from the media. Coach Gregg Popovich pulled Duncan twice for Miami offensive possessions in the last :28, and the Spurs gave up crucial offensive rebounds on two missed three-pointers that led to made three-pointers. I’m certain Popovich would choose to matchup against three-point shooters again, and he would be right to. The ball caromed to the wrong guy – twice. That’s bad luck, not bad strategy.

Duncan scored 25 points in the first half on 11-of-13 shooting. In the second half, he tallied only five points, making 2-of-8 shots Tony Parker was only 6-of-23 from the field for the game, but holding either accountable for the loss would defy logic.

There are also those who will point to LeBron James triple-double as the reason why the Heat rallied. The 16 fourth quarter points were instrumental in changing the game, but James didn’t beat the Spurs, and Popovich, Duncan, and Parker didn’t either.

No, sadly, this one belongs to Ginobili, and he’ll carry the lasting memory of this game with him into retirement.

That is unless, somehow, someway, the Spurs find the energy to rally for a Game Seven upset over the Heat that would rival the greatest in the history of sports.

Aging is a bitch for everyone, but to do it as publicly as Ginobili did last night is tragic.

NBA Finals – A Game Seven After a Magical Game Six as the Miami Heat Take Game Six in OT

by Kent Sterling

San Antonio Spurs' Tim Duncan (21) passes off as he is guarded by Miami Heat's Dwyane Wade (3) and Chris Bosh (R) during the first quarter in Game 6 of their NBA Finals basketball playoff in Miami, Florida June 18, 2013. REUTERS/Mike Segar (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT BASKETBALL)

San Antonio Spurs’ Tim Duncan passes off as he is guarded by Miami Heat’s Dwyane Wade during the first quarter in Game 6 of the NBA Finals REUTERS/Mike Segar

That was a hell of a basketball game that the Miami Heat won 103-100 in overtime.

The game belonged to the Spurs as they took a 13 point lead in the third. Then it belonged to the Heat as they asserted themselves in the fourth quarter to take a three-point lead with under two-minutes left in regulation. Finally, it belonged to the Spurs as they led by five after a Manu Ginobili free throw with :28 left. Wait, no, the Heat somehow found a way again to claw back to force overtime.

And then, the Heat finished the job everyone expected them to complete tonight, as they forced a seventh game for the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

There were heroes all over the floor, and there were goats too. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich made a critical substitution that might have been the play that made the most sense, but cost the Spurs two potential defensive rebounds that led directly to the two three pointers the Heat needed to tie the game.

Hard to criticize Popovich for subbing out Tim Duncan for Boris Diaw as the Heat looked for three pointers while down five and then down three. Both initial 26-foot three attempts by LeBron James missed, but were rebounded by the Heat. James hit one of the follow-ups and Ray Allen knocked down the other to tie the game.

The Good

Mario Chalmers kept the Heat in the game with his 14 first half points.
LeBron James scored 16 of his 32 points in the fourth quarter.
Tim Duncan scored 30 points in the first 31:29 minutes of the game.
Duncan’s productive +/- score differential while on the floor of +16.
The post I wrote when I thought the Spurs were going to win.
Kawhi Leonard’s 22 points, 11 boards, and +/- of +11 made it clear why Popovich was motivated to swap George Hill for his draft rights.
The Spurs, minus Tony Parker’s 6-of-23 (see the bad) shot a righteous 31-of-62 from the field.
Mike Miller might look like an industrial league regular, but he was very effective during his 30 minutes, scoring eight with seven rebounds. His +/- of +15 led the Heat
Chris Bosh’s help defense that led to two key blocks down the stretch.
Tiago Splitter’s only two buckets early in the fourth quarter that kept the Spurs ahead while Tony Parker and Tim Duncan rested.

The Bad

Duncan scored zero points over the last 21:31.
James tallied only 14 points through the first three quarters.
Bosh being routinely abused by Tim Duncan during his nearly flawless first half.
Everything Splitter did minus the two baskets referenced in the Good section.
Parker had a tough night from the field while being well-defended by a variety of Heat players, making only 6-of-23.

The Ugly

James without his head band. The receding headline made him look 58.
Ginobili’s eight turnovers.
Ginobili’s nightmarish +/- score of -21.
The decision by referees to review the good three by Allen that tied the game with five seconds left. That removed the drama of a finish uninterrupted by a timeout. I know that it’s good to make sure on a key play like that, but did anyone have a doubt that Allen’s feet were behind the line.
The officiating as a whole in the NBA is almost impossible to evaluate as some heavy contact is not a foul while other light contact is. How fans are supposed to have any idea at all whether the games are being refereed accurately is anyone’s guess. I have no idea myself.

Now, we rest up for another late night of hoops. Can’t wait.

NBA Finals – Game Six Tonight – Is There Any Doubt the Miami Heat Wins This Game?

by Kent Sterling

Joey Crawford will be working Game Six tonight, and he may represent the best chance the Spurs have.

There is an arrogance about the Miami Heat that I don’t like. LeBron James carries himself like he has no doubt this series is over, and then he proves that he was right. That I admire. The way the rest of the team syncs with that arrogance, but are mostly incapable to delivering the goods is annoying.

With the exception of Dwyane Wade who has shown that he still has some game lurking in that aging carcass, the Heat are an expansion team who walk into an arena like they are the stars of the show.

Chris Bosh hasn’t been the stiff he was during the Eastern Conference Finals against the Pacers, but is there anyone remotely interested in the NBA who believes that Bosh asserting his will tonight would be anything but weird? He’s averaged 14.6 and 8.8 against the Spurs as opposed to the 11 and 4.3 vs. Indiana, but he’s still the Shemp of the Big Three (this is a dated reference to the Three Stooges that requires explanation only to people who are victims of a misspent youth.)

The Spurs keep battling in much the same way the Pacers did, but every game where the Heat have been backed into a corner, they have responded with outstanding defense and improved offensive efficiency.

One of the points of differentiation the Heat need to take advantage of is points off turnovers. When the Heat win, they average +16 in points off turnovers. When they lose, the difference is +0.3.

The Heat force turnovers when they are exceptionally active on the defensive end. When the Heat sit back and allow the Spurs to dictate terms on their offensive end, they lose.

Eric Spoelstra may look down the bench where he has buried Chris Anderson for the past two games. The idea being to get Gregg Popovich to dust off the virtually inert Tiago Splitter, but this series is not going to come down to anything Splitter or Anderson do. This is about the Spurs ability to create space for shooters, and limit turnovers.

The prevailing winds are behind the Heat tonight as they have alternated wins and losses since game one of the series against the Pacers (seems like it happened eight months ago). Losses awaken the Heat, and the 114-104 butt kicking they absorbed on Sunday should be a pitcher of ice water to their faces.

And then will come the best of one climax. Do you want to bet against the Heat at home in a game seven. Damn right you don’t.

There are some pro Spurs numbers being bandied about too – like the 14-2 record the franchise has in potential closeout games since 2003, and the four championships in four tries for the Spurs. When the Spurs have been good enough to earn a trip to the finals, they have been good enough to win.

The difference tonight and Thursday will be the unmatched skill and will of LeBron James. If he shows up, he will win both games for the Heat.

Popovich doesn’t have a player on either end who can assert his will to end runs, and the Heat have one guy capable of doing it on both.

The result of tonight’s Heat win will be the endless and annoying prattling from ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith (the A stands for superfluous adverbs) about the amazingly, predictably, efficiently, and wonderfully excellent play by James, and the effusive predictions for a follow up game seven masterwork.

I’ll wince through every utterance, and would love for the Spurs to shut him up with 48 minutes of crisp passing, accurate shooting, and communicative defense, but there are games and series that just seem to be predestined to end a certain way.

I’m an expert on the feeling of wins becoming losses as a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan, and a follower of Indiana Hoosiers basketball under Mike Davis, so trust me when I say this deal is done.

Despite the illogic of a team with two bites at a closeout being the overwhelming underdog, this one sure feels like the Heat are going to put another Larry O’Brien Trophy on their shelf.

I will spend tonight and Thursday hoping the Spurs find a way, but minus bizarre calls against James by Joey Crawford, the series is already in the books.

What I Learned on Vacation in Clearwater

by Kent Sterling

We show only the lower legs to protect the identities of the victims.

The lesson: I’m young enough to continue to challenge my body, but too old to do it without consequence.

Just spent four days in Clearwater, Florida with friends and their family. I was hard not to learn on our little trip, which was little because Julie and I realized a long time ago that we tend to get a little anxious on day five of any trip. What I learned most of all is that cavorting like a 25 year-old is no longer in the cards for me.

I’m not talking about late nights, but the days of activity. Yesterday, on the beach we decided to run a series of 40-yard dashes against one another, and I ran three too many – meaning I ran three.

My physical condition isn’t bad. I go to the gym at least four times a week to run a mile at 7.5 miles an hour, and then I lift. I ride my bike 10 miles or so twice or more every week. I eat pretty well. After going from 1984-2002 with at least some cheese in every meal, I’m much more likely to eat a bowl of fruit as a pizza.

So it’s not like running for me is dangerous, but after spending a few hours in the Gulf of Mexico on Saturday using muscles that have gone untested since my last visit to a wave filled body of water (2005), and racing people ranging from 19-to-50 in fine white sand was not my best decision.

The first two passes went as well as I could have hoped. My body moved as it always has, and felt good. Both races were victories against a 50-year old who is in good shape, so we grabbed the kids.

After 20 yards, all I saw were backs, but they weren’t too far ahead – maybe a yard – so I reached deep for another gear. Uh-oh. Total system failure, and a near collapse in the sand. Falling on the beach is never an option for me, as I loathe being covered in sand or, God forbid, inviting sand to infiltrate my covered areas. I regained a measure of balance, but still was unable to finish ahead of a competitor over the age of 30.

The wreckage of my lower body today is causing pain resulting in an odd series of compensatory walking strategies that I hope manifests itself in an even gait. My guess, as I have not yet watched myself walk, is that I’m moving with the grace of the 89-year-old guy who kept passengers from deplaning expeditiously last night when we arrived back in Indy.

However many muscles I have in my hip area – they are each strained, pulled, or torn.

There was also an evening opportunity to dance, and as I know only one interesting and unique dance, I stuck with the “Windmill.” This dance was taught to me by its inventor, the very gifted Scott Rok Ermeti. It’s very hard to describe, but when done passionately, the Windmill is a full body workout that combines the exertion of spinning with the grace, control, and balance of advanced yoga.

Doing the Windmill for a full hour is the equivalent of doing cartwheels from Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis to Indiana University’s Assembly Hall in Bloomington, and we danced for at least an hour.

This was a very relaxing four-day vacation for Julie, Ryan, and I with a wonderful group of friends who welcomed us as though we were part of their family. We all stayed in “The Cedar House” in clearwater as part of a 25th anniversary celebration. There was 18-20 of us, and the group could not have enjoyed each other more.

One of the wonderful byproducts of returning to Indianapolis has been to reconnect with friends so that trips like this are possible.

Even if they result in searing soreness all about the lower body.

Johnny Manziel Has Options if Life Is Too Tough as Heisman Trophy Winning Stud Quarterback

by Kent Sterling

Yeah, your life sucks, Johnny. Sara Savage holding your Heisman must be a bitter pill to swallow in the morning.

Yeah, your life sucks, Johnny. Sara Savage holding your Heisman must be a bitter pill to swallow every morning.

Is there anything less attractive than someone who bitches and moans about the rigors and responsibilities of massive success?

People who go to Vegas, win big, and complain about the taxes are among the most grotesque scourges on the planet. Lotto winners who long for the days prior to winning should give all their cash to strangers if they can’t enjoy it.

America found out late Friday and early Saturday that Johnny Manziel is just such an idiot.

Twitter at night is a dangerous place for a college quarterback, and Texas A&M’s Johnny Football found that out Saturday. His two tweets:

“Bulls— like tonight is a reason why I can’t wait to leave college station…whenever it may be,” 10:38 PM, June 15

“Don’t ever forget that I love A&M with all of my heart, but please please walk a day in my shoes.” 1:53 AM, June 16

The first tweet is the kind of juvenile overreaction to jealous drunks shrieking nonsense to a quarterback with the world by the balls – or maybe to his girlfriend. It’s shortsighted and silly – the kind of thing a 20 1/2 year old might think, and with Twitter being so convenient and available, maybe Manziel was compelled to yell it to everyone.

I’m cool with that one.

The second it the train wreck for me. It reeks of the hubris and poor understanding of life so often demonstrated by those who mistake glee for pain, reward for penalty, and repeated thrills of a lifetime for the mundane.

Manziel wants people to walk in his shoes. Here’s an idea, spend a day in the shoes of a surgeon who holds lives in his hands everyday. Spend a day in the shoes of a woman who scrubs floors to try to put food on the table for her kids. Spend a day in the shoes of former Saints player Steve Gleason, who can no longer move, but continues to try to inspire others by writing through the use of eye recognition software. Go to Haiti and look at the dire poverty.

If he’s tired of being the quarterback of Texas A&M and all that goes with it, stop. That position didn’t come as the result of a judge’s sentence. As I understand it, all he has to do is decide not to – as I did at the same age when I no longer wanted to cook pizzas.

He can refuse to throw out the first pitch in San Diego and Arlington, Texas. He can refuse the offer of courtside seats to a Houston Rockets game.

Manziel can crate that Heisman Trophy, and put it in a storage locker. Break up with model girlfriend Sara Savage, who if presented with an opportunity to date everyday college student Johnny Manziel, would say, “Um, who? Yeah, I’ll pass.”

What he should do is grow the hell up and realize that life isn’t a damn carnival that was created for his amusement without potholes.

His tweets try to educate us that everyone has a bad day, and that his life isn’t all surprises and delight. We already know that because we are adults who sweat, revel, and answer challenges too.

Manziel’s life is different, and if that’s a source of resentment for him, he should man up and change his channel.

If he wants joy, Manziel should open his eyes at times when he’s not in front a mirror. Take a look around. See what real life is for others. Hold on to your own shoes, and start trying on those belonging to less fortunate folks – a list of people that includes damn near everyone on the planet.

Grow up and stop whining. At least stop doing it so publicly.

790 The Zone Hits New Low with Steve Gleason Bit

by Kent Sterling

ALS victim Chris Gleason fights to maintain hope, and radio idiots who mocked him are looking for work.

Radio can do so much better than it currently does, and now it will because one more self-indulgent, small-minded show has been eliminated.

There are two types of sportstalk stations – those that cater to a sportscentric audience with unique information and perspective from hosts that love the games they cover, and the others that embrace childish antics that suit their sense of humor but rarely find an audience.

790 the Zone in Atlanta has always been a station that was dominated by morning talent that cared more about what made them giggle than what might engage sports fans. And finally, yesterday the low brow humor that has been the hallmark of “Mayhem in the AM” with Steak Shapiro, Chris Dimino, and Nick Cellini caught up with them.

Mayhem did a bit where Cellini portrayed former New Orleans Saint Steve Gleason, who is currently in the end stages of ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease). Cellini spoke as though he was using a computerized voice, and that was about as much thought the three talent put into what they were doing.

Cellini went completely off the rails as he started to tell knock-knock jokes that conveyed Gleason’s hope for death. The other talent smelled the abyss into which their idiocy was taking them.

The three hosts were immediately suspended, and later in the day – after consultation with attorneys and human resources type folks, as is always the case – they were fired. VP/GM Rick Mack released the following statement:

“We deeply regret the offensive programming that aired this morning on “Mayhem In The AM” on 790 The Zone, related to former New Orleans Saints player Steve Gleason and his battle with ALS. We suspended the three individuals involved immediately following their comments and have since terminated their employment. 790 The Zone, our owners, sponsors and partners in no way endorse or support this kind of content. We sincerely apologize to Mr. Gleason, his family and all those touched by ALS.”

Speaking into a microphone is a responsibility. Hosts can either enlighten or damage with their choice of words and direction of their shows. They have an opportunity to entertain and inspire, or peel back the curtain on the desperation and bitterness that cause small-minded people to titter.

I’ve listened to these guys on occasion over the past two years, and this lapse of judgment is no surprise.

Two really bad things can happen to a radio show – the talent start to believe the positive comments from loving listeners, and the talent become indifferent to the process of preparation that gives a show the heft that makes it worthwhile for those not in love with the personality of the show. Both seem to happen to hosts simultaneously, and both have been a major problem with this show for years. Self-indulgence is a miserable trait for a radio host, and it was the defining trait for this show.

The Mayhem group being fired should remind talent everywhere to stay humble and work hard. It should drive home the understanding that the studio is not a sports bar, and that those regrettable things said after 14 beers to make friends wince make for terrible radio.

Here is a good rule for acceptable mockery. Victims need to be on top, not at the bottom. Making fun of people who are living large is funny. ALS victims deserve our respect as they deal with tiny erosions of their physical abilities until all are gone. It’s an unimaginable test of will and courage. Mocking them is Steak Shapiro, Chris Dimino, and Cellini did is weak and puny.

I wouldn’t wish ALS on anyone, but firing these clowns just doesn’t seem a serious enough consequence to enlighten them.

Phil Mickelson Finishes Second at US Open Sixth Time – Legacy is Anything But That of a Loser

by Kent Sterling

Phil Mickelson has everything figured out, but winning a U.S. Open continues to elude him. He has finished second six times since 1999, but those losses won’t define him.

Jack Nicklaus holds the record for winning majors with 18, but he was also the runner up in 19 more. Nicklaus is known as the best winner in golf, but he has also been defined by his response to losing. He was always gracious, seemingly more pleased by the victories of his rivals than with his own triumphs.

Despite his six green jackets, Nicklaus is as well known for being a great dad and gentleman, and despite Mickelson’s struggles to win his country’s championship, his legacy will be more similar to Nicklaus’s than the most logical heir apparent – Tiger Woods.

We are all well aware of Mickelson’s decision to attend his daughter’s eighth grade graduation and fly back to Philadelphia two hours prior to his tee time for the opening round. That kind of family first perspective is nothing new for Mickelson, and it’s hard to know what trophies it might have cost him throughout his career.

One thing that is for sure is that the motivation to collect trophies will not rob his kids of a father’s love or presence.

What Nicklaus always knew, and Mickelson has shown again and again that he knows, is that the legacy that matters most is in the eyes and hearts of the kids who call him “Dad.”

Mickelson smiles a lot regardless of whether he wins or loses. What a great lesson for his kids – and the rest of us to strive to succeed professionally and as parents.

Indiana All-Stars – Time to Drop Kentucky as an Annual Opponent

by Kent Sterling

When only 1,500 people show up to an 18,000 seat arena to watch an event, it’s time to pull the plug.

The Indiana vs. Kentucky all star series has become an afterthought on the sports calendar – not because their is a lack of interest from Indiana fans, but because of the quality of play by Kentucky.

The sad truth is that basketball in the Bluegrass State is played at such a low level that the home and home series each June has become an exhibition where the foregone conclusion is that Indiana will sweep, as they did again last weekend.

It’s an honor to be selected as an all star in the state where high school basketball counts as a major league, but for these games against a routinely inferior opponent to be the climax of a career is an insult to the kids who have worked so hard to achieve the honor.

There are plenty of surrounding states that produce talent at a high level and any would be an improvement over Kentucky. Indiana vs. Ohio or Illinois would allow the series to continue and flourish.

The 114-60 demolition Kentucky was forced to endure in the first game between the two squads last week was a miserable way for the Kentuckians to celebrate being named to an all-star team. The second game was a more reasonable contest that Indiana won 84-77, but the poor crowds (1,500 at Freedom Hall in Louisville; 6,209 in Indy) will never be corrected as long as the result is a fait accompli.

This sweep is the fifth straight for Indiana, and runs the series record to 90-42, with Indiana losing only twice in the last 22 contests.

A myth exists that because of the move to a four class tournament 15 years ago that people in Indiana no longer care deeply about the rite of passage chronicled in “Hoosiers”, and that’s nonsense. The gyms are still packed more often than not for each step of the tournament, and despite the idiocy of teams traveling an hour to play in sectionals, the game has never been stronger.

The level of play has never been higher as the facilities and instruction for kids dedicating themselves to basketball provides the nourishment needed to excel. No state produces as many NBA players per capita than Indiana, and those kids deserve a test to match that skill level, and Kentucky simply doesn’t provide it.

The game should be about the kids and not the fans, but if the public indifference reflected by the empty seats is to be corrected, the game needs an opponent that will drive interest, or at least play at a level where the outcome is in doubt before the tip. Knowing the answer to the question before it’s asked is no way to drive passionate fans to an arena.

There are charitable aspects to this annual event, but the amount of money that is generated by the friends and family crowd is too puny to be a concern.

It’s important that an all-star team is named, and that they convene to become a team, but they should be allowed a test that is compelling for them as well as the fans. The Kentucky kids deserve something other than a 54-point drubbing as their lasting memory of what should be a sweet final chapter of a high school career.