With the school year coming to a close and this being my last column of the year, I thought it would be fitting to look back at what the sports world has offered us over the year. From Super Bowls and sex scandals, to money and drugs, we saw a little bit of everything in the 2010-2011 school year.
It seems the year started and ended with football as we saw Auburn star quarterback Cam Newton win the BCS national championship and then become the first overall pick in the NFL draft. But as seemed to be the trend, Newton didn’t make it there without a little controversy. Allegations revolved around whether he received money to play at Auburn, specifically involving his father. But, he was a superstar, so that was quickly forgotten, similar to the actions of fellow quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
“Big Ben” is the two-time Super Bowl winning quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers. He is also a twice-accused sex-offender. His past charges resulted in NFL commissioner Roger Goodell suspending Roethlisberger for the first six (later reduced to four) games of the 2010 season. Despite this rocky start, the Steelers rallied behind their star to earn another Super Bowl berth. Just as with Newton, fans seemed quick to forget his actions as they watched him try to become one of the only (and youngest) quarterbacks to win three Super Bowls. He was denied this bid, however, as the underdog Green Bay Packers were led to the title by Pro Bowl quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The Packers road to the title was a most unlikely one, as upset after upset brought to mind the days of Vince Lombardi. The heroics and scandals of the year, however, weren’t contained in the football world.
College basketball has been rocked with scandal over the past few years, usually in the area of recruiting. This year’s Final Four featured a match-up of two coaches previously disciplined by the NCAA in UConn’s Jim Calhoun and Kentucky’s John Calipari. For this reason, many fans began to root for the other side of the bracket, the underdog Cinderellas of Butler and Virginia Commonwealth. But the storybook ending was not to be as Calhoun’s Huskies, in what might have been the ugliest national championship of all-time, eventually won this tournament for the ages.
Then came the steroid fiasco that is professional baseball today. For a while it seemed like you couldn’t turn on ESPN without hearing about the perjury trial of Barry Bonds. Bonds was eventually convicted of a few minor charges, proving once again that the courts are not the answer to clean up baseball. Soon the regular season started and most of that was put behind us as we reunited in the springtime glory of America’s pastime. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get away from steroids quite so easily. On April 10, Manny Ramirez announced his retirement amid rumors that he had failed another drug test. Manny’s first failed test resulted in a 50 game suspension during the 2009 season, and this next test carried a 100-game sentence. Rather than face this, the greatest right-handed hitter simply stepped away, leaving us to shake our heads as once again it was just “Manny being Manny.”
I can’t wait for next year.
The golf season has officially started and is in full swing. Once the weather starts to warm up, golfers all across the country head to their local courses to test their games. There is nothing like “breaking that rust free” with the first few swings.
One of the great things about golf starting back up is the fact that it is on television a lot more. The hype surrounding the Masters was unbelievable. Commercials advertising the Masters started in the winter, and it was almost impossible not to be excited about it. Once the tournament had started, everyone was rooting for Tiger and the young-gun, Rory McIlroy.
Unfortunately, Tiger did not win, and we witnessed the biggest choke Augusta National Golf Course has ever seen on a Sunday.
Everyone keeps saying this is the year for the young players on the PGA Tour. I couldn’t agree more. There are many players under the age of 30 who are making moves in the PGA. Dustin Johnson, who has won four times on the Tour, is only 26 years old. Rickie Fowler, who was PGA Tour Rookie of the Year for 2010, is only 22. Matteo Manassero, who has two wins on the European Tour, is only 18 years old. People say Tiger Woods paved the way for these young golfers to succeed at such an early age, and I agree completely.
The young players on the tour are making the game of golf more attractive to the younger generation. Rickie Fowler brings a new flare to the game that people are not used to seeing, and many older people do not like it. When Fowler flipped his flat-bill hat backwards before interviews at Augusta National, it did not settle well with the members. In fact, members immediately told him to turn the hat forward.
My dad calls him a punk, which is harsh considering he has never met him. It is the vibe Fowler puts off to the older generation that makes them wary.
Bottom line, the young golfers make golf fun to watch. I’m not saying Stewart Cink and Jim Furyk aren’t fun to watch, but watching golfers who are the same age as you make it more enjoyable.
There are many tournaments coming up where the young golfers will win. This past weekend was the Heritage at Harbor Town, and Brandt Snedeker, a 30-year-old from Tennessee, won the tournament.
I have been talking mainly about the young players on tour, but it seems everyone is still rooting for Tiger Woods.
It is tough to see an idol so cherished, not only in the world of golf, but also the world of sports, fall into such an ugly mess. The chances of Woods becoming one of the top golfers in the world again is inevitable, as the best will eventually filter through to the surface over time. Tiger Woods has proven in the past that he can be the best, and people always love to see a comeback. It won’t be too long before Tiger is winning majors again.
With all this hype around the professionals of golf, who have mastered both the mental and physical elements of the art, let us not forget the purity and enjoyment that surrounds the game of greens and curses.
So I will leave you with four very important words.
GET IN THE HOLE!
Thirteen years ago, the Indianapolis Colts were faced with the dilemma, as they held the number one overall pick in the 1998 NFL draft. While the Colts were a struggling franchise in need of a desperate change of fortune to become competitive in the league and support the team financially in the city, the owners knew a big-time player was needed.
The answer was Peyton Manning.
The team was caught in a media frenzy of whom to select. Manning was paired with another quarterback coming out at the time, Ryan Leaf. Both put up huge statistics while in college and, while Manning was considered smarter, some believed Leaf had the better potential because of a strong arm and booming confidence that carried over to his play.
History wrote itself as Manning has won four league MVP awards and a Super Bowl championship, while Leaf proved to be one of the biggest disappointments of his era with the San Diego Chargers.
Many would think today that the Colts overanalyzed the situation and overlooked the intangibles of Manning. It also brings to question why everything still seems to be overanalyzed today.
The NFL Draft is the most overrated and widely publicized event in the sports world every spring. Once the Super Bowl is over, NFL broadcasters immediately turn their attention to the draft, which is held during the last week of April each year. That leaves close to three months for obsession over who will be picked for what team.
A player’s stock rises and falls so much during the time that one is more likely to understand the psychology of the Jersey Shore cast than the owners of their favorite NFL team. Every aspect of a player is analyzed, including much more than on-field capabilities. Ridiculous questions circle NFL-draft prospects, and it is getting a little out of hand.
Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy was criticized for nearly acing the Wonderlic test—an aptitude exam given to incoming players, measuring IQ. Some scouts questioned if he was too smart for the NFL.
Auburn quarterback Cam Newton was recently asked on NFL Network about discipline problems he had during middle school.
In 2009, Florida State safety Myron Rolle missed the first half of one game while traveling to accept his honor as a Rhodes Scholar. One NFL team asked if he felt guilty about abandoning his team.
Where will the criticism end? How much can this wear on the incoming players’ psyche?
The truth is, the NFL wants to see where these players will break, hence these extensive and intense job interviews. For every Ryan Leaf, there is a Tom Brady, who was selected 199th overall but has won three Super Bowls. His recent emotional interview, while it has earned much laughter from the Franklin College cafeteria, proves the toll the lengthy experience of an NFL career has on players.
NFL owners need to conduct this process, but the rest of us need a break. Every day something is shown on Sportscenter or websites about the draft, and still I do not care.
I will let the experts do the talking and see who goes where the day after the draft. Besides, I would not want to be responsible for passing on the next Peyton Manning.
Dave Dravecky is man of many words. Baseball, politics, fishing, travel, whatever topic you can think of, he will be happy to discuss it with you. To see Dravecky’s eyes really light up, however, don’t ask him about whom he hit his solo home run off of, or how he threw his four-seam fastball. No, what really drives Dravecky, his passion in life, is something more than that.
To meet the real Dave Dravecky, ask him about his faith.
I was very fortunate to have the opportunity this week to go to dinner with Dravecky, along with two of my professors, and talk with the man behind the San Francisco Giants jersey.
Dravecky was a left-handed pitcher for the San Diego Padres from 1982 to 1987, and was then traded to the Giants in July 1987. He was selected for the National League All-Star team in 1983, an incredible accomplishment for any professional baseball player.
Now, this is where the story gets a little rough. During the 1988 season with the Giants, it was discovered that Dravecky had cancer in his left arm, tragically, as he was a southpaw. Doctors removed half of his deltoid muscle, adamant that he would never pitch again.
Then came the comeback. In 1989, Dravecky returned to professional baseball. The fans were ecstatic to see a story of triumph, of overcoming a seemingly insurmountable obstacle to once again dawn the black and orange.
And then it happened: “the pitch that could be heard around the world.” Just days after Dravecky’s return, his arm broke on a fateful pitch, snapping his humerus cleanly in two. After tests were run, it was found that the cancer had returned. Eventually, his left arm and shoulder were amputated.
This is where we begin to see the real Dravecky. Faith is what has motivated the former Giant to use his story in an effort to reach out to a younger generation.
What sparked Dravecky’s interest, I found, wasn’t when I asked about his analysis of scouting reports. What really hit home was,
“Were you able to incorporate your faith into the clubhouse during your career?”
He looked at me with a smile. Where to begin?
Dravecky spoke about how he lived his life as a Christian baseball player just as that: a Christian. Sure, he often faced ridicule in the hardnosed world of America’s pastime, but he was driven to live his life in a way that honored that which he cherished. Dravecky lived out his career in a Christian manner, using his own life as an example that others could look upon, yearning for the faith that he had.
Dravecky said to me one of the greatest compliments he had ever received was years later, when he found that former Giants teammate Goose Gossage said that Dave Dravecky had one of the strongest Christian faiths that he had ever seen.
Today, Dravecky uses his life in a different role. He no longer stares down batters from the mound, but reaches out to people in an effort help them realize the love and forgiveness available through Jesus Christ. He will joke with you about how he often warmed up with a mere 15 throws, but then will connect his career and success to God’s grace and will.
As we left the restaruant, I came to a realization: Dravecky’s story is one that inspires us all, but the author is not Dravecky.
As I tuned into ESPN Tuesday night to watch the Los Angeles Galaxy play the Seattle Sounders, the first Major League Soccer match of the season, I noticed something different about the atmosphere of the game.
Not only was Qwest Field in Seattle packed with 36,000 electric fans, but the game actually seemed to mean something to the United States.
It was special to see because five years ago, this game would never have been televised, let alone mentioned on television.
Since David Beckham’s famous arrival to the MLS, soccer has been on an upward swing of popularity. The reason for this is very simple: United States players are actually succeeding at higher levels of competition and the MLS is attracting stars.
This summer, the United States received a boost in soccer popularity as a result of the World Cup. Nike did its part to help advertise the event to Americans, and the result payed off. Millions tuned in to watch the Yanks tie England in their opening game.
Almost twenty-five million viewers watched the World Cup Final, and hundreds, if not thousands, swarmed into bars and restaurants around the country to view the game in public.
The hype behind the United States’s squad this summer lit a fire in the hearts of American sports fans.
The national pride that is produced by the World Cup, like the Olympics, drew fans that had never watched soccer in their lives, yet screamed with joy as England’s Robert Green bobbled Clint Dempsey’s shot.
It is no suprise, then, that the post World Cup MLS attendence has risen dramatically. People received a taste of the beautiful game during June and July, and they want more. The hometown product available to them is, in fact, the MLS.
The most obvious benefactor to this popularity has been Landon Donovan. In previous years, Donovan was that guy that played soccer for the United States, right?
Now, he’s the most popular soccer player in the U.S. He alone helped change the culture of U.S. soccer. Americans will always remember the exhilaration of his game-winning goal versus Algeria, quite possibly the greatest moment in sports for 2010, or at least that’s how it was ranked by ESPN.
Donovan gives the United States a soccer star to idolize and brag about in a World Cup full of international superstars. He is a homegrown talent that has succeeded in the MLS, the Premier League and the World Cup, a face for American soccer.
Major League Soccer should be on their hands and knees thanking Landon Donovan because he single-handedly has redesigned the MLS landscape. Players are now leaving Europe to play in the U.S., and fans are flocking to stadiums. Players like Rafa Marquez, Thierry Henry and Charlie Davies are all examples of star players that have come over to the MLS.
This popularity is constantly growing, and Tuesday night proved it as the crowd was cheering just as loud in the first minute as they were in stoppage time. Finally, the U.S. can say that soccer means something.
With a few days until Selection Sunday, Championship Week is upon us in the world of college basketball. Many conference championships have been secured across the nation, some as merely another indicator of a great season, and some representing a tiny school’s ticket to the big dance.
And then will come Sunday where thousands of Americans will sit glued to their TVs to watch the 68 teams get paired up. We will take to our computers in masses to print out brackets for our various pools. The close analyzation of teams will commence, and round by round, we will fill out what we believe to be the perfect bracket.
And then, of course, comes the first round of the tournament with so many games everyday that we will sneak radios into the office and into class, just to get the latest updates. Phones and computers will be checked constantly as we root for not only our favorite teams, but also those that we have picked in hopes of gaining prestige, money (wait, I didn’t say that), and often both.
To me and countless other American sports fans, there is nothing unusual or strange about these events. March Madness is simply one of the most wonderful times of the year when we can celebrate the great American sport of basketball.
But to the outside observer, I guess the whole business might seem a little odd. In fact, someone asked me the other day why we get so excited over a tournament. The answer, I told them, is really very simple.
No other sport or tournament has the ability to shock and surprise like the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament. No other tournament gives a little school, such as George Mason or Northern Iowa, the ability to compete on the biggest of stages. No other tournament has so little guarantee of success for the higher ranked schools (the only seed to never lose in the first round is #1). No other tournament crams so much action into such a small period of time. And no other tournament brings people together in the way that March Madness can.
At its core, March Madness is so much bigger than the teams that play for the championship. Office pools bring together coworkers, all competing to see who has the most accurate bracket. The tournament brings together fans as they gather to watch game after memorable game. It brings together cities, and even states, as they pull for the “hometown” team.
I was a firsthand witness to this last year as all of Indiana, especially Indianapolis, began pulling for tiny Butler University, the little school that almost could. I was lucky enough to go to the national championship, where the atmosphere in Indianapolis was electric with the thought that the Butler might do the impossible.
But we also love March Madness because we pull for the underdog. We love Cinderella stories. It seems that every year a new team becomes the unknown giant killer, advancing to the Sweet 16 and beyond. Maybe we like thinking that if that tiny team could overcome the odds, so could we.
Times are tough in the economy and many of us are down. But we can always rally together behind that team and know that there is always hope. We take pride in the fact that even when we’re down, we can pick ourselves up and get back in the game. We love knowing that no matter the odds, we always have a fighting chance.
A few weekends ago, I was able to attend ESPN’s College GameDay at Purdue University.
A lifelong Boilers fan, I knew I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to witness GameDay’s first ever appearance at Mackey Arena. Although I wasn’t able to get a ticket to the actual game, the GameDay experience was one I won’t soon forget.
I stayed Friday night with a friend at Cary Quad, a mere 30 yards from Mackey Arena. We rose at 7:15 the next morning, and headed out into the cold to wait for the doors to open. A brisk wind was blowing through West Lafayette, and we began to question our decision as the wind chill fell below zero. At 8 a.m., however, the doors opened and we, along with over 6,000 Purdue students, streamed into Mackey.
The seats we chose (or rather, that were chosen for us, as they were some of the last available seats in the lower deck) were directly at top row of the center court aisle. We had no idea how good of a choice this would turn out to be.
A few minutes after we got inside, ESPN analyst Digger Phelps walked out on the court to address the crowd, and was drowned out with a chorus of boos. The reason for this hatred was a comment he had made while coaching Notre Dame, “There is no road from South Bend to West Lafayette.” Although that was over 30 years ago, the Boilermaker faithful hadn’t forgotten. In addition to the boos and the seemingly unlimited tirades of, let’s just say, college vocabulary, many of the fans also had signs to further harass Digger. Some of my favorites included “Hey Digger, Your welcome. Love, MapQuest,” and the always present ESPN acrostic, this one of which read “diggEr, Still need helP findiNg West Lafayette?”
Right behind us, the famous Purdue drum was rolled out and Digger proceeded to climb the stairs towards us. His co-anchors, Jay Bilas and Rece Davis, had entered the arena by now and they explained how the opening segment of today’s GameDay would feature Digger hitting the drum.
As the lights and camera crews set up for the shot, Digger (who was now one foot away from me) stood there and discussed with us the process of showbiz. Then it was time for the shot, and we were front and center, screaming at the top of our lungs. We were ecstatic to be on ESPN, but little did we know that this appearance was to be the first of many.
The practice continued, as did Digger’s ridicule after he continually referred to the famous “Boiler Up!” chant as “Fire Up!” The fans then found another thing to boo about as we were informed that the fourth anchor, Bob Knight, would not be making the trip to West Lafayette.
This was a huge disappointment, as we had all greatly looked forward to heckling our old nemesis.
That was the end of the boos, however, as it was 10 a.m. and time to start the show. Just as promised, we were front and center during the introduction.
GameDay continued, and we sporadically broke out in cheers, particularly when the show was going to, and coming from, commercial breaks. Pretty soon it was prediction time, and we practically tore the roof off Mackey when Purdue was the unanimous choice over Michigan State.
As we watched SportsCenter after the game, we were shocked to see ourselves on the Purdue highlights. The day was made even better as the Boilers beat the Spartans 86-76 later that evening. That just went to prove that one of my favorite cheers was still true, “Whose House? Our House!”
"I want to say to each of you, simply, and directly, I am deeply sorry for my irresponsible and selfish behavior I engaged in.”
What a shame. Tiger Woods was once idolized in the eyes of sports fans globally, now seen as a sex-addicted fabrication to which the world does not owe understanding, but scorn. And this scorn has become common in today’s society, as Woods is not alone in the scandalous behavior of pro sports icons.
Take Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger for another example: two-time Super Bowl champion, a charming young athlete with a baby-faced grin and good personality. Big Ben was a hero in the mind of so many fans, many of them younger. Then he is accused of sexually assaulting two women within a year.
Washington Wizards star Gilbert Arenas: sentenced to 30 days in a halfway house for taking guns into the Wizards’ locker room.
New York Jets wideout Santonio Holmes: five week suspension from the NFL for “violating the league’s substance abuse policy”--a euphemism for “we caught him with marijuana,” adding to his infamous career with the law, including charges of domestic violence.
And this is just the tip of the iceberg. These are only four big-name athletes and this is only in the past few years.
But why? Well, as Tiger Woods stated in his apology broadcasted by CNN, he felt entitled.
Entitled to enjoy the temptations thrust in front of the highest paid athlete in the world, to have a little fun, “blow off some steam,” reap the benefits of having your face plastered on every Gatorade bottle sold and having your smile gleaming at consumers from within every Gillette commercial. Woods is not alone in having a false sense of entitlement. These athletes all have one thing in common: a gift.
Their physical ability has helped them to climb the social ladder from lower and middle class everyday citizens to multimillionaire stars. Such money and recognizability will indeed cause attention and increased ability to have what they want, when they want it. And with these temptations so plentiful, one must ask, “Doesn’t common sense tell them that when they have it all, don’t risk it all?”
Common sense does tell them that. But what supersedes their common sense is the simple fact that these athletes are human. It is in human nature to be greedy, to get what one wants, and then want more. Such actions can be traced all the way to biblical times, as the Christian Bible depicts Adam and Eve living in Eden, a land of perfection. One rule applied: do not eat the forbidden fruit. The first two humans had everything anyone could ever ask for, a life of sinless freedom; they lived in a perfect world, one today’s society can’t imagine, yet they wanted more. They couldn’t have the fruit. So what did they do?
They ate the fruit.
Professional athletes have what modern society dreams of: money, fame, bodies that are the epitome of fitness. So what do they do?
They eat the fruit.
Tiger Woods has apologized. So have many of these other sports stars, fallen from the heavens, crashing painfully to the pitfalls of the media. It is true, however, that apologies are actually just words.
To the eleven year old boy with the Tiger Woods poster taped to his wall, words do not speak as loud as actions.
As the holiday season is upon us, the time of year for goodwill and giving often brings out the onrush of generosity buried within humanity.
The spirit of the season sparks our altruistic senses, urging us to help others and to treat those less fortunate than ourselves with kindness and joy.
Sure enough, this philanthropic attitude does not stop short of the world of sports. This mindset embraces professional athletes as a partner in making the world a better place. The sports world uses its national recognition to aide the underprivileged or strives to improve a community.
Athletes often don’t receive credit for their charities. They make sums of money that most of us deem as unfathomable. We expect our idols to be perfect and too often they fall short. But there are beacons of light shining through the cracks in the world of sports, moments of great heart, actions commendable by even the biggest of Scrooges.
LaDainian Tomlinson can cut on a dime, has a stiff arm that can turn a jaw inside out and also takes the time to care. On the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, you will find L.T. in a Wal-Mart parking lot passing out holiday meals. He annually gives meals containing canned goods, stuffing, drinks and 16-pound turkeys to over 2,100 needy families. By Christmas, Tomlinson continues to demonstrate his willingness to help, as his “Touching Lives Holiday Program” gives away over 2,000 toys, books and videos to children at local hospitals.
Moving from the gridiron to the hardwood of Indiana, we find the generous heart of WNBA star Tamika Catchings. Catchings, a small forward for the Indiana Fever, hosts a fitness clinic for youth players every year before Thanksgiving. It is free to participate, but Catchings asks each child to bring 10 canned goods to the event. After the clinic, the kids get to travel with Catchings to the local food bank to make their donation. As December approaches, her foundation, “Catch the Stars,” partners with the Indiana Pacers to host a Christmas party for over 100 disadvantaged children in Indianapolis.
Looking at the quarterback in our own backyard, we see the actions of Peyton Manning as ones we can be proud of.
Manning established the “Peyback Foundation” in 1999 to help disadvantaged youth by assisting programs that provide growth opportunities for children at risk throughout Indiana, Tennessee and Louisiana. The foundation has donated over $3.6 million to these areas and continues to support programs helping underprivileged children. St. Vincent Children’s Hospital was renamed Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital at St. Vincent in 2007 after Manning generously donated a large sum of money to the hospital.
As the holidays surround us, the feeling of generosity urging us to reach out is a feeling we should accept with open arms. Athletes like Catchings and Manning work in our own communities in ways we may not even realize.
We can turn to these people for inspiration and hope in an often dreary world. I now ask you to follow their example of giving during this time of year.
You may not be able to affect people on the scale that professional athletes can, but you can make a difference.
In 49 states, it’s just basketball.
But here, few grow up without an iron hoop in their driveway and an orange leather ball in their hands. The fascination with the game sweeps this state.
It is an identity.
Kids here grow up fantasizing about a Knight without armor, dreaming of a Bird that cannot fly.
Here, basketball is not a game. It is a lifestyle.
Every Friday or Saturday night basketball teams steal our attention. The roar of the crowd rejuvenates the love for the game.
Communities pack into a gym in hopes of witnessing a few hours of magic.
Here, some of the greatest arenas in the game are constructed; nine out of 10 of the United States’ largest gymnasiums reside on this soil. Chrysler Fieldhouse in New Castle, (the house that Alford built) seats 9,325 fans, enough to host over half the town’s population.
Only here can an athlete rise to hero status by dawning crimson and white candy-striped pants, and only here is Fever an epidemic that people love to catch.
Here, Miller is more than just a beer. Only here can a horrific comb over become a fashion statement idolized by a black and gold nation.
Only here do coaches manage to achieve the status of Tony Hinkle and to have the winning percentage of Bob Knight.
People describe the year 1976 as perfect.
Isaiah Thomas, Kent Benson, Quinn Buckner, Scott May, Damon Bailey, Steve Alford, Jared Jeffries, Eric Gordon; the crimson and cream have treated these names well, basketball prominence at its finest.
Walk into Lucas Oil Stadium on April 5, 2010, and what you would find is a sea of navy, a state behind an unusual representative, witnessing a run for a championship unparalleled in college basketball.
Only here could Gordon Heyward become a household name, a present day David and Goliath story becoming a reality.
Only in this stadium would every breath be stilled as the last tenths of a second melt away as the hopes of a Bulldog nation move along with the ball. It flies from the hands of a hero at half-court towards the open mouth waiting at the base of the glass.
Only in this state would this scenario be that of déjà vu, as those reflect back to 1987, where a Smart shot conquered the enemy at the buzzer.
Only here do three universities dance in March.
And only here would a film be produced to honor this team’s journey to history, stealing the hearts of all who watch.
From the time kids here are old enough to pick up a basketball, many are dribbling in the driveway and challenging their friends to a game of H-O-R-S-E.
What can explain this love of a game, a passion that defines a community, an entire state, a hysteria for the hardwood?
Well, in 49 states, it’s just basketball.
But this is Indiana.