Sports Business

SPORTS: No more excuses for the fortunate Coach DavisRestricted Content

March 28, 2005
Bill Benner
I find it semi-amusing that Mike Davis has to be publicly reminded that there are higher expectations for Indiana University basketball than seconddivision Big Ten finishes or NIT bids, that "We're No. 4" is not an acceptable rallying cry, that the fans are demanding, that the boosters tend to be cranky and that, gee, a third mediocre season in a row might cost him his $800,000-a-year job. Well, yeah. So? Nonetheless, now the basketball literally is in Davis' court. Which...
More

McIntosh goes to bat for players at hearings: Former politician represents 3 stars grilled about steroidsRestricted Content

March 28, 2005
Scott Olson
Hoosiers who saw some of baseball's biggest stars testify before a congressional committee about steroids may have caught a glimpse of former U.S. Rep. David McIntosh. The Republican Muncie native served Indiana's second district in the House of Representatives from 1995 until 2001, and he ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2000. He is currently a partner at the Washington, D.C., office of international law firm Mayer Brown Rowe & Maw LLP. Commuting from Indiana to the nation's capital, McIntosh's legal...
More

Wood flooring companies put bounce under ball: Hoops tourney signals competitive bidding seasonRestricted Content

March 28, 2005
Anthony Schoettle
With March Madness, the NBA playoff race and high school state tournaments reaching a feverish pitch, many Hoosiers are eyeing bouncing balls and hanging hoops. But Kevin Price and his staff are more focused on the floor below. Price's company has carved out a profitable niche supplying, painting, polishing and servicing the hardwood that keeps basketballs bouncing. "I'm sure a lot of people just think of it as a floor," said Price, Indianapolis' regional sales manager for Cincinnati Floor Co....
More

VOICES FROM THE INDUSTRY: There are reasons for rising school construction costs More technology More sportsRestricted Content

March 28, 2005
Fredrick J.
Public school officials around the state have received sharp criticism in recent years for authorizing construction that critics decry as ostentatious and excessively expensive. Chief among the targets, but not exclusively, are athletic facilities that are often perceived as superior to all but the largest of our NCAA Division I colleges and universities. Without taking sides in the fray, I would simply remind everyone that K-12 education is basically a community function driven by local decisions. The bulk of the...
More

VIEWPOINT: Congress and Indiana class actions The class-action problem CAFA's fix Unintended consequencesRestricted Content

March 28, 2005
Jay Yeager
Congress recently passed the Class Action Fairness Act of 2005 (CAFA), intending to lower the costs and risks class-action litigation imposes on businesses. CAFA works primarily by moving certain large class actions out of state courts and into federal courts. This seemingly elegant solution assumes that litigating in federal court will be quicker, cheaper and yield a better result than litigating in state court. However CAFA's complexity, combined with the good job most state courts are already doing, undermines that...
More

No backing down: Irsay leads crusade to strengthen NFL revenue sharingRestricted Content

March 28, 2005
Anthony Schoettle
Irsay became a central figure in the NFL franchises' small-market vs. large-market battle at the annual owners' meetings in Hawaii March 21-23. He told reporters he isn't sure how long his-or any-team can be competitive in a city the size of Indianapolis if large-market teams have their way with the league's revenue-sharing formula. The Indiana General Assembly is in the midst of a fierce debate over funding for a $600 million retractable-roof stadium for the Colts, but that could be...
More

SPORTS: Diagnosing basketball's ills in a Hoosier laboratoryRestricted Content

March 21, 2005
Bill Benner
The local daily recently had a story that revealed there are no statewide high school basketball legends in the making anymore. Players whose reputations were wellknown from Michigan City to Tell City long before their senior year in high school have gone the way of, well, single-class basketball. On top of that, as March Madness unfolds around us-with the NCAA men's first and second rounds being played at the RCA Dome and the Women's Final Four rolling into town April...
More

D.C. key to meeting biz: Indianapolis lands conventions with Washington contingentRestricted Content

March 21, 2005
Andrea Muirragui
WASHINGTON, D.C.-Kim Allison wants people to think of one thing when they see her: Indianapolis. So she makes the rounds, on and off the clock, creating that connection. Whether she's bowling or shopping, eating or reading, Allison has her hometown in mind-even though she's living and working nearly 600 miles away. "We go to everything," said Allison, who leads the Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Association's two-person office in suburban Washington, D.C. "It helps keep our name out there." Thousands of...
More

WKLU sings new tune to gain competitive edge: Some experts say station's new strategy can't lastRestricted Content

March 21, 2005
Tracy Donhardtreporter
Bruce the Radio Pirate has left the building. Dr. Demento, Pop and Scratch and "The King Biscuit Flower Hour" are gone, as well. The hippie-sounding radio personalities and offbeat shows that were WKLUFM 101.9 moved out of the roughly 100-year-old house in Brownsburg five months ago when the station's new owner, staff, music-and business strategy-moved in. But whether that strategy-to keep the smalltown station sounding small while it brings in big bucks-can work remains to be seen. And now WKLU...
More

Marketing plan takes bad bounce: Owners of local IT firm, ABA pro hoops team get caught in snare of negative publicityRestricted Content

March 14, 2005
Anthony Schoettle
Unfortunately, the stories have focused on a series of bizarre events surrounding the team and its owners. The Rhythm's third owner, recording artist Sally Anthony, Bucher's wife, found herself at the center of several of the stories. Neither Bucher nor Christian returned repeated calls seeking comment for this story. Anthony was also unavailable for comment. The trio initially made a series of savvy moves, including filling the team roster with top talent just short of making the NBA. The owners...
More

SPORTS: NCAA's no-tolerance gambling stance testedRestricted Content

March 14, 2005
Bill Benner
My first experience with sports gambling came as a youngster. My father would come home with "parlay cards." They were always imprinted with the line, in bold type, For Amusement Purposes Only. And so, for a long time, I thought my pop was just having a good time as he scanned the teams and numbers, then circled some of those numbers on the bottom tear-off portion. Later, I discovered there was more than amusement involved because, on occasion, he'd say...
More

GERALD BEPKO Commentary: Chicago World's Fair is model for IndianaRestricted Content

March 14, 2005
Cities seem to progress in stages with moments of decline, growth, exceptional energy, and, at times, a sense of destiny. For many years, Indianapolis has been a city on the move, a little like Chicago in 1893 when it hosted a World's Fair. Chicago sought to shed its frontiertown image and establish itself as a city of global consequence. It beat out New York, St. Louis and Washington, D.C., for the right to host the fair. In hosting it, Chicago...
More

Convention, Colts issues in play: With gambling plan off table, stadium funding gets elusiveRestricted Content

March 14, 2005
Anthony Schoettle
Whether it includes taxes on players' salaries, tickets and suite rentals remains to be seen. But early deliberations won't include revenue from gambling, according to Sen. Luke Kenley, R-Noblesville, who chairs the Senate Tax and Fiscal Policy Committee. "There's not going to be any gambling included in the bill," Kenley said. "It's not going to be funded through slot machines or pull tabs." Sen. President Pro Tem Robert Garton, R-Columbus, also said he'd oppose any measure including slot machines or...
More

Buckner relishes role as executive: IU great recalls lessons from Knight, BirdRestricted Content

March 14, 2005
Anthony Schoettle
Quinn Buckner has always sought out strong mentors, but he didn't have to search for his most solid role models. From Bob Knight to Larry Bird and Donnie Walsh, Buckner has surrounded himself with some of basketball's best minds. But he credits his parents with instilling in him the leadership skills and determination that have carried him through good times and bad. "Coach Knight was a great mentor to me at an early age," said Buckner, who played for Knight's...
More

Convention, Colts issues in play: Hospitality: Hospitality officials say delays may scare off potential clientsRestricted Content

March 14, 2005
Andrea Muirragui
Hospitality officials say delays may scare off potential clients Patience is one thing. Imprudence is quite another. The Indiana Convention Center's largest customers are keeping a keen eye trained on Indianapolis these days, hoping for a sign that state lawmakers will find a way to fund a $275 million expansion that would give them room to grow. But the lack of progress more than halfway into the legislative session has some reevaluating their options. "I'm very disappointed at how this is...
More

SUSAN WILLIAMS Commentary: Keep Statehouse free of 'March Madness'Restricted Content

March 7, 2005
Susan Williams
Commentary Keep Statehouse free of 'March Madness' "March Madness" is upon us. Downtown will play host to 37 basketball games in 37 days. Visitors from all over the state and the nation will flock to our city and be dazzled by the ambiance and excitement we have refined over many years of hosting major events. Even the most profoundly addicted hoops fans should get their cravings satisfied. As we enjoy the month's activities, we must be mindful not to take...
More

Stadium would help more than Colts:Restricted Content

March 7, 2005
Frank Hancock
Like many, I remember the Indianapolis of the early '70s. There was little reason to come downtown unless you worked there. It offered nothing after 4. It took the vision of city and state leaders to build Market Square Arena. The arena, along with the expansion of a small convention center, brought a faint heartbeat of social life and a couple decent restaurants downtown. A group of private, civic and elected officials followed Market Square Arena with the vision to...
More

STATEHOUSE DISPATCH: At half-time in the Statehouse, it's politics 1, people 0Restricted Content

March 7, 2005
Ed Feigenbaum
This column is typically devoted to the intersection of politics, government and business (with an occasional tortured sports analogy tossed in). We don't usually address the higher order of the universe, but after last week, we find that we must delve into the field of metaphysics to provide you with some perspective on legislative events. March 1 marked the halfway point in the 2005 session of the Indiana General Assembly. But with more than 130 bills dying for lack of...
More

GIZMOS: High-tech watch keeps information at your fingertipsRestricted Content

March 7, 2005
Michael Downey
The idea of a portable device to indicate the time of day is nothing new in the world of technology. Watches of various forms have been around for years. However, it's only been in the last 30 years or so that modern technology has changed the face-literally-of telling time. Since the days of the original Pulsar LED digital watches (think red calculator digits) in the early 1970s, watch manufacturers have tried to appeal to technology's early adopters by adding functionality...
More

EYE ON THE PIE: Do Indiana papers make the grade?Restricted Content

March 7, 2005
Morton Marcus
I'm always trying to learn more about Indiana. I suspect investors within and outside our state are also interested in what is happening in our many cities and towns. Yet no single newspaper does a good job of covering the news of the state. Nor can one hope to read all 47 daily newspapers published in Indiana. Then, along comes the Internet and the posting by local newspapers of their records of Hoosier activity. Here, at last, is our chance...
More

SPORTS: Tournament committee ready to pick and defendRestricted Content

March 7, 2005
Bill Benner
He describes the experience as gutwrenching, intense, agonizing and exhausting. But also, some kind of fun. "It's like going off to basketball junkies camp for a week," said Jon LeCrone, commissioner of the Indianapolis-based Horizon League. "Camp" convenes this Wednesday, when LeCrone joins nine other members of the NCAA's Division I men's basketball committee to select, seed and bracket the 65 invitees to the tournament, aka the Big Dance. To be sure, it's not Camp Granada, with rustic cabins, bunk...
More

TV weather war becoming a race for arms: Local TV news ratings, advertising dollars at stake VIPIR attackRestricted Content

March 7, 2005
Anthony Schoettle
A storm is brewing. But the weather-related tempest has as much to do with television viewer ratings and advertising dollars as it does with tornadoes and hailstorms. With an array of new forecasting technology hitting the market, Indianapolis' four local TV news operations are arming for a weather war that would make Dorothy and Toto run for the nearest Doppler radar. "The weather is an enormous driver in local TV news ratings," said Bill Perkins, president of locally based Perkins...
More

Clarian's capabilities keep Combine here: Medical services lure NFL officials, owners back to IndyRestricted Content

February 28, 2005
Anthony Schoettle
When Mayor Bart Peterson announced in December plans to build a new stadium for the Indianapolis Colts, he mentioned as a side note the $600 million facility would help retain the National Football League Scouting Combine. The mayor's pronouncement is no side note to Clarian Health Partners, the hospital system that handles all the athlete medical testing for the four-day Combine, which runs this year through March 1. "We were told by Clarian officials this event adds $1 million to...
More

CLOUD OF CONTROVERSY: Suburbs might follow city's lead Backers: Tough Indy ban would sway othersRestricted Content

February 28, 2005
Chris O\'malley
The City-County Council's handling of a proposed smoking ban has implications well beyond Indianapolis, to neighbors poised to adopt their own laws but watching the outcome in the state's most populous city. If Indianapolis doesn't enact a smoking ban, or adopts one that's politically unpalatable to neighboring cities and counties, those communities might adopt a confusing variety of laws, observers on both sides of the debate say. They say a lack of uniformity could even spawn a migration of bar...
More

Radio Slayer?: The 3.6-ounce iPod could become a 500-pound gorillaRestricted Content

February 28, 2005
Anthony Schoettle
The 3.6-ounce iPod could become a 500-pound gorilla Radio's death knell has tolled before. In the 1950s, television was supposed to kill radio. And in the last 30 years, there have been a cavalcade of challengers from cassette tapes and Walkmans to compact discs and portable disc players. Even though a record $20 billion was spent nationally in radio advertising in 2004, a new predator on the landscape has the potential to take a serious bite out of the industry's lifeblood....
More
Page  << 71 72 73 74 >> pager
Sponsored by
ADVERTISEMENT

facebook - twitter on Facebook & Twitter

Follow on TwitterFollow IBJ on Facebook:
Follow on TwitterFollow IBJ's Tweets on these topics:
 
Subscribe to IBJ
ADVERTISEMENT