Many city leaders are looking for the next big sporting event to fill the void left by our failed attempt to land the 2011 Super Bowl. How about the Frozen Four in 2013? For the uninitiated, the Frozen Four is the hockey equivalent of the NCAA Final Four in basketball. It ain’t no Super Bowl, to be sure, but the Frozen Four is an event that’s come into its own. The last bid package to host the tournament drew a…
The fact that Pacers Sports and Entertainment has tapped Jim Morris as special adviser shows how daunting the franchise’s
challenges have become, marketing experts say. They say the team’s problems on and off the court have shrunk its fan base
and weakened support among business and government leaders.
Morris has no point guard skills I’m aware of and, ultimately, it will be up to the new head coach, O’Brien, to improve the on-court product in a way that’s more palatable to the Pacers’ eroding fan base. But as a point person in engaging the community-in particular the corporate community-there are few, if any, people in this city who have both the contacts and the respect of which Morris can boast. Even after five years away from Indianapolis trying…
The humidity and mercury are rising as a slew of summer music festivals tune up. There’s bluegrass in Brown County, jazz in Military Park. But all the music events-even those with years of history-struggle to break even. Blame uncertain weather, large price tags and fickle fans. “As a general rule, only very large pop music festivals make money,” said Christopher Hunt, a professor at Indiana University’s arts administration program. “Smaller festivals of every kind-jazz, pop, classical-almost always lose a good…
With the 2011 Super Bowl galloping off to Dallas, pressure is building to bring in more of the marquee sports events the city’s
economy has come to rely on to keep hotels full, retail businesses humming and the national and international spotlight focused
on Indianapolis.
AFTER HOURS LAURA WILSON Being prepared is more than a Scouting slogan Longtime Boy Scouts volunteer Laura Wilson learned firsthand the importance of the scouts’ motto-“Be prepared.” A vice president of com munications at the Indiana Bankers Association, Wilson accompanied her two sons on a camping trip last year to New Salem, Ill., where the scouts went on a nearly 20-mile hike on the Lincoln Pilgrimage trail from New Salem to Springfield. Later that night, she learned the hard way…
Thoughts of this, that and the other: So, just what would a retractable roof over the Indianapolis Motor Speedway cost? I was surprised that Colts quarterback Peyton Manning spent so much time practicing the waving of the green flag (much to the amusement and delight of the crowd) prior to the start of the Indianapolis 500. I figured he already would have studied hours of film of Pat Vidan. If you know who Pat Vidan is, well, you’re old. He…
While most eyes were on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s 2-1/2-mile oval this month, Kevin Long was more interested in what happened in the media room. Long is not a news reporter, but he’s been focused on every word spoken to the media this month by drivers, team managers and owners. It’s Long’s job to make sure those speaking into the mike maximize the benefit for themselves, their teams and sponsors. He owns and operates MVP Sports Media Training LLC, a…
Indianapolis was no less a great sports city the afternoon of May 22 than it was the morning of May 22. Without question, among most (but not all) of our citizenry, the disappointment of not being awarded the 2011 Super Bowl was profound, especially so for those who put all their heart, soul, creative energy and tiring effort into crafting the bid. And for those who have never liked Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones even a little bit-yes, that’s my…
Indianapolis’ bid to host the 2011 Super Bowl missed by inches, but observers said the city nevertheless scored major points
that still could result in a victory. But not without suiting up again.
It’s been 15 months since Central Indiana Corporate Partnership CEO Mark Miles wrote in these pages that he felt like Rip Van Winkle when he returned to the city after being away for 15 years. Miles has done anything but sleep since he got back. Neither has the CICP board of directors. That group should be congratulated for making an outstanding choice of a new leader and for taking bold steps forward. This seems to have been a perfect match…
The Indy Racing League is overhauling its sales effort, an initiative industry observers said could lead to an eight-figure annual title sponsorship and exponential growth for the league and its teams. Officials for the company tabbed to lead the revolution said there isn’t any sponsorship deal that won’t be considered by Speedway brass, including a title sponsorship for the Indianapolis 500, a sacred property once thought untouchable. Race fans have been focused on the Brickyard’s 2-1/2-mile oval this month. But…
Recently, I served as a moderator for a panel that included Indianapolis Colts President Bill Polian; Conseco Fieldhouse Executive Director and Indiana Pacers Vice President Rick Fuson; NCAA President Myles Brand; Indianapolis Motor Speedway President Joie Chitwood; and former Indiana Sports Corp. Chairman Jack Swarbrick. Except for the moderator, it was an all-star lineup, convened to discuss the impact sports has had on Indianapolis. It was both informative and inspiring as it captured the essence of the sports initiative and…
INDIANAPOLIS HAS: Seating for up to 73,000 and a retractable roof at Lucas Oil Stadium, set to open in 2008. The press box seats 200, but event space could be converted for additional media use. PRACTICE FACILITIES NFL WANTS: Comparable practice facilities for both Super Bowl teams, including a covered field with the same turf as the stadium, locker rooms for players and coaches, meeting rooms, and laundry service. INDIANAPOLIS HAS: The Colts’ 56th Street football complex. Bid organizers have…
There is an issue of greater importance than gay marriage, abortion or the tragedies of Iraq and Afghanistan. State regulation of interior designers is a matter of such public concern that the Indiana Senate supported it by a vote of 44-5 and the House, 62-34. Then, when we finally had the public protected from the inappropriate placement of sofas, the governor goes and vetoes the bill. Mitch, the spoilsport. Well, there is always next year. The governor could not stop…
Bringing a Super Bowl to Indianapolis might have little to do with weather, hotel rooms or posh practice facilities. The biggest
factor is likely to be Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay, and how other National Football League owners feel about him and
the contributions he has made to their tight-knit club.
But that’s not close to being the case. The Fever are loaded. And maybe-just maybe-they can help whet this town’s appetite for professional basketball again. But at a time when we’re all looking for some feel-good to come out of the fieldhouse and for some local love to flow back in, well, this could be that time. A team that has gone 21-13 and reached the playoffs each of the last two seasons returns all five starters. That group includes…
Personally, I figured the baboonprint wallpaper justified the new law all by itself. Seriously, after the whole “jungle room” decorating uproar at the governor’s residence last year, wasn’t it obvious that unregulated interior designers were a threat to our very way of life? Your General Assembly sure thought so, and this session the Indiana House and Senate overwhelmingly passed new licensing and certification standards for these decorators-including criminal penalties for impersonating a “registered interior designer.” Well, a funny thing happened…
Few Hoosiers had heard of O’Reilly Auto Parts before the Missouri-based company built a massive distribution center in Hendricks County and bought the naming rights to Indianapolis Raceway Park last June. Now, the company, which was founded in 1957 and went public in 1993, figures to become a major retail presence here. Already, 14 stores have cropped up here among 35 that opened statewide. That makes 1,700 stores in 25 states for the company that reported revenue of $2.3 billion…
I put my faith and trust in people who have proven themselves over the long haul. Which is why I choose to be one-one of the few, I’m guessing-who believes Donnie Walsh and Larry Bird will pull the Indiana Pacers out of their tailspin. As of this moment, the Pacers executives have no coach, no draft choices and, in the minds of many, no hope, particularly for the immediate future, with an emphasis on “immediate,” for we have little patience…
