Danica victory puts IRL in high gear
Danica Patrick’s life is getting faster by the second. She’s not the only one moving at warp speed, as merchandisers and Indy Racing League officials hustle to capitalize on her historic victory Saturday…
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SPORTS: Indiana’s ‘Mount Rushmore’ will try to fix Pacers
The first time Herb Simon ever met Jim Morris, it was to ask him for money. Fifty grand. To be fair, it wasn’t Morris’ money. It belonged to Lilly Endowment Inc. Simon was at the endowment, which Morris directed at the time, to ask for a grant to support the Jewish Community Center. He got the money. This past week, Simon had another request of Morris … to replace Donnie Walsh as president of Pacers Sports & Entertainment. Again, Morris…
VIEWPOINT: Lest we forget, ‘solid and stable’ is good
“I moved to Indiana on purpose,” I’ve been telling people since the move from Florida last August. The Indianapolis area attracted me and my business for a number of reasons-reasons which, I’m more convinced each day, Hoosiers take for granted. Someone might want to consider the good that’s right in front of our collective noses: Unlike Florida, whence I emigrated, people here know who can get things done, where businesses are, and whose reputation is good. A state full of…
Making Hoosiers more educated is a tricky task ECONOMIC ANALYSIS:
One thing that virtually every bit of serious research on education has revealed is that parents play the biggest role in educational outcomes. My own work in this area found that more than 90 percent of the differences in regional educational attainment can be attributed solely to the educational history of parents. Families play a far bigger role in educational success than any differences that occur across schools. So, what then does this mean for public policy? In my last…
Long Beach is key IRL market
Despite the upheaval surrounding the 2008 Long Beach Grand Prix, it is still quite a draw in this normally quite California town. That’s good news for Indy Racing League officials, who have their eyes on this historically strong open-wheel racing…
Crean makes controversial hire
Indiana University basketball coach Tom Crean today hired an assistant with deep ties to former coach Kelvin Sampson. Over the next week, you can bet the school’s trustees along with Crean and IU President Michael McRobbie will be asked about…
IRL gains speed in cyber space
The Indy Racing League appears to be hitting on all cylinders. Through the first two races this year, the IRL, which recently unified with Champ Car, is seeing gains in attendance and television ratings. Now, IRL officials are reporting significant gains…
Indiana University basketball coach Tom Crean made the hire today that several school trustees dreaded. Over the next week, you can bet those trustees along with Crean and IU President Michael McRobbie will be asked about the hire of Bennie Seltzer…
What’s next for Pacers?
An announcement today that Indiana Pacers co-owner Herb Simon will become CEO and Jim Morris will be elevated to president has many sports marketers applauding, but at the same time asking “What’s next?”
Several key questions persist. First, how much steam…
Pacers give tickets away, set future
The Indiana Pacers are in a giving mood for tonight’s Fan Appreciation Night. The team is advertising that all lower level tickets will sell for $30, club level tickets for $20 and upper…
Pacers pipeline could be Knicks fix
Donnie Walsh is tapping into his old Indiana Pacers contacts to fill key vacancies for the New York Knicks. Since becoming president of the Knicks last month, Pacers scout Jimmy Powell and Brian…
Speculation heats up about Gordon
Now that Indiana University freshman Eric Gordon has announced his decision to enter the National Basketball Association draft, speculation about the 19-year-old’s future is running rampant.
Draft analysts predict Gordon will be chosen anywhere…
Commentary: Jim Browning, a champion of the city
It was probably 15 years ago when Jim Browning called and invited me to lunch for the first time. I don’t recall why he extended the invitation, but I remember from the lunch that he was interested in what I had to say. And that surprised me. I didn’t know Jim then, but I knew of him through his architecture firm, Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf. I also associated him with the group of bold civic leaders who came up with…
SPORTS: Free throws, future Final Fours remain important
Thoughts about this, that and the other after a much-delayed return (yes, my bride and I were among the thousands caught in the American Airlines travel fiasco) from San Antonio for the Final Four. I’ve related this story before-possibly in this space-so if I’m repeating myself, I apologize. I’m taking the chance that, if I don’t remember, you don’t either. In my driveway, I have one of those adjustable-height basketball goals. Years ago, several of the local neighborhood kids would…
Colts could struggle with $9 billion NFL debt: Revenue hikes by big teams could skew salary cap
Small-market teams like the Indianapolis Colts could find themselves straining under the pressure of the National Football League’s recently disclosed $9 billion debt, which is three times higher than Major League Baseball’s and estimated to be double that of the National Basketball Association. Made public last month as part of a court filing, the NFL’s debt encompasses all league and team obligations. Sources close to the league said it is tied closely to stadium building projects. The Colts, for example,…
Building opportunities: CREW Careers offers girls a glimpse into the diverse world of commercial real estate
While one college basketball team just completed its journey to a national championship, CREW Network’s women hope they’re on a similar winning path-a path to scoring parity in the male-dominated field of commercial real estate. The Commercial Real Estate Women Network is a national member organization dedicated to the advancement of women in commercial real estate. It has 66 chapters, including one in Indianapolis. In 2005, CREW Network completed the industry’s first comprehensive study of the status of women in…
McCallum leaves IU for Detroit
Former Indiana University assistant men’s basketball coach Ray McCallum has been hired as the University of Detroit Mercy’s new head coach.
UDM athletic director Keri Gaither made the announcement today during a press conference…
Oden makes move for spotlight
As a senior at Lawrence North High School, Greg Oden was the most televised high school player since LeBron James. And he hoped to be a small screen star after he became a…
Sarah Fisher nabs primary sponsor
ResQ Pure Power Energy Drink, a recently launched product, will sponsor Sarah Fisher and Sarah Fisher Racing for this year’s Indianapolis 500. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed, but motorsports sources…
Gordon hangs with notorious agent
Many Indiana University fans probably wondered why the man sitting next to Eric Gordon at Monday’s press conference looked familiar. Gordon told the world he was leaving IU for the NBA while sitting…