Colts announce 53-man roster

Among those released were 6 players who played for the Colts last season – Aromashodu, Charleston, Condren, Keith, Toudouze and Worsley.

Devin Aromashodu caught seven passes for 96 yards last season, while Jeff Charleston started three games and had a sack. Tatt'd-up Brannon Condren, last year's 4th round selection, had 2 INTs this month but just 2 tackles total last season. Keith, a former CFL stud, rushed for over 500 yds and scored 3 TDs.

All 9 players selected in the 08 Draft – G Mike Pollak, LB Philip Wheeler, TE Jacob Tamme, DE Marcus Howard, RB Mike Hart, WR Pierre Garcon, G Steve Justice and C/G Jamey Richard – made the 53-man roster, as did 4 rookie free agents: DE Curtis Johnson, LB Jordan Senn, safety Jamie Silva and DT Eric Foster.

Wide receiver Courtney Roby, the former Indiana Hoosier and Tennessee Titan, also made the 53-man roster.

Beijing, Da Luc and motivational posters

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Colts vs. Bills

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Indianapolis Indians' Nyjer Morgan steals 5 bases

Last night's Indy Indians game was a picturesque, serene August evening complete with postgame fireworks, but Nyjer Morgan provided the real fireworks.
Approaching the plate as leadoff in the first inning, the outfielder drew a walk - then proceeded to steal 2nd base, 3rd base and eventually home. The next inning Morgan doubled and stole 3rd. Two innings later he recorded his FIFTH stolen base of the game, matching a club-record dating back to 1936. The former hockey player hit .305 last year with Indy and .299 with the Pittsburgh Pirates in September.
Eric Gordon Jr will be throwing out the first pitch tonight at Victory Field in a game also featuring future star Andrew McCutchen.

The largest sporting event in the world isn't the Olympics

Gotta love this guy's enthusiasm as he experiences the Indy 500 for the first time:

This Memorial Day, VBS and a few hundred thousand other folks crowded into the Indianapolis Speedway to watch cars whip around in circles. It's the largest single-day sporting event in the world. I certainly didn't understand why the Indy 500 drew nearly half a million folks to Indianapolis each year. We'd always kind of assumed car-racing of any sort was lame and boring, but then we took an RV out to the middle of the the Rust Belt and found ourselves in the midst of one of the biggest, most out-of-control parties of our lives. The Indy 500 is a four-day-long bender cleverly disguised as a sporting event. People show up from all over the damn place, throw their RV in a reserved spot in the endless mudpit/lot, and immediately get gravely serious about having a great time. These folks have been waiting for this weekend all year, and all the built-up excitement instantly bubbles over into a rager the likes of which makes Super Bowl week look like a tea party with stuffed animals. I've honestly never seen anything like it. And when a race breaks out in the middle of this madness, well, it's impossible not to care. You're just swept up in the whole mess and all of the sudden you're ten Miller Lights deep, screaming specific things at someone going 200 miles an hour in the loudest car you've ever heard as if he can hear you or you know what you're talking about. I no longer skip racing highlights on ESPN, nor will I ever again. Viva the Indy 500 and partying; we have a new national pastime, folks.

vbs.tv/video.php?id=1138096780

I-69 to link Mexico & Canada

Ground finally broke on the final link to North America's transcontinental superhighway, directly connecting Windsor to South Padre. And in case you were wondering, that's about a 30 hr drive.

33 Olympians with Indiana ties, including 15 from IU and ND

DIVING

David Boudia
• Age: 19.
• Hometown: Noblesville
• Note: Performing world's most difficult list, he won World Cup bronze medal in February.
• Schedule: Synchro platform Aug. 11, platform prelims and semifinals Aug. 22, platform final Aug. 23.

Kelci Bryant
• Age: 19.
• Hometown: Carmel
• Note: Illinois native was state champ for Harrison High. She and Ariel Rittenhouse won World Cup bronze in synchro springboard.
• Schedule: Synchro 3-meter Aug. 10.

Mary Beth Dunnichay
• Age: 15.
• Hometown: Elwood
• Note: Youngest U.S. Olympian won Pan Am Games bronze in synchro platform with Haley Ishimatsu.
• Schedule: Synchro platform Aug. 12.

Thomas Finchum
• Age: 18.
• Hometown: Indianapolis
• Note: Nearly made Olympics as tiny 14-year-old. He has grown (to 6-1), and so has his skill.
• Schedule: Synchro platform Aug. 11, platform prelims and semifinals Aug. 22, platform final Aug. 23.

Haley Ishimatsu
• Age: 15.
• Hometown: Indianapolis
• Note: Californian is internationally experienced despite age. Medal contender in platform and synchro.
• Schedule: Synchro platform Aug. 12, platform prelims and semifinals Aug. 20, platform final Aug. 21.

Christina Loukas
• Age: 22.
• Hometown: Bloomington
• Note: IU diver nearly medaled at World Cup, finishing fourth on springboard.
• Schedule: 3-meter prelims Aug. 15, semifinals Aug. 16, final Aug. 17.

Ariel Rittenhouse
• Age: 17.
• Hometown: Indianapolis
• Note: Californian is upholding family tradition. Her mother and uncle were Olympians.
• Schedule: Synchro 3-meter Aug. 10.

TRACK & FIELD

Amy Yoder Begley
• Age: 30.
• Hometown: Kendallville
• Note: East Noble and Arkansas grad made courageous run to qualify in 10,000.
• Schedule: Final Aug. 15.

Amber Campbell
• Age: 27.
• Hometown: Indianapolis
• Note: Pike grad was second in hammer throw at U.S. trials. She is a personal trainer in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
• Schedule: Prelims Aug. 17 and final Aug. 20.

Leroy Dixon
• Age: 24.
• Hometown: South Bend
• Note: Former state champ won 400 relay gold at 2007 worlds. He is in relay pool again.
• Schedule: 400 relay prelims Aug. 21 and final Aug. 22.

David Neville
• Age: 24.
• Hometown: Merrillville
• Note: Ex-IU 400-meter sprinter trains under coach John Smith in Los Angeles. Could win gold medal in 1,600 relay.
• Schedule: 400 heats Aug. 17, semifinals Aug. 19 and final Aug. 21; 1,600 relay heats Aug. 22 and final Aug. 23.

Kara Patterson
• Age: 22.
• Hometown: Vancouver, Wash.
• Note: Purdue javelin thrower's 202-foot toss ranks No. 2 in U.S. history. She won U.S. trials.
• Schedule: Prelims Aug. 18 and final Aug. 21.

Aarik Wilson
• Age: 25.
• Hometown: Fallon, Nev.
• Note: Former NCAA indoor champ at IU. Ranked No. 4 in world in triple jump in 2007 and won U.S. trials in 2008.
• Schedule: Prelims Aug. 17 and final Aug. 21.

GYMNASTICS

Samantha Peszek
• Age: 16.
• Hometown: McCordsville
• Note: Member of 2007 world champs. Fourth in all-around at nationals and Olympic trials.
• Schedule: team prelims Aug. 10 and final Aug. 13.

Bridget Sloan
• Age: 16.
• Hometown: Pittsboro
• Note: After being alternate at 2007 worlds, she made team at final selection camp.
• Schedule: team prelims Aug. 10 and final Aug. 13.

FENCING

Kelley Hurley
• Age: 20.
• Hometown: San Antonio
• Note: Notre Dame female fencer is NCAA and junior world champion in epee.
• Schedule: Individual epee Aug. 13.

Gerek Meinhardt
• Age: 18.
• Hometown: San Francisco
• Note: Notre Dame recruit has Chinese mother. In 2006, at 16, he became youngest U.S. foil champion.
• Schedule: Individual foil Aug. 13.

Mariel Zagunis
• Age: 23.
• Hometown: Beaverton, Ore.
• Note: Defending women's gold medalist in sabre sat out at Notre Dame this year to prepare for Olympics.
• Schedule: Individual sabre Aug. 9 and team sabre Aug. 14.

SOCCER

Shannon Boxx
• Age: 30.
• Hometown: Redondo Beach, Calif.
• Note: Notre Dame graduate is among world's top defensive midfielders.
• Schedule: Aug. 6 vs. Norway, Aug. 9 vs. Japan, Aug. 12 vs. New Zealand, Aug. 15 quarterfinals, Aug. 18 semifinals, Aug. 21 medal round.

Lauren Cheney
• Age: 20.
• Hometown: Indianapolis
• Note: UCLA forward from Ben Davis replaced injured Abby Wambach. A potent scorer near the goal.
• Schedule: Aug. 6 vs. Norway, Aug. 9 vs. Japan, Aug. 12 vs. New Zealand, Aug. 15 quarterfinals, Aug. 18 semifinals, Aug. 21 medal round.

Kate Markgraf
• Age: 31.
• Hometown: Rochester Hills, Mich.
• Note: Three-time Olympian from Notre Dame gave birth to son in 2006.
• Schedule: Aug. 6 vs. Norway, Aug. 9 vs. Japan, Aug. 12 vs. New Zealand, Aug. 15 quarterfinals, Aug. 18 semifinals, Aug. 21 medal round.

VOLLEYBALL

Lloy Ball
• Age: 36.
• Hometown: Woodburn
• Note: IPFW graduate didn't expect to be around so along. This will be his fourth Olympics, and he wants first medal.
• Schedule: Aug. 10 vs. Venezuela, Aug. 12 vs. Italy, Aug. 14 vs. Bulgaria, Aug. 16 vs. China, Aug. 18 vs. Japan, Aug. 20 quarterfinal, Aug. 22 semifinals, Aug. 24 medal round.

FIELD HOCKEY

Kayla Bashore
• Age: 25.
• Hometown: Shoemakersville, Pa.
• Note: The 5-2 midfielder was Big Ten Player of the Year and All-American at IU. Born in South Korea.
• Schedule: Aug. 10 vs. Argentina, Aug. 12 vs. Japan, Aug. 13 vs. Germany, Aug. 15 vs. New Zealand, Aug. 18 vs. Great Britain, Aug. 20 pool classification, Aug. 22 medal round.

BASKETBALL

Tamika Catchings
• Age: 29.
• Hometown: Indianapolis
• Note: Fever forward rounding into shape from Achilles injury. She won gold medal with 2004 team.
• Schedule: Aug. 9 vs. Czech Republic, Aug. 11, vs. China, Aug. 13 vs. Mali, Aug. 15 vs. Spain, Aug. 17 vs. New Zealand, Aug. 19 quarterfinal, Aug. 21 semifinals, Aug. 23 medal round.

FOREIGN OLYMPIANS

Those with Indiana ties on other countries' Olympic teams (with their age and the nation they are representing):

Player	Comment
Tully Bevilaqua, 36, Australia	Fever point guard was on Aussies' 2006 world championship team.
Mariangee Bogado, 24, Venezuela	Former IU softball pitcher will open against Team USA on Aug. 12.
Thomas Chamney, 24, Ireland	Ex-Notre Dame runner, who was sixth in 800 at 2006 NCAAs, had popular blog on Internet.
Candace Chapman, 25, Canada	Former Notre Dame midfielder, born in Trinidad, won soccer bronze medal at 2007 Pan Am Games.
Sergiy Fesenko, 26, Ukraine	Third Olympics for distance freestyler. He was five-time swim All-American at IU.
Victoria Mitchell, 26, Australia	Butler graduate was NCAA champion in steeplechase, an event making Olympic debut.
Ria Percival, 18, New Zealand	Soccer midfielder for FC Indiana is based in West Lafayette.
Melissa Tancredi, 26, Canada	Former Notre Dame soccer All-American was Canada's top scorer in Olympic qualifying tourney.
Kateryna Zubkova, 20, Ukraine	IU's NCAA runner-up in 200 backstroke won two medals at swimming's short course worlds. Also Olympian in 2004.

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