Biggest sports moments in Indiana history

Yesterday marked the 20-year anniversary of Reggie Miller's 8 points in 9 seconds. I started to wonder, where would that moment rank if it were played in the state of Indiana? Here are some from from recent memory:

• 2011 Indy 500: 100th Anny, rookie (JRH) leads final turn/lap, crashes; Wheldon wins again, his last
• 2006 AFC Championship in Hoosier Dome. 38-34. Cheaters lose
• 2010 Final Four: small, local school w/ half-court buzzer to beat #1 Devils
• 2011 Watshot 3-pt winner at buzzer over #1 and undefeated Wildcats
• 2001 Haston 3-pt winner at buzzer over #1 and undefeated Spartans
• 2014 AFC Divisional playoffs: Andrew Luck's 24-pt comeback win
• The NBA pipeline
• 2000 Pacers reaching NBA Finals

Last Century:

• Jeff Gordon winning inaugural Brickyard 400
• 1993 Notre Dame over #1 FSU (and '88 title)
• Bob Knight's championships, chair-toss & choke
• 1987 Pan Am Games
• Multiple ABA Championships in the 70s (and Nancy Leonard's fundraiser)
• Larry Bird
• Oscar Robertson
• Bobby Plump & Milan HS
• Hoosiers
• Rudy
• Breaking Away
• Slick Leonard
• John Wooden

Honorable mention: Tony Hulman, Mike Aulby, Isiah Lord Thomas, Shawn Kemp, Glenn Robinson, Damon Bailey, Billy Keller, Scott Skiles, Steve Alford

Manning ranked Most Powerful Athlete

When you think of the biggest name in sports, who comes to mind? Tiger? LeBron James? Both athletes took a major publicity hit this past year, which anointed a new King of the Jungle: Peyton Manning. 

The NFL's top player distanced himself from all others last year when he won his record-setting 4th NFL MVP and led his team to another Superbowl. He's also about to receive the league's highest paid contract - for the 2nd time. Aside from his amazing on-the-field prowess, Manning also sets himself apart because he's marketable ($15M in endorsements in 2010) and universally well-liked. 
He currently ranks 3rd or 4th on all major career passing records.

XLiV mirror: Reggie, Pierre, Peyton, and a Purdue QB

In Superbowl 44, the Conference Champ and #1 seed will feature a Reggie (Wayne and Bush), a Pierre (Garçon and Thomas), a Peyton (Manning and Sean Payton) and a Boilermaker QB (Curtis Painter and Drew Brees). New Orleans Saints have 2 Hoosier return specialists: Tracy Porter playing CB and Courtney Roby. The kickoff return man has multiple touchdowns this season after being released from the Colts early last year. Further making Roby a local icon: he graduated from North Central (attended Lawrence North), has siblings at IU, Cathedral and Carmel - and also lives in Geist.

Peyton Manning wins 4th MVP

As we enter the new decade with the Pacers on an 8-game losing streak and the Hoosiers undefeated in BigTen play, I wanted to keep my streak going of passing on tomorrow's news: Peyton Manning will win an NFL-record 4th MVP and the six Pro Bowlers mentioned below will also include Bethea but none of them will be available to play due to XLiV.

Colts in 2010 ProBowl & SB

We all know that Manning, Clark, Wayne, Freeney, Mathis and Saturday are the best at their position.

Antonie Bethea (2nd-best among AFC FS's in both tackles and interceptions) should get in behind Ed Reed and Brian Dawkins. Melvin Bullitt is available on Special Teams. Pat McAfee, Gary Brackett, Raheem Brock and Clint Session all deserve consideration too. Now if you're thinking "whoa, Clint Session? c'mon Pete, quit bein a homer" - Sessions has 76 tackles (2nd among all AFC players) and returned one last week to clinch the game. Fun Fact: Only 3 AFC players have at least 60 tackles and a score, rookie CB Jacob Lacey also holds that honor.

10 Year Anniversary of Bill Polian & Colts

Ten years ago we were a franchise with a lone AFC title run in 15 years of embarrassment. Marvin Harrison wore #8 and Tarik Glenn was an undersized 23-yr-old starter. Through drafts alone Polian has built a potent offense via the SEC and da U: Peyton Manning, Edge (now Joe Addai), and Reggie Wayne. After adding Hall of Famers Tony Dungy and Dwight Freeney, the Colts focused on the BigTen: Hawkeyes Dallas Clark & Bob Sanders, UM's Marlin Jackson, and more Buckeyes than just Anthony Gonzales.

The 2006 WORLD CHAMPS have also achieved:

• 5 consecutive DIVISION BANNERS.

• 5 consecutive seasons of 12+ victories, the first time that has been achieved in the NFL's 88-year history
• the only team in NFL history to win 75% 5 consecutive years (AFC SOUTH is ranked #1)

• A place alongside the Green Bay Packers of '29-31 as the only teams to start 3 consecutive seasons 7-0 or better: 13-0, 9-0 and 7-0
• The Colts are the only NFL franchise to keep its starting QB & offensive coordinator/line coach (Tom Moore/Howard Mudd) together for the past 10 seasons. RB coach Gene Huey is the longest-tenured assistant in team history: 16 seasons, 254 games (Marshall Faulk, Edge, Joe Addai).
• They've fielded a top-four offense each of the past five years. Not to mention they draw killer ratings on prime time TV.

When our free agents leave, they 0ften 0penly 0pt f0r d0-0vers. When they stay, they have access to his private jet, Pro-Bowls and performance bonuses. No wonder Bill Polian has won NFL Executive of the Year 5 times...

With the 32nd pick, the XLi Champs select...

The defense lost two solid veterans in Cato June and Nick Harper, but I doubt we'll be looking for a CB with a core secondary of Bob Sanders, Antoine Bethea, Jason David, Marlin Jackson and Kelvin Hayden. I've heard reports that Ron Meeks and Mike Murphy are ready to push Freddie Keiaho to start at LB alongside Rob Morris and Gary Brackett. This is obviously the ONLY HOLE in the Colts starting 25 (22 + Hunter Smith, Adam Vinatieri, Terrence Wilkins). The run-defense stepped up in the playoffs, but you cannot expect Booger and Brock to plug the gaps every down.

The next position we need to look at is RB. With the absence of Rhodes, Peyton will need a similar compliment to handle some of the rushing/blocking when Addai rests. The type of player Gene Huey wants here will be someone that's available on Day #2 or even in Free Agency.

When Brandon Stokely only played a handful of games, we saw replacement-wannabes continually drop passes from Peyton's laser-rocket arm. Morehead is still too raw, and Dallas Clark was only a temporary slot-receiver. There is an abundance of talented WRs in this year's draft, but I doubt Polian will flinch at the studs that'll be available.

Here's a look at some possible candidates for the 32nd pick in the 2007 draft:

• Brandon Siler (LB) UF
• Jon Beason (LB) Miami
• Justin Harrell (DT) Tennessee
• Anthony Spencer (DE/LB) Purdue
• Dwayne Jarret (WR) USC
• Steve Smith (WR) USC
• Brian Leonard (RB) Rutgers

Polian's previous 10 1st round picks:
Joe Addai, Marlin Jackson, Dallas Clark, Dwight Freeney, Reggie Wayne, Rob Morris, Edge, Peyton Manning, Tarik Glenn, Marvin Harrison

☺

"They were who we thought they were!"

Indy wins + Chargers win = undefeated team (at home) faces another undefeated team at home. But because the Colts relaxed since Dallas, we'll have to fly --> whale's vagina; following a dance on their face and then subsequently bedding their latino women to face NFC foe in XLi.

Indy wins + Patroits win = world is over.


Here's a recent comment from fellow '00 classmate Anttaj Hawthorne:

"Dr Fantasy Champ,
You nailed it this year on the NFL Power Rankings... your top 26 teams' rankings - even the comments were money! You gotta work on getting all 31 though. I'm a Packers fan residing in Santa Clara (via New England) and you hated on all 4 of my teams!"

Hey, Anttaj - you were only a Packers fan for 4 years. Stick w/ 1 team!
At least you'll have ""The Golden Boy"" to ""Save"" your ""Franchise"":




Walker, Quinn, McKnight, Abiamiri, Ndukwe should all go early and just maybe my Gold jersey (#23 Trey Anastasio) will represent in the 2007 draft in April.

Now that's Manning-Up

I'm Serious

I only lie to my girl