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(01/14/08 5:34am)
The defending Big Ten champion women’s swimming and diving team started its season 1-4 and quickly fell out of the top 25.\nBut the Hoosiers shook off their early season struggles this weekend, scoring 1108.5 points and taking first place in the Notre Dame Invitational. IU outscored second-place No. 13 Michigan by 53.5 points. Notre Dame (898.5) and Illinois (442) placed third and fourth, respectively.\nThe team welcomed the arrival of sophomore transfer Kate Zubkova, who made an immediate impact for the team in her first eligible meet. She won the 100-yard backstroke in an NCAA A standard time of 54.18. The NCAA A standard times automatically qualifies Zubkova for post-season competition. \nIn the 200-yard backstroke, Zubkova won again and set a B standard time of 1:58.03. She contributed to victories in the 400-yard freestyle relay and the 200-yard medley relay. Zubkova also placed first in the 100-yard butterfly.\nIt wasn’t just Zubkova’s performance that helped the Hoosiers to victory. \nJunior Allison Kay placed first in the 200-yard butterfly with a 2:00.83 B standard to lead IU to a sweep in the butterfly events. Kay won the 400-yard individual medley with a season best 4:17.89. Sophomore Brittany Feldman took the 1-meter diving title with a score of 305.40. \nSeveral Hoosiers were close behind Zubkova in her victories. Sophomore Presley Bard completed the 1-2 sweep in the 100-yard backstroke, while sophomore Donna Smailis finished right behind Zubkova in the 200-yard butterfly for another 1-2 finish.\nIU was never seriously challenged during the meet. Entering the final Saturday evening session, the team had a 100-point lead over Michigan. In the session’s first event, the 1,650 freestyle, freshman Amanda Smith set a career best and B standard mark of 16:39.59 for a second-place finish, and sophomore Cassie Luhrsen followed with a 16:41.22 to place third, as the Hoosiers secured their top position.\nThe victory avenges a Nov. 2 a 207-163loss to Michigan in a dual meet in Bloomington. Prior to the meet, IU coach Ray Looze said the team would “turn the tables” on Michigan. He felt the team, with the addition of Zubkova, was much improved from the one he saw in early November.\nOther top performances from the Hoosiers included three scorers in the 100-yard freestyle, led by a fourth-place finish by Smailis and a fifth-place finish by freshman Kelsey Atchison. Junior Sarah Stockwell had a season-best and NCAA B standard 2:17.81 time to place third in the 200-yard breaststroke.\nIU competes next Friday in a dual meet with No. 9 Tennessee in Knoxville, Tenn.
(01/14/08 5:32am)
Despite stellar performances from several members of the team, the No. 7 Hoosiers failed to upset the No. 4 Michigan Wolverines this weekend, falling 165-133. IU lost to Michigan with a nearly identical score, 167-133, earlier this season.\n“I think we showed a lot better depth than when we first met in the fall,” said IU coach Ray Looze in an IU Athletics press release. “The biggest positive from today is that we were able to score more people in the meet. The guys are a little beat up and we lost a couple of close races. If we could have taken six or seven of the swimming events, I think we could have won the meet. There were maybe five races that I think we should have won, but they were just able to overtake us on the last lap or just out-touched us at the wall.”\nSenior swimmer Todd Patrick helped pick up several victories for the Hoosiers over the course of the afternoon, including a season-best time of 3:52.27 in the 400-yard medley. IU also saw a dominance in the 100-yard breaststroke, finishing second, third and fourth in the event. Senior swimmer Ben Hesen also chipped in to win both the 100-yard and 200-yard backstroke for the Hoosiers. \nThe diving squad also saw its share of victories from the platforms. Freshman diver Landon Marzullo led the Hoosiers in scoring with a winning score of 378.08. Senior diver David Legler was second in scoring from the platform, and junior diver Will Bohonyi was third. Marzullo won both the three-meter and the platform dive competitions.\nBut even with the Hoosiers success over several events, the Wolverines still bested the Hoosiers to spoil an upset.\n“We are built for the conference meet, and I still think we can win the Big Ten championship,” Looze said. “I am confident in these guys and how hard they have worked. We just haven’t quite gotten over that hill yet.”
(01/11/08 5:31am)
With almost all pre-conference play in the books, the IU wrestling team takes their perfect 8-0 mark to Cedar Falls, Iowa Saturday to compete in the National Wrestling Coaches Association/Cliff Keen Duals.\nThe Hoosiers are unseeded in the tournament and square off against No. 7 seed Missouri in the first round. If IU emerges victorious, they will face the winner of the contest between Cornell and Big Ten rival and No. 2 seed Iowa. Overall, IU is ranked 15th nationally, according to intermatwrestle.com.\nOver winter break, IU grabbed impressive victories in the FITE Duals in Chicago, annihilating Harper College 49-0 then continuing their dominance by beating Southern Illinois-Edwardsville 51-0. Two weeks later, during the Midlands portion of the FITE Duals, the Hoosiers showcased their talent against schools across the Midwest and placed eighth in the tournament out of 52 teams.\nSuccessful individual performances accompanied an impressive team performance throughout the FITE Duals. Headlining the Hoosiers was sophomore Angel Escobedo, who earned his second straight Midlands championship in the 125-pound weight class by pinning his first two opponents. Escobedo then won decisions over Iowa State’s Tyler Clark and Illinios’s Gabe Flores before being, literally, put on a national stage against Northwestern’s Brandon Precin. \nViewers watching the match on the Big Ten Network would have seen Escobedo extend his undefeated record against Precin in a 10-3 decision.\nFreshman Paul Young rebounded after a second-round defeat in the 157-pound weight class. Young earned eighth place by winning five straight matches in the wrestleback.\nIU heads back to Bloomington next Saturday to host the Hoosier Quad in only their second home match of the season. IU went 5-0 in the Hoosier Duals on Nov. 24, winning each match in convincing fashion with the closest contest coming against Liberty by a score of 32-9. Joining IU for the Hoosier Quad is Air Force, Gardner-Webb and the University of Indianapolis.\nThe Hoosiers open their conference play Jan. 26 at home against Wisconsin. According to the recent national poll on intermatwrestle.com, the Hoosiers are ranked eighth in the Big Ten. The Hoosiers will wrestle all of their home matches at the University Gymnasium located at 10th St. and the SR 45/46 bypass.
(01/11/08 5:26am)
The IU women’s basketball team played No. 19 Ohio State tough on the road, but the Buckeyes used the play of Jantel Lavender, Marscilla Packer and Tamarah Riley to earn a 71-59 victory Thursday night in Columbus. Lavender scored 23 points and grabbed 14 rebounds while Packer and Riley added 17 and 16 points, respectively.\nIU sophomore guard Jamie Braun scored a game-high 25 points and dished out five assists to pace IU. Junior forward Whitney Thomas and junior guard Kim Roberson also scored in double figures for the Hoosiers with 12 and 11 points, respectively. \nOhio State shot 59 percent from the field for the game, and 68 percent in the second half, while the Hoosiers shot just 41 percent for the game. The Buckeyes also held an advantage at the free-throw line, shooting 11-15, while IU went 3-7.\nOhio State outrebounded the Hoosiers 36-27, but was forced into 19 turnovers compared to IU’s 11. The turnover ratio kept the Hoosiers in the game until late in the second half.\nOhio State led 30-27 at the half, thanks to Lavender’s 15-point and six-rebound first half. IU trailed by as many as nine points in the first half but used an 8-0 run to cut the Buckeye lead to 22-21 with 5:55 left in the half.\nThe Hoosiers raced out of the gates in the second half with a 12-2 run in the first four minutes of action to gain a 39-32 lead. But Ohio State quickly responded with a 7-0 run of its own in the next two minutes of action to knot the game at 39-39. \nIU was never able to regain the lead, and the Buckeyes maintained at least a five-point lead for the rest of the contest before extending the lead on their solid free-throw shooting.
(01/10/08 4:08am)
Bob Knight is about to enter a realm occupied by only two other Division I basketball coaches, and they’re both women.\nWhen the Hall of Fame coach gets win No. 900 he will join former Texas coach Jody Conradt and Tennessee’s Pat Summitt as the only members of the Division I club. Knight’s first shot comes Saturday at Oklahoma State.\n“Oh, who cares about 900?” Knight, ornery as ever at 67, said last week after victory No. 899. That game, a 75-68 victory over UTEP, was marked by his first technical foul this season. He kicked a table after what he thought was a bad call and lost his right shoe.\nKnight has been a head coach for 42 years at three Division I schools. He got his 100th victory at Army, then moved to Indiana, where his Hoosiers went 662-239 and won three national championships from 1971-00.\nHis first NCAA title came in 1976 when Indiana went undefeated, a feat no team has done since. In 1984, he coached the U.S. Olympic team to a gold medal in Los Angeles.\nConradt ended her coaching career last year with 900 wins. Summitt, who got No. 900 in 2006, said it’s no surprise Knight has kept winning.\n“He demands a performance,” said Summit, who has increased her total to 959. “He raises the bar and gets the most out of his players.”\nThe career victory leader in men’s coaching is Harry Statham of McKendree University, an NAIA school. The 70-year-old coach has won 948 games in 42 seasons.\nLast season, Knight enjoyed another milestone — career win No. 880 to become the winningest Division I men’s coach. In the weeks leading to the mark, Knight pooh-poohed the attention. Then he seemed in his element as he basked in the adulation from a sellout crowd in Lubbock on Jan. 1, 2007. He appeared to choke up as Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” blared and confetti rained from the rafters.\nTo hear Knight frame it, it’s all about durability.\n“Things that transpire relative to numbers are usually a matter of longevity more than anything else,” he said. “You want to be able to do the job well. But I think there have been a lot of really good coaches who coached a relatively short period of time.”\nIn September, Knight signed a three-year contract extension that goes through the 2011-12 season. Two years earlier, his son Pat was appointed head coach designate and will succeed his father upon retirement.\nThe younger Knight has said he and his father have a plan for when that will happen, but neither is talking.\n“You’ll read about it somewhere in the newspaper,” Bob Knight said. “When I quit everybody will know at the same time that I quit, and they’ll have no idea where to find me.”\nEven the elder Knight’s boss isn’t clued in.\n“We haven’t talked about that at all,” said athletic director Gerald Myers, who helped bring Knight to Texas Tech after he was fired from Indiana in 2000.\nSince his arrival, Knight has led Tech to 20-plus-win seasons in five of six years, something never before done at the school. He also was left with the second-worst record of his career at Tech, finishing 15-17 in 2005-06.
(01/10/08 4:07am)
The congressional hearing involving Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte and former trainer Brian McNamee was postponed Wednesday until Feb. 13 so lawmakers can gather evidence and coordinate their investigation with the Justice Department.\nPlans are still in place for the Jan. 15 hearing before the same committee about the Mitchell Report on baseball’s Steroids Era. The witnesses scheduled to appear that day are commissioner Bud Selig, union leader Donald Fehr and former Senate majority leader George Mitchell, the report’s author.\nAt the end of last week, Congress asked seven-time Cy Young Award winner Clemens, teammate and friend Pettitte and their trainer, McNamee, to testify under oath. Also invited were former Yankee Chuck Knoblauch and Kirk Radomski, the former New York Mets clubhouse attendant who was one of the main sources of evidence for the Mitchell Report.\nRadomski pleaded guilty in April to federal felony charges of distributing steroids and laundering money, and he is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 8.\n“The Justice Department told the committee it would be helpful if we waited until after Radomski is sentenced,” the committee’s minority staff director, David Marin, wrote in an e-mail. “This also gives us more time to delve into more recent developments, gather more information, and depose all witnesses before they testify in public.”\nPlenty has happened since the committee arranged the \nsecond hearing.\nClemens filed a defamation lawsuit Sunday against McNamee, who told Mitchell he injected Clemens with steroids and human growth hormone in 1998, 2000 and 2001. A TV interview with Clemens aired, and the pitcher also held a news conference and played a recording of a 17-minute telephone conversation he had with McNamee.\nThat tape could be among the items requested by the committee, the same House panel that brought sluggers Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and Rafael Palmeiro to Capitol Hill in March 2005. One of McNamee’s lawyers also said the committee should obtain a recording of a conversation between his client and investigators of Clemens’ law firm. That meeting took place Dec. 12, a day before the Mitchell Report was released.
(01/10/08 4:06am)
LaDainian Tomlinson and Randy Moss were unanimous selections to The Associated Press 2007 NFL All-Pro team on Wednesday. So was Tom Brady – sort of.\nThe league’s Most Valuable Player and Offensive Player of the Year was chosen on each of the ballots from 50 media members who regularly cover the NFL. One voter, however, split the vote at quarterback between Brady and Green Bay’s Brett Favre.\nStill, Brady was a runaway choice at the position, and was joined by four other unbeaten Patriots on the squad: Moss, tackle Matt Light, cornerback Asante Samuel and outside linebacker Mike Vrabel.\nAll but Moss made the All-Pro team for the first time; Moss was chosen as a Minnesota Viking in 1998, 2000 and 2003.\n“Every week, we come in here on Monday and you win and everybody’s excited, the plane flights home are great,” Brady said, referring to what has been a historic season so far for the 16-0 Patriots. “It’s been a lot of fun. To see what we’ve accomplished thus far is great. At the same time we realize that, as coach put it, there’s another mountain to climb.”\nEasily scaling the All-Pro mountain were Tomlinson, for the third time, and Moss. Joining Tomlinson, the league’s leading rusher, were fellow Chargers Lorenzo Neal, who clears many of L.T.’s paths from his fullback spot, and cornerback Antonio Cromartie.\nCromartie’s breakthrough season saw him lead the NFL with 10 interceptions.\n“I should have had 13,” he said. “This year, I think I proved a lot of people wrong, with everybody saying how my knee injury was going to affect me. I mean, I’m two years off of it. My biggest thing was proving everybody wrong.”\nAlso with three players on the team were Dallas and Seattle. The Cowboys had linebacker DeMarcus Ware, tight end Jason Witten and wide receiver Terrell Owens; Ware and Witten were first-timers, Owens also was selected in 2000, 2001 and 2002 with San Francisco, and 2004 with Philadelphia.\n“Any time you can be the best in the entire league, that’s always a special moment,” said Witten, who had 96 receptions and seven touchdowns this season. “There’s a lot of great tight ends out there, so to be on the top of that list is nice.”\nThe Seahawks had tackle Walter Jones, defensive end Patrick Kerney and linebacker Lofa Tatupu. Jones previously made All-Pro in 2001, 2004 and 2005; the others Seahawks were first-timers.\nSeahawks coach Mike Holmgren called Tatupu’s three-interception day in a win at Philadelphia on Dec. 2 “one of the great games I’ve ever seen a linebacker have.”\n“Everybody has been instrumental in everything that I’ve been able to do,” Tatupu said. “The D-line has been enabling me to get sacks, DBs staying on their guys so we can get back there and get sacks, or getting interceptions.”\nJoining Brady, Tomlinson and Neal in the backfield was Philadelphia’s Brian Westbrook, who led the league in total yards from scrimmage with 2,104.\nThe rest of the offense had Minnesota guard Steve Hutchinson, Pittsburgh guard Alan Faneca, and Indianapolis center Jeff Saturday.\nThe other All-Pros on defense were Kansas City end Jared Allen, the league sacks leader with 15 ½; Minnesota tackle Kevin Williams and Tennessee tackle Albert Haynesworth; San Francisco inside linebacker Patrick Willis, the only rookie on the squad; Indianapolis safety Bob Sanders, the Defensive Player of the Year; and Baltimore safety Ed Reed, making it for the third time.\nThe special teams players were Titans kicker Rob Bironas and 49ers punter Andy Lee, both newcomers to the squad, and record-setting kick returner Devin Hester of Chicago, who also made it as a rookie in 2006.\n“It’s been an incredible journey,” said Bironas, who also played in the Arena Football League and arenafootball2 before making good with the Titans. “I didn’t have any doubt in myself when I got started on this journey in high school. That was my dream to play in the pros, and I just kept pursuing it. I wanted to be one of the better kickers in the NFL, and this year I was able to do that.”\nIn all, 15 AFC players and 12 from the NFC were chosen as All-Pros.
(01/09/08 6:32am)
BEAVERTON, Ore. – It’s gotta be the shoes, right?\nNo other basketball shoe has changed the face of business, athletics and marketing like the Air Jordan. This month, Nike releases the 23rd edition, and it is expected to be just as venerated as its predecessors.\nThe sleek design and link to Michael Jordan’s jersey number make it a touchstone in the line. It’s also Nike’s first basketball shoe designed under its “Considered” ethos, which aims to reduce waste and use environmentally friendly materials wherever possible.\nThe Air Jordan XX3 will be released in three hyped-up rounds from January to February, starting with a limited edition to be sent to only 23 retailers to be sold for $230 and concluding with the national launch at $185.\nThere had been talk at Nike about retiring the shoe at No. 23, because of his iconic jersey number. But company officials won’t say whether this will be the last of the line. Neither will Jordan.\n“You’ll just have to wait and see,” Jordan said in an e-mail to The Associated Press, responding to questions about the upcoming release.\nBefore launching the first shoe in 1985, Nike had just signed Jordan for $2.5 million over five years. Nike won’t say what Jordan’s current contract with the company is worth.\nJordan’s deal with Nike opened the door for sneaker manufacturers to chase after athletes, signing them up — sometimes just out of high school — for multimillion-dollar contracts in hopes of being able to cash in on the next superstar. It sent sneaker prices to new heights, which has since generated a backlash against selling pricey shoes to basketball-loving kids.\n“The Air Jordan franchise created the most coveted basketball footwear in the world and changed the basketball landscape forever,” said Nike Brand President Charlie Denson.\nUnlike most basketball shoes to date, which were often white and utilitarian, the Air Jordan was a shock of black and red. It was initially banned by the NBA for not conforming with other players’ shoes.\nJordan continued to wear them and was fined $5,000 a game, which Nike paid.\n“Nobody expected the mass hysteria created by its release,” Jordan, who has been a part-owner of the Charlotte Bobcats since 2006, said in his e-mail to The AP.\nA new edition was launched each year, and release dates had to be moved to the weekends to keep kids from skipping school to get a pair.\nThe frenzy got dangerous. People were mugged and even killed for the shoes.\nThe Air Jordans helped spawn a subculture of collectors, who line up at stores to buy the shoe’s latest edition.\nJordan said he never expected that the shoe would become an icon.\n“Like every kid growing up, I dreamed of making winning shots at the buzzer and I was fortunate to live out that dream, but never in my wildest dreams did I ever entertain the idea of the success of the Air Jordan franchise,” he said.\nThe Air Jordans moved basketball shoes from true high-tops or low-tops to a middle range and used unheard of styles, such as patent leather toes and elephant print.\nAs Jordan’s success grew on the courts, so did Nike’s in the shoe industry.\nPeople from the streets to the suburbs were wearing $100-plus basketball shoes, which was unheard of at the time.\nThat price is the norm today, but it has launched a backlash, such as the partnership between New York Knicks player Stephon Marbury and the Steve & Barry’s store chain to sell basketball shoes for $14.98 — a direct stab at pricey sneakers like Air Jordans.
(01/09/08 5:55am)
Imagine the IU football team arriving at the Indianapolis International Airport, back from New Orleans. The players, clad in heavy crimson clothing appropriate for the cold weather, one by one make their way through the tarmac as thousands of faithful Hoosier fans greet them with camera phones in hand, hoping to catch a glimpse of the new national champions.\nIU coach Bill Lynch emerges as the last man off the plane. Donning a No. 13 jersey, in honor of Coach Hep’s mantra, he raises the spectacular AFCA Coaches’ National Championship Trophy while specs of light, via flashbulbs, bounce off of it as if it were heaven sent.\nNow back in Bloomington, you’re still on the emotional high from a night unlike one the city has ever seen. You struggled to make it out of bed, groggy and removed from your usual routine. You have three brand new back-to-back classes staring you in the face and all you can think about was that play where Kellen Lewis broke down that safety on a 60-yard run, or the shoestring interception by Tracy Porter that sealed the deal. But you are faithful, so you make your way from the south side of campus just to be a part of the scene.\nThen it happens.\nA caravan of buses makes its way down Dunn Street, and the mob of people who were lighting couches on fire a few hours before in the Varsity Villas reconvene for even more celebration in the stadium parking lot. The marching band plays “Indiana, Our Indiana” and screams from hoarse voice boxes belt out “I-U” as the players make their way into a sea of red, soaking in the school’s first BCS National Championship.\nI imagine this is probably a semi-accurate depiction of what happened on LSU’s campus yesterday morning after they welcomed back the Bayou Bengals from their beat-down of Ohio State in the BCS National Championship Game. From a fan’s perspective, the thrill of winning a football championship seems to far outweigh a title in any other college sport. \nIU is inarguably a basketball school, but watching LSU’s celebration after the game Monday night made me want to experience the pride they felt that night. Obviously the expectations are much higher from big-time programs like LSU and Ohio State, but a long time ago they had to build their programs up from conference bottom feeders – much like IU has been accustomed to in recent years.\nI hope that at one point in my life I am able to see the Hoosiers return from winning something with as much magnitude as Monday’s championship game. As a senior in my last semester, I have seen it all – the good and the bad of IU sports – but never the legendary. After watching countless teams raise trophies on ESPN all of my life, I have come to the conclusion that there would be no better feeling for a college sports fan than having your team in a BCS bowl and taking home the crown.\nThis might seem a little obvious, but the progress the Hoosiers made this season did wonders in changing the attitudes of many hopeless IU football fans, myself included. And it made me honestly believe that one day a similar event \ncan happen right here in Bloomington.
(01/09/08 5:54am)
Business-like dominance.\nThat’s what IU asserted over Michigan last night in Crisler Arena. The Hoosiers seized control from the opening tip and hardly looked back in their 78-64 victory and second Big Ten road win to open conference play.\nIU led by six at the half and by as much as 22 in the second half. To borrow from prime time television, this Big Ten matchup turned out to be as lopsided as a joust duel in American Gladiators – and the Hoosiers weren’t the ones taking a stick to the face.\nEven with Eric Gordon and Jamarcus Ellis on the bench in foul trouble in the first half, you had the feeling IU was in control. The Wolverines made their best run with Gordon and Ellis sidelined, hitting two 3-pointers late in the first half followed by a half-court heave by DeShawn Sims that banked in at the buzzer.\nBut like a Roger Clemens argument, Michigan fell apart in the second half. The Wolverines had no answer for the outside shooting of Gordon and the inside rebounding of D.J. White.\nWhite had a field day on the glass pulling down 22 rebounds to go along with 21 points. White took his game to another level in one sequence where he blocked a Michigan layup attempt, pulled in the rebound, stole the ball after an IU missed shot and dunked the ball with two hands while being fouled.\nThat’s called stuffing the box score, kids.\nAs young as this team is, it has played with veteran-like confidence in its three road games. Gordon’s cat-like cool seems to follow him wherever he goes (another ho-hum 23 point night on 56 percent shooting) and seeps through to the jitteriest of the Hoosiers. Don’t be surprised if Adam Ahfeld starts wearing sunglasses from his sideline perch.\nIt’s important to recognize, however, IU has yet to square off against the big dogs of the Big Ten. They’ve yet to face Wisconsin or Michigan State, or a team that can really dig in on the defensive end and disrupt the game of IU’s star players.\nThat’s where Armon Bassett’s injury could come back to bite the Hoosiers. The return of A.J. Ratliff certainly bolsters the IU backcourt, but Bassett’s steady hand will be sorely missed during halves where Jordan Crawford shoots 2-for-11 like he did during the first half last night. Crawford has shown flashes of brilliance through the first half of the season (particularly when there’s an older sibling defending him), but there are other nights where his play is erratic and he simply looks like a kid in his first season of collegiate basketball.\nBut when you have two All-America candidates as teammates like Crawford , it’s OK for a freshman to play like a freshman. Especially, when you are playing a team that’s lost to Harvard.
(01/09/08 5:51am)
Les Miles unleashed an ear-piercing whoop, then leaned back and exhaled as if he had been holding his breath all night.\n“I just had to do that,” the LSU coach said.\nEasy for him to say, now that he has the Bowl Championship Series trophy.\nThe second-ranked Tigers danced, dodged and darted their way into the end zone Monday night for a 38-24 victory, turning the title game into a horrible replay for No. 1 Ohio State.\nIn a season of surprises, this was hardly an upset: Ohio State once again fell apart in college football’s biggest game. A year after the Buckeyes were routed by Florida 41-14, they barely did better.\nBut this was unprecedented. Playing at their home-away-from-home in the Big Easy, the Tigers (12-2) became the first two-loss team to compete for the title.\nAnd while Miles got to hoist the $30,000 crystal prize, surely many fans around the country were wondering if someone else was equally worthy.\n“Certainly there will be some argument as to who’s the best team. But I think the national champion has been crowned tonight,” Miles said. “I have give great credit to some divine intervention that allows us to be in this position.”\nLSU rallied from an early 10-0 deficit, taking a 24-10 halftime lead that held up.\n“We just didn’t do the things you need to do to win a ballgame of this nature. We’re very aware that LSU’s a deserving champion,” Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said.\nJacob Hester bulled for a short touchdown, Early Doucet wiggled loose for a touchdown and Glenn Dorsey led a unit that outplayed the top-ranked defense in the nation.\nOhio State (11-2) had little to celebrate after Chris “Beanie” Wells broke loose for a 65-yard TD run on the fourth play of the game.\n“It’s unbelievable to know you’ve failed two years in a row,” Wells said.\nThe Tigers got two big plays on special teams — Ricky Jean-Francois blocked a field goal, and LSU took advantage of a roughing-the-kicker penalty.\nMatt Flynn hit Doucet with a 4-yard toss with 9:04 left for a 31-10 lead and the celebration was on in earnest. The Buckeyes made the score more respectable on Todd Boeckman’s 5-yard TD pass on fourth down to Brian Robiskie, only to have Flynn come back and throw his second TD pass to Richard Dickson.\nFlynn finished 19-for-27 for 174 yards and was picked the game’s most outstanding offensive player.
(01/09/08 5:51am)
After the toughest season of his Hall of Fame career, Joe Gibbs knew he needed to walk away from the Washington Redskins and devote more time to his wife, children and grandchildren.\nHe resigned as coach and team president of the Redskins Tuesday, three days after a playoff loss ended an inspirational late-season run that followed the death of safety Sean Taylor.\nThe 67-year-old Gibbs said Redskins owner Dan Snyder tried to persuade him to stay on during a conversation that lasted until about 2:30 a.m. Tuesday.\n“My family situation being what it is right now, I told him I couldn’t make the kind of commitment I needed to make,” Gibbs said during a news conference, standing a few feet from the three silver Super Bowl trophies he won during his first tenure with the Redskins. “I felt like they needed me.”\nOne of his grandsons, Taylor, was diagnosed with leukemia a year ago at age 2. Gibbs frequently talks lovingly about his “grandbabies,” and he made an overnight trip to North Carolina Sunday to be with his family, interrupting the postseason routine of meetings that usually follow the final game of the season.\n“I had real good visits with everybody, and at that point when I started back to D.C. and got on the plane that afternoon, I kind of had a real strong feeling in my heart of what I felt like I should do,” Gibbs said.\nHe had one season left on the five-year, $27.5 million deal that lured him out of his first NFL retirement and away from his second career as a NASCAR owner.\nInstead of coaching, Gibbs will shift into a role as an adviser to Snyder.\n“I tried very, very hard to try to convince Joe not to retire,” the owner said. “This is something none of us wanted to see happen. But all of us respect it and understand it.”\nGibbs went 31-36, including 1-2 in the playoffs, in his second stint with the Redskins, always maintaining he intended to fulfill the contract.\n“I hate to leave something unfinished. I made an original commitment of five years. I felt bad about that,” Gibbs said, his voice occasionally choking with emotion.\n“It’s one of the few times in life I felt like I walked away from something. But I also felt like ... ‘Hey, I need to be in a different situation.’”\nThe news startled players, who left Sunday’s final team meeting certain Gibbs would return for the final year of \nhis contract.\n“That’s part of this business — it’s full of surprises,” safety Pierson Prioleau said. “Most of us suspected he would be back, and he’ll definitely be missed.”\nGibbs called this his hardest season, making reference to Taylor’s shooting in November, but pointed to his family as the chief reason for his resignation.
(01/09/08 5:51am)
Richard “Goose” Gossage became only the fifth relief pitcher elected to the Hall of Fame, earning baseball’s highest honor Tuesday. It was his ninth try on the ballot.\nKnown for his overpowering fastball, fiery temperament and bushy mustache, the Goose received 466 of 543 votes (85.8 percent) from 10-year members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.\n“It was very emotional, off the charts. I can’t describe the feeling,” Gossage said.\nJim Rice was passed over yet again, getting 392 votes (72.2 percent), up from 346 (63.5 percent) last year but 16 short of the 75 percent needed. He will appear on the writers’ ballot for the 15th and final time next year, when career steals leader Rickey Henderson will be among the newcomers.\nAndre Dawson was third at 358 (65.9 percent), followed by Bert Blyleven at 336 (61.9 percent), Lee Smith at 235 (43.3 percent) and Jack Morris at 233 (42.9 percent).\nMark McGwire, a casualty of the Steroids Era in some writers’ minds, received just 128 votes — the exact total he had last year. His percentage increased slightly to 23.6 percent, up from 23.5 percent last year when he was on the ballot for the first time.\nTim Raines topped the 11 newcomers on the ballot, receiving 132 votes (24.3 percent). All of the others appearing for the first time fell below the 5 percent necessary to remain on the ballot next year.\nGossage, who fell short by 21 votes last year, joins Hoyt Wilhelm (1985), Rolland “Rollie” Fingers (1992), Dennis Eckersley (2004) and Bruce Sutter (2006) in Cooperstown’s bullpen.\nGossage was sitting in a recliner in his living room overlooking the Rocky Mountains when he received the call. He turned to reporters in the room and said, “Oh my god, I’ve been elected.”\n“A shock wave went through my body like an anvil just fell on my head,” Gossage said about his reaction. “I think having to wait makes it that much more special.”\nHis mother died in 2006, Gossage said with tears welling up in his eyes, and he had hoped she would live long enough to see him inducted.\nGossage was a nine-time All-Star who pitched for nine major league teams from 1972-94 and had 310 saves — 52 of them when he got seven outs or more.\nThe first time he appeared on the Hall ballot in 2000, Gossage received only 33.3 percent of the vote.\nHe will be inducted July 27 in Cooperstown, joined by five men elected last month by the revamped Veterans Committee: former commissioner Bowie Kuhn, former Dodgers owner Walter O’Malley, managers Dick Williams and Billy Southworth and ex-Pirates owner Barney Dreyfuss.\nWilliams managed Gossage on the San Diego Padres.\n“There isn’t anybody I’d rather go in with than Dick Williams,” said Gossage, who spoke with his former manager right after getting the news.
(01/08/08 3:47pm)
NEW YORK – Bob Sanders’ impact on the vastly improved Indianapolis defense, not to mention his impact on opposing ball carriers, earned the Colts safety The Associated Press 2007 NFL Defensive Player of the Year award Monday.\nSanders makes highlight films with his smash-mouth style and knack for always being near the ball. His value as a leader — the Peyton Manning of the Colts’ defense, if you will — was just as much a factor in Indianapolis having the third-ranked unit in the NFL and allowing just 262 points, a league low.\nYes, these Colts can play dominating defense, and Sanders is the main reason.\n“One of the things we talked about when he first got here was how critical this position is in this defense,” said coach Tony Dungy, who has nicknamed Sanders “The Eraser.” “Donnie Shell went to five Pro Bowls, and John Lynch went to I don’t even know how many Pro Bowls. You get asked to do a lot of things in this defense, and it’s rare to find someone who can do those things.”\nSanders did enough to earn 31 votes from a nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the NFL. That was particularly impressive because it was a strong season for individual defensive performances.\nYet next closest in the balloting were Seattle end Patrick Kerney and Tennessee tackle Albert Haynesworth with four votes each.\nSanders was a huge factor in the Colts’ surge to the Super Bowl title last year. He missed most of the regular season, got healthy for the playoffs, and suddenly teams couldn’t run or pass effectively against Indy.\nWith Sanders in the lineup for 15 games this season, the Colts were superb defensively on their way to a 13-3 record and the AFC South crown.\nNot that Sanders laid back in an attempt to stay healthy.\n“(The award) is a goal I set for myself every year and for it to come so fast is something I never expected,” Sanders said. “It’s exciting, it’s an honor and I will cherish this moment forever.”\nHis teammates were celebrating right there next to him.\nIndianapolis is typically regarded as an offensive juggernaut, and Sanders is the first Colts player to win the defensive award.\nPlus, he did it in a season when the Colts’ lost their other key defender, Dwight Freeney, for the final seven games with a season-ending foot injury. Freeney was just one of a handful of starters who missed games, but Sanders remained the constant on defense.\n“His presence makes us better,” linebacker Gary Brackett said. “He’s a game-changer. But his presence gives us a comfort level, knowing he’s going to be back there to clean up for us.”\nWith Sanders in the lineup, the Colts became stingier and more physical as Sanders played closer to the line of scrimmage.\nSanders received much of the credit for the turnaround, which saw Indy cut its yards per carry average from 5.3 in 2006 to 3.8 this season.\n“I think this year, I really played like I wanted to play,” Sanders said. “I give a lot of credit to my teammates who helped me stay consistent in practice and in games.”
(01/08/08 5:35am)
In case you didn''t have acess to the Big Ten Network over break or found yourself longing for the distinct cadence of Don Fischer’s voice (maybe that was just me), allow me to fill you in on the three home games and the Big Ten opener that IU played over break.\nAs expected, IU dismantled Western Carolina, Coppin State and Chicago State with the ease of a Cowboy hog-tying a Hoosier in the Arizona desert. Freshman guard Eric Gordon returned from his bruised backside in style against Western Carolina, draining his first five 3-pointers from his typically ridiculous spot somewhere in the parking lot south of Assembly Hall. IU put together a sluggish first half the following Saturday against Coppin State, but 27-point victories tend to mask sluggish first halves. The Hoosiers took care of Chicago State early on Dec. 29, building a 48-19 lead in the first half, and that was that. An 11-1 pre-conference schedule in the books.\nNow, with the Big Ten season under way, the real fun begins.\nIf the Hoosiers are to compete for a Big Ten championship this season, the newbies are going to have to adjust quickly to the physical, grind-it-out basketball that the conference hangs its hat on. IU passed its first test last week with a 79-76 win in Iowa City, pulling away from the Hawkeyes in the second half before surviving a ridiculous late scoring barrage by Iowa’s Justin Johnson. \nJohnson’s performance brought back visions of the video game classic NBA Jam. He was truly on fire, hitting six 3’s in the final two minutes – many of them with a hand in his face. You half-expected the net to go up in smoke after he banked in a 40-foot jump shot. The Hoosiers, however, weathered the storm for their 12th victory.\nOne thing that Gordon commented on about his first Big Ten game was the level of physicality.\n“It was real physical,” Gordon said in a statement. “Every time I went to the hole ...they had a bigger team than a lot of the other teams we played. The game was a lot more physical. It was just real tough to score inside most of the time.”\nIt won’t get any easier for Gordon and the Hoosiers, especially on the road where referees tend to give the home team the benefit of the doubt when bodies hit the hardwood. Iowa is projected to finish towards the bottom of the Big Ten as is Michigan, whom the Hoosiers face in Ann Arbor tonight. \nBut road wins aren’t to be taken for granted in this conference. As any veteran coach or fan will tell you, the key to winning the Big Ten is winning all of your home games and taking what you can get on the road.\nLuckily for IU, their knack for getting to the free throw line should keep them in every conference game. Heading into Big Ten play, the Hoosiers lead the conference in scoring and boast the conference’s leading scorer in Gordon and rebounder in D.J. White. \nIt is IU’s ability to get to the charity stripe, however, that will save their bacon when the shots aren’t falling and fatigue is setting in. Through 13 games, the Hoosiers have made more free throws than the total attempts for half of the other Big Ten teams. Of course, these statistics were compiled from games against the likes of Longwood. You won’t find a team like the Lancers in Big Ten country.\nTonight, IU faces another winnable road game in their only meeting with Michigan this season. The Wolverines have a proven coach in John Beilein and an exciting freshman in Manny Harris, but they have yet to beat a quality opponent. The Wolverine’s 1-3-1 zone may give IU some problems early, but barring any NBA Jam-esque performances from Michigan, the Hoosiers should walk away with a win.\nPrediction: IU wins 75-64
(01/06/08 11:42pm)
James Hardy - IU's all-time and single-season record holder in both receptions and touchdown catches - declared himself eligible for the NFL Draft on Friday, forgoing his final year of eligibility. Hardy has been at IU for four years, but redshirted as a freshman, giving him an extra year of eligibility. \n"After carefully examining my football career here at Indiana University, and consulting with my family, I have concluded that I have reached the pinnacle of my college football career," Hardy said in a IU Department of Athletics press release. \nMichael David Smith, a draft analyst for AOL Sports, said he thinks the move is a good one. \n“He’s not a player who’s likely to improve his stock by coming back to college for his senior season,” Smith said. \nSmith said Hardy’s size – the IU football media guide lists him at 6-foot-7, 220 pounds – is likely his biggest asset in the eyes of pro scouts. \nSmith did say he does not think Hardy will go in the first round of the draft. He cited Hardy’s brush with the law and short suspension in 2006 as possible red flags for teams looking at him, especially in the first round. \n“NFL teams are increasingly concerned about guys who might have character issues,” Smith said.\nSmith added that Hardy’s main question mark right now is his ability to outrun NFL defensive backs on deep routes. He said Hardy’s two of Hardy’s biggest strengths are his size and ability in short-yardage situations, especially in the red zone. \nSmith also said he doesn’t think coming out of IU, a school without the college and NFL pedigree of national powers like Ohio State and Southern Cal, will hurt Hardy. Smith said pro scouts are more interested in players’ ability than they are concerned about where they played in college. \n“I think an NFL team is more than happy to look past which uniform the player was playing in,” Smith said. “In the combine, they’re all wearing the same gray t-shirts.”\nSmith said he doesn’t foresee anyone trying to switch Hardy to tight end, despite his size. \nHardy is also the schools all-time leader in receiving yards, and the Fort Wayne native was a semi-finalist for the Biletnikoff Award this year, given annually to college football's top wide receiver. \nHe was also a first team All-Big Ten selection, and garnered All-America honors from several outlets, including www.rivals.com and the Associated Press. \nStay with www.idsnews.com and Under the Rock for continuing coverage of Hardy's declaration and other IU football news.
(01/03/08 6:58am)
window.location.href="http://www.idsnews.com/news/featurecontent/multimedia/insightbowl/";\nCheck out photos from the 2007 Insight Bowl here:\n
(12/31/07 12:55am)
Coach Mike Gundy talks with reporters after arriving in Tempe for the Insight Bowl.
(12/31/07 12:52am)
Football columnist Matt Dollinger talks about the unique relationship between IU's Bill Lynch and Oklahoma State's Mike Gundy.
(12/30/07 9:30pm)
Football columnist, Matt Dollinger, describes the excitement surrounding the upcoming Insight Bowl’s kickoff.
