TERRE HAUTE —
If anyone had a better weekend in auto racing than Chip Ganassi, we haven’t heard about it.
The personable car owner went into the record books Sunday when one of his drivers, Jamie McMurray, won the Brickyard 400. He earlier had won the Daytona 500 and one of Ganassi’s IndyCar Series drivers, Dario Franchitti, won the Indianapolis 500.
Ganassi became the first car owner to have winners in the Triple Crown of racing in the same year.
Late in Sunday’s race, both of his drivers, McMurray and Juan Pablo Montoya, were in the top five of the NASCAR Sprint Cup race. Montoya lost time in the pits when he took on four tires instead of two, then hit a safer barrier and made contact with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and did not finish the race, finishing 32nd.
He was dominant through much of the race for the second year in a row after earning the pole in qualifying on Saturday. If he keeps at it, he will be the first driver to win the Indianapolis 500 and Brickyard 400.
And not long after McMurray crossed the finish line first in Indy, another Ganassi driver, Scott Dixon, won the IndyCar Series race in Edmonton after Will Power had led most of the way.
Dixon won because Helio Castroneves was penalized for blocking after he had apparently won the race in Canada. Castroneves was furious and likely will be penalized for his actions.
Franchitti, meanwhile, finished third to give Ganassi a 1-3 finish in the race.
Like I say, no one had a better weekend than Ganassi and his efforts in the sport paid off big time for one of the truly “good guys” of sports.
Attendance was down as expected for the race but the estimated 140,000 still was the biggest for a Sprint Cup race this season. Indianapolis Motor Speedway officials were slated to announce a special ticket plan for next year’s race on Monday.
Kyle Busch did not win the race but had a good week in Indiana. He was second in the truck race Friday, won the Nationwide Series race Saturday and finished eighth Sunday after being involved in a mishap on the first lap.
Oh yes, our pick to win the main event was Kevin Harvick. He finished second.
• • •
• On the move — One of my friends and colleagues in journalism has left the Midwest and moved to Arizona.
Marshall (Ill.) native Bryan Bloodworth began work in Arizona last week, serving as vice president of business operations for the Arizona Sundogs of the Central Hockey League.
Bloodworth had been sports editor of The Pantagraph in Bloomington, Ill., for a long time and most recently had been assistant general manager and director of media relations for the Prairie-Thunder CHL team in Bloomington.
Jerry McBurney was vice president and general manager of the Bloomington team and recently was named president of the Arizona team. Bloodworth was one of his first hires.
Bloodworth is a member of the Illinois Basketballl Coaches Hall of Fame. Brother Tim has been one of the baseball and basketball assistant coaches at Marshall.
• Hot day — It was hot day for race fans on Saturday and Sunday at Indianapolis and plenty hot for fans who took in the St. Louis-Philadelphia baseball game in St. Louis last Thursday.
Thanks to friends who got us tickets and invited us to make the trip, we were in the crowd and enjoyed the game but perspired a lot as the game went into extra innings with the Phillies winning 2-0 in the 11th frame.
Cole Hamels was superb for the Phillies, allowing just one hit in eight innings, and Adam Wainright pitched well for the Cardinals, but neither got the decision.
Placido Polanco homered in the 11th to snap the scoreless tie and the Phils added another run before St. Louis was retired in order in the bottom of the frame after Jon Jay drew a leadoff walk.
The Cardinals didn’t have much better luck in Chicago but won in extra innings Sunday and took a half-game lead in the NL Central standings.
• • •
• Tom-Cattin’ It — The Terre Haute Golf Association Senior Championship is this weekend with play slated at Rea Park on Saturday and the final round at Hulman Links on Sunday.
Qualifying began Monday in the state junior boys tournament at West Lafayette. Match play begins Wednesday.
• Curt Chase has resigned as boys basketball coach at Edinburgh after four seasons, compiling a 34-49 record and winning the school’s first sectional since 1973 last season.
He said he more time with his family and will remain on the staff as assistant principal.
n Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees hit his 599th homer last Thursday but was still looking for No. 600 on Monday. He escaped serious injury when hit by a pitch Sunday against Kansas City.
Tom Reck may be contacted by phone at (812) 232-3231, by email at tm_reck@yahoo.com or by mail at 4284 S. Fifth St., Apt. 3, Terre Haute, IN 47802.
Ramblin' Reck
Ramblin' Reck: Chip Ganassi, you had the best weekend ever
- Ramblin' Reck
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RAMBLIN' RECK: Assessing the NCAA tournament jumble
The college men’s basketball schedule is in its final month with Selection Sunday less than four weeks away.
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RAMBLIN' RECK: And now, on to the next beloved winter sport
The final football game finally has been played, meaning folks in the Valley can concentrate on basketball this week.
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RAMBLIN' RECK: Indianapolis is looking mighty good this week
It’s Super Bowl XLVI week … in Indiana for the first time.
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RAMBLIN' RECK: Fox gives TH punter kudos
The stage is set. It’ll be the New York Giants against the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl that will be played for the first time in Indianapolis.
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RAMBLIN' RECK: Big Ten shaken up last week
It was a very interesting week in men’s college basketball, especially in the Big Ten.
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RAMBLIN' RECK: A fresh round of predictions as the NFL dwindles to 8
More National Foootball League playoff games are slated this weekend, with the number of postseason teams down to eight following an interesting weekend of wild-card action.
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RAMBLIN' RECK: Hile inducted into Hall
Indiana State grad Amy Lynn Hile will take her place in another Hall of Fame this year.
Inducted into the ISU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2005, the former Sycamore standout has been named as one of the 2011 inductees into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame.
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RAMBLIN' RECK: It’s time now for some intraleague hoops rivalries
It’s the final week of 2011 but it is the first week of conference basketball games for most colleges, particularly those in Indiana and Illinois.
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RAMBLIN' RECK: A long distance relationship
Indiana State’s trip out West to play basketball at Boise State brought back memories of one of the trips I made to that city.
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RAMBLIN' RECK: Indiana Mr. Football still has big decision to make
Some awards in high school and college football were announced last week.
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RAMBLIN' RECK: No dearth of good basketball
Based on early games, the college basketball season is going to be very interesting for coaches, players and fans, particularly in the Big Ten and Missouri Valley.
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RAMBLIN' RECK: Big Ten-ACC challenge gets under way tonight
Conference championship football games and challenge action in basketball will make for a busy week for college teams.
Wisconsin and Michigan State will meet in the very first Big Ten football championship Saturday at Indianapolis. Kickoff is 8 p.m. and the action will be carried by Fox.
Michigan State nipped the Badgers in the regular-season contest at East Lansing. We like Wisconsin to win and earn a trip to the Rose Bowl.
Other games and picks:
SEC — LSU over Georgia on Saturday
Mid-American — Northern Illinois over Ohio U. on Friday
Pac-12 — Oregon over UCLA on Friday
ACC — Virginia Tech over Clemson on Saturday
Conference USA — Houston over Southern Mississippi on Saturday
Western Kentucky will not play for a championship but the Hilltoppers won seven of their last eight games to finish with a winning mark. That’s the same team that lost to Indiana State, you will recall.
Meanwhile, the hiring and firing already has begun with Urban Meyer coming out of retirement to accept the job at Ohio State. That was a no-brainer.
Illinois is bowl-eligible but Ron Zook is out. Ditto for Turner Gill at Kansas and apparently Dennis Erickson at Arizona State.
In basketball, the first games in the Big Ten-ACC Challenge will be played tonight. The biggie tonight is Duke at Ohio State. Miami of Florida is at Purdue and Illinois plays at Maryland.
On Wednesday, Indiana is at North Carolina State, Wisconsin is at North Carolina and Michigan State goes to Florida State.
Indiana State is at Boise State on Saturday for a Missouri Valley-Mountain West Challenge game,
It was fun and gratifying to be able to watch the Sycamores on national television as they took third in the Old Spice Classic. The team got tons of favorable publicity and comments from the three games.
And what a game for Jake Odum and his triple-double. Wow.
I I I
n White honored — Taylor White of Casey has earned academic all-state honors in Illlinois football.
White was one of the top players at linebacker and fullback and was one of the captains on the team but did not play as the Warriors lost to Morrison in the Class 2A title tilt.
He was sidelined by injury in the game against Marshall and underwent surgery.
The Warriors gave Morrison all it wanted in the final game, concluding another banner season for coach Keith Sinclair and the team.
Nice work, Warriors.
I I I
n Tom-Cattin’ It — Carmel was the only public school to win a prep football championship in Indiana and was impressive in its 54-0 victory over Penn in the 5A finale.
Other winners — all private schools — were Lafayette Central Catholic in A, Fort Wayne Luers in 2A, Indianapolis Chatard in 3A, and Indianapolis Cathedral in 4A.
n Sullivan puts its undefeated girls basketball record on the line tonight at West Vigo. Its victory over Terre Haute South last week was its first over the Braves since 1992.
n Terre Haute North grad Steve Weatherford, now punting for the New York Giants, was featured in a nice story in The New York Times on Monday.
He was singled out for his conditioning program and called the strongest player pound for pound — at 210 pounds — on the team that met the New Orleans Saints on Monday Night Football.
n Jim Rathman died last week at 83.
He won the Indianapolis 500 in 1960, edging Rodger Ward in a race in which there were a record 29 lead changes.
Rathman also was runner-up in the race in 1952, 1957 and 1959.
n Flora has been tabbed by one newspaper as the preseason pick to win the Little Illini Conference boys basketball championship and to make it to the Final Four.
The Wolves play Marshall, off to a 3-1 start, next week.
Tom Reck may be contacted by telephone at (812) 232-3231, by email at tm_reck@yahoo.com or by mail at 4284 South 5th Street, Apt. 3, Terre Haute, IN 47802. -
RAMBLIN' RECK: Sinclair: ‘Never underestimate the heart of a Warrior’
Casey’s high school football team will have one more week of practice, including a workout early Thanksgiving Day, but the players don’t mind it.
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RAMBLIN' RECK: MVC’s quick start brings hope
Missouri Valley Conference men’s basketball teams and others are off to a good start.
Valley teams were 9-2 in games played through Sunday. Two teams picked up some very nice victories.
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RAMBLIN' RECK: ISU’s ranking solid heading into basketball season
The college football season still has a few weeks to run for most teams, but the basketball season starts for real for a lot of teams this week; a few still have some exhibition contests left on the schedule.
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RAMBLIN' RECK: Terre Haute native had memorable career at Red Hill
When Red Hill played its final football game of the season last month in Illinois, it marked the end of an era for a friend of mine and for the high school.
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RAMBLIN' RECK: Terre Haute jumps several spots in Sporting News’ ratings
The Sporting News recently released its rankings of best sports cities in the country.
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RAMBLIN' RECK: Big week brought ISU alumni to Terre Haute in droves
It was a great weekend in Terre Haute.
Alumni were back in town for Indiana State’s homecoming, the football team made it great with another victory and the weatherman cooperated with nice fall weather.
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RAMBLIN' RECK: Unbeaten football seasons on line for Linton, North Central
We’re down to the final week of the high school football season for teams in Indiana and some really big games mark the schedule in the area.
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RAMBLIN' RECK: Big college, prep football games scheduled this weekend
Some big football games are on the schedule this week in both the college and high school ranks.
In the Missouri Valley Football Conference, Indiana State and Northern Iowa share first place with 2-0 records. They’ll meet Saturday evening in the UniDome.
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RAMBLIN' RECK: Big Ten openers are here
Big Ten football teams play their first conference games this week and a big game will top the schedule.
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RAMBLIN' RECK: Wild card races offer suspense
Major league baseball is down to its final days, with the final games slated for Sept. 30.
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RAMBLIN' RECK: Now for a few football landmark… both north and south
Some milestones were recorded in Indiana high school football games played Friday night.
n Heritage Hills blanked Pike Central 75-0 for a 3-0 record in Pocket Athletic Conference action at Lincoln City.
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RAMBLIN' RECK: Labor Day means football, of the college kind
Labor Day is coming up and that means the start of the college football season for most teams on Saturday.
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RAMBLIN' RECK: Southwest 7 cleans up in Week 1
Three Southwest Seven Conference teams were winners last week as Indiana high school football teams opened the 2011 season.
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RAMBLIN' RECK: Beginner’s luck?
Sunday and Monday were good days for first-time winners in some of the major sports events.
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RAMBLIN' RECK: Schelsky, Bilyeu, Fish conclude big golf weeks in Valley
Some notes and observations on recent achievements by folks from the area:
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RAMBLIN' RECK: Week filled with competitive golf, multiple racing events
Last week was a busy one but a nice one with golf, harness racing and automobile racing on the hot, humid schedule.
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RAMBLIN' RECK: Brickyard 400 a hot item on this week’s racing schedule
It’s race week again in Indiana and a busy time for golfers in the area too.
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Here’s rooting for some fictional sports characters
With all these hot days, it’s nice to sit in one’s apartment where it is cooler — not air-conditioned but cooler — and watch some television.
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