 Classic SI photo by James Drake |
Rare Bird
Larry Legend was unleashed in 1979, when the "hick from French Lick" led Indiana State to the NCAA championship game against Michigan State and ignited his career-long rivalry with Magic Johnson (left). Said Spartans coach Jud Heathcote of the multidimensional Sycamores star: "From what I've seen of Bird, he's not just a bird, he's a whole flock."
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GREATEST ATHLETES |
John Wooden, Martinsville
Before coaching UCLA to 10 NCAA basketball titles, he was three-time All-America guard at Purdue; led Boilermakers to mythical national title in 1932.
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Larry Bird, French Lick
Scored 28.6 ppg to lead Indiana State to 1979 NCAA title game; won three straight MVPs ('84 '85, '86) with Celtics.
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Oscar Robertson, Indianapolis
Led Crispus Attucks High to two state championships; only NBA player to average triple double, with Royals in 1961-62.
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FLASHBACK |
1989: No. 1 With a Bullet
Notre Dame is tops after beating West Virginia
It's as if the Four Horsemen -- this time accompanied by a nervous, lisping, sandy-haired groom -- were at it again. Like a gang of highwaymen, Notre Dame trampled previously undefeated West Virginia 34-21 in the Fiesta Bowl, in Tempe, Ariz., to finish 12-0 and win its eighth national championship, the most for any school in history.
FULL STORY
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THE SI POLL |
Who do Hoosiers root for? SI asked the Hoosier State residents to weigh in* on sports.
Favorite major league baseball team
Chicago Cubs | 37% |
Cincinnati Reds | 9% |
Chicago White Sox | 6% |
New York Yankees | 6% |
Favorite NFL team
Indianapolis Colts | 49% |
Chicago Bears | 14% |
San Francisco 49ers | 4% |
Favorite NBA team
Indiana Pacers | 60% |
Chicago Bulls | 11% |
Favorite NHL team
Chicago Blackhawks | 16% |
Detroit Red Wings | 9% |
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Favorite pro team
Indianapolis Colts | 26% |
Indiana Pacers | 16% |
Chicago Cubs | 13% |
Chicago Bears | 7% |
Favorite college team
Indiana | 37% |
Purdue | 21% |
Notre Dame | 18% |
Greatest athlete who ever lived in or played for a team in your state
Larry Bird | 53% |
Joe Montana | 7% |
State's biggest rivalry
Indiana-Purdue | 74% |
Notre Dame-Purdue | 8% |
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More a fan of college or pro sports?
Pro | 52% |
College | 22% |
Equal | 26% |
Favorite sport to play
Golf | 16% |
Bowling | 15% |
Baseball/softball | 15% |
Favorite sports to watch on TV**
Football | 78% |
Basketball | 55% |
Winter Olympics | 50% |
Auto racing | 43% |
**Multiple responses allowed. | |
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*Harris Interactive poll, conducted online, of 401 Indiana residents who identified themselves as sports fans. Margin of error +/- 5%.
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Sports Illustrated's 50th Anniversary |
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STATITUDES |
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7 Winter athletic teams from the University of Indianapolis -- men's basketball, swimming, wrestling and indoor track, and women's basketball, swimming and indoor track -- that reached the 2003 NCAA postseason championships, tying the Division II record set by UC Davis in 1998.
7 Notre Dame Heisman Trophy winners. Fighting Irish players Angelo Bertelli (1943), Johnny Lujack (1947), Leon Hart (1949), Johnny Lattner (1953), Paul Hornung (1956), John Huarte (1964) and Tim Brown (1987) have all been honored as the outstanding college football player by the Downtown Athletic Club of New York.
9 Number of Gold Glove awards won by Evansville native Don Mattingly, ranking him second all time among first baseman (Keith Hernandez is the leader, with 11). The former Yankee monopolized the award from 1985-1998 and 1991-1994.
25 Points scored by Indiana Pacers guard Reggie Miller in Game 5 of the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Miller hit five three-pointers as Indiana rallied to upset the Knicks 93-86.
27 Head basketball coaches who played or coached under Bob Knight at Indiana. Knight's proteges include Mike Krzyzewski (Duke), Steve Alford (Iowa), Mike Davis (Indiana), Dave Bliss (Baylor), Dan Dakich (Bowling Green), Isiah Thomas (Indiana Pacers), Don DeVoe (Navy), Jim Crews (Army).
1954 Actual year tiny Milan High, the inspiration for the movie Hoosiers, won the Indiana state basketball championship (not 1952, as portrayed in the film). The real game was played between the Milan Indians and the Muncie Central Bearcats and the final score was Milan 32, Muncie Central 30.
3,085 Career high school scoring total of Wawasee High School's Shanna Zolman. Zolman broke the previous state record, set by former Purdue guard Stephanie White-McCarty (2,869 points) in 2002.
150Total episodes of Webster, the television show starring Gary, Ind., native and former outland Trophy winner Alex Karras that ran on ABC from 1983-87. Karras' character, former football player George Papadapolis, found his retirement interrupted when Webster (Emmanuel Lewis), the orphaned son of a former teammate, moved in.
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ENEMY OF THE STATE |
Bob Knight
At least Indianans still care about the General, who led the Hoosiers to three NCAA championships before being stripped of his command four years ago. Respondents' most hated foes: Kentucky (26%), New York Knicks (11%) and Michigan (9%).
Bob Knight | 23% |
Spike Lee | 7% |
Gene Keady | 5% |
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FAST FACTS |
Admission to statehood: Dec. 11, 1816 (19th state)
Area: 36,420 square miles
Bird: Cardinal
Capital: Indianapolis
Economy: Agriculture -- Corn, soybeans, hogs, cattle, dairy products, eggs. Industry -- Steel, electric equipment, transportation equipment, chemical products, petroleum and coal products, machinery.
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Flower: Peony
Nickname: Hoosier State
Population: 6,080,485
Pro sports teams: Indianapolis Colts, Indiana Fever, Indiana Pacers
Major college programs: Butler University Bulldogs, Evansville University Purple Aces, Indiana University Hoosiers, Indiana State Sycamores, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Purdue Boilermakers,
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