The calendar has clicked off another year in sports and it was a good one for Indianapolis. While there were a number of compelling stories, this old scribe feels there is a clear pecking order in terms of what we enjoyed. Here’s my take on what occurred and how they should be ranked accordingly.
I’m old enough to remember when we were a basketball town here locally, but the NFL is the 10-million-pound gorilla, and the Indianapolis Colts clearly are the story in 2018.
General Manager Chris Ballard tapped Frank Reich as his new coach and then watched as his team stumbled to a one up and five down start. The Colts then kicked it into gear and went on a tear in which they won nine of their last 10 games to secure a playoff spot. They went on to defeat Houston in the first round of the playoffs and are now looking at the overall No. 1 seed, Kansas City, and will pay the Chiefs a visit Jan. 12. Some may point to the fact that they have only beaten two playoff teams in this improbable run, but they’re hotter than a $2 pistol at the right time of year.
Regardless of outcome, their resurgence is indeed the No. 1 local sports story.
If it weren’t for the Colts being on a mission, the No. 1 story would’ve been the Indiana Pacers, as they won 48 games after trading Paul George to Oklahoma City for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis. They would take eventual Eastern Conference champion Cleveland to a seventh game before falling, but the real story was the progression of Oladipo, who became the focal point of the offense and played solid defense to boot, en route to his first NBA All-Star Game.
Will Power finally exorcised the demons at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, as he won the 102nd running of the Indy 500. Driving for the legendary Roger Penske, Power added a coveted 500 victory to his resume in a resounding fashion in a race that saw 18 drivers finish on the lead lap. In winning, Power picked up the keys to the powerful 2018 Chevrolet Corvette pace car and a check for $2.5 million.
The Warren Central High School Warriors cruised to the IHSAA Class 6A Football title, capping off an undefeated season. In the process, the school became the first in state history to register undefeated men’s football and basketball championships in the same calendar year. More than likely, their dominance is something we’ll never see again. At a time when many of our young people in this community are failing to work hard and grasp opportunities, all these young men distinguished themselves admirably and then some.
Danny Bridges, who is simply glad to be alive in 2019 and wishes everyone a Happy New Year, can be reached at 317-370-8447, or at bridgeshd@aol.com
