Indy sports

“I’m almost like a fourth assistant out there, just giving my insight on what I see,” he says of sitting on the sideline.

The inside story on forming the team and how the city landed the chance to host a marquee international event on August 1—plus, why pro soccer may actually succeed here this time.

Indiana Blast (1997–2004): They had the best record in the D3 Pro League in 1998, and Jamar Beasley, once of the MLS Chicago Fire, played in 21 games in 2003. But a revolving door of head coaches hampered the Indy club’s success.

Last week Indy was awarded hosting duties for a match featuring a pair of soccer’s international superpowers on Aug. 1. Tickets go on sale tonight (June 4) at 10 p.m. and range from $30 to $135. This came on the heels of the splashy announcement in May that the Indy Eleven pro soccer team will kick into action next year.

Monday, Aug. 6, marked the six-month anniversary of our collective Super Bowl hangover. It seems like just yesterday, doesn’t it? Come to think of it, wasn’t the weather the same yesterday as it was that whole week in February? Remember the abundant and unnatural global-warming sunshine? That ZipLine? Those adorable football-shaped cake pops at Peyton’s party?

Rajeev Ram is a many splendored thing: Indian American, Denver born, Carmel based, and confident in his work on the heels of narrowly losing to the No. 2 doubles team in men’s professional tennis worldwide at Wimbledon last week. Ram and partner Scott Lipsky came close to upending brothers Bob and Mike Bryan, arguably the best pro doubles tandem ever, in London, losing in five sets.

In support of sister Serena Williams’ winning ways at Wimbledon over the past fortnight, Venus Williams viewed her matches from the Centre Court players box alongside parents Oracene Price and Richard Williams. Venus and Serena paired up to win the doubles championship after Serena seized the singles title. What’s more, Venus appeared at a few of Serena’s matches, including the July 7 final televised on ESPN, in her Indiana University East sweatshirt (pictured). The older of the two sisters is taking IU East courses through its online education program, and in the process, she’s giving the school a lot of positive national and international press.

As the amateur sports capital of the world, Indianapolis is accustomed to some less-than-professional athletic performances. But the recently botched decision-making at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Eugene, Oregon, by USA Track & Field—an organization based on our own downtown Washington Street—has received a bit more press than, say, the Indiana-versus-Kentucky NCAA basketball scheduling kerfuffle.

A special guest stole the show as the Indianapolis Indians took on the Toledo Mud Hens downtown this afternoon. Brooklyn and L.A. Dodgers legend Carl Erskine, an Anderson native, was on hand. This is a man who pitched two of Major League Baseball’s seven no-hitters in the National League during the 1950s. He also won 20 games in the 1953 season and struck out a then-record 14 hitters in the World Series.