This week’s column is kind of a pause and reflect on the 2012 year in sports or at least my opinion on the 2012 year in sports. It’s the time that I give my annual, highly coveted, and very valuable Steve’s View Sports Awards. It’s always tough to pick these things because there are so many deserving and distinguished potential recipients. Opinions are like…….noses (yeah that’s the ticket) in that everybody has one. My opinions are no more or less valuable than yours or anybody else’s, so here goes.
First Award Most Valuable Professional Athlete—Tamika Catchings Indiana Fever. She a Gold Medal winning Olympian, an All WNBA Forward, and the rock on which the city’s only champion franchise, the Indiana Fever, is built. She always gives her best and has become a great role model for the young ladies of Indianapolis. Nobody does it better.
Professional Athlete Rookie of the Year—Who else but Andrew Luck of the Indianapolis Colts? The most heralded newcomer to the Indianapolis sports scene since Peyton Manning. Number 12 was everything he was touted to be and much more. He set rookie passing records and led the Colts to a playoff spot — this after they had finished the 2011 season as the NFL’s worst team with a 2-14 record. It turned out to be the Colts’ “Lucky” day.
Best Moment in Indiana Sports in 2012 — The SuperBowl in Downtown Indianapolis. For that week in February, Indianapolis was at the center of the sports world and the city came through with one of the finest and best produced Super Bowl celebrations ever. Everyone involved can be justly proud of their efforts. It was an event that nobody in Indianapolis will ever forget.
Coach of the Year — This was a tough one. There were several very qualified candidates, but I have to go with Colts Offensive Coordinator and Interim Head Coach Bruce Arians. Coach Arians did a spectacular job of keeping the team focused and winning with all the challenges that seemed to fly in their collective faces. Tutoring Andrew Luck and leading from the sidelines for the length of Coach Pagano’s cancer treatment, Coach Arians was the epitome of cool, calm, and collected.
Sports Team of the Year—Marian University Football Knights. The Knights went 12-1 for the season for a No. 5 national ranking and then took the NAIA National Football Championship on December 13th in Rome, Georgia beating Morningside (Iowa) College 30-27 in overtime. Congratulations to Head Coach Ted Karras Jr. and his Marian Knights.
Special Achievement Award—To Dario Franchitti for winning the 2012 Indianapolis 500. It was Dario’s third trip to the winner’s platform and he is starting to make the Speedway his own, just the way Rick Mears, Al Unser and A. J. Foyt did. He always drives a smooth and calculated race. It doesn’t hurt that his beautiful wife Ashley Judd is in the pits cheering him on.
My Favorite Personal Sports Moment of 2012 — Having my therapists walk me outside for the first time to strengthen my post operative right knee. It also happened to be the first one hundred degree day of the summer. After a half hour of careful walking we returned to the inside and the air-conditioning. I felt like I had run the Mini Marathon.
Most Poignant Moment-Peyton Manning’s farewell speech to the Colts fans. It was genuine and heartfelt. All of us who have come to be fans of No. 18, knew what he meant not only to the Colts, but the City of Indianapolis, and it was not easy to accept that we will never see him play in Colts Blue and White again. He will always have a special place in the hearts of Colts fans.
I suppose I could devise some other awards, but this seemed to sum up what I felt was the best about the 2012 Indianapolis sports year. If you have some opinions about the sports year, e-mail me with them and I’ll try to print a few along with your name or initials if you like. E-mail them to snicewanger@yahoo.com. In the meantime, take care.