Moments make coverage exciting

There is never a shortage of sports trivia.
This month readers are interested in history of the Indiana Pacers and the status of competition between the Hoosiers and the Boilermakers. One also wonders which of the 13 high school sports stands out for me.
So let’s get to the answers.
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With the underappreciated Indiana Pacers securing the No. 3 seed in the East, I was wondering what their record is for wins in a single season? Also, what is their best winning percentage for a year (excluding the ABA years), and how many wins do they have all time?
—Nathan Miller,
Indianapolis

The Pacers’ record for wins and winning percentage in a season came in 2003-04 when they finished with the best record in the NBA — 61-21 (.683) — to earn the top seed in the Eastern Conference. They went on to fall in the Eastern Conference Finals to the third-seeded Detroit Pistons, who upset the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals.
Indiana may have been even better the next season, but was derailed by the Malice at the Palace. It was 7-2 before the brawl and made it to 10-3 before dropping seven straight games on the way to a 44-38 finish.
The Pacers’ best ABA winning percentage came with a 59-25 mark (.702) in 1969-70. This year’s team has a winning percentage of .636.
Indiana has an all-time record of 1,845-1,802 with 1,418 of those wins coming since its joined the NBA in 1976.
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Could you explain the “Crimson and Gold Cup” between the Indiana and Purdue university athletic programs. Who has won it the most since its inception in 2001-2002, and what are the current standings for this year’s Cup?
—Ed Wellman, Bryant

The Titan Series, an athletic competition between Indiana and Purdue, began in 2001.
It was renamed the Crimson & Gold Cup in 2004.
The rules are fairly simple, with the winner in the head-to-head match-up between the schools in each sport (or the team that finishes higher in the conference championship) earning a point. The university with the most points and the end of each school year wins the cup.
Indiana holds the series lead, having won the Cup five times in its 10 years of existence. Purdue has won three times, and the competition has ended in a tie twice — in 2008 and 2010.
The Hoosiers have the lead in the cup this season, 9-6, with men’s and women’s golf and outdoor track and field still remaining.
Indiana has earned points this year in men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s swimming, men’s and women’s indoor track and field, men’s tennis and softball. It split points with Purdue in men’s and women’s basketball.
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What is your favorite high school sport to cover?
—Perry Hull, Fort Recovery

Basketball.
That may come as a surprise given that my favorite professional sport is NFL football. And I enjoy college football and basketball about equally, despite the disgrace that is the BCS.
But the reason I enjoy covering basketball is because I feel it is the most unpredictable sport at the high school level.
That being said, it’s easy to get wrapped up in any sport, whether it is a favorite or not, by focusing on the athlete rather than the activity.
One of the things I enjoy the most about being the sports editor at a paper the size of The Commercial Review is that I get to know all of the athletes and learn about their goals and dreams. I can sympathize with them when they fall short, and share in their excitement when they succeed.
In terms of successes, three of my favorite moments from the winter season happened away from the basketball court. They were Matt Shrack’s dramatic overtime wrestling win on senior night, Eme Miller’s swim to a sectional championship in the 200-yard freestyle to earn a state berth and Eric Hemmelgarn’s improbable run to third place at the IHSAA Wrestling State Finals.
It’s moments like those that make all sports fun to cover.

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