Wishing for inspiring moments

Each year my parents, sisters, brother and I make a Christmas list so everyone else has some idea of what to purchase and put under the tree.
I decided this year I would also make a list of things I am hoping for in the sports world.

For the Pacers ...
... relevance.
Indiana has been struggling to recover from The Malice at The Palace, the Ron Artest-ear brawl with fans during a game against the Detroit Pistons, for the better part of a decade. Seven years removed from the brawl, it’s easy to forget the Pacers were quite possibly the best team in the Eastern Conference before losing three key players to suspensions — including Artest for the season.
It took several seasons for the team’s leadership to weed out all of the bad seeds from the roster. They had to accept far less than market value to get rid of Ron Artest and Stephen Jackson, and ended up waiving Jamaal Tinsley.
Franchise legend Reggie Miller also retired the summer after The Malice.
Indiana finally made it back into the playoffs last season and pushed the Chicago Bulls in the first round, and made a good move earlier this month in signing the underrated David West.
I believe West, if he can come back strong from an ACL injury, makes the Pacers a top-six team in the Eastern Conference. And with a few breaks, they could have home-court advantage for a first-round playoff series.
The current management, led by Larry Bird, has worked to put together a team the state can be proud of. It’s time for the fans to come back.

For local athletes …
… health.
Talent is key to success. So is a little luck. Health is just as important.
Over the years I’ve seen far too many seasons derailed by injuries.
Last season Jay County High School gymnast Katie Snyder had her campaign halted when she broke her arm on a fall from the uneven bars. She had dreams of being an all-around state finalist as a sophomore.
Patriot wrestlers Kyle Garringer and Nick Leonhard both had their 2011 tournament seasons affected by injuries. In 2009 a potentially great JCHS girls basketball team lost both Cara Garringer and Katie Butcher to torn ACLs, and last season Danielle Link missed most of her senior year with a broken arm.
I still wonder if the Fort Recovery girls basketball team would have made back-to-back trips to the state final four if Nicole Pottkotter had not torn her ACL in the 2010 sectional tournament.
Injuries are a part of athletics, but we can still hope our local athletes stay as healthy as possible to give them the best chance at reaching their goals.

For the Colts …
… clarity.
Fans ask me a lot of questions, and over the last four months the most frequent topic has been Peyton Manning.
Manning has had three neck surgeries over the course of the last two years. He’s one of the best quarterbacks in the history of the NFL and a sure-fire Hall of Famer.
Fans are wondering about his future. So are the Colts.
Indianapolis is likely to finish with the worst record in the league, which would give it the No. 1 pick in the draft.
The Colts could spend that selection on a talent that will help Manning have a chance to lead the Colts to another Super Bowl. They could also take Stanford product Andrew Luck, or trade down and take one of the other top-tier quarterbacks.
To make the right decision, the Colts need to know what is going to happen with Manning. Uncertainty is the enemy.

For myself …
… more inspiring moments.
Originally, I was going to ask for a state title. Being able to cover a state champion, team or individual, would be outstanding.
But last week Matt Shrack reminded me what athletics are all about.
Shrack is a great teammate, a hard worker and an awesome kid. So when he got the chance to wrestle his first varsity match of the season on senior night Dec. 15, every JCHS coach and wrestler was on his feet cheering.
He fell behind early in the match, and spent most of it face-down on the mat. But he showed a tremendous amount of heart to fight back, tie the score late in the third period and then get the winning takedown with just four seconds on the clock.
James Myers, who was a state medalist in high school and coached wrestlers at the state finals four times, said it was one of the most satisfying moments of his career. It also stands as one of my favorites.
Moments like those are why we love athletics.
Congratulations Matt.
Merry Christmas.[[In-content Ad]]