Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 14 October 2005 — Page 29

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D SECTION FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2005

GAME POINT

Five things I think By ERICKA P. THOMPSON Staff Writer

Throughout the course of a week there are so many crazy, unbelievable, unthinkable, wonderful and not so wonderful things that take place in the world of sports. I wish I could share my opinion on each issue that either disturbs me, excites me or disappoints me, but unfortunately I can’t. Besides, most of you probably wouldn’t want to hear about it anyway. But there are five things that I think you would like to know my opinion on. 1. I think the New York Knicks are fools for trading Tim Thomas, Michael Sweetney and Jermaine Jackson to Chicago for center Eddie Curry. When the Bulls demanded that Curry take a DNA test to find out if he was susceptible to car dio - myopathy, a heart condition that killed former Boston Celtics guard Reggie Lewis and LoyolaMarymount star Hank Gathers he refused. When people refuse to show proof on anything, they’re hiding something. 2. I think Jermaine O’Neal can lead the Indiana Pacers to the NBA Finals. Not only did Reggie Miller pass the leader torch to O’Neal two years ago, Larry Bird, Pacers president of basketball operations, has been vocal about his leadership has well. Every player on the roster understands that O’Neal is the leader of the team and respects it, and to me that’s more important than Miller and Bird. 3. I think when the Indianapolis Colts win the Super Bowl (yes, I said when.) they’re still not going to receive any respect. The excuses will be that the New England Patriots were injured all season, the AFC gave no competition therefore home field advantage was easy and the Super Bowl was indoors. 4. Thanks to Matt Leiner and Reggie Bush at USC, Marcus Vick at Virginia Tech, Vince Young at Texas, Charlie Weis, Brady Quinn and Darius Walker at Notre Dame, the entire Alabama football team and old school Joe Paterno at Penn State I think this is the best college football we’ve had in a long, long time. 5. I think the Minnesota Vikings and Randy Moss are missing one another terribly.

DEFENSE KEEPS TEAM ROLLING COLTS UNDEFEATED

Colts defensive tackle Corey Simon sacks San Francisco 49ers rookie quarterback Alex Smith. Smith, the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft was sacked five times by the Colts defense.

By BARATO BRITT Recorder Correspondent

One of the most telling indicators that separate championship caliber teams from pretenders is the ability to avoid the proverbial let down. All too often, teams that believe they will compete at the end for championships get derailed by lesser teams looking to play the part of spoiler. The Indianapolis Colts are still trying to figure out just which team they are, but after last week’s 28-3 dismantling of the rebuilding San Francisco 49ers, the squad is clearly taking every team seriously. In what has become eerily common this year, the Colts overcame sloppy play on the offensive end with the league’s stingiest defense more than picking up the slack, in turn ruining No. 1 pick quarterback Alex Smith’s first professional start. The defense forced the rookie into throwingfour picks and added five sacks for good measure. Now the NFL’s lone undefeated team, the 5-0 Colts find themselves the true front-run-ners to contend for a Super Bowl bid. “We’re certainly excited about being 5-0 and getting our third road victory,” said Colts head coach Tony Dungy. “It’s exciting to watch us come together and win games in a lot of different ways.” While they might be used to teams coming with a little extra when Indy comes to town, the Colts are certainly not used to being a team known for its defensive prowess. After five weeks of holding

teams to an average ofless than six points per game, the unit has overshadowed an offense that, while still out of sorts, is still considered the most talented in the league. Cynics will argue that one of the reasons the defense has shined may also be the reason the Colts have blazed to a fast start; their schedule is front loaded with lesser teams that likely will not be playing in the post season. True indeed, their second half schedule will provide their biggest tests, with Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and of course the defending champion Patriots looming after the bye. Indianapolis will host the St. Louis Rams Monday night, putting the team on the national stage in prime time. The enigmatic Rams currently rank fourth in the league in yards per game, but have not been able to translate that into victories, losing three of their first five including a loss to the 49ers in week one. Like the Colts, the Rams have been known in recent years for their explosive offense. And, though former Colt and league MVP Marshall Faulk has slowed a bit, the Rams still possess dangerous weapons on offense, none tougher than perennial pro-bowl wide receiver Torry Holt. The Colts are again heavily favored to come out of Monday night’s match up on top, but the new challenge facing a higher ranked offense, in addition to avoiding disappointment, may be all that’s needed to keep this team on it record setting defensive pace.

Colts to host Rams on Monday Night Football By ERICKA P. THOMPSON Staff Writer

The Indianapolis Colts will enter their first Monday Night Football appearance of the season against the St. Louis Rams as the only unbeaten team in the NFL. The Rams (2-3) will be without

their head coach Mike Martz, who is taking an indefinite leave of absence due to a bacterial infection in his heart. This will undoubtedly give the Rams a boost of confidence where they will try and prove they can win without their head coach and do so against the best team in the league. The Colts on the other hand will try to keep their win streak alive, doing so with quarterback

Peyton Manning's precision passing and its stifling defense, which has only allowed 5.8 points in five games. Indianapolis is 14-10 on Monday Night and 5-3 as the host. This will be the first of three Monday appearances in one season since 1978, the second being against the New England Patriots on Nov. 7 and the third against the Pittsburgh Steelers Nov. 28.

Who: Indianapolis Colts (5-0) vs. St. Louis Rams (2-3) What: Monday Night Football When: Oct. 17 at 8 p.m. (EST) Where: RCA Dome

FULL CIRCLE

Chuck Person coaching the Pacers

By ERICKA P. THOMPSON Staff Writer It’s been nearly 20 years since the Indiana Pacers drafted Chuck Person No. 4 in the 1986 NBA draft. After a 14-year career with stints in Minnesota, San Antonio, Charlotte and Seattle, Person is back where he started. “I think its come full circle,” he said. “I was drafted by Donnie Walsh and was hired by Donnie Walsh. I played against Larry Bird, and now to work for him I don’t take this for granted. I’m looking forward to going out there and working my hardest for the franchise, coach Carlisle and the players.” Before being hired to fill a vacancy left by Mike Brown, who is now head coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Person spent two years in the front office as a special assistant to the Basketball Division for the Pacers. “The opportunity to be on

the bench in the NBA really is an honor. I’m going to respect the game like I respected it when I played,” Person said. “I have to really learn from a guy (coach Rick Carlisle) who is one of the best coaches in the league. I’m looking forward to the opportunity.” Nicknamed the “Rifleman” in his heyday, he was known to knock down a jumper or two or eight, Person ranks ninth on Indiana’s all-time scoring list with 9,096 points. He played college ball at Auburn University where he was the school’s all-time leading scorer. He’ll now help head coach Carlisle along with three other coaches, coach one of the best teams in the NBA. “It was great news to me when I lost Mike Brown because he knows our team. I see him as a guy who is a very talented coaching prospect,” Carlisle said. “Chuck has a great knowledge of the game and a great intellectual curiosity of the game.” Person also receives high praise from All-star power forward Jermaine O’Neal who says he also respects the Alabama native’s basketball IQ. “I think his knowledge itself has helped me, and a lot of other guys too,” he said. “I think it was a good situation bringing in Chuck who I’m used to and I know pretty well and he knows me pretty well. It’s a lot easier to accept a guy that knows your game and you can trust what he says. Chuck Person is that guy for me.”

“I’m looking forward to going out there and working my hardest for the franchise, coach (Rick) Carlisle and the players.” -Chuck Person (Photo/W. Thomas)

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