Is this the year the Fever FINALLY win a WNBA title? I hope so…and I can think of one reason I would like to see them win it all: Tamika.

Yes, Tamika Catchings. This young lady has done so much for this organization. Captain, score leader, team player, and on and on. But Tamika has also had to overcome injuries that left her sideline for a long period of time.

It would be so nice to see Tamika win her first WNBA title because she defines what it means to give back to our city. She takes time out of her BUSY schedule to touch the lives of so many people in our city. She was just recently recognize by Indiana Sports Corporation as a Pathfinder recipient for her community service.

A WNBA title would be great for the city…but an even bigger reward for Tamika Catchings.

This Thursday I will play host along with my colleague Debby Knox to a golf outing benefitting inner city kids here in Indianapolis. The golf outing is called the Horizons Classic. The money raised goes to Horizons which is a student enrichment program geared to help kids excel in academics. This is the 12th year of the golf outing, which will generate a lot of money for these kids.

It has been such an honor to help raise money for these students, because there’s nothing like seeing these kids get a great education. Thursday it will be nice watching men and women come out and play a round of golf at the prestigious Broadmoor Country Club.  But the biggest reward for me on Thursday will be knowing that we just helped 120 kids get one step closer to living out their dream.

Say what? Nadal losing at the French Open? I couldn’t believe this when I saw it today. Here’s a guy who has owned the clay surface. I mean, he had never lost a match on clay..a perfect 31-0. I thought for sure he was headed to another French Open title…but Robin Soderling had something to say about that! But that’s what I love about sports anything can happen on any given day. I guess it’s Roger Federer’s tournament to lose…we’ll see…

I think a red and white car will probably win this year’s Indy 500. But you probably think I am referring to Team Penske….and yeah…how can you bet against them? Solid all month, they have the two top starting spots, and the KING of the 500 Roger Penske will be looking for his 15th 500 victory.

But I am going to go with Scott Dixon and Target Chip Ganassi Racing. I just feel it’s Dixon time to win AGAIN. A win would make him the first driver to win back to back since Helio Castroneves did in 2002. All month long all the talk has been about Team Penske…and Chip and his boys have just practiced, qualified, and worked on race set up with no problems…loving the fact all the attention is NOT on them…but on everybody else. I think Chip loves this situation. My prediction: Dixon wins AGAIN…we’ll see.

I wasn’t sure I would ever say this…but I am FINALLY starting to like the 11/11/11 set up for qualifying for the Indy 500. This weekend had everything you could want, drama for the most day on both days and all the qualifying went down to the final gun.

I think today’s drama alone with Scott Sharp literally battling to the end to get in the field, defined what this weekend was all about. Day 3 of qualifying couldn’t come any sooner…stay tuned.

Wow, what a week for Peyton Manning. I mean come on, it’s not fair sometimes! First, a chance to hang out with Venus and Serena Williams as Peyton and his brother Eli taped another Oreo commercial with the sisters (by the way, the siblings did play some doubles and #18 has a pretty good game). Then it was off to Charlotte to play in a Pro Am with Tiger Woods.

I know Peyton and Tiger have become great friends but, man, a chance to golf with the greatest golfer ever is unreal! But the person who might have had a better week than Peyton might be Manning’s teammate Anthony Gonzalez. Peyton asked Gonzo to be his caddie for his round of golf with Tiger. How in the world did Gonzo land this job? Classy move by Peyton, but I know some of his other buddies on the team have to be green with envy that Gonzo got this priceless opportunity! Ha, ha….all I can say is that he better catch a lot of balls this year!

Awesome week PM…I’m so jealous…

The NFL Draft is this weekend…and let’s give credit to the Colts President Bill Polian. He has been the mastermind for the Colts during draft weekend.  I will admit when I first came to town, I would watch Bill make some picks and I would say to myself…(and I wasn’t alone at time thinking this) “was this REALLY the right guy for Indy?

But time after time Bill never disappoints. Case in point, Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark, Bob Sanders, Anthony Gonzalez, and on and on. Earlier this week Colts Coach Jim Caldwell told me the reason they do well in the draft is because of one person…Bill Polian.

I can’t wait until this weekend…to see who the next Colts star Polian finds LATE in the 1st Round.

It has been tough and weird not seeing the Pacers in the playoffs. This is the third year in a row that the Blue and Gold have failed to make the post season. Indiana is supposed to be a basketball state, and three years of no playoffs feels like 10 years. I really do hope the Pacers get in the post-season next year, not only for the Pacers sake, but for this city as well.

Indy fans were spoiled in the 90’s of seeing basketball in May and many times in June. You would have to think the Pacers will be better next year.

The month of May wasn’t only for the Speedway, but the Pacers used to be a big part of the May sports talk in years past.

Danny Granger, it’s on you my friend, let’s hope Larry Bird goes to another level and gets you some help during this off-season…we’ll see.

I have been truly blessed in my career to attended a lot of great sporting events over the years. The Super Bowl, Wimbledon, Indianapolis 500, NBA Finals, US Open (tennis), The Final Four, etc…but nothing tops the Masters. This major is second to none. The members who put the event on are so classy and as soon as you walk on site…it just speaks of elegance.

What makes the Masters so special, is the fact the members do things their way. They have been pretty consistent for decades!  No advertising of companies anywhere on site…no price gouging on clothes and food. Case in point: You can get a turkey sandwich, chips, cookie , and a coke for less than $5.00.  Even during this recession those prices haven’t changed! When it comes to TV…only four minutes of commercial time per hour…plus the network isn’t allowed to promote any other shows during its airing of the Masters. The reason, the members at Augusta National is to make sure their tournament/product is the number one priority.

The past two years I have made the trip to Augusta as a patron…and no doubt I am a little bummed about not going this year, but I am looking forward to watching the greatest sporting event on the planet take place this weekend right here on WISH-TV.

What a blessing for the city of Detroit to have Michigan State in the Championship Game of the Final Four tomorrow night against North Carolina. The Spartans being in the Final Four has helped boost the economy in the Motor City. This town has been in the red so long with all the jobs lost over the year, but MSU and all of it’s fans helped to get this city thinking GREEN on and off the court.

I had the opportunity to watch the games on Saturday at Ford Field and it was so nice to see Detroit filled with people spending money. The downtown hotels and restaurants were packed, and yes the Final Four would have already brought a lot of folks to town…but nothing like what Michigan State did this weekend.

A record crowd of 72,000 plus was in attendance to watch the Final Four…and I was told by someone from the NCAA that every outdoor event it held (concert/race-walk event) was the best turn out in NCAA tournament history for events. It’’s amazing what sports can do…all that’s left is for State to come away with the National title. I think most folks would agree (beside the state of Carolina)…that there’s no other city that could use some positive news that the Motor City!