> SOUTHERN INDIANA — 1. What is your favorite sport?



Bill Hanson, Publisher: “Major League baseball. I spent 15 years in Wyoming and had season tickets to watch the Colorado Rockies play. It was during the days of the Blake Street Bombers so I got to watch some great hitting. That’s when I got hooked on MLB.”



Cathy Summers, Human Resources: “U of L Basketball.”



Shea Van Hoy, Editor: “Baseball, followed closely by college basketball. The reason baseball is my favorite is the flow of the game and the obsession by fans with statistics. The battle between pitcher and batter is the essence of sports. Also, I’m fascinated by the introduction of science and numbers-crunching into the game. I’m mildly obsessed with baseball. I have the MLB Extra Innings package and compete in two money fantasy leagues.”



Michael Reschke, Copy Editor: “College football. I love college football because football and school will always be connected in my mind. I love the pageantry; the band, the pep rallies, the cheerleaders. I like pro football too, but nothing beats the college game for me.”



Jon Reiter, Sports Correspondent: “Football. It’s not just a sport to me, it’s a lifestyle. My wife loves it. Fantasy football connects me with some of my best buds in the world. When I cover games for the News and Tribune, my dad typically goes with me (and pays, and sits in the stands). I love the act of watching a football game, but there’s so much more to the football culture than in any other sport.”



Will Clark, Sports Correspondent: “I am a big NHL racing fan, NASCAR, IndyCar, and Formula One. I hope to see the  NHL lockout resolved soon because watching old games on the NHL Network will only last so long.”



Mike Riley, Sports Correspondent: “College basketball hands down. March Madness has no equal.”



2. Besides the Big 4 sports (baseball, basketball, football and hockey), what is your favorite sporting event of the year ?



Chris Morris, Assistant Editor: “That is simple, the Kentucky Derby. I am a horse racing fan and there is no bigger horse race than the Derby. But it’s not just the race, it’s the excitement leading up to the Run for the Roses that makes it even more special. I would have to say a close second is The Masters golf tournament.”



Matt Koesters, News Reporter: “Indiana high school basketball tournaments. I’m not a sports writer anymore, but I’ll still be there for the closer sectional games.”



Joseph Adams, Sports Correspondent: “The best sporting event to go to is The Kentucky Derby. If you have never been, you must go. Known as the fastest two minutes event in sports, the thrill of seeing the horses leave the gate, and come around the final turn is one of the greatest moments to experience.”



Van Hoy: “Growing up in Indiana, it has to be the Indy 500. It’s such a huge, spectacular event. Also, I don’t watch a ton of golf, but will tune into the majors some.”



Hanson: “Boston Marathon. Being a runner myself, I am always amazed at the incredible stamina and guts it takes to be a world-class marathoner.”



Summers: “USA Gymnastics. My daughter competed in gymnastics on the local level for nine years.  She retired at the ripe old age of 18.”



Reiter: “The Masters. At heart, I guess the instrumental music, the verbal stylings of Jim Nantz and the beautiful views of the pine trees at Augusta National unleashes my inner cheeseball.”



Clark: “The Indianapolis 500. There isn’t anywhere I’d rather be on Memorial Day weekend than the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The spectacle of race day in Indianapolis is something I have yet to see matched anywhere else in sports.”



Riley: “How can you live in this area and not get excited at some point during the Kentucky Derby Festival?”





3. If you could change one thing about any sport to help you enjoy it more, what would it be?



Summers: “More coverage of USA Gymnastics during the year and not just at the Olympics (every 4 years).”



Koesters: “It’s time for expanded replay in MLB. The calls are too important to leave to human judgment, especially when the humans doing the judging have proven themselves to be flawed.”



Hanson: “A salary cap in baseball or anything that would hurt the Yankees, really.”



Reiter: “I would enjoy watching high school basketball even more in Indiana if the AAU influence was removed, single-class basketball was re-instituted, and all the local teams played each other. I mean, I would love to watch Clarksville play Jeffersonville this year. Can’t we make that happen?”



4. Is there a sport that you have recently discovered that you like more than you thought?



Koesters: “The me from about five years ago hates now me for saying it, but I really enjoy watching soccer. Covering high school futbol and watching the World Cup a few years back brought be around.”



Morris: “ I have gotten into hockey more in the last three or four years. It’s a great sport, but difficult to watch on television. Unfortunately, the closest NHL team resides in Nashville. Hockey has everything you would want in competition ... it’s physical, fast-paced, and it takes skilled athletes to play it. These guys are not only on ice skates, but they try to maneuver a small puck on ice at full speed with guys coming at them from all angles. I wish Louisville had a hockey team.”



Reschke: “College basketball. Growing up, I was never really into college basketball, but I watched the NBA. Now, it’s switched. I couldn’t care less about the NBA, but I enjoy college basketball, especially now that IU is doing well again.”



Clark: “I like watching the NBA, especially the Pacers, but I would like it a lot more if there was a team in Louisville. I think the city (and surrounding area) would support it and would make a nice NBA corridor from Chicago, through Indy, and right into the Yum! Center.”



Adams: “Believe it or not, I really like women’s volleyball. As a student at Indiana University, I have been able to attend some of their matches and it is really fascinating to watch. I never realized how much teamwork and communication it took to win a match.”