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Todd’s Take: Wishes For Peace In The World Of Indiana Athletics

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Todd’s Take: Wishes For Peace In The World Of Indiana Athletics


BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Christmas songs. You know ‘em. You love some of ‘em. You dislike some of ‘em, too.

I’m no different. I have a soft spot for “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” – a sort of touchstone for people my age. (I’m bending over backward to avoid using the term “Gen X,” a generational generalization I detest with a passion, but I digress.)

The lyrics to “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” are condescending and paternalistic in hindsight, but the purpose and sentiment of the song was genuine, and it represented a time for people my age (I was 13 when it was released) where the world seemed to be striving to be a better place.

And where else are you going to hear Simon Le Bon, Bono and Sting sing together on the same record?

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On the other hand? As much as I like Paul McCartney, if I never heard “Wonderful Christmastime” and its world’s most annoying synths ever again, I would be a happy man.

Then there’s some songs where you can separate the lyrics from the song itself. “Let There Be Peace On Earth” falls into that category.

Despite what the internet may tell you – no, Vince Gill did not originate the song – when I’ve heard “Let There Be Peace On Earth” over the years, I’ve always been left cold. It fits into that sappy category I tend to avoid. It also seemed to be a favorite of music classes when I was in school, so I automatically think of it as being sung by a high-pitched children’s choir – not my thing.

However, I do like the message in the chorus. “Let there be peace on Earth … and let it begin with me.” Sappy or not, that’s a fine way to live.

And also a good way to create a theme for this column. The internet is filled with so much negativity, so I thought I’d give the criticism a break and try to find peace for the people in the world I populate – Indiana and Big Ten athletics.

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No snark, no surprise attacks, honest wishes on a day where people should set the acrimony aside. So here goes.

Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti – Now is not the right time with rosters being rebuilt and such, but when things slow down, I wish you the peace of a sense of accomplishment. Sit down in that recliner of yours and appreciate that you coached the greatest season in Indiana history.

Indiana football fans – Find the recliner – real or metaphorical – of your own choice and find peace in how satisfying the ride was in 2024. The impossible became possible in 2024. It was a helluva journey, wasn’t it?

Indiana men’s basketball coach Mike Woodson – The peace that comes from consistency. The peace that would come from a win over a ranked team. The peace that would come from winning a road game in Big Ten play. The peace that would come from anything that takes away the perception that the Hoosiers are spinning their wheels.

Indiana men’s basketball fans – Peace in the form of a team that can demonstrate it can hang with the best of the Big Ten Conference. That’s an achievable goal given that the Big Ten doesn’t have a dominant team, but something the Hoosiers haven’t proven they can consistently provide yet. Until they can, that peace is hard to come by.

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Indiana women’s basketball coach Teri Moren – The peace that comes from good health – in every respect. The Hoosiers should be as close to full strength as they have been in nearly a month when Big Ten action resumes Saturday when Wisconsin visits.

Indiana season ticket holders – The peace of a nice Christmas bonus. The price of success in football is quite literal, as I’m sure your bills have already told you. The days of cheap tickets and parking for football disappeared mid-season. Supporting the Hoosiers has never been harder on the bottom line.

Indiana crazies – I just want you to have peace … period, that’s it, just peace, if only just for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The seemingly bottomless desire for a segment of fans to top themselves in the self-flagellating “we suck” or “so-and-so sucks” department is depressing, irritating and droningly repetitive. Much like the soldiers in the first year of World War I who stopped shooting at each other to meet in no man’s land to express Christmas wishes, all I ask is to give it a rest in the spirit of Christmas. Then resume fire afterward if you must.

Indiana athletic director Scott Dolson – I wish Dolson the peace of a college athletics landscape that stabilizes in the near future. The House settlement should create some ground rules to help make this happen – assuming the settlement is approved by the courts. Dolson is well-paid to sort these matters out, but instability isn’t good for anyone.

Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti – Same wish of peace that was expressed for Dolson, but also, the peace of having a Big Ten team crowned a football national champion in mid-January. It would be the second in a row for the league, and I’ll admit selfishness here as I just want it for the purposes of silly, tribalistic regional pride.

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Big Ten Network – The peace of some good games during basketball season. Maybe? Just a few? It’s looking as if it might take a low win total to contend in the Big Ten as no team is dominant. Mediocre league? Your mileage may vary, but then again, the Big Ten Network always grants itself the peace of spinning it to make it look good regardless. So perhaps the wish for peace is better placed with us, not them.

I wish you and your loved ones peace as well. Merry Christmas everyone!



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Severe storm risk into tonight through early Wednesday morning

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Severe storm risk into tonight through early Wednesday morning


INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — We are monitoring the potential for severe weather into early Wednesday morning.

Tornado Watch in effect until EDT midnight March 10, 2026, for Benton, Newton, and Jasper counties.

Tuesday night: Please make sure you have your safety plan on standby into tonight through pre-dawn Wednesday morning. There is now a level 4/5 severe risk in northwest Indiana. Much of central Indiana remains in a level 2/5 risk.

The risk for significant tornadoes (EF2+) and very large hail (2″+) is greatest north of I-70 with any discrete cell(s) that maintain their-selves into mainly northern Indiana. There is also potential for a max expected intensity of an EF-3+ tornado within much (if not all) of the level 3 & 4 risk zone.

This does not mean that every storm will produce a tornado of that magnitude. It is simply highlighting area of highest concern for the possibility of such occurrence.

Now, given a modestly unstable environment into the pre-dawn hours Wednesday with stronger wind flow aloft, all hazards will remain possible into central Indiana. The significant severe threat here is much lower.

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Overall, you need to have multiple ways of being able to get alerts tonight. Do not be scared, be prepared and you will be ok.

Wednesday: Beyond sunrise Wednesday, we will continue to track more in the way of showers and storms. The main area of the strong-severe storm risk looks to shift mainly southeast of Indy with damaging winds the primary concern through the morning into afternoon hours.

Rainfall amounts through Wednesday may amount to 1-2″ with locally higher amounts.

Highs to occur earlier in the day with numbers in the mid to upper 60s. Non-thunderstorm winds will also be quite breezy with gusts up to 30-35 MPH.

Thursday: Be prepared for quite a temperature shift into Thursday. We will start the day off with temperatures in the low 30 with 20s wind chills. Yeah, that will not feel great considering our recent stretch of more mild days. Highs will only get into the upper 40s.

7-Day Forecast: We look to warm back up into this weekend, but it will come with more active weather and breezy winds. Friday will feature highs in the mid to upper 50s with wind gusts up to 25-30 MPH. Highs look to tick back into the low 60s Sunday with more chances for rain. Then, temperatures really take a tumble into next Monday with highs only in the 30s and a chance for a rain/snow mix.



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Future of Chicago’s Soldier Field Uncertain as Bears Eye Move to Indiana

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Future of Chicago’s Soldier Field Uncertain as Bears Eye Move to Indiana


Change could be coming to Chicago’s Soldier Field, a historic landmark initially designed as a memorial for American soldiers who died in combat. Opened in 1924, and home to the NFL’s Chicago Bears since 1971, the 102 year old venue’s future is uncertain as the team is exploring a new stadium, possibility across the Illinois state line in Hammond, Indiana.

“The fact that they’re even considering coming to Hammond versus keeping it in their own state says a lot about what we’re going to try to do to tell everyone Indiana is a place move your business,” said Governor Mike Braun (R-Indiana), in a televised news conference Monday, monitored by Military.com. The governor’s remarks addressed a range of issues related to the end of the state’s legislative session.

Governor Mike Braun (R-Indiana) touts Indiana’s effort to lure Chicago Bears to Hammond with new stadium deal. (Indiana.gov)

“We’re proud that we’ve put together a package to attract $2 Billion worth of investment from the Chicago Bears,” said the governor of Senate Bill 27, which he signed last week. “They’re now looking at Indiana as a place to actually bring that franchise.”

With a seating capacity of more than 100,000 spectators. Soldier Field is used not only for Bears games, but as a site for many other sporting events and exhibitions, including numerous Army-Navy games. But without an anchor sports team like the Bears, the stadium will likely be used less and Chicago could see less tax revenue.

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Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson telling reporters Monday, the Bears were offered an opportunity to build a new stadium inside the city limits, as a way to stay in Illinois.

“We had an entire press conference, with a proposal on the lakefront two years ago,” Mayor Johnson said in a news conference. “How do you have an entire proposal with the Bears, with the city of Chicago, with labor, with the notion that somehow the greatest, the most fruitful, economic viable prime real estate anywhere in the state, anywhere in the region is somehow not suited?”

Mayor Brandon Johnson opposes efforts to move Chicago Bears outside city limits (City of Chicago).

There’s another proposed site on the table. Illinois lawmakers in the House have advanced House Bill 910, which would lock in property tax rates at the former Arlington Racetrack, in Arlington Heights about 30 miles from Soldier Field. The Bears already own the land, but the bill is still in its early stages and already has some critics.

“It would shift [tax] liability directly onto homeowners and small businesses,” said Brian Costin, deputy state director of the Illinois chapter of Americans for Prosperity, in a statement to Military.com. “It could double or triple the effective property tax rates over the next few decades.”

For now, the Bears have not made a commitment to move to Indiana or stay in Illinois. 

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The Bears said in a statement, “Indiana has taken important steps over the last few months, and we are grateful for the leadership reflected by Governor Braun signing SB 27 establishing the framework for a stadium development in Northwest Indiana. We continue to work on the necessary due diligence and appreciate the .”ongoing engagement with Indiana state and local leaders.”

The team also addressed Illinois efforts to keep the team from leaving Soldier Field or Illinois altogether.

Future of Chicago’s Soldier Field uncertain as NFL’s Chicago Bears consider moving (ChicagoBears.com).

 “We recognize and appreciate the advancement of mega project legislation by the Illinois House Revenue and Finance Committee,” said the statement from the Bears. “We look forward to continued engagement as the lawmakers determine the legislative path forward.”

In Indiana, Governor Braun hopes the better deal will be for the Bears to abandon Soldier Field for new digs across the Illinois border, in Hammond.

“We’ve identified a promising site near Wolf Lake in Hammond and established a broad framework for negotiating a final deal,” Braun said in a statement obtained by Military.com. “We have built a strong relationship with the Bears organization that will serve as the foundation for a public-private partnership, leading to the construction of a world-class stadium and a win for taxpayers.” 

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Indiana Pacers Slide as 2026 NBA Draft Lottery Odds Rise

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Indiana Pacers Slide as 2026 NBA Draft Lottery Odds Rise


The Indiana Pacers are making a real argument to be the worst team in the NBA this season.

The Pacers could become the first team in the Eastern Conference to reach 50 losses this season if they don’t beat the Sacramento Kings tomorrow night. Power rankings across the internet have the Pacers and Kings as the bottom two teams in the league.

NBA.com, John Schuhmann (30, no change)

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Portland Trail Blazers center Donovan Clingan drives to the basket against Indiana Pacers center Micah Potter. | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

“With the Jazz beating the Wizards on Thursday and the Nets’ incredible comeback in Detroit over the weekend, the Pacers are the only team without a win (they’re 0-9) since the All-Star break. Seven of those nine losses have come against other teams with losing records,” Schuhmann wrote.

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“The Pacers and Kings are now tied for the fewest wins (15), and they’ll meet for the second (and final) time on Tuesday, with the Pacers having won the first meeting (Dec. 8) behind 28 points and 12 assists from Nembhard. That’s the end of the Pacers’ four-game trip, and they’ll then return home and begin their only stretch of five games in seven days.”

The Athletic, Law Murray (30, no change)

“The Pacers are the only team in the league without a win since the All-Star break, so they’re comfortably nestled at the bottom of these rankings. Indiana was only regular bad for the third quarter of the season overall, though the interior defense has been slammed like brakes,” Murray wrote.

“If they don’t win Tuesday in Sacramento in the Tyrese Haliburton trade bowl, then they’ll have to go and upset a team that is trying to secure wins for the rest of the March schedule.”

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Clutch Points, Brett Siegel (29, down 1)

“As soon as Tyrese Haliburton went down with his Achilles injury, everyone knew that the Indiana Pacers would be taking a step back. The decision for this to be a gap year and completely tank was made after several impactful players, like Obi Toppin, Aaron Nesmith, and Andrew Nembhard, all went down with injuries,” Siegel wrote.

“After all, a team that found success through its depth is nothing when all of its key talents are injured.

“The Pacers own the second-worst record in the NBA right now, giving them a real shot at getting the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Remember, Indiana will keep their selection this season if it falls inside the top four, which have a 52.1 percent chance of happening.”

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Overview

It’s hard to argue the Pacers not being in this position because they’ve only won 15 games so far this season. On top of that, their last victory came on February 11, which was the final game before the All-Star break.

This isn’t exactly a bad thing for the Pacers, however, because they need that first-round pick to return to them in the draft. If they get the wrong shake in the lottery, the Pacers could be forced to give up their first-round pick in this year’s draft to the Los Angeles Clippers as part of the Ivica Zubac trade.

The Pacers should use the rest of the season to figure out who fits in their system and develop their young players in hopes of some of them cracking the rotation for next season and beyond.

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