Jump to content

Indiana and the greatest sport on earth!


bbtds

Recommended Posts

Coach Dale: There's a tradition in tournament play to not talk about the next step until you've climbed the one in front of you. I'm sure going to the State finals is beyond your wildest dreams, so let's just keep it right there.

Forget about the crowds, the size of the school, their fancy uniforms, and remember what got you here. Focus on the fundamentals that we've gone over time and time again.

And most important, don't get caught up thinking about winning or loosing this game. If you put your effort and concentration into playing to your potential, to be the best that you can be, I don't care what the scoreboard says at the end of the game, in my book we're gonna be winners.

Remember when you play at Hinkle Fieldhouse against Butler that the most important play in the most important sport in the state of Indiana happened on that floor. Bobby Plump hit his famous shot for Milan HS on that floor and later played 4 years at Butler. Milan HS is the HS that the movie "Hoosiers" is based on. Bobby Plump's shot brought 5,000 extra people into a town with 1,000 citizens to celebrate their win. It's not exactly like Hickory (which is actually New Richmond, IN about 35 miles west of Lebanon, IN and 60 miles northwest of Indy) but about the same size.

The scenes from the Hickory gym were shot at what is now a tourist attraction called "Hoosier Gym" in Knightstown, IN which is 40 miles directly east of Indy off I-70. It was Knightstown's HS for a while and then became a recreation center and they still use it for rec league basketball. The picture of the "Hickory Championship team" still hangs above the door. Gene Hackman still looks "real good." The corn mascot picture is still behind the basket.

The high school classroom scenes were shot at Nineveh HS in their old high school which later burned down in the 1990's. Nineveh, IN is 30 miles south of Indy.

The scene in the diner where Shooter is told by his son to give the money back to the principal was shot in New Richmond. That diner now has pictures from the shooting of the movie all over it's walls. It has about 6 tables.

The window at the post office in New Richmond still has the words "Hickory, Indiana" on it.

The scene where Coach Dale talks to Jimmy Chitwood about whether or not Jimmy should rejoin the basketball team while Jimmy shoots baskets with a ball that doesn't bounce well was shot at a farm just outside of New Richmond. The basket and bare ground is still the same.

The scene where Jimmy saves Coach Dale's job by saying "I play, coach stays. He goes, I go." was shot in a church in New Richmond. Unfortunately a tornado hit New Richmond in 2004 and most of the church was rebuilt and does not look much like it did in the movie.

The scene where Shooter is detoxing in a hospital was shot at the former Nursing School in downtown Indy.

The old gyms where Hickory played their games were just that old gyms from around the state of Indiana.

This movie is certainly like a religion in Indiana.

If you get behind by 1 or are tied to Butler and call time out with a few seconds left in the game. The ghost of Jimmy Chitwood will suddenly inherit the body of your best shooter and he will say "I'll make it." Then it's up to him to make it because Rotnei Clarke will make his shot if your shooter misses.

The sad part of the story is that Kent Poole, who played Merle Webb, the character who says "Let's win this one for all the small schools," committed suicide in 2003. He actually lived the story that is "Hoosiers." His HS team, Western Boone (392 students in 1982), lost to Gary Roosevelt in 1982, his senior year, in the semi-state round, 1 step from the final 4 of Indiana. It was as much a David and Goliath story as Hickory vs South Bend Central. Western Boone lost to Roosevelt 38-36 when WB missed their last shot. 3 years later Kent Poole was making the movie "Hoosiers" about the opposite result. He made another movie with Molly Ringwald and Andrew McCarthy called "Fresh Horses" shot in Ohio in 1988 but after that his acting career went bust. Kent was married to the asst superintendent of Western Boone schools and she was asking for a divorce. They had 3 kids. His farm business was in bad shape. After a night of singing in a bar with his best friend he drove home and got his truck stuck in a mud hole. After walking home he called his wife and best friend and asked for help to get the truck unstuck at 3:00 a.m. On the second call to his wife he told her to tell his kids goodbye. They found his body hanging from a rope in a tree in his front yard. He's buried in Old Union Cemetery outside of Lebanon. Kent Poole was 39 years old.

As of the 2012 softball season, Kent's daughter, Paige Poole, pitched for Western Boone HS and won a sectional game against Southmont HS this past May. Paige was the winning pitcher. I can picture her during the game whispering into her mitt, "Dad, this is for you and all the small schools who almost never win a sectional game."

http://www.journalre...19bb2963f4.html

http://lebanon-indiana.funcityfinder.com/2010/12/01/kent-poole/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Your loss. I found it interesting, though I was initially skeptical about finding it interesting. Those who like Tom Timmermann's travelogues will like this post; those who don't, probably won't.

False, my gain. A gross assumption was made that my life is as boring as someone who read this entire post in concluding a "loss" experienced.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is what we get for letting a school from Indiana in our conference.

Expect lectures from these types about Indiana ie the Garden of Eden of Basketball all season long.

While I've experienced Hinkle on gameday for HS and college games and will admit the experience is second to none for basketball fans, would it be that big of a deal if they hadn't made that movie?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is what we get for letting a school from Indiana in our conference.

Expect lectures from these types about Indiana ie the Garden of Eden of Basketball all season long.

While I've experienced Hinkle on gameday for HS and college games and will admit the experience is second to none for basketball fans, would it be that big of a deal if they hadn't made that movie?

Yes! That is the reason the movie was made. Pizzo and Anspaugh, the director and producer, were graduates of Indiana U, working in the movie industry, that felt compelled to make this movie. They also made the movie, "Rudy", about Daniel Ruettiger, from Joliet Central Catholic HS and walk-on, for one game, at Notre Dame.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes! That is the reason the movie was made. Pizzo and Anspaugh, the director and producer, were graduates of Indiana U, working in the movie industry, that felt compelled to make this movie. They also made the movie, "Rudy", about Daniel Ruettiger, from Joliet Central Catholic HS and walk-on, for one game, at Notre Dame.

In the future please just pm Doc b directly with posts about Indiana basketball.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes! That is the reason the movie was made. Pizzo and Anspaugh, the director and producer, were graduates of Indiana U, working in the movie industry, that felt compelled to make this movie. They also made the movie, "Rudy", about Daniel Ruettiger, from Joliet Central Catholic HS and walk-on, for one game, at Notre Dame.

This guy is like the Indiana version of Metz....
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Pathetic. He's also a crappy public speaker, but that doesn't stop SLU and other suckers for shelling out for him.

By the way, is there another inspirational movie based on such a small achievement?

Pistol, what was small about his achievement?
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...