Hoosier Sports Fans Have Diversified Rooting Interests

Indiana may not be seen as a major player, aside from our NFL team, on the American professional sports scene, but that doesn't mean folks in Indiana are anything less than rabid fans. So, what do Hoosiers love about sports? Who are the teams and athletes we root for? The list is nearly endless, but here are a few of the more prominent names.

Indianapolis Colts
The Colts and quarterback Peyton Manning are the current undisputed kings of the city and the state. The passing records, the Super Bowls, the new stadium -- all of these factors suggest that it will be hard to unseat the Mighty Blue in the hearts of Hoosier sports fans.

Indiana Pacers
A few years ago, the Pacers were Number 1 on the Indy sports landscape, coming off a wonderful decade-long run that saw yearly deep dives into the NBA playoffs and an epic leader in Reggie Miller. Then came "The Brawl" in Detroit, terrible contract decisions, spotty drafting, poor coaching, and an unwillingness to blow the whole thing up and start over. Now that coach Jim O'Brien has been canned, fans are hoping that things will turn around.

Indiana and Purdue Basketball
The Hoosiers and the Boilermakers annually fight for supremacy in Indiana's bloodsport. While IU is down right now, the faithful anxiously await a return to prominence and more epic battles with Purdue.

Cincinnati Reds
It's debatable whether the Reds or the Cardinals or the Cubs are more popular among Indiana baseball fans. The nod goes to the Reds here because, among other things, they're the reigning NL Central champs.

Indianapolis 500
The original big Indiana sporting event, the 500 may not seem quite as grand now as in years past, thanks to organizational bickering and the proliferation of races across the country, but it's still a behemoth for Hoosier sports fans.

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This list is just the tip of the Indiana sports iceberg. Hoosier fans eat and breathe our teams and players just as much as our counterparts in other parts of the country, and our rich sports heritage gives us constant food for discussion.