Post-Tribune

Mutka: Gary native Gerald Irons has sparkling resume from the Steel City

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 18:49:22 -0500

How many football Hall of Famers out there have met the Japanese emperor, had a school named after them, written a book and produced three sons who played Division I ball? Gerald Irons presides over that one-man fraternity. It’s been a long, adventurous journey for the Gary native, who was gainfully employed as an NFL outside linebacker with Oakland and Cleveland for 10 years. On Sunday, May 5, Irons will be inducted into the Indiana Hall of Fame at the Avalon Manor in Hobart. The youngest of seven children, Irons weighed 14 pounds at birth. He was the son of …

Mutka: Gary’s Beisler served as Brodie’s protector

Thu, 23 May 2013 06:35:16 -0500

It’s been 40 years since Randy Beisler helped San Francisco’s offensive line set an NFL record for fewest sacks in a season, but he’s still appreciated. Last season the 49ers named him an honorary captain for their game with the Buffalo Bills. The memorable day included visits with the current team and their Super Bowl coach, Jim Harbaugh. “They also showed some highlights of my playing days on the Jumbotron,” said the Gary native, who watched the game from the owner’s box. Beisler spent five (1969-74) of his 11 years in the NFL with the 49ers, who won five playoff …

Mutka: Mel Dumezich leaves Whiting imprint in Texas

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 19:06:00 -0500

Four years ago, Texas A&M softball coach Jo Evans signed premier Whiting pitcher Mel Dumezich. She was the first Hoosier to play for the nationally acclaimed program. Texas A&M’s roster is stocked predominantly with in-state talent so Dumezich represented a departure for Evans, who has been the conference coach of the year seven times at three different colleges. “One of the best decisions I’ve ever made,” she said before a weekend series with Colorado State. In four years, Dumezich has rewarded her with 97 victories. Not content with just pitching, she also led the Aggies in home runs (20) and …

Mutka: Valparaiso all-star Puetz anything but anonymous

Thu, 02 May 2013 06:24:58 -0500

Garry Puetz came to Valparaiso University in 1969 because he could play baseball there. Four years later he departed for the New York Jets as a two-time All-American offensive tackle. How it evolved makes for an interesting story. “Valpo was the only school which promised I could play baseball,” said Puetz, who was recently nominated for the College Football Hall of Fame under the Division-II umbrella. Offensive linemen generally remain anonymous, but Puetz was a noteworthy exception. One of the most versatile athletes in VU history, he earned all-conference honors three times as a lineman and a kicker before soccer-stylists …

Mutka: Valpo’s basketball future includes downsizing

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 06:18:46 -0500

Basketball games aren’t won on paper, but Michigan State slammed Valparaiso’s window of opportunity shut — at least temporarily. Minus six seniors, including bigs Ryan Broekhoff and Kevin Van Wijk, the Crusaders will be looking up at five other Horizon League teams who qualified for postseason play. Seventy-six percent of coach Bryce Drew’s offense and a big chunk of his rebounding vanished with that lopsided loss in Auburn Hills, Mich. His only experienced returning rebounder will be IU transfer Bobby Capobianco, who suffered an early setback (hernia surgery), had trouble finishing plays and never really got untracked. Unless Vashil Fernandez …

Mutka: Hoops marathon switches to NCAA sprint

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 16:03:21 -0500

CHICAGO — The basketball marathon is over. Now the sprint begins. No more corporal punishment being dished out off the brutal Big Ten menu. Time for dessert. “I’m really looking forward to playing somebody else,” said Michigan State’s weary Tom Izzo, after the Spartans second loss to Ohio State. “We’ve been beating the hell out of each other.” Wisconsin senior Ryan Evans loved every minute of the grind. “Every night’s a memory,” he said after the Badgers dispatched Indiana. “So many buzzer beaters.” Down but not out, Indiana’s Cody Zeller is looking forward to the third season. He was already …

Mutka: Valparaiso’s ARC not for the faint of heart

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 06:31:47 -0500

VALPARAISO — If you’ve got a weak ticker here’s a piece of advice: You might consider staying away from the ARC on Tuesday night. Three straight buzzer-beaters in less than 30 hours over the weekend. Another could be life-threatening. Welcome to the Horizon League, which will determine its NCAA Tournament representative when Valparaiso squares off against Wright State. The Raiders endeared themselves to VU fans by shocking defending tournament champion Detroit. Several cardiac arrests would have been understandable reactions to Ryan Broekhoff’s miraculous, falling-on-his-fanny 3-pointer. Anticipating more of the same Tuesday, Porter Hospital might consider setting up an intensive care …

Mutka: No. 1 in college hoops? No such thing

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 06:25:24 -0500

Number One in college basketball? Ain’t no such animal, folks. Being placed on that pinnacle was a recipe for disaster in this wild and woolly season. Ask Indiana’s Hoosiers, who have been knocked off twice since perching on the NCAA’s Mt. Olympus. If Cody Zeller needed an NBA wake-up call, his shaky performance at Minnesota should convince him he needs another year of college basketball to beef up and flex his muscles. Zeller may be an All-American, but a nine-point, four-turnover game in that loss probably cost him any chance he had of being named player of the year. Give …

Mutka: Cardinals, Crusaders, Mustangs thrive

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 09:48:01 -0500

Hello, you Mid-American Conference football bashers. Time to give the underrated league its props. Food for thought Last season, Ball State, Northern Illinois and Kent State represented the league in bowl games. That’s no surprise to Ball State coach Pete Lembo, a transplanted New Yorker from Staten Island. In his second year, he guided the Cardinals to a 9-4 record, which included victories over Indiana, Army and South Florida. During a recent stopover for the 59th annual Sportsmanship Banquet to give 29 Northwest Indiana sectional basketball teams a pep talk, Lembo cited conference balance. “The competitive difference between No. 1 …

Mutka: Valpo, Detroit trade games in which they blew big leads

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 06:39:17 -0500

Safe lead in basketball? Don’t be silly. No such thing. Check out the heated Detroit-Valparaiso series. First, Valparaiso trailed by 22 in the second half at Detroit. Then, Detroit lagged by 15 with 9 minutes left at Valparaiso. Both teams rallied to win. In game one, VU scored the last 12 points to snap Detroit’s 17-game home winning streak. Saturday, the Titans erupted for 19 consecutive points, blanking VU from the field for eight minutes and 29 seconds to erase a 63-48 deficit. Five Crusaders hit double figures in the stunning collapse. Go figure. “It’s unexplainable,” said guard Matt Kenney, …

IU’s Wilson hits jackpot with recruits on ‘D’

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 06:27:31 -0500

If you believe recruiting analysts, long-suffering Indiana football fans should be oozing excitement over Coach Kevin Wilson’s recent harvest. His 22-man bumper crop addresses defensive weaknesses, which have plagued the program since Bill Mallory departed. Consider that IU ranked fourth in the Big Ten in total offense during Wilson’s first two years, but won just five games because he didn’t have enough fingers to plug a leaky dike. Last year the Hoosiers bottomed out, giving up 35-plus points and 463 yards per game. Rivals.com ranked IU’s class sixth in the Big Ten, presumably because of 13 signees on that side …

Mutka: Unbridled Hoosiers need more than one gear

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 06:30:53 -0500

What makes Indiana a potential national champion should also give fans of the Hoosiers a serious case of nerves. IU’s relentless and reckless attacking approach could contain the seeds of elimination come tournament time. They nearly buried former No. 1 Michigan, but allowed the Wolverines to come back from a 28-13 deficit by exceeding the speed limit. When it came time to shift gears the Hoosiers disregarded the rules of the road, committing unforced errors. The Big Ten leaders survived to knock off their second No. 1 team in as many seasons, but were outscored 21-9 on turnovers. Michigan’s Trey …

Gary’s Harmon an all-time legend

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 19:16:07 -0500

Role models are not always what they’re cracked up to be, especially when they’re athletes. Take 13-time all-pro linebacker Ray Lewis, for example. Kids tempted to embrace him should quote the Raven never more, considering his checkered past. In 2000, Lewis, Reginald Oakley and Joseph Sweeting were charged with murder after two men died of stab wounds in a fight outside an Atlanta night club. Lewis later pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice and testified that Oakley instigated the fight. Oakley countered by saying it began because Lewis got involved in an argument. No one was ever convicted of murder, …

Mutka: Valpo getting a bosst from Matt Kenny, Kevin Van Wijk

Sun, 20 Jan 2013 19:06:17 -0500

Most of the positive pub about Valparaiso University basketball has revolved around “Rowdy” Ryan Broekhoff. Rightfully so, but the Crusaders pulled another rabbit out of the hat Saturday because of guys like Matt Kenney and Kevin Van Wijk. Outplayed most of the way by Wright State, they relied heavily on the unlikely combo to hang in there until Broekhoff shook off the defensive shackles to score 10 of his 18 points in the last 2:19 of a cardiac-arresting victory. That came just 48 hours after VU overcame a 22-point deficit in the second half to steal a one-point victory at …

Mutka: Spitting out Keady for Perry worked well

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 06:27:42 -0500

Nothing against Gene Keady, but the Gary Old Timers caught a break after the former Purdue basketball coach backed out of his scheduled speaking engagement. When Keady, who now assists Steve Lavin at St. John’s, asked if the date could be changed (silly man) he was scratched. The Old Timers settled for pinch hitter Gaylord Perry, who knocked one out of the park Wednesday before 850 Old Timers. Doug Miller, who has been in charge of ticket sales for the last six years, was elated even though the turnout didn’t match the record of 1,000 fans Dick Butkus pulled in …

No Corral-ling versatile Huskie from Hobart

Fri, 08 Feb 2013 06:22:08 -0500

VALPARAISO — Swish, swish, swish. Nothing but net. Watching Amanda Corral move around the horn in pregame warmups Saturday at the ARC was worth the price of admission. Too bad it couldn’t be more often, but she chose Northern Illinois over Valparaiso even though her sister, Alyca, attends VU. “It came down to those two schools, but I didn’t want to be too close to home,” the former Hobart standout said. Coach Kathi Bennett couldn’t be happier that she crossed the state line to play for the Huskies. Corral is proving to be a lifesaver for a struggling program. “She’s …

Mutka: New Year’s tips for impatient NWI jocks

Sun, 30 Dec 2012 23:48:07 -0500

Another year over, another day older. What will the next 364 days bring? Darned if I can wait, so here are a few ideas sprinkled with a dose of wishful thinking for impatient jocks. Basketball A Final Four appearance for Indiana University, including a vengeful rematch along the way with those pesky Butler Bulldogs … Remind Tom Crean and Matt Painter to put up road blocks to keep Northwest Indiana talent from escaping to Michigan or Michigan State ... A full house at Valparaiso University with Hobart fans pouring in Saturday to welcome Northern Illinois standout Amanda Corral for the 1:35 p.m. matinee …

Mutka: Rick Majerus left a lasting impression

Sun, 16 Dec 2012 23:52:00 -0500

My only personal brush with Rick Majerus made a lasting impression. Enough to list the recently deceased coach among my five most unforgettable sports characters. We met during his two years at Ball State when I made a trip to Muncie to do a series of articles on his part in their renaissance, which included a 43-17 record and the Cardinals’ first-ever NCAA tournament victory (68-64 over Pittsburgh in 1989). Walking into his office, I quickly realized this would not be your typical one-on-one interview. In cramped quarters he sat behind a battered desk clad in sweats, firmly grasping a …