Jan. 19, 2004: Colts are one step away from Super Bowl. After running over their opponents in the first two rounds of the NFL playoffs, the Indianapolis Colts faced the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship game for a chance to go to Super Bowl XXXVIII. Colts' quarterback Peyton Manning threw four interceptions, however, as Indianapolis lost 24-14.
July 21, 2000-July 12, 2004: The Larry vs. Isiah saga. Former IU and Detroit Pistons' star Isiah Thomas was hired in July 21, 2000 as Pacers' head coach to replace Indiana-icon Larry Bird. When Bird returned to Indiana as Pacers' president of basketball operations July 12, 2004, he promptly fired Thomas. Some speculate that bad blood between the two from their playing days led to the dismissal, but Thomas' three straight first-round playoff loses may have contributed.
April 1, 2002: Hoosier Hysteria at the Final Four. Indiana University's men's basketball team overcame a 17-point deficit to sneak past No. 1 Duke in the Sweet 16, then hit 15 3-pointers to cruise by Kent State in the Elite Eight. It was first time the Hoosiers advanced to the Final Four since 1992. After beating Oklahoma to get to the championship game, IU couldn't handle Maryland in a 64-52 loss, spoiling its chance at the school's first title since 1987.
Sept. 10, 2000: Bye, bye Bobby. After a tumultuous spring, Indiana University instituted a "zero-tolerance" policy on fiery coach Bob Knight. When Knight allegedly grabbed and yelled at an IU student for what he felt was disrespecting the coach, then-IU president Miles Brand had enough. He fired Knight, ending his 29-year tenure at Indiana.
Dec. 31, 2000: Notre Dame diversifies. When Bob Davie was fired at Notre Dame's head football coach, the Fightin' Irish needed to freshen up a dying program that isn't accustomed to losing. Notre Dame hired Stanford's Tyrone Willingham to rejuvenate the program. Willingham became the school's first ever black head coach. His hiring came two weeks after the Irish hired Georgia Tech's George O'Leary, then fired him five days later for lying on his r+â-¬sum+â-¬.
May 26, 2002: Castroneves wins second straight Indianapolis 500 under controversy. On the second to last lap, Paul Tracy made a quick pass of leader and 2001 winner Helio Castroneves. A crash had occurred on the other side of the track, however, and the yellow caution lights were illuminated. While Tracy maintains he made the move before the yellow flag came out, 500 officials disagreed and punished Tracy with a stop-and-go penalty. The pit stop allowed Castroneves to cruise to his second straight 500 victory. Tracy protested the ruling after the race, but the protest was denied and Castroneves was officially named the winner three days later.
March 28, 2003: Butler dances the Sweet 16. After amassing a 24-5 record and winning the Horizon League championship, Butler's men's basketball team earned a No. 12 seed into the NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs pulled a one-point upset of fifth-seed Mississippi State in the first round, followed by an eight-point victory over the four seed Louisville in the second round. Though Bulter lost 65-54 to top-seeded Oklahoma in the Sweet 16, it was the deepest the Bulldogs had ever advanced in the tournament.
Jan. 1, 2001: Purdue comes up Roses. Under a high-powered offense, directed by Big Ten Player of the Year quarterback Drew Brees, Purdue won the Big Ten in 2000 to go it the school's first Rose Bowl since 1967. The No. 14 Boilermakers' offense wasn't enough to get past No. 4 Washington, however, as the Huskies prevailed 34-24.
March 2, 2004: Manning breaks the bank. After quarterback Peyton Manning led the Indianapolis Colts to one of their most successful seasons in history, his six-year contract ran out. To hang onto the NFL's co-MVP in 2003, the Colts dished out one of the largest contracts in league history. Manning signed a seven-year deal worth $98 million. The $34 million signing bonus the Colts gave him was the largest ever in the NFL.
April 1, 2001: All-Indiana title game. When both Purdue and Notre Dame advanced to the NCAA Women's Final Four in 2001, Indiana had a 50-50 shot at a local team winning the title. After both teams won their national semifinal games to meet up in the championship, it was assured that the national champion would be an Indiana school. In the end, the Fightin' Irish beat Purdue in a close game, 68-66, to take the title.,,2(-¦l?*nat'l grad tabDNEditorial,,2SORT +â-ä2AUDT
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