If you want a fans'-eye view of the craziness in Miami with Superbowl, take a gander at Stampede Blue, an Indianapolis Colts blog largely powered by Big Blue Shoe. The latter -- sounds like a fat dude, right? total nerd? -- lives in New York City but grew up in Indy. I knew him back when he sucked on a bottle of Kool-aid in a crib and ran thru his house screaming, "BATMAN!!!"

Amyhow, the blog is a refreshing change of pace from msm Colts coverage, and Big Blue Shoe (that's the name my young friend writes under) is no dirty pajama scuzz, altho he is a rabid fan.

The experience of reading his prose is sometimes kinda like what we used to say about Hunter Thompson's coverage of politics -- you never had to say, "C'mon, Hunter, tell us what it was REALLY like at the convention."

BBS has also had his share of run-ins with Bob Kravitz -- that's one per customer -- but I won't go into details here. It's all on the blog.

http://www.stampedeblue.com/

Quick thoughts before taking off for Chi-town tomorrow:

No matter what you think of Republicans, you've got to admire state Rep. Mike Murphy, a Republican, for his caustic comments on the reign of U.S. Rep. Danny Burton at the House -- one GOP commenting on another:

"Dan Burton has served, but he has not led. In nearly 30 years in Congress, Burton has done virtually nothing to make the 5th District ..of Indiana a better place to live and raise a family."

Hoo-rah!

Besides which, Burton is almost certifiably looney-tunes. You have to wonder about the 5th...will the worm finally turn? I could go on, but Murphy said it well enough for now.

Thanks to this morning's Indianapolis Star for reporting that quote.

Ditto on the increasingly uphill battle faced by Sen. Evan Bayh, who is a Dem in name only. But then, that's what Hoosiers apparently want. As (Dem) friends have said, we don't have real Democrats in Indiana. Bayh has played off the state's conservatism and frugality for far too long; he should switch parties if he wants to stay in. But for now, the sentiment is: Kick all the bums out. Bye Bayh.

Finally, I liked sports reporter Mike Chappel's story Sunday on Jim Irsay, Colts owner.  I especially liked the quotes from Fred Glass, who engineered the Superbowl deal etc etc etc: "Candidly, I had a perception of him (Irsay, when they met 10 years ago) that proved to be wrong....he was coming off the time of his dad and had some of his own personal issues that were well-known..."

Irsay has proven himself to be a standup guy, albeit an eccentric: as Glass notes, "His word is his bond."

BUT I recall when sports columnist Bob Kravitz and my then-colleague fellow metro/state columnist John Strauss both wrote Irsay's obit.

This was because Irsay had a problem, back then, with, OH MY GOD, drugs. The assumption of my less-astute or less-worldly colleagues was that a druggie was a druggie and that he was toast; he was incapable of making business decisions, and he should give it up.

Bullshit, I argued, in print; drugs do not make the man. Irsay had a chance at recovery, and he took it, and he's a better person today -- and he has served Indianapolis reasonably well. Nobody's perfect, but anybody who assumes that a drug habit is the end of the road has not read the Big Book or tasted much of life.

But then, that's Indiana....small towns, small minds....small newspapers.

That said, some good reporting this week. With a tip of the hatlo to Chappell et al.

Ted Evanoff, longtime auto industry reporter at the Indianapolis Star, and former Star features writer Abe Aamidor, an auto/motor afficionado, have pooled their talents to pen a book whose title is self-explanatory:  "At the Crossroads: Middle America and the Battle to Save the Car Industry."

The book, due out around March 1, is published by ECW Press (inidependent, based in Toronto, well-established at 30 years).

The work is 390 pages and provides an indepth look at "Wall Street's influence on the Detroit auto industry; the role of the unions in last year's (2009) crisis; and the impact on small towns in Indiana, including Kokomo, Marion, and Bedford," says Aamidor in an email.

"Dozens of interviews were done; Ted has cited a massive library of economics books as they relate to auto industry trends, too, and did some national interviews," he adds.

Here is the link:

http://www.ecwpress.com/books/crossroads

Aamidor says their Midwest backgrounds paid off:

"The publisher was thrilled at the prospect of having two writers who actually live and work in the heartland, the affected Middle America and rust belt, rather than relying on people who just fly in from NYC and Washington. He was right, too...

The book is aimed at a mass market.

Here's a little more explanation from Aamidor, who has had several books published in the past and was hands-down the most prolific writer I had the pleasure to work with at the Star, as well as one of the most gifted:

"Ted did the 'big picture' economics, and the influence of free trade, an emphasis on shareholder value, growing auto industry indebtedness and Wall Street generally on the Detroit auto industry. We do some analysis of product, which was deficient, but the big picture is essentially economic theory.

"I mostly traveled around the state talking to leaders and rank-and-file in various UAW Locals from Kokomo to Marion to Bedford, and followed the paths of several small-town mayors, most notably Greg Goodnight of Kokomo, but also former Olympic skater Wayne Seybold of Marion, former police detective Kris Ockomon of Anderson, and former medical social worker Shawna Girgis, the mayor of Bedford. I also spoke to many small business owners in the affected auto towns. Ted contributed some interviews here, too.

"I also looked closely at UAW history and past and current UAW contracts, and tried to explain things in layman's terms as best as possible. My union background helped me with access - buying (former Star columnist/editor) John Strauss' Chevrolet Camaro Z28 in 2008 didn't hurt me, either, in making contacts (I've since traded that car on a red 2002 Camaro Coupe with low miles and T-tops).

"We each read and edited each other's chapters, and we developed the outline for the book in unison. I was more or less responsible for continuity, and did the Index. Ted's estimate that we each did about 50 percent of the writing is correct, and we worked very well together."

Congratulations and good luck in sales.

Betsy Light, former dance critic, film reviewer and arts/features reporter at the Indianapolis Star, continues to struggle with cancer on two fronts. She could use any support friends and colleagues are willing to give.

"The short story is, I'm two weeks out of ovarian surgery that was quite intense," Betsy explained in a phone call over the weekend. "...I am now dealing with the aftermath."

Betsy had breast surgery last summer in Indianapolis. Her most recent treatment (ovarian surgery) was in New York City. She is staying for a short time at the Hope Lodge, run by the American Cancer Society, as she recovers.

Betsy is planning for an upcoming double masectomy to combat the cancer (which has spread to her lymph nodes). She is also hoping to be able to travel to Germany or Mexico for some future treatments. Medical teams in those  countries, she says, have a "full protocol that helps clear the cancer out."

Betsy was diagnosed in June of 2008. She has been accepted as a patient at the BioMed Klinik in Germany, but she has not had the funds to travel there. "The longer I wait, the more complicated it becomes," she says.

If you would like to make a donation or write to Betsy, you can reach her at the Susan Betsy Light Fund, Legacy Banks, 25 Main Street, Lennox, Mass. 01240. Betsy would also love to hear from friends. Or you can email her at susanblight@gmail.com

She also is very thankfrul to those of you who helped her previously.