7 Hoosier Sports Personalities Who Could Sway the Primaries

Now that Indiana is playing the role of a crucial primary state for the first time in forever, candidates are running the press to win over the hearts of good sports-loving Hoosiers. Donald Trump is using former Indiana University basketball coach Bob Knight as a hype man. Ted Cruz campaigned in the actual gym that the movie Hoosiers was filmed in. (It remains to be seen whether real-life Hoosiers will forgive him for not knowing the sport.) Hillary Clinton sort of apologized for calling it “basketball-crazed Indianoplace.” John Kasich and the GOP establishment’s game theory to block Trump’s delegates is a lesson to all coaches that strategy isn’t just for the final minutes.

This got us wondering.

Which Hoosier sports personalities could sway an election?

Brad Stevens

The former Eli Lilly employee might still have friends in high places in big pharma. An Eli Lilly-backed candidate might be the magic pill for one of these candidates.

Tom Crean

Speaking of high places, if Bernie Sanders is able to legalize pot (that’s why the youth love him, right?), then Tom Crean teams will no longer be plagued by those pesky suspension problems.

Reggie Miller

The numbers don’t look good for Kasich. He could certainly use 8 points in 9 seconds.

Rudy

Ted Cruz needs another Angelo Pizzo sports flick to mess up. Plus, rumor has it that the Texan loves the Punchin’ Irish.

Helio Castroneves

Helio’s career was in serious jeopardy after he faced tax evasion charges in 2008. It’s probably a safe bet that he’s hitting the brakes on any candidate that proposes to raise those taxes.

Larry Bird

Larry Legend could lend a big hand to short-fingered Trump.

Dan Dakich

The blurb from our 2015 profile on the radio host and broadcaster is all you need to read: “He’s opinionated. He’s controversial. And depending on whom you ask, this trash-talking, mean-tweeting radio host is the most honest personality in Indy sports media—or the most infuriating.” Sound like someone you know running for president?