Ball State Sports Link - An Immersive Learning Production

Ball State Sports Link Expands For Fall 2010

MUNCIE, Ind. – Ball State Sports Link, the immersive learning experience which is a national leader in sports media and production, has expanded to include a total of 19 students for the Fall 2010 semester.

The 2010 student staff is led by returning seniors Nathan Bush (Columbus, Ind./East H.S.), Melissa Darby (Fort Wayne, Ind./Southside H.S.), Matt Houston (Gambrills, Md./Arundel H.S.), Alex Kartman (Fort Wayne, Ind./Homestead H.S.), Steven Towle (Walkerton, Ind./John Glenn H.S.) and returning junior Ben Wagner (Yorktown, Ind./Yorktown H.S.).

Joining the student crew this semester are seniors Luke Baran (Brown Deer, Wis./Brown Deer H.S.), Michelle Manzo (New Albany, Ind./New Albany H.S.) and Nick Moser (Moyock, N.C./Currituck County H.S.).

The 2010-11 junior class features Kyle Binder (Carmel, Ind./Carmel H.S.), Paul Brown (Lafayette, Ind./Jeff H.S.), Timmy Fogarty (Lafayette, Ind./Jeff H.S.), Katie Hawkins (Campbellsburg, Ind./West Washington H.S.), Tim Keane (St. Louis, Mo./Ladue Watkins H.S.) and Patrick Lehe (Brookston, Ind./Frontier H.S.).

Sophomores Pat Boylan (Carmel, Ind./Carmel H.S.) and Chris Renkel (West Lake, Ohio/Westlake H.S.) complete the class, while seniors Kevin Grazioli (Canton, Mich./Canton H.S. ) and Emma Smith (Evansville, Ind./Bosse H.S.) will assist with special projects.

Ball State Sports Link, under the direction of TCOM instructor Chris Taylor, graduate assistant Steven Albritton and Teleplex professional Bill Bryant, officially started the semester with an exclusive partnership with the Mid-American Conference in July.

Fall 2010 Productions:
The program will return its production of Ball State Sports “Link-ed IN”, an all-sports webcast on Tuesdays and Thursdays, beginning Aug. 31. The webcasts are exclusive to www.ballstatesports.com and Sports Link’s social media platforms.

In addition, The Ball State Sports Link Update radio reports begin Sept. 1 and air every Wednesday and Friday on 50,000-watt Hit Country WMDH 102.5 FM during “The Morning Brew” -- reaching over 18 counties in Indiana and Ohio. ESPN 1340, Muncie’s premier all-sports station, and WCRD 91.3 FM will also air the reports.

Ball State Sports Link will also produce a new monthly sports magazine show called Be A Fan: Ball State Sports Link which will air on WIPB-TV, Comcast Indiana and Fox College Sports. The show debuts Sept. 29.

The 2010 Fall semester live remotes -- using the University’s 40-foot HD production truck – include a Homecoming Week Special from the University’s new $40-million Student Recreation and Wellness Center, soccer and women’s volleyball in October, along with men’s and women’s basketball in November and December.

The live events will be available nationally on Fox College Sports, throughout the state on Comcast Indiana 81 and locally on Cardinal Vision. All events will be streamed online at www.ballstatesports.com. A complete broadcast schedule will be released soon.

About Ball State Sports Link:
During the semester, students will produce a broad range of media from live remote productions, live-to-tape events, television programs (WIPB-TV , Comcast Indiana, ESPN Networks, Fox Sports Net, Cardinal Vision 57), student-athlete features and webcasts. Other facets of the immersion program include radio, newspapers, podcasts and the use of mobile technology and interactivity via the web.

To maintain a focus on cross-platform promotion, students repackage the feature stories they create for local use at Ball State and send them to local news stations and outlets in the hometown of the featured player—on any platform the station may require.

What is Ball State Sports Link? Let our students explain:
http://bsuccimyearinreview.com/view.php?story=51

Become a Fan on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/ballstatesportslink

Visit our Official Site:
www.bsusportslink.com

Sports Link Partners With MAC For Football Season

UNCIE, Ind. -- Ball State Sports Link, an Emmy award-winning immersive learning program at Ball State University, has entered an exclusive partnership with the Mid-American Conference (MAC) to provide the league with video packages during the upcoming football season.

Sixty student-produced segments will be used by the MAC on a variety of platforms. The packages also will be available to MAC universities as well as cable networks broadcasting MAC football games, among them ESPN's family of networks and Fox Sports.

Created in 2008, Sports Link allows Ball State students to produce sports-related content for multiple platforms such as radio, television, and the Web as well as a variety of mobile communications formats.

"This arrangement will allow our students to gain incredible experience as well as bring their work into millions of homes during the football season," said Chris Taylor, the telecommunications instructor overseeing Sports Link. "This project also is a clear extension of Ball State's Emerging Media Initiative, which is geared toward providing our students with experience in working with various new technologies being employed by sports broadcasters."

Sports Link students will start shooting video July 30, when the MAC hosts its 2010 Football Media Day at Ford Field in Detroit. They plan to interview MAC Commissioner Jon Steinbrecher along with all 13 head coaches and two student-athletes from each university team.

Other guests to be interviewed include Bill Hancock, executive director of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS), and ESPN Game Day college football analyst Desmond Howard, the 1991 Heisman Trophy winner.

"We're very excited to work with Ball State and provide yet another opportunity for students to get experience in production for our Web site," said Ken Mather, MAC assistant commissioner. "This opportunity will be expansive, to include nearly 60 video features of football coaches and student-athletes from across the Mid-American Conference and running throughout the regular football season of September through December."

Taylor will lead Sports Link's remote production crew and be joined by Alex Kartman, a senior from Fort Wayne; Ben Wagner, a junior from Yorktown; and Pat Boylan, a sophomore from Indianapolis. All told, 16 students are enrolled in the program for fall semester.

Sports Link already has produced some 200 video features and logged nearly 15,000 hours of sports media production in 2009-10. The program won a regional Emmy this year for a feature story on Ball State basketball player Malik Perry.

By Marc Ransford, Media Relations Manager

Meet The 2010-11 SL Crew: Katie Hawkins

Katie Hawkins will achieve junior academic status in 2010-11 and officially become a member of Ball State Sports Link this fall. She worked in the BSU Athletics Media Relations office in 2009-10, plus volunteered on several SL productions.

This summer I am working/interning at Kovert Hawkins Architects in Jeffersonville, IN. I've decided it's not my future dream job, but definitely gives me a wide variety of experience. I am serving as their official marketing person. It's their 25th anniversary, and they have 25 years of projects in files that need some major marketing help.

I am organizing different projects into categories and calling old clients to get quotes and feedback on how their new facility is "treating them." Using this feedback, plus other additional "look good" information, I am making books and project pages for them to easily access for proposals on new projects.

I love the graphics part of my job. I do everything I can to help their photos look EXCELLENT! It will soon be all accessible on www.koverthawkins.com, which, I am also coordinating for them, with a company called Small Box out of Indianapolis, to help update their web site, social networking, etc.

As well as graphics, I also love the marketing part of my job. I plan to minor in marketing, once I qualify as a junior to get in the program. I love contacting and talking to people about their opinions and what they could change with certain projects, and utilizing that information to promote Kovert Hawkins Architects.

I'm hopeful for an internship next summer, a little more telecommunications related. Until then I am extremely excited to get back to school in the fall to start up some exciting TCOM classes, where I'm told I'll get some real hands on experience. On top of that, I have Sports Link to look forward to!

After watching them for a number of games, I'm extremely excited to have my own experience to produce a live remote this next year! After helping SL out on a few gigs last fall, I was introduced to a job in Athletic Media Relations, where put my love of broadcasting and productions into play.

I finished up my work for Athletic Media Relations at the beginning of June and am now focusing full time on Kovert Hawkins Architects, as well as some volunteer graphics work for our youth community programs. I am more than ready for fall to roll around and get back to the full time Telecommunications, Sports Link, and Media Relations life!

About Ball State Sports Link:
Ball State Sports Link is an immersive learning experience. The program allows students to write, report, shoot, produce and host a variety of sports programs. The 2010-11 season begins with 16 students, including six returnees, in August.

The program is the FIRST and ONLY program in the NATION where students are totally immersed in sports and electronic media.

In the 2009-2010 academic year, each student logged nearly 1,000 “real-life” sports experience to combine for well over 14,000 student hours for sports media and production.

As a whole, in three semesters students have dedicated nearly 20,000 hours for sports production.

Sports Link Teams With MAC For 2010 Football

Cleveland, Ohio – The Mid-American Conference (MAC) will host its 2010 Football Media Day on Friday, July 30th, at Ford Field in Detroit. MAC Football Media Day kicks off the Conference’s season, which officially begins on Thursday, September 2, and concludes with the 2010 Marathon MAC Football Championship on Friday, December 3 at Ford Field.

The students of Ball State Sports Link will be working with the MAC for an exclusive partnership during football season, including July 30 at Ford Field in Detroit. More information on this partnership will be announced soon by Sports Link and the MAC Office.

MAC Commissioner, Dr. Jon Steinbrecher, along with all 13 head coaches and two student-athletes from each university will be present and available to media. Special guests include Bill Hancock, Executive Director of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) and ESPN Game Day college football analyst Desmond Howard.

Commissioner Steinbrecher will host a press conference at 11:30 am. All head coaches and student-athletes, in addition to Hancock and Howard, will be available to the media throughout the morning.

Media credentials for MAC Football Media Day are available at: http://www.sportssystems.com/clients/mac/.

Meet The 2010-11 SL Crew: Kyle Binder

Kyle Binder joins the 2010-11 staff of Ball State Sports Link. A year ago, Kyle helped with several Sports Link productions. He will also be the radio analyst of the BSU Football team for WCRD 91.3 FM in 2010.

I applied for a few internships for the summer and ended up getting three internship offers from different radio stations, including one in Florida. As much as I would love going to Florida and living with my sister, the free room and board with the family was too much to pass up! So, I decided to intern with Radio One Corporation in Indianapolis. The stations are WTLC 106.7 FM, WTLC 310 AM, WHHH 96.3 FM, WNOU 100.9 FM and IMC (TV). I pursued an internship in the Marketing and Promotions department.

I immediately started my summer two days after school was out, so not much relaxing time for me. I was assigned under the promotions specialist for Radio Now, but have helped with all stations in any way possible. I intern every day for 20 hours a week to get three credits this summer. I do office work during the week which includes calling ticket winners, website traffic reports presentations and miscellaneous little tasks that need to be done.

My favorite part of the office hours is sitting in on the promotions meetings for WHHH, and both WTLC stations. This is where the higher management teams map out and plan for future events. This opportunity gives me great insight to how everything from sales, programming and promotions all intertwine to work collectively to succeed.

The other side of promotions is actually going out to different events and having a stations presence at an event. I have worked the Indy 500, Indy Pride Festival, Dave Matthews Band concert, and the Radio Now VIPink party so far. I have learned something new in every experience and have more knowledge about on site procedures that can really only be learned from actually experiencing an event. I am enjoying the internship, but definitely ready to get back to school and Sports Link.

I am also working at a golf course in Fishers about 35 hours a week on top of the 20 hours interning. Not much free time for Mr. Binder and not expecting that to change at BSU, but excited to dive into football in early August!

About Ball State Sports Link:
Ball State Sports Link is an immersive learning experience. The program allows students to write, report, shoot, produce and host a variety of sports programs. The 2010-11 season begins with 16 students, including six returnees, in August.

The program is the FIRST and ONLY program in the NATION where students are totally immersed in sports and electronic media.

In the 2009-2010 academic year, each student logged nearly 1,000 “real-life” sports experience to combine for well over 14,000 student hours for sports media and production.

As a whole, in three semesters students have dedicated nearly 20,000 hours for sports production.

Meet The 2010-11 SL Crew: Chris Renkel

Chris Renkel, from Westlake, Ohio, will be a sophomore at Ball State in 2010-11 and joins the Sports Link staff. As a freshman a year ago, Renkel volunteered on numerous SL live productions and studio shows, plus worked sports for WCRD 91.3 FM.

This summer, I am interning at FOX 45/ABC 22 in Dayton. For several months I had been searching for a summer internship in several places, however the consensus was from most of the stations that you had to at least be a junior before you could intern at their station.

Then, by a stroke of luck, I was accepted for a sports internship at FOX 45/ABC 22 in Dayton. The sports director there, Nathan Baker has had several other Ball State interns over the years and he always likes having a BSU intern because they are always well trained.

As a sports intern I go out and cover various sporting events, I shoot B-roll, edit the video, collect interviews and write the stories that the sports anchors read on air. I have also had a few opportunities to practice my on-air abilities by practicing stand-up shots and look lives.

Over my internship so far, I have covered the Cincinnati Bengals, the Dayton Dragons minor league baseball team, and many other local sporting events.

I am very excited for Ball State Sports Link this year and look forward to applying the many skills I have learned through my internship and beyond. Ball State Sports Link is a unique program our university has to offer which no other school has. I am excited to join the others this year and to continue the tradition.

About Ball State Sports Link:
Ball State Sports Link is an immersive learning experience. The program allows students to write, report, shoot, produce and host a variety of sports programs. The 2010-11 season begins with 16 students, including six returnees, in August.

The program is the FIRST and ONLY program in the NATION where students are totally immersed in sports and electronic media.

In the 2009-2010 academic year, each student logged nearly 1,000 “real-life” sports experience to combine for well over 14,000 student hours for sports media and production.

As a whole, in three semesters students have dedicated nearly 20,000 hours for sports production.

Meet The 2010-11 SL Crew: Michelle Manzo

Michelle Manzo will join the 2010-11 Ball State Sports Link staff after volunteering for several SL productions last year. Manzo served in many positions on our live remotes in 2009-10, including as a camera operator, stage manager and A2.

Since the end of May I have been interning as a videographer with the Public Affairs Office down at Fort Knox in Kentucky. Every summer they host the Leader's Training Course (LTC) for ROTC cadets who missed out on the first year or two of ROTC training. LTC is basically a crash course in everything they missed. So as a videographer I've been following around the Cadets and filming the various activities they do. I produce mini-web videos throughout the week and I will produce a 7 minute end-of-cycle video before the Cadets leave that they'll get on DVD as a bit of a memento of the experience.

I wasn't sure how I felt about the idea of interning with the Army at first, but I've had an absolute blast. It's been tons of fun following all these Cadets around and getting to know them and everything they're doing is challenging and fun to shoot. Last week I was crawling in the dirt to film them doing squad tactics. Monday I was hanging off the edge of a 50 foot tower to film rappelling. Then later, they let me rappel down myself. Later this week all the public affairs interns are attempting the high ropes course as well. It's been great fun improving my videography skills and adding to my reel. I may not be out there meeting sports celebrities, but I'm meeting some awesome people in the Army and having fun. I think these experiences will only help me in both leadership and production skills with Sports Link next year.

You can check out some of the videos I've done here. Currently I'm following Bravo Company, so all those videos were done by me. Later in the summer I'll be following Echo Company.

About Ball State Sports Link:
Ball State Sports Link is an immersive learning experience. The program allows students to write, report, shoot, produce and host a variety of sports programs. The 2010-11 season begins with 16 students, including six returnees, in August.

The program is the FIRST and ONLY program in the NATION where students are totally immersed in sports and electronic media.

In the 2009-2010 academic year, each student logged nearly 1,000 “real-life” sports experience to combine for well over 14,000 student hours for sports media and production.

As a whole, in three semesters students have dedicated nearly 20,000 hours for sports production.

Meet The 2010-11 SL Crew: Pat Boylan

Pat Boylan will be a sophomore at Ball State in 2010-11 and a member of Ball State Sports Link. As a freshman, Pat helped with several Sports Link productions. He will also be the radio voice of the BSU Football team for WCRD 91.3 FM in 2010.

Ball State Sports Link is very young, but already touching uncharted water. Professionals in the industry I've talked to wish they had the ability to participate in something like Sports Link, and we have it right at our fingertips here at Ball State.

Last year's group didn't just set the bar high, they put it through the clouds. I look forward to being part of this year's team which will hopefully reach that bar, exceed it, and all while showcasing Ball State sports to the world and reaching our full potential as a group and a student.

Interning this summer for me was unplanned. I had heard that for nearly every company in my field of broadcast journalism you needed to be an incoming junior in college to serve as an intern, and just finishing my freshman year, I figured I had to wait. As it turned out, however, channel RTV-6 TV in Indianapolis was looking for a sports intern, and did not have guidelines regarding age or class. I got the opportunity through a friend who formerly interned at Channel 6 with Dave Furst, and put in a good word.

My internship started out in mid-May, and if you know anything about sports in Indianapolis in May, they revolve around the Indianapolis 500. I spent my first week working Monday through Thursday, then Saturday and Sunday totaling 50 hours of work. However, unlike with other jobs, the time flew.

I would go out with one of their three sports reporters (Dave Furst, Brad Brown or Jason Spells) and help conduct interviews, shoot b-roll, and piece together packages that would air on the 6 and 11 o’clock news. We got to interview popular drivers including Tony Kanaan, Paul Tracy, Ryan Briscoe and Will Power. This was really cool for me as an avid racing fan to be up close with the best in sports.

Saturday and Sunday were qualifying days. I helped set up equipment for live shots on the afternoon newscasts, then helped out gathering information on who qualified where. It kept me really busy, but I found most of the time, my 10-hour workday flew. Now that May is over, we are getting into normal office work following the Colts, Pacers and anything else going on in sports.

About Ball State Sports Link:
Ball State Sports Link is an immersive learning experience. The program allows students to write, report, shoot, produce and host a variety of sports programs. The 2010-11 season begins with 16 students, including six returnees, in August.

In the 2009-2010 academic year, each student logged nearly 1,000 “real-life” sports experience to combine for well over 14,000 student hours for sports media and production.

As a whole, in three semesters students have dedicated nearly 20,000 hours for sports production.

BSU Swimmer Deals With Diabetes

By Ryan Camden & Mike Stevens | Ball State Sports Link

MUNCIE, Ind. – Jennifer Miles (Fishers, Ind./North Central H.S.) discovered her passion for swimming at age five and has been swimming competitively ever since.

However, the opponent she faces out of the pool is much bigger.

Miles was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, an autoimmune disease, in high school. Now a freshman at Ball State, Miles is learning to juggle college life with her health and swimming career.

“It was really hard at first,” Miles said. “I think it’s making me a stronger person. I’m still learning from it every day and trying to get used to it. It’s a lot of life-changing every day, nothing is the same.”

Miles and her Ball State teammates faced the reality of the disease in March. The freshman student-athlete suffered her first diabetic coma and was unconscious for nearly 20 minutes.

“You do have to worry if her blood sugar levels drop below 70,” says her mother, Deborah. “The lowest her levels have been is down to 30 and you can slip into a coma.”

Throughout her freshman season in Muncie, her blood sugar levels at times would force her to stop practicing or from participating in meets.

“All of the girls on the team have been really understanding,” Miles said. “They are always helping me and making sure I am ok during practice.”

Miles, who is majoring in elementary education, was a four-time all-American in high school. She completed her freshman campaign for the Cardinals this spring.

Students in the BSU News 485 class also teamed with Sports Link for an interactive web site on Miles and women’s basketball student-athlete Kyleigh Jones. Visit the site here: http://sncope.iweb.bsu.edu/485_middle/index.html

E:60's Robert Abbott Visits With Sports Link

MUNCIE, Ind. – The connection between Ball State Sports Link and the ESPN family of networks continued to be strengthened March 23 as E:60 producer Robert Abbott contributed to the immersive learning program.

The award-winning producer shared his experiences and offered advice for nearly 90-minutes via Skype.

Abbott is the sixth sports media professional from ESPN to visit with BSU students since September. He joins colleagues John Anderson, Linda Cohn, Andy Katz, Major Howe and Jay Walker as contributors to Ball State Sports Link in 2009-10.

“You are the next generation of sports media,” Abbott said. “Do not follow what someone else is doing, but take inspiration from a variety of areas and make it your own. This is a relationship-building profession and it’s important to treat people like you want to be treated. It starts with what you are doing now at Ball State.”

Abbott, who joined ESPN in 2001, is the coordinating producer for E:60, the network’s first multi-themed prime-time newsmagazine series. He oversees overall production – staffing, editorial content, budgeting and story ideas – for the show, airing 15 episodes a year.

Abbott previously had served as a coordinating producer for ESPN Classic from 2004 to 2007, where he created, launched and was responsible for the production of 59 episodes of one of the network’s signature series – Top 5 Reasons You Can’t Blame. Also, from February 2003 to September 2004, Abbott was the coordinating producer for ESPN’s 25th anniversary programming, launched the Who’s #1?, The Headlines and the ESPN Silver Anniversary special programming.

From 2001 to 2003, he produced ESPN Classic’s critically-acclaimed SportsCentury series, profiling the sports personalities such as Baltimore Raven Ray Lewis, legendary NFL coach Bill Parcells, professional women’s tennis players – The Williams Sisters, and Jerry Jones’ Cowboys.

Prior to joining ESPN, Abbott was a producer for CNN (1987 – 2001). At CNN, Abbott served as an Olympics producer for 10 years, working on five Olympics. He also worked as a producer for CNN news shows and as investigative producer. His investigative work on Bob Knight’s coaching tactics eventually led to the firing of the legendary coach by Indiana University after 29 years at the school.

Abbott has been honored for his work, receiving an Sports Emmy for SportsCentury in 2001 and an Emmy for news and documentary for CNN’s Olympic Park Bombing in 1996. His 1999 Bob Knight investigation garnered a National Headliner Award for Sports Reporting.

A native of Miami, Fla., Abbott is a 1986 graduate of Florida State with a bachelor of science degree in communications.

SL Exclusive: The Jarrod Jones Story

By Rick Johnston & Emma Smith | Ball State Sports Link

MUNCIE, Ind. – As the Ball State men’s basketball team enters its final regular season game tonight (March 4) at Western Michigan, there is much uncertainty as to how the season and the team’s positioning for the postseason conference tournament will end.

The uncertainty on the court however, pales in comparison to the doubt which surrounded Jarrod Jones just three years ago.

Entering his senior season at Michigan City High School, the 6-foot-9 forward was heavily recruited by many Big Ten and Atlantic 10 schools.

His future seemed primed to quickly become a major player on the college basketball landscape. Indiana, Purdue, Dayton and Xavier were all schools interested in Jones.

However, during an unofficial visit to Notre Dame and before a national amateur showcase, Jones broke his left leg going for a rebound in a pick-up game. The future changed in a split second.

“I knew the showcase was a big opportunity to play in front of all the coaches in the country,” Jones says. “I was concerned about how my recruitment would go from there.”

Following the injury, some schools backed off on recruiting the all-state candidate, but Ball State head coach Billy Taylor and associate head coach Bob Simmons were just starting to rebuild the Cardinals’ program in Muncie. The duo knew Jones could be the impact player they needed.

“The first day of the recruiting period that year, I told Jarrod I wanted to come and visit,” says BSU associate head coach Bob Simmons. “I remember jumping up and down in the hallway when Jarrod said he was coming to Ball State.”

“The opportunity here at Ball State might not have been there at some of the other schools,” Jones adds. “Ball State was there and interested from day one.”

Jones, the 2008-09 Mid-American Conference Freshman of the Year, is leading this year’s team in scoring (12.4) and rebounding (7.6). The two-time MAC Player of the Week also owns a team-leading seven double-doubles.

Ball State will secure its postseason-seeding fate with a March 4 contest at Western Michigan. The Cardinals could finish the season as the two, four, five, six, seven or eight seed in the 2010 MAC Tournament which begins Sunday.

About Ball State Sports Link:
Ball State Sports Link is an immersive learning experience. The program allows students to write, shoot, produce and host a variety of sports programs.

The program is the first in the nation where students are totally immersed in sports and electronic media. For more information about Sports Link, visit www.bsusportslink.com or become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ballstatesportslink.

Sports Link Attends ESPN Films Premiere

MUNCIE, Ind. -- The students of Ball State Sports Link continued their immersive learning experience Feb. 26 by attending the world premiere of “Winning Time: Reggie Miller and The New York Knicks” at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

All 16 students -- who have already produced seven sports programs of their own this semester -- observed the “red carpet” arrivals before watching the film from a private suite inside Conseco. The film makes its national debut on ESPN at 9 p.m. March 14.

An unprecedented documentary series featuring 30 films from some of today’s finest storytellers. Each filmmaker will bring their passion and personal point of view to their film detailing the issues, trends, athletes, teams, rivalries, games and events that transformed the sports landscape from 1979 to 2009.

The movie, by award-winning filmmaker Dan Klores, features the dramatic seven-game 1995 playoff series between Reggie's Pacers and the Knicks. The series was front page news in the NYC tabloids, a war of words between the glib Miller and Knick fanatic Spike Lee, included appearances on Letterman, pronouncements by Giuliani, fistfights between teammates, near riots by Indiana fans, chokes, overtimes, finger rolls and bitterness not only between Hall of Fame coaches, Pat Riley and Larry Brown, but between the two most precious basketball cultures in America - Indiana and New York.

Klores’ “Crazy Love” captured the 2008 Independent Spirit Award for Best Documentary. A few months later he completed “Black Magic,” a four-hour, two-part epic which aired commercial-free on ESPN to high ratings and tremendous critical success. The film went on to win the Peabody Award and the 2008 Diversity Award for Best Documentary Feature Non-Theatrical Release.

See the ESPN 30 for 30 site.

ESPN's John Anderson Visits With SL

MUNCIE, Ind. – The connection between Ball State Sports Link and the ESPN family of networks continued to be strengthened Tuesday afternoon as ESPN’s John Anderson visited with students in Ball State Sports Link. The award-winning personality talked with students for nearly 70-minutes via a conference call from Bristol.

“The fact that you are in this program (Sports Link) and getting this experience puts you ahead of a lot of the other people also trying to get jobs,” Anderson said.

Anderson joined ESPN in June 1999 and now anchors SportsCenter, ESPN’s flagship sports news program. He works the 11 p.m. one-hour edition. SportsCenter earned Emmy Awards in 2004 and 2005 in the daily studio show category.

Among many topics Anderson covered during the call, he stressed the importance of writing to the profession.

“The more and better I write, the less I have to talk,” Anderson said. “Writing distinguishes you from others. Learn to write well, because the more you do, the more you find your voice. Just because you don’t see the words on paper or on a screen, they are just as important.”

Anderson came to ESPN from KPHO-TV in Phoenix, Ariz. where he was a weekend sports anchor from 1996 to 1999. Prior to KPHO, Anderson was a sports reporter and weekend sports anchor at KOTV in Tulsa, Okla. (1990 to 1996). He was also a sports photographer and reporter at Tulsa’s KTUL-TV from 1988 to 1990.

Anderson graduated from the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism with a bachelor’s degree in 1987. He was a four-year member of the men’s track team, competing in high jump, and captained the squad his senior season. Upon graduation, he began his broadcasting career at KOMU-TV in Columbia, Mo.

Anderson, a native of Green Bay, Wis., won the Outstanding Sports Feature Reporting Award, presented by the Oklahoma Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, in 1994 and 1995; in 1997, he received the Associated Press Television Award in Arizona for outstanding performance in broadcast journalism. In 2003, he co-wrote a book with golfer Chi Chi Rodriquez, Chi Chi’s Golf Games You Gotta Play, which teaches players how to play better golf and have fun while playing.

Anderson joins ESPN colleagues Linda Cohn, Andy Katz, Major Howe and Jay Walker as contributors to Ball State Sports Link in 2009-10.

Live Men's Basketball; Hall of Fame Ceremony By SL

MUNCIE, Ind. – After having already produced two television shows in the first three weeks of the semester, Ball State Sports Link’s coverage increases with two productions this week.

The students of Sports Link will provide exclusive television coverage of Thursday’s Ball State men’s basketball game with Bowling Green. The Cardinals, winners of three straight games and five of their last six, host the Falcons in a pivotal Mid-American Conference contest at 7 p.m.

Seniors Rick Johnston and Eric Peat will have the call, while junior Matt Houston is the game producer.

Following Thursday’s live remote, Ball State Sports Link will produce a special Athletics Hall of Fame show Friday from the BSU Alumni Center. The Hall of Fame special will feature an interview with President Jo Ann M. Gora, along with the five inductees and their acceptance speeches from the evening’s ceremony.

The 2009-10 induction class is Larry Bigbie (Baseball 1996-99), Jamie Broce (Men's Golf 1994-98), LaTasha Jenkins (Women's Track and Field 1995-99), Sally Northcroft (Field Hockey 1996-2000) and Mindy Stanley (Women's Volleyball 1993-97).

Senior Peter Carr will host and produce the show, while juniors Matt Houston and Alex Kartman will serve as assistant producers.

Both student productions will be available online at www.ballstatesports.com, aired on Cardinal Vision 57 and offered to Comcast Digital Video-On-Demand available throughout the state.

About Ball State Sports Link:
During the semester, students will produce a broad range of media from live remote productions, live-to-tape events, television programs for WIPB-TV and Cardinal Vision (campus), student-athlete features and web casts. Other facets of the immersion program include radio, newspapers, podcasts and the use of mobile technology and interactivity via the web.

To maintain a focus on cross-platform promotion, students repackage the feature stories they create for local use at Ball State and send them to local news stations and outlets in the hometown of the featured player—on any platform the station may require.

In addition, Ball State Sports Link welcomes First Merchants Bank as a corporate sponsor this semester. First Merchants is the presenting sponsor of Ball State Sports “Link-ed IN”, a twice weekly webcast on BSU Athletics.

CINTAS, WMDH Radio and Ball State Athletics also provide support to the students in Sports Link.

What is Ball State Sports Link? Let our students explain:
http://vimeo.com/8617607

Become a Fan on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/ballstatesportslink

Visit our Official Site:
www.bsusportslink.com

Ball State Sports Link Expands For Spring Semester

MUNCIE, Ind. -- Ball State Sports Link, an immersive learning experience under the direction of Chris Taylor, has expanded to 15 students for the Spring 2010 semester. The 15 students, who were each interviewed, were selected from an applicant pool of over 25 interested students in the immersion project.

The spring semester student staff includes Nathan Bush, Derick Brattain, Melissa Darby, Ryan Camden, Matt Houston, Rick Johnston, Alex Kartman, Greg Liebbe, Eric Peat, James Rider, Emma Smith, Mike Stevens, Steven Towle, Ben Wagner and Nick Yeoman.

The tentative spring production schedule has also expanded to feature 13 programs, in addition to the weekly webcasts, audio reports and student-athlete feature packages. The 2010 productions begin Jan. 14 with the first “Off the Bench: The Kelly Packard Show” which will air on WIPB-TV. The live remotes begin Feb. 4 with BSU men’s basketball vs. Bowling Green.

Last semester, the Sports Link students combined for over 5,000 hours of sports media production and over 9,500 video views on ballstatesports.com. The students produced 37 packages on student-athletes, produced 30 webcasts and five live remotes with the University’s remote production truck. Student-produced content was aired in four media markets in the state of Indiana (Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, South Bend and Terre Haute) as well as on national platforms such as ESPN, ESPN U and FOX Sports.

For more information, visit BSU Sports Link or become a fan on Facebook by searching Ball State Sports Link.

November Program Report

Download the Nov. 11, 2009 Report PDF

BECOME A FAN, FOLLOW, FRIEND: Ball State Sports Link can be found on many popular social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Vimeo and You Tube . . . www.bsusportlink.com, is the official web site and source for program information . . . The SL Facebook page has 638 fans (as of Nov. 10), while the official site is averaging 21 visitors per day, spending an average of five minutes on the site and attracting visitors from 15 states.

OVER 7,000 VIEWS: In a Nov. 10 report provided by Ball State Athletics, student-produced videos on The Official Web Site of Ball State Athletics (www.ballstatesports.com) have been viewed over 7,000 times . . . Among the leading video views are the “11 in 11” men’s basketball player profiles, women’s cross country profile of Ali Bishel, a softball fall preview and the women’s volleyball live broadcast.

INTERESTING NOTE ON THE VIEWS: In the seven months prior to Sports Link providing content to the athletics site (Jan. 1-July 31, 2009), the site registered just over 6,800 video views . . . In the three months Sports Link has providing video content, the video views have reached over 7,000.

BALL STATE SPORTS LINK-ED IN TUESDAYS & THURSDAYS: Sports Link is producing a first-of-its-kind webcast directly to ballstatesports.com every Tuesday and Thursday . . . The webcasts feature up-to-date athletics news, highlights, interviews and scores twice a week . . . Each student in Sports Link serves as a producer and talent multiple times throughout the semester.

AND ON THE RADIO: In addition to the weekly webcasts, students in Ball State Sports Link are also producing a weekly audio report . . . The audio report airs Wednesdays during “The Morning Brew” on WMDH radio . . . WMDH is a 50,000-watt FM station, reaching 18 counties . . . The audio report also airs on WCRD 91.3 FM.

SPORTS LINK AND ESPN: The partnership between Ball State Sports Link and the ESPN family of networks continues to grow in 2009 . . . Four guests from ESPN -- Linda Cohn, Andy Katz, Jay Walker and Major Howe -- have all visited with students . . . In addition, seniors Mike Stevens (Indianapolis, Ind./Cathedral H.S.), Mark Elstro (Richmond, Ind./Richmond H.S.), Derick Brattain (New Haven, Ind./New Haven H.S.) and Alex Kartman (Fort Wayne, Ind./Homestead H.S.) have all represented Sports Link and worked on ESPN productions.

ESPN U AND THE STUDENTS: Ball State Sports Link has produced six separate packages for ESPN U telecasts, including the network’s weekly show called Campus Connection . . . Student-produced content has aired on national game broadcasts on two occasions this semester.

TAKE NOTE - SPORTS LINK IS THE FIRST: Ball State Sports Link is the first program in the state of Indiana to develop an exclusive partnership to provide student-produced content to WXIN FOX 59 and IndySportsNation.com.

SPECIAL THANKS: Students in Ball State Sports Link continue to work side-by-side with BSSN producer and Teleplex professional Bill Bryant for all live productions . . . Bryant and his staff provide training on the remote truck and production
assistance at remotes.

MORE FIRSTS: In addition to Indianapolis, Ball State Sports Link is also providing student-produced content to media outlets in Fort Wayne, South Bend and Terre Haute . . . All stations are giving credit to students at Ball State . . . The student-produced sports content is available in the two largest Ball State Alumni concentrations in the state (Indianapolis and Fort Wayne).

ANDY KATZ ON THE PITINO SCANDAL & PRESIDENT OBAMA: ESPN’s Andy Katz visited with students in Sports Link Nov. 5 . . . Among the many topics discussed was how Katz, who is friends with Louisville head coach Rick Pitino, reported on the coach’s recent scandal . . . ESPN’s senior basketball writer discussed ethical issues with a story like this as well as credibility issues . . . Katz also shared with students his visit with President Obama at the White House during the 2009 NCAA Basketball Championship.

THE STEVE McNAIR TRAGEDY: Nashville’s FOX 17 Sports Director Paul Jones visited with students during the Oct. 27 class session . . . The major topic of discussion was “when sports become news” and how he and his station covered the Steve McNair tragedy last summer . . . Jones shared his experiences of how all departments were forced into reporting on this national story and how he went from a sports reporter to a crime scene investigator.

BASKETBALL FAN JAM: Ball State Sports Link provided live coverage of the 2009 Basketball Fan Jam from Worthen Arena Oct. 29 . . . The 30-minute program, hosted by seniors Nick Yeoman (Lafayette, Ind./Jefferson H.S.) and Ryan Camden (Richmond, Ind./Richmond H.S.), also aired on WIPB-TV . . . The show introduced the men’s and women’s players from each team and previewed the upcoming seasons.

MAJOR EXPOSURE ON INSIDE INDIANA BUSINESS: Ball State Sports Link was featured on the Oct. 4 edition of Inside Indiana Business . . . IIB has developed a network of the state’s leading television, radio and print mediums to deliver the business news . . . As a result, the program can be watched, heard and read in Indiana, Michigan, Illinois (including Chicagoland), Ohio and Kentucky.

MEDIA TRAINING SESSION: Ball State Sports Link assisted with the media training for nearly 150 BSU student athletes with Ball State Alum, New York Times best-selling author and Sports Illustrated writer Don Yaeger in August.

Live Events Announced For Fall '09

MUNCIE, Ind. – Ball State Sports Link, an immersive learning production, has announced is Fall 2009 broadcast schedule, including two programs to air on WIPB-TV in Muncie.

In addition, Ball State Sports Link is the first university in Indiana to provide sports-related content to both of the state’s major media markets -- Indianapolis (IndySportsNation.com and WXIN Fox 59) and Fort Wayne (Indiana News Center, ABC 21 and NBC 33).

The student-produced live productions begin Oct. 23 with Ball State women’s volleyball vs. Bowling Green, while Ball State Sports Link will produce the first-ever men’s and women’s basketball preview show to air on WIPB-TV a week later.

The special basketball show will air Oct. 29 from “Fan Jam” at Worthen Arena and preview the 2009-10 basketball seasons with coaches Billy Taylor, Kelly Packard and student-athletes from each team.

Ball State Sports Link will also produce live coverage of Ball State women’s basketball vs. Western Kentucky (Nov. 16), a football special show live from Scheumann Stadium which will also air on WIPB-TV (Nov. 18) and BSU swimming and diving’s dual meet with Eastern Illinois (Dec. 4).

The student productions will also be offered through Comcast Digital Video On Demand and available throughout the state. All productions will also air on Cardinal Vision (campus) and streamed live to www.ballstatesports.com.

During the semester, students will produce a broad range of media from live remote productions, live-to-tape events, television programs for WIPB-TV and Cardinal Vision (campus), student-athlete features and web casts. Other facets of the immersion program include radio, newspapers, podcasts and the use of mobile technology and interactivity via the web.

To maintain a focus on cross-platform promotion, students repackage the feature stories they create for local use at Ball State and send them to local news stations and outlets in the hometown of the featured player—on any platform the station may require.

Sports Link was developed as a pilot program in 2008, broadcasting 11 live sports events for television using the university's live truck, producing eight television shows and 73 feature packages on Ball State student-athletes.

In addition to the live events and student-athlete packages, Ball State Sports Link is also is producing a first-of-its kind sportscast directly to the university’s official athletics web site – ballstatesports.com. Ball State Sports “Link-ed In” airs Tuesdays and Thursdays online and features complete game highlights, interviews and features on every team.

The Ball State Sports Link Audio Report is also produced weekly by students and provided to radio stations, including WMDH 102.5 FM as part of “The Morning Brew”. WMDH allows the student’s work to air on a 50,000-watt signal reaching 18 counties.

BSU Preparing Students To Work In Sports Media

By Marc Ransford | University Marketing & Communications

MUNCIE, Ind. -- Emerging media technologies have radically changed sports broadcasting and Chris Taylor wants to make Ball State Sports Link the premier destination for college students aspiring to work in the rapidly evolving sports broadcast industry.

The former director of athletic communications and marketing for Ball State has taken over the program designed to produce sports-related content for the university's multiple platforms such as radio, television, and the Internet as well as a variety of mobile communications formats. The school’s transition to digital athletics media guides and the related-video content is also included.

"There are universities broadcasting student-produced television news programs, but there aren't many that have developed sports media initiatives that focus on preparing students in an immersive learning atmosphere how to develop content for emerging media technologies," Taylor says. "We all know ESPN's Sports Center, but there are many other ways to provide information to fans, such as the podcast, vodcasts, interactive Web sites as well as cell phones and other hand-held devices."

To maintain a focus on cross-platform promotion, students repackage the feature stories they create for local use at Ball State and send them to local news stations and outlets in the hometown of the featured player—on any platform the station may require. In addition to announcing, reporting, producing and learning how to use various cameras, students also are immersed in live game broadcasts by operating the university's production truck.

Sports Link was developed as a pilot program in 2008, broadcasting 11 live sports events for television using the university's live truck, producing eight television shows and 73 feature packages on Ball State student-athletes.

In addition to the live events and student-athlete packages, Ball State Sports Link is also is producing a first-of-its kind sportscast directly to the university’s official athletics web site, www.ballstatesports.com. Ball State Sports “Link-ed In” airs Tuesdays and Thursdays online and features complete game highlights, interviews and features on every team.

The Ball State Sports Link Audio Report is also produced weekly by students and provided to radio stations, including WMDH 102.5 FM as part of “The Morning Brew”. WMDH allows the student’s work to air on a 50,000-watt signal reaching 18 counties.

Special guests to the class assisting students in the Fall semester 2009 include:

Brenda Frese (Maryland Women’s Basketball Coach)
Billy Taylor (Ball State Men’s Basketball Coach),
Andy Katz (ESPN)
Jason Whitlock (Kansas City Star, FOX Sports)
Chris Denari (Indiana Pacers, Indiana Fever)
Vince Welch (ESPN, ABC)
Jay Walker (ESPN, BET, NFL Network)
Major Howe (ESPN Producer)
Jeremiah Johnson (FOX 59 Indianapolis),
Anthony Calhoun (WISH TV Indianapolis)
Paul Jones (FOX 17 Nashville)
Tim Frank (NBA Vice President of Basketball Communications)
Nate Flannery (Web Stream Productions)
Bill Bryant (Ball State Sports Network)
Additional local, regional and national sports professionals are expected to be announced soon for Spring 2010

What They Are Saying:
"The main thing I like about it is that it’s a real experience because we find the stories and create shows from scratch. Sports Link also teaches us versatility. In today's media, news outlets want to do more with less, which means as an on-air talent I need to be able to shoot video, edit, and produce. Sports Link gives me an opportunity to do all of those things."
-- Brandon Clemens, BSU Student, Sports Link 2008

"With Sports Link, the students are in an elite category to prepare for a real-life job in this career if that's what they choose to do. This program that's been created is amazing."
– Brenda Frese, Maryland Women’s Basketball Coach

"The immersion aspect and giving people real experience is the only thing that matters.”
– Jason Whitlock, Kansas City Star & FOX Sports

"Ball State Sports Link is becoming one of the premier programs in the nation. We see interns and new hires in the business all the time, and none are as prepared as those from Ball State. The sports media world is changing daily and Sports Link is giving students a tremendous opportunity and advantage."
– Jeremiah Johnson, FOX 59

“This is real experience on a commercial station and all of us at WMDH are thrilled with the product. Ball State Sports Link is not only providing a terrific educational experience for the students, but is also providing a large-listening audience with valuable programming. We get comments daily from our listeners who enjoy the BSU sports update on our station.”
-- Todd Merickel, WMDH Radio, General Manager

Learn More Online:

Learn more about Sports Link through this YouTube video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPhvi4bKxlY

Read about students working for Sports Link:
http://cms.bsu.edu/Features/Global/ImmersiveLearning/Sportslink.aspx

Go to Sports Link page on Facebook:
http://cms.bsu.edu/Features/Global/ImmersiveLearning/Sportslink.aspx
Go to the organization's web site:
www.bsusportslink.com

SL Feature: Ali Bishel Returns To Cross Country

By Ryan Camden | Ball State Sports Link

MUNCIE, Ind. -- With one dominating performance to open the season, Ball State cross country runner Ali Bishel (Chesterton, Ind./Chesterton H.S.) is back to make her mark on the Mid American Conference.

Bishel, a redshirt junior, was an All-MAC runner in 2007 before missing all of 2008 with an injury. She injured herself during track’s indoor season in 2007.

“I’m feeling pretty good,” Bishel said prior to the team’s season-opening meet. “I think I am in better shape than the season in 2007.”

Bishel finished second at the 2007 MAC Championships and placed 53rd out of 253 competitors at the 2007 NCAA Championships.

At the first cross country meet of the 2009 season, Bishel controlled the race from the start. She finished first with a time of 17:30, nearly two minutes faster than the next runner.

After regional competition throughout September and October, Bishel and the Cardinals will look to capture its second MAC Championship in program history Oct. 31 in Athens, Ohio.
For more visit Ball State Athletics or Ball State Sports Link.

SL Adds Media Partner; Johnson Visits Campus

MUNCIE, Ind. -- Ball State Alum and FOX 59 Sports Reporter Jeremiah Johnson visited with Sports Link students on campus Sept. 8. Ball State Sports Link also officially announced a partnership with Indysportsnation.com and FOX 59 to use student-produced content for their site and broadcasts.

The partnership -- the first among schools in the state with the Indianapolis station -- is yet another avenue to deliver BSU Sports news across many platforms.

"Ball State Sports Link is becoming one of the premier programs in the nation and I am proud to be an alum of this department," Johnson said. "We see interns and new hires in the business all the time, and none are as prepared as those from Ball State. The sports media world is changing daily and Sports Link is giving students a tremendous opportunity and advantage."