Mark Morrow's My View/Your View: Sometimes it's hard to say goodbye to the past

It doesn't seem possible that it has been 11 years since the Indiana High School Athletic Association went to multiclass sports, Class Basketball in particular. "Indiana's Game" took the biggest hit in the eyes of many with this change. Really, it's hard to believe what happened to our single-class system and all of the tradition that was so prominent since the first State Finals in 1911, now a thing of the past. I guess it's time to tell those still bitter about the change that, well, it's time to get over it. I mean, Indiana's Class Basketball System, whether it remains four classes or drops down to three, which is currently being studied, isn't going away. I was in the newspaper business for 45 years, the past 25 with Indianapolis newspapers. I spent many of those years covering high schools. I also was High Schools Coordinator at the state's biggest newspapers - eight years at The Indianapolis News and a little over three years at The Indianapolis Star. So, as you can see, I was in position to keep a close eye on the local and state high school sports scene. I got to meet a lot of coaches, though most of the columns I wrote came via phone calls, since I had other duties in the sports department and wasn't always able to get out of the office. Fortunately, I was usually able to make my rounds come tournament time. I covered 17 straight Boys State Finals before I became a beat writer, covering the Indiana Pacers from 1984-86. After becoming High Schools Coordinator at The Indianapolis News in late 1987, I was able to string together eight more State Finals before Class Basketball arrived. After that I was pretty much stuck on the sports copy desk at The Indianapolis Star. Plus, like many, Class Basketball really soured me. For those of you who don't know much about my background, or possibly have never heard of me . . . or may not really care, I've been around a long time. No, not as long as dirt . . . but a long, long time. I started covering Little League Baseball for The Kokomo Tribune when I was a sophomore in high school. I was a full-time sportswriter by the time I turned 19. Yeah, I was a young dude. But, boy, did I have a great ride in the newspaper business! Now, I'm happy for the opportunity to blog for VYPE High School Sports Magazine's Web site. I grew up living Hoosier Hysteria and relishing our single-class system in basketball. You've probably heard how Class Basketball deeply saddened Bobby Plump, who triggered the "Miracle of Milan" with that last-second shot to knock off the mighty Muncie Central Bearcats in the 1954 State Finals. Yes, those were the days - David taking on and knocking the legs out from under Goliath in a big, way . . . in dramatic fashion, the kind of finish that can turn a small community upside down lavishing in joy, and make grown-ups act like school kids. It was the shot heard throughout Indiana, and talked about wherever basketball fans gathered. Even in neighboring states. So needless to say, going to Class Basketball hurt a lot of us . . . players, coaches, fans . . . certainly many old-timers in the media. I recently finished my first book. If it doesn't do well, it'll probably be my last book, too. Geez, I hope not. So feel free to purchase it (A little humor there, if you get my drift.) The book is titled: "HAVE LAPTOP, DID TRAVEL,'' a newspaper journalist's memoirs on sports' grandest stage. I'll have an opportunity to talk about it for a few minutes tonight at the Ben Davis-North Central boys basketball game on WHMB-40. The Class 4A showdown at North Central is their Game of the Week and station director Dennis Kasey said he'd like to squeeze me in at halftime. That leads me to believe he didn't have much else going on, or he was just curious to see what the book cover looks like. My book covers many sports, coaches, players and celebrities. It also is deep in high school memories. And, yes, there were many words and comments about multiclass sports, Class Basketball in particular. But again, the past is just that. So it's time we all get over it. Like it or not. For some of us, though, it's still hard to forget. That unbelievable victory by a school of only 161 students and the tale that inspired the movie "Hoosiers,'' remains in the archives for those who get an urge to relive the marvelous Milan moment. Thank goodness. Just my thought, mind you, but Class Basketball remains a hot topic, a subject I'm sure many of you would like to discuss. It should be apparent that I certainly have some thoughts about "Our Game." And it probably won't come as a surprise to know that I'm not quite ready to put the subject on the back burner. If you want to share your thoughts, well, you know where to find me. Just log on to the VYPE.com/centralindiana. If you want to comment on this or any of my other blogs, make sure to sign up as a member on VYPE.com. Otherwise, feel free to contact me at mediamarko@sbcglobal.net.