Blair, Haefner analyze Springfield playoff
How Mendoza's Cuban heritage informs his play
Fernando Mendoza sits down with Nicole Auerbach to discuss his decision to transfer to Indiana and play for coach Curt Cignetti, competing alongside his brother and fellow QB, Alberto, and his proud Cuban ancestry.
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New York Times
19 minutes ago
- New York Times
Former Indiana basketball players accuse longtime team doctor of sexual misconduct
A growing number of former Indiana University men's basketball players are accusing a doctor who worked with the team for more than 20 years during the Bob Knight era of sexual misconduct. In October, former Hoosiers players Haris Mujezinovic and Charlie Miller sued the university and former head athletic trainer Tim Garl, alleging they 'had active knowledge' of team physician Dr. Bradford Bomba's conduct and that the university 'acted with deliberate indifference.' In April, former players John Flowers and Larry Richardson Jr. joined the suit. Attorney Michelle Simpson Tuegel told The Athletic on Wednesday that at least 10 more players plan to come forward in a separate upcoming filing. Advertisement ESPN first reported that 10 more players plan to proceed legally with a case. Simpson Tuegel did not put a timeline on when those players could file a lawsuit, saying she and her team were 'preparing and getting more information.' The four players who have filed suit so far said basketball players 'were routinely and repeatedly subjected to medically unnecessary, invasive, and abusive digital rectal examinations' (DREs) by Bomba, who worked with the team from the 1970s into the early 2000s. 'As a grown man it breaks my heart to think about what happened to me when I was a young, vulnerable, and trusting student excited to play basketball at Indiana University,' Mujezinovic said in a statement provided by attorney Kathleen Delaney. 'At the time I viewed myself as an adult, but now I realize looking at my own kids how young and powerless me and my teammates actually were. The adults within the basketball program who were entrusted with our care knew what was happening to us. They joked about and let it continue.' In response to a request for comment, Indiana referred The Athletic to a statement it made May 1, when it released a report from a review of the allegations by the law firm Jones Day. Indiana commissioned the report in September. In the report, Jones Day wrote that 'the evidence did not lead us to conclude that Dr. Bomba acted in bad faith or with an improper purpose when performing DREs while conducting thorough and complete (pre-participation physical examinations) of college-age student athletes.' The university filed its most recent response to the lawsuit filed by the four players on Monday, a brief arguing for the complaint to be dismissed because it falls outside of the statute of limitations. Bomba died on May 8 at the age of 89. He was deposed in December after the initial lawsuit was filed. During the 75-minute deposition, he asserted his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination 45 times to refuse to answer questions. In a civil lawsuit, the Fifth Amendment does not forbid inferences that the answer would have been incriminating if he had given it. Bomba testified that Garl, Indiana's head athletic trainer from 1981 until earlier this year, was the individual in charge of the medical team for the men's basketball players. In their lawsuit, the players said Garl directed them to see Bomba despite complaints about the examinations. Garl's attorneys have argued that he did not supervise Bomba in any 'relevant sense,' ESPN reported. Garl's attorney did not respond to a request for comment on Wednesday. Advertisement Indiana athletic director Scott Dolson did not renew Garl's contract for a 45th season in March, stating he would like a 'fresh start' for the IU basketball sports medicine staff. After receiving a letter from a former player's legal counsel in August outlining allegations against Bomba, Indiana commissioned the Jones Day investigation in September. The firm interviewed 'close to 100' individuals and reviewed more than 100,000 pages of physical documents, the university said. Jones Day stated its findings supported Bomba to have acted in a 'clinically appropriate manner.' Investigators in the report noted that 'players would commonly joke or engage in what they characterized as 'locker room banter' regarding Dr. Bomba's DREs, including within earshot of one another and certain staff members.' Simpson Tuegel said the university's failures to appropriately respond to the allegations and the framing of the Jones Day report have driven more players to come forward. 'They tried to couch it as there was a lack of sexual intent, and we strongly disagree with that,' she said. As team doctor, Bomba was a presence at Indiana games, sitting next to Knight on the bench and traveling to most away games. He gained 'wide recognition' by fans, Jones Day wrote in its report. Former Indiana star Butch Carter, who went on to play and coach in the NBA, said in an affidavit in March that he complained to school officials multiple times about Bomba during Carter's senior season, which was in 1979. 'I fought with Coach Knight multiple times about any players being near Dr. Bomba, Sr. Coach Knight took no action to address my complaints that I'm aware of,' wrote Carter, who is not one of the four plaintiffs who have filed suit. Knight died on Nov. 1, 2023, at the age of 83. Knight's son Pat, who played for the Hoosiers from 1990 to 1995, said in the Jones Day report that Bomba was his family physician from a young age and that he received a DRE from the doctor while playing at the university. Pat Knight, currently the men's basketball coach at Marian University in Indianapolis, did not respond to a request for comment. Advertisement In recent years, former athletes at Michigan and Ohio State filed lawsuits against former trainers after the trainers had died, and years after the statute of limitations had expired. In the Ohio State case against Dr. Richard Strauss, who died by suicide in 2005, the school paid more than $60 million in settlements to 296 accusers from 2020 to 2022. In the Michigan case against former team doctor Robert Anderson, who died in 2008, the school finalized a $490 million settlement with more than 1,000 abuse survivors in 2022. Simpson Tuegel said she represented some of the men who accused Anderson of abuse, and noted it could be helpful for the jury in this Indiana case to have Bomba's deposition from before he died on record. Miller, one of the two former players who originally filed the lawsuit, said in a statement through Delaney that Bomba's death didn't 'weaken my desire to move forward.' 'We don't always get second chances to speak up,' he said. 'So I'm using mine now.' (Photo of Bomba, right, sitting next to Bob Knight, center: Jonathan Daniel / Allsport)
Fox Sports
an hour ago
- Fox Sports
Thunder vs. Pacers betting report: 'We're taking a lot of Pacers money'
An unexpected NBA Finals matchup — or at least a half-unexpected matchup — has drawn speculation that the series won't be popular. But if betting on NBA Finals odds is any indication, then Indiana Pacers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder is plenty popular. With Game 1 at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, the series definitely has bettors' attention. Even with OKC a seemingly prohibitive favorite — and perhaps because of that — and Indiana conversely a sizable underdog. "It's the odds of the series, making people think it's gonna turn off the bettors. But it's not. We're taking a lot of Pacers money on the series, and we've taken a lot of Pacers money the last six weeks," said Johnny Avello, director of sportsbook operations for DraftKings. Further, thanks to prop bets and such, bettors are finding favorable ways to bet the favorite Thunder, as well. Avello helps dive into NBA Finals odds and action. A Lot of Opportunities Oklahoma City is a hefty -700 favorite to win the NBA Finals, meaning it takes a $700 bet to win $100 (total payout $800). On the flip side, Indiana is a +500 underdog, so a $100 bet would profit $500 (total payout $600) if the Pacers pull the upset. "It's a different look. But nevertheless, it's the NBA Finals, and it'll write big business," Avello said. As noted above, public bettors are attracted to the Pacers' series price. It's an opportunity to bet a little and win five times that bet. But there are opportunities to boost profits on the favorite, too. "Betting the Thunder on the number of games in the series, you're getting a plus-money price," Avello said. "If you think the Thunder win in five games, it's +250. A six-game series is +450, or a sweep is +260. That's one way people are betting it." To spell it out in full: Rather than betting $700 on OKC -700 to win the series — again, to profit $100 — one could bet $100 on Thunder +250 to win in five games to profit $250. For Thursday's best-of-seven series opener, bettors are getting involved on both sides, though in different ways. Late Saturday night, DraftKings opened the Thunder -9, and on Wednesday afternoon, OKC advanced to -9.5. On the moneyline — just wagering on which team wins the game, regardless of margin — it's Oklahoma City -410/Indiana +320. "In Game 1, they're betting the 'dog on the moneyline. But on the spread, they're betting the Thunder," Avello said. Needs and Liabilities Oklahoma City was either No. 1 or No. 2 in NBA championship odds all season long. Now, as noted above, the Thunder are strong favorites. That wasn't the case for Indiana. There were points during the regular season where bettors could get the Pacers at +10000 (100/1) or more in NBA Finals futures odds. At the outset of the playoffs, in mid-April, you could still get Indiana at a hefty +8500 to lift the trophy. A $100 bet back then would be four wins away from $8,500 profit now. So DraftKings' need at the moment is no surprise. "The ideal outcome for us is for the Thunder to win the whole thing, because they were a short price all year," Avello said. "Whereas the Pacers were longer shots before the playoffs started. It doesn't take much to build up liability." I Like Big Bets and I Cannot Lie A DraftKings customer waited until late April to get involved with the Oklahoma City Thunder, but then did so with a splash. On April 28, the bettor put $100,000 on Thunder -175 to win the Western Conference. OKC delivered a 4-1 series win over Minnesota, and the customer profited $57,140 (total payout $157,140). But there could be a lot more to come for this bettor, who has two major wagers on the Thunder to win the NBA Finals: $105,000 Thunder +160 $100,000 Thunder +130 The first bet would profit $168,000 and the second $130,000 if the Thunder — now -700 favorites to win the championship — claim their first NBA title. That's $298,000 potential profit, on a total payout of $503,000. On the flip side, small bets that cash big are quite nice, as well. A FanDuel Sportsbook customer already learned that once with a $100 bet on Pacers +7000 to win the Eastern Conference, a wager made back on Feb. 20. So that wager already cashed for $7,000 profit. At the same time, the bettor put $100 on Pacers +13000 (130/1) to win the NBA Finals. If somehow the Pacers pull the big upset, that customer knocks down another $13,000 in profit. It's hard not to root for a five-figure win on a $100 bet. Patrick Everson is a sports betting analyst for FOX Sports and senior reporter for He is a distinguished journalist in the national sports betting space. He's based in Las Vegas, where he enjoys golfing in 110-degree heat. Follow him on X: @PatrickE_Vegas. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! recommended Get more from National Basketball Association Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Pacers' Rick Carlisle thought Knicks firing Tom Thibodeau was ‘one of those fake AI things'
OKLAHOMA CITY — Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle thought news of the Knicks' firing Tom Thibodeau was 'was one of those fake AI things' at first. 'No way. There's no way possible,' Carlisle said Wednesday on NBA Finals Media Day. 'I have great respect for Thibs. I go back with him a very long way. I was surprised.' Advertisement Carlisle's Pacers were the last team Thibodeau coached against while directing the Knicks, with Indiana eliminating New York in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals in Indianapolis. Two days later, the Knicks relieved Thibodeau of his duties, suggesting a change was needed for New York to take the next step of winning a championship. The Pacers, meanwhile, will play Oklahoma City in Game 1 of the NBA Finals at 8:30 p.m. on Thursday. Carlisle is not only a friend and colleague of Thibodeau, but he is also the president of the National Basketball Coaches Association, a trade group for pro and college coaches. So when there is ever a surprise firing — and in the NBA it happens all the time — Carlisle is often asked about it. For some context, the head coaches who won NBA titles in 2016, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2023 are no longer employed by the teams they guided to titles, a testament to how fickle the industry is when reaching the ultimate goal does not bring much job security. Of the coaches who won the finals in those years and were later dismissed, only Nick Nurse held on in Toronto for more than three seasons after a championship, with his title coming in 2019. 'I always say shocked — sometimes you get numb and you're not shocked,' said Carlisle, who has the Pacers in the NBA Finals (as a No. 4 seed) for the first time since 2000. 'The Knicks have such a unique situation with so much attention and such a large fan base and such a worldwide following, it's one of the most difficult jobs to take. The guys that have been most successful, Red Holzman, Pat Riley, Jeff Van Gundy, Rick Pitino, had a short run but a very effective run. 'There were a lot of lean years,' Carlisle continued. 'Thibs went in there and changed so much.' In five seasons in New York, Thibodeau went 224-176 in the regular season and 24-23 in the playoffs. The Knicks entered this year's tournament as a No. 3 seed after going 0-10 against the league's top three teams during the regular season. But the Knicks survived their first-round series against Detroit and then upset the defending-champion Boston Celtics to get to the conference finals for the first time in 25 years. Advertisement 'I know how the players feel about him, too, so there's not much else to say,' Carlisle said. 'I mean, teams and ownership can make these decisions unilaterally, and it's their right to do that. 'So, Tom will certainly be fine,' Carlisle said. 'I don't think he's going to have any problem finding his next job. It's just going to depend on when he's ready to jump back in again.'
