Chase Evans

Life is a complex thing, you know? If you’re like me, every so often you step back and wonder why we do the things we do. If you’ve been on this earth long enough, you’ve probably asked yourself the question, what is my purpose? I believe that everthing happens for a reason. Everyone has heir niche, no matter how big or small that may be.

Zach Hanf lost his leg, and almost his life in a car accident last fall.

In the last couple weeks, I listened and talked to several people that further re-evaluated my perspective. Through my own trials and experiences, I have come to cherish the little things, and forget the trivial.

After doing stories on two local athletes, who have overcome their own odds, I sensed that same sort of appreciation.

When life throws you lemons, well, you know the rest. Here’s the links to two athletes who make lemonade every day.

Sheridan’s Zach Hanf Thrives Despite Injury

Tri-Valley’s Kaleb Davis Redefines Strength

Well, I was able to cover probably my biggest event so far at WHIZ last Saturday at the OSU Spring Game in Cincinnati. It is normally held at the Shoe in Columbus, but renovations to the turf moved the game down south. Which made me wonder, how often do they replace that stuff? Oh well, with OSU’s deep pockets, might as well replace it every year. Plus, over 37,000 still turned out for a scrimmage held 2 hours away from home. Not bad if you ask me.

Just being there was a great experience. Since it was pretty much a glorified practice, there were little restrictions on the field. Which meant, I could probably go take a water break with Braxton Miller and the guys, and no one would say anything. Although I decided against that, I was able to get some great up-close-and-personal footage from the field and sidelines. So much so, that Miller almost ran over me on one of his second half touchdown runs. I tried to remain composed and still got the shot, as he shoved off me. You’ll see it in the package.

Braxton Miller led the Scarlet squad to a 31-14 win behind three touchdowns.

Some sports teams have such an intense following that every event, big or small, is a huge deal. Ohio State football most definitely falls into this category. And leading the way as a media-magnet is head coach Urban Meyer. Through my internships and coverage through college, I’ve been around a fair number of high-profile players and coaches.

But few have the same aura or presence that Meyer possesses. When he walks in a room, there’s almost silence, until a brave reporter in the front row decides to get things rolling.

The game ended up being fairly entertaining, albeit the lack of quarterback pressure and play-clock urgency. Heisman trophy candidate Braxton Miller strutted his stuff as usual, with three touchdowns to his credit, two passing, and one rushing in the black jersey. Defensively, questions still linger for a team that lost its entire front four from a year ago.

Meyer said sophomore Curtis Grant locked up a starting job at linebacker with his play throughout the spring, capped off by a dominating performance Satuday. But there is still work to do, especially with two spots still wide open. Sophomores Noah Spence and Adolphus Washington clearly have the other two locked up.

A packed Spring Game press conference in Paul Brown Stadium.

Meyer, Cornerbacks Coach Kerry Coombs, and Miller spoke to the media in a jam-packed away press room after the game. Coombs is a Cincinnati native and couldn’t say enough about the job the city did in putting on the event. His raspy voice echoes intensity. I wouldn’t want to be on the wrong side of one of his arguments, I’ll tell you that.

The usually low-key, humble Miller surprised Buckeye fans with his bright new-do: a highlighter-yellow mohawk. Reporters asked him about it, and he gave his normal under-ten-word answer. “Ah, it’s growing out, it will be gone soon.”

Ohio State fans hope that bold, confident Miller will boost the team this fall. The pieces are in place for a deep run, especially with a weak non-conference schedule (Buffalo, San Diego State, California, Florida A&M).

As Meyer said, there’s  still work to do, but they are on track for another Big Ten and possible National Title this fall. August 31st can’t come soon enough.

Ahh, it’s finally arrived…March Madness. In other words, the Christmas, Hannukah, and Bar Mitzvah all rolled into one for college hoops fans. It’s the time of year, where the casual observer becomes a rabid fan, productivity in the office reaches an all-time low, (don’t believe me?) and where even the most intelligent fan has about as much direction as Lloyd Christmas in Dumb and Dumber.

A look at the first ever NCAA Tournament bracket in 1939.

You know it’s a big deal when certain terms are specifically reserved for March. The Big Dance, On the Bubble, Cinderalla’s, Sweet Sixteen, Final Four, Bracketology, heck, even Joe Lunardi. What exactly does that guy do the rest of the year anyways?

The point is, you usually don’t go around saying the “Big Dance” or similar words, unless it’s the real thing. It’s kind of like the unwritten sacred code for the NCAA Tournament. And kids, no matter how special your eighth grade league championship is, no, it is not considered the Big Dance.

This year marks the 74th year that the madness of the Division 1A basketball has swept the country. Now, it wasn’t always this big or complicated back in 1939. The first ever NCAA tournament had 8 teams and 8 games to decide the National Champion.

The East Region winner, the Ohio State Buckeyes, met up with the West champ, Oregon Ducks, to determine the first ever National Champion. Buckeye coach Harold Olsen fielded a strong team, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Ducks and they fell 46-33. Buckeye Jimmy Hull was even named the tournament Most Outstanding Player. But little did they know what they started on that cool spring day on March 27, 1939.

They sparked a phenomenon each March that has swept the nation ever since. While the games were still special, the bracket sensation didn’t really come into play until the early 80′s when the tournament expanded to 40 teams and four regions that progressed like we know it today.

But why has our culture come to love something so unpredictable and almost overly publicized? I think it’s the result of several things. Ever since Bible times, society has loved the underdog or a true comeback story. From David and Goliath to the American Revolution, (Murica!) our history has been formed by people overcoming insurmountable odds.

Gordon Hayward led small Butler University to the NCAA Championship in 2010, but this shot didn’t fall and the Bulldogs fell to Duke 61-59.

Some of the most iconic movies of our time have revolved around these themes…from nothing to something. Braveheart, The Patriot, Rocky, Hoosiers. You need fired up…watch this.

If you don’t feel something after watching those films, then well, check your pulse. But that’s just it. Why do we love to see a hero or underdog succeed? I think inside everyone of us, we know and recognize our flaws, weaknesses and frailty as people. So when we see other people overcome their obstacles, in life or on the field of play, we stand up and cheer.

Everyone loves a good stage and a good story. And that’s exactly what March Madness provides. Everything from the David’s and Goliath’s, to the pulsating victories and defeats.

You wonder why we can’t get enough of March Madness, we’ve been watching it play out the last two thousand years. Sometimes it only takes a round ball and a basket to spark a new tale and live out a new dream.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present the best drama in sports, set to hit a home theater near you March 21st. Sit back and enjoy, and root for something bigger than yourself.

In sports, they always say the pace of play quickens the higher level you go. Makes sense, right? Well, over the past few weeks and months, I have found out that life is often the same way. Three months ago, I was knee deep in my final semester of college, wrapping up projects and studying for exams. (well, slightly with the latter, let’s be honest here)

The countdown to graduation ensued and sure enough the day came and went. It was kind of a blur, looking back on it. You work so hard for something that ends up on a piece of paper and you just want to take it all in the best you can. But as fast as college and graduation flew by, I am learning that this next stage of my life is moving even faster.

My new niece, Ava Elizabeth Heller. Born February 3, 2013.

A couple weeks ago, I accepted a full time position with WHIZ TV in Zanesville, Ohio as a Sports Anchor/Reporter. A few days later, I checked out local apartments in the area with my parents. Two days later, came along the birth of my first niece. (preceded by a middle-of-the-night drive to Kentucky) I must say, though, it was very much worth it. She’s an angel! Ava Elizabeth Heller.

That next weekend I moved into my new apartment and started work on Monday. Talk about a whirlwind. I soon learned that the madness was only beginning though. My first few days on the job were jam-packed with information and new system explanations. Who knew that stations still edited with tapes?

On my third day I learned I would be anchoring the 6:00, 7:00, and 11:00 sportscasts. Coming in, they told me I would be getting a lot of on-air experience…early and often. I just didn’t think it would be this early and often. Despite it all being thrown me at once, I didn’t feel that nervous going into it. I guess that’s where my training at school and my internships came in. And the Lord answering my prayers.

As a broadcast journalist, you are forced to do a lot of things on the fly and maybe without a ton of planning or prior knowledge. That’s when your instincts kick in and your performance side comes out. After writing scripts and editing tapes (yes, literal tapes), I was ready to just relax and finally do what I love to do…talk sports. Even if I didn’t know a ton about the abundance of local high school teams.

Right away, I knew that not everything would be perfect. I mean, it is live television after all. Things are bound to go wrong. Just watch the nightly news on almost any station and you can probably pick something out. But I have learned to roll with the punches as they say. (Sorry the for the cliche)

My first night at the WHIZ Sports Desk.

My fellow sports guy has been great in helping me out and answering all my questions, but at the same time letting me loose to do my own thing. In the first week, no less! I guess I have just learned to hit the ground running. (Gosh, there I go again)

Here is a clip of one my first sportscasts, highlighting high school basketball.  —Sportscast—

Local coverage is really the vitality of smaller stations like ours, so leading sports with a local high school girls game is not out of the ordinary.

It has been a great experience so far, and it’s only the beginning. I knew that things would move fast after graduation, but maybe not quite like this. I wouldn’t change a thing though. After all, life is more interesting in the fast lane. YOLO. (Wow, I really have to stop with those)

A child takes its first steps by faith, trial, and error. A kid rides his first bike with anticipated approval. A teenager relies on their teachers and parents to ensure a better life and acceptance into society. All of our lives, we have been conditioned to trust other people, find our niche in this world, and fuel our confidence through past experiences.

When that trust is broken and innocence tainted, where are we supposed to turn? In the past several weeks, the sports world has been consumed by a false sense of reality, cynicism, naivety, and desperation within the Manti Te’o hoax. The terms to describe what has been tabbed as “the most bizarre sports story in our age” go on and on.

It has blown into such a phenomenon because of the amount of emotional weight this story of overcome hardship brought to his Heisman-esque season he was playing on the field. By the third week of the season, it seemed everyone in the country knew about his incredible story of hardship and resolve, especially when they kept on winning. The Irish were back. Order was restored in the universe. Touchdown Jesus can raise his arms in victory once again.

But was order really restored in Teo’s life, or just a false assumption? Was this the dream he envisioned growing up on the shores of Oahu?

Now, I don’t want to judge his character because I have never met him or know him from Adam, and sure, he’s only 21 years old. Although, I don’t necessarily buy the latter argument. You’re an adult, own up like one.

Anyways, what we saw and heard from Te’o in the following months was the embracement of what he had in front of him (a possible national championship and Heisman trophy), that fueled the dedication for what was left behind (his deceased girlfriend and grandmother).

The nation became captivated by Manti Te’o, or maybe it was just the image of Manti Te’o. Sports Illustrated reported on “The Full Manti Te’o” in their October 1st issue. We wanted so hard to believe this great story that ultimately inspires us to become better people ourselves. Heroes show us the resolve and fight of all we can be. But, as we so often see in the movies, a hero is only as strong as his weakest flaw.

Teo’s naivety soon turned into a stark reality. Or was it that his personal insecurities cried for a desperate cry for attention by interplay of this national hoax?

The rational part of me says that the only victim here is all of us. That we have been played, scammed, and hoaxed to believe something so unbelievably good. That some time in the past three years, Te’o decided to play along with this ordeal, whether he realized it would make national headlines or not. That there are way too many inconsistencies and downright absurdities for him not be in on it. The original Deadspin article tells all.

But the other part of me feels sorry for him, in more ways than one. Sorry that he was the ploy of a twisted joke, rehearsed years in advance, so that a desperate individual could get his fix. Sorry that his deepest relationship was so superficial that he never even established a physical presence. Sorry that he had to live out a nightmare, tarnishing his squeaky clean reputation, on a national stage. And most importantly, sorry that he lost one of the most basic, intimate, moral values instilled in us since birth…trust.

So do I think he’s guilty? Do you think he’s guilty? I don’t think it really matters at this point. I can read every article and watch every Katie Couric exclusive out there, but the damage is done. The plot has been fizzled. Our trust has been lost.

Not only for Te’o, but for a culture seeking worth beyond face value.

It’s official. I can now call myself a graduate from Indiana Wesleyan University. Last Saturday, I capped off my career and earned my bachelors in Media Communication with a minor in Public Relations. What a relief to look at my transcript and have all requirements met and classes accounted for.

My parents and I celebrating the big day!

Like the last four years,  these last few weeks were jam-packed and flew by quickly. I was able to wrap up and present on my senior project to the Communication faculty, and even begin interviewing for jobs. Below is a recap of my project this semester, an IWU sports web show, “The 3W”.

Looking back, it’s definitely bittersweet to end this stage of my life. All the late nights with friends,hours in the classroom, and countless games and shows in our TV studios, all have come to an end.

You always hear people talk about enjoying your college years to the fullest, because it will never be the same again. Well, I will admit that I will miss a lot of about college, but I am anxiously anticipating this next chapter of my life. I have learned that it’s about making the most of each stage. You can’t simulate life, you have to go out and live it yourself. Sure, we are going to make mistakes and question ourselves from time to time, but it’s how we respond to adversity that makes us the people we are.

Our graduation speaker, Carl Shepherd, Chairman of the Board of Indiana Wesleyan, gave a speech titled, “A Life of Hope, But…” He talked about living a life full of purpose and satisfaction. We should be so fired up about life and our calling that we are compelled to make a difference in the world around us.  But when trials come, we should rest in the reassurance that there is hope on the other side of each new day. How do we react when the “but’s” in our lives try to disrupt things.

My faithful support system though the years!

“My new job is great, but…”

“My relationship withmy wife seems good, but…”

“I am making a lot of money and have a lot of things, but…”

We should not live a life of regret, but instead we should live unhindered and fulfilled in our calling.

Over the last four years, I feel like I have found my calling in broadcast journalism. My hopes and dreams have become reality already in my work with WIWU TV and my sports internships in Columbus, Ohio.

My parents, family, and friends have stood by me through thick and thin. When tough times came, they didn’t run, when people questioned my talent, they reaffirmed it, and when others doubted me, they believed. That’s what life is all about. Believing. Hoping. Dreaming.

Those three words headline this next chapter in my life.

Jeremiah 29:11- “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you a hope and future.”

Well, my last semester of college is winding down, which has caused me to reflect a little bit on all the experiences I’ve had in my collegiate career. I’ve been able to go to Branson, Missouri with our men’s basketball team for the NAIA National Tournament three times as a host/reporter, announce countless IWU sports games, produce and host our coaches show, Wildcat Week, and put together my own sports web show, “The 3W”, among other things.

Interviewing IU head coach Tom Crean after the game.

I’ve truly been blessed with a lot of great opportunities, but recently I was able to add one more great experience to that list. Indiana Wesleyan’s men’s basketball team took on the consensus number one team in the country, the Indiana Hoosiers, in an exhibition contest at Assembly Hall on November 1st.

As an NAIA Division 2 school, this was quite an opportunity for our school and basketball program. I was given the chance to follow the team throughout the night, in the bus, in the locker room, and even in the huddle during the game.

It was a packed house, with over 17,000 screaming IU fans. As a Buckeye, I hate to say it, but Indiana basketball is back. Having never been in Assembly Hall, it was an electric atmosphere that I will never forget.

Covering the IWU-IU game from the sidelines in Assembly Hall.

But our guys weren’t satisfied with just showing up, they came out firing and actually led the Hoosiers for the first 13 minutes of the half. As loud as the crowd roared, it was silenced just as quickly. Eventually, the size and quickness of IU took over, and they ran away with an 86-57 victory. But an impression was certainly made to the nation’s best.

After the game, IU head coach, Tom Crean, took the time to give us a personal interview. As the coach of the number one team in the country, he was a very gracious and classy guy.

“We watched film of them before we ever agreed to play the game, because you’ve got to get better in the game. And we did, were tested and they were tested and I think we will both be better for it,” he said.

For my web show this week, I put together a behind the scenes look of the night and also talked with two of our top players, Aaron Martin and George Jones IV, about the experience.

It sounds cliche’, but it really was a once-  and-a-lifetime experience. Not only to cover our guys against the number one team in the country, but to capture their journey and the statement they were able to make.