Thursday, November 17, 2005

Taking Down Coach Hep At GOP Fundraiser

Kudos to Taking Down Words, the first to report on IU Football Coach Terry Hoeppner’s plan to be the featured speaker at a $300 per person Senate Republican caucus fundraiser next month on December 12. But that news didn’t go down with University officials, and TDW reported yesterday that “Coach Hep” was out and Tom Zupancic of the Indianapolis Colts is in.

The Star caught up with TDW this morning in its online edition with an AP story reporting: “Indiana football coach Terry Hoeppner is no longer going to speak at a $300-per-person fundraiser for Republicans in the state Senate. An invitation to the event featured a picture of Hoeppner in IU apparel and the IU logo on a football helmet. Some said that was a misuse of the IU logo, and the Senate Majority Campaign Committee apologized.” "That was wrong," said Sen. James Merritt, R-Indianapolis, treasurer of the campaign committee.

According to IU spokesman Larry McIntyre, Coach Hoeppner misunderstood the purpose of the event. “[H]e thought Hoeppner accepted the speaking invitation thinking it was a legislative luncheon, not a fundraiser. If the coach were to speak to Republicans, he would be available for Democrats, too, he said.”

The Star article does not mention the role the blogosphere played in the development of this story.

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