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RSSAl Hamnik
Al Hamnik
Al Hamnik is a Region native, born in East Chicago and a graduate of Griffith High School and Calumet College.
He's been a reporter and columnist in Northwest Indiana for 42 years and is a member of the Indiana Sportswriters and Sportscasters Hall of Fame, as well as a winner of the Indiana sportswriter of the year award, an IHSAA media award winner, a Corky Lamm Award winner and a three-time HSPA winner.
He's covered two Super Bowls, six NBA championships, the Pan-American Games, the Big Ten and NCAA men's basketball tournaments, championship series for both the Cubs and White Sox and title games across the IHSAA spectrum.
Reach Al Hamnik at (219) 933-4154 or al.hamnik@nwi.com
AL HAMNIK: Local hero E'Twaun Moore hasn't forgotten 'the kids"
E'Twaun Moore isn't marketing a new line of basketball shoes. He isn't polishing his star for some big-money NBA endorsements.
AL HAMNIK: 'Project' player Fred Blue won't give up NFL dream
SCHERERVILLE | Fred Blue may be one of pro football's best kept secrets, through no fault of his own.
AL HAMNIK: Valpo's Martin, Irish teammates ready to dream big dreams
SOUTH BEND | On one wall of the Notre Dame dressing room is a huge photo of coach Mike Brey's six NBA players, with Luke Harangody in the middle, holding up his No. 55 Boston Celtics jersey from the 2010 draft.
AL HAMNIK: Coach 'Pop' quick to admit Spurs have been very fortunate
You wonder why this guy doesn't smile more? Why is he so curt during TV interviews with the one-word answers?
AL HAMNIK: Bulls' No. 1 priority must be prepariing for 2012-13
CHICAGO | The NBA luxury cruise ship has sailed for more exotic ports, leaving Bulls fans on shore to beat themselves up over what might have been.
AL HAMNIK: Bulls battling hard to keep spirits up
GRIFFITH | C.J. Watson wasn't going to stiff the region's Bulls fans who paid $10 a head Monday night to see him at Bridges' Scoreboard Restaurant and Sports Lounge.
AL HAMNIK: Gregg Popovich's NBA legacy continues to grow
CHICAGO | This is one of those hotly debated sports topics bartenders love their patrons to be engaged in, long as they spare the furniture and don't smash bottles over each other's heads.
AL HAMNIK: Neither Rose nor Thibodeau to blame for latest heartbreak
Stephen A. Smith, self-proclaimed ESPN blowhard, aimed for the throat Sunday when he delivered his latest on-air karate chop at Bulls fans.
AL HAMNIK: Bulls John Lucas III the pest who never rests
CHICAGO | He is that nasty gnat flitting around your face on a sticky hot day, disrupting all you do.
AL HAMNIK: Harangody's minutes down, but energy level high as ever
CHICAGO | The fight continues for Luke Harangody to prove himself in this, his second NBA season.
AL HAMNIK: The voice(s) of reason could be coming to local radio
Ask and you shall receive.
AL HAMNIK: Overwhelming support great medicine for Bobby Dempsey
HIGHLAND | It was fitting that Highland Little League President Dan Vassar had Bobby Dempsey throw out the ceremonial first pitch to his father, Dan, at Saturday's 49th opening day.
April 21, 2012 10:00 pm PhotosPhotos
AL HAMNIK: Local radio needs to huddle up with viewers
The region loves its sports. All sports. Wow, some revelation, right?
AL HAMNIK: Locals hoping to get caught up in the draft
The NBA draft without a region nugget is like Lady Gaga without her feathers and fishnets.
AL HAMNIK: Bulls need Rose in full bloom to stay afloat
You watch him run up and down the floor, yelling at the top of his voice, flailing his arms, pounding his chest, doing that six-shooter thing and blowing imaginary smoke off both barrels.
AL HAMNIK: Popovich reconnects with his region roots
Imagine being treated like VIPs and getting cuts to the front of the line everywhere you go.
AL HAMNIK: Tsirtsis brothers take it to the mat in Cedar Falls
Legendary Tonight Show host Johnny Carson and straight man Ed McMahon had a classic routine that never got old.
AL HAMNIK: Pro basketball, locally, has had its run
GARY | You want clever marketing? This was it.
March 31, 2012 8:00 pm PhotosPhotos
AL HAMNIK: Region roots run deep for Louisville guard's family
Saturday's NCAA Final Four features blockbuster programs that are a combined 128-24 and — what we love at any mega sporting event — a pair of region connections.
March 27, 2012 10:00 pm PhotosPhotos
AL HAMNIK: Jets' Brandon Moore focused on next season, not the Tebow circus
The New York Jets held a news conference Monday to introduce backup quarterback Tim Tebow and all that was missing was a ringmaster and the smell of peanuts.
AL HAMNIK: Valpo's Martin awaiting NCAA ruling on sixth year at ND
Scott Martin waits anxiously for the phone to ring, his email to pop up, or the overnight mail to arrive.
AL HAMNIK: Jayhawks' Elijah Johnson proud of his Gary roots
It wasn't quite on the scale of Larry Bird predicting victory and then dominating those 3-point shootouts at past NBA All-Star weekends.
AL HAMNIK: Local boxing not down for the count, yet
Let me take you back to a special time in the region when there were more boxing clubs than McDonald's franchises.
AL HAMNIK: Bowman too good to be taking risks on the court
LAFAYETTE | They can scare you, this multi-talented Bowman Academy team, like driving through the mountains on bald tires.
March 17, 2012 8:00 pm PhotosPhotos
AL HAMNIK: Brandon Marshall pickup too good to be true
I don't mean to spoil anyone's fun now that Brandon Marshall is the No. 1 wide receiver the Bears so desperately needed.
AL HAMNIK: Gary's Renaldo Thomas still searching for a sideline to patrol
Renaldo Thomas is that menu item not everyone can handle. It demands an acquired taste.
AL HAMNIK: Saints franchise deserves wrath of the 'Hanging Judge'
Imagine working for a very successful corporation, giving it the best years of your life, and looking back with great pride long after you retire.
AL HAMNIK: Dwight Howard's roving eye a distraction for Orlando Magic
CHICAGO | Don't you just wish the Orlando Magic and Dwight Howard would sign the divorce papers and move on?
AL HAMNIK: Bulls not content with their dominating play
CHICAGO | Monday night's game with the Pacers had just ended, and the Bulls' Luol Deng was slumped in front of his locker, huge ice packs strapped to both knees, another on his left wrist, and his feet in a tub filled with water and ice cubes.
AL HAMNIK: Short NBA season can't hold back 'quality' teams
CHICAGO | With the condensed 66-game NBA season, shortened training camp and limited practice time, many believed the caliber of play would be sloppier than a dorm room.
AL HAMNIK: Bowman, Noll are inspiring stories to friend or foe
UNION TWP. | Two powerhouse programs hoping for some region love squared off Saturday night at the 2A Wheeler Sectional.
AL HAMNIK: Glenn Robinson III handling the pressure just fine
GARY | Michael Jordan had two sons whose college careers ended before they began.
AL HAMNIK: Highland hoops doing its best to silence critics
GARY | When you have a nice high school, great athletic facilities and a community that's kid-friendly, losing leads to grumbling by fans.
AL HAMNIK: What teams are really made of
GARY | This wasn't the United Center, but it could've been.
February 28, 2012 9:30 pm PhotosPhotos
AL HAMNIK: Popovich's Spurs contending again -- under the radar
TNT analyst Charles Barkley offers comic relief for much of the NBA season, but occasionally hits one out of the park with his observations.
AL HAMNIK: Have suitcase, will travel for LC grad VanderMeer
The suitcase is always packed, ready for new destinations, new faces and the same old dream.
AL HAMNIK: Palm an expert at reading college hoops scene
When you want the latest scoop on college football or NCAA men's basketball, you call another expert — Jerry Palm — of CollegeRPI.com and CollegeBCS.com.
AL HAMNIK: Oakland's Reggie Hamilton puts NBA dream on hold
The Reggie Hamilton Fan Club is growing and needs more space to meet.
February 20, 2012 10:00 pm PhotosPhotos
AL HAMNIK: No time for Gary's Dawson to be a kid at MSU
Freshman Branden Dawson's world has been a runaway train since arriving at Michigan State.
February 18, 2012 10:00 pm PhotosPhotos
AL HAMNIK: E'Twaun Moore plays waiting game for Celtics
CHICAGO | E'Twaun Moore knew the day would come when he'd go from having the star's dressing room to simply being a member of the cast.
February 16, 2012 10:00 pm PhotosPhotos
AL HAMNIK: Bulls may have gotten 'Ripped off' on this deal
Richard Hamilton is the used car your teenager bought that's leaking oil.
AL HAMNIK: Dakich climbing the ladder at ESPN Sports
We have a TV sports celebrity in our midst who doesn't look like a male model, dress like a GQ lifer or throw softballs to those he interviews.
February 13, 2012 10:00 pm PhotosPhotos
AL HAMNIK: Tigers' McClendon 'weighs in' on Fielder signing
The Detroit Tigers' box office acquisition, power-hitting Prince Fielder, is a natural athlete.
February 11, 2012 10:00 pm PhotosPhotos
AL HAMNIK: Thanks for the many good memories, Indianapolis
INDIANAPOLIS | With all apologies to Bob Hope, here are my best Super Bowl XLVI memories.
AL HAMNIK: No shortage of feel-good stories at Super Bowl XLVI
INDIANAPOLIS | Every mega-sporting event has more compelling stories than a Hollywood divorce lawyer and Super Bowl XLVI is no different.
AL HAMNIK: Super Bowl XLVI a couch potato's dream
Got the perfect Super Bowl XLVI deal for you and the family, and it won't cost a second mortgage.
AL HAMNIK: Bears' new GM Emery remains a mystery
Phil Emery talked for what seemed like hours at his Monday press conference.
January 30, 2012 10:00 pm PhotosPhotos
AL HAMNIK: 'The Region' gets burned again by social media
Not all "monsters" hide in the deep, dark recesses of our mind.
AL HAMNIK: Social media a new hiding place for cowards
Social media is where cowards hide.
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