All-Star F.E.V.E.R.!

June 1, 2007
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    Friday following a Fever practice, six local media members came to visit Finish Line Court and test the merits of the Indiana “Drive for All Five” all-star balloting campaign.

    They came. They saw. They departed – still without a title in the second annual All-Star F.E.V.E.R. competition (played like common game of H.O.R.S.E.) featuring the Fever’s five all-star nominees – Tully Bevilaqua, Tamika Catchings, Anna DeForge, Tammy Sutton-Brown and Tamika Whitmore.


    Local media members joined the Fever's 2007 All-Star nominees. Front row: Chris Wright, JMV, Greg Rakestraw, Chris Hagan, Sean Ash. Back row: Chris Denari joins Fever stars Sutton-Brown, Catchings, DeForge, Whitmore and Bevilaqua.
    One year ago, after surviving from the brink of elimination, WTHR-TV’s Rich Nye escaped with the media title, outdistancing FOX-59 challenger Jeremiah Johnson. Friday, WNDE radio host and WTHR weekend sports host John Vincent, captured the media crown by edging Indianapolis Star assistant sports editor Chris Wright.

    JMV, as he is known daily on “The Drive,” his afternoon sports talk show on WNDE 1260 FM, was ousted on a top of the key 3-pointer by Anna DeForge. DeForge is currently 16th on the WNBA’s career list with 247 3-pointers.

    It was the only one she needed to knock JMV out of the game, when the rotation was tightened and he was forced to shoot behind one of the league’s most potent longball shooters.

    He started the day’s rotation shooting behind Sutton-Brown, a 2002 All-Star center whose inside moves were negated by a speed-up rule eliminating shots from inside the lane. When Sutton-Brown became the sixth player eliminated, JMV followed DeForge and, already tagged with his second “E,” JMV was eliminated on his next shot.

    He assumed the media title when Wright was knocked out on a trick shot by Whitmore – a running, one-handed, underhand flip shot from 10 feet that banked off the glass.

    Overall, Bevilaqua lasted the entire event unscathed – without a single letter while following WISH-TV 8 meteorologist Sean Ash. Incredibly, Ash arrived at the arena just in time to appear in a group photo. And without warmup, he took a ball and from 3-point range buried his first attempt. It also was the last shot he made. Bevilaqua made the shot, as well, and never earned a letter, even after Ash’s elimination.

    ESPN950 radio host Greg Rakestraw, who admits to no shooting skills, was the first player eliminated from the group of 11. He was actually followed by Catchings, the first Fever player eliminated, who couldn’t keep up with the sharp-shooting of Fever radio and TV voice Chris Denari. Ash was knocked out next, followed by Denari, and FOX-59 sportscaster Chris Hagan.

    Order of finish:
    1. Tully Bevilaqua (no letters)
    2. Anna DeForge (F-E-V)
    3. Tamika Whitmore (F-E-V-E)
    4. JMV, WNDE/WTHR
    5. Chris Wright, Indianapolis Star
    6. Tammy Sutton-Brown
    7. Chris Hagan, FOX-59
    8. Chris Denari, Voice of Fever
    9. Sean Ash, WISH-TV
    10. Tamika Catchings
    11. Greg Rakestraw, ESPN950

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