Wednesday was a difficult day for The American Independent News Network, which is the larger entity that operates The Iowa Independent. Our chief executive and founder announced two of our sister sites would close and their content would be moved to The American Independent.
A recently introduced bill could have far-reaching impact on the U.S. sugar industry, including American Crystal Sugar, a farmer-owned cooperative that locked out 1,300 Midwest workers on Aug. 1.
The chairman for Herman Cain’s Iowa effort says the campaign “relied more on the word of farmers than Washington regulators” in deciding to run an ad containing claims the Environmental Protection Agency says are false.
The Iowa Senate will remain under the control of a slim 26-25 Democratic majority when it reconvenes in January 2012.
(Update: Western Kentucky put a last-second dagger in Drake’s hopes for a rematch against UCLA, beating the Bulldogs 101-99 in overtime.)
The stage is set for the David-versus-Goliath match-up between the Drake Bulldogs and the UCLA Bruins in the third round of this year’s NCAA basketball tournament.
Bulldog fans, at least those who were alive in 1969, have waited 39 years to avenge Drake’s Final Four semifinal loss to one of the greatest UCLA basketball teams of all time. The Bruins, coached by the legendary John Wooden, featured Lew Alcindor (later Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) and were on the verge of winning their third national championship, handily defeating every team that dared to take the court and stand in their way.
Then along came the undersized Drake Bulldogs, who were led by Des Moines legend and current Bulldog radio announcer Dolph Pulliam. Drake nearly pulled off one of the greatest upsets of all time, only to lose 85-82 during the final minute of play. Drake went on to beat North Carolina in the consolation game, coasting to a 104-84 victory over the Tar Heels, who were led by future legendary coach Dean Smith. Meanwhile, UCLA went on to win its third-straight championship over the Purdue Boilermakers 92-72.
So have the Bulldogs carried this Albatrossian loss around their necks for nearly 40 years, waiting for the opportunity to seek revenge on the Bruins?
More than likely the answer is a resounding “no” — especially since all of the players and first-year coach Keno Davis weren’t even alive when the game was played. For that matter, I had yet to reach my first birthday, but lived the game vicariously through my parents who, without fail, resurrected the details of Drake’s near-astounding feat every time a Cinderella team caught fire during March Madness.
“Oh dear, do you remember when Drake almost beat UCLA
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