Neher Joins IUHoosiers.com As Columnist
9/10/2007 12:00:00 AM | General
Sept. 10, 2007
Bloomington, Indiana - Darryl Neher, a senior Lecturer with the Kelley School of Business and the host of The Afternoon Edition on AM1370 WGCL in Bloomington will contribute to IUHoosiers.com as a columnist throughout the academic year.
"I'm thrilled to join IUHoosiers.com as a contributing columnist," said Neher. "As a lifelong Hoosier fan I am honored to provide a fan's perspective on IU Athletics and the issues it faces in the ever-changing environment of collegiate athletics."
Neher is a native of Manchester, Indiana and graduated from DePauw in 1988 with a B.A. in communication studies. He graduated from IU with a M.S. in Sports Marketing & Management (1989), and a M.A. in Speech Communication in 1996, and completed his PHD coursework (ABD) in 2000.
He has taught at IU since 1992 when he began as a graduate student. He joined the Kelley School of Business as a Visiting Lecturer in 1997, and was appointed Associate Director of the Leadership Development Institute in 1999. He joined the Business Communication program @ Kelley as a Faculty Lecturer in 2003 and in the spring of 2007 he was promoted to Senior Faculty Lecturer.
His radio experience began in 1996 with WFHB 91.3 in Bloomington, IN as co-host of the Sports Dawgs and host of Interchange (a public affairs program). In 2002, he joined AM1370 WGCL as host of the Afternoon Edition, a drive-time public affairs, politics, current events talk show.
A Look at The Neher Perspective
Do you remember the moment you became an Indiana Hoosier fan?
As a kid growing up in North Manchester, Indiana, I lived in a two team town, half of the community was loyal to IU, half to Purdue. But in our family there was no question - we were all Cream & Crimson. We followed IU football & basketball religiously, and to even consider cheering for the Boilers was blasphemy.
My connection to the Hoosiers was cemented in 1975-76 with the IU Hoosier basketball team winning 32 consecutive games, on their way to a National Championship. And as a nine-year old kid, the Hoosiers were bigger-than-life heroes to me. When my friends and I would gather at recess to play basketball, I always wanted to "be" Scott May - and I guess I should apologize to Scott right now - neither my defense nor offense remotely lived up to his name. But those playground moments always allowed me to dream about being an IU Hoosier.
But that magical season made me understand what it meant to be a true fan. Waiting for the next game to come, eager to see if the Hoosiers could continue that undefeated season, hanging on every point, and feeling genuine excitement with every win.
I still get knots in my stomach on a big IU game day. Some people don't understand that type of connection -- that emotional connection to the Hoosiers where you feel the pain of a loss and the thrill of a big victory.
That's why I'm honored and excited to be writing for IUHoosiers.com. As a fan I hope to write about issues confronting the IU Athletic Department, IU sports teams, and collegiate athletics in a way that reflects a fan perspective. Not as journalist, not as an insider, but as a lifelong Indiana Hoosier fan.
I'll bring with me a commitment to the student-athletes who represent Indiana University both on and off the playing field. My day job is with IU as a Senior Faculty Lecturer at the Kelley School of Business where I teach Business Communication. Over my 15 years teaching at IU, many athletes have come through my classroom - and I've seen first-hand their commitment to academics and their pride to represent Indiana University in their sports.
I also understand that there will be times when we disagree on issues, and that's healthy for debate. No matter what differences we may have, we share one important characteristic: we love the Indiana Hoosiers.
Darryl Neher is a Senior Lecturer with the Kelley School of Business and the host of The Afternoon Edition on AM1370 WGCL. Born and raised in Indiana, Darryl is a lifelong Hoosier fan and a regular contributor to IUHoosiers.com. You can contact Darryl directly at neherd@gmail.com.