Mike Hutton picks his best Post-Tribune sports stories of 2016

For years, I'd been working on a story about Bob McCall and Arnold Palmer.

McCall played at Gary Country Club (Innsbrook) and he lived with Palmer before Palmer joined the PGA Tour in 1954. Palmer asked McCall to travel with him but McCall, who many of his friends claim was a better player at that time, turned him down. Couldn't make enough money, McCall said.

McCall was a legendary amateur golfer. Palmer turned into the most important professional golfer in the history of the game.

The Palmer-McCall story was fascinating to local golf fanatics, who were aware of the lore.

The problem with telling the story was it was so rich and complicated, it just didn't fit what we could do anymore. I needed 12,000 words, not 1,200 to write it adequately. Then Palmer died.

Death creates a sense of urgency in the newspaper business. It gave me a reason to write the story, which was a file full of notes, note cards and drafts before I edited it down to 1,200 words.

I interviewed Palmer for the story back in 2013.

Jack Nicklaus, through his public relations person, had at one time agreed to give me something about McCall and Palmer. Still hasn't happened, but he knows the story, too.

The column was well-received.

There was an issue that bothered some people who knew McCall and his family. It led with a dramatic retelling of McCall's suicide.

I understand their point, but I'm confident I wrote it the right way.

The story beyond that was a joyous recreation of a special friendship between two superb golfers. It's not a stretch to say McCall and Palmer were, at one time, best friends.

McCall's death was a sad moment for Palmer and that needed to be clear in the piece.

Joe Crisman and George Howard: Crown Point Sportsplex manager John Stroia told me about his sister, a retired elementary Munster gym teacher, and her experience with Joe Crisman, an Indiana All-Star.

Crisman, who played basketball at Loyola, always picked George Howard first in gym class for team sports. Turns out there was a reason.

Howard had autism and Crisman was part of a large circle of friends who were anonymously scattered in school. Their job was to help George get through school.

Howard and George developed into good friends, and the column was a hit. I still occasionally get an email from someone who just saw it somewhere and was moved.

I think, somehow, Crisman's experience with Howard influenced his decision to go to medical school.

For now, Crisman is a graduate assistant with the Loyola men's basketball team. He said he plans on attending medical school, probably starting next year.

Griffith basketball: I thought I was finished writing dramatic Griffith boys basketball stories in 2015 when the school sued the IHSAA, along with Hammond, after being banned from the state tournament.

The suit came after the teams were involved in a fight. IHSAA commissioner Bobby Cox, operating under a zero-tolerance policy, kicked the teams out of the state tournament.

Both teams were reinstated, and the Panthers made it all the way to the Class 3A state championship game.

The Panthers' season took another surreal turn in 2016 when the bus they were riding in headed to the Lafayette Semistate flipped over on I-65.

The accident sent all 27 players and the coaches to the hospital. The game was pushed back four days after a sometimes contentious public negotiation with the IHSAA.

Griffith played courageously, but lost 60-58 to Marion.

For Griffith coach Gary Hayes, the week will always haunt him. The Panthers were ranked No. 1 and were favorites to advance to the state title game before the accident.

They were just too beat up to win.

mhutton@post-trib.com

Twitter @MikeHuttonPT

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