After the Indiana Pacers were eliminated by the Chicago Bulls in the first round of the playoffs last spring, video surfaced (thanks to Pacers Digest ) of an eager, smiling 13-year-old named Frank Vogel appearing on “Late Night with David Letterman” to show off a unique skill — the ability to spin a basketball on the tip of a toothbrush, then brush his teeth as the ball continued to spin — as part of Letterman’s popular “Stupid Human Tricks” segment. Unfortunately, the portrait of a future Pacers coach as a young talk-show star has since been yanked from YouTube, so it seemed like we would never, ever, ever again see Frank Vogel spin a basketball on the tip of a toothbrush, then brush his teeth as the ball continues to spin.
And then, Wednesday night happened.
Vogel was asked the all-important “can you still?” question at “The Big Why?,” an event benefiting the Indianapolis youth leadership organization Y-Press, where young Indianan journalists got the chance to practice their craft on Vogel and new Indianapolis Colts head coach Chuck Pagano. Zak Keefer of the Indianapolis Star was on hand to cover the session and — saints be praised — he had a video camera:
Now that , friends, is the triumph of the human spirit and American ingenuity. U-S-A! U-S-A!
More from Keefer at the Star :