I Love This Game!

[Dipre]

Hmmm.

 

I sat through many games at the Garden when the Celts were bad or mediocre at best.

Somehow, the franchise has survived.

 

I attended every Pats game at Foxboro 1990-1994. And they just plain sucked.

 

Maybe both of those teams should have been disbanded or moved too?

 

You're reaching.

 

I never said the team should be disbanded.

[Emmz]

Basketball is big in Indiana. Especially at the high school and collegiate level.

 

I think they were referring to the professional level, but you're absolutely right, and this only proves that there's a lot of potential for the Pacers to be huge again given the talent to compete. Eliminating other squads would help to make this happen.

[Spudboy]

Basketball is big in Indiana. Especially at the high school and collegiate level.

 

Thank you.

[Dipre]

I never advocated for the discarding of the Pacers. I attacked suns' point that "basketball is big in Indiana". You're literally putting words in my mouth. In fact' date=' i find the idea of discarding teams in the first place to not be a good one.[/i'] I like basketball just the way it is, and i haven't stated otherwise.

[Dipre]

Thank you.

 

We're talking about the Pacers. Reaching again.

[Emmz]

I think eliminating teams is a good idea, because back in the day, the talent was condensed into a smaller amount of teams, rather than spread waaayyy too thin, as it is right now.

[Dipre]

Eliminating teams is a messy proposition. It sounds a lot better in theory than how it would work in reality.

[Spudboy]

We're talking about the Pacers. Reaching again.

 

I don't have a demographic profile of Indiana at hand. But I'd assume that a State that has a rabid basketball culture would be a good place to have an NBA team. And the fact that the Pacers have enjoyed about 40 years in Indianapolis, supports this idea.

[Spudboy]

Eliminating teams is counter intuitive to the NBA's business model.

 

It makes no sense. Expand the base, make more money.

 

Contract the base, make less money.

 

Which one seems more likely to happen?

[Dipre]

I don't have a demographic profile of Indiana at hand. But I'd assume that a State that has a rabid basketball culture would be a good place to have an NBA team. And the fact that the Pacers have enjoyed about 40 years in Indianapolis' date=' supports this idea.[/quote']

 

Pacers attendance ranking, 2005-2009:

 

Out of 30 teams:

 

 

05-06: 24

 

06-07:28

 

07-08:30

 

08-09:29

 

09-10 (so far): 26

 

I'm not saying the team should be disbanded. I'm saying right now the Pacers are not a big draw, because they're not. When a team is "big" in a place, people go to the games. Franchise age is inconsequential. They're simply not drawing people because they're sucking. Doesn't mean they should be discarded, but it's a fact.

[Jacoby_Ellsbury]

Eliminating teams is counter intuitive to the NBA's business model.

 

It makes no sense. Expand the base, make more money.

 

Contract the base, make less money.

 

Which one seems more likely to happen?

If the talent throughout the league gets spread too thinly, then the overall quality of the game will decrease, and you'll lose money anyway.

[Spudboy]

Whatever.

 

14,000 a game must mean something to the Pacer's bean counters.

 

This discussion is stupid.

[Emmz]

I don't have a demographic profile of Indiana at hand. But I'd assume that a State that has a rabid basketball culture would be a good place to have an NBA team. And the fact that the Pacers have enjoyed about 40 years in Indianapolis' date=' supports this idea.[/quote']

 

I agree with you 100%, and I think they will return to being a winning club given time.

 

I hope so, I always liked the Pacers, actually. I was actually a huge fan of the 2003-04 team, their last year as a powerhouse, when they had Jermaine O'Neal and Ron Artest at their best. That was a really, really good year of sports for me, because the Timberwolves were the best team in the West during the regular season, with Sprewell, Cassell and Garnett, Garnett winning the MVP that year. What a monster year that was, something like 24 points, 14 rebounds and 6 assists per game?

 

That was the last year I was really, really interested in basketball, and the T-Wolves were still my team. I wanted to see the Pacers and T-Wolves in the Finals, but it ended up being Pistons/Lakers. The Lakers were ridiculous, they had Shaq, Malone, Kobe and Payton that year. And don't forget about the Kings, they used to be one of the best teams with Webber, Peja and Bibby.

 

God I miss those days.

[Dipre]

Whatever.

 

14,000 a game must mean something to the Pacer's bean counters.

 

This discussion is stupid.

 

13,917 to be exact.

 

A far cry from 03-04 when they were 16th in attendance and were drawing 16,544 per game. That's quite a lot of beans lost. Less beans to count.

[Emmz]

Pacers attendance ranking, 2005-2009:

 

Out of 30 teams:

 

 

05-06: 24

 

06-07:28

 

07-08:30

 

08-09:29

 

09-10 (so far): 26

 

I'm not saying the team should be disbanded. I'm saying right now the Pacers are not a big draw, because they're not. When a team is "big" in a place, people go to the games. Franchise age is inconsequential. They're simply not drawing people because they're sucking. Doesn't mean they should be discarded, but it's a fact.

 

Sure, but they used to be a huge draw, and they ended because if you'd check, 2004-05 they fell off the planet after being a 62-win team, and the best record in basketball, and Eastern Conference runner-ups. Not to mention the PR hit they took with all of their players getting suspended for the Malace At The Palace.

 

The Pacers have always sold pretty well, and the state of Indiana has a very big basketball following. This too, is fact. Like I said, potential is potential.

[Jacoby_Ellsbury]

I would say kick the Kings out (much as it would pain me), but they have a new arena coming, so that coupled with their bright talent outlook should make them successful in the future.

[Dipre]

Sure, but they used to be a huge draw, and they ended because if you'd check, 2004-05 they fell off the planet after being a 62-win team, and the best record in basketball, and Eastern Conference runner-ups. Not to mention the PR hit they took with all of their players getting suspended for the Malace At The Palace.

 

The Pacers have always sold pretty well, and the state of Indiana has a very big basketball following. This too, is fact. Like I said, potential is potential.

 

We're talking about now. I also haven't said once the Pacers weren't a big draw before, nor have is said they should be disbanded.

 

suns said they're "Huge in Indiana". The premise was incorrect, and i called him out on it. No need to look further into the statement.

[Emmz]

13,917 to be exact.

 

A far cry from 03-04 when they were 16th in attendance and were drawing 16,544 per game. That's quite a lot of beans lost. Less beans to count.

 

Notice in 03-04 they were Eastern Conference runner-ups, the best record in basketball, and in 04-05 they took a huge hit, and were painted to be a bunch of thugs after the brawl. They lost one of their best players for the entire season, and other key contributors for many more. Jermaine O'Neal has never been the same since that year, and isn't even with the team anymore.

 

They've receded in talent immensely, and I think given a chance to have a draft of the players on the eliminated teams, would probably increase competitiveness, and result in an increase in attendance.

 

Name me one big-name player in Indiana during 2004 to now? Jermaine O'Neal was it, really.

[Emmz]

We're talking about now. I also haven't said once the Pacers weren't a big draw before, nor have is said they should be disbanded.

 

suns said they're "Huge in Indiana". The premise was incorrect, and i called him out on it. No need to look further into the statement.

 

Historically they have been, so while his point was incorrect, there was a point that came to light from him stating that.

[Jacoby_Ellsbury]

Notice in 03-04 they were Eastern Conference runner-ups, the best record in basketball, and in 04-05 they took a huge hit, and were painted to be a bunch of thugs after the brawl. They lost one of their best players for the entire season, and other key contributors for many more. Jermaine O'Neal has never been the same since that year, and isn't even with the team anymore.

 

They've receded in talent immensely, and I think given a chance to have a draft of the players on the eliminated teams, would probably increase competitiveness, and result in an increase in attendance.

 

Name me one big-name player in Indiana during 2004 to now? Jermaine O'Neal was it, really.

Should also bring back the pinstripe uniforms. Top 3 NBA jersey, right there.

[Dipre]

Historically they have been' date=' so while his point was incorrect, there was a point that came to light from him stating that.[/quote']

 

And which point would that be?

[Emmz]

I would say kick the Kings out (much as it would pain me)' date=' but they have a new arena coming, so that coupled with their bright talent outlook should make them successful in the future.[/quote']

 

True, and like I said, they also had been a major powerhouse in the early half of the 2000's, consistently giving the Lakers fits. In fact, if those cheap f***s didn't play so dirty, the King would have probably made a finals, and possibly won.

 

Those Kings teams were very, very good, and I can definitely see a point in keeping them around.

[Emmz]

Should also bring back the pinstripe uniforms. Top 3 NBA jersey' date=' right there.[/quote']

 

Pacers pinstripe jerseys were the s***. I loved those Jerseys.

[Emmz]

And which point would that be?

 

That there is potential in Indiana.

[Dipre]

That there is potential in Indiana.

 

I never said there wasn't.

[Emmz]

Now you're putting words in MY mouth. I never said that anyone said there wasn't, but it was something that was being overlooked.

[Dipre]

Now you're putting words in MY mouth. I never said that anyone said there wasn't' date=' but it was something that was being overlooked.[/quote']

 

Never said you said i said so. I was just pointing it out. But at least you admitted to putting words in my mouth in the first place.

[Emmz]

Where did I say that?

 

And I never said, you said, I said, you said so.

[Dipre]

Where did I say that?

 

In your last post.

 

And I never said, you said, I said, you said so.

 

You did say i said that you said that i said that you said that.

[Emmz]

In your last post.

 

Nuh uh.

 

You did say i said that you said that i said that you said that.

 

Nuh uh.