Tickets are on sale now:
http://www.nba.com/pacers/news/game5...ts_040524.html
Now, let me first say I know alot of you live far away. I get that. I'm certainly not gonna ask anyone to fly in, and I know gas prices are gonna be a b!tch considering it's Memorial Day weekend.
However, I beg anyone here to please get tickets if they can. That's including any Piston fans (I'll get to that in a minute.) Seriously, I cannot stress this enough. The reason why I'm on my knees typing this right now:
In my six years of having season tickets, tonight was the WORST crowd I have ever seen in an important game.
I am dead serious. The only game I can think of that even comes close was Game 1 of the ECF against NY in '99. But after I think about it, that game was still better, because, a) it was in MSA, and b) I do remember times throughout the game that the crowd would get it together and implore the team to play better. Not tonight.
As for why the crowd was so bad, I don't know. Maybe the crowd inheritantly feeds on offense, which you aren't gonna see in this series. But then, the offense wasn't a whole lot better in Game 1, and that was one of the best crowds I've seen at Conseco. So, again, I don't know.
What I do know is that anyone on this board is die hard enough to cheer more than the vast majority of people I saw tonight. And, if Piston fans want to come down, I welcome them, because I know their presence just eggs the crowd on. I never thought I'd wish for those idiots we had in section 225 to be back, but at least people would of responded in kind.
As I've said before, I lost my voice after Game 1, and it was dicey going to the game tonight. Maybe my adrenline got it going, but I was surprised that I was able to cheer resonably okay. Not great, but servicable, and it did get pretty bad in the 4th (just like Reb's, if anyone noticed.) Still, I was the loudest guy I heard around me. I had to implore people to stand up and cheer a couple times in the middle of the 4th, which, if you knew me, is an absurd image. Yes, the crowd did finally wake up after Rip's three straight buckets, but that was still too little, too late.
Anyway, that's enough. I know if anyone were to come to town, there's no way they'll be able to find a hotel room, because of the 500. I wish I were in a position to offer housing, but sadly, I'm not.
----
Okay, on to my other thoughts.
Before the game, they played a clip of, I **** you not, dancing bananas, with the logo "Go Bananas". I've seen it before, but I never made the connection to , so when I did I figured it was a sign we'd win for sure. They even replayed it in the 4th, but alas, maybe they should have gone with the far superior .
:
As for the game play, I was ready to crucify Austin after how bad I felt he played in Game 1, but after tonight, I've changed my mind. He should get Al's minutes. That's painful for me to say, because I'm certainly not Austin's biggest fan, and Al's still a better defender, but it's just too painful watching Al play right now. Fred looked like he's back to being healthy, so he should get more run, too.
I finally see what K-Stat sees in Prince. He played impressive D tonight, something I felt long before the block.
Also, I have to give major props to Detroit for how they played without Ben. Frankly, that's when we lost the game, IMO, when we didn't take advantage of his absense.
That said, we all know why we didn't take advantage. No Tinsley. Jamaal getting that 4th foul, what was it, 4 seconds into the 3rd quarter, was physically painful to me. Now, granted, I haven't watched a replay of the game tonight, but from my vantage point, more than a couple of those fouls seemed like advertisements for Tic Tacs, the freshmaker.
Which brings us to the officating. Granted, again, I haven't seen the tape, but, ohhhhh nelly. There was a time where they called a jump ball on Johnny that was just stupifying. As my sister said, "Would you rather they called travelling." To which I replied, "Yea, at least they would of gotten one call right!!!" Though, they also could of called a foul or just not called anything.
Now, I've heard alot of b!tching about Bennett Salvatore the last couple years, and at first, I didn't really see it. A long time ago I thought he was pretty good, then he started screwing us on calls, but nothing that really affected a game. As time went by, he got worse and worse in my eyes, but he still wasn't awful. My sister hated him, but not me. Until tonight.
Tonight, Bennett Salvatore ascended to the patheon, the Richard Bavetta Memorial Officating Hall of Shame, a lifelong dream, I'm sure. And I've lost all respect for Jim Clark, which is someone I had alot of respect for, not as a lead official, but as a secondary. Putrid officiating tonight. Absolutely awful. Yes, it went both ways. But when one team gets 10 more FT's and wins by 5 it's still a factor. The fact that Ben didn't get another foul after his first two is criminal. Reminds me of the time Shaq played the entire 4th in game 4 of the Finals with 5 fouls, while 3 Pacers got their 4th, 5th and 6th fouls.
As for the future, I'm fairly optimistic. We were the best road team in the regular season, and Milwaukee and NJ have already beaten Detroit at home (two losses is two losses K-Stat, save your excuses.) I'm pretty confident we'll win 1 of 2. Which, brings me back to the babbling at the beginning of my post. Game 5 will be pivotal, and we need real fans who will cheer their asses off.
But then, I thought we'd win 1 in Boston last year, so what the hell do I know.
http://www.nba.com/pacers/news/game5...ts_040524.html
Now, let me first say I know alot of you live far away. I get that. I'm certainly not gonna ask anyone to fly in, and I know gas prices are gonna be a b!tch considering it's Memorial Day weekend.
However, I beg anyone here to please get tickets if they can. That's including any Piston fans (I'll get to that in a minute.) Seriously, I cannot stress this enough. The reason why I'm on my knees typing this right now:
In my six years of having season tickets, tonight was the WORST crowd I have ever seen in an important game.
I am dead serious. The only game I can think of that even comes close was Game 1 of the ECF against NY in '99. But after I think about it, that game was still better, because, a) it was in MSA, and b) I do remember times throughout the game that the crowd would get it together and implore the team to play better. Not tonight.
As for why the crowd was so bad, I don't know. Maybe the crowd inheritantly feeds on offense, which you aren't gonna see in this series. But then, the offense wasn't a whole lot better in Game 1, and that was one of the best crowds I've seen at Conseco. So, again, I don't know.
What I do know is that anyone on this board is die hard enough to cheer more than the vast majority of people I saw tonight. And, if Piston fans want to come down, I welcome them, because I know their presence just eggs the crowd on. I never thought I'd wish for those idiots we had in section 225 to be back, but at least people would of responded in kind.
As I've said before, I lost my voice after Game 1, and it was dicey going to the game tonight. Maybe my adrenline got it going, but I was surprised that I was able to cheer resonably okay. Not great, but servicable, and it did get pretty bad in the 4th (just like Reb's, if anyone noticed.) Still, I was the loudest guy I heard around me. I had to implore people to stand up and cheer a couple times in the middle of the 4th, which, if you knew me, is an absurd image. Yes, the crowd did finally wake up after Rip's three straight buckets, but that was still too little, too late.
Anyway, that's enough. I know if anyone were to come to town, there's no way they'll be able to find a hotel room, because of the 500. I wish I were in a position to offer housing, but sadly, I'm not.
----
Okay, on to my other thoughts.
Before the game, they played a clip of, I **** you not, dancing bananas, with the logo "Go Bananas". I've seen it before, but I never made the connection to , so when I did I figured it was a sign we'd win for sure. They even replayed it in the 4th, but alas, maybe they should have gone with the far superior .
:
As for the game play, I was ready to crucify Austin after how bad I felt he played in Game 1, but after tonight, I've changed my mind. He should get Al's minutes. That's painful for me to say, because I'm certainly not Austin's biggest fan, and Al's still a better defender, but it's just too painful watching Al play right now. Fred looked like he's back to being healthy, so he should get more run, too.
I finally see what K-Stat sees in Prince. He played impressive D tonight, something I felt long before the block.
Also, I have to give major props to Detroit for how they played without Ben. Frankly, that's when we lost the game, IMO, when we didn't take advantage of his absense.
That said, we all know why we didn't take advantage. No Tinsley. Jamaal getting that 4th foul, what was it, 4 seconds into the 3rd quarter, was physically painful to me. Now, granted, I haven't watched a replay of the game tonight, but from my vantage point, more than a couple of those fouls seemed like advertisements for Tic Tacs, the freshmaker.
Which brings us to the officating. Granted, again, I haven't seen the tape, but, ohhhhh nelly. There was a time where they called a jump ball on Johnny that was just stupifying. As my sister said, "Would you rather they called travelling." To which I replied, "Yea, at least they would of gotten one call right!!!" Though, they also could of called a foul or just not called anything.
Now, I've heard alot of b!tching about Bennett Salvatore the last couple years, and at first, I didn't really see it. A long time ago I thought he was pretty good, then he started screwing us on calls, but nothing that really affected a game. As time went by, he got worse and worse in my eyes, but he still wasn't awful. My sister hated him, but not me. Until tonight.
Tonight, Bennett Salvatore ascended to the patheon, the Richard Bavetta Memorial Officating Hall of Shame, a lifelong dream, I'm sure. And I've lost all respect for Jim Clark, which is someone I had alot of respect for, not as a lead official, but as a secondary. Putrid officiating tonight. Absolutely awful. Yes, it went both ways. But when one team gets 10 more FT's and wins by 5 it's still a factor. The fact that Ben didn't get another foul after his first two is criminal. Reminds me of the time Shaq played the entire 4th in game 4 of the Finals with 5 fouls, while 3 Pacers got their 4th, 5th and 6th fouls.
As for the future, I'm fairly optimistic. We were the best road team in the regular season, and Milwaukee and NJ have already beaten Detroit at home (two losses is two losses K-Stat, save your excuses.) I'm pretty confident we'll win 1 of 2. Which, brings me back to the babbling at the beginning of my post. Game 5 will be pivotal, and we need real fans who will cheer their asses off.
But then, I thought we'd win 1 in Boston last year, so what the hell do I know.
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