Announcement

Collapse

The Rules of Pacers Digest

Hello everyone,

Whether your are a long standing forum member or whether you have just registered today, it's a good idea to read and review the rules below so that you have a very good idea of what to expect when you come to Pacers Digest.

A quick note to new members: Your posts will not immediately show up when you make them. An administrator has to approve at least your first post before the forum software will later upgrade your account to the status of a fully-registered member. This usually happens within a couple of hours or so after your post(s) is/are approved, so you may need to be a little patient at first.

Why do we do this? So that it's more difficult for spammers (be they human or robot) to post, and so users who are banned cannot immediately re-register and start dousing people with verbal flames.

Below are the rules of Pacers Digest. After you have read them, you will have a very good sense of where we are coming from, what we expect, what we don't want to see, and how we react to things.

Rule #1

Pacers Digest is intended to be a place to discuss basketball without having to deal with the kinds of behaviors or attitudes that distract people from sticking with the discussion of the topics at hand. These unwanted distractions can come in many forms, and admittedly it can sometimes be tricky to pin down each and every kind that can rear its ugly head, but we feel that the following examples and explanations cover at least a good portion of that ground and should at least give people a pretty good idea of the kinds of things we actively discourage:

"Anyone who __________ is a liar / a fool / an idiot / a blind homer / has their head buried in the sand / a blind hater / doesn't know basketball / doesn't watch the games"

"People with intelligence will agree with me when I say that __________"

"Only stupid people think / believe / do ___________"

"I can't wait to hear something from PosterX when he/she sees that **insert a given incident or current event that will have probably upset or disappointed PosterX here**"

"He/she is just delusional"

"This thread is stupid / worthless / embarrassing"

"I'm going to take a moment to point and / laugh at PosterX / GroupOfPeopleY who thought / believed *insert though/belief here*"

"Remember when PosterX said OldCommentY that no longer looks good? "

In general, if a comment goes from purely on topic to something 'ad hominem' (personal jabs, personal shots, attacks, flames, however you want to call it, towards a person, or a group of people, or a given city/state/country of people), those are most likely going to be found intolerable.

We also dissuade passive aggressive behavior. This can be various things, but common examples include statements that are basically meant to imply someone is either stupid or otherwise incapable of holding a rational conversation. This can include (but is not limited to) laughing at someone's conclusions rather than offering an honest rebuttal, asking people what game they were watching, or another common problem is Poster X will say "that player isn't that bad" and then Poster Y will say something akin to "LOL you think that player is good". We're not going to tolerate those kinds of comments out of respect for the community at large and for the sake of trying to just have an honest conversation.

Now, does the above cover absolutely every single kind of distraction that is unwanted? Probably not, but you should by now have a good idea of the general types of things we will be discouraging. The above examples are meant to give you a good feel for / idea of what we're looking for. If something new or different than the above happens to come along and results in the same problem (that being, any other attitude or behavior that ultimately distracts from actually just discussing the topic at hand, or that is otherwise disrespectful to other posters), we can and we will take action to curb this as well, so please don't take this to mean that if you managed to technically avoid saying something exactly like one of the above examples that you are then somehow off the hook.

That all having been said, our goal is to do so in a generally kind and respectful way, and that doesn't mean the moment we see something we don't like that somebody is going to be suspended or banned, either. It just means that at the very least we will probably say something about it, quite possibly snipping out the distracting parts of the post in question while leaving alone the parts that are actually just discussing the topics, and in the event of a repeating or excessive problem, then we will start issuing infractions to try to further discourage further repeat problems, and if it just never seems to improve, then finally suspensions or bans will come into play. We would prefer it never went that far, and most of the time for most of our posters, it won't ever have to.

A slip up every once and a while is pretty normal, but, again, when it becomes repetitive or excessive, something will be done. Something occasional is probably going to be let go (within reason), but when it starts to become habitual or otherwise a pattern, odds are very good that we will step in.

There's always a small minority that like to push people's buttons and/or test their own boundaries with regards to the administrators, and in the case of someone acting like that, please be aware that this is not a court of law, but a private website run by people who are simply trying to do the right thing as they see it. If we feel that you are a special case that needs to be dealt with in an exceptional way because your behavior isn't explicitly mirroring one of our above examples of what we generally discourage, we can and we will take atypical action to prevent this from continuing if you are not cooperative with us.

Also please be aware that you will not be given a pass simply by claiming that you were 'only joking,' because quite honestly, when someone really is just joking, for one thing most people tend to pick up on the joke, including the person or group that is the target of the joke, and for another thing, in the event where an honest joke gets taken seriously and it upsets or angers someone, the person who is truly 'only joking' will quite commonly go out of his / her way to apologize and will try to mend fences. People who are dishonest about their statements being 'jokes' do not do so, and in turn that becomes a clear sign of what is really going on. It's nothing new.

In any case, quite frankly, the overall quality and health of the entire forum's community is more important than any one troublesome user will ever be, regardless of exactly how a problem is exhibiting itself, and if it comes down to us having to make a choice between you versus the greater health and happiness of the entire community, the community of this forum will win every time.

Lastly, there are also some posters, who are generally great contributors and do not otherwise cause any problems, who sometimes feel it's their place to provoke or to otherwise 'mess with' that small minority of people described in the last paragraph, and while we possibly might understand why you might feel you WANT to do something like that, the truth is we can't actually tolerate that kind of behavior from you any more than we can tolerate the behavior from them. So if we feel that you are trying to provoke those other posters into doing or saying something that will get themselves into trouble, then we will start to view you as a problem as well, because of the same reason as before: The overall health of the forum comes first, and trying to stir the pot with someone like that doesn't help, it just makes it worse. Some will simply disagree with this philosophy, but if so, then so be it because ultimately we have to do what we think is best so long as it's up to us.

If you see a problem that we haven't addressed, the best and most appropriate course for a forum member to take here is to look over to the left of the post in question. See underneath that poster's name, avatar, and other info, down where there's a little triangle with an exclamation point (!) in it? Click that. That allows you to report the post to the admins so we can definitely notice it and give it a look to see what we feel we should do about it. Beyond that, obviously it's human nature sometimes to want to speak up to the poster in question who has bothered you, but we would ask that you try to refrain from doing so because quite often what happens is two or more posters all start going back and forth about the original offending post, and suddenly the entire thread is off topic or otherwise derailed. So while the urge to police it yourself is understandable, it's best to just report it to us and let us handle it. Thank you!

All of the above is going to be subject to a case by case basis, but generally and broadly speaking, this should give everyone a pretty good idea of how things will typically / most often be handled.

Rule #2

If the actions of an administrator inspire you to make a comment, criticism, or express a concern about it, there is a wrong place and a couple of right places to do so.

The wrong place is to do so in the original thread in which the administrator took action. For example, if a post gets an infraction, or a post gets deleted, or a comment within a larger post gets clipped out, in a thread discussing Paul George, the wrong thing to do is to distract from the discussion of Paul George by adding your off topic thoughts on what the administrator did.

The right places to do so are:

A) Start a thread about the specific incident you want to talk about on the Feedback board. This way you are able to express yourself in an area that doesn't throw another thread off topic, and this way others can add their two cents as well if they wish, and additionally if there's something that needs to be said by the administrators, that is where they will respond to it.

B) Send a private message to the administrators, and they can respond to you that way.

If this is done the wrong way, those comments will be deleted, and if it's a repeating problem then it may also receive an infraction as well.

Rule #3

If a poster is bothering you, and an administrator has not or will not deal with that poster to the extent that you would prefer, you have a powerful tool at your disposal, one that has recently been upgraded and is now better than ever: The ability to ignore a user.

When you ignore a user, you will unfortunately still see some hints of their existence (nothing we can do about that), however, it does the following key things:

A) Any post they make will be completely invisible as you scroll through a thread.

B) The new addition to this feature: If someone QUOTES a user you are ignoring, you do not have to read who it was, or what that poster said, unless you go out of your way to click on a link to find out who it is and what they said.

To utilize this feature, from any page on Pacers Digest, scroll to the top of the page, look to the top right where it says 'Settings' and click that. From the settings page, look to the left side of the page where it says 'My Settings', and look down from there until you see 'Edit Ignore List' and click that. From here, it will say 'Add a Member to Your List...' Beneath that, click in the text box to the right of 'User Name', type in or copy & paste the username of the poster you are ignoring, and once their name is in the box, look over to the far right and click the 'Okay' button. All done!

Rule #4

Regarding infractions, currently they carry a value of one point each, and that point will expire in 31 days. If at any point a poster is carrying three points at the same time, that poster will be suspended until the oldest of the three points expires.

Rule #5

When you share or paste content or articles from another website, you must include the URL/link back to where you found it, who wrote it, and what website it's from. Said content will be removed if this doesn't happen.

An example:

If I copy and paste an article from the Indianapolis Star website, I would post something like this:

http://www.linktothearticlegoeshere.com/article
Title of the Article
Author's Name
Indianapolis Star

Rule #6

We cannot tolerate illegal videos on Pacers Digest. This means do not share any links to them, do not mention any websites that host them or link to them, do not describe how to find them in any way, and do not ask about them. Posts doing anything of the sort will be removed, the offenders will be contacted privately, and if the problem becomes habitual, you will be suspended, and if it still persists, you will probably be banned.

The legal means of watching or listening to NBA games are NBA League Pass Broadband (for US, or for International; both cost money) and NBA Audio League Pass (which is free). Look for them on NBA.com.

Rule #7

Provocative statements in a signature, or as an avatar, or as the 'tagline' beneath a poster's username (where it says 'Member' or 'Administrator' by default, if it is not altered) are an unwanted distraction that will more than likely be removed on sight. There can be shades of gray to this, but in general this could be something political or religious that is likely going to provoke or upset people, or otherwise something that is mean-spirited at the expense of a poster, a group of people, or a population.

It may or may not go without saying, but this goes for threads and posts as well, particularly when it's not made on the off-topic board (Market Square).

We do make exceptions if we feel the content is both innocuous and unlikely to cause social problems on the forum (such as wishing someone a Merry Christmas or a Happy Easter), and we also also make exceptions if such topics come up with regards to a sports figure (such as the Lance Stephenson situation bringing up discussions of domestic abuse and the law, or when Jason Collins came out as gay and how that lead to some discussion about gay rights).

However, once the discussion seems to be more/mostly about the political issues instead of the sports figure or his specific situation, the thread is usually closed.

Rule #8

We prefer self-restraint and/or modesty when making jokes or off topic comments in a sports discussion thread. They can be fun, but sometimes they derail or distract from a topic, and we don't want to see that happen. If we feel it is a problem, we will either delete or move those posts from the thread.

Rule #9

Generally speaking, we try to be a "PG-13" rated board, and we don't want to see sexual content or similarly suggestive content. Vulgarity is a more muddled issue, though again we prefer things to lean more towards "PG-13" than "R". If we feel things have gone too far, we will step in.

Rule #10

We like small signatures, not big signatures. The bigger the signature, the more likely it is an annoying or distracting signature.

Rule #11

Do not advertise anything without talking about it with the administrators first. This includes advertising with your signature, with your avatar, through private messaging, and/or by making a thread or post.
See more
See less

JO Appreciation Thread

Collapse
X
Collapse
 
  • Page of 6
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 template Next
  • #1

    JO Appreciation Thread

    Well, I knew this day was coming. The sig I have up now has been in my possesion for over a year lol. It was made when Vescey and Bucher told us JO would be a Laker. Now I know that JO has pulled out some strong emotions on both sides over the past year, but I think it is time to remember JO for the good things he did here.

    A stand up citizen. A good role model on a team of bad role models. A guy that you could count on to work on his improve his game in anyway the team asked him (maybe this was his downfall.)

    Now JO holds a special place for me. As JO grew up as a player, I grew up as a Pacer fan. My earliest memories of the Pacers are from when I was 4 or 5, and I would watch the team with my Dad and ask him who we were cheering for. He would always reply the blue team (you wouldn't believe my confusion when we started watching IU games as well, but I digress). Now I vividly remember the series with the Knicks. I remember losing to the Bulls in seven games. I remember crying like a baby after losing to the Lakers.

    The first Pacer game I ever went to was the year the Pacers lost to the Nets in the first round. This was the game where the Pacers dominated, and I mean dominated from tip to finish. They won by something like 25+ points and I loved every minute of it. I became deeply attached to two players on that team that day, Ron Artest and Jermaine O'Neal. Reggie was still my favorite, but I knew that I would have two guys to look to when he was gone. Of course, Ron found a way to tear himself away from me as a fan, but JO never did. If anything as the years went by JO endeared himself even more to me.

    It may have all culminated with the brawl. It was the second year I had season tickets, and I was very excited. I went to the season opener against the BUlls and man we did crush them. We just KILLED them. I was there with two of my friends because my Dad and Mom were in China adopting one of my sisters, and we were ecstatic. I'm not sure I've ever seen a finer basketball team play in person (Yeah, I know, I'm young). Everyone on that team knew their role and man they were something else to watch. Then the brawl happened. The season was tore asunder, and I was left with a broken basketball team. The one and only game my Dad got to see of that Pacers team was the Brawl.

    I didn't really know what to think, and then that team fought and they fought. JO returned, Jack returned and somehow we made it into the playoffs. JO writing "Remember Why, #31" on his shoes, well it just got to me. Thats when I knew JO cared, that and when he made the left handed free throws after having his shoulder destroyed by Nene.
    I knew JO cared about winning and losing. I knew he cared about his teammates, and I knew that more than anything he wanted deliver a championship to this city and to Reggie.

    I was at the game where Tayshaun Prince blocked Reggie, and I was there the night Reggie's career ended. I don't know if I'll ever forget the events as that game wore down. The crowd knowing the end was near, Reggie probably feeling the same thing, and then the inevitable happened, Reggie Miller was taken out of a game for the final time in his Pacer and NBA career. As he walked to the bench I remember making a point to see what was happening on the court, Jack squatting down next to the block, and then I looked to JO, and I believe IIRC, he had already been taken out of the game. All I remember is I don't think I've ever seen a player more dejected, more devastated by what he was seeing.

    I've hypothesized that not only did we lose Reggie that night, but we lost JO as well. At least the JO we knew on the court, he was still the same guy off of it, but on it his drive, his emotion they were kind of sucked out of him. I believe he poured so much emotionally into trying to get Reggie a ring, that when he failed (or at least I'll always think he thought he failed) he could hardly stand it, and I believe he personally felt like he let Reggie down.
    I'm not sure if JO ever did recover from that night.

    So, I say goodbye to JO, if you asked me now if my favorite PAcer was Reggie or JO, my answer would be simple, both. I can't choose, they are both my favorite Pacer of all time, but for different reasons. Its tough to put it into words really.
    To me, JO will always be a Pacer. No matter where he goes from here on out, and I hope he kind of feels the same way. I'll miss him, and you can believe me there won't be one person in the world who will be rooting harder for JO to succeed in Toronto, except for when he plays the Pacers .

    I say a sad goodbye to JO as a Pacer, but a warm hello to TJ Ford, and whoever we draft at #17. I hope this is a trade that will help both teams.

    I guess I've rambled for a long time. Thank you JO. To me you are a true Pacer.



    Last edited by Trader Joe; 06-25-2008, 09:12 PM.


    Tags: None
  • #2
    Re: JO Appreciation Thread

    He was a good guy but I'm not really sure he got out of the imposing shadow of Reggie Miller. I liked him, I think he was a good community guy, but never what I thought of when I thought of "Indiana Pacers". Nonetheless we wish him well - he played an important roll for us for a number of years.
    "Sometimes, when you look Andy in the eyes, you get a feeling somebody else is driving." -- David Letterman

    Comment

    • #3
      Re: JO Appreciation Thread

      A+ post. Good luck JO and hopefully you can find that title somewhere down the road.

      Comment

      • #4
        Re: JO Appreciation Thread

        Can you edit that and separate the paragraphs, it's hurting my eyes
        R.I.P. Bernic Mac & Isaac Hayes

        Comment

        • #5
          Re: JO Appreciation Thread

          Originally posted by Kaufman View Post
          He was a good guy but I'm not really sure he got out of the imposing shadow of Reggie Miller. I liked him, I think he was a good community guy, but never what I thought of when I thought of "Indiana Pacers". Nonetheless we wish him well - he played an important roll for us for a number of years.
          Ditto
          "George's athleticism is bananas!" - Marc J. Spears

          Comment

          • #6
            Re: JO Appreciation Thread

            Nice post.

            Jermaine represented the Pacers and the city of Indianapolis very well. His body may have faltered in the past few years, but his desire has remained the same.

            I wish him the best in Toronto and will be looking forward to catching some Raptors games on LP this year.

            Comment

            • #7
              Re: JO Appreciation Thread

              I don't like this trade and I'm sad to see JO go. I never thought he'd get back to his prime form again, but I still felt we could have gotten a good deal for him next year if nothing else.

              I wish JO nothing but the best in Toronto. I'll be rooting for him, even if he is a dirty Craptor now.

              Comment

              • #8
                Re: JO Appreciation Thread



                Not the first time, but wasn't the last time.

                Comment

                • #9
                  Re: JO Appreciation Thread

                  I was never JO's biggest fan: I thought he blew a lot of hot air when he was here, but he did say that he wanted to be traded if he couldn't make the Pacers a contender, and he finally got his wish.

                  JO had some big games in the playoffs but he laid a few eggs as well. What I'll most remember about Jermaine is that he did really put forth a real effort to lead this team after the brawl and even though his body was probably starting to give him some trouble during that time, he competed fiercely.

                  JO probably would have been better off if he had played his finest years on a team in which there was a more clear cut #1 option, I think his ceiling really was the best #2 option in the league, a really good Pippen to a guy like LeBron or Kobe. In that case, I think he would have excelled quite well and that his body wouldn't have been so beat down. I think in his prime he's a much better #2 Pau Gasol when he's completely healthy, and certainly better in health than anyone sans LBJ on the Cleveland roster. Even when JO may not have franchise player talent, he does have franchise player leadership ability and enthusiasm to win. I've always thought if you actually put some non-convicts around him, he'd be a pretty good moral support guy for a team and he probably will be in his old NBA age for a championship team, at least I hope he is.

                  So long to JO, and best of luck in Toronto, where he can finally not be expected to contribute as a #1 option. I hope Chris Bosh frees up the paint for him a bit and he can get some of his swagger back.

                  I also am very thankful to the community work JO consistently did, he was out there in the community when everyone was calling the Pacers a bunch of thugs, a time in which the community service was overlooked by most of Indianapolis and had he not done it, people probably wouldn't have thought much worse of the Pacers. But it did make a difference to that girl he took to prom, and those kids whose lives he touched in other ways.

                  Good luck, JO, and while you drove me nuts sometimes as a Pacer, I will root for you wherever you go. Thanks for your time.

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    Re: JO Appreciation Thread

                    I'm glad JO spent the bulk of his career with us. But he's far from done. The man is still only 29! I won't be surprised at all if Toronto wins the division just as they did a couple years ago. Especially if this rumored 'Sheed/Billups trade goes down with G State. Nonetheless, JO is a good guy and a good talent.

                    Comment

                    • #11
                      Re: JO Appreciation Thread

                      I been a Pacer fan all my life also. . and it sucks to see him go, but for me personally, I'm happy I get to see him in Toronto. I'd rather have him here than in Cleveland. . a team I don't like to watch. While I may not be happy how Jermaine's career was over the last few years, I am glad that he and the Pacers are moving for a better future. Bosh and O'neal combo has been on my mind since Bosh came into the league and I'm ready to see it unfold infront of my eyes. I will still get league pass, cause I am a Pacer fan till I die, I need to see my team play, but as for the Raptors, they lost my interest last year, and now they have gained it back after this trade, cause simply, Jermaine is my favorite player, and he is something that the Raptors desperately need.

                      I'm happy for everybody. Now Draft night. . Hurry the hell up lol.
                      R.I.P. Bernic Mac & Isaac Hayes

                      Comment

                      • #12
                        Re: JO Appreciation Thread

                        JO is the most talented player the NBA Pacers have had.

                        He's also, because of circumstances beyond his control, not lived up to that potential once he signed the big contract.

                        He's been a disappointment, but its not his fault that he his knees couldn't handle the additional weight after he bulked up, Ron Artest was destroying team chemistry year after year, Stephen Jackson's selfishness, his bodyguard (Brad Miller) was traded away, his team suffered from unreliable guard play for most of his Pacers career (and let's be honest, Reggie Miller of 2000-2004 wasn't exactly Mr. Consistent, either), and a coach who envisioned him in a Shaq-like role who slowed the game to a crawl and exposed weaknesses in JO's game that weren't present in a more fluid, faster-paced offense.

                        What's he been is:

                        Outstanding community member
                        Hard working defender
                        For many years, willing to do what the team asked even if his individual performance/ numbers suffered

                        What he's also been:

                        Maligned for things he can't control: legitimate injuries (torn knee ligaments, separated shoulder, torn groin muscle), game plan, teammates that refused to follow his (or anyone's) leadership, unable to live up to the contract he earned.

                        The Raptors got the best overall player in this trade of injured players and expiring contracts. If his knee is truly healthy, which is a big if, then to get him for a backup PG and two expiring contracts is a Gasol-to-the-Lakers kind of steal. Let's put it this way, I'd rather be on the Bryan Coangelo side of a trade with Larry Bird.



                        I wish JO the best of luck, and truly hope he returns to health and puts the silly "JO is overrated" nonsense to rest. And if not, the Raptors just got our best single asset: taking $24 million off the books two years from now.
                        Why do the things that we treasure most, slip away in time
                        Till to the music we grow deaf, to God's beauty blind
                        Why do the things that connect us slowly pull us apart?
                        Till we fall away in our own darkness, a stranger to our own hearts
                        And life itself, rushing over me
                        Life itself, the wind in black elms,
                        Life itself in your heart and in your eyes, I can't make it without you

                        Comment

                        • #13
                          Re: JO Appreciation Thread

                          I don't have much time here. But I think I was one of the few that was extremely excited when I first heard that DD was traded for JO. I figured JO had star potential and he surely did.

                          I've also said that in my close to 30 years of following the Pacers that JO is the most talented Pacers ever. (oops, sorry J, I gues I stole your line)

                          My two problems with JO. he is injury prone. he was often a lazy player, failing to block out, failing to do a lot of the dirty work that players such as KG and TD often did for their teams.

                          But I wish JO the best and I hope he does have a couple of healthy season in Toronto

                          Comment

                          • #14
                            Re: JO Appreciation Thread

                            JO was not only a great role model on the floor he was great for the city and organization off the floor!

                            Thank you JO, and good luck in Toronto!!!

                            Comment

                            • #15
                              Re: JO Appreciation Thread

                              Comment

                              Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 template Next
                              Working...
                              X