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The problem is that Chucky Atkins is right.....

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  • The problem is that Chucky Atkins is right.....

    From the Boston paper.

    "The crowd of 16,605 at Conseco Fieldhouse was about 2,000 short of a sellout. The Pacers don't expect a sellout for Game 2 Tuesday night, either. "I thought [the crowd] would be a lot better, and a lot more rowdy," said Chucky Atkins"

    Every time I hear Reb Porter or DJ Paul B talk about the loudest 6th man or N.B.A.'s rowdiest fans I keep wondering if somehow I've been transported to Arco Arena, because I know they are not talking about us.

    The attendance may have been announced at 16,605 but I can assure you that a lot of that was scalper tix. The seats to the right of mine are generally scalper seats all season long & all four of them were empty yesterday. The upper deck on the opponets side was an embarrasement.

    61 wins, Defensive player of the year, legitimate M.V.P. candidate, legitmate 6th man candidate, dunk champion & we can't even sell out our first game of the playoffs.

    It's sickening really.

    BTW, the D J Paul B thing has gotten really old really fast. (sorry just had to add that)

    I'm sure as the playoffs go on the crowd will get bigger. But really, what does that say. The fans will only support the team if we are winning it all?

    I've said it before & I'll say it again. I just don't think the fans of this area have taken to this team yet. Maybe some playoff wins is what it takes but I honestly thought that some Pacer fans were a little better than that.

    We've had several first round series not sell out before but, IMO, not as bad as this since about the 93 season.

    Now to the game.

    I thought Al Harrington was brilliant yesterday. He played both sides of the floor & whenever I look up & see him have as many rebounds as points I get happy. That block he put on Mark Blount, IMO, was the game breaker. Which is funny cause how often do you have a game breaker in the second quarter? I thought he played as good as anybody on the floor.

    Conversely I thought Jamaal Tinsely played horrid. This actually gives me hope because I don't think he will continue to play that bad during the series. But his defense was non-existant. He didn't make any T.O.'s but then again he didn't really run the half-court offense that well either IMO. He'll be back & better in game two.

    I'm glad I'm not the coach. Seriously how do you go to a player like Austin Croshere & tell him, thanks for your hard work & dedication but even though you've busted your @ss all season long I'm going to go with a player who hasn't suited up for 30 games & hasn't really proven anything? The only blemish of the day, IMO. Austin deserves better than this. I know a shorter rotation for the playoffs is usually standard & even if that is the case how do you do that to Croshere. Oh well, still a good win.

    BTW, can anybody see Mark Blount in a Pacers uniform? Man what a backup center he would be.

    Fred Jones had a great run during the second on offense. Fred Jones had a better run in the fourth on defense. There was a time Fred switched with Ron on Paul Pierce & the defense didn't drop a lick. That is saying something cause Ron was putting it to Paul all day long. The lineup of Fred & Ron together on the floor has got to cause headaches for opponets on the perimeter.

    Again great game, poor attendance & great weather. Made for a good Saturday.


    Basketball isn't played with computers, spreadsheets, and simulations. ChicagoJ 4/21/13

  • #2
    Re: The problem is that Chucky Atkins is right.....

    I am trying not to think about the attendence figures because I'll only get disgusted, and I am not going to comment on Tinsley either.

    I will say the crowd in the first half seemed loud to me, second half was not competitive so it was really quiet.

    Peck if you noticed, the pacers went small during the game I think that was because in the fiurst quarter the Celtics quickness and off the dribble game was killing us, so I was not surprised that Cro did not play and was even less surprised that Pollard did not play. Cro will get a few minutes this series, but the matchups just aren't there for him. And AL was so good yesterday he wanted him on the floor.


    Freddie. People aren't giving Freddie enough credit for playing so well in his first playoff game, he was poised, under control, and he played like a veteran. Fredie will get a lt of minutes this sries because of the Ricky Davis matchup, Freddie deends him better than anyone

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    • #3
      Re: The problem is that Chucky Atkins is right.....

      I've said it before & I'll say it again. I just don't think the fans of this area have taken to this team yet. Maybe some playoff wins is what it takes but I honestly thought that some Pacer fans were a little better than that.
      I think Indy fans have become spoiled. I've said it before, they remind me of Braves' fans. They've just become so accustomed to winning that they've become inured to it and anything less than winning it all or at least making it to the finals or ECFs just isn't going to excite them. I'm guilty of it myself. I went and saw a movie yesterday instead of watching the game. 2nd round will interest me a little more, but the playoffs are such a drawn out process now, to try and maintain that level of interest for that long is emotionally draining. Until the Pacers get to the ECFs, I can't really get excited about the playoffs.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: The problem is that Chucky Atkins is right.....

        Here's another thing: I remember when I was a kid, only the best teams made it to the playoffs. I'm sorry, but a team with a 36-46 regular-season record just doesn't deserve to be in the playoffs, in my opinion. So the best teams have to wade through a lot of crap teams so fans can see the match-ups we all really want to see. That the league does this is a real disservice to the fans. I understand it from a business standpoint, but it mitigates the quality of sports in general.

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: The problem is that Chucky Atkins is right.....

          You've hit on some good points, Peck.

          As far as Croshere not playing, I can somewhat picture Carlisle's thinking. This is a game that the Pacer's should easily win. Now is the time to give Bender minutes if he is to get minutes at all. I would rather test him out now than in a series further down the road.

          With that thought, Carlisle, if he said anything to Cro at all, may have said "Austin, we know what you can do, but we need to find out what JB's capable of right now.". Makes sense to me, anyhow.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: The problem is that Chucky Atkins is right.....

            Sorry but it just doesn't bother me the game wasn't a sellout. A match-up against a team that won 36 games isn't going to be a draw.

            Regarding tinsley, I'm not trying to put a hit on him but I don't know how he came up with a 0 turnover stat. I clearly saw an entry pass to the left side of the basket get picked off by Boston. Oh well, 7-0 or 7-1 doesn't make a lot of difference in a game like this.
            The best exercise of the human heart is reaching down and picking someone else up.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: The problem is that Chucky Atkins is right.....

              Win a series, and the problem will go away.
              I think this is the truth. I think there are a lot of "on the fence" fans, that like the team, but don't love the team. I think once they see we're not chronic 1st round exits waiting to happen, they'll start to give a damn.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: The problem is that Chucky Atkins is right.....

                And for what it's worth, watching the game on TV, the crowd sounded louder in that first half than I'd heard it in a long time this season. You could tell there were less corporates there.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: The problem is that Chucky Atkins is right.....

                  Along with a combination of the other factors being discussed, I would have to think money would have to be a huge factor in the attendance issue.

                  Last year I was in Indy for the first game of the playoffs and spent $47 for a decent ticket in Section 10. This seat was about the worst seat that I would be willing to pay for. I'm not saying it was a bad seat, but I would watch at home before sitting in the upper level. At any rate, figure in parking and a few bucks for concessions and it was $60 for one game. Multiply that by 3, the most likely number of home games in this series and you have $180. Since we are the #1 seed, I'm figuring we'll win and make it to the second round, where I'm figuring another 3 homes games and a victory. At the same ticket prices (I'm not sure if they go up as the playoffs go on or not), add in another $180 for a total of $360 before they potentially get to the conference finals.

                  Anything beyond the conference finals is a question mark, but I think the average fan would have to have a minimum of $500 set aside to have any hope of attending EVERY home playoff game this year, but hopefully they'll need much more than that.

                  At any rate, alot of fans might only have $200 sitting around that they can spend on tickets, or they might have to buy for multiple people when they go. At very least, that fan is going to want to get to the best game possible for that money.

                  I'm not sure if most Pacer fans are like me or not, but I could probably not afford to go to every playoff game, even if I lived in Indy. I have been to two in my life (2000 Game 5 against Bucks and 2003 Game 1 against Celtics) and they are great. If I lived in Indy, I would probably try to get to half of the games in a year like this, where at least 10 games are likely to take place. In choosing which games to sit out on, I'd have to say Games 1, 2, and 5 of this series would be on that list.

                  If we were in a larger city, this probably would not even be an issue because you would easily have an additional 2,000 fans that have the cash to go to every home game. In Indianapolis, this is likely to be an issue for both the Colts and Pacers for awhile. However, I think both teams (assuming the Colts stay) will benefit down the road as each year you have success, you're bringing up a whole new generation of fans that will become diehards and are likely to purchase tickets when they get older.
                  Can we get a new color commentator please?

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: The problem is that Chucky Atkins is right.....

                    When I saw that number, it pissed me off. It doesn't matter who we play. It is the playoffs. You need to go support your team. And don't tell me in a city that has about a million people that 18,345 people cannot come to the game. that is crap. If you can't afford it, I can understand. But if you support your team, you should go. It's sickening.

                    And as for Fred, I complimented him quite a lot. He is an x-factor in the series, and if he hits his shots and plays defense like he has, it will be a big help against teams we play, especially Detroit.
                    Don't ask Marvin Harrison what he did during the bye week. "Batman never told where the Bat Cave is," he explained.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: The problem is that Chucky Atkins is right.....

                      Some of the excuses you guys are giving are pathetic.

                      I don't care who the Pacers are playing or what the opponents record is, there is no valid excuse for not selling out a playoff game.

                      Makes the city of Indy and surrounding area look very sad.

                      And if I were a Pacers player I would be pissed, never would say so in public.

                      We are only talking about 18,000 people here.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: The problem is that Chucky Atkins is right.....


                        And if I were a Pacers player I would be pissed, never would say so in public.
                        I would be VERY pissed. You would figure for an opening game of the playoffs that the players would be looking forward to crowd that was rocking the building, and as full as possible.
                        Don't ask Marvin Harrison what he did during the bye week. "Batman never told where the Bat Cave is," he explained.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: The problem is that Chucky Atkins is right.....

                          I would also be real pissed if I were a player - if I lived in Indiana I am not joking - I would make sure to get seats to every single damn game.

                          If we want people to come to Indiana, and want to stay in Indiana the crowd has to show the players they care.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: The problem is that Chucky Atkins is right.....

                            It's fine that you're ticked off, or the players are ticked off. I just don't see how you can criticize how others spend their money. I'm a Pacers fan, but I'm not going budget several thousands of dollars to them every year right now. It's entertainment, and if I have to choose between car payments, house payments, school loans, 401k and IRA contributions against EVERY Pacer's playoff game, the game will almost always lose out. If I were to double my salary, I would probably have enough that I would go to all.

                            Like I said, I don't know how many Pacer fans are in my situation, but I do know it costs alot of money to go all of these games. It seems very arrogant to me for someone else to say that people should be going. Even if someone is just going to the movies instead of Pacers games, it's their money and their choice.
                            Can we get a new color commentator please?

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: The problem is that Chucky Atkins is right.....

                              I think these things have hurt:

                              Management's decision to 'rebuild on the fly' in 1999

                              The team's immediate decline from championship contender to barely making the playoffs for 2 straight years... and a 3rd year entering in a tailspin

                              The team's lack of chemistry under Isiah Thomas

                              Three straight first round losses

                              Idle summers as far as new players coming TO Indiana to stoke more than just the homers during the off season.

                              The loss of 'local Indiana' press coverage outside of Indy Star that I think relates to the above.

                              --------------------------------------------------------------------

                              I am seeing our local paper rediscovering the Pacers in the last few weeks. Games are back on the front page with pics. I am assuming other communities have similar experiences? (Team coverage waning over the past 4 years only to be slowly rediscovered)

                              I was just thinking about this yesterday (in light of the Artest 'thing' and ESPN making a big deal out of it)... The Pacers and local Indy media probably haven't made quite a big deal out of this season and Reggie's window of opportunity for a ring as they could have (until recently). It's a great story and it would've probably been picked up nationally and given the natls another angle rather than just focusing on Artest and waiting for him to go 'Bob Knight'. I think they were gunshy due to the past 3 years and last season's big collapse.

                              Honestly, for two years this team went backwards and then was spinning their wheels. And this immediately following a championship appearance and a run of years where they were contenders. Arguably, you could throw in last year as well. So, maybe a lack of fan support from casual fans shouldn't be all that surprising at this point.

                              I am thinking back to the Star forum and how many people thought the Pacers wouldn't miss a beat losing Dale Davis and Jax and with Thomas. Obviously, it was homers and casual fans but they are the first to bail off the bandwagon and I am just not sure what the team has done to get them back just yet (until starting this year). Winning a playoff series would help. It's not like you can say the Pacers fell back and then started building over the past 3 years. They didn't. Any positive steps were quickly nullified by negative ones. So this is IMHO the first we've seen (in 3 yrs) of the team actually building towards a championship and moving forward.

                              Beating the Celtics would help. Dominating them would help even more.

                              -Bball
                              Nuntius was right for a while. I was wrong for a while. But ultimately I was right and Frank Vogel has been let go.

                              ------

                              "A player who makes a team great is more valuable than a great player. Losing yourself in the group, for the good of the group, that’s teamwork."

                              -John Wooden

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