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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.
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Colts Keys to Victory

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  • Colts Keys to Victory

    Just my thoughts:

    1. Mental toughness. That's really what Indiana sports teams have lacked since the '87 Hoosiers. (That, and a real, burning desire to win - but I've got no doubt the Colts have that). If they end up struggling out of the gate, get behind, throw some interceptions, give up a big play, have a miracle bounce go New England's way, Vinatieri misses a chip shot, Peyton's under lots of pressure, etc. will they have the mental toughness not to let it get to them and keep playing their game? That's the key because past playoffs Peyton & Co. have gotten rattled when things didn't go well. Regardless of what the pundits might say, the onus is clearly on the Colts here. The Patriots have nothing to prove. They are merely playing for ring #4. The Colts are the ones with the monkey on their back, the QB that couldn't win the big one, etc. I was very pleased to see that the defense held up well in Baltimore, even when everything wasn't going perfect.

    This is the one huge difference in the team this year that makes me think they've got a chance. The D stepped it up when they had to and the team found a way to win with Peyton struggling in the playoffs. I believe that can do wonders for Peyton's confidence and the team's overall poise.

    2. Get off to a good start. Of course it is always better if you don't need to tap into the mental toughness reserve. If the Colts start out with a good defensive stand, a nice drive, and get the lead, things will be much better. Though never count Brady and the Pats out.

    3. Score 29 or more points. The Colts D has long been suspect, but it is usually their offense that flames out in the playoffs. How many of those playoff losses were 34-33? There's no reason that an offense with this many weapons shouldn't be able to put up four touchdowns in a game. Add an extra point on top for safety. If the offense scores 21 points or less, I think that puts a lot of pressure on the D.

    4. Be ready for the new wrinkle - and be ready with one of your own. One thing that Pittsburgh amply showed the Colts last year is that the good teams save something for the playoffs. As brichard once put it, Bill Cowher has the play he's saving for the second half of third playoff game. The Colts usually show you everything they have in the regular season. It should come as no surprise other teams are ready for it. It doesn't have to be a trick play, but some new wrinkles, both before and after halftime, would be most welcome.

    Those are some items I have off the top of my head. Of course it would help if the defense played well again this week too, but that's obvious. You always want the defense to play well.

  • #2
    Re: Colts Keys to Victory

    Here's a simple one. Our crowd must put pressure on the zebras. Call it unfair, but make them think twice about throwing that flag for holding on Tarik.
    You know how hippos are made out to be sweet and silly, like big cows, but are actually extremely dangerous and can kill you with stunning brutality? The Pacers are the NBA's hippos....Matt Moore CBS Sports....

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    • #3
      Re: Colts Keys to Victory

      Uhhhh - regarding #1. That would the apocolypse for any team. Sheesh - talk about an overwhelming tsunami.
      The best exercise of the human heart is reaching down and picking someone else up.

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      • #4
        Re: Colts Keys to Victory

        I'll add this - if you get ahead, don't change your game plan. The Pats are the masters at waiting a team out. SD wins that game if they just keep handing the ball to LT. For some reason they didn't.

        If Indy gets up, keep doing what got you there. Don't suck back, get a couple of 3-and-outs and let 'em back in.

        Really this game is all about who executes better. Teams are very evenly matched though I think Indy has the edge if the D hasn't been just teasing the last 2 weeks.

        Can't wait until Simmons starts writing - should be some good Sports Guy columns coming up.
        The poster formerly known as Rimfire

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        • #5
          Re: Colts Keys to Victory

          Originally posted by ABADays View Post
          Uhhhh - regarding #1. That would the apocolypse for any team. Sheesh - talk about an overwhelming tsunami.
          I wasn't suggesting all of those things occur at the same time. Only that something happens early in the game that makes the Colts go "Oh, no, not again". Not getting rattled by that but continuing to execute the Colts game is key here.

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          • #6
            Re: Colts Keys to Victory

            Originally posted by arenn View Post
            I wasn't suggesting all of those things occur at the same time. Only that something happens early in the game that makes the Colts go "Oh, no, not again". Not getting rattled by that but continuing to execute the Colts game is key here.

            One thing I loved that we ran against Baltimore was the flea flicker. It got Marvin Harrison way open and gave the defense something new to think about. With their speed, I wouldn't have tried it against Baltimore, but how about a reverse? Or a kickoff return where you pass to the back on the other side of the field? How often do we run the screen? We always have good results with that shovel pass.

            We can't rely on smoke and mirrors too much, we just need to keep them guessing. Our reliance on the run has been a new wrinkle in the post season, and I still think Addai can be that "X" factor in games. I'm not sure we have fully exploited the ability of Reggie Wayne. You want to use Marvin as well, but Waynes speed and height make him a nightmare for opposing teams to cover.

            We have proven that we can score on this team in the regular season, we will just have to see if we can do it in the playoffs. Mental toughness and patience are key. And Dungy has to be able to make half time adjustments if things aren't going to plan.
            “Seventy percent of me talking on the court is personally for me to get me
            motivated and going. Thirty percent is to see if I can get into the opponent’s head.”
            Reggie Miller

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            • #7
              Re: Colts Keys to Victory

              Originally posted by brichard View Post
              One thing I loved that we ran against Baltimore was the flea flicker. It got Marvin Harrison way open and gave the defense something new to think about. With their speed, I wouldn't have tried it against Baltimore, but how about a reverse? Or a kickoff return where you pass to the back on the other side of the field? How often do we run the screen? We always have good results with that shovel pass.

              We can't rely on smoke and mirrors too much, we just need to keep them guessing. Our reliance on the run has been a new wrinkle in the post season, and I still think Addai can be that "X" factor in games. I'm not sure we have fully exploited the ability of Reggie Wayne. You want to use Marvin as well, but Waynes speed and height make him a nightmare for opposing teams to cover.

              We have proven that we can score on this team in the regular season, we will just have to see if we can do it in the playoffs. Mental toughness and patience are key. And Dungy has to be able to make half time adjustments if things aren't going to plan.
              Too often, and we suck at it. Maybe if we were good at it (and you think we would be with running the stretch so often) I'd like it more, but the screen is one of the few ineffective playse we continue to run.
              Play Mafia!
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              • #8
                Re: Colts Keys to Victory

                Originally posted by Pig Nash View Post
                Too often, and we suck at it. Maybe if we were good at it (and you think we would be with running the stretch so often) I'd like it more, but the screen is one of the few ineffective playse we continue to run.
                Man, I never remember seeing us run it. You would think with our play action Peyton could sell it, but with defenses dropping so many backs in coverage, it may not work as well for the Colts. I see us do dumps to the outlet back when nothing else is open, but a well designed screen play I just can't recall.
                “Seventy percent of me talking on the court is personally for me to get me
                motivated and going. Thirty percent is to see if I can get into the opponent’s head.”
                Reggie Miller

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                • #9
                  Re: Colts Keys to Victory

                  We try one once a game at least, it's normally early and it never seems to work. Unless I'm going crazy. I hate when we run the screen, so we must run it sometimes. I do think the WR screen we run to Reggie sometimes is at least marginally effective.
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                  • #10
                    Re: Colts Keys to Victory

                    Yeah, WR screens with Reggie are usually good for a first down at least. Remember the playoff game against Denver a couple years back, when Reggie took a WR screen to the house because he had three or four great first level blocks, and Marvin PUNKED Chump Bailey around the five? I like the WR screens we run because I think Reggie is the perfect WR for it. Our RB screens....not so much...

                    My "key to victory" this week has two parts. First is to get an early lead. Easier said than done, but I think it's imparitive. Second, when coming from behind teams tend to pass more, which obviously makes DFree happy. If we can get pressure on Brady, he will make mistakes. We have done it to him in the last two games we've played, and the Chargers did it last week. Believe me, if Brady gets flustered, he'll make a couple bad throws and our defense capatalizes on those--and Nick Harper isn't going to fumble an INT away...

                    As always though, I think it really comes down to whoever can score more points will win.
                    It's a new day for Pacers Basketball.

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