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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:

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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:

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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.

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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

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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.

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Rule #10

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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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You know, this could actually boost attendance at Conseco Fieldhouse

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  • You know, this could actually boost attendance at Conseco Fieldhouse

    The Dodgers consider it a success. I could see it being big here, too.

    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18853110/

    Chew on it: All you can eat at Dodger Stadium
    ‘This is really not about gluttony,’ one fan says of successful promotion

    The Associated Press
    Updated: 7:34 p.m. ET May 24, 2007


    LOS ANGELES - Luis Serrano is working on his second Dodger Dog and the game hasn’t even begun.

    “On a good night, I’ll eat seven,” he said, smiling.

    That’s how it goes in the new all-you-can-eat seats way out in right field at Dodger Stadium, where fans wolf down as many Dodger Dogs, nachos, peanuts, popcorn and soda as their bellies allow for one price.

    Bring your own antacids.

    “You get your money’s worth, for sure,” said Serrano, a slender 33-year-old from suburban Glendora who likes to bet his buddies how much they can chow down.

    “I’ve won almost all of them,” he said, balancing a paper tray loaded with two more Dodger Dogs, nachos and peanuts on his lap.

    His friend, Michael Latta of Alhambra, chomped on a mustard- and onion-slathered Dodger Dog in the right field pavilion, sponsored by, naturally, a chain of convenience stores.

    “We’re more prone to eating more since we’re in here. We wouldn’t have done this over there,” Latta said, gesturing toward the rest of the stadium.

    There’s another eat-up-a-storm section in this venerable place — the Dugout Club behind home plate. But at $400 a seat, which includes traditional fare delivered by a wait staff and a high-end buffet — it’s out of reach for many in the bust-a-gut section.

    Launched this season, the outfield eat-a-thon opens 90 minutes before the first pitch and lasts until the start of the seventh inning. Ticket prices range from $20 for group sales to $40 for day-of-game walk-ups. Some games are $25 during designated promotions.

    “The fans love it,” said Marty Greenspun, Dodgers executive vice president and chief operating officer.

    “It was an isolated area that we could really focus and test,” he said. “No one has done this big of a seating section for this price in all of professional sports. It’s been a hit since day one.”

    Some items aren’t in play — beer ($8 and $10), ice cream and candy are sold from carts at regular prices. But they are included at some other major-league ballparks, which do versions of the eat-til-you-drop concept in smaller seating areas.

    The concept was tested three times last season before being launched in April.

    Since then, the Dodgers say the section has sold out eight times in 24 home games, with attendance averaging 2,000 in the 3,000 seats.

    The Dodgers have ranked second in attendance in the majors for three consecutive seasons, but the right-field pavilion often sat empty in the 56,000-seat stadium. It opened only if the left-field seats, which cost $10, sold out or for large groups. Last season, right-field seats cost $6-to-$8.

    “Even with our great attendance, there’s still seats that go unsold,” Greenspun said, explaining that this model was a way to offer fans a defined price.

    Greenspun said a handful of other professional sports teams have contacted the Dodgers about copying the idea, including the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers. The Milwaukee Brewers sent their stadium operations chief to check it out.

    Fans are allowed four items per trip to the food counters under the stands. Soda stations offer unlimited drinks and bottled water is free.

    “Before, no one wanted to work here. It was a hassle,” said Joe Herrera, a 10-year stadium employee. “We used to have the registers and a lot of angry people backed up. Now, the lines go fast and customers don’t complain.”

    At times during a recent game against the Brewers, lines were eight-deep as workers quickly handed over fistfuls of grub. The only registers are at the merchandise counter and beer carts.
    “Who can turn down an all-you-can-eat?” asked Lori Nelson, who settled into the bench seats with her two children and her daughter’s 18-year-old boyfriend. “It’s like going to Vegas.”
    The boyfriend, Joe Grable, started his evening with two hot dogs, two sodas and nachos. “Right here is probably $30 worth,” he said. “This is awesome.”

    In the rest of the stadium, Dodger Dogs sell for $4.75 and small sodas are $4.75.
    Stadium vendors, including Coca-Cola, California Pizza Kitchen and Kraft, want to test their products on the right-field crowd, Greenspun said. Baby Ruth has already passed out free candy bars.

    Liz Roseman of Gardena had one complaint.

    “The only thing I’m missing is the chili,” she said, picking up a cheese-slathered nacho chip.
    Greenspun doesn’t even try to spin the food frenzy so that it jibes with the nation’s increased emphasis on eating healthy.

    “This is really not about gluttony,” he said. “This is really about offering a new fan amenity. It’s all up to individual choices.”

    On a recent night, the right-field seats were two-thirds full of fans merrily munching away, washing it all down with sodas and trotting back for more.

    “It’s a trend that’s here to stay,” Greenspun said, “and is going to grow.”

    Along with waistlines and cholesterol levels.

  • #2
    Re: You know, this could actually boost attendance at Conseco Fieldhouse

    Baseball's always been about eating, it's as American as (eating) apple pie. My point is, we really like to eat.

    Not sure it'd be as effective for basketball, but I'm sure it wouldn't be a total flop either.
    2010 IKL Fantasy Basketball Champion Baltimore Bulldogs

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    • #3
      Re: You know, this could actually boost attendance at Conseco Fieldhouse

      Yes it might increase attendance and if so OK.

      But I really don't want to see it from a personal standpoint - I'm always shocked at how many people seemingly eat their entire food consumption for the whole week during a 2 and a half hour Pacers game.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: You know, this could actually boost attendance at Conseco Fieldhouse

        God, I would give anything if Bulletproof were still around to see this. The ultimate "value proposition."

        That said, the food at Conseco sucks. No thanks.
        Come to the Dark Side -- There's cookies!

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: You know, this could actually boost attendance at Conseco Fieldhouse

          Based on the thread title, I was expecting to see that we just traded for a certain former University of Illinois product who will remain nameless.
          Last edited by JayRedd; 07-25-2007, 10:50 PM.
          Read my Pacers blog:
          8points9seconds.com

          Follow my twitter:

          @8pts9secs

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          • #6
            Re: You know, this could actually boost attendance at Conseco Fieldhouse

            It sucks, which is why I wouldn't pay for it. But if I'm hungry enough while having one of these tickets? I could handle a basket of chicken tenders.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: You know, this could actually boost attendance at Conseco Fieldhouse

              Where does Indiana rank in the fattest state list again?
              The poster formerly known as Rimfire

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              • #8
                Re: You know, this could actually boost attendance at Conseco Fieldhouse

                Originally posted by DisplacedKnick View Post
                Where does Indiana rank in the fattest state list again?
                In 2006, we tied with South Carolina for #8. Donnie and Larry are sitting on a goldmine of gluttony.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: You know, this could actually boost attendance at Conseco Fieldhouse

                  It would be tougher to implement in the NBA, because bleacher sections in baseball parks lend themselves to being divided up like they're doing in L.A.. You walk down out of the bleachers, and right in front of you is the "free food" section. They can also likely rope off that section so people can't get in.

                  At Conseco, you'd probably have to make everyone in that section wear a bracelet or show their ticket every time they wanted more food. You'd also have to have very careful placement and clear marking of the "free food" stalls so people wouldn't try to pay for the free food, and the free food people wouldn't have to walk a mile to get to it (because people who eat a lot are usually lazy . I'm sure it wouldn't stop people who are that determined to "beat the system" via gluttony, but I'm just saying it would be harder to implement.

                  It sounds like from the article that while you get a lot of different food, the one lady complains that there's no chili available for her nachos. That implies that if you're paya ala carte, you can get chili on your nachos, and the "pig" section can't. My original utopian dream of this scenario had me eating $40 worth of sushi, but not only does Conseco not have anything like sushi, but apparently you can't get it in L.A. for free, either.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: You know, this could actually boost attendance at Conseco Fieldhouse

                    $1 hot dogs, popcorn, cracker jacks and peanuts Monday's @ Victory field. I wasn't informed until after I walked in and mentioned to my friend.. "Wow, there are a lot of people for a monday!"

                    I proceeded to feed my face and can't wait for the next monday game! haha!

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: You know, this could actually boost attendance at Conseco Fieldhouse

                      Something I could see possibly working would be to offer a pre-paid
                      swipable card for use at the concession stands. Use of this card would
                      get the user enough of a discount (hopefully generous) on purchases
                      to make it worthwhile, and would be available to everyone in the
                      arena.

                      OT: And Mal, I think "Bisker" has the pinkest nose I've ever seen on a
                      cat.....it almost looks like a piece of bubble gum!

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: You know, this could actually boost attendance at Conseco Fieldhouse

                        I recently went to a dollar hot dog game for the Indians. I no longer like hot dogs.

                        "I've got an idea--an idea so smart that my head would explode if I even began to know what I'm talking about." - Peter Griffin

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: You know, this could actually boost attendance at Conseco Fieldhouse

                          Originally posted by JayRedd View Post
                          Based on the thread title, I was expecting to see that we just traded for a certain former University of Illinois product who will remain nameless.
                          Just what I was expecting. Certainly this would boost attendance better than free hot dogs.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: You know, this could actually boost attendance at Conseco Fieldhouse

                            The major problem with this is you'd have to re-design the rest rooms in case Spicoli showed up.

                            Or hire some extra plumbers.
                            The poster formerly known as Rimfire

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: You know, this could actually boost attendance at Conseco Fieldhouse

                              Fire in the hole!

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