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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

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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

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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What do you guys look for in a bar/sports bar?

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  • What do you guys look for in a bar/sports bar?

    My family is in the process of buying a bar in my town and we plan on completely remodeling it in January. I was wondering what are the most important attributes of a sports bar or bar in general in your opinion. It's Indiana... so obviously there is going to be plenty of Pacers, Colts, Indy car, big screens for sunday, etc on the walls but what are some subtle (or not so subtle) things that you enjoy?

    EDIT:

    Just like to add that there have been some changes made but no remodeling yet.
    Here is the bar's myspace so you can see pictures of what we're working with. These pictures are from before absolutely anything had been done.

    www.myspace.com/ozzies_bar
    Last edited by Pacers#1Fan; 12-11-2008, 01:45 PM. Reason: More info.

  • #2
    Re: What do you guys look for in a bar/sports bar?

    1. Sandwich, Fries, Beer or mixed drink (well) under ten dollars.

    2. More seating/boothe space for people. Beer Drinkers are not marathon runners.

    3. Waitresses with wonderful personalities. Good Looks also help.

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: What do you guys look for in a bar/sports bar?

      Naked woman performing unspeakable acts. hahaha But seriously.

      On a serious note, I was at a sports bar in Seattle that had TV's at eat both that the people there could control, so if a family is there and they dont want to watch what is on the big screens they have there own TV there. Just a cool feature. UFC events is a must. Giveaways for the big sporting events is always a plus.

      Sports memorabilia of all kinds is also cool to look at. A variety of beers and other drinks. Great greasy food is a must.

      I am Canadian so my opinion may not count

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: What do you guys look for in a bar/sports bar?

        One dark beer on tap couldn't kill you, right?

        I don't mean Guinness. (or those fakey Coors / Michelob dark beer impostors).

        And why do folks jack the price up for a dark beer? One reasonably priced dark or amber draft goes a long way toward endearing a bar to me.

        The NTN Trivia box thing is kind of cool also.


        [~]) ... Cheers! Go Pacers!

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: What do you guys look for in a bar/sports bar?

          Absolutely on the dark beer. Don't need to carry a huge stock, but I know the two guys I go to games with always order a Guiness to start things off.

          Also, some kind of sampler platter is nice. You're ususally not by yourself and that way the group can all pick at something and have a little variety.

          Waitress.bartender personality goes a long way for me. Yeah, it's nice having some cute babe wait on you, but it's way cooler having someone with an actual personality assist you. I don't care whether it's a smartass bartender or a sportsfan waitress. Don't hire on looks. Hire on personality.
          Hey! What're you kicking me for? You want me to ask? All right, I'll ask! Ma'am, where do the high school girls hang out in this town?

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: What do you guys look for in a bar/sports bar?

            Good food.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: What do you guys look for in a bar/sports bar?

              Originally posted by kester99 View Post
              One dark beer on tap couldn't kill you, right?

              I don't mean Guinness. (or those fakey Coors / Michelob dark beer impostors).

              And why do folks jack the price up for a dark beer? One reasonably priced dark or amber draft goes a long way toward endearing a bar to me.

              The NTN Trivia box thing is kind of cool also.

              Michelob Amber Bock is actually pretty good for a "fake" dark beer, but if
              you want to stock some really good dark beer get some good German
              doppelbock like Spaten Optimator. I know Union Jacks pub here in town
              has it on tap (Mmmmmmm).

              A decent selection of domestics and light beers for $2.00 or less (the less
              the better). Bucket specials are nice ways of offering domestics for less.

              Of coarse several good quality large-screen TVs are a necessity. Service
              must be subscribed to that will allow them to be tuned to any channel that
              a Pacers game might be broadcast on. That should be absolute top priority.

              A couple pool tables and maybe dart boards are always nice to keep folks
              occupied when there isn't something (like a televised game) going on.
              Alot of bar patrons seem to like those video golf games with the big
              trackball you use for aiming.

              A modern net-connected jukebox with decent audio system should be
              installed.

              An ATM (possibly Triton) as well a Bill Changer machine always are good
              for making it more convenient for patrons to access and spend money.

              Make sure to decorate your walls with as much Pacers memorabilia, vintage
              pictures, and neon lights as you can find first and foremost. The Colts and
              Indy 500 stuff can be used to fill in the gaps.

              If you are going to be running a small kitchen, aside from the standard bar
              food offerings (burgers & fries / onion rings, etc), a real winner is when
              your cooks know how to serve up a really good tenderloin sandwich that
              people will talk about. A really good hot chilli recipe wouldn't hurt either.

              Some bars around town set up a table for free self serve coney dogs during
              big games, but I'm not sure I can recommend this since after word gets
              around it can attract as many moochers as it does paying patrons.
              Same goes for a popcorn machine.

              Setting up a wireless router to provide WIFI internet access for patrons who
              might want to bring in their laptops would be a HUGE plus. Plenty of AC wall
              sockets for them to plug in certainly wouldn't hurt.

              The overall ambiance of the place has to give off good vibes, make people
              feel good, and want to go there to relax and have fun even when there
              are not any sporting events to be viewed.

              Spacious and uncramped restrooms rate very highly on the desireable list.

              Oh, and one last suggestion....make sure to hire very cute waitresses ;-)



              -

              Good luck with this, and will be watching for your posting when it is up and
              running. Would love to check it out and see if it is done right.
              Last edited by RamBo_Lamar; 11-18-2008, 09:28 AM.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: What do you guys look for in a bar/sports bar?

                I really appreciate all of the input guys! My mom is the one that is going to be doing the bar stuff and she has liked some of the ideas you guys have given! Keep them coming! I will have pics up soon of the "before" stage lol

                My personal project is actually the basement of the bar. I am turning it into a concert venue! I will upload pics of that soon as well (though I don't have any "before" pics seeing as a lot of work has been put into it in the last couple weeks).

                Seriously, I really appreciate the input!

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: What do you guys look for in a bar/sports bar?

                  Originally posted by Pacers#1Fan View Post

                  My personal project is actually the basement of the bar. I am turning it into a concert venue! I will upload pics of that soon as well (though I don't have any "before" pics seeing as a lot of work has been put into it in the last couple weeks).

                  Seriously, I really appreciate the input!
                  Egads... stairs! Bands don't like stairs... and sound companies hate them worse.

                  Are you going to have an installed house sound and light system? That at least keeps some of the bigger items inhouse so that the bands and crews don't have to schlepp that stuff up/down stairs.

                  Powah... lotsa power. Don't skimp here. Ideally you'd have several separate 20A circuits around the stage AND at least a 50A NEMA 1450R installed.

                  Things that new and inexperienced clubs and venues learn at the wrong time:

                  A- No, just because there are separate outlets in the wall doesn't mean they are on separate -circuits-. This one is an oldie but a goody.

                  B- Nobody cares if something worked or was fine for the band the week before because every band is different and some have different requirements. Some can pull a rabbit outta their butt if they have to but if something requires X and there's no other option on the truck, it requires X.

                  C- Mention the stairs up front so that bands can allow for extra crew, smaller amps, etc before arriving at the gig (If they ask if there's anything they should know about the load in, "stairs" is probably the highest on their list followed by what time they'll have access).

                  D- If this is a bar where the bands are expected to be rockin' then most will have a soundman that will need and want to be out front. See "B" above.
                  Allow for snake cable and power cable to get from stage to this position (overhead hooks (like bicycle hooks) in ceiling or wall will work). If the bands are background music or acoustic musicians, mixing from the stage is much more common.

                  E- Don't expect a 120K light show if the ceiling is 7' tall above the stage and you have two outlets on stage... and you aren't even sure if they are separate or not.

                  F- Never trust an electrician to know what the bands' needs are (regardless of what the electrician tells you). Check with a professional sound system installer. Most electricians will under spec it so far it isn't funny because they have no idea what size bulbs pro lighting uses, the numbers involved, or the power a modern amp rack can draw (and put out). It's much cheaper to do it right the first time, or to at least wire things with expansion in mind, than it is to redo it all later with no upgrade path.

                  G- Have a dedicated parking area or load in area for the band's van or truck/trailer. Nothing is more frustrating for a band (aside from stairs ) to be told where the load in door is at and then see 20 cars blocking it and/or creating a long push to the venue. And it's just as frustrating when the show is over to not be able to have the band vehicle(s) as close to the door as possible and/or to have to weave thru an obstacle course with heavy equipment.

                  -Bball
                  Last edited by Bball; 11-21-2008, 02:06 AM.
                  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

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: What do you guys look for in a bar/sports bar?

                    Originally posted by Bball View Post
                    Egads... stairs! Bands don't like stairs... and sound companies hate them worse.

                    Are you going to have an installed house sound and light system? That at least keeps some of the bigger items inhouse so that the bands and crews don't have to schlepp that stuff up/down stairs.

                    Powah... lotsa power. Don't skimp here. Ideally you'd have several separate 20A circuits around the stage AND at least a 50A NEMA 1450R installed.

                    Things that new and inexperienced clubs and venues learn at the wrong time:

                    A- No, just because there are separate outlets in the wall doesn't mean they are on separate -circuits-. This one is an oldie but a goody.

                    B- Nobody cares if something worked or was fine for the band the week before because every band is different and some have different requirements. Some can pull a rabbit outta their butt if they have to but if something requires X and there's no other option on the truck, it requires X.

                    C- Mention the stairs up front so that bands can allow for extra crew, smaller amps, etc before arriving at the gig (If they ask if there's anything they should know about the load in, "stairs" is probably the highest on their list followed by what time they'll have access).

                    D- If this is a bar where the bands are expected to be rockin' then most will have a soundman that will need and want to be out front. See "B" above.
                    Allow for snake cable and power cable to get from stage to this position (overhead hooks (like bicycle hooks) in ceiling or wall will work). If the bands are background music or acoustic musicians, mixing from the stage is much more common.

                    E- Don't expect a 120K light show if the ceiling is 7' tall above the stage and you have two outlets on stage... and you aren't even sure if they are separate or not.

                    F- Never trust an electrician to know what the bands' needs are (regardless of what the electrician tells you). Check with a professional sound system installer. Most electricians will under spec it so far it isn't funny because they have no idea what size bulbs pro lighting uses, the numbers involved, or the power a modern amp rack can draw (and put out). It's much cheaper to do it right the first time, or to at least wire things with expansion in mind, than it is to redo it all later with no upgrade path.

                    G- Have a dedicated parking area or load in area for the band's van or truck/trailer. Nothing is more frustrating for a band (aside from stairs ) to be told where the load in door is at and then see 20 cars blocking it and/or creating a long push to the venue. And it's just as frustrating when the show is over to not be able to have the band vehicle(s) as close to the door as possible and/or to have to weave thru an obstacle course with heavy equipment.

                    -Bball
                    Thanks for all the advice man!

                    STAIRS DO SUCK!!! We have an elevator that opens behind the bar so bands can back up with their van/truck/car to unload, put anything they have on the elevator, and send their stuff into the venue. That problem came pre-solved lol. On a more personal note, I used to be in a band... stairs really do suck.

                    Didn't plan on putting too much money into lights, I found a website called www.cheaplights.com that seemed like the best place to get stuff. I will prolly only get between 1 and 2 grand worth of lighting.

                    As for sound, I have already met with a guy that runs sound for most of the concerts in this area at the venue. His business is called T and J Sound out of Connersville. With the way the venue is there isn't a huge need for super expensive sound equipment. I took a surround sound system down there and cranked it and that alone didn't sound terrible. I am getting house audio though definitely, I'm just going to play with the acoustics of the place as we proceed before a make any decisions.

                    We are meeting with electricians for the power issue... the guy that runs the sound company gave his input and will probably be down when I meet with the electrician.

                    I met with the town fire marshall yesterday just to get that stuff out of the way and start off knowing the rules before we build and then have to rebuild because things don't meet codes.

                    All-in-all I think we are getting off on the right foot.

                    If you have anymore advice I would love to hear it.

                    Thanks,
                    Jordan

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: What do you guys look for in a bar/sports bar?

                      LED Pars are getting popular. If you're starting from scratch, some LED Par64's might be a good way to go. You won't need any dimmers for them and they use very little power and stay cool. Easy on your electric bill that way!

                      LED Pars don't need gels and every fixture is capable of multiple colors via lightboard programming. You can also utilize fewer cans. Let's say you'd normally use a small light show like 8 Par 64's (which at 500W each is 2 20A circuits worth) for your upstage lighting. You'd probably gel them in pairs (2 red, 2 blue, 2 yellow, etc). With the LED Pars you could have all 8 fixtures be blue in one scene and red in the next.

                      The other thing to consider, if you don't have a high ceiling or huge stage, you could look at Par 46's instead of Par 64's. Par 46's are 200W each and you can use several more of them on the same power as what 4 Par 64's need (at minimum... Par 64's can be loaded w 500W bulbs, 600W bulbs, and 1000W bulbs). You could have the look of a huge 80's style lighting show with Par 46's on the same power as a smaller Par 64 show. Flood bulbs downstage and spot bulbs upstage.

                      Don't knock yourself out on downstage lighting (front lights). As long as you're doing locals and regionals for your acts (and aren't a huge venue), 1-4 channels worth of front light will be fine. Whether that is 3 cans covering the stage on one channel or 2 cans flooding the stage on one channel and 3 more used as highlights.

                      Intelligent lights are getting cheaper all the time and really do help set off a light show and give it a more modern look. Just 2-4 can make a huge difference.

                      -
                      House sound- I'd consider getting a larger snake than soundboard (unless you opt for a 40ch console which I doubt). That way a band could bring their own soundboard and use your snake. Some bands might prefer to just use your racks and stacks and use their own board and processing. Particularly these days with digital boards getting popular and affordable. The larger snake is also handy if you have opening bands (opening bands on small stages kinda suck though... if you have to have an opener in a small venue and on a smaller sound system, consider an acoustic act).

                      Resource allocation:
                      Don't spend all your money on name brand -toys- and then have no money left for the important pieces. I'd rather see nice speakers and amps with cheap Behringer compressors and gates than see DBX 1066 compressors and Drawmer gates with American DJ Amps and ADJ speakers.

                      For the money, DBX 231 EQ's are a good deal as is DBX 266 compressors. For budget 4ch gates and comps I've had good luck with Alto gear there. Obviously, if you have the budget you can go for more rider friendly items in the processing rack. I use a lot of QSC amps and they've really been solid and are rider friendly if that matters to you. Like I said, if I had to skimp it would be on the less mission critical processing pieces that can be disposable (if they fail, just unplug and the show goes on). OTOH, the mission critical pieces need to be solid so that failures are rare: If a processor, crossover, amp or speaker fails then the show will be much more adversely affected than if you just end up short a couple of channels of comps due to failure.

                      Research your speaker purchases well and don't get too caught up in marketing. JBL's lowest line stuff is no where near as good as their top line stuff. Same for EAW....
                      They just use their reputation for top of the line stuff to sell the lower line stuff and you don't get as much bang for the buck (even though you still pay for the name).

                      -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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                      • #12
                        Re: What do you guys look for in a bar/sports bar?

                        With regards to your Musical Venue I'd make sure there were a lot of options if you are going to be able to "Sell it" to all types of bands. Seeing as how you were once IN a band you probably know that bands are all as different as can be... from heavy metal/screamo to folk to that one guy who plays the acoustic guitar and covers Tom Petty for his High School friends they all use different equipment and they all know it differently.

                        Folk musicians, Acoustics, and amateurs will use the "Snake" cord a lot as they use a lot of Mics (Which they will hopefully have a lot of) and those amateur electric types will bring an amp and a small PA and not expect to even see/use a house mixer/PA. I say that last statement from experience...

                        Seeing as how Connersville and Crawfordsville (where MY band mostly played) are very similar in size and demographics I'd say you probably have a lot of middle aged men that play country/bluegrass/rockabilly/good-ole-boy and a coupla highschool bands that play stuff no one but them wants to listen to...

                        Anyway... Being downstairs on a stage would be nice if there was a good turnout to see you. I dislike when a band is just background noise in a bar because no one really wants them there when they are trying to watch TV, eat, drink and the Band has a terrible time because of it. IMO.

                        On the other hand, if I'm at a bar I don't want to hear said crappy band coming from the basement while I'm trying to have a good time and watch TV or play "Poker" via NTN Trivia game so make sure its Uber-Insulated.

                        I HATE it when I'm hearing:
                        Overhead music
                        TVs over that
                        Loud Bar Chatter OVER that
                        Loud Waitress OVER THAT
                        Muffled Music that I can't even really distinguish but ruins distinguishing anything else "OVER" all of THAT!!!!

                        On the topic of bars I'd try to use Brick Walls as much as you can as 1) it looks nicer than paint even when its dirty 2) It lasts longer 3) and is easy to manipulate/replace/drill holes into for mounting TVs 4) Gives great Sound and Heat Insulation. I'll grant you its more expensive than the standard Drywall route but IF you can afford it DO IT!!!

                        Spend some quality time on the Restrooms too!

                        I enjoy a clean, well thought out restroom more than I do a good sportsbar. Thats just me, but, still. I'd try to include:
                        Spacious Stalls (remember we're not marathon runners)
                        Some bar-ey decor
                        Something to read/do that will make you VERY memorable... Sports Trivia anyone?

                        Over the Urinals perhaps newspapers, Sports Illustrated, Maxim, or an ad for your nightly specials... You COULD even add a "Mention this Bathroom ad and get Half off a _____" , which would be weird, and I've never heard that done, but it would get MY attention and make you VERY memorable.

                        As for food I personally don't like it when Bars try to have "Down Home Cooking" because its always over priced and always tastes like it was still frozen 15 minutes ago. Now, if you are planning on going all out than by all means go for it. I LOVES me some breakfast for dinner. But other than that I'd stick with Wings, CHicken Strips, Ribs, and Fried foods that are hopefully NOT frozen. I know thats HARD to accomplish but in my perfect world thats how it is.

                        I might think of more later but for now thats all I got. Hope you found some of this helpful in some way.

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                        • #13
                          Re: What do you guys look for in a bar/sports bar?

                          I look forward to seeing some of the pics of this place now. I bet it will look very sporty and Pacery... two good things.

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                          • #14
                            Re: What do you guys look for in a bar/sports bar?

                            updates at top

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                            • #15
                              Re: What do you guys look for in a bar/sports bar?

                              If you can actually hear the game you go to see.
                              12/27/2005 at Spurs - SamBear - 3

                              1/2/2008 vs Memphis - SamBear - 19


                              4/9/2014 - Luis Scola also recorded a season high with 24 points and Evan Turner added 23 for Indiana.

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