I don't have enough tonight for a typical long winded 10000 word manifesto, but some things on my mind are crying out for discussion, and I haven't yet seen them discussed on this board.
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First of all, a big community thank you to the Indianapolis Colts and owner Jim Irsay for stepping up and keeping the IHSAA football state finals in Lucas Oil Stadium.
The IHSAA announced today in a press release that the Colts have agreed to sponsor the entire IHSAA football tournament, with games all across Indiana at the sectional, regional, and semi-state level, before culminating in the annual 2 day state finals for the five classes that takes place around thanksgiving.
For those of you who do not know the background of this, the IHSAA was going to be forced to move the state football championships due to the severe price increase charged by the CIB to the IHSAA for use of the facility. That was a severe thorn in my side as high school sports supporter, as it seemed very wrong to me that a building paid for on the backs of the Indiana taxpayers wasn't going to be used to support our own Indiana student athletes.
Essentially from what I have read so far, it appears that the Colts are going to make up the difference in cost between the state finals former home (the dearly departed RCA Dome) to the brand new spectacular Lucas Oil Stadium. In return the Colts will bask in the good press, and will likely have a marketing presence in high schools that play football all across the state, from Evansville to Michigan City and all points in between.
The cynic in me wants to point out that some of this is being done as solely a media ploy to distract from the Colts not agreeing to volunteer to help the CIB out of its finacial mess (even though I am someone who doesn't think the Colts should be blamed for making a good deal), but even if this is just a cynical ploy to gain goodwill, it still makes me happy that the many student athletes and football fans will be the ones that benefit. Over 50,000 people watched the state finals 2 day extravaganza this past season, and playing in such a world class facility is a great thrill for the many student athletes whose teams advance that far.
It obviously is a great move marketing wise by the Colts as well, who once again prove that they (and the NFL as a whole) GETS IT.....from the recent deal with Comcast to the memorable tour the Colts gave the Lombardi trophy all across the Hoosier state.
No matter the motivation, let's give a big PD thank you to Jim Irsay and the Indianapolis Colts!
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Pacers head honcho Jim Morris also understands marketing opportunities, but is hamstrung quite often by the idiotic policies of the NBA big wigs in New York.
While the Colts are getting front page headlines for doing something minimal today, the Pacers have been a sponsor of the IHSAA for much longer....how many of you knew that?
The Pacers in fact last year implemented an outstanding program designed to help out young basketball players. It is on their team website, and was distributed in a press release that only a few ever saw across the state. In it, the Pacers buy uniforms for and sponsor entire youth basketball teams and organizations, hang banners in the participating facilities, and provide merchandise and even game tickets for young participants from ages 5 on up, both boys and girls. I suspect that they are even having some people in the organization make appearances, although I don't know that for sure.
This Pacers "youth basketball" drive is admirable, and a great idea to help promote the game, the team, and the NBA. And it is also great that the Pacers discreetly help out the IHSAA. But most of the state doesn't know anything about it.....why is that?
It's because of one of the dumbest rules in all of sports, the NBA's "75 mile marketing rule"! This rule states that the team can't promote outside a 75 mile radius from Indianapolis. How insane is this?
This rule means the Pacers can't advertise in southern Indiana, which is a fertile potential fan base. It means they can't market their own great youth program in communities like Marengo, Evansville, New Albany, or even Larry Bird's home town of French Lick.
This also means that cities infected with Hoosier hysteria can't hear a peep fron the Pacers in the north as well, as anyone more than about an hour away from Conseco Fieldhouse is excluded from the program.
Imagine if the Pacers could hang banners in every high school gym in the state, sponsor the Indiana All Stars, invite teams from all 4 corners of the state (or even entire communities) to games as special guests, have players make appearances in small rural towns that love the game, provide tshirts and wristbands and hats to every elementary basketball player, host the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame members for a game, get mentioned in every high school game radio broadcast as a sponsor, or provide balls and equipment to poorer YMCA's and Boys/Girls Clubs south of Paoli or north of Lafayette. Think we might have some more young fans developing a love for the team? Instead, kids in these areas either don't follow the NBA or they end up being fans of other players or teams.
David Stern, you need to get with it!
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I know this is a small thing that probably doesn't matter, but why did we send Larry Bird to the draft lottery show?
Bird seems to hate that type stuff, and he is about as telegenic as Elmer Fudd.
It seems to me the smartest marketing move would have been to send Granger, just to give him some TV time and more press. Especially if we had actually won it.
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I also wish our Pacers had more of a presence at the speedway. I wonder how much it would have been to sponsor a car, or even better to sponsor some other part of the event? How about a Pacer related pace car...what would that cost?
If I were the Pacers, I'd be selling Pacers gear big time near the track, I'd have an autograph booth out there, I'd litter each parked car with a promotional flyer. You know what else would be neat? If the Pacers combined forces with a local brewery and came up with a special Pacers beer or flavored drinks.....something like "Larry's Lager" or "Pacers Punch", just to market at Conseco, or at sporting events within the state's borders, or maybe just at the race.
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The CIB needs money, we hear that every day.
How about a basketball tournament?
Let's call it the real "Indiana Classic", and the teams can play for the "Governors Cup".
The teams can be the college D1 teams in Indiana: IU, Purdue, Notre Dame, IUPUI, Butler, Evansville, IUPFW, Ball State, Valporaiso, and Indiana State....I might be forgetting somebody else. Anyway, play these games ove the Christmas break, sell the tv rights to someone, and try to recreate the old high school sectional type atmosphere. You could play these games in about 3 or 4 days, and I think it sells out.
What do you think?
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Ok, I admit it: I actually like Bob Kravitz usually.
In person, he is a nice guy I think. And usually, I understand his job is to create discussion and get attention for the paper.
But his criticism of bloggers the other day in the paper (which I just read today) aggravates me.
I understood Bob's larger point about losing the personal touch in everyday life, and how that some people hide behind a keyboard to hurl insults and disrespect in a way they wouldnt have the courage to do so otherwise.
But I saw no reason to criticize some of our fellow local sports bloggers over at some popular Colts sites that many of us probably read, such as 18to88 and stampedeblue, just because they use screen names instead of their real ones.
That was a classic red herring argument, hiding the real fact that quality writing at sites like those football oriented sites, and the popular indycornrows blog along with the outstanding Pacersdigest we each know and love is threatening to run normal writers like Kravitz out of business.
In this article in the Star, Kravitz criticizes bloggers by touting the greater access he has, and telling us that if we are as deserving as he is, to apply for a press credential. Let me tell you this Bob: I've had a press credential once this year, and when I did you and many other local tv media chose to stay in the press room, eat, drink beer, and gossip instead of go to the press conference or even watch the entire game!
Access isnt an advantage for a professional writer unless he cares enough about his craft to actually use it. And quite frankly Bob, it has been pretty easy to tell for a long time that you don't actually care that much about doing your job as well as you used to....in fact, you mail it in most of the time anymore, forcing passionate, intelligent fans to use other means to discuss things and stay informed about teams you don't really care about Bob!
Maybe instead of being critical Bob, you can learn something about writing with passion, instead of indifference. Maybe you can read a well written blog at stampedeblue or here on Pacersdigest and learn to respect your audience of readers, instead of your normal snarky attitude. Maybe you can educate us instead of talk down to us, and make us think instead of make us angry.
The bloggers aren't the problem Bob, your lack of quality writing and a sincere appreciation for your craft is. There are a huge amount of people on here Bob who know more about the NBA and its issues than you do, and unlike you they all have jobs outside sports to take care of full time. But yet, they get scoops you don't, they give in depth takes on things you gloss over or ignore, and they have a passionate following, while you are either hated or just tolerated/ignored. You are turning into the sportswriting version of Billy Packer....and the sad thing is, you aren't really that bad compared to some other writers in other cities, who are even worse.
The problem is Bob that you don't appreciate how good you have it. You have one of the dream jobs many of us would kill to have, and yet you just loaf your way thru things, complaining and giving half-assed effort in your work. I know you can be a better writer than you have been Bob, but you need to seriously dedicate yourself again to your craft instead of griping about the people who you should be trying to write to.
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My draft analysis pieces will begin over the weekend. I've watched so much game films and Tivo the last few weeks my eyes are crossed. But, I enjoy the task of breaking down players in the end, even if it is time consuming. Like last year, I'll have about 12-15 or so profiles in detail, maybe a few more if time allows. I will not be doing players who have no chance to get to us, so there will be no previews of Hill from Arizona, for example. I also am going to omit any foreign players, or any players I havent seen or am having problems getting film on. I've been struggling getting Eric Maynor games for example, but I do have that problem solved and will be breaking him down eventually.
So far, I must say that this is a tougher class to get a read on than this years, but I am excited about all of the point guard possibilities....there seems to be reasonably good depth at a traditionally difficult spot to fill.
I'm sure Ill be doing most of the players you would want me to do anyway, but if anyone has any special requests of a player you want me to do outside the box, put it in this thread and Ill try and make it happen, if possible. I hope to get at least 2 posted this weekend, maybe 3 if I finish them completely.
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As it turns out, I guess I was wrong....this turned out to be about as long as I normally write.....being succinct is not my speciality I guess!
As always, all the above is just my opinion.
Tbird
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First of all, a big community thank you to the Indianapolis Colts and owner Jim Irsay for stepping up and keeping the IHSAA football state finals in Lucas Oil Stadium.
The IHSAA announced today in a press release that the Colts have agreed to sponsor the entire IHSAA football tournament, with games all across Indiana at the sectional, regional, and semi-state level, before culminating in the annual 2 day state finals for the five classes that takes place around thanksgiving.
For those of you who do not know the background of this, the IHSAA was going to be forced to move the state football championships due to the severe price increase charged by the CIB to the IHSAA for use of the facility. That was a severe thorn in my side as high school sports supporter, as it seemed very wrong to me that a building paid for on the backs of the Indiana taxpayers wasn't going to be used to support our own Indiana student athletes.
Essentially from what I have read so far, it appears that the Colts are going to make up the difference in cost between the state finals former home (the dearly departed RCA Dome) to the brand new spectacular Lucas Oil Stadium. In return the Colts will bask in the good press, and will likely have a marketing presence in high schools that play football all across the state, from Evansville to Michigan City and all points in between.
The cynic in me wants to point out that some of this is being done as solely a media ploy to distract from the Colts not agreeing to volunteer to help the CIB out of its finacial mess (even though I am someone who doesn't think the Colts should be blamed for making a good deal), but even if this is just a cynical ploy to gain goodwill, it still makes me happy that the many student athletes and football fans will be the ones that benefit. Over 50,000 people watched the state finals 2 day extravaganza this past season, and playing in such a world class facility is a great thrill for the many student athletes whose teams advance that far.
It obviously is a great move marketing wise by the Colts as well, who once again prove that they (and the NFL as a whole) GETS IT.....from the recent deal with Comcast to the memorable tour the Colts gave the Lombardi trophy all across the Hoosier state.
No matter the motivation, let's give a big PD thank you to Jim Irsay and the Indianapolis Colts!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pacers head honcho Jim Morris also understands marketing opportunities, but is hamstrung quite often by the idiotic policies of the NBA big wigs in New York.
While the Colts are getting front page headlines for doing something minimal today, the Pacers have been a sponsor of the IHSAA for much longer....how many of you knew that?
The Pacers in fact last year implemented an outstanding program designed to help out young basketball players. It is on their team website, and was distributed in a press release that only a few ever saw across the state. In it, the Pacers buy uniforms for and sponsor entire youth basketball teams and organizations, hang banners in the participating facilities, and provide merchandise and even game tickets for young participants from ages 5 on up, both boys and girls. I suspect that they are even having some people in the organization make appearances, although I don't know that for sure.
This Pacers "youth basketball" drive is admirable, and a great idea to help promote the game, the team, and the NBA. And it is also great that the Pacers discreetly help out the IHSAA. But most of the state doesn't know anything about it.....why is that?
It's because of one of the dumbest rules in all of sports, the NBA's "75 mile marketing rule"! This rule states that the team can't promote outside a 75 mile radius from Indianapolis. How insane is this?
This rule means the Pacers can't advertise in southern Indiana, which is a fertile potential fan base. It means they can't market their own great youth program in communities like Marengo, Evansville, New Albany, or even Larry Bird's home town of French Lick.
This also means that cities infected with Hoosier hysteria can't hear a peep fron the Pacers in the north as well, as anyone more than about an hour away from Conseco Fieldhouse is excluded from the program.
Imagine if the Pacers could hang banners in every high school gym in the state, sponsor the Indiana All Stars, invite teams from all 4 corners of the state (or even entire communities) to games as special guests, have players make appearances in small rural towns that love the game, provide tshirts and wristbands and hats to every elementary basketball player, host the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame members for a game, get mentioned in every high school game radio broadcast as a sponsor, or provide balls and equipment to poorer YMCA's and Boys/Girls Clubs south of Paoli or north of Lafayette. Think we might have some more young fans developing a love for the team? Instead, kids in these areas either don't follow the NBA or they end up being fans of other players or teams.
David Stern, you need to get with it!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
I know this is a small thing that probably doesn't matter, but why did we send Larry Bird to the draft lottery show?
Bird seems to hate that type stuff, and he is about as telegenic as Elmer Fudd.
It seems to me the smartest marketing move would have been to send Granger, just to give him some TV time and more press. Especially if we had actually won it.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
I also wish our Pacers had more of a presence at the speedway. I wonder how much it would have been to sponsor a car, or even better to sponsor some other part of the event? How about a Pacer related pace car...what would that cost?
If I were the Pacers, I'd be selling Pacers gear big time near the track, I'd have an autograph booth out there, I'd litter each parked car with a promotional flyer. You know what else would be neat? If the Pacers combined forces with a local brewery and came up with a special Pacers beer or flavored drinks.....something like "Larry's Lager" or "Pacers Punch", just to market at Conseco, or at sporting events within the state's borders, or maybe just at the race.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
The CIB needs money, we hear that every day.
How about a basketball tournament?
Let's call it the real "Indiana Classic", and the teams can play for the "Governors Cup".
The teams can be the college D1 teams in Indiana: IU, Purdue, Notre Dame, IUPUI, Butler, Evansville, IUPFW, Ball State, Valporaiso, and Indiana State....I might be forgetting somebody else. Anyway, play these games ove the Christmas break, sell the tv rights to someone, and try to recreate the old high school sectional type atmosphere. You could play these games in about 3 or 4 days, and I think it sells out.
What do you think?
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Ok, I admit it: I actually like Bob Kravitz usually.
In person, he is a nice guy I think. And usually, I understand his job is to create discussion and get attention for the paper.
But his criticism of bloggers the other day in the paper (which I just read today) aggravates me.
I understood Bob's larger point about losing the personal touch in everyday life, and how that some people hide behind a keyboard to hurl insults and disrespect in a way they wouldnt have the courage to do so otherwise.
But I saw no reason to criticize some of our fellow local sports bloggers over at some popular Colts sites that many of us probably read, such as 18to88 and stampedeblue, just because they use screen names instead of their real ones.
That was a classic red herring argument, hiding the real fact that quality writing at sites like those football oriented sites, and the popular indycornrows blog along with the outstanding Pacersdigest we each know and love is threatening to run normal writers like Kravitz out of business.
In this article in the Star, Kravitz criticizes bloggers by touting the greater access he has, and telling us that if we are as deserving as he is, to apply for a press credential. Let me tell you this Bob: I've had a press credential once this year, and when I did you and many other local tv media chose to stay in the press room, eat, drink beer, and gossip instead of go to the press conference or even watch the entire game!
Access isnt an advantage for a professional writer unless he cares enough about his craft to actually use it. And quite frankly Bob, it has been pretty easy to tell for a long time that you don't actually care that much about doing your job as well as you used to....in fact, you mail it in most of the time anymore, forcing passionate, intelligent fans to use other means to discuss things and stay informed about teams you don't really care about Bob!
Maybe instead of being critical Bob, you can learn something about writing with passion, instead of indifference. Maybe you can read a well written blog at stampedeblue or here on Pacersdigest and learn to respect your audience of readers, instead of your normal snarky attitude. Maybe you can educate us instead of talk down to us, and make us think instead of make us angry.
The bloggers aren't the problem Bob, your lack of quality writing and a sincere appreciation for your craft is. There are a huge amount of people on here Bob who know more about the NBA and its issues than you do, and unlike you they all have jobs outside sports to take care of full time. But yet, they get scoops you don't, they give in depth takes on things you gloss over or ignore, and they have a passionate following, while you are either hated or just tolerated/ignored. You are turning into the sportswriting version of Billy Packer....and the sad thing is, you aren't really that bad compared to some other writers in other cities, who are even worse.
The problem is Bob that you don't appreciate how good you have it. You have one of the dream jobs many of us would kill to have, and yet you just loaf your way thru things, complaining and giving half-assed effort in your work. I know you can be a better writer than you have been Bob, but you need to seriously dedicate yourself again to your craft instead of griping about the people who you should be trying to write to.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
My draft analysis pieces will begin over the weekend. I've watched so much game films and Tivo the last few weeks my eyes are crossed. But, I enjoy the task of breaking down players in the end, even if it is time consuming. Like last year, I'll have about 12-15 or so profiles in detail, maybe a few more if time allows. I will not be doing players who have no chance to get to us, so there will be no previews of Hill from Arizona, for example. I also am going to omit any foreign players, or any players I havent seen or am having problems getting film on. I've been struggling getting Eric Maynor games for example, but I do have that problem solved and will be breaking him down eventually.
So far, I must say that this is a tougher class to get a read on than this years, but I am excited about all of the point guard possibilities....there seems to be reasonably good depth at a traditionally difficult spot to fill.
I'm sure Ill be doing most of the players you would want me to do anyway, but if anyone has any special requests of a player you want me to do outside the box, put it in this thread and Ill try and make it happen, if possible. I hope to get at least 2 posted this weekend, maybe 3 if I finish them completely.
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As it turns out, I guess I was wrong....this turned out to be about as long as I normally write.....being succinct is not my speciality I guess!
As always, all the above is just my opinion.
Tbird
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