Announcement

Collapse

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.
See more
See less

Luck's run out for Indy football/Jason Whitlock

Collapse
X
Collapse
 
  • Page of 1
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
Previous template Next
  • #1

    Luck's run out for Indy football/Jason Whitlock

    I was going to post it in the main page because he talks about the Pacers a bit, either way I think he is crazy

    http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/a...s-colts-010312

    Andrew Luck might want to consult a former Stanford QB legend about how to handle the NFL draft.



    Twenty-nine years ago, John Elway refused to play for Bob Irsay’s Colts, forcing a trade to the Denver Broncos. Luck, Stanford’s latest can’t-miss passer, may want to avoid playing for Jim Irsay’s Colts, the team with the top pick in the 2012 draft.

    That is not written to analogize Irsay father to Irsay son in regards to football ownership. Jim Irsay, while quirky, has established a solid reputation as an NFL owner and restored a measure of respectability to a last name best known for a midnight abandonment of Baltimore.

    Nope. Luck should consider avoiding Irsay and the Colts to avoid the seemingly inevitable bad fate that awaits the franchise.

    Indiana’s football bubble is bursting.

    I’m a Hoosier. I was born and raised in Indianapolis. I was a high school junior when the Mayflower trucks Bob Irsay rented arrived in Naptown, delivering the Colts from Baltimore. I attended the draft party when the Colts made my high school teammate Jeff George the top pick of the 1990 draft. I know the history of the state and the Indianapolis Colts.

    For 15 years, I’ve watched in stunned disbelief as Peyton Manning transformed Indiana from a basketball state to a football state.

    I say it’s over. I say it’s not a coincidence that the Manning era is crumbling in the same year my little hometown is hosting the Super Bowl. The whole thing is playing out like a movie script, a comedic satire. It’s Trading Places, and I’m Billy Ray Valentine with inside information on when it’s time to “sell, sell, sell.”

    On Monday, Jim Irsay justifiably and appropriately fired the best football executive in league history, Bill Polian. Polian built the four-time Super Bowl-qualifier Buffalo Bills. He turned the expansion Carolina Panthers into instant contenders. He had success in the Canadian Football League. He drafted Peyton Manning over Ryan Leaf. Polian acquired Tony Dungy to get the Colts over the Super Bowl hump.



    SEE YOU IN WISCONSIN?
    Yes, the NFL postseason is finally upon us, and the road to Indy runs through Green Bay and New England. See the full schedule.
    Polian had to be fired. He installed his inept son as general manager and he built a roster and coaching staff that were too reliant on Peyton Manning. Polian had to go. The Colts’ lack of preparedness for Manning’s absence due to injury and Manning’s new contract were fireable offenses.

    So the Colts lose a man I regard as the best in the business. It now also appears the Colts will lose the man some regard as the best quarterback to ever lace up a pair of cleats. Manning’s uninjured neck isn’t walking back in Lucas Oil Stadium. If Manning ever returns to the playing field, it’s difficult to imagine him returning to his all-world form.

    In the year my hometown is host to the crown jewel in sports, the Colts lose the NFL’s top personnel man and are likely to lose the top QB. This is fate. The Colts are toast.

    Jim Irsay is starting from scratch. Can he find another Bill Polian?

    Again, I’m not bad-mouthing Jim Irsay. I’m saying fate is at work. Indiana’s football bubble is bursting. The Hoosier state is returning to its basketball roots.

    As I’ve mentioned in previous columns, Manning’s ascension in Indiana coincided with Bob Knight’s departure from Indiana University, the Ron Artest-induced fall of the Indiana Pacers and the destruction of single-class high school basketball.


    CONTACT JASON WHITLOCK If you have a question or comment for Jason, submit it below and he may just respond.
    Subject:

    Comment/Question:

    Name:

    Email Address:

    Hometown:



    Is it a coincidence that in the same year my little hometown hosts the Super Bowl, the Indiana Hoosiers knock off the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in college basketball in a span of three weeks? Tom Crean’s Hoosiers just happen to become relevant at the same time the Colts finish 2-14.

    Have I mentioned that Larry Bird has built the deepest, most versatile Pacers team since the late 1990s teams he coached deep into the playoffs and all the way to the NBA Finals? Yeah, the Pacers are relevant again. They’re 4-1 and a point-guard-upgrade from being a serious title contender.

    I love football. I played college football. But I’m a Hoosier. We’re basketball people. This Peyton Manning-Bill Polian-Tony Dungy thing never really made sense in Indiana. It can’t be sustained. Manning, Polian and Dungy were great imports. We produce Oscar Robertsons and Larry Birds naturally.

    Suck for Luck was a nice little campaign, but smart Hoosiers really want to see Eric Gordon come home, wear the Pacers blue and gold and rekindle memories of Reggie Miller.

    Someone warn Andrew Luck that Indy’s football era is dead. It’s time for “Boom, baby!”
    @WhatTheFFacts: Studies show that sarcasm enhances the ability of the human mind to solve complex problems!
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Re: Luck's run out for Indy football/Jason Whitlock

    Wow. I didn't know he was this dumb.

    We'll never support a winner in the NFL, why? Meh, I dunno. We like basketball?

    Good article.

    Comment

    • #3
      Re: Luck's run out for Indy football/Jason Whitlock

      Whitlock loves to stir the pot as much as Kravitz.

      His point that prior to the 80s NFL football was pretty much unnoticed in Indiana is completely true, and that basketball is indeed deep-down more dear, but I suspect the the genie doesn't go back into the bottle even if Peyton Manning never plays another down. NFL football has a following in Indiana, as it does elsewhere, and it will endure.

      Indiana University football, on the other hand... geesh. That's been in fix-it mode ever since Mallory was fired for taking us to Bluebonnet bowls with 7-5 teams every year, the type of seasons we now long for.
      The poster "pacertom" since this forum began (and before!). I changed my name here to "Slick Pinkham" in honor of the imaginary player That Bobby "Slick" Leonard picked late in the 1971 ABA draft (true story!).

      Comment

      • #4
        Re: Luck's run out for Indy football/Jason Whitlock

        Originally posted by Slick Pinkham View Post
        His point that prior to the 80s NFL football was pretty much unnoticed in Indiana is completely true...
        No, no it's not true, not even by a longshot. Just because there was no professional team in Indiana prior to that doesn't mean there were no football fans here. There are still plenty of Bears and Steelers fans here that were fans before the Colts arrived. The entire northern half of the state cares more about the Bears than any other NFL team. When the Colts moved their training camp to Terre Haute, there were still more Bears fans there than Colts fans. There are still a lot of Bengals fans in the southeastern part of the state as well. Yes it's true that basketball is the first love of our state, but the NFL was VERY far from unnoticed before the Colts arrived.

        Comment

        • #5
          Re: Luck's run out for Indy football/Jason Whitlock

          Polian acquired Tony Dungy to get the Colts over the Super Bowl hump.

          Jason Whitlock proves himself to be an idiot with that statement right there.... Dungy was Irsay's choice the entire time. Frankly Polian and Dungy did not care for each other and yet somehow managed to coexist. Since he's gone what the heck.... I had a few conversations with Dungy's personal assistant and she pretty much stated if it wasn't for Irsay's relationship with Dungy he would have been gone much sooner because of Polian and his attitude.
          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....

          Comment

          • #6
            Re: Luck's run out for Indy football/Jason Whitlock

            Luck calls up his agent. . .

            Luck: "Hey, I think we're gonna have to pull an Eli and get away from Indy."

            Agent: "Why, worried about sitting behind Manning?"

            Luck: "No, man. Jason Whitlock says that their football bubble is bursting."

            Agent: ". . ."
            You, Never? Did the Kenosha Kid?

            Comment

            • #7
              Re: Luck's run out for Indy football/Jason Whitlock

              Also, I'm fine with considering Polian one of the best ever, but I would submit that the "best football executive in league history" should have more than one superbowl victory.
              You, Never? Did the Kenosha Kid?

              Comment

              • #8
                Re: Luck's run out for Indy football/Jason Whitlock

                Originally posted by xBulletproof View Post
                Wow. I didn't know he was this dumb.
                That mid-80s Warren Central education at work.
                "Nobody wants to play against Tyler Hansbrough NO BODY!" ~ Frank Vogel

                "And David put his hand in the bag and took out a stone and slung it. And it struck the Philistine on the head and he fell to the ground. Amen. "

                Comment

                Previous template Next
                Working...
                X