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

Indiana University Athletics Thread 2012-2013

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Re: Indiana University Athletics Thread 2012-2013

    So here's my take, that was a war and we still won against a team that has a size advantage on us (MSU basically rolls out an NBA lineup size wise) and a team that shot way, way, way over their heads (they are shooting 34% from 3 on the season, Payne had the same number of 3s today as he had hit all year coming into the game).

    These two teams are going to be big factors in March because they have that rare combination on offense of being able to score inside and out. In fact, MSU and IU are probably both built better for March than Mich which lacks a true interior scoring presence.

    I don't know how Derrick Nix manages to play more than two minutes. He looks like he consumes several team meals all by himself every day. But the guy certainly knows how to use his giant *** on offense and defense. Made Cody's life a living hell on both sides of the court today. Glad Cody was still able to shake it and make two key plays.

    What can you say about Vic that hasn't already been said? If he is not a top ten pick in this draft then I don't know who is. His jumper is lightyears ahead of where it once was and his defense and pacing is just otherworldly right now. Made everyone else look like they were moving in slow motion.

    Yogi is special. His command of this team for a freshman is truly impressive. We are lucky he is smaller otherwise he wouldn't be here very long.

    I give credit to Perea for keeping a big wide base and drawing the 4th foul on Nix when he gave him the chicken wing. That was smart defense. When it clicks for him he will be a very valuable player, hopefully it happens this year. Ditto for Hollowell.

    Hulls free throw shooting is just bizarre. I have no idea what is going on, but did someone voodoo curse him? When was the last time he hit 2 in a row? The most unexplainable event surrounding this IU team right now.

    The zone D. Here's my take, I liked how we were using it early, swapping it in every 5 possessions or so just to give MSU a different look. We started relying on it more and more as the game went on and I don't like that, but I do like showing it as a change of pace. That being said, there is absolutely no reason to run the zone this Wednesday against Purdue, which I agree is a trap game. We need to play man to man that game and not let them hit like 15 3s as that is their best shot. I think Yogi can really dominate that game if he is hitting his jumper as he has been the past couple games.

    All things considered, any time you can beat a Michigan State team that is playing well you take it and run. Really solid job by the Hoosiers all things considered. MSU was not going to let us check out without a fight...though you wonder what might have happened if Vic's three had dropped when it was 28-19 IU....


    Comment


    • Re: Indiana University Athletics Thread 2012-2013

      So I guess it's hate week. IU's a dirty hippie school! Zeller's a soft bum!

      Comment


      • Re: Indiana University Athletics Thread 2012-2013

        Originally posted by Heisenberg View Post
        So I guess it's hate week. IU's a dirty hippie school! Zeller's a soft bum!
        Don't you have a cow you should be asking out on a date?


        Comment


        • Re: Indiana University Athletics Thread 2012-2013

          So Cal agrees to play a home and home with UNC, but won't with IU? Uh, what?


          Comment


          • Re: Indiana University Athletics Thread 2012-2013

            IU/Purdue weeks are especially fun for me. I will enjoy wearing my IU apparel around Purdue's campus more than the usual. I'm considering going to the game at Mackey, but I'll probably cheap out and watch from home. Still, those $50 tickets on CircleCityTickets and StubHub are tempting.
            Take me out to the black, tell 'em I ain't coming back. Burn the land and boil the sea, you can't take the sky from me.

            Comment


            • Re: Indiana University Athletics Thread 2012-2013

              Take care of the pesky runt little brother first, then battle the bully who lives one street over, giving him the business on Saturday night. That one should be #1 vs. #3.
              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


              • Re: Indiana University Athletics Thread 2012-2013

                Lots of IU talk on Dakich right now.


                Comment


                • Re: Indiana University Athletics Thread 2012-2013

                  Originally posted by Trader Joe View Post
                  Lots of IU talk on Dakich right now.
                  Any nuggets to pass along?

                  Comment


                  • Re: Indiana University Athletics Thread 2012-2013

                    Originally posted by cdash View Post
                    Any nuggets to pass along?
                    IU crowd is best crowd in the country. Think the zone was a problem, but bigger problem was doubling the post for too long, he says he doesn't think we will do that in next game. Thinks we will say to Nix that he will have to beat us by himself if that is how they are going to play. Painter is supposed to be on later, he's gonna be talking about IU/Purdue.


                    Comment


                    • Re: Indiana University Athletics Thread 2012-2013

                      Here's an ESPN Insider article talking about the Zeller/Oladipo NBA prospect. Thought it was pretty interesting. I've made some off hand comments how much I like Oladipo and Chad Ford seems to agree. I'm not 100% sure if that is a good thing or bad thing for my argument.

                      http://insider.espn.go.com/mens-coll...na-best-player

                      Originally posted by Jay Bilas & Chad Ford, ESPN.com
                      The discussion: Who is Indiana's best player: Cody Zeller or Victor Oladipo?

                      Jay Bilas: To some, this may be a distinction without a difference and doesn't matter at all in a team game. And this is the perfect time to have this discussion, because we are coming off of a two-game stretch in which Zeller had his two worst games of the season while Oladipo has been at his best. In the past two months, I have been struck by how many basketball commentators seem to revel in saying that Oladipo is Indiana's best player. He is not.

                      I have heard several commentators, a couple of whom are respected voices who have been in the game for a long time, state that Oladipo is Indiana's best player "by far" and that "it's not even close." Reasonable minds can differ on such matters, but I do not agree. In fact, I disagree entirely.

                      Don't get me wrong. Oladipo, out of DeMatha (Md.), is a terrific player and is having a great season. He is among the best and most versatile defenders in the country who can guard multiple positions and get steals and deflections at a high rate. On the offensive end, Oladipo is much improved and has been hitting open shots, driving and getting to the foul line. He is a high-energy player who affects the game at both ends, and he has proved to be among the top 30 most effective players in the nation, in my judgment. I believe he is a first-round NBA draft pick.

                      However, he is not Indiana's best player. Cody Zeller is.

                      Zeller is Indiana's top scorer, averaging 16.0 points on just nine shots per game (Oladipo averages 13.9 points on eight shots per game). Zeller is also the Hoosiers' top rebounder, averaging 8.1 -- including 2.7 offensively -- a game. Oladipo is third on the team in rebounding, averaging 6.0 -- and also 2.7 offensively -- a game.

                      Both Zeller and Oladipo shoot high percentages, with Oladipo shooting 66 percent from the field and 55 percent from 3-point range, while Zeller shoots 60 percent from the field. Zeller is more productive from the free throw line, shooting twice as many free throws and hitting a better percentage. Oladipo has twice the number of steals as Zeller, and Zeller has twice the number of blocked shots. Oladipo can guard more positions than can Zeller, but Zeller guards the post, the one position that Oladipo can't guard. Zeller is the guy whom opposing defenses double, and he is the first player on the opponent's scouting report.

                      The only thing that suggests Oladipo is Indiana's best player is surprise. Few expected Oladipo, a career 49 percent shooter (and 25 percent 3-point shooter), to have the season he is having. Oladipo already has managed as many steals this season as he had all of last season, and as many 3-point field goals this season as he has in his career. It's fair to state that Oladipo is Indiana's "heart and soul" or "most complete player" -- or Indiana's "best leader" -- but I think the label of Indiana's best player belongs to Zeller, and only Zeller. Zeller is a team player who is not a volume shooter and does not require touches to keep playing and to be a great teammate.

                      I believe most NBA personnel would agree that Zeller is Indiana's best player and prospect, despite the legitimate questions about his NBA future. There is disagreement as to just how effective Zeller will be in the NBA in the long run, but it is clear that he is a surefire lottery selection. With his ability to run the floor, face up and drive -- and with his skill level -- Zeller has value in the NBA. He needs to be a higher volume rebounder and to be more assertive, and he needs to be able to consistently hit a face-up jumper to range. Plus, he is not a shot-blocker. However, he can be a starter in the NBA, and he does not need the ball to play.

                      Chad Ford: A little more than a month ago, I had Zeller atop our list of the best college players in the country and had him ranked as a top-three prospect in the NBA draft.

                      Oladipo's shooting percentages -- and NBA draft stock -- have risen dramatically this season.

                      A month later, it's harder for me to argue for either ranking. As far as top college players go, his production simply doesn't quite reach the level of some of his competition. In fact, I think it's fair to argue that teammate Oladipo actually might be more valuable to the Hoosiers right now.

                      I know Jay disagrees and makes the statistical argument for Zeller. But after watching Indiana the past month, I understand those who side with Oladipo as well. He plays so hard, is so disruptive on the defensive end and sets the tone for this Indiana team. It certainly feels as if it's Oladipo, not Zeller, who sets the pace for the Hoosiers.

                      And if you want advanced stats for support, Ken Pomeroy's Offensive Rating has Oladipo slightly ahead of Zeller. Yes, Zeller rebounds slightly more than Oladipo, but Zeller is 6-foot-11 and Oladipo just 6-5. Zeller's rebounding rate for a big man is very average. Oladipo's rebounding rate is excellent for a guard. Oladipo shoots a higher percentage than Zeller despite the fact Zeller's shots are much closer to the basket. Oladipo's shooting percentages as a guard are ridiculously good.

                      Oladipo certainly was the best player on the floor Sunday against Michigan State. His 21 points (on 8-of-12 shooting), 7 rebounds, 6 steals and 3 blocks terrorized Michigan State on both ends of the floor. Once again, he was the engine that made Indiana run.
                      Zeller, matched up against the Spartans' big, athletic front line, struggled. He ended the game with just nine points on 2-of-7 shooting and seemed to shrink a bit from the physical play in the paint. Meanwhile, the Spartans' big man, Adreian Payne, produced against Zeller what might have been his best game of the season, with 18 points, nine rebounds and three 3-pointers.

                      As far as best college players go, Oladipo, Michigan's Trey Burke, Creighton's Doug McDermott, Gonzaga's Kelly Olynyk and my personal favorite, Kansas' Ben McLemore, all would get the nod over Zeller at the moment.

                      NBA scouts are having an even harder time with Zeller right now. Teams are struggling to get their arms around what position he'll guard at the next level. He's not big or strong enough to be an NBA center. But the Michigan State game highlighted some of the issues with Zeller playing the 4.

                      More and more NBA big men can take it out past the 3-point line to stretch the floor. Zeller struggled all day guarding that shot from Payne, who made Zeller and Indiana pay. Offensively, while Zeller is incredibly efficient, his best skill is his ability to run the floor and get out ahead on the break. He's truly spectacular in the open floor in college. But at the NBA level? Can you name one NBA team that consistently leads the break with its big man? It's a skill that's unlikely to be particularly helpful in the NBA. Zeller's biggest NBA fans remain the stat heads; his high-efficiency game measures out nicely on a number of different metrics.

                      Don't get me wrong. I still think Zeller is an elite college basketball player and has enough skills/intangibles to be a good NBA player. But right now it's hard to justify him potentially being the No. 1 pick in the draft or the college basketball player of the year. In the past month, Zeller has dropped to No. 7 on my Top 100 and is in danger of dropping several more spots if his production doesn't rise in the last month of the season.

                      Oladipo's draft stock? He's steadily risen on draft boards all season. He's currently sitting at No. 17 on our Top 100 and, given his trajectory and Zeller's fall, I don't think it's out of the question that Oladipo goes ahead of Zeller on draft night.
                      "I had to take her down like Chris Brown."

                      -Lance Stephenson

                      Comment


                      • Re: Indiana University Athletics Thread 2012-2013

                        IU third in both polls. Kansas number 1 in USA Today. Michigan number 1 in AP.


                        Comment


                        • Re: Indiana University Athletics Thread 2012-2013

                          Painter on Dakich next talking Wednesday


                          Comment


                          • Re: Indiana University Athletics Thread 2012-2013

                            Rumor that Knight may call the game on Saturday?


                            Comment


                            • Re: Indiana University Athletics Thread 2012-2013

                              Ready for IU to lose all of their games this week? I am. BOILER UP
                              Smothered Chicken!

                              Comment


                              • Re: Indiana University Athletics Thread 2012-2013

                                Originally posted by Coopdog23 View Post
                                Ready for IU to lose all of their games this week? I am. BOILER UP
                                We play more than one game this week?


                                Comment

                                Working...
                                X