I was going to just title this one "where I think the Pacers went wrong", but then I would have been going back to before when a lot of you were born.
So I've gone with the above route instead, I thought it would be good for a laugh anyway. Becuase I have a feeling there won't be much laughing on this thread.
First a disclaimer.
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WARNING, YOU ARE ABOUT TO ENTER A THREAD THAT WILL CRITICIZE PACERS MANAGEMENT FOR RECENT DECISIONS. WHILE THAT IS POPULAR TO DO ON HERE NOW, THIS WILL NOT BE OF THE "OH THEY GOT SCREWED IN THAT GOLDEN STATE TRADE" VEIN OF THINKING. SO IF YOU ARE A FAN OF THE FOLLOWING (JERMAINE O'NEAL, DONNIE WALSH, HERB SIMON, JAMAAL TINSLEY, STEPHEN JACKSON, RON ARTES OR ANTHONY JOHNSON) YOU WILL WANT TO SKIP THIS ENTIRE THREAD. ALSO IF WHEN I (MEANING ME PECK) POST AND HAVE STRONG OPINIONS AND THIS OFFENDS YOU TO YOUR VERY CORE PLEASE SKIP THIS ENTIRE THREAD AS WELL, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED
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Ok, if your still here you either have an open mind, are looking for a fight or just have nothing better to do.
This probably will not be a very long post, contrary to what my above warning indicates but it is going to be filled with very & I mean very unpopular opinions stated by me.
Here goes nothing.
The entire Pacers franchise went to crap on November 21, 2004.
Why November 21 you ask and not November 19? Well one could argue that November 19 was the actual day that it went to crap and I would be hard pressed to disagree however the reason I pick November 21, 2004 is because that is the day that the franchise could have set it all right, they didn't do it and on that day they not only planted the seeds that would turn the fan base against them they watered and fertalized it as well.
November 21, 2004 was the day that Herb Simon could have held a press conferance with a grim looking Donnie Walsh standing behind or beside him. In that press conferance he could have addressed the fans of Indiana and the entire world (because let's face it by that time it was worldwide news) and explained that the Indiana Pacers franchise was not going to tolerate this type of behavior from it's players. He could have announced sweeping suspensions for some of our players. He could have announced massive fines and orders for community service for some of our other players. He could have looked into the camera and told everybody how ashamed he was that our team was involved in this fiasco. Now to be fair he also could have and should have complained about the lack of security from the Palace and he could have even complained about the referee's, Ben Wallace and even the entire NBA's lack of control. I don't think anybody but Piston fans would have faulted him for making those last comments.
Donnie Walsh could have come to the mic and explained that in his 20 plus years with the club that he had never had to deal with this and that he was sorry about this. He could have assured us this would never happen again and that steps were being taken right now to ensure that each and every player who wears a Pacers uniform would understand that there is an acceptable and an unacceptable way of conducting themselves.
Then some designated Pacer (probably Reggie or Croshere) could have taken the mic and said that while they understood the players in question were acting in self defense it was the job of every team member left to compete at their highest level and that they would make sure Indiana fans would be proud of their effort if not their results.
But none of this happened.
Instead we got the "we stand behind our players" talk that has now become so famous here in Indiana.
Now again this is all my opinion and I know most of you will disagree with me on this. But let's just take a jog down my fantasy land lane shall we?
In my mind the Pacers inform the NBA commisioner of this on November 20 a full day before they tell anyone else.
David Stern who is under immense pressure from businesses who advertise with the NBA to put his foot down, now can ease up a little bit. Sure he still is going to have to say that this is the worst thing ever yada, yada, yada and Artest may still get the season long boot.
But if the Pacers orginazation lays the hammer down first he then is under no real pressure to spay an neuter the franchise. In other words he could have just punished the players, but as it was he had to make sure the entire world knew that the team was being punished.
My opinion on this has always been that if the Pacers had shown contricion and a willingness to clean our own house instead of defiance Stern would have lightened up. Do I have proof of this? No, so if you wanna say I'm nuts feel free. Remember this is opinion and mine is no more valid than yours.
Also it would have said to some of our fans, "hey we don't tolerate this ***** either".
Now remember as I've been trying to tell everybody for years and years on here. Ron Artest was far more popular online than he ever was at the fieldhouse. Sure he got some cheers but he also had the catcalls as well for some of his antics (no not like Jackson got, but he got some nonetheless)
While 98% of the fans on this board were ready to fight with anybody who dared question that maybe Ron was wrong, a lot of people around Indianapolis and Central Indiana started talking about "why do they keep these thugs". Thugs being a word used (incorrectly as kegboy will point out) over and over and over in describing our team by people in our own stands.
Now not only could they have told the fans this, the league this, the world this. They also could have told our players this. Had they thrown the hammer down for these incidents my feeling is that some of the follow up b.s. that has happened away from & a few that happened on the court would not have happened.
But instead all we have had for three years now is very very famous Donnie Walsh legal speak. "We are letting the legal system take it's course", "we stand behind our players", etc., etc.
I know that appeals to many of you and that's fine that is your right. But I know a few pacer fans that this does not appeal to.
How do I know? I'm a Pacers fan and it does not appeal to me.
Can you think of how our franchise might have been differant if instead of acting like our players did nothing wrong, if they would have laid the hammer down.
For that matter even if you don't think it would have been that much better, as I beleive, how could it have been any worse?
I've lived here all of my life and as of yesterday I once again am the exact same age as the franchise and I have never heard of local fans hating the Pacers.
I'm not talking about "Oh they're a bunch of losers who cares about the NBA anyway, NCAA is the only true basketball" that we had in the 80's and early 90's.
I'm talking about right now if you mention you are a Pacers fan here in central Indiana you not only get "do you still follow that team" you also get "how can you support a group of thugs, man I just wish they would move on".
How do I know this? I was training a new employee on Tuesday when during the daily routine of just getting to know each other better I mentioned I was a Pacers fan.
The quotes from above were word for word what he said to me. No this wasn't some 48 year old who is just bitter. This was a 19 year old kid who grew up in Beach Grove.
It just brought it all back to me what I thought then and still think today.
If the owners and the managment had come down on the side of saying this wasn't right and showing the fans here that they didn't like it either, that the Pacers would not have this P.R. mess they have today.
Still 3 years later I have only heard Larry Bird make any comment about being ashamed of what has happened here. I've not heard the Simons, I've not heard Walsh. Now they may be saying these things behind closed doors and to a point I understand that. But as it is to a lot of us they were and still are nothing more than enablers.
Ok, now that I have said all of that I am prepared to face the firing squad.
So in the immortal words of Johhny Storm "Flame On", come and get some.
************************************************** ********
The above was the opinion of the author (peck) and does not represent the opinions or positions of the management of this board. The author has the sole responsibility for it's content and freely aknowledges that his opinions are just that, opinions. However the final decisions on opinions is made by God himself and as is a well known fact God is a fan of Pecks writings
So I've gone with the above route instead, I thought it would be good for a laugh anyway. Becuase I have a feeling there won't be much laughing on this thread.
First a disclaimer.
************************************************** ********
WARNING, YOU ARE ABOUT TO ENTER A THREAD THAT WILL CRITICIZE PACERS MANAGEMENT FOR RECENT DECISIONS. WHILE THAT IS POPULAR TO DO ON HERE NOW, THIS WILL NOT BE OF THE "OH THEY GOT SCREWED IN THAT GOLDEN STATE TRADE" VEIN OF THINKING. SO IF YOU ARE A FAN OF THE FOLLOWING (JERMAINE O'NEAL, DONNIE WALSH, HERB SIMON, JAMAAL TINSLEY, STEPHEN JACKSON, RON ARTES OR ANTHONY JOHNSON) YOU WILL WANT TO SKIP THIS ENTIRE THREAD. ALSO IF WHEN I (MEANING ME PECK) POST AND HAVE STRONG OPINIONS AND THIS OFFENDS YOU TO YOUR VERY CORE PLEASE SKIP THIS ENTIRE THREAD AS WELL, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED
************************************************** ********
Ok, if your still here you either have an open mind, are looking for a fight or just have nothing better to do.
This probably will not be a very long post, contrary to what my above warning indicates but it is going to be filled with very & I mean very unpopular opinions stated by me.
Here goes nothing.
The entire Pacers franchise went to crap on November 21, 2004.
Why November 21 you ask and not November 19? Well one could argue that November 19 was the actual day that it went to crap and I would be hard pressed to disagree however the reason I pick November 21, 2004 is because that is the day that the franchise could have set it all right, they didn't do it and on that day they not only planted the seeds that would turn the fan base against them they watered and fertalized it as well.
November 21, 2004 was the day that Herb Simon could have held a press conferance with a grim looking Donnie Walsh standing behind or beside him. In that press conferance he could have addressed the fans of Indiana and the entire world (because let's face it by that time it was worldwide news) and explained that the Indiana Pacers franchise was not going to tolerate this type of behavior from it's players. He could have announced sweeping suspensions for some of our players. He could have announced massive fines and orders for community service for some of our other players. He could have looked into the camera and told everybody how ashamed he was that our team was involved in this fiasco. Now to be fair he also could have and should have complained about the lack of security from the Palace and he could have even complained about the referee's, Ben Wallace and even the entire NBA's lack of control. I don't think anybody but Piston fans would have faulted him for making those last comments.
Donnie Walsh could have come to the mic and explained that in his 20 plus years with the club that he had never had to deal with this and that he was sorry about this. He could have assured us this would never happen again and that steps were being taken right now to ensure that each and every player who wears a Pacers uniform would understand that there is an acceptable and an unacceptable way of conducting themselves.
Then some designated Pacer (probably Reggie or Croshere) could have taken the mic and said that while they understood the players in question were acting in self defense it was the job of every team member left to compete at their highest level and that they would make sure Indiana fans would be proud of their effort if not their results.
But none of this happened.
Instead we got the "we stand behind our players" talk that has now become so famous here in Indiana.
Now again this is all my opinion and I know most of you will disagree with me on this. But let's just take a jog down my fantasy land lane shall we?
In my mind the Pacers inform the NBA commisioner of this on November 20 a full day before they tell anyone else.
David Stern who is under immense pressure from businesses who advertise with the NBA to put his foot down, now can ease up a little bit. Sure he still is going to have to say that this is the worst thing ever yada, yada, yada and Artest may still get the season long boot.
But if the Pacers orginazation lays the hammer down first he then is under no real pressure to spay an neuter the franchise. In other words he could have just punished the players, but as it was he had to make sure the entire world knew that the team was being punished.
My opinion on this has always been that if the Pacers had shown contricion and a willingness to clean our own house instead of defiance Stern would have lightened up. Do I have proof of this? No, so if you wanna say I'm nuts feel free. Remember this is opinion and mine is no more valid than yours.
Also it would have said to some of our fans, "hey we don't tolerate this ***** either".
Now remember as I've been trying to tell everybody for years and years on here. Ron Artest was far more popular online than he ever was at the fieldhouse. Sure he got some cheers but he also had the catcalls as well for some of his antics (no not like Jackson got, but he got some nonetheless)
While 98% of the fans on this board were ready to fight with anybody who dared question that maybe Ron was wrong, a lot of people around Indianapolis and Central Indiana started talking about "why do they keep these thugs". Thugs being a word used (incorrectly as kegboy will point out) over and over and over in describing our team by people in our own stands.
Now not only could they have told the fans this, the league this, the world this. They also could have told our players this. Had they thrown the hammer down for these incidents my feeling is that some of the follow up b.s. that has happened away from & a few that happened on the court would not have happened.
But instead all we have had for three years now is very very famous Donnie Walsh legal speak. "We are letting the legal system take it's course", "we stand behind our players", etc., etc.
I know that appeals to many of you and that's fine that is your right. But I know a few pacer fans that this does not appeal to.
How do I know? I'm a Pacers fan and it does not appeal to me.
Can you think of how our franchise might have been differant if instead of acting like our players did nothing wrong, if they would have laid the hammer down.
For that matter even if you don't think it would have been that much better, as I beleive, how could it have been any worse?
I've lived here all of my life and as of yesterday I once again am the exact same age as the franchise and I have never heard of local fans hating the Pacers.
I'm not talking about "Oh they're a bunch of losers who cares about the NBA anyway, NCAA is the only true basketball" that we had in the 80's and early 90's.
I'm talking about right now if you mention you are a Pacers fan here in central Indiana you not only get "do you still follow that team" you also get "how can you support a group of thugs, man I just wish they would move on".
How do I know this? I was training a new employee on Tuesday when during the daily routine of just getting to know each other better I mentioned I was a Pacers fan.
The quotes from above were word for word what he said to me. No this wasn't some 48 year old who is just bitter. This was a 19 year old kid who grew up in Beach Grove.
It just brought it all back to me what I thought then and still think today.
If the owners and the managment had come down on the side of saying this wasn't right and showing the fans here that they didn't like it either, that the Pacers would not have this P.R. mess they have today.
Still 3 years later I have only heard Larry Bird make any comment about being ashamed of what has happened here. I've not heard the Simons, I've not heard Walsh. Now they may be saying these things behind closed doors and to a point I understand that. But as it is to a lot of us they were and still are nothing more than enablers.
Ok, now that I have said all of that I am prepared to face the firing squad.
So in the immortal words of Johhny Storm "Flame On", come and get some.
************************************************** ********
The above was the opinion of the author (peck) and does not represent the opinions or positions of the management of this board. The author has the sole responsibility for it's content and freely aknowledges that his opinions are just that, opinions. However the final decisions on opinions is made by God himself and as is a well known fact God is a fan of Pecks writings
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