Pacers Should Blame Themselves

Jermaine O’Neal feels disrespected by the referees? Perhaps that is because the referees and the NBA have been disrespected by the Indiana Pacers.

Since Ron Artest and Stephen Jackson jumped into the stands at the Palace of Auburn Hills on November 19, 2004, the Pacers have given the NBA black eye after black eye.

It started when Artest demanded a trade from the very team that stood by him and supported him after his 72-game suspension from his participation in the Palace brawl.

After the Pacers washed their hands of Artest by trading him to Sacramento, the Pacers were dedicated to a clean image that would make the city of Indianapolis proud.

Their cleaner image lasted until October 9 when Jackson, Jamaal Tinsley, Marquis Daniels and Jimmie Hunter were involved in an altercation outside an Indy west-side strip club in which Jackson fired five bullets into the air after he was hit by a moving car.

So much for a new, clean image.

After trading away Jackson to Golden State, Tinsley, Daniels and new Pacer Keith McLeod have found themselves under investigation yet again after Tinsley allegedly punched a bar manager and threatened his life.

Even though this latest incident has not been fully investigated, recent behavior would lead everybody to believe the Pacers were at fault.

Black eye after the black eye, and now the Pacers feel they have been disrespected?

The Pacers need to respect the league before they demand respect of their own.

This new lack of respect the Pacers have demonstrated needs to be blamed on the organization’s management and their lack of discipline, as well as bringing in players with questionable moral issues.

Donnie Walsh and Larry Bird are probably kicking themselves on a daily basis because of their poor management decisions. Trading away locker room leader in Austin Croshere and replacing him with Daniels – who looks like he is the star of Cops – is not a good way to win a championship or maintain the squeaky-clean image the Pacers created during their glory days of Reggie Miller, Mark Jackson and Rik Smits.

If the Pacers were performing on the court, perhaps there would not be a magnifying glass on every newsworthy story. But, the Pacers are just two games above .500 and have lost three consecutive games to sub-.500 teams.

If the Pacers want to win back the fans, they need win on the court first and re-earn the respect of the league before they demand respect from the referees.

The Pacers organization needs to make a blueprint of the Colts.

Class wins championships. Thugs win jail time.

Congrats to Colts Fans, Too....

When the Indianapolis Colts won the city’s first world championship of any kind since the Indiana Pacers won the 1973 ABA crown, the city as a whole celebrated in a professional, upstanding manner.

Just as the town is proud of the Colts, the Colts should be proud of their fans.

Once the clock reached all zeros, it was uncertain how this city would react. Would they react with class or rage?

I can attest to this because I was a first-hand participant in the downtown celebration, but it was pure class and dignity – mixed with some alcohol – but for a mere six arrests for a town of close to a million after the town’s first championship in over 30 years – I’d still call that class.

Other towns have literally burnt down their city after a championship win – or loss.

In 2002 – after Maryland’s men’s basketball team won the NCAA championship – their hometown celebrated with arson and embarrassment. In fact, the losing Indiana Hoosiers rioted as well as a form of frustration. They celebrated their runner-up “fluke” of a season with setting furniture on fire and storming the streets with dangerous, evil attitudes.

How did Indianapolis celebrate? They celebrated with hugs, high-fives and smiles.

They celebrated the same way the Colts celebrated: With class.

After the Colts won the Super Bowl, but before they celebrated, they prayed and thanked God for their success. I did not see much praying in the bars after the victory, but nevertheless, nothing was broken or burnt.


Both the Colts and city of Indianapolis are all about class and dignity, and that was displayed to perfection Sunday night.

I’m sure the Colts were proud of their fans when they arrived for the parade and rally on Monday and saw the city was still intact.

So, hats off to the Colts. Every NFL team should blueprint their team from top to bottom. Religion. Dignity. Football. In that order. It may not be flashy, but it is classy. And this year – class – not flash, won the championship.

Hopefully if – and when – the Colts win another championship, this city will continue to celebrate with class.