Pacers Should Get Better...Will Anybody Care?

Baston will make the Pacers World Champs! World Champs I tell you!

My hometown professional basketball team, the Indiana Pacers have burned bridges with thuggish behavior in strip clubs and on the streets of downtown Indy...but the organization looked to mend some of these bridges in a flurry of activity Thursday afternoon/evening.

The Pacers got rid of Jermaine O'Neal, who much of the city's sports fans have grown wary of...sent Ike Diagu away (which I wish they wouldn't have) and in return, got T.J. Ford, Jarrett Jack, Rasho Nesterivic, the rights to Roy Hibbert and a whole lot of cap room in '09. They also traded for Maceo Baston and (Crazy) Josh McRoberts. Plus, they picked up Brandon Rush in the draft.

I'm not a math guy, but according to my numbers, the Pacers will have about 100 players on the roster next year if everything goes through. That seems like it's illegal or something. Regardless of the amount of players, the Pacers need to drum up some interest because Conseco Fieldhouse regularly had WNBA-type crowds (and I'm not talking about flannel-wearing ladies) for the Pacers' games last season.

On July 9, the league and the Pacers should be able to talk about all of the Pacers moves so far...and Bird says there may be more to come. Hopefully, Granger is still around when it's all said and done- he's the one guy on the Pacers that I like watching AND think is actually worth cheering for.

Last thing, the NBA stinks.

Weekend Sports Notes

Tiger Woods is a good golfer.
-In Woods' first tournament of '08, Tiger is a mere 8 shots up after three rounds at the Buick Invitational. Unlike in every other sport, I actually like seeing this dynastic play in golf...Tell me golf is worth watching when Woods isn't atop the leaderboard.

Nice Job, Pacers.
-The Indiana Pacers allowed the Miami Heat to break out of one of their longest losing streaks in the franchise's history and get their first win of 2008. Hey Pacers- You've already pissed off the city by having a bunch of malcontents on the roster...The ONLY way you'll get the fans back is by winning. Shut up, stop going to strip clubs and win games.

Brennan's stock dropping.
-In something I'm putting in the category of "couldn't happen to a better guy" Colt Brennan's Senior Bowl week has yielded him a dropping NFL stock and a widely-held opinion that he simply doesn't have a strong arm.

Maybe if he cries like he did in his BCS game, he can get the pity of NFL teams and get picked on the first day.

Suck it, Sanctions.
-The over-rated Indiana Hoosiers got beaten on their home floor by an OK UConn team. Eric Jordan looked very human in the game as the Hoosiers seemed to be out-of-sync the entire game. So let me get this right- when your offense is based on standing around and watching a player score, and that guy is off, you can't score very easily...Huh. The best part is many IU fans are already jumping off of Sanctions' bandwagon...after only two losses. Imagine what they'll be saying if the spirited Boilers beat IU in Bloomington. Can't wait!

Go Giants!
-I know we're a week away from the game, but it's never too early to say it- Suck it Patriots and their shills at ESPN...Get 'em Eli. Hopefully Eli doesn't remember who he is for just one more game.

When asked if the Giants were dirty, he responded that the game was nasty...and that "This isn't tennis." I don't know why, but I really like that quote.

Stupid ESPN
-ESPN's new college basketball add campaign with little heads popping out of people's arms, necks and stomachs are nasty and kind of sick...but I do think of Jay Bilas and the other "heads" as leaches that tend to suck the life out of sports...ironic.

Nice choice on the college gameday (which doesn't work for basketball at all, by the way) SIU v. Creighton over Purdue v. Wisconsin...That worked out well.

Twaun Finding His Game.
-E'Twaun Moore seems to figuring out the college game as the season progresses. He led the Boilers in scoring off of the bench and is creating shots for himself with ease and regularity. It's nice to see that the guy who beat Eric Jordan head-to-head in high school might become the player that we all thought he could be.

Hummel continues to be the straw that stirs the drink for the Boilers....and JuJaun Johnson had one of his best Big Ten games versus the Badgers.

If Purdue can win just half of their remaining games, they should be in the dance...but I'm hoping they can win nine or ten, including the BT tournament...That would make them a solid 4 seed, in my opinion.