The Pacers are opening up their pre-season tonight at the Pepsi Coliseum. Is it a throwback to the olden days of the ABA? Or, are they just trying to remember what it feels like to play in front of a packed house? I think perhaps the latter. The building seats 8,000 and I don’t know if they’ll even pack that out.
The Indiana Pacers tip off pre-season play at home tonight, but fans shouldn’t head to Conseco Fieldhouse. The Blue and Gold will turn back the clock when they host New Orleans at Pepsi Coliseum. The Pacers franchise played seven seasons in the building beginning in 1967 as a member of the American Basketball Association. They also won three championships under head coach Bobby "Slick" Leonard. Leonard is expected to coach the current Pacers squad during the first quarter of tonight’s game.
One thing that I do like is the respect and recognition being shown to Bobby "Slick" Leonard as O’Brien trades spots with him tonight to let him coach the team for a quarter.
I didn’t grow up in Indianapolis, so I don’t know all the history of the Pacers, but I am familiar with the pride and history of Slick Leonard’s involvement with the team. Kudos to whomever thought up this tribute idea.
Now, if someone in the Pacer’s organization is interested in trying to change my mind this season with the Pacers, I’ll accept some free tickets for you to try and convince me to check out the team again. There’s no way I’d pay money to see a game in person at this point.
Give me an entire season with no Pacer showing up in court or in the headlines for activity off the basketball court and I might start warming up to the team again. Until that happens, this team needs to take an absolute zero-tolerance stand on questionable behavior by members of the team. Members of the team should probably start putting up some significant peer pressure in that area as well.
Source: IBJ Daily
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