| Typical Embarrassment Authored by Andrew Perna - February 8, 2007 - 10:56 am
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The trade with the Warriors last month had extracted all of the ghetto out of the Indiana Pacers. There would be no more embarrassment. We acquired Mike Dunleavy, Troy Murphy, and Ike Diogu. All Rick Carlisle-type guys, but maybe more importantly, all good citizens. Not only had the trade ridded Indiana of Jackson, but it also opened up the door for guys like Marquis Daniels and Jamaal Tinsley.
With Sarunas Jasikevicius in Golden State, it meant that Tinsley only had to share time at the point with Darrell Armstrong – instead of losing time to Jasikevicius. The move also seemed to open the door for Daniels, who hadn’t been playing up to expectations prior to the eight-player swap.
Heading into Monday night’s game against the Warriors, the Pacers were flying high. They had won six of seven games and enjoyed their highest winning percentage of the season. Jermaine O’Neal was playing like the franchise cornerstone he is, Jamaal Tinsley was becoming a reliable double-double threat at point guard, Danny Granger was coming into his own, and Troy Murphy was making Pacer fans forget about Al Harrington.
Then it happened.
Golden State came into Conseco Fieldhouse and lit up the Pacers like the Fourth of July. Former Pacer Stephen Jackson arrived in Indiana to a constant chorus of boos, which seemed to motivate him like never before. Jackson netted 36 points in the rout, with Al Harrington providing a nice showing as well. Due in large part to the production of Harrington and Jackson, the Warriors snapped Indiana’s winning streak and started a downward spiral that has yet to end.
Following their loss to the Warriors, Jamaal Tinsley and Marquis Daniels decided to hit the downtown scene in Indianapolis. With both nursing nagging injuries, going out on the town may not have been the best idea, but they partied nonetheless. Injuries aside, one also might expect the two, who were involved in Stephen Jackson’s gun show in October, to avoid clubs notorious for violence like ‘Club Rio’ and the newest establishment on their record, ‘Club Tremors.’ Nope. Apparently not.
At ‘Tremors’ something happened that is currently up for debate.
The owner of an Indianapolis bar, which is home to ‘Club Tremors,’ is accusing Daniels, Tinsley, and Keith McLeod of physically assaulting him. Apparently an unknown patron was stealing coats and Tinsley and Daniels took exception. The owner claims that both Tinsley and Daniels struck him in the face, and that Daniels threatened to end his life.
Since the police report became public early Wednesday afternoon, each of the three players involved has issued a statement of denial. This is all well and good, until you look at the big picture. They have reputations to uphold, or at the very least, to work on improving.
I’m sure Monday night, or rather early Tuesday morning, wasn’t the first time that Tinsley and Daniels hit the club scene following their incident at ‘Club Rio’ in October, but in my opinion it should be their last. Sure the allegations could be completely false. The owner of the bar could just be looking for some cash, free publicity, and an increase in street cred. But that doesn’t matter. These players should be thinking about the kinds of things that go on in these places, and frequent safer, more secure establishments.
Now, all of the negative press surrounding the Pacers has returned. What they thought was sent to California (via Oakland and Sacramento), is still alive and kicking within the organization. I can just see Donnie Walsh and Larry Bird sitting in their offices, downing Scotch and dreaming up with ways to spin their way out of this one.
The two constants in the Pacers’ recent legal troubles are Tinsley and Daniels, so we know one of them isn’t the brightest of bulbs. From the outside looking in it’s hard to tell which of the two deserves most of the blame, not taking into account Daniels’ alleged threat of murder. It’s not likely that Bird would be able to unload both of these guys before the trade deadline, and in all honesty I’m not sure that’s what he would want to do. They are both too valuable to the team’s success.
If you’re blood is boiling in defense of either player, understand this. Jesus Christ himself could come down from Heaven and declare both innocent and I would still see a problem in what took place early Tuesday morning. I am a Pacer fan through-and-through. You know that dude who writes for ESPN and is constantly talking about the Celtics, Patriots, or Red Sox? I’m his equivalent when it comes to the Indiana Pacers. Maybe even worse.
But I’m no longer supportive of the Indiana Pacers, off the court.
I’ve broken lamps, burnt hats, ripped basketball cards, picked fights, sworn repeatedly, poked an inflatable Scooby Doo to death, and even cried because of what the Pacers have, or have not done, on the basketball court. I’ve spent thousands of dollars on merchandise, memorabilia, and tickets for the Pacers, and I am always proud of displaying my loyalty.
Now when people see me wearing something blue and yellow, or with Indiana’s ‘P’ on it, I get questioned. How could I follow such a team? Do I support their thuggish behavior? Would I want my kids idolizing them? Am I a thug myself? The latter never happens, once someone gets a good look at me.
I remember a day when people would laugh at me for being a Pacer fan. Not because of their legal troubles, on-court incidents, or clubbing behavior, but because we were known as ‘The Hicks.’ The closest thing the Pacers of the past had to a thug was Reggie Miller, all 180 pounds of him. And the worst thing he ever did was shout at Spike Lee, and tango with John Starks, Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.
Those have become what I now refer to as ‘The Good Old Days.’
Stephen Jackson and Ron Artest are on the West Coast, miles and miles away from Indiana. We can’t blame them anymore, and I have to apologize for ever thinking that getting rid of them would make our team less unstable. I can stand embarrassment on the court, say a forty point loss to Charlotte or something, but it’s the stuff off the court that’s the hardest to swallow.
Nowadays I’m practically choking.
How do you feel about the Pacers latest brush with the law? Andrew.Perna@RealGM.com |
