| Problems Abound For Pacers Authored by Andrew Perna - March 17, 2009 - 4:23 pm
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That run of success, which ran nearly two decades, included an appearance in the 2000 Finals and six trips to the Eastern Conference Finals. It took 15 years for the Pacers to transfer their ABA dominance over to the NBA, but just a few seasons for their reputation to go the way of the stock market.
The Pacers are just 2 ½ games behind the Bucks for the eighth, and final, postseason berth in the East, but there are four teams standing between Indiana and Milwaukee, and just a month left in the regular season.
At 28-40, the Pacers are on pace to record their worst season since the 1988-89 campaign (28-54), a year in which they had four different coaches.
Despite their struggles, there has been some promise in Indiana.
Danny Granger is a first-time All-Star, Troy Murphy is among the league's most consistently productive players, and a host of contracts are set to come off the books at the conclusion of the season (around $20M if you include Marquis Daniels' team option).
With another year of experience for their young guys, and some shrewd offseason moves, the 2009-10 season appeared to be the Pacers' best chance for a return to the playoffs.
All those positives took a back seat when news broke at the beginning of the month that the team is hemorrhaging money.
It was no secret that the Pacers had been losing money in recent seasons, with their attendance near, or at, the bottom of the league, but it was somewhat surprising to learn that the team had lost $200 million since 1983, when the Simon Brothers purchased it.
One would imagine that a team as successful as Indiana was during the mid-to-late 1990s would have at least drawn even; apparently that was not the case.
Co-owner Herb Simon has been adamant that he has no plans to move the Pacers, and that he won't even ask for financial help. However, it doesn't matter what Simon says, only what happens in the coming months, especially with the move of the Sonics from Seattle to Oklahoma City still fresh on people's minds.
The issue, as it so often is when the prospect of moving creeps up, is how the Pacers will pay for the operating expenses of Conseco Fieldhouse, which is still thought of as one of the league's top arenas. The Fieldhouse costs Pacers Sports & Entertainment $15 million to operate annually, a bill they are having a hard time paying in rough economic times.
In such troubling economic times, the Pacers are also a welcome escape for fans.
"In the back of my mind are the thoughts of not having the team around," Tony Laurenzana, an avid fan said. "Times are tough, but sports are a much-needed escape from the depressing economy."
Sure, the Pacers have struggled recently because of poor play, some bad personalities and a host of injuries, but isn't Indiana supposed to be overly obsessive about basketball? Losing records and a presence in the police blotter shouldn't keep fans from filling Conseco Fieldhouse, should it?
Well, it most certainly has, which is puzzling given the fact that the Warriors and Thunder, both losing teams without the same history of success as the Pacers, are in the top half of the league in attendance this season.
Average Attendance at Conseco Fieldhouse
2002-03: 16,352 (89.1%), 15th
2003-04: 16,544 (90.2%), 16th
2004-05: 16,994 (92.6%), 17th
2005-06: 16,179 (88.2%), 24th
2006-07: 15,359 (83.7%), 28th
2007-08: 12,221 (66.6%), 30th
2008-09: 13,713 (75.5%), 28th
The numbers don't lie, something after the 2006-07 season definitely ticked off fans in Indiana. It could be the lingering hangover from Reggie Miller's retirement, the legal issues surrounding Stephen Jackson and Jamaal Tinsley, or just the reality that the Pacers were no longer a winning team.
It hasn't been just Indianapolis that has knocked the Pacers down this season. The NBA hasn't featured them on national television all season, and they have the lowest road attendance in the league. Only the Grizzles and Kings have a lower average attendance at home than the Pacers.
Not surprisingly, the Kings have also been mentioned in relocation rumors.
It could be that the nation's economy is simply having a greater impact on this small market team than it has on clubs in bigger cities. The Pacers have actually had a significant increase in attendance over the last year, even though the arena often looks eerily empty.
The Pacers have offered numerous ticket packages this season and some can be had for virtually nothing. With affordable deals and a tremendous effort in place by the team to get involved in the community, is there anything the fans can do?
"Go to more games," Matt Peck, a resident of Crawfordsville, Ind., suggested. "Sadly, the team has resorted to giving away tickets, almost literally. I sat in Row 5 for the Utah game [Mar. 10th] and I paid a total of $5.75 for both my tickets."
Some fans aren't so sure that there is anything the general public can do to save the Pacers from their financial troubles.
"I don't think there is much we can do. It's really up to the people in a position of power, both in the community and with the Pacers/NBA," Mark Stamper of New Castle said.
In reality, the team's lease and all of the intricate financial matters that are at play in this story are far too detailed, and private, for the public to get a good handle on exactly what's going on.
"The situation is far too complex for such oversimplifications," Tim Donahue of Fishers believes, "I would like to see more education on what these issues really are. I could stand to learn a lot more, and for many, it's too easy to boil it down to one extreme or the other. 'Indy needs the Pacers, and the city should do whatever it takes' ... or ... 'Screw those greedy billionaires'."
Hopefully, in the coming weeks, more details will become public and the entire situation will be more cut and dry.
Until then, the Hoosier State will wait anxiously to learn more about the future of professional basketball in the heartland.
"As a fan, I have to remain confident," Laurenzana added when asked if he felt the Pacers would ultimately remain in Indiana.
"I have to believe that there is a tomorrow, because if I don't, then who will?"
Andrew Perna is Deputy Editor of RealGM.com and co-host of RealGM’s Radio Show. Please feel free to contact him with comments or questions via e-mail: Andrew.Perna@RealGM.com |
