Pacers Future In Jeopardy?

by Jeff Clark on Mar 12, 2009 9:37 PM EDT in Boston Celtics News & Links

You knew that stories like this were going to start to come up, but I have to say I'm really surprised seeing the Pacers mentioned. Indiana without basketball seems like such a foreign concept to me. Then again, just ask the Seattle fans how real this could be.

Early said the Pacers haven't threatened to leave, but the team would be forced to make some "very difficult decisions" if it remains saddled with the operating cost of the facility or if attendance continues to lag near the bottom of the league.

"It's possible they could move the team," Early said. "It's possible they could sell the team. It is also possible they could shut the team down. What's not possible is the Pacers losing the kind of money they're losing this year indefinitely."

Simon said he doesn't want to move the team, though he acknowledges that the financial losses have accelerated the past three years.

Kinda puts a little thing like a 2 game losing streak into perspective.

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Comments

huh?

woah, this would be shocking.

shocking.

makes sense though, i mean…if the money’s not there, the money’s not there.

Don't fake the funk on a nasty dunk

by mcpu40 on Mar 12, 2009 9:46 PM EDT reply actions

Seattle's still looking for a team

Maybe the Pacers should move there and change their name to the “Sonics.”

by IdahoGreen on Mar 12, 2009 9:52 PM EDT reply actions

What for?

To lose even more money?

by cordobes on Mar 12, 2009 10:48 PM EDT up reply actions

STATS ON SEATTLE ATTENDANCE

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/attendance?sort=home_pct&year=2006&seasonType=2

yeah 9th in the league in attendance based on capacity, with the owners saying they will move, the team falling apart and the owners switching the radio station to one that can’t be heard 50 miles out of the city.

1.1% of the entire human population of the copuntry lives in the seattle area. I realize he rest of the population is woefully uninformed on what goes on here. No problem

by wahz on Mar 13, 2009 12:29 AM EDT up reply actions

Given the dishonesty of Seattle’s city government in the Sonics’ departure, that city would be the last place I’d take my NBA team.

by CoachBo on Mar 13, 2009 8:20 AM EDT up reply actions

Wrong year

That’s 2006, the year before they had won the division and were probably the team that come closer of beating the Spurs. Maybe you should check these ones:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/attendance?year=2007
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/attendance?year=2008

25th and 28th. But gross attendance was never the biggest problem; a terrible leasing contract and the lack of luxury boxes were.

To sum it up: the franchise was losing money.

by cordobes on Mar 13, 2009 10:04 AM EDT up reply actions

Cord and coach, what I am saying is that a mature franchise 31 win team was 12th in occupancy rate in the league, with EVERYTHING wrong about the situation If you want to slam the city and state politicians, boy do we ever agree. But when folks on Celtics blog talk as if there was not fan support for the sonics, its as wrong as anything can be. Its a better example of the commissioners indescretions. The moment they were out of town, he announces that the arena DOESN’T need an upgrade to get a franchise, after saying they had to leave because of the arena.

There are luxury boxes circling the entire arena. This was always nonsense. You want double decks of them, no we don’t have that.

The arena had been remodeled around 14 years ago, and the commish was at the first game congratulating the city on how great the renovation was.

This was about the city not wanting to change the lease, which directed too much money away from the sonics. It was incredibly short sighted by the pols. They are all scum in my opinion. The mayor is a fool who has an agenda and didn’t care at all about this. The owner , Schultz, knew what the lease was, and bought the team anyway. When he couldn’t get the city to renogotiate, he wanted to help building a new arena. This city had spent a bilion on a new football stadium and basball stadium in the last decade.

The city won’t get a new team anytime soon. A new gov and new mayor will have to be in place

by wahz on Mar 13, 2009 11:42 AM EDT up reply actions

Well, okay

but the only one talking about “fan support” was you.

by cordobes on Mar 13, 2009 4:50 PM EDT up reply actions

I think

they may move to Baltimore. Baltimore is building a brand new stadium to lure NBA teams right now. And living in Baltimore, we can definitely support a NBA team, since we really don’t follow the Wizards that much.

The owner of...... www.birdswatcher.com

by Michael18 on Mar 12, 2009 10:20 PM EDT reply actions

If Bird needs a new home ???

Wyc and your partners sell Larry part ownership in the Celtics!!!! if the Pacers leave Indiana and Larry Legend can finally be back where he belongs……as Danny’s boss (hehehe) and back in the Gah….den. Larry sitting in the stands next to Hondo and maybe Mr Russell and JoJo…..dream come true

Is it Soup Yet?

by Master Po on Mar 12, 2009 10:35 PM EDT reply actions

The Pacers have lost money in 18..

..of the last 20 years, including in the season they went to the finals. The accumulated losses since the Simons bought the team total $200 millions.

I think this isn’t much different from what has been happening with most NBA teams. The difference is that the owners can’t afford to support these luxury toys any more.

That said, I doubt the Simons move the team from Indiana – although I can them putting the team for sale of folding it.

by cordobes on Mar 12, 2009 10:48 PM EDT reply actions

If the divide between NBA have and have-nots is so great that cities like Seattle and Indianapolis cannot support a team, then the NBA indeed has become too bloated to keep so many teams. The high cost of maintaining a team has led to travesties like dance squads and teams putting guns to the heads of cities for new arenas and luxury boxes.

If it the cost of fielding a team of fifteen well-coached men will continue to grow by the millions, then perhaps a new CBA will emerge. One that fosters fan-player loyalty, that will allow itself to be shown on local broadcast tv, and one where the love of the game and a couple hundred thousand dollars is enough to keep a player’s interest. One that we could afford to attend regularly would be bonus.

Not that I’d stop rooting for the Celts, but that other league sounds like it could be fun.

by Thruthelookingglass on Mar 12, 2009 11:01 PM EDT reply actions

Hopefully they don't fold.

If they do move, my bet is on Kansas City, they already have an arena built and they would make good rivals with OKC. lol.

by Tnerb02 on Mar 13, 2009 3:29 AM EDT reply actions

I don’t think their future is in jeopardy.

I can’t see Indiana letting their team leave.The city will sort them out, and find a way to lower those costs.

Oh, and, the Pacers need to fire Larry Bird. He’s putting the team in a massive hole and I expect him to make the situation even worse in the near future.

by Who on Mar 13, 2009 5:34 AM EDT reply actions