So, like most people, I love watching games at Conseco Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Also, like most people, I love checking my phone for stats and other stuff during the games.

This brings me to the $1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 question - how do you connect to the wi-fi at Bankers Life Fieldhouse? It seems like they have a wi-fi network, but it requires a password. Don't they have some sort of free setup for fans at games?

I'll be going to another game soon and I HAVE TO KNOW!!!!

Dan Wolken, who covers Memphis sports, tweeted today
'Heard from a source the Pacers could be making a huge play for Marc Gasol. Could put Griz in tough spot.' I like the idea of bringing in the big man, assuming we don't break the bank. I'm not sure how many euros he would cost. Thoughts, Pacers Nation? We need another big body, especially if Foster, McRoberts, and S. Jones don't return. Gasol a Pacer in 2011-2012?

Couple things, Cornrowers...

A. Am I correct in my understanding that the Pacers do not currently own the rights to any international players?

B. I've forgotten how the D-League work in terms of player rights. Do we (the Pacers) own the rights to certain guys on the Mad Ants or are any of the guys available to us to sign? If the former, which guys do we own rights to?

Thanks.

GO PACERS!!!

Does anyone happen to know if the Pacers are playing a preseason game at the Pepsi Coliseum this year?

I liked it when they did that in the past. I am considering heading down to the Indiana State Fairgrounds this year if they do it.

I'm not sure what kind of turnout they have had in the past for those exhibitions, but it seems kind of cool.

Any info would be great!

GO PACERS!!!!!!!!!

I don't know about the rest of you, but I HATE it when I go to the Fieldhouse for a game and I see tons of local Indianapolis people wearing jerseys of and rooting for the big time teams (Boston, Miami(now), Cleveland(before), Orlando, etc.)  that are in town for the night.

They can root for whatever team/player they want, I get it, but it just kind of hurts. It would be nice to see more loyalty to the ol' hometown Pacers.

Anyway, for some reason, I was looking at the Nets website and came across this promotion.
 http://www.nba.com/nets/tickets/pack_it_up_for_miami.html


Notice the jersey you get when you buy this ticket plan.

That is REALLY sad. Not only are the Nets expecting their fans to root against them when Miami comes to town, but they are facilitating it. It is a Wade jersey, but ,I mean, remember the guy who your team publicly courted and was publicly shunned by!? Why root for his team, at home?! 

Really lame. Ugh.

i am a Pacers fan, but i am also a Courtney Lee (and by extension Nets) fan.

my question is simply - is lee participating in the nets summer league this year?

as a side note - I hope you guys win the lebron sweepstakes.

in addition, do you think there was/still is any truth to the rumored nets-pacers deal involving harris and granger?

how would you feel about that?

most pacers fans don't "hate" the idea, but don't necessarily love it either.

thanks.

I just received a "personal" email from Danny Granger (!) inviting me to the Conseco Draft Party tonight. I guess he missed my text telling him I was already going.

I think Hibbert and McRoberts are going to be there along with Danny Granger.

Should be fun.

Question: Can I expect them to show the ESPN coverage on the JumboTron?

I hope so.

GO PACERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hot new rumor I just heard at work: Artest to Indy for TJ Ford and Troy Murphy... ha!

People are going insane.

Will the Pacers be hosting a Draft Party this year at Conseco (or will it be CNO) Fieldhouse?

Can anyone who has been to one of these things enlighten me on what they are like?

I think it would be fun to attend, but I also wonder if it might be more enjoyable to watch the old fashioned way at home.

But, heck, if they throw in free popcorn count me in!

GO PACERS in 2010-2011!!!!!!!

Travis Diener was waived today.

By my count, he only played in four games this year.

I've always liked ol' Travis. I thought he played well last season when we were thin at the guard position.

I was a little worried that he spent too much of his offseason rebuilding old cars in Wisconsin, but I know he trained hard as well. You can't account for injuries.

Adios, Travis!

Will you miss him Cornrows Nation?

Of course I have read the advertisements about the Pacers Fan Jam (or whatever it is called on Sunday). The event has free t-shirts, hot diggity dogs, pepsi, etc. It sounds neat, but I am trying to decide if it is worth pulling myself away from the tv and football for.

Has anyone been who can give me a "real" rundown of what the event is like? Can you really meet players? Is it worth the trip? Any info would be great. Thanks.

GO PACERS!!!!!!!!!

I am probably behind the times or just plain wrong, but isn't there a media day or fan day this Friday?

If so, is it open to the public?

If not, is something like that on the horizon?

Side note: A friend of mine said he thinks our newest player Head is only good for about another 1/2 win this year for the Pacers. I argue that he is worth at least twice that.

In all seriousness, I like the pick up. It can't hurt and might help.

From ESPN.com:

The Toronto Raptors have come to an agreement in principle on a one-year contract with free-agent center Rasho Nesterovic, a source close to the process told ESPN.com.

The deal is worth $1.9 million according to the source. The Raptors will use what is termed their bi-annual exception to sign Nesterovic.

The 33-year-old center played for the Raptors from 2006-2008 before being traded to the Pacers last season in the Jermaine O'Neal trade. Nesterovic helps shore up the Raptors in the middle and he's expected to come off the bench behind Andrea Bargnani.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4354954

We hardly knew ya, Rasho.

Oh well. I knew he wasn't coming back, but I liked old Rasho pretty well. I always said he did the "little things" well.

Is anyone bold enough to put out a mock roster for next season?

I have as for a 15-man

1. Dahntay Jones

2. Diener

3. Dunleavy

4. Ford

5. Foster

6. Granger

7. Hansbrough

8. Hibbert

9. McRoberts

10. Murphy

11. Price

12. Rush

Still lacking a few pieces.

Maybe they'll bring Graham back.

I'm not wild about the idea of bringing Baston back.

Am I forgetting anyone?

Any thoughts?


GO PACERS!!!!!!!!!!!

Look, I worked late last night and had to watch the draft, without knowing the results, on tape delay. It doesn't matter now who I was hoping for at 13, but when the pick went in I screamed some words that I won't repeat here. I gather from looking at the Live Draft Thread that my fellow Pacers fans did the same thing.

This morning I woke into the nightmare of knowing that my favorite team reached for a player I hate with a fairly high pick in the first round during the second year in a critical 3 year rebuilding plan. The team made no other moves and it feels like we are no better than we were yesterday morning. It feels bad; I know.

I see some guys saying that this is the last straw - To heck with the Pacers and Bird, for now anyway. Well, I completely understand. But as Stephen A. Smith would say, HOWEVER...

I was listening to a sports talk show this morning on the drive to work and the guys were discussing the OVERRATED chants Hansbrough endured last night in NY. And I thought about the underrated Pacers and Granger and other Indiana players. So, because sometimes you have to laugh to keep from crying and blindly follow to keep from losing all faith (particularly as a Pacers fan), I say let's show those bums who is "overrated". Let's rally behind these guys. Hansbrough (love him, like him, or hate him) is ours now. Let's show those naysayers who is "not that good."

Let's get behind Bird! Let's get behind Hansbrough! Let's get behind the Pacers! 

This is no time to lose faith. We need it now more than ever!

GO PACERS!!!!!!!!

In just a few hours the Pacers will say 'hello' to some new faces and probably say 'goodbye' to some old ones. However, I also want to introduce you to the "newest" Pacer you already know - Josh McRoberts!

From front office guys, sports guys, and teammates on the radio to beat writers in the Star, we are hearing it. Josh McRoberts has been in the gym everyday. By all accounts he has put on between 12 - 20 pounds of muscle. He is hyped and working hard already for next season.

We already saw what he is capable of doing defensively and energy-wise off the bench last year. Just wait until next season with a little more maturity under his belt. He is a young man on the rise. Welcome back, for the first time, Josh McRoberts, Indy's answer to the BirdMan!

Go Pacers!!!!!!! 

I know the 52nd pick isn't sexy, but depending on if we keep it and how things go in Round 1, I am throwing out a name - Henk Norel from Europe. He is big and could possibly be the next Jeff Foster once Jeff Foster (MY FAV!!) is gone. Take a look.

Another name out there is Meeks. Look, I hate Meeks with a passion (I hate UK with a passion.). But he is a known commodity. I could see him as a shooter off the bench. I am not really for us taking him, but perhaps I have to put my NCAA preferences aside and admit that he might not be a bad late 2nd Round pick for the Pacers.

GO PACERS!!!!!!!!!!

I have a hunch that the Pacers are going to be aggressive next Thursday during the draft. I foresee a lot of wheeling and dealing, sort of like last year.

I don't think it will be a night where we just take our two picks and roll on home. I think that we will emerge from the draft missing a few of our soldiers from last year and in the company of some new ones for next season.

Any thoughts?

Also, do we have any chance in H-E-Double Hockey Sticks of moving Tinsley on Thursday?

 I don't know if anyone heard it, but Travis Diener was in studio today with Dakich. I didn't get to hear a lot of it, but he did say that he just got back in to town and he had been at the Pacers gym working out this morning. He said that Big Roy, Rush, and McRoberts were also working out. Also, Mike D. was there getting his knee looked at.

Diener also mentioned that he is getting married this summer. Sorry, ladies.

Can anyone get me up to speed on our free agent/contract situations going into this year?

I think I have most of it down, but I'd like to sort of compare notes.

For example, who do we have to resign or we'll lose him before next year (Jack?), who has years left, etc?

I know about the contracts that are up after 2010-2011. But I wouldn't mind seeing a list. For example, I have no idea what a guy like Diener or McRoberts has in terms of a deal with us.

Also, anyone want to make up a mock roster already for next season?

Thanks.

GO PACERS!!!!!!

Can someone remind me the reason why we have a lottery pick in the First Round and a much lower pick in Round 2? Is this the result of a trade or something?

I'm really hoping we get big Jordan Hill of Arizona, but I don't see that happening if we pick out of the top 10.

I'm also sort of intrigued by Earl Clark of U of Louisville.

I'm not as high on Ty Lawson as some people are, but I wouldn't be upset with choosing him. He can play ball; that is for sure.

DeJuan Blair is an interesting prospect.

I also think Jeff Teague would be a nice addition to Conseco Fieldhouse.

I think this draft (much like last year's draft) is absolutely critical to our future. We can't afford a misstep.

Choose wisely, Larry.

Go Pacers!

it's been tough lately watching this team. dan dakich had it right the other day on the radio; they are kind of quitting. it is not a full out Operation Shutdown, but it is tough television. but i agree with IC in the sense that the Jack/Ford fight shows a little bit of dedication is still there.

anyway, i have been thinking about the upcoming draft a bit and i just want to plant this seed - Jordan Hill of Arizona. if you don't know him, watch him tomorrow against cleveland state. he's a stud and he could help.

GO PACERS!!!

Hey Magic fans,

I am a Pacers fan here in Indianapolis and will be at the game tonight. Good luck! Please don't be too hard on us. I have to admit that I fear Dwight Howard.

As you know, Indianapolis is the hometown of your rookie Courtney Lee. I am a big fan of Courtney's as I watched him in high school and during some years I spent in Bowling Green (WKU). I've followed his stats this year, but I am hoping some of you who follow the Magic closely might be able to give me some thoughts on his play. Pros. Cons. Expectations.

I'm just curious to hear it from the people who watch him these days and hopefully for years to come in a solid career. Thanks.

If you aren't watching football...

From Pacers.com Rasho Nesterovic will be appearing at Verizon Wireless to sign autographs and greet fans.

Pacers mascots and/or Indiana Pacemates will also be appearing.

WHERE

Sunday, Nov. 16, 4:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Verizon Wireless Hamilton Town Center Location
14139 Town Center Blvd., Noblesville, IN 46060

(I'm new to the board and when I tried to post only the text above, I was informed that a FanPost must be 75 words long and I only had 55. Instead, the site suggested I create a FanShot. I have no idea what that is, so I have just added these additional words to make this postable. I think I also might take a moment, now that I am several hours removed from last night's disappointment, to comment on Rasho. I really like him in our lineup. When he first came over in the trade, I was unsure about how he would fit in. His play is not "stunning" or "exciting" in the traditional sense, but, when I watch him closely, it seems to me that he does the "little" things really well.)

First of all, it is great to be an active member of this blog. I have been reading it for a little while now and it is great.

Second, what a great team this year. This group is a hustle machine and I smell playoffs. I bet my brother that I would walk to Kokomo (I got the idea from Kravitz.) if we didn't make the postseason. I feel pretty good about my odds, but, regardless, I feel good about this squad this season and the seasons to come. We have a good core, a deep bench, a good coach, and a front office with a plan. Go Pacers!

Third, I have a MINOR criticism. It is hard to criticize Marquis Daniels. He has stepped into the starting lineup and played with heart and hustle and produced offensively and defensively. His defensive abilities amaze me. He has gone from a player I thought was okay last year to a player I see as absolutely critical to our success this year.  My only concern is that he sometimes takes ill-advised shots. I feel that several times a game I see us force a turnover only to have Daniels chuck up some three-pointer (without considering deferring to one of his more sharp shooting teammates) that he will inevitably miss. I know that his shot selection is probably in line with JOB's game plan and that Daniels worked on his outside game in the off-season, but 16% is pretty bad. I would just rather see him take it to the hole or pass it around some more. Again, this will probably be seen as nitpicking and in poor taste in light of Marquis's stellar play so far, but I thought I would bring it up for discussion.

GO PACERS!