Indiana Pacers Are My Team, Are They Yours?

I really wanted to put together a community of loyal readers here, so what better way to get this ball rolling then talking about what makes us fans of the Indiana Pacers. I will go into my thoughts on why the Pacers are my team, and then please share your own comment about why you are a fan of the Indiana Pacers.  Hopefully, we’ll see all kinds of different memories and stories popping up, and this will be a site that you can visit daily to get your latest Indiana Pacers news.  

What makes me an Indiana Pacers fan?  Well, of course I can attribute this to living in Indianapolis.  I can recall the days of Reggie Miller taking on the New York Knicks, and those battles that would come about. I can recall the city being so alive during the playoffs then.  There would be playoff rallies, people downtown singing songs about the Pacers, just this atmosphere of excitement in the air. It was something that I kind of miss, but I believe that will come back around as the Pacers become a perennial playoff team.  Even this year, there were get togethers before the Conference Final games. I would love to see that type of stuff all during the playoffs.  Buildings with signs for the Pacers.  People with car signs. Just this air of this is our team, and we support them.

I can also say that I’ve sat through the down years.  I know I shouldn’t bring up the Malice at the Palace, but like any history book, you talk about the good with the bad.  I can remember exactly where I was at that moment.  Sitting at my family’s house watching the game, and just in shock. Speechless about what was going on. My family had just got home right when it happened, and even the announcers could get a grasp on it. I went to bed all night just thinking about that scene where the beer gets tossed and Ron Artest heads up to the stands.  Still brings a chill to the bone thinking about that.  That Pacers team looked to be so good, and man it all went downhill after that.  I felt like then that’s when the Pacers needed my support the most, so I made sure to watch the games, and really support them as I could.

How about sitting through the years of Mike Dunleavy and Troy Murphy? Two guys that I THOUGHT could do something for this team, but really did nothing. They actually seemed like more headache guys than players that wanted to play for this team. I can recall thinking that Danny Granger would run out of town as soon as he could.  But he’s stuck through it, and I still believe that he can be such a great contribution to this Pacers team.  Those years with Jim O’Brien, another blast from the past, that doesn’t need to be talked about in depth.  I was never sure he was the best fit here, and obviously, it wasn’t.

Then came along Frank Vogel, and boy did the team respond to that breath of fresh air.  Then came Paul George.  George Hill gets brought in. Roy Hibbert becomes an All Star.  David West signs with the team after being able to pick anywhere to go.  He picked here to become a member of the Indiana Pacers.  Those pieces right there really have turned the corner for the Pacers.  They are reasons to believe this team can do something.  You had such a hard fought battle with the Miami Heat that if a couple of things turn around for the Pacers, they are facing the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals.  I don’t think we’ve seen the last of this Pacers team in the Conference Finals.  They should be contenders for a title in the coming season.

These are the things that have brought me to wanting to write about the Indiana Pacers. I can only sit and think so much about the good things happening. You have the Fieldhouse coming alive when things are high.  You have fans showing up in their crazy fandom.  You have players that want to be part of this community.  These are the reasons why I am an Indiana Pacers fan.  I challenge you to think about what makes you a fan, and please share that with me. I’d love to see what fans are showing up here, and what better way to start that?