Indiana Pacers possible relocation to Vancouver

[Lets Gekiga In]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/170615-pacers-to-vancouver-canucks-owner-makes-pitch-to-simon

Rumors are starting to spread that Francesco Aquilini, owner of the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks, is reportedly expressing interest in purchasing the Indiana Pacers and moving the team to Vancouver, B.C.

Pacers co-owner Herb Simon are working as hard as they can to work out a new arena deal with the Indianapolis Capital Improvement Board and says he doesn’t want to see Indy without an NBA team.

Simon, could be using Aquilini as leverage against the Indianapolis Capital Improvement Board.

But former Sonics owner Howard Schultz also used Clay Bennett as leverage against the Washington State Legislature. And now the Sonics no longer exist.

 

[abasuto]

Basketball in Vancouver has already bombed once.

I'd be talking to people in San Diego, maybe San Jose if I was thinking of moving a team.

 

[Twinkle Star]

This is quite a surprise move..

 

[Lets Gekiga In]

Basketball in Vancouver has already bombed once.

I'd be talking to people in San Diego, maybe San Jose if I was thinking of moving a team.

You want to talk about a city where basketball bombed, San Diego has lost not one, but two teams. The San Diego Rockets and the San Diego Clippers. The average attendance for them was 4,500 a game. That's just pathetic.

As for Vancouver, the attendance was definitely there. Memphis has still yet to match Vancouver's best attendance with the Grizzlies. Heisley was just a douchebag owner who wanted the team somewhere in the U.S. You also have to keep in mind that Seattle will very likely not get their SuperSonics back because the renovations to KeyArena have been put to rest. Vancouver would also have Seattle as part of its market. But even if that didn't happen Vancouver is a big enough city to support an NBA team. The attendance and fan support was there for the Grizzlies and it would be there again if they got a new franchise.

 

[HeartlessNinny]

Basketball in Vancouver has already bombed once.

That's true, but I can tell you first hand that that had to be one of the most badly run teams in professional sports history. Year after year of moronic draft picks and trades, systematic alienation of the fans, etc etc.

It's just an armchair observation to be sure, but I always thought that basketball failed here not because it was basketball, but because of the mismanagement. Hell, if they drafted Steve Nash (like they could have and should have), I wonder if the team would still be here.

 

[abasuto]

That's true, but I can tell you first hand that that had to be one of the most badly run teams in professional sports history. Year after year of moronic draft picks and trades, systematic alienation of the fans, etc etc.

I agree, the Knicks are awful.

 

[DangerousK]

I agree, the Knicks are awful.

That was all Isiah Thomas.

 

[Jedah Doma]

It's just an armchair observation to be sure, but I always thought that basketball failed here not because it was basketball, but because of the mismanagement. .

Hey maybe you can be the GM and then your first promotion could be "Gay Marriage Night."

You could give little statues away of two men in shorts kissing.

Just a thought.

 

[V3rtigo]

That's true, but I can tell you first hand that that had to be one of the most badly run teams in professional sports history. Year after year of moronic draft picks and trades, systematic alienation of the fans, etc etc.

It's just an armchair observation to be sure, but I always thought that basketball failed here not because it was basketball, but because of the mismanagement. Hell, if they drafted Steve Nash (like they could have and should have), I wonder if the team would still be here.

bingo. let's draft the local kid, steve nash. oh no, lets get big country bryant reeves instead. lets draft steve francis and let him throw up gang signs on the evening news, and forcing a trade for a bunch of scrubs. lets give big country a $50M contract and let him retire right away. mike bibby was high the entire time there. vancouver and seattle both deserve teams again.

 

[V3rtigo]

That was all Isiah Thomas.

you mean james dolan, nepotism at its finest.

 

[norton9478]

Neither KC or STL has a team...

 

[V3rtigo]

Neither KC or STL has a team...

those are both college basketball towns, no?

 

[Lets Gekiga In]

Neither KC or STL has a team...

Kansas City has the Sprint Center too. Brand new, state of the art arena. They should really go after any team that's even thinking about relocating. NHL and/or NBA.

 

[norton9478]

those are both college basketball towns, no?

Don't know much about that...

But they are pretty good baseball towns.

 

[DangerousK]

you mean james dolan, nepotism at its finest.

No, actually it was Isiah Thomas.

Anyone with any reasonable knowledge of the Knicks over the past few years knows what Isiah did to run that team right into the ground.

 

[Robert]

That's quite shocking.

I'm so used to say "indiana pacers" that I can't imagine an other city linked to that team.
Plus, If I remember well, indiana is a basketball state. I don't see why they would let their team leave.

 

[Lets Gekiga In]

That's quite shocking.

I'm so used to say "indiana pacers" that I can't imagine an other city linked to that team.
Plus, If I remember well, indiana is a basketball state. I don't see why they would let their team leave.

Money and not enough fan support right now.

Also, they've been losing lots of money every year since they moved into the Conseco Fieldhouse except for one (out of a total of 10 years).

 

[V3rtigo]

No, actually it was Isiah Thomas.

Anyone with any reasonable knowledge of the Knicks over the past few years knows what Isiah did to run that team right into the ground.

oh i know, but it was all at the direction of dolan. when the owner turns his back on sexual harrassment claims and hires someone like isiah who destroyed the raptors and the cba, i think hes more to blame. isiah wasnt half bad at drafting talent though, he just sucked at coaching, trades, personal interaction, and just about everything else. isiah just did what he had done the previous 5 years in other orgs. dolan knew all that coming in.

 

[V3rtigo]

That's quite shocking.

I'm so used to say "indiana pacers" that I can't imagine an other city linked to that team.
Plus, If I remember well, indiana is a basketball state. I don't see why they would let their team leave.

it is. there are several teams that would be better candidates for a move, like the hornets, grizzlies, bobcats, okc...

 

[Lets Gekiga In]

it is. there are several teams that would be better candidates for a move, like the hornets, grizzlies, bobcats, okc...

OKC? Come on. I know it's only their first season, but they were 11th in average attendance. And they were 9th in percentage out of all arenas capacity and that was for a 23-59 record for the 2008-09 season.

.

 

[norton9478]

OKC works because there is nothing else to do in that shithole.

 

[V3rtigo]

OKC? Come on. I know it's only their first season, but they were 11th in average attendance. And they were 9th in percentage out of all arenas capacity and that was for a 23-59 record for the 2008-09 season.

.

i dont think the fans will be there in the long run. plus they have the worst name, colors, and uniforms around. if they stay, they should get a wnba team that can adopt all of that and they can start from scratch. seriously though, they never should left seattle, but thats howard shulz's fault.

 

[mydogbilly]

St. Louis anyone?

 

[Lets Gekiga In]

i dont think the fans will be there in the long run. plus they have the worst name, colors, and uniforms around. if they stay, they should get a wnba team that can adopt all of that and they can start from scratch. seriously though, they never should left seattle, but thats howard shulz's fault.

Well, unless management gets changed again I think the OKC Thunder are going to be around for a long time.

 

[HeartlessNinny]

Hey maybe you can be the GM and then your first promotion could be "Gay Marriage Night."

You could give little statues away of two men in shorts kissing.

Just a thought.

Ha, that's a decent idea.

bingo. let's draft the local kid, steve nash. oh no, lets get big country bryant reeves instead. lets draft steve francis and let him throw up gang signs on the evening news, and forcing a trade for a bunch of scrubs. lets give big country a $50M contract and let him retire right away. mike bibby was high the entire time there. vancouver and seattle both deserve teams again.

Exactly. Bryant Reeves has got to be the most embarrassing moment for the franchise, and that's saying something. The stupid part is that they knew that Steve Nash was really good, and he actually wanted to play here. But oh no, let's waste millions on a huge fatass that can't play worth shit. Good plan...

Anyways, I thought of another reason why it might be a good idea to move a team here: the economy here hasn't been hit nearly as hard as the other areas that have been mentioned as possible new locations, so people have more disposable income to spend on tickets. Just a thought.

Either way, if pro basketball came back, I'd be interested in going to some games.