"First Of Many Changes"

Where were you when Pacers coach Jim O'Brien was relieved of his coaching duties on Sunday Jan. 30th, 2011? I just got home from LA Fitness and was on the couch. Today is a fresh start for the Pacers. I know it has been a rough season up to this point, but this is the first of many changes that will take place over the next several months. The Pacers are currently 17-27 this year and 10th in the playoff race. It would be nice to see the Pacers put something together and get the young guys some playoff experience, but that shouldn't be the main concern now. Finding a new coach for next season is the number one priority. Former Cleveland Cavs coach Mike Brown is a leading candidate and my choice to take over. Utah Jazz assistant Ty Corbin is another name I have heard today who might get a look. It has been a frustrating season thus far. The other night I went to the Orlando game and sat 7 rows from the floor with my buddy Shawn. I spent more time that game watching Dwight Howards son scarf down a hot dog, nachos, and a soft pretzel. When I heard the kid screaming daddy and waving at Dwight during the player introductions and Dwight smiling and waving back to him I pretty much figured it was one of his. It also helped that his baby mamma had diamond earings in the size of gobstoppers. (another thing I forgot to mention his kid ate)

The 2011-2012 Pacers will have a much different look to them than this years team does. Indiana has almost 30 million dollars coming off the books after this season. Mike Dunleavy, T.J. Ford, Jeff Foster, Solomon Jones, along with 5.4 million we are still paying Jamaal Tinsley in the final year of his contract Indiana bought out. I am hoping as a Pacer fan that owner Herb Simon steps up to the plate and decides to spend that money wisely and bring some free agents, or players through some trades. We have a good group of talented young guys to build around. Danny Granger has established himself as the face of the franchise. Roy Hibbert at times can be an unstoppable big man and other times flat out awful. If Roy can get it together I like the nucleus we have surrounding those 2 with Darren Collison, Paul George, and Tyler Hansbrough.

I'm as excited as I've been in a long time to see what happens in the near future for the Pacers. I just hope that some of these so called fans in Indy will come out and support them in the near future. I imagine if they start winning that they will. After all Indy is a fair weather town for the most part. Conseco use to sell out when we were one of the top teams in the east. Then the Pacers started struggling and the Colts became good. I remember in the mid to late 90's when the Colts games were blacked out on TV because they couldn't sell out. I'm looking forward to a new start for the Pacers. Boom Baby!