This is a sad statement. Basketball, at all levels, has been the life
blood of Indiana as long as I can remember and I'm over 60. But this
recent statement by Pat Early, vice president of the Indianapolis
Capital Improvement Board who owns Conseco Fieldhouse has me
troubled.

He said, "Maybe the cost of keeping an NBA franchise in Indianapolis
is more than the people of the city are willing to incur." This on
the heels of Harry Simon stating that the Pacers could lose 30 million
this year and most of that is due to the cost of having to play at
Conseco.

The Pacers have lost money nine of the past 10 years, were last in the
league in attendance last season, and are only slightly better this
season.

"I have no thought of leaving Indiana," Harry Simon owner of the
Pacers said. "Only a thought of preserving the Pacers and keeping them
in Indiana. That's the only issue right here."

Simon, who has owned the team with his brother, Mel, since 1983, said
he doesn't need help with the Pacers.

"We can handle the team," he said. "It's the operation of the facility
that's causing us the problem. We're not asking anyone to pay for us.
It's just the operating of the facility."

The Pacers and the Capital Improvement Board struck their current deal
10 years ago, and Pat Early said they are in the early stages of
renegotiating. He said the board can't pay the operating cost because
it already faces a $43 million shortfall, and he's unsure who would.

"That's the big question," Early said. "Really, we do not have the
funding sources to allow us to be able to do this. We've contacted the
state, the Legislature ... we're trying to figure out, are there
solutions?"

At the heart of Simon's desire to rework the deal is the fact that
he's 74 years old and wants to pass the team along to his heirs at
some point.

"The whole reason to do this is to put the team in the financial spot
where it can stay here forever," he said. "I'm getting on. I can't be
here forever. I can't pass on a structure that doesn't make sense to
other people."

Now I can understand why attendance has been down somewhat. Since
Reggie Miller, the Davis boys, Rik Smits and others have retired, the
team hasn't really performed up to their high standards. But, come on
folks, it's basketball!! Pacer ticket prices are some of the lowest
in the league and Conseco Fieldhouse, in my opinion, is the best
basketball facility in the league. In addition, the Pacers, so far,
are the only NBA team that has announced reduced prices for the
2009-2010 season tickets.

It would be damn shame to see NBA basketball leave Indiana again
because of a facility issue.

Regards,


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"One word sums up probably the responsibility of any vice-president,
and that one word is "to be prepared."
-- Dan Quayle
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Steve

Well, they're trying with rock bottom pricing to get fans. I suppose their
perspective is why eat the seats and loose a chance on concessions and all
the other revenue streams the game generates. Maybe it's time for Slick to
host another telethon.