Pacers Return to Pepsi

Just this summer as I was watching some of the cattle show at the Indiana State Fair, I made the comment to my dad, "Wouldn't it be cool if the Pacers would play a preseason game back here in Pepsi?".

Sure enough my prayer was answered by God Larry Bird. It has been announced that the Pacers will play their first preseason game this year in the venue where it all began.

Located at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, Pepsi Coliseum was the original home of the Pacers when they were still in the ABA. The building itself is almost 70 years old and has hosted concerts, livestock shows, and ice hockey. Aside from the livestock of the Indiana State Fair, the building's most famous tenants were the Pacers who were able to hang 3 ABA Titles from the rafters before moving across town to Market Square Arena.

The Pacers are making a wonderful gesture by playing this game in this venue. Not only are the proceeds from the tickets going to charity, but the Pacers are acknowledging their history and their fans who have followed the team since the ABA. This game will also give younger fans an appreciation for what stadiums were like years ago, before the ABA/NBA became a global entity.

Short of the Pacers finding a way to play at the state's historic college arenas (Mackey Arena, Assembly Hall, Hinkle Fieldhouse), this is absolutely the best way for this beleaguered franchise to try and win back some of the fans that poor management and even poorer play have scared away. Hopefully other teams will see this as an opportunity to honor either their own old stadiums (barring they haven't been demolished) or to reach out to other communities that might fall within their fan-base. Maybe the Pistons could come back to Fort Wayne for a game, the Timberwolves could play in Fargo, or the Warriors could don their "The City" jerseys, and play one last time in the Cow Palace before it's bulldozed. After all, there is no better mixture than NBA basketball and livestock venues.