I’m picking the Indiana Pacers to do something this year.
What, I don’t know.

It depends.

Germane to the outcome is Jermaine (O’Neal) and whether he can stay on the court.
Also relevant is whether Dunleavy can play in the regular season like he plays in the preseason. (Last year, with the GS Warriors, he couldn’t)

Indiana is special to me.

I did some sportswriting there.

One piece I did was on a junior varsity game in which guys who could barely play left everything they had on the court against much more talented, and smug, opposition.

Nevertheless, what I noticed in that piece was the fervor of all the players, on both sides of that lopsided deal.

I could understand the guys who wanted to get off the JV and onto the “real” basketball team, guys who had a chance to make the team, hustling and putting on a “show” for their coach.

What intrigued me was the hustle of the also-rans, guys without a chance, talent-wise.

In the end, I chalked it up to Hoosier Hysteria.

Roundball riotry, Indiana-style. Where every kid on an outdoor hoop nailed to the garage dreams of being the next no-name turned Larry Bird, the next “shooter” like that guy who didn’t make it in the NBA (whatsisname?), the next IU star to suffer the reign of Bobby Knight….back in that day…..the next Shawn Kemp before he became, well, Remember Shawn Kemp…the father of us all…..

Hoosier Hysteria….a female term for a mostly male condition, when you’re in Indiana….

These Pacers need to quit pacing themselves and turn it loose…..then the magic would happen….remember the movie with Gene Hackman and Dennis Hopper?

Like that…come on Tinsley, come on Granger (there’s a couple names that remind me of non-basketball things in Indiana….) come on, whoever.

Let’s put some fire in that booty!

Give Indiana back its first love….