…because we’ve had our first Jamaal Tinsely off-court incident.

Someone in a group of people fired on cars carrying Tinsely and his friends outside the Conrad hotel in Downtown Indianapolis early Sunday. Pacers equipment manager Joey Qatato was shot in both elbows.

Two of Tinsley’s three vehicles were pocked with bullet holes and his brother, James Tinsley, apparently returned fire with a gun he carried legally.

Now for the benefit of the non-locals in the audience, here’s what you have to understand. The Conrad Hotel is no dive where things like assault rifle shootings take place. It’s Indy’s first four-star hotel. It’s in the heart of downtown in the Wholesale District, where many of the city’s nicest restaurants and so forth are located. Thank God this was at 3:40 in the morning, because it’s an area normally heavy with pedestrian and auto traffic on a Saturday night. Most disturbingly from my perspective, it’s about 8 blocks from where I live.

This incident actually gets stupider, if that’s possible.

Members of Tinsley’s group said people in another group harassed them about Tinsley’s expensive cars — a Mercedes, Rolls-Royce and Dodge Charger — and the amount of money he made.

Tinsley’s group left the club and headed for Tinsley’s Downtown condominium, but soon realized they were being followed by a gray Chrysler and a dark pickup truck, Thompson said. They pulled into the Conrad Hotel because they thought it would safer, he said.

The shooting began about 3:40 a.m., after both groups reached the hotel, Thompson said. After Qatato was shot, he went inside, where Conrad employees called emergency medical services and police.

Qatato had been sitting with Tinsley in the player’s Rolls-Royce. A Methodist Hospital spokesperson said Qatato was released Sunday afternoon after being treated. Tinsley, in the front passenger seat, was not injured.

Two of the three vehicles in Tinsley’s group followed the shooters to Monument Circle, and James Tinsley returned fire. It was not known whether anyone was hit. James Tinsley had a gun permit, Thompson said.

That last part’s my favorite. See, I’ve never been shot at, but if I ever am, I certainly doubt my reaction will be to get into a car chase with the shooters.

A memorial to honor those who fought for the United States from the American Revolution through the Civil War, or a good place for a shootout? CWAMB reports, you decide. (Image by Flickr user cbteam234, used under Creative Commons license)

Some days there’s nothing you can do but laugh, so I submit to you this dialog on the incident by CWAMB writers and regulars:

CJ: A Pacer involved in a shooting incident? I refuse to believe it. And seriously, the Conrad? What that fuck? Am I going to have to start packing heat now?

Matt: sheesh, and the only person arrested so far was a wanted drug dealer Tinsley was hanging with. See Mike? This is why Indy doesn’t love the Pacers anymore. Their image isn’t just tarnished, it’s trashed.

CJ, unless you plan to go start shit on 38th street, I think you’ll be fine :p

It’s a little wild something like that happened in essentially the heart of downtown, though.

CJ: My friend Lars says “OK, when ‘it’s not unusual to see a .223 assault rifle used in street violence’, it might be time to move back to Carmel”

Matt: I think the real lesson learned here is “When you see Jamal Tinsley, duck and cover!”

Andrew: I’m surprised Jamaal didn’t fire off 3 or 4 wild shots that hit nothing but air.

Matt: to be fair he was going to, but he held the gun too long and the shot clock went off.

CJ: Also, the force the air displacement from the bullets injured his back, he’ll be out 4-6 weeks.

Matt: strangely, even though Jermaine O’Neal was not involved in the incident, his knee got injured as well.

Jason: The headline of a Star article the day of the shooting. “Shooting accuracy point of concern”

Hey Jason, isn’t it about time we add a “Police Blotter” category? Sheesh.

You wouldn’t think so, but the Indianapolis Colts have certainly earned the local (and perhaps even regional) bragging rights in recent seasons. However, we’re almost a quarter of the way through the NBA season and no one’s talking about the Indiana Pacers, who evened their record tonight at 8-8 with a 95-89 road win over the Portland Trail Blazers.

Jeff Foster dunks home two of his 11 points against the Blazers Wednesday night. Foster also contributed 17 rebounds (eight offensive), three assists and a block. (image courtesy of espn.com)

I’m going to say what everyone at CWAMB has been afraid to to this point: these guys can play. They’re not Showtime, but they can play. Here’s my “20-percent-done-with-the-season” Pacers report card:

Jermaine O’Neal, PF/C: I have to start here because the team’s built around him. He’s missed the last five games, but the Pacers have gone 4-1 in those games. That won’t last. The Pacers will need a reasonably-healthy JO desperately over the course of the season, as he’s the only bona-fide low-post scorer they have, and he’s one of the NBA’s premier shot-blockers. Unfortunately, the JO they’ve had this season is averaging only 13.2 points per game on 38 percent shooting. That’s a bad guy to build a half-court offense around. When I saw the Pacers lose to the Celtics two weeks ago, he got pushed around by Kendrick Perkins. Yes, that Kendrick Perkins. I know he’s playing through more pain than I could tolerate laying on my couch, but JO gets a D at this point in the season. Hopefully, he’ll be able to salvage what’s left when he gets back.

Danny Granger, SF: In JO’s absence, the 24-year-old Granger has become the best player on the Pacers. He’s throwing in 18.1 ppg, 6.3 rpg, and often guarding the opposition’s best scorer. His 46% field-goal percentage is right in line with his career average. He’s no superstar (yet), but he’s tough to stop from getting his. If only all of Larry Bird’s moves went as well as nabbing Granger with the 17th pick three years ago… A.

Jamaal Tinsley, PG: Critics will be quick to say that Tinsley can’t find his shot, but his .390 field-goal percentage is only slightly lower than his career .397 average, so this is “finding his shot.” Tinsley hasn’t scored this much (13.8 ppg) since 2004-05, and is providing some great floor leadership for the squad (8.3 apg). He single-handedly willed the Pacers into the Celtics game last week, drew heaps of praise from LeBron James after Sunday’s loss to Cleveland, seems to have put last season’s shenanigans behind him and has finally made the locals forget Anthony Johnson. If that’s not a great start to the season for Tinsley, then nothing is. The only knock on him is that he seems to have lost a half-step defensively. A-minus.

Mike Dunleavy, SG: Wow. Finally, the player Golden State thought they were getting with the third pick in 2002 has started to emerge. Junior’s averaging career-highs in points per game (16.3), shooting (.474), and three-point shooting (.392). He’s another guy who’s tough to stop from getting his, and typically, if Dunleavy’s off, the Pacers don’t have much of a chance. You can tell he’s worked hard in the off-season on his defense, too. He’s no stopper, but his floor positioning and awareness are much better. Sometimes, as he did in Cleveland on Sunday, physical defenders can keep him from getting his touches. However, the love-in continues with an A-minus.

Jeff Foster, PF/C: The venerable Foster has been fantastic this season. He’s leading the team in rebounds (9.1 rpg, despite averaging only 23 minutes per contest), defends the opposition’s best low-post option every night, and is a great big man to have passing or finishing in transition. The Feisty One continues to be CWAMB’s Favorite Pacer. A.

Troy Murphy, PF/C: I have no doubt that Murphy’s trying to earn his gigantic paycheck. But unless you’re a superstar and have teams built around you, then you’re just a guy trying to fit into a system. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like Murphy fits with the 2007-08 Pacers, largely because he’s a better player when JO is on the floor. Having JO in the low post allows Murph to find his spots on the perimeter, where he can be positively deadly. JO’s absence has meant that Murph’s been the primary low-post option some nights, where he’s not nearly as effective. His rebounding (6.8 per contest in over 26 minutes) has been adequate; his shooting (.398, compared to .434 for his career) has not. Keep grindin’, Murph. C.

Shawne Williams, F: Very quietly, Williams has emerged as a solid rotation player (10.3 ppg, 4.0 rpg). He fits in well defensively with this group because he clogs up a lot of passing lanes with his length and quickness. However, he’s inconsistent, and needs to learn how to be more effective on the nights where he’s not needed for 20-plus minutes. B.

The Supporting Cast: G Marquis Daniels, when healthy (12 games), has been a difference-maker, especially in the open floor with his offense (9.8 ppg) and defense. C David Harrison, as he has for his previous three seasons, alternates looking like seven feet of emerging force and six fouls’ worth of stiff. PF Ike Diogu was off to a fantastic start before falling to a torn calf; hopefully he can contribute in the post in the second half. PG Travis Diener hasn’t found the three-point stroke he was signed for (.235), but has done a good job in the minutes he’s picked up at the point. SG Kareem Rush hasn’t found his stroke either (.292 from outside the arc, .347 overall). Indy’s own G Andre Owens has barely played, but has ticked my friend Foxy off somehow. Tough breaks are just part of dealing with the Fox, man. Sorry. Overall, the group gets a C-plus, which should improve when Diogu returns.

“Why the hate, Foxy? I don’t even play enough to have a picture of me actually playing basketball on ESPN.com? Why no love for the end-of-the-bench guy?” (image courtesy of espn.com, naturally)

It’s a long, long season. This has been a long, long post. Funny how that works out. Anyhow, many kudos to Coach Jim O’Brien (and even Larry Legend, who get them by not messing with what he had, even though he was the only one who knew). He’s got this group playing hard for the empty seats at Conseco Fieldhouse, but hopefully Indy will come around to appreciate what they may have this season. It could still be a lot of fun.

So the Pacers won their debut under new coach Jim O’Brien last night, even with O’Neal and Troy Murphy. But my favorite part of the article on the win? This … unfortunate quote by O’Brien:

“That’s all I’ve ever seen from this team is that they fight,” O’Brien said. “That’s what I think everybody is going to come to expect out of these guys.

Ahhhh The Brawl, The Malice At The Palice… the gift that keeps on giving.

It’s nice to see them win the opener despite injuries, but color me unimpressed until I see more effort consistently. I’ve heard the “we have a new attitude”, “we’re going to play up tempo”, etc etc too much the last few years to believe it before I see it consistently.

And let’s see how O’Neal does when he gets back. The last few years it’s actually seemed the Pacers play better when he is out.

Jermaine O’Neal wants to be a Laker.

J.O. tallied 19.4 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game last season as the Indiana Pacers missed the playoffs for just the second time in the last two decades.  (image courtesy of espn.com)

This is all fine and good, really.  O’Neal hasn’t delivered on his championship promises in Indianapolis, and despite the fact that he’s a really nice guy who’s great for the community, this overall lack of success here has to be grating on him.  An opportunity to play in a situation where he didn’t have to be the Alpha Dog, like with Kobe in L.A., would probably do him a world of good.  The Lakers have several pieces that the Pacers have been rumored to be interested in (Andrew Bynum, Luke Walton, etc.), so a deal there wouldn’t be entirely unlikely, considering the potential suitors.  Granted, the Pacers would have to eat a dog contract or two to make the dollars line up, but there are worse situations to be in when your team is rebuilding.  So I can see why O’Neal wants to go to L.A., and why the Pacers would like to send him there.

Of course, this would be a lot easier to do if he kept these thoughts to himself.  All J.O. did by making his heart’s desire known was take away any leverage the Pacers may have had in dealing him and getting, say, fifty cents on the dollar value-wise.  Painting the picture of the team’s President as a failed snake-oil salesman didn’t help anything, either.

So, Pacers fans, get ready to welcome Kwame Brown, Vlad Radmanovic and their bloated contracts to Indy, or the say hello again to the all-new, all-whinier-and-sulkier J.O. when a deal doesn’t get done, then say goodbye to him when his contract’s up after the season.  I’d feel worse for him, but he’s done it to himself.

Coming soon to Conseco Fieldhouse?  (image courtesy of, believe it or not, kwamebrown.org!  Hot crackers, the man’s getting posterized on his own website!!) 

What we need is a man on the inside. Find me a dirty NBA ref. No, not ALL of them! One will do.

NBA officiating sucks and may even be dirty! Is there anyone who watches the NBA to whom this is any sort of shocking revelation that we never would have expected?

The FBI is investigating allegations that a veteran NBA referee bet on basketball games over the past two seasons, including ones in which he officiated.

According to a law enforcement official, authorities are examining whether the referee made calls to affect the point spread in games on which he or associates had wagered.

I’m shocked and awed. Next you are going to tell me Larry Johnson’s 4-point play against the Pacers in the ‘99 ECF might have been bullshit.  (If that was continuation, I’m the Queen of France. No, I’m not still bitter at all.)

More channeling of Peter King. This is fun! Let’s just hope I don’t get something as mind numbingly wrong as I did last time.

• The return of the banana suit! Looks like the Pacers are adding a yellow alternate back to their uni repertoire for next season if this screen shot from NBA Live 08 is accurate. Via UniWatch.
• A very cool book is coming out in the fall about the history of Indy’s foray into major league pro hockey, the Indianapolis Racers of the WHA. Red, White & Blues: A Personal History if Indianapolis Racers Hockey 1974-1979 looks like it could be a very cool read for Indy hockey fans who miss the days of real pro hockey in Indianapolis. God I love that logo and those jerseys. And look at the crowds!  Someday I’m going to find a Racers replica jersey to buy.
• I think hot dogs would taste much better in the bun and without all the lemonade, but hey, congratulations to the new Glutton Champ Joey Chestnut.  USA! USA! USA!
• Wait… the Harlem Globetrotters have a draft?! I would pay money to see Stephen A. Smith call their draft.
• I think I want to see a baseball game with Keith Hernandez and Joe Morgan both in the booth. The resulting black hole of stupidity would destroy half the teams in baseball thus resulting in a trimmed down league and shorter schedule. Win win! We could throw in Ron Santo too. If we’re going to destroy the universe might as well go all the way.
• I think it’s spectacular there is an actual person named Mike Hunt. Is it too much to ask that he make the NFL someday just so I can hear John Madden talking about how “Mike Hunt can cover the entire field. BOOM!”
• It’s Pacers Summer Practice Time. Are you ready for the Jim O’Brien era, Pacers fans? *crickets chirping* Me too!
• I think the Colts got rid of Dominic Rhodes just in time. Ooooooops! Sorry Oakland.
• Apparently that Freddy Adu kid IS pretty good.
• I think the way to get Americans into soccer would be to just change it so goals are worth 6 points and penalty kicks are worth 3.
• Grant Hill signed with the Suns, but ended up with a severe high ankle sprain walking to his car after signing the contract. Estimates put him out of action for 2 months.
• Gone Fishin, too. Jeremy Roenick has decided to hang ‘em up after 18 years in the NHL.  He gets mega bonos points for how he annouced his retirement. Via a text message to a reporter stating “I’m retiring; is that still news?”  Brilliant. Happy trails to the 3rd leading American goal scorer in NHL history.
• I’d LOVE to see relegation put into the NBA. It might actually get me to care about the NBA again. More on this later? Maybe.

Derek Fisher is not a Hall-of-Fame NBA player by any stretch of the imagination. (Of course, that particular point is moot, as there is no NBA Hall of Fame, but that’s a rant for another day.) Eleven seasons removed from a standout career at Arkansas-Little Rock, Fisher has averaged 8.7 points and 3.3 assists per game for his career. Productive, sure… don’t forget, Fisher was a clutch player for the Lakers during the Shaq & Kobe Show. But guys like Derek Fisher pop in and out of the league all the time, right?

Derek Fisher played in all 82 regular-season games during the 2006-07 season, averaging 10.1 points and 3.3 assists per contest. He averaged 9.5 points per game in 16 playoff games, as the Utah Jazz advanced to the Western Conference Finals. (image courtesy of cnnsi.com)

Utah released Fisher from his contract Monday at his request, so he can care for his daughter. 11-month-old Tatum Fisher has retinoblastoma, an extremely rare form of cancer which could ultimately cost her her left eye. Fisher isn’t ruling out playing in the NBA again, he just needs to be doing it in a city where doctors can properly treat Tatum. Salt Lake City, unfortunately for the Jazz, does not have that capability.

So no, guys like Derek Fisher do not pop in and out of the NBA every day. Granted, he’s been paid very well over the last eleven years, so chances are he’s one of the very few among us that doesn’t have to worry about being gainfully employed during this ordeal. However, in a league full of me-firsts and bad characters, paparazzi media-types who live to exploit them, and talking heads who give credibility to it all, the triumphs and tragedies of men like Fisher and former Lakers teammate Lamar Odom (who lost a child to SIDS last year) often get lost in the haze.

Take care, Derek. Hopefully, we’ll catch you on the court again some day. If one guy deserves a break in the NBA, it’s you.

Oh… wait. SOrry, that was just a headline from the Bizarro Universe where Larry Bird is a competent GM. Instead, they traded away their 2009 2nd round pick for some 7 foot Bosnian stiff named Stanko Barac (yes. Stanko.) who’s still under contract with his European team for three years. I was actually able to dig up a draft profile on him from DraftExpress.

Sometimes he struggles making timely rotations and gives up deep position on the block too easily, while his perimeter defense is almost non-existent.

Teams often try to lure him away from the basket, which promptly puts him in foul trouble being due to his inability to stop dribble penetrations.

So he’s a taller and white version of David Harrison? MARVELOUS.

Say hello to your newest Indiana Pacer. Maybe. In a few years when his European contract is up. (photo courtesy DraftExpress)

In other draft news, just a few quick observations of the very top that I happened to see while at the bar and not really paying attention. Maybe borrowing from NFL writer Peter King I will call this Some Things I Think I Think I Thought Or Possibly It Was Just The Beer Man I Need Some Nachos

• The Trailblazers made the right pick taking Oden. You can’t pass up a true big man with the array of skills that he has. While Durant may end up being the more explosive and exciting of the two, Oden will give them a great presence inside for many years to come. And even with the trend towards a quicker transition game look at who is still winning championships: teams with quality big men.
• Man the Sonics get Keven Durant and then trade away Ray Allen? I don’t get that move at all. With a young possible superstar on the team I want a veteran PG to be able to get him the ball and teach him some court vision.
• Nice to see Conley move up into the top 5. There is such a dearth of good PGs in this league it won’t take long for him to become one of the top point men in the league.
• Al Horford at #3. He was by far my favorite Gator in the draft.
• Aaaaand Chicago wins the “Overrated Joakim Noah” sweepstakes! Huzzah!

What…? What the fuck? Good god I don’t know how to process this. (photo courtesy ESPN)

I want to take this time (after neglecting the blog for so long) to welcome the newest member of the NBA’s D-League: The Ft. Wayne Mad Ants! Ft. Wayne actually had a locally popular CBA team before Isiah Thomas blew up that league (on his way to then destroying multiple franchises in the NBA) and I have a feeling that the Mad Ants will be successful there.

But damn, how about that name? I actually love it. It wouldn’t fly in a major league but it’s perfect for the minors. And for those curious, it’s a very roundabout way of naming the team after the city’s namesake: General “Mad Anthony” Wayne

And I absolutely love the logo. Who’s going to buy me a Mad Ants jersey for my 30th this year?

via Uni Watch

Update: The President of the Mad Ants (the queen? Hmmm.) is running a blog. No comments though but it does bring out this gem from Ants President Jeff Potter:

Oh, and by the way, my irrational fascination with Sanjaya has not waned. I make this promise to the city of Fort Wayne – I will do my best to bring Sanjaya to town to sing at one of our games! And, no, that is not a threat, it is a promise.

Words fail me.

Cavaliers coach Mike Brown has drawn a lot of heat these playoffs, most recently after his team’s 75-72 loss to the San Antonio Spurs last night.  Apparently, Coach Brown is supposed to be pitching a major fit after the no-call which may have helped the Spurs take Game 3.

Mike Brown… cool as the other side of the pillow.  (image courtesy of espn.com) 

I would tend to think that after LeBron created eight open looks in the fourth quarter for his teammates that they subsequently clanked, Coach Brown knew that that may have had more to do with the defeat.  Perhaps it was the Cavs’ abysmal 3-point shooting for the game (3-for-19).  God forbid.

But no, clearly Coach Brown needs to bitch about the referees turning a blind eye to LeBron in the waning seconds.  That’s what Pat Riley or Phil Jackson would’ve done, isn’t it?  It would have totally changed the outcome of the game.  They’d have put five seconds back on the clock with a little bitching, Mike!  Get in the game!

Let the man show some class.  It’s sorely lacking in the NBA.  The fact that he can only call one real play for his team (the world-famous “Uh, let LeBron do his thing” play).  Jesus, the man’s trying to win an NBA title with Drew Gooden playing significant minutes.  All he has is class… he certainly doesn’t have a chance.