Pacers Fans Now Have An Actual Reason To Exist
The only thing Pacers fans have to look forward to every season is perpetual mediocrity. Misusing draft picks, making a few solid free agent moves, injuries, then making the playoffs but falling short of the mark. It hasn't always been bad for the Pacers. Despite being a small market, they've managed to put together several championship caliber teams. The late 90's- early 2000's teams ran into some disgusting competition - MJ's Bulls, Kobe & Shaq, but in the end the Indiana Pacers did themselves in and ruined Reggie Miller's last real chance at a ring with the Malice at the Palace.
When the team was blown up after the brawl there were several dark years where being a Pacer fan meant Jeff Foster was the best player on the roster. There wasn't much joy to be had as a fan, so a Netflix special hopefully wont feel as much like picking a scab as healing a scar.
It's hard to be more Ready to Roll than Ron Artest, but Stephen Jackson might just be the most RTR athlete of all time. Stephen Jackson untucks his jersey and is ready to fight the entire Pistons team before a single cup is even thrown. Jackson wasn't even the one fouled. When shit carries to the stands, Jackson is the first teammate to leap over stadium seats and clock a man square in the face.
It's interesting the Malice at the Palace brawl never received the ESPN 30 for 30 treatment, but I suppose Netflix presented what looks to be a documentary from the Pacers perspective, which got Pacers players to talk. With everything already on tape from a billion angles it will be hard to see what new breaking information the documentary reveals through sit-down interviews, but if anything deserves the doc treatment, it's the biggest brawl in NBA history.