http://www.team1040.ca/news/story/?id=2031

May. 13, 2009

Rumors are running rampant in Indiana that Francesco Aquilini, owner of the Vancouver Canucks, is reportedly expressing interest in purchasing the Indiana Pacers and moving the team to Vancouver, B.C.

Pacers co-owner Herb Simon are working as hard as they can to work out a new arena deal with the Indianapolis Capital Improvement Board and says he doesn’t want to see Indy without an NBA team. Simon could be using Aquilini as leverage against the Indianapolis Capital Improvement Board.

But former Sonics owner Howard Schultz also used Clay Bennett as leverage against the Washington State Legislature. And now the Sonics no longer exist.

Vancouver may be a good spot for an NBA team to land. The city has been without a team since the Grizzlies left for Memphis after the 2000-01 season, but GM Place capable of housing an NBA franchise with very little extra work.

Yes its been 8 years since the NBA took the Grizzlies away from us and I still have a bad taste in my mouth over the whole thing. I for one am in no hurry to welcome the NBA back to British Columbia.

i doubt it would ever happen - didn't the Aquilinis get burnt on that deal as well?

The Western Conference has TOO much power.

I hope the Pacers stay in Indiana. Them moving to Canada would really hurt the Pacers fans.

I would not be shocked if a move happened, but I can argue both sides of the likelihood.

On the one hand, Indianapolis is a giant, money-sucking machine that pulls in all of the cash it could ever want from the rest of Indiana. The latest sales tax increase applies even to natural gas that us folks up in the chilly north use for heating our homes, and you can bet that the money goes right to Indy. Lottery monies go right to Indy as well. When they want to pump money into a pro franchise, they will do it. See the new Colts stadium, for example. And the Pacers currently already have a first-rate NBA facility, so funds could go into other aspects of building up the franchise. Finally, Indiana has long been a "basketball state." The Pistons originated in Fort Wayne, IN...!

On the other hand, it seems that most people are very interested in college and H.S. basketball. There are many fans of IU, Butler, Purdue, Valpo, ND, ISU, Ball State, IUPUI, Evansville, you name it. If the Pacers left, the loss would be measured against that existing fandom -- and not be felt all that keenly. And as seen with the Pistons, it would not be the state's first loss of an NBA franchise!

I should also mention that many of us in Northern Indiana are Bulls fans (ducks head and runs for cover) -- and we would not really miss the Pacers AT ALL!! (LOL) :)

All that said, I hope they do stay.

Only once in the history of sports has an American based team moved to Canada - the 1980 NHL Atlanta Flames to Calgary. Currently, the NHL is fighting a potential move of the NHL Phoenix Coyotes back to Canada.

I'm sure the posters who follow the NBA would know more, but I can't see an American based team moving to Canada - it's usually the other way.

Only once in the history of sports has an American based team moved to Canada - the 1980 NHL Atlanta Flames to Calgary. Currently, the NHL is fighting a potential move of the NHL Phoenix Coyotes back to Canada.

I'm sure the posters who follow the NBA would know more, but I can't see an American based team moving to Canada - it's usually the other way.

In a way...I'd like to see the Clippers move to Calgary.

Then they can be the Alberta Clippers.

Only once in the history of sports has an American based team moved to Canada - the 1980 NHL Atlanta Flames to Calgary. Currently, the NHL is fighting a potential move of the NHL Phoenix Coyotes back to Canada.

I'm sure the posters who follow the NBA would know more, but I can't see an American based team moving to Canada - it's usually the other way.
Actually I can give you another example of an American franchise moving north. It happened in the Canadian Football League. For 3 years in the 1990's the CFL had an American division with teams like the Sacramento Gold Miners (who later moved to San Antonio), the Las Vegas Posse, The Memphis Mad Dogs, the Birmingham Baracudas, the Shreveport Pirates, and the Baltimore Stallions. When the leagues American "experiment" came to an end all these franchises folded except one. The Baltimore Stallions moved north to Montreal where they continue to compete as the Montreal Alouettes.

yes but i think they are not holding it regulary

Vancouver had a team and it didn't work out. I don't see why Indiana, that had a good team for years, would move, especially to a place that lost a team.

Vancouver had a team and it didn't work out. I don't see why Indiana, that had a good team for years, would move, especially to a place that lost a team.
Vancouver didn't lose the Grizzlies! They were taken away from us! The only reason the NBA put a team in Vancouver in the first place is that they thought it would be easier to get a team in Toronto if they were introducing two Canadian franchises at the same time. Once the Raptors were established in Toronto they did what they were planning all along and moved the Grizzlies to an American city. It's a shame they picked Memphis which doesn't have as nice of an arena as Vancouver (G.M. Place) and where fewer fans show up to the games than in Vancouver.