The Pacers Season Ticket Experiment: Game 2

The lower and club levels a minute after tipoff...you don't want to see the balcony...

Oh...boy. Well, on the plus side, the ticket office will probably have some sweet promotions to offset this mess.

Game Two of my season ticket package was last night against 2009 Western Conference Finalists Denver. Though it was a Tuesday, you'd think players like Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups would help fill an arena. In fact, the Nuggets themselves are like a classroom of life's bad examples. 'Melo could be especially useful for parents trying to teach their children the virtues of not snitching, Kenyon Martin could teach children how to respectfully deal with the mothers of your peers, Anthony Carter could lecture on reading comprehension during contract talks, and Chris Andersen could share his views on crystal meth and their effects on the athlete. But no one was buying it...and the Pacers didn't show anything that would keep the fans coming back.

That's Professor Andersen to you, son.

Indiana continued their slide by playing terrible basketball. Much like the home opener, they lost a key big man when Troy Murphy went out with a back injury in the first half. Roy Hibbert, Solomon Jones, and Josh McRoberts were unable to pick up the slack, giving up lots of offensive rebounds and second chance points. Brandon Rush and Danny Granger both failed to hit their shots and had trouble getting anything going in the pain, and T.J. Ford forced the action too much at point guard, often ruining fast breaks by dribbling into defenders or taking contested jumpers.

Granger picks up his second straight A"F"G Award for awful 3-pt shooting (2-10).

The Hibbert/Jones rotation at center is rigid and mostly ineffective - Hibbert did most of his damage in garbage time. O'Brien would be better suited playing smaller at times - this team is stocked with quick guards, and a lineup of Murphy/Granger/Rush/Dahntay Jones/Ford could put up some points and not get too abused defensively against teams without major low-post threats (you know...like Denver...).

The highlight of the game was probably the fans in my section. Between the foreigners who were just excited to be at an NBA game (cheering even Roy Hibbert's airballed layup) and the high school kids whose hero worship of Josh McRoberts was audible all the way down to the court in a mostly vacant Fieldhouse, at least they kept it interesting. Hopefully those guys will be there for weekend games too, so I can get drunk enough to be excited about Josh McRoberts with them (or even Travis Diener).

Next game: 11/6 vs. Washington

Level of excitement: 3/5 (Friday night game...a banner raising for Mel Simon...sounds good)

(Editor's note: level of excitement for Pacers games depicted by Achewood characters along with a scale of 1-5)

The Pacers Season Ticket Experiment: Game 1 (Home opener)

I didn't mean Packers...should I have?

Season opener! Pacers! Heat!

The return of Jermaine O'Neal! A gimpy Danny Granger! A half full arena! A free Third Eye Blind concert outdoors in the pouring rain! Can basketball in Indiana get any better than this?

Yes. Yes it can.

Thanks to the rain and congestion due to the Pacers block party (featuring 3EB playing inside what looked like would have been a pretty crowded tent...if only more than 100 people showed up), it took a solid 45 minutes to drive the approximate mile from my office to the Conseco Fieldhouse. Rather than wait around for the concert in weather that would have made a circus depressing, we decided to get drinks and food nearby. In fact, one of the best things about the Fieldhouse is its proximity to decent bars downtown.

Unlike most other modern arenas that are surrounded by opportunistic restaurants/bars/grilles that have jacked up prices, you can drink pretty cheaply about a block from the Fieldhouse (~$2.50.beer). For the two hours before the tip, we put down dinner and ten drinks for about $40 after tip at Coaches', which always has good music and lots of TVs. Sadly, however, this meant that we'd miss the Third Eye Bling encore set, which I assume would have just been "How's it Gonna Be?" three times in a row, followed by some polite applause and the teenage version of myself trying to figure out how to put it on a mix tape for this girl I know.

Actually, that's not a bad parallel for this Pacers season...

It's like they sing the words my heart can't say! Also, is that Paul Rudd?

The game itself seemed to be a bad omen for the Pacers' season. The team fell into a repeated pattern of falling behind, then using spurts to get back into the game, and then falling into a deeper hole. Key players disappeared for extended periods - Troy Murphy pulled down 12 rebounds in the first half, and then faded into the background for the 2nd. Brandon Rush couldn't find his shot and barely played due to foul trouble. And Danny Granger found himself the focus of the Miami defense and put up an Alex Gordon-esque 12 three-pointers, many in bad situations. And much like Alex Gordon would have, he only made three of these.

Danny Granger: Winner of the first ever Alex "Fucking" Gordon award for Poor Decision Making.

Solomon Jones and Roy Hibbert split the minutes at Center, contributing 12 rebounds...and 11 fouls. They made Jermaine O'Neal look like he was 25 again, giving up 22 and 12 to him in just 32 minutes on the court. And T.J. Ford was...invisible. I honestly have no recollection of him having any impact on the game, positively or negatively. The only bright spot was Luther Head's play, and although he's a bit of a gunner and makes bad decisions, he's still a rotation caliber NBA player who can score and play defense.

So it was a bad start to the season with few silver linings. The team looks worse than last year, and improving on 36 wins seems...unlikely. But on the plus side, at least the team gave out free flags to hang off your car window for your depressing drives home from the Fieldhouse!

Thanks, Pacers! I feel better about my season ticket investment already!

Next game: vs. Denver 11/3 (Tonight...yeah I know that this is late as hell...)

Level of Excitement: 2/5

(Editor's note: level of excitement for Pacers games depicted by Achewood characters along with a scale of 1-5)

Did the Slumping Economy Save the Celtics 2010 Season?

Carl Everett proved that Boston fans love crazy...until you assault an ump/ref. The bar is set pretty low, 'Sheed!

First off, this is all speculation. No one knows how the 2010 Celtics will gel together, especially with the additions of Rasheed Wallace and Marquis Daniels, along with Rajon Rondo playing without an extension after getting ripped by his GM this offseason. What we do know is that the experts and scouts at ESPN like their chances this year - half chose them to make it to the NBA Finals this year out of a talented Eastern Conference.

The logic there makes sense. This was a team that won a NBA Championship 2 years ago and was a fierce opponent in the regular season before losing Kevin Garnett. Now Garnett is back, and the team has addressed its biggest weakness by reloading the bench with Sheed, 'Quisy, and re-signing Glen "Big Baby" Davis. It leaves the Celtics rotation looking like this:

• C - Perkins/Wallace
• PF - Garnett/Davis
• SF - Pierce/Daniels (will also share PG role)
• SG - Allen/House (PG role)
• PG - Rondo/

While still thin in the backcourt, it is a major upgrade over last year's bench, especially after Leon Powe was lost for the postseason. That team was forced to start Big Baby in Garnett's absence, and play Brian Scalabrine (!) meaningful minutes at the 4 and 5, while occasionally ceding PG duties to a half-crazed Stephon Marbury. How were they able to pull that off with $58 million tied up in salary for the "Three Amigos" and the NBA's salary cap at $57.7 million in 2010?

Not pictured - Brian Scalabrine

Thrifty shopping, a solid use of exceptions, and decreased market value of players made this team possible. Essentially, in locking up Daniels, Davis, and Wallace, they secured three players that would likely have gotten Mid-Level Exception deals in the economic climate of 2006 for under $11 million, a savings of approximately $7 million to the deal. Additionally, the use of free agency exceptions ($5.8m mid-level for 'Sheed, $1.99m biannual for Daniels) allowed the team to reload with free agents despite being well over the cap.

But how did the economy play a role? Let's take a look at the caliber of player that was signing these deals just three years ago.

In 2006, the key Mid-level exception signings ($5.2 million) were:

• Vlad Radmanovic - Lakers
• Jerome James – Knicks (A possible exception due to Isiah Thomas’s awfulness as GM)
• Tim Thomas - Suns
• Nazr Mohammed - Pistons

In 2008, these signings ($5.5m) were:

• DeSagana Diop - Dallas
• Chris Duhon - New York
• James Posey - New Orleans
• Beno Udrih - Sacramento

It appears that both Wallace and Davis would have fit into past trends on MLE players; Wallace an aging post presence with a stout defensive base, and Davis an up-and-coming big man with unexplored potential and a solid background. In 2006 – and possibly 2008, either player would have been worth about $6 million per year. In fact, the argument could be made that in a more competitive market, Wallace would have been worth between $8-10 million due to his status in the league – although his talent is clearly on the decline. Would a 32-year-old Rasheed be worth $8m/year for 4 years? In 2006, it would be a feasible argument.

What about Daniels? $2 million per seems awfully low for a player who averaged nearly 14 points per game while filling roles all over the court. Daniels was a key factor in setting up the Pacers’ offense with his slashing drive, and rebounded and defended well in Indiana – could he have gotten more on the market? Let’s look at players who were in similar situations in 2006:

Similar Contracts:

• Melvin Ely ($3.3m) – Bobcats
• Flip Murray ($3.5m over 2 years) – Pistons
• Jackie Butler (7m over 3 years) – Spurs
• Aaron Williams ($3.6m over 2 years) – Clippers
• Shammond Williams ($1.75m) – Lakers

Similar Players:

• Anthony Parker ($12m over 3 years) - Raptors
• Fred Jones ($11m over 3 years) – Raptors

The Jones signing has several parallels to Daniels – a former athletic Pacers guard who looked good in short minutes, has a spotty reputation for shooting the 3, and can play the 1/2/3 positions. Though Daniels put up better numbers in their respective contract years, he’ll be making a little over half what Fred Jones made. Maybe part of that is the premium for playing on a winning team, but it’s still a deep discount to play in Boston.

Bargains were a key to the 2008 championship in Boston as well. Danny Ainge took a huge gamble in banking on a 2nd year player to lead his team from the point guard position. A huge factor in that decision was Rondo's rookie scale contract, which made throwing the young player into the fire a more palatable choice than trading for a higher priced veteran. The risk paid off – the team won a championship and Rondo built on that confidence and appears to only be getting better after a near triple double in last year's playoffs.

But…what if?

Let's say the economy doesn’t tank, and the NBA is still a league reliant on bloated contracts. Players like Zaza Pachulia, Hakim Warrick, Linas Kleiza, and Ramon Sessions, are commanding the full MLE in a weak free agent crop. This inflation is prevalent in most contracts, just like in 2006. What do the Celtics get with their exceptions? Two possible scenarios:

1. Rasheed gets the MLE (leaving money on the table to play in Boston), Davis leaves in free agency to another team willing to offer him the full MLE, and the Biannual exception goes to…Anthony Carter?
2. Davis is locked up for the full MLE, Sheed goes to Cleveland, and the Biannual exception goes to…Jarron Collins?

He could be needlessly fouling people in a whole different uniform!

In both hypotheticals, the outcome is clear – the Celtics end up being a team that only goes seven deep with quality players, instead of nine. Their fourth big is still Brian Scalabrine, and their depth at the 1/2/3 is still questionable, leading to more minutes for Tony Allen and more Celtics fans committing acts of violence from watching him play. The good players that they fail to sign just reinforce their competitors, and the starters have to play more in the regular season because of an inferior bench and leave themselves open to fatigue.

Like 2008, they stand one bad injury away from losing a title shot. However, thanks to the tanking financials of the 2010 NBA season, they’re reloaded with the strongest team (on paper) that they’ve had since the Bird era. So if you’re a Boston fan, the recession isn’t so bad; it’s the rebound you need to keep an eye on.

The Pacers Season Ticket Experiment: Game #2

Danny Granger: If he gets injured, the team moves to Omaha.

After missing the first game in my season ticket package, I finally got out to see the other preseason home game in my package - Pacers/Rockets. Last Friday the former Western Conference contenders (is it out of line to assume that they'll be lottery bound this year without Yao, Artest, and McGrady?) came to Indiana for game 4 of their preseason schedule. One the Pacers side of things, there were no fancy promotions or ticket sales, just the standard pre-game email with the starting lineups, which seem to finally be rounding into season opener shape. Our starters?

PG - TJ Ford

SG - Brandon Rush

SF - Danny Granger

PF - Troy Murphy

C - Roy Hibbert

Not bad. Young and possibly a little injury prone, but not bad. Our arena?

To be fair, at least 20 more fans trickled in after the tipoff...

Not full. Not remotely. Which is great if you're trying to figure out each replacement referee's accent during foul calls from the balcony. Not as great if you're one of the Pacers staffers in charge of hyping up the fans. At one point, we had a 7 person hype crew come to our section, only to realize that they outnumbered us before leaving quietly.

Come on Pacer fans, get LOUD!

I'd estimate maybe 3,000 people attended the game. And this was a beautiful Friday night. It was so bad that the scalpers were still trying to sell tickets as a I left midway through the 3rd quarter. As for the game? Well the game was good, and hopefully an indicator of the Pacers play this year.

O'Brien-ball was in effect throughout the first half with fast breaks, strong ball movement, and solid 3-pt shooting propelling the Pacers to a big first half lead. Of particular note, the Pacers did two things that they'll need to do in order to win games this year:

1. Set up T.J. Ford as a playmaker, but ensure that he doesn't waste too much time dribbling down the shot clock without passing - last year, this led to way too many fall away jumpers as the shot clock expired. The T.J. I saw on Friday was more committed on defense and wasn't trying to force the offense. We'll see if it holds up.

2. Let Brandon Rush develop some confidence in his shot - In this offense, Rush needs to do two things - replace some of the slashing to the basket that Marquis Daniels did, and - more importantly - be a marksman from 3-pt range. The Rush I saw Friday pulled the trigger on his open shots, and looked more confident than the rookie version.

As usual, Granger and Murphy were solid, and are still options 1 and (a distant) 2 offensively for this team. Roy Hibbert looked very similar to how he looked last year - invisible at times, but occasionally proficient at others. As a team, the rebounding was weak - Houston's 24 offensive rebounds despite not playing anyone taller than 6-9 will attest to that. Meanwhile, the Pacers were led on the glass by 6-0 T.J. Ford and 6-3 Luther Head. Yikes.

That little guy? Leading rebounder.

Speaking of Head, he looked pretty good out there. Strong defender and a good shooter, although when Dunleavy returns he'll likely be dropped out of the rotation. Still, it's nice to see him playing his ass off for a spot. Solomon Jones, on the other hand, didn't impress anyone, although he had a couple of nice blocks when he wasn't busy not rebounding.

The arena entertainment was pretty standard, although the brass band wasn't there, you had your usual Boomer-based entertainment (but no Bowser), Pacemates dancing, and a couple giveaways. Nothing great.

I left with the team protecting a 20 point lead in the 2nd half, lamenting yet another game without a Travis Diener appearance. All in all, the game was a nice debut to watch. This team can score, and if they can hold teams to 100 points per game, they'll win more than most people thought. A playoff push isn't out of the question, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

Still, they'll take down a few good teams along the way - hell, they did it last year.

Next home game: 10/30 vs. Miami Heat (Season Opener!)

Level of Excitement: 4/5

Editor's Note: Levels of excitement depicted by Achewood characters on a 1-5 ranking.

Dammit Kareem!

At the very least, he remembered he was in the movie, right?

This is disappointing. Here's Kareem Abdul-Jabbar completely botching the most memorable thing he's ever done off the basketball court (his guest appearance on Full House doesn't count, because he was technically on a court while teaching Uncle Jesse how to play). And yet, despite this memorable stupidity, he still has double the money of CNN anchor Soledad O'Brien.

The Pacers Season Ticket Experiment

They came last week.

Direct from FedEx and left on the floor in front of my office (Thanks, reception, that's much more convenient than a desk or mailbox). A thick envelope with 86 tickets inside. Each set of 5 had a different player for each ticket - Danny Granger (All-star), Troy Murphy and TJ Ford (decent, but unspectacular), and finally Brandon Rush and Roy Hibbert (hopeful, but mediocre, 2nd year players). Emblazoned with a font and style that looked like a throwback to the early 90s - a better time...a Miller time - my Pacers season tickets had arrived.

Admittedly, this isn't my first go around with the Pacers. When I first moved to Indianapolis, I called up the ticket office almost immediately, assuming that I was probably too late to get a half season. Of course I was wrong - for about $30/seat I picked up a pair of tickets in the first row of the balcony for 21 games. The purpose was to take people from my new office to games as a way to get to know them...only I grossly overestimated the popularity of the Pacers, as Indianapolis, much like the rest of the country, seems indifferent to them these days.

They gave these seats away several games last year. It was still lonely.

So why re-up for this year? A love of half-empty arenas? The desire to watch T.J. Ford dribble down the shot clock before taking a fade-away 20 foot jumper? Because the Fieldhouse has the closest Quaker Steak this side of Columbus? No, no, and at $15 for a small bucket of wings, absolutely not.

After seeing the scores of downtrodden scalpers outside Conseco last year, I decided that I could scalp tickets and pick and choose my games for a fraction of the cost, and that's what I would do this year. For me to re-up my tickets, the Pacers would have to do 3 things:

1. Drop prices considerably.

2. Give me tons of extra tickets, upgraded seats, cool giveaways, and free booze.

3. Have Rasho Nesterovic personally call me every morning to read me the Pacers team pledge so I could start my day.

Rasho Nesterovic: Poet, Nobleman, Lover.

Well, 2 out of 3 aren't bad. For $100 less than last year's 1/2 season, I could get a full season this year, plus a parking pass and other benefits just for moving 2 rows back. In 2008, the team gave away lower section tickets for the last 13 home games, allowing me to either upgrade my seats or attend games outside my plan. In fact, just for showing up to the games that I already had tickets for (!), the Pacers treated me to courtside seats for a game against the Spurs and a free dinner in their Legends club for another game. In fact, for a piddling 1/2 season ticket holder in the balcony, they treated me extremely well.

So I was sold. For $1200 I bought back in and re-upped to a full season. For a 36-46 team that lost two of its best guards, has their 2nd best player injured indefinitely, and drafted a scrappy white guy from the ACC, who - when healthy - will duplicate the role of the other scrappy white guy from the ACC that they already have.

Shuuuuh...

Hurrrrrrrrrh?

At least the Pacers were good at home last year. This year, I'll be chronicling all my interactions with the team - a birds eye view of what it's like to be a season ticket holder for a struggling team in a mid-major market with one superstar and a collection of role players. I'll post for every home game - along with an index of my excitement, promotions, upgrades, and my love of the PaceMates.

Wally Szczerbiak Traded to Cavs, Vows to Show LeBron How to Use Concealer Properly

Looking good, you handsome motherfucker.

In what will likely be the biggest trade in the Eastern Conference this year, Cleveland GM Danny Ferry decided to clean up his own mess and trade away his own awful signings for some other overpaid, past their prime players. A quick look:

Cavs send:

• Drew Gooden (decent player, poor hair growth skills)
• Larry Hughes (bad at everything, should play for the Knicks)
• Ira Newble (chunky hustle player)
• Shannon Brown (impressionable youngster)
• Cedric Simmons (has taken 6 shots this year, missed all 8 free throw attempts)

Cavs receive:

• Ben Wallace (past his prime, offensively challenged big man; can finally wear headbands)
• Wally Szczerbiak (handsome motherfucker, top 5 worst NBA All-Star of all time)
• Joe Smith (worst player ever to cost a team 4 1st round draft picks)
• Delonte West (possible mutant, decent guard)
  In his spare time, Delonte enjoys guarding bridges and spinning straw into gold.
  

I'd throw in an analysis of what the other teams got, but it's clear that the Cavs took advantage of a straight-up salary team on both teams. And by took advantage of, I really mean "gave Lebron a chance of winning 1 Finals game against the Spurs instead of 0." While these players are an upgrade over what the team currently has, the Cavs are still locked into mediocrity as Ferry has settled for the best of what's left. A move at any time, pre or post Gasol with the Grizzlies would have made much more sense.

Despite that, the trade is a winning situation for Cleveland. The Cavs traded a starter and an oft-injured, overpaid rotation guy for 3 potential starters. There is always the possibility that Wallace gets rejuvenated in a new city (with the added bonus of no longer having to stifle the urge to strangle Joakim Noah) and that Szczerbiak continues to play at a high level (13 ppg, .428 3-pt shooting in just 23 mpg) throughout the season and the playoffs. I mean, he can't be any worse than Larry Hughes (37% shooting overall, 2 turnovers per game), and the only legit player they gave up was Drew Gooden.

Sczcerbiak will also fill a key role for the Cavs by entertaining James with stories of all the chicks he totally banged at Miami of Ohio, thereby providing James with valuable secondhand college experience. It's Ferry's hope that the two become roommates, and that their awkward and often hilarious interactions will help ease the blow of getting swept by the Celtics in the Conference semi-finals. Also starring Bronson Pinchot as Zydrunas Ilgauksas.

This is what body odor looks like.

Suns to Fans: Fuck You.

I have no words. If someone can come up with a caption that accurately describes this, then by all means, add it.

Pending a physical, which Suns fans are praying Shaq fails, the Suns are reportedly intent on shipping all-star Shawn Marion and idiot point guard Marcus Banks to the Heat in exchange for Shaquille O'Neal.

That's the Suns, the up-tempo team that has changed the way that teams play in the West pushing the running game and scoring loads of points, trading for a 35 year old, hobbled, 350 pound center who also starred in Kazaam.

The Suns, who have been so desperate to shed salary that they've essentially given away their first round draft picks over the last few years, trading for someone who'll be making $20 million per until 2010.

The Suns, who already have two strong players capable of starting at center (Amare Stoudamire, Boris Diaw), trading for a player whose scoring numbers have dropped by 13 ppg in the past 5 years while giving up a four time all-star who averages a double-double over his career and is currently in his prime (28 years old).

The Suns, who have the best record in the west and were arguably a Robert Horry foul away from making the NBA Finals last year, are making a trade to make them slower and bog down their payroll.

Maybe they know something I don't. Maybe Shaq is just biding his time, waiting to get traded to turn it on; hell, he hasn't been in shape during the regular season for years now. Maybe Marion really is a team cancer and Shaq's locker room presence will unite the Suns and give them the boost they need to top the Spurs.

Or maybe general manager Steve Kerr is just an idiot. Anyone who's read his old columns on Yahoo! already knows that he's functionally retarded, so why not throw a bunch of shit together like this was NBA Live '03 and see if it works? It's not like anything else for the Suns makes all that much sense.

Nickname: Suns. Mascot: Gorilla. A logical progression.

Grizzlies to Fans: Fuck You.

He's all yours, Los Angeles.

In a completely baffling trade today the Grizzlies, who had only one marketable player on their whole roster (I don't count Darko), traded their one star to the Lakers for the worst #1 overall pick ever (Kwame Brown), a late round, third string point guard (Javaris Crittendon) and two future first round picks that will likely be in the 20s.

As a result, the Lakers add a franchise player to a team with a bonafide superstar (Kobe), a versatile all-star caliber forward (URI product Lamar Odom), a bursting-with-potential young center (Andrew Bynum), and several valuable role players (Fisher, Farmar, Turiaf, Walton, Ariza, even Radmanovic). Meanwhile, the Grizzlies starting lineup will look something like this:

PG - Mike Conley
SG - Mike Miller
SF - Rudy Gay
PF - Kwame Brown
C - Darko Milicic

My God, unless Rudy Gay can start putting up 50 points per game, this squad is in trouble. I don't know if they could beat the University of Memphis right now. To his credit, former Celtics GM Chris Wallace has done a superb job of uniting two of the biggest busts the NBA has seen since 2000. Their combined influence on a team of youngsters can only have a positive effect, right? It'll only be a matter of time before Mike Conley starts whipping no-look passes into the stands and questioning himself.

Clearly, this trade is part of a larger NBA conspiracy to reignite the Celtics-Lakers rivalry from the 80s. At only the expense of two small market teams (Memphis and Minnesota), both teams now look like legit title contenders. Both teams that were fleeced were run by former Celtics employees (Wallace and McHale). This is the only scenario where this trade AND the KG trade make sense, right?

Oh well, I guess it works out for some people.

Everything's coming up Milicic!

Stephen Jackson + Chris Webber + Easily Influenced Young Players; What Could Go Wrong?

Chris Webber has announced that he will join the Golden State Warriors for a second time to finish out this season. Twelve years ago, Webber played for this same team, with the same coach, and complained his way into a trade to Washington for Rod Strickland. As a result, the Warriors missed the playoffs for 12 straight years until a triumphant return last year.

Upon seeing the team's resurgence, Webber is taking it upon himself to finish the job he started 13 years ago; the complete dismantling of the Golden State Warriors.

Webber's running mates include:

• Stephen Jackson; potential felon, lover of strip clubs
• Troy Hudson; founder, Nutty Boyz Entertainment
• Baron Davis; oft-injured former subject of recruiting violations under Jim Harrick
• Andris Biedrins, Monta Ellis, Brandan Wright, Marco Belinelli; talented, easily influenced youngsters
• Patrick O'Bryant; tubby piece of shit, more athletic than Aaron Gray.

I don't see how anything could possibly go wrong. The over/under on days before Andris Biedrins is found weeping over a dead stripper/hooker is now 35.