Off-Day Items of Interest: Mini Sheed?

Saving the best for last, the Indy Star Pacers Notebook today included this nugget from Darrel Armstrong on how his energized interaction with the refs earned him a T last night.

Darrell Armstrong was called for a technical foul in the fourth quarter after telling a referee to "keep your head in the game." He was ejected from a November game in Chicago. "I'm a mini Rasheed Wallace," he said

Jeff Foster is crying foul on his five (yes, five, 5, cinco!) missed bunnies...well, not all of 'em.

"I blew two," he said. "I know it. But I got fouled on the rest."

Foster's not one to get a kind whistle from the refs, but if he'd slow it down a tick I think he'd draw a foul call or (gasp!) make the layup.

Speaking of missing whistles, we all know about the unwritten levels of calls in the NBA. From MJ, to superstar, to veteran, to rookie, the refs whistles have a sliding scale of favorability. But we're witnessing a new category emerging with the way refs are averting their eyes whenever Stephen Jackson has the ball. The guy has to get absolutely mauled to get a call. This must be the public enemy #1 level where the refs realize whether at home or on the road, no one will shed a tear for a guy not getting a call. Jack will cut loose on the refs sooner or later, and I won't blame him when he does.

Sunday afternoon's game against the Jazz has turned into a huge game for the Pacers. The Pacers are defending a six game home win streak and the Jazz have the second-best record in the league. Of course, this game isn't being televised locally. I'm sure when the schedule was set the decision to not televise a game against the nondescript Jazz played during an NFL football Sunday seemed logical. Now that the Jazz have emerged as a great story of the early season, that decision has turned cruel for Pacer fans.