It's that time of year, but who really cares?

So, in case you were unaware, the World Series started Wednesday evening as the Philadelphia Phillies slid past the Tampa Bay Rays, 3-2, to take a one-game lead in the yearly event.

After eight grueling months of games, Major League Baseball is finally nearing the end of the 2008 campaign.

With that in mind, the National Basketball Association (NBA) will soon start its regular season as preseason games conclude Friday.

I can only ask one question: Who really cares?

The NBA has lost a lot of its luster in recent seasons and there could be one culprit behind this: Behavior.

Take for example the Indiana Pacers.

Just a few years ago, the Pacers were darlings in a league attempting to gain ground on the surge the National Football League (NFL) has grown for nearly two decades.

But that changed with a slew of mistakes players and ownership made.

The date Nov. 19, 2004, changed direction for the Pacers forever.

That was the date of "The Malice at the Palace."

Nine players were suspended without pay for a grand total of 146 games, including Indiana Pacers' Ron Artest (86 total games), Stephen Jackson (30 games), Jermaine O'Neal (15 games), Anthony Johnson (five games), Reggie Miller (one game), and Detroit's Ben Wallace (six games), Chauncey Billups (one game), Elden Campbell (one game) and Derrick Coleman (one game).

Since that incident, the Pacers have undergone a complete transformation.

Artest, Jackson, O'Neal, Johnson and Miller are all gone. Granted, Miller retired from the league after a glorious career in blue and gold.

Since the "brawl," the Pacers have undergone a facelift.

Now, only a few players remain from the squad in 2004, including Jamaal Tinsley and Jeff Foster.

But that incident isn't the only thing that has hampered the Pacers in recent years.

Time and time again, players were getting in trouble with the law. Remember the gun incident with Jackson? Well, it earned him a one-way ticket out of town.

Former first-round draft pick Shawne Johnson also found a way to get out of Indiana after a handful of brush-ups with the law.

The list could go on and on.

Now, many ask, who is playing for this team?

It's similar to what is going on at Indiana University, where the basketball team is in complete shambles.

Maceo Baston, Marquis Daniels, Austin Croshere, Josh Davis, Travis Diener, Mike Dunleavy, T.J. Ford, Foster, Stephen Graham, Danny Granger, Roy Hibbert, Jarrett Jack, Josh McRoberts, Troy Murphy, Rasho Nesterovic, Brandon Rush.

That's the current roster.

I've been rather disappointed with Pacers' President of Basketball Operations Larry Bird for a while now. Perhaps he doesn't deserve all the blame for the direction the Pacers took. But, these incidents have happened under his watch.

At least the Pacers and Bird have attempted to change direction.

Still, I would be surprised if people head to Conseco Fieldhouse this winter in droves to watch this squad.

Time will tell.