Boomer, that Indiana Pacers mascot, is one bad sonuvabitch and he proved just that to a fan

You don't want to mess with this guy.

For all ya'll who don't know it yet, the Indiana Pacers have this feline mascot named Boomer and apparently, Boomer is now deadlier and even more intimidating than ex-Pacers, Ron Artest and Stephen Jackson.

A man is suing Boomer and the entire Indiana Pacers organization for giving him a broken back for life. Allegedly, Boomer, Indiana's six-foot tall feline mascot, tackled Nathaniel Jackson, the ex-Pacers fan suing the team, when he was taking part in a free throw shooting accident in a game against the Golden State Warriors last March 11, 2005.

Jackson initially declined to take part in it, saying he was recovering from a back surgery. He was in his mid-20s then. The organizers assured Jackson that ''there would be no reason for concern or injury.'' I guess nobody told Boomer that.

After taking part in the free-throw contest, the lawsuit states that Nathaniel Jackson began to leave the basketball court but was tackled from behind by the team's mascot, ''Boomer,'' a six-foot-tall blue cat with gold whiskers.

The employee who knew about Jackson's back surgery immediately told the mascot about the surgery, and Boomer responded by kicking at Jackson's legs. Holy crap. Talk about kicking a guy when his down eh?

The Indiana Pacers released a statement regarding the matter.

The statement said, ''We have just received word about the filing of this lawsuit. Until we can review the details and speak with all parties concerned, we will withhold comment.'' Nathaniel Jackson's lawyers declined to comment on his behalf, saying they would prefer to allow the lawsuit stand for itself.

Jeezus... Where's Reggie Miller when you need him to deliver a team from this kind of adversity eh?

Can Boomer the mascot see the Indiana Pacers advance to the NBA Playoffs? Who will win the 2007 NBA Championship? Here are some odds from Bodog:

Chicago Bulls 7/1

Detroit Pistons 9/1

Dallas Mavericks 7/2

Miami Heat 4/1 (boo!)

Want more odds? Visit OddsHQ for more NBA Basketball Odds and the best betting lines on some of today's biggest sporting events.

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