George McGinnis drives against Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, 1973.
Still, there were firsts in the arena, from cigarette-sponsored women’s tennis (the Virginia Slims Grand Prix in 1972) to the nation’s biggest tractor pulls and United States Auto Club midget racing. Once, fans inside even watched an event that took place across the country – an auto race in California that was shown on a 33-foot high closed-circuit television screen in the Coliseum. And while the Pacers moved downtown, the IUPUI Metros matriculated uptown. Coached by Kirby Overman, the Metros played their 1976-77 and ’77-78 home seasons in the building. George McGinnis versus Kareem Abdul Jabbar
PAGE PAGE512