Well when you have a winning football team in a football town plus a soccer team that has been the most consistent team in all of Houston that is in the Eastern Conference Finals yet again compared to a Rockets team that aside from Harden and sometimes Lin, can't consistently put the ball in the whole, have not made the playoffs in 3 years, and a predictable offense with no playing time for the rooks, this is what you get. Not including that ticket prices in the lower section aren't cheap and the TV situation isnt making anything better. Occupy CSN Houston!
The Rockets messed up things bad... kinda tired of them after all this Comcast stuff... maybe gonna go see my first spurs game this year!
Three straight seasons with the 14th pick and no real progress in sight will turn fans away pretty fast. Not to mention the fact that San Antonio and Dallas have had so much success over the last decade and a lot of our fans have probably jumped on board to those teams. I have said it for years, that San Antonio and Houston is a market battleground and San Antonio has been kicking the Rockets ass for years. If San Antonio didn't have a team our market would be huge, closer to what the Texans market is. But since they do, and since they have been the better franchise over the years then many people living here don't root for the Rockets as much.
Seriously, no. An NBA franchise is not going to rival the fanbase of an NFL team. Even perennial losers like the Raiders have enormous fan bases in multiple cities. Having said that, I always thought it was cool that NBA clubs could pack 30K+ fans into converted football stadiums. The Spurs, Pistons and Sonics used to play to enormous crowds. It was no big deal; 33K fans would show up and it was like, whatever.
NBA attendance and fan support has fallen off over the years, not just for the Rockets. Officiating scandals and the lack of talent and parity has really killed it. People tolerated it in the 80's and 90's because there were less teams and even though you still had dynasties there was still alot more competition back then. Remember those Warrior teams of the early 90's? That team featured players like Chris Mullen, Mitch Richmond, Tim Hardaway, Latrell Spreewell and they were only good enough to make the 8th seed in the west back then. If you took that team today they would be a top 5 NBA team, without question. Talent has fallen off for the small markets. This season seems to look good though, I think talent disparity is looking better this year. Hopefully the fans will start to take an interest again.
Let's not act like okc is a basketball town either. The newness and corporate people in okc are already ruining that once crazy atmosphere there. Fans have started to complain about it. How people so quickly forget that the Toyota Center has been known to get loud and straight deafening. We just need the team to be in the playoffs, or go on a 22 game winning streak .
Our un-spectacular attendance is we aren't winning. The 1st home game is always a close to sell-out, but if we had won that 1st home game, we could have a little bigger crowd instead of a quiet crowd. Right now, a lot of casual Rockets fans are waiting for the team to play consistent winning basketball, once they do, they will come out. Remember the Lastros, when they tanked majorly, they had the worst attendance ever. The Astros with Clemens, Pettitte, Bagwell, Wagner and Biggio when they were winning had the best attendance ever. We can't really compare to Texans because football is #1 sports ever in US and if we had not lost the Oilers, we would not take pro football for granted again. When you say not enough Rockets supporter, think of Houston as a big employing city. We draw so many other people from other major cities that it is hard to convert them when we aren't winning, but if you see someone at work pulling for their previous hometown team, it is your job to change them to a Rockets fan :grin:
Lets not forget in our "heyday" of the last decade thats how its been at Toyota Center. Even when Yao and Tmac were not hurt and in their prmes, that lower bowl at TC, stays empty--or filling in late. Its really a shame because on the one hand you have one of the best if not the best Fan Message Board which gets a lot of great fans or feedback--but then nobody goes to the games. Ive heard that Houston traffic is a nightmare --so I could see moving games back a bit might help.
I've been a Rocket fan for 30 years. And have only been to 3 games. There have been seasons where I've watched every game or taped and replayed. So why not go to game?!? Ticket prices through the roof. Let's see do i want to blow $200 on parking, tickets and food. Or sit on my comfortable couch and walk over to the fridge when I need. Traffic is horrendous around those hours. I live in The Woodlands. 35 miles to and back. Close to an hour each way. No thank you. I can DVR it now, start watching an hour late, skip past the commercials, rewind for good plays, etc, etc. Unless you have a buttload of money and too much time on your hands, why would you choose to go to Toyota Center. Just angle the camera down so I don't have to see the empty seats. That's fine with me.
I'm guessing the Rockets fooled themselves into thinking this media blackout would increase attendance. The amount of lower bowl seats open on Wednesday night was the worst I have seen since Toyota Center was built.
Whats even more embarrassing is how terrible parking/getting into the game is. I go to about 10-15 games a season, and the Miami game (which shouldve been known to be a sellout) was a joke. Took almost an hour to go 3 blocks and into the garage where only 2 lanes were even open. We have lower bowl great seats and have had them for over 20 years, but got rid of half of our allotment this year because there just isnt enough demand especially at $235+ a ticket.
The summit/compaq center back then was just so easy to get to, we won 2 championships there, I don't see a reason to move it, you???
Actually, attendance is *slightly* up over last year. 2011/12 15,363 per game 2012/13 15,825 per game This is an increase of 2.5%... not exactly a huge increase, HOWEVER, we must consider a few things. 1) NO TV broadcasts. Not only is it hard for fans to watch the games, but part of what drives attendance is families watching the games, and then either the parents OR the children pushing to see the game. 2) Most people (including the people here) believe the Rockets are going to be a lottery team or at best a Playoff bubble team. Fans don't turn out nearly as strongly when they don't believe their team is a legitimate playoff contender, especially Early in the season. 3) Football season! The Texans are doing VERY well. With a 13-6 records (playoff contention) AND more games yet to play, people only have so much time and so many dollars to allocate to Sports. If anything, the numbers *should* be lower... but they're not. Once the games get back on Television, and as we move through the season (especially once the Texans wind up their season) I wouldn't be surprised if you start seeing some serious bumps in attendance. It's actually quite promising.
Like I am worried about the Rocket's attendance after they didn't even consider me and 10s of 1000s of other fans in their stupid network deal? I don't think so. I still haven't seen a game and I am not going to the TC until I can watch on TV. I encourage everyone else to do the same. Let's send a message.
1. Tickets as low as $10 2. Eat at home and park at the meters for free or pay $5 and walk a little bit 3. Traffic isnt that bad going to the game (taking 45 south). I live in the woodlands as well. It'll cost you $10 per person, $5 for parking plus gas
No reason for people to be making up excuses for Houston fans. Bottom line, Houston has crappy fans. Just tell it like it is. Its the truth.
How many other cities sell out for a team that hasn't made the playoffs the last 3 years? For a team that has won exactly one playoff series in 15 seasons? The whole good fans/bad fans thing is such a crock. For years Indians fans were the joke of the league. They stayed away in droves. Then they got a new ballpark and a competitive team...and all of a sudden the media regarded them as the most rabid, loyal fans in baseball. You used to be able to get Mavericks tickets by buying a certain number of tacos at Taco Bueno...now they're a hot ticket and the media regards them as "great fans." The idea that it is somehow the public's duty to buy expensive tickets to games to watch pro sports is the greatest brainwashing con job in the world. I'd like to find a business where I could guilt in my potential consumers by suggesting they're "bad" for not purchasing my product.
