Houston's Attendance is worst in the leauge so far this season. http://espn.go.com/nba/news/2002/1120/1463757.html this sucks. ONLY 8,000 FANS AFTER YAOS GREAT GAME! I would be at games, if only i could be. I would be the cheap guy in the $10/13 seats. Houston attendance worst in NBA Associated Press HOUSTON -- The Rockets appear to be a team on the rise and they've invited fans to join them. So far, Houstonians haven't sent their RSVPs. While Houston is loaded with young talent including budding superstar guard Steve Francis and 7-foot-6 rookie Yao Ming, fans still aren't exactly clamoring to get inside Compaq Center. Case in point: After Yao had a breakthrough game last weekend with 20 points on 9-for-9 shooting against the Lakers on the road, they returned home to find only 8,984 fans at Tuesday's 97-80 win over Cleveland. "We've got to win,'' forward Maurice Taylor said. "Once you start winning ballgames the fans are going to come. We're not quite there yet, I guess, but we're a team on the rise. We're an exciting team, and we feel like the fan base is going to pick up. "We would like a little more support out there, a packed house every night to show what kind of team we have. We think it's going to come around.'' Fueled by back-to-back titles in 1994 and 1995, the Rockets sold out 176 straight games over four seasons until opening night of 1999. Turnout has been spotty since and dreadful against uninspiring teams like the Cavaliers and Portland, seen in person by 9,838 fans last week. In four home games, including an opening night sellout against Toronto, Houston has averaged a league-worst 11,852 fans, nearly 1,500 shy of the next-worst attendance average in Atlanta. The NBA average this season was 16,468 through Tuesday. Houston didn't even sell out the Nov. 9 game against Golden State, which featured an emotional halftime ceremony where the No. 34 jersey of longtime Rockets center Hakeem Olajuwon was retired. Just over 14,000 showed up, 2,285 short of capacity. Rudy Tomjanovich, who has lived through just about all the franchise's ups and downs in 32 years with the team, deferred when asked about the empty seats. "I'm only concerned about pick-and-rolls and zones,'' Tomjanovich said, leaving attendance worries to the front office. Knowing the team hasn't been to the playoffs since 1999 and is grooming a new generation of stars now that Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler and Charles Barkley are gone, the front office focused on mini-season packages this year to at least get fans to games against marketable teams. Thus, games against the Clevelands and Golden States might be tough sells all season, while the team hopes brisk mini-season sales will boost attendance against the likes of the Lakers, 76ers and Friday night's visit by Michael Jordan's Wizards. Before the season began, Rockets owner Leslie Alexander acknowledged season ticket sales were down, even from last season's disappointing figures and despite the arrival of Yao. He blamed three rebuilding seasons and the slumping economy. A flashy ad campaign centered on the slogan, "Be part of something big'' -- which includes billboards featuring Yao, Francis and reserve guard Moochie Norris' giant afro -- is designed to turn the tide eventually. "Definitely, it's a big concern, a very big concern. That hasn't changed,'' Alexander said before training camp. "The numbers are down, season-ticket wise. Attendance has been off. I can see the fans have reasons -- the team hasn't been that good on the court. I hope they respond when they see what a terrific team they have
Need to change Ad campaign from "be part of something big" to "Without you we are no so big" or "We need you big time" or "Something Big is happening now" or "Please be part of something big"
If games against the Fakers, Mavs, Kings aren't sellouts throughout the year, I'm gonna start stalking Lisa Malosky.
I do not live in Houston, so take this for what it's worth, but I have never understood this phenomenen...It just doesn't make any sense to me...I have asked this before, but never really gotten answers I understood...Why, can anyone tell me, is the attendance still so damn low there? Are people just waiting for the new arena? That would only seem to be a partial at best answer...Are the accusations of being a fairweather fan city in any wayt credible? Last in the league, while having a very large population, an ownership comitted to winning, a front office unafraid to make moves, an exciting young team wich possesses A) One of the most entertaining players to watch in SF, and B) The most talked about player to enter the league in years, who also happens to represent the most populated nation on Earth, and has the added benefit of being the 1st overall draft choice, a team with a winning tradition in a city otherwise devoid of such...it should be a slam dunk. Are the Rockets marketing people asleep at the switch...how could you possibly screw up this formula for success?
The Rockets are missing opportunities to expand their fan base in the surrounding regions. We are virtually "blacked out" in Eastern Texas. Apparently it is not much better in other regions. There should be at least a statewide radio network and prefererably a regionwide TV network. They need to have more promotions, more ticket deals, specials, and packages. Wouldn't it be better to have a full stadium with cheaper prices than one half full with higher prices? The Rockets need a more aggressive and creative marketing approach. Of course, if the team keeps improving and becomes a contender that may not be so important, but now it is.
I go every chance I get and I've never been bored. I can't afford to go to every game but I bought all the tickets I can afford and it looks like it will end up being 15 games I pay for and about 5 to 7 more I get for free. You can ask my wife I never miss a game... If I can't beg borrow or steal some tickets I'm at least watching on TV. SO, get off your asses Houstonians and get to the games. Or at least make an effort, like a bunch of us do.
Something I have been thinking...what does Tim have to say about this...I mean, it is really cool that he posts here on the board and he seems to be a really nice guy - but at some point, if I was the owner, I would hold my marketing people responsible if I, as MacBeth said, have one of the most exciting teams, the most talked about player in the league, a winning team in the 4th largest city in the USA and I am the last in attendance.
I'm reading this as I run out for dinner, but here is my quick 2 cents... I live in Houston and am avid Rockets fan. I believe the lack of attendance is somewhat due to the poor and idividualized play over the past few years (hence no playoffs). As poor as the Rockets WERE playing, however, I feel the front office does nothing to promote the Rockets to the community. Sure, I see Rockets ads during games, but at no other times. I can't remember the last time I saw a billboard other than near the Compaq Center. Are there ever any highly promoted events? I am 30 and make pretty good money and live in Midtown; I can't say any of my friends consider Rockets games when seeing what to do for a night out. [Edited: I think the Rockets' promotions are too geared towrds a younger crowd who can't afford attending; I think they are alienating those of us who would attend if not for the Kiddy and environment of the games; I am from New York and when I think of MSG and Knicks I think of a hipper environment] I don't have an answer but I do feel the Front office needs to stir something up or I am fearful that the fans won't comeback even at the end of the season when we are making the playoffs. Granted last night's game was against Cleveland, but I do not think we would even sell-out a LAkers/Rockets game right now. Hopefully the Downtown arena will change some attitudes like it did for the Astros. -d
tru dat. when i used to live there. i used to go to evvery weekend game. and i went to OLAJUWAN's last game. it will be rememberd by me forever. 24pts. 9 boards. and a couple of thousand standing ovations
Bingo. And I go to about 60% of the games. With a team that isn't thrilling to watch, it takes even longer to rebound from attendance drops due to poor records. Eventually, the fact that they're winning, in combination with Yao's progress and the new arena will fill it back up again, but I expect attendance to remain near the bottom for msot of the year.
Even if the Rockets sold out every game, they would be under league average attendence. League average is 16,468....a sellout at Compac Center is 16,285... The question is why are there an average of 3,717 unsold seats per game. Houston is a big city, but pro basketball didnt come until 1971. Texas sports fans had always been predominatly football fans before that. As a former Oiler fan, who knows ups and downs..I can attest, HOUSTONIANS ARE NOT FAIR WEATHER FANS.....
Possible the price of tickets has something to do with this. (For those people not willing to hang from the rafters, or do the 2nd quarter shuffle for better seats). Are there any good deals on tickets avail??
Isn't it true the Rockets had poor attendance until the Phoenix series of the '94 playoffs? I don't remember the old days (70's-80's), but if so even when the Rockets were winning in the 90's, The Summit was not packed until the championship years.
