[Chron/Solomon]Toyota Center: Worst atmosphere in the NBA?

The atmosphere sucks because the team sucks (sort of). I highly doubt it was bad when we were winning those championships and for a while thereafter.

We haven't made it out of the first round in over a decade so of course the atmosphere sucks.

Win some series for a few years and I bet the atmosphere will change.

 

I am sitting here rewatching the Wiz game and noticed that their lower arena is fairly full. We are talking a 1-9 team and they have more fans behind the benches than we do.

That's just embarrassing.

OKC is understandable, they are new, but the Wizards? Gimme a break.

 

This (almost) very thing happened to me at Game 2 last year. I was chanting very loudly & was removed midway through the 2nd qtr because they said I was cussing . . . which was a giant horsecock full of mother****ing bull****. I was cheering LOUDLY & it was much to the displeasure of TNT announcers within arms reach. I mean arms reach, I was directly behind them, to their left.

Lucky I was able to call on my Chrislord name drop & security guard I've seen regularly to get them to vouch for me. If it wasn't for a very nice polo shirt, iPhone checking guy right there to vouch for me as well, I might not have made it back to my seats. He evidently called someone (head of security AFAIK) to get them to back off.

TC can be BS & thats why I like hanging w/the Rowdies.

 

All you people blaming it on our product need to wake up and look at other teams. Did you see washington last night? That place was packed till the end. You have any idea what their record is? Exactly.

 

It will continue to be this way because no real fans can afford those seats. Only salesmen and potential clients get those seats so they can brag about how awesome they are.

 

It was probably either free senior citizen night or free tickets for perfect attendance students night at the Wizards game.

 

Yes. How can such a collective be so lehm.

 

This is probably a stupid question, but there is still a Red Rowdies section in the TC, right?

I still think they need to put a section like that on both sides of the floor... maybe make it a little smaller. Like 2/3 as many people on both sides should work well. Then they're only buying 33% more tickets, too.

 

watching nbatv... i think the bobcats officially have the worst atmosphere in the NBA

 

I also blame people from all over the US moving into Houston. They could care less about the Rockets usually. Corporations are the real reason to blame, but if the Rockets keep winning, it'll all change (like the 22-game winning streak).

 

I go to a fair amount of the games and sit in the lower bowl. I'm not in the sideline seats, but in the corners. Please don't say lower bowl fans aren't real fans it's not universally true.

Here is what I observe about 20 times a year in the lower bowl. People are late. Always. Don't know why, just late. some of that is too many distractions and not enough focus on the game. That's true during the game as well.

Second, everyone is eating and drinking the whole game. Not just a beer and a dog, like at a baseball game, I'm talking about beer after beer after beer. It's kinda stupid and pathetic to me. Then they get up DURING the game and go piss four or five times. DURING the action. I went to a couple of Spurs Rockets games in San Antonio and the crowd gets up and down during the breaks. They respect the game and their team. They seem to care and seem to know basketball. This has led me to the conclusion that Houston fans suck. They would rather eat and drink and chat with each other instead of watching the game.

Third, the overly contrived in-game entertainment (like the tshirts to the guys in the first 5 rows) is ridiculous. Too much music, too much dancers and distractions all takes away from the game. The fans are never given the chance to "organically" get energized by the action and generate some kind of groundswell of excitement. When we shut the team down and they call a timeout and the crowd is going crazy, Sweet Suzy does some corporate commercial. The food on the concourse is so poorly managed it takes forever to get anything. The whole thing works against building the right atmosphere. It's sad, but I yell the whole game. I try my part.

I also tell the folks that interrupt the game to go get something to wait until there is a break in the action to go or to come back to their seats. But the arena won't let you wait at the top of the stairs until a break in the action. The whole thing is a study in what to do wrong. Constantly getting up and down for inconsiderate non-fans is what will ultimately make me stop going to games.

I don't blame the players, I blame the fans and management, and the ToyBox itself. But another poster is right, during the playoffs, the place can be incredible. But ultimately, success will bring out even more of the less knowledgeable basketball fans. Houston is just not much of a hoops town. People are much more into the Texans (Why?) and the Dis-Astros....

 

houston fans have always sucked. be it rock concerts, sports events, or whatnot. wholly apathetic even in titty bars. i think there were a number of rock bands who swore they would never come back to houston because of the lack of energy and malice towards the performers.

but absence is unforgivable. it looked worse than a pre-season game in there. even the old clippers games looked more rowdy than that. i was at a timberwolves/clippers game one time and at least a third of the place was filled.

they need to dole out those lower bowl seats to real fans. let the crazies sit down there and put the "too kool 4 skool" people up in the top.

 

How about this idea.


How about at one of these games, we stand outside of either the east side or west side club seating. We hang out there chilling, doing our thing, talking Rockets, talking about the weather, about work, whatever. Then, around 7:15. We crash the place. They can't stop all 500 or so of us. There is what, two old ladies checking tickets to see if we are able to go inside the Silestone Suite? You think the Red Vest can kick all of us out? Maybe we can hang out in the bar area and make some noise.

 

The demise of our fans is that stupid ****ing bar near the team shop. Are you kidding me...? Go watch the game you douches.

 

have u guys watch Miami heat Games there seats are hella empty

 

Yeah, the last time I saw the Miami Heat play a game was.... TODAY VS THE ROCKETS. How about that?




Of course it was going to be empty. Miami is Dolphins country, and then Hurricane football country.

 

I dislike Bill Simmons, but this article (written about new football stadiums) is a great analogy for anyone aquainted with the Summit and the new Toyota Center.

Choice selection:

Anyone else see the similarities?