MDA "Our crowd doesn't usually get their till 8 and we didn't start playing till 8"

LOL... people forget that the excuse when games were at 7:30 (which was the case for years) was that they end to late... and on school nights, that would affect attendance.

Now the games are too early?

The Rockets just need to have tangible consistent playoff success to get the city interested again. Them falling flat last year after a WCF appearance was the worst thing that could have happened as far as building momentum goes.

This city has always been like this with the NBA... even in the first championship season, there were games of only 9,000 early in the season.... coming off the 93 season where Hakeem was 2nd in MVP and they had an epic 7 game series against the Sonics.

 

Did he really say "Our crowd doesn't usually get their till 8"?
If so, I'm concerned about the aptitude of our coach.
Deserves its own thread.

 

This is also an issue. I want the Rockets to get used to playing in a noisy Toyota Center in games BESIDES the playoffs.

THE ROCKETS LEAD THE LEAGUE IN DUNKS AND THE TC IS NEVER PUMPED.

 

if the TC didn't have the red rowdies, we just might be able to hear a pin drop on some nights

 

The answer is Corporations buying all the lower bowl tickets... if you've ever been to game at the TC you would quickly notice that the affordable seats are packed and attendance is great but the extremely expensive lower bowl seats are half-full and filled with people there just to see and be seen.

Most people can't afford $250 - $500 tickets on a regular basis, let alone having to buy 2 or more for kids/dates.

The corporate stiffs don't care tbh.

 

In Houston traffic??? No it doesn't. I'm lucky in that I lived just on the other side of Memorial park, and could get there in time, but the majority of people cannot. You've got deal with parking, and most people, especially season ticket holders, don't want to eat the crap that they serve at Toyota Center, so you've gotta figure out dinner beforehand as well. It's not a crazy early start, but to assume everyone can make it there by 7 is crazy.

 

Team struggling? Rockets lose at home to a Heat team with only two rotation players? Feeling the heat?

Don't worry..... D'Antoni has......... D'Antoni covered?

Operation "Not My Fault!" .............. Let's blame the home crowd for the loss....... Brewer better watch his butt, because if the Rockets keep struggling, it won't be long before D'Antoni invents a whipping boy to blame for loses.......

 

This is something I consider when I think of buying the expensive tickets. I have to pay five star prices for cheap junk food. That on top of the traffic, on top of the ticket prices and it's just too hard. Houston traffic really does suck on weekdays and it will continue to get worse.

Now if the Rockets made a big trade then that would probably get me excited to go at this point in the season. But the way they are playing as of late...I will ask my friends and see what they say, but I won't push anyone to go.

 

ppl in the Upper Bowl have no problem arriving on time. You're blowing this out of proportion. And ppl at the Summit would leave early to beat the traffic on the way out...routinely with 5-8 minutes left in the 4th....because they have to work early, etc.

Houston isn't a late night city. fans chose the earlier start partly to get the earlier departure, too.

 

A lot of people can afford the lower bowl, but the ones who can and are close to the TC are the corporate types who show up to the game late because they got the tickets for free. These companies buy up season tickets at the beginning of the year and use them as gifts to their clients who aren't big Rockets fans or company perks for employees if no one takes them and they always end up being more interested in the bar if they show up.

If Houston did not have a traffic problem then I am sure many people would buy these tickets and easily make it to the games in time with their friends and families.

 

Corporations exist in every NBA city.

They also exist in the playoffs.

Houston is just an indifferent NBA regular season basketball town... unless you're coming off 2 championships and/or having just acquired one of the greatest NBA players ever (Barkley, then Pippen).

The best the regular season crowds have ever been were from 95-99.... very knowledgable, very passionate, butts in the seats at tip-off, every game not just a sellout... but a tough ticket to find.

 

If I were Les, I would stop selling these season tickets so cheap to these corporations because they buy bulk and sell those tickets for the same price or a little higher to regular fans through the regular season. The Toyota center would me much more energized = more wins = more exciting home games = more sales.

But it's the safe move, so he will continue to make this mistake.

 

I congratulate you, heypartner. Can you get me the number of the Starship Enterprise?

Seriously, "no problem?" I think the 7pm start times are a BIG problem. The fans in the Upper Bowl are far better at getting there, but don't tell me the majority wouldn't rather have a starting time of 7:30 or 8 o'clock, because I wouldn't believe you. Ardent fans will do what they must to get to the game on time. I get that. It doesn't mean a later time wouldn't be a hell of a lot easier on the fans, in my opinion. My nephew, who works at NASA and lives In League City, would disagree with you. I suspect that fans living in the endless suburbs of Houston - the Woodlands and Katy, for example (far, far across town from the Clear Lake area), might argue about how easy it is, as well.

 

I live in Sugar Land and work near the Woodlands. Getting to a game by 7 is damn near impossible for me, and I make every effort to get there on time for tip-off. Most people don't care all that much, and have no problem getting to their seats at 7:45, after they've eaten and drank their fill.

 

Dude, the Fans voted on this -- survey of STH, for more than one year. The majority was in favor of the change to 7pm. I was on the Fan Council voting on this and hearing all the arguments. Your argument actually works both ways, and this is the reason Fans voted for the 7pm change. ppl at the Summit would leave early to beat the traffic on the way out...routinely with 5-8 minutes left in the 4th....because they have to work early, etc. Houston isn't a late night city. fans chose the earlier start partly to get the earlier departure, too.

I'm not giving you my argument. I'm stating the arguments made when we voted on this upon moving to TC. I voted against the change to 7pm, and felt like I was in a significant minority.

Now, did they vote in a way they regret. You're saying they did. You are making that up. Maybe you are right. I see no real indication that there is now a majority against early start/early leave except here on this BBS.

 

Out of curiosity, when was this Fan Council?? Houston has changed tremendously just in the past few years, so a vote that occurred 6-7 years ago would probably have no bearing on demographics now. Traffic, city development, population demographics, etc have completely shifted the city flow throughout the day and night.

 

please create one, this topic is of upmost importance

 

Regular season crowds were solid during that stretch, but the best reg season attendance was during the 22 game win streak. TC was lit as fk before they even announced players.

 

I'm stuck way the f#%k out here near Seattle and still make it down to Portland twice a year to see my team. Last year I went to half a dozen Rox games, in Portland, Oakland, LA, and Houston.

You guys who live in Houston and don't go to multiple games every year are nuts (assuming $ isn't an issue).

 

If toyota center wasn't a giant bar for the 'entitled' maybe more families would get to enjoy games. The summit was family friendly, don't remember huge sections of missing fans except when the Texas Terror were playing there.