I went to the game tonight as the result of a VERY nice friend who lent me her season tickets - front row, lower prom!!! Anyway, she has lent them to me before for Comets games and I really got to see the difference. Forget numbers. The number of fans at the Rockets games is of very little consequence IMO. I went to a Comets game with 8,000 people and it was louder than just about any Rockets game I've ever been to outside of the playoffs. There were 11,000 plus there tonight and the corporate people sat on their hands. I was screaming and jumping up and down and people were looking at me like I was nuts. Even in the fourth when things began to heat up, I was freakin' out and everyone else was sitting there. As far as I'm concerned, solve the problem with the TYPE of fans going to games and you solve the noise problem. Once it is fun again, people will come and the house will rock. ------------------ Squirrels is all I eat!
I've said it before, I'll say it again: Rockets fans go to be seen, Comets fans go to be heard. Tonights crowd, what there was of it, was dead. Old School ------------------ I voted YES!
How about lowering the ticket prices so that the rowdy fans can afford to go. Better yet, put the cheap seats on the floor & the expensive seats in the nose bleed sections with cameras on them, so they can be seen & not heard. The bottom line is, if the tickets were priced more reasonably, the lower & middle income families could afford to go to the games & would. They go to games because they enjoy them, whether it be Basketball, Baseball, or whatever, & they're not afraid to show emotion. I've never been to a Comet's game, but I'll bet that the ticket prices are a fraction of the Rocket's tickets. How many corporate people do you see at the Comet's games? ------------------
Hottoddie, are you suggesting that rich people are too snooty to be good fans?!? I am outraged. ------------------ When I die, I want to be reincarnated as that chair in the Britney Spears video.
Jeff, I was also at the game, but was a lot luckier than you are ... because I was on the upper prom . Fans there just screamed so loud, only that the crowd in out section was not big enough to make an impact to be heard in the big Compaq center. By the way, in front of me was an old couple, who I thought would feel annoyed if I screamed too loud. Turned out the old man screamed louder than I did ... and in the 4th I was just having a screaming competition with him. I think I won it. And I lost my voice finally! But you're right, the lower prom crowd was so DEAD. Even in the exciting 4th quarter. Maybe rich people don't seem to like screaming or yelling or cheering ...... Overall it's a fun game for me ...
I feel you Jeff. It's been like that since the NBA has decided to package itself as a family event. I really feel uncomfortable cheering, jeering and cussing when there are 10 year olds around me. I feel it's inappropriate for adults to show rude and rowdy behavior around kids. Plus, ticket prices dictate the type of fan that can watch the game. You can't blame the fans on this one. The atmosphere at an NBA game dictates that we behave... my goodness, if Jimmy Buffett can get kicked out of a game... what about poor old me. Everytime I go to an NBA game, I feel like I'm going to a movie. When I was watching our games back in my high school days, I felt like I was going to a Gladiator event. That is how it should be packaged. The die hard fans are here... the NBA/Rockets has to find ways to get us there. Not to get us there on certain nights... but to get us there on every night. ------------------
I am witha on the corporate fan infiltration at the Rocket's games and overall, in the NBA. It irritates me too! And, it is not only a Rocket problem--every major NBA town is like this with the exception of Sac-Town and Utah (these are the only games in town). I was there also. I did think there was a fairly nice crowd charge-up for a 10k crowd in the first/second when they went up by nine and the fourth when they made their comeback. Other than these charge-ups, dude, there were no other reasons to get rowdy, corporate fan or not! I have been there when the Rockets are winning consistenly and beating teams they are supposed to beat and it gets pretty loud. Not as loud as the crowd at the Comets, but fairly loud (the Comets loud is a shrill though). I will grant you that the Comet fans get rowdy and loud and that is pretty cool (reasons: tickets are much much cheaper equals less corporate fan, lots of screaming kids, cult following due to 4 championships in a row, shorter season). You wanna bet that the Rockets would have the same, without the screaming kids, if all this were true. But, I know your beef is with corporate fan and I understand. However, to be down like we were to the Clips is unacceptable...not necessarily because they are the clips, though it can be argued, but, more importantly, because we were playing like a CBA team! How can you cheer for that? How can anyone get rowdy for that? As an example...I thought it was really funny when 2 times in a row, Taylor gets the rebound and throws an outlet pass to Williams and Moochie and both were not paying attention. Did anyone notice the crowd cheered almost sarcastically when Taylor got the third rebound in a row and deliberately handed it to Franchise as if to say, please pay attention! This is why is is tough to get charged up. It was great to comeback 2 nights in a row, but we do not win at home the way we should and at home, in general, they consistenly miss wide open jumpers, do not convert fast breaks with efficiency, make sloppy turnovers and play without defense intensity. I have seen a few games where they played consistenly all the way through, but we seem to play up and down at home more than other good teams. We fail to hold leads at home and this has an effect on the crowd. That is my theory! But, in general corporate fan does help pay the bills, but suck as a true Fan! ------------------ "Their Tiger Kung Fu is strong, but our Dragon will defeat them!"
Jeff, do you think the architecture of the crowd will change any with the new arena? I'm theorizing/hoping that with more clubrooms and skyboxes, etc. to pull the most expensive I'm-socializing-for-business-purposes crowd away from the sidelines, the courtside seats would fill with a more recreational audience. What do you think? Since the arena is still being planned, maybe it won't be too late to suggest to Les that they try to make that happen. ------------------ RealGM Gafford Art Artisan Cakes
Not all corporate people are quiet and reserved and just there to be seen. Screw that. I go to EVERY game and I don't care who sees me dammit. I go to watch and cheer on my favorite team. Just because my dad is a corporate suit and can afford tix doesn't mean we aren't fans. ------------------ Poopy!
I think part of the crowd was taken out of the game in frustration 'cause we were being out-hustled by the Clippers. But aside from that, your problem was you were down in the expensive seats. Every game I've gone to (unless I took my Dad along with me), I've been noisy & boisterous ... and if a couple people in a section do that, then usually it gets the whole section motivated to cheer on the Rockets. There are many quiet fans out there who just don't wanna be the one to start it, or the one to shout the loudest. But when someone starts going off, they soon follow suit. I've been to games where people around me were yelling "keep it up!" but they weren't yelling to the Rockets, they were yelling to me & my friends for getting the people around excited. So next time you're sitting in those expensive seats and some guy in a suit gives you an evil look for getting excited about the game, I'd just waive my arms and say, "C'mon guys, who's with me?!?" And chant "DE FENSE" or something everyone can play along with. ------------------ Founding Father of the Refs Suck Club
I don't think the problem with corporate fans is so much that they aren't expressive as it is that they feel socially confined by the circumstances that put them at the game in the first place. A lot of good tickets are owned by companies to entertain clients and other business-required socializing. If you go with a big potential client, you don't want him to know they you may, on occassion, turn into a raving lunatic. Not everyone in those seats are in such a predicament of course, but it lowers the average noise level and a mob mentality can't be frenzied. I've got nothing against the suits personally, but their business engagements probably would be more suited to a more secluded area and I think the Rockets would benefit enormously thereby. ------------------ RealGM Gafford Art Artisan Cakes
Best crowd of the season as far as noise is concern was the Sacremento game in which we lost. ------------------ President of the Steve Francis, Jamal Crawford,Larry Hughes, and Charles Woodson fan club.
"As far as I'm concerned, solve the problem with the TYPE of fans going to games and you solve the noise problem." Suit-ism? Imagine how this would sound if you were talking about a racial group. There's no point pigeon-holing people. (But I'm going to do the same thing) So, heyp and I were watching a couple of empty lower prom aisle seats the whole 1st half. We moved down into them right as the second half started. Two minutes into the half, a cadre of six suits arrives for the first time. Their seats were directly behind ours and the suits had to kick out the squatters who were sitting in their seats. Outrageous waste of tickets. Skipping the whole first half. Unbelievable. IMO, if you don't show until the second half starts, you don't deserve your lower prom seats. The ushers should just say "Sorry. You're too late, and these good seats are now taken. Looks like I see some seats in section 237, why don't you take those?" Heyp and the suits even exchanged a few choice, snide comments. I'd love to hear heyp's report on his exchange.
I am a very rabid fan ,and probably the only fan you'll see on the floor showing some emotion and cheering on a regular basis. It pisses me off that everybody doesn't get up for the starting lineups. I've only had one guy sit next to me who was a TRUE fan. This guy had great energy and I wish more fans were like him.It does feel wierd being the only one jumping up and down after the rockets make a great play or start a comeback, and it shouldnt feel that way. I'll be at the game saturday to pep up some of these passive fans. Just to add this in, it seems like other teams offer some kind of family package to games on a regular basis, that I'm sure lures more fans out to the games. Maybe the rockets should offer something like this. I really liked those guys cheering behind the bench. They even tried to get the crowd pumped up. The rockets need more of those kind of fans to go out to the games ------------------ [This message has been edited by tacoma park legend (edited March 09, 2001).]
Some friends of mine scored George Foreman's seats for Saturday's game, which I am told is front and center coutside. Now I don't have to tell you how excited I am to have this priveledge. I do plan on making lots of noise. I tend to always get real excited, even when i am up on top behind the hustle board, which is where i usually end up. So, Jam and HeyP, look for me as i will probably be one of the few people in the front all decked out in Rocket garb, standing and yelling alot. Unfortunately, HeyP, I will not be donning any body paint! ------------------
cool SpaceCity....score!! Jeff, I have a story for ya from last night. get this. jammie and I move down right before the 3rd quarter starts. there were a lot of seats available in one area. luckily we didn't take the ones above us like these other two kids. they get booted by some stuffy greenway suits about 2 minutes into the 3rd!!! Three guys and one trophy wife. Anyhow, the story gets funnier after this. So, the couple in our row about 3 empty seats away from us are eating and having a good enough time. but apparently they don't pay too much attention. with 11 seconds left in the third the man says, "Is there only 11 seconds left in the game?" Astonished like he is just now realizing they didn't leave early enough to beat the traffic or something. Damn, only 11 seconds left. Then the night capper of all quotes. With 3 minutes left in the game, the confused couple does their early exit routine and the trophy wife behind us proclaims, "That is whats wrong with Rockets fans, people leave before the games over." uh, coming from a Rocket fan who didn't arrive until the third quarter. shaking my head. Jamcracker had to hold me back from pointing out the irony to her. lol unbelievable
right on Ali. I hope to be corporate enough by the time the new stadium is built to buy 4 lower prom seats for me and all my body-paint friends...and, of course, any cc.net'ters lunatics who make me laugh. I must get closer....I must get closer....
OK, thought maybe I'd keep these off the board because stereotypes may wreak them. So, the poor fun-seeking squatters (who were almost jammie and I) get booted in a snobbish way. "Sorry guys, time to get up." I said, "Hey partners, glad you could make it." A look of untargeted disdain wondering if another youngin could really be making a sarcastic remark to polished pointy noses, one suit spurts out a lame, "Huh?" while wishing he could remember what Robert Deniro would say, "You talking to me." But, alas, he's not quite alert enough for running with the buffalo afterall. ..."Huh?" "Glad you booted those kids, they were pretty lame fans." Then just when they started getting a wiff of the buffalo **** in the air...the unsnubbable Texas handshake from heypartner. "You're just in time for a comeback. Enjoy." [This message has been edited by heypartner (edited March 09, 2001).]
I think there are numerous reasons the Rocket crowd is typically more akin to an afternoon tea with the Daughters of the Republican National Thorzine Society. 1) Our class of corporate weasals is even more passive than those in most other cities. The Pheonix, Portland, Utah, Indianapolis, New York, Philadelphia, Minnesota and, now, even the Dallas Yuppie cyborgs show more emotion and basketball knowledge than our groups of corporate robots and their trophy wives. 2) The Rockets do not emphaise the game, itself, enough. The dorky Rocket bears, dancers and gymnasts and laaaame contests seem to take most of the energy of the building. It is usually louder in between the basketball action. This marketing to families needs to be de-emphasized if it means more community theater rejects throwing t-shirts into the crowd and not attention on the perfectly fine game of basketball. 3)The Rockets need to offer more $1.00 tequilla nights to get the crown in the proper..spirit... I always think that one of the great by-products of attending sporting events is the opportunity to teach the youth of our community the proper way to string together a creative and vituperative expression of disgust at the opposing team, refs, or Kelvin Cato. -Elvis! ------------------
