Ok buddy I can tell you dont have kids, but come on. Your statements are ridiculous. Basketball is a GAME. Kids like to play it and they like to watch it...at least some of them do. If you want to go to an "adult place" there are lots of those in Houston along richmond and westheimer and everywhere else. A sporting event is not an "adult place" just because alcohol is served. Families should be able to enjoy the game just like everyone else. There are places that I wouldnt take my really young kids like a really nice quiet restaurant or a quiet movie theatre with an adult movie playing, and I can agree that some people do it anyways and thus allow their children to be a nuisance in those situations. But you make it sound as if kids shouldnt be allowed to leave the house unless they are going to a childrens event. Think back to when you were a kid. Did your parents never take you anywhere? No movies? Never out to eat except for Chuck E Cheese? Did you never take in a baseball, football or b-ball game with dad when you were younger? If not, I feel sorry for you. If that is the case, it sounds like your issues with kids and childhood might run deeper, perhaps you should seek some counseling. I guarantee you will feel differently when you have kids...at least I hope for their sake you will.
Well, Im glad that my dad didnt subscribe to yall's theories about kids at games. Otherwise, I would never have gotten to grow to love the Rockets like I do. I have been going to games since I was around 8 or so..We had fun(even when the team was losing) and it was those early experiences that make adult Rockets fanatics. Get the kids to love the team early, and they will love the team for the rest of their lives. Vengeance is totally right on. I have sat in the cheap seats plenty of times, and even tho the view isn't near as good as when I sat 10 rows behind the Rockets bench a few games back, it is just fine for watching and enjoying the games. Besides that, the upper deck is where all the fun fans are. The lower bowl is full of conservative suits and quiet rich people that cant be bothered to get off their asses and cheer or make any noise whatsoever. I would rather sit up in the cheap seats and be surrounded by real fans than get a great closeup view of the court surrounded by corpses. The Rockets are doing fine so far in improving their marketing, it will just take time to get everything in full swing. I guess you guys that are too impatient to wait are the same ones who cant be bothered to be patient in waiting for the team to gel and get their **** together before you want to fire everyone and trade the rest...Big surprise there.
Please don't suggest that something is personally wrong with me - you might think you've done so in a sly way, but it still amounts to childish name-calling. I could say that you like children so much that you must stalk them, but that would be a similarly ridiculous assumption. I'd rather talk about the Rockets than about each other. This is a Rockets board, isn't it? But since you asked, my father took me to plenty of sporting events when I was a child. But when I went to games as a child, I was mature enough to appreciate them as a sport, not as a spectacle. Before going to my first game, my father and I had already spent years watching sports from home - he made sure that I was interested in watching basketball before he actually bought a ticket for me, knowing that I'd actually pay attention once we got there instead of just screaming like a fool or running around, knowing that I would actually appreciate going to the game instead of going someplace else. My father didn't just drag me around with him, then ignore my bad behavior once we arrived. He took the time to educate me on the game and to share his appreciation of it with me - not only did this insure my good behavior once we arrived at the game, but it also formed a bond between us as well. This is called "parenting". You may not understand the concept, which would be a shame for your children. I think where we differ is on the meaning of "child". Some kids are older and some are younger. Some younger kids can be very mature and some older kids can be terrors - once again, it depends on that "parenting" concept I'm trying to relate to you. It's okay for someone to bring his 9 year-old to the game if the kid really does like basketball enough to follow a game instead of bothering others. But there's no excuse for bringing a 6 year-old with you who will just jump, scream, and throw stuff everywhere at anytime. It's rude to others who are trying to enjoy that game (including other children) and parents who allow it are teaching their children that being rude to others is okay. Actually, my girlfriend works in social services and her job is to help lax parents get their acts together. Perhaps you should seek some counseling from her?
and arent you glad he did? why would you want to deprive other kids of the same enjoyment you enjoyed as a kid? real conveinent for you to automatically assume that no one else does this also..believe it or not, most of us expect better behavior out of our kids than what you describe. I can guarantee you my kids were taught from an early age to behave in public.. Should they not be encouraged to attend Rockets games? So what you seem to be saying is "that because some kids misbehave, no kids should be encouraged to attend"? This is a ludicrious assertion if that is what you are implying. at the beginning of your post, you got your panties in a wad about a percieved attack on you....why would you do what you have accused someone else of doing? Even if he did indeed mean it as a dig towards you, do you think it makes you the bigger man to do the same...I would say it makes you just as bad... I guess my only other point would be, if you have a problem with the children around you at games, speak to their parents or go find someone that works there to help control them...dont penalize all children/families just because you have had a few bad experiences with kids at the games.
Furious Jam, I have attended over 200 games in the upper deck and no kid has yet to spill something on me. On the contrary, I have spilled things on others about 3 times, and I tend to get popcorn everywhere. To me, the most annoying thing is adults who try to leave their seats during play. Kids don't arrange that. It is the adults who decide when to go to the concessions. Why can't they wait for a timeout....because they are inconsiderate of others. That's why. Blocking my view going to concessions is inexcusable. Maybe we should stop marketing to adults, since some misbehave. There is only one case where the kids ruined my game, and that was because they were without parents having a screaming contest, and they were screaming that the Rockets sucked. Needless to say, I didn't need to do anything, as the ushers handled it for us. On the contrary, sitting next to kids is more fun for me than sitting next to adults. I love to hear their questions and remarks. I do agree with you about the movie theatre, though. It is hard to keep kids quiet. But at a sports arenas...their yelling warms the place, imo...man, the game is as much for kids, and it is us adults. Anyone who thinks otherwise is a scrooge, imo. Not insult intended, but I do think you are exaggerating to make some strange observation that will go on deaf ears to Rockets Marketing. btw: I can guarantee you that it will go on deaf ears. And if it doesn't, I will complain the other way.
IMHO... I think the commercials do a lot in the way of softening the image of some of the Rockets. A lot of fans are turned off by the "hip hop" image because the don't see all sides of it. Some think that off the court Steve, Cat and Eddie are tatoo wearing, loud radio listening, dope smoking ingrates that would be in jail if it wasn't for the NBA, hopefully those opinions are softened by the ads.
you can rant and rave all you want, but all i gotta say is "LEAVE THE BEAR ALONE!" Clutch freakin' rules!
I only suggested that Rollinrockets seek counseling because he says he has kids, yet identifies himself as a "pimp" on his profile. Who is he pimping? Anyway, I still think you miss my meaning. I have no problem with kids at the games, so long as they're actually interested in the game and relatively well-behaved. I don't expect them to behave like monks, but they shouldn't be constantly jumping and cheering no matter what is going on down on the court. And it shouldn't get to the point where I have to stop watching the game to argue with the parents or track down an usher. Hey, don't paint me as a bad guy. I've caught three foul balls at Astro games and all of them went to kids setting near me. This is more of a complaint about parents hauling their kids to games before they're mature enough to not annoy other paying customers with their antics.
I agree. I don't think the ads are aimed at kids at all. I like them. I like hip-hop and I think that they Rockets are basically good guys, so I don't really need the commercials to soften their image. I just think they're entertaining, for kids and adults.
We need more commercials featuring the ( . )( . ) Power Dancers like the current one out now. More skin please!
Furious...please...there is no need to insinuate that I am a bad parent simply because I DO have kids and I DO take them places. Also do not assume that my kids are not well behaved just because some others are not. As far as my occupation in my profile goes...obviously that is a joke which was lost on you. If you would have taken the time to read my post you would see that I agree about kids being taken to certain places..."adult places" as you say....but I do not classify a GAME or a SPORTING EVENT...as one of those places. Niether do the Rockets or the NBA. On the other hand you wont see me at a nightclub or bar with my kids...and most likely you wont see any there at all...so perhaps that is an environment that you could appreciate more. Although I cant guarantee that an "adult" drunk wont spill something on you. I also cant guarantee that some "adult" wont take a cell phone call or talk loudly during the next movie you see. Unfortunately there are rude PEOPLE in this world, and not all of them are children. My post was not meant as a personal dig against you, but from your post you seemed to dislike children and have a resentment towards families that like to attend the same events that you do. Saying people were "forcing" their children on you by taking them to the places you were. I thought that resentment maybe because you didnt come from a family that did things like that together. I stand corrected. My children are relatively well behaved (although they have their moments), and they do enjoy going to a game and watching the action. They also enjoy dining out and attending movies...(although I only take them to kids movies) Please tell your girlfriend that I admire what she does, and I am sure that there are a lot of people more in need of her services than my family. I hope that we wont disturb you too much at the game or at the Chilis afterwards. Cheers.
This is the most accurate statement to me. If this team playing good,fun winning basketball, then people would come. As witnessed by avg 92 pts per,16 plus to's it just not fun to watch them. I brought this up over and over last yr and the yr before, but people were like thats only your opinion. More times than not, i tape the rockets and watch other teams when i'm at home. When there is a choice between watching Dallas,Sacramento,Orlando,Indy or even the Nets, More times than not I choose the other. I still root for the Rockets, but they're not specatator friendly. Call me wrong or whatever, but judging by the attendence,I'm not the only one in this category. When I do go, I take my daughter, but eve a 11yr old know when a team plays poor team basketball so she'egotten to the point where we only go when the opponet is one of those mentioned above. Its just the truth.
Everyone, Thanks for the great posts; I didn't realize how vocal everyone would be on this issue. I think I identify more with Furious Jam, but I really do undertand everyone's posts. My main reason for posting this issue is I think the Rockets' current marketing strategy is too gimmicky and appeals only to children. I agree with oeilpere in theory about increasing attendance via kids but I want my own experience when I attend a game. I'll take the good with the "bad" marketing but don't just throw just child marketing in my face. If I wanted to experience a pure child's environment, I would bring my kids to Astroworld or the zoo (rockHEAD, yes, Clutch The Bear belongs in the Houston Zoo). Anyway, I think we can agree to disagree but at least we have the same goal: to be suppostive fans on the Houston Rockets. I'm just hoping next year with the new areana we will get more of what I am looking for (especially since I live very close to downtown).
I actually like most of the Rockets' commercials (at least the first ten times I saw each). My favorite is "the Rockets go to the Space Center." Mobley (talking on the cell phone): "Moochie took a wrong turn. Yeah, we on the moon." Pretty funny stuff. That being said, I wish Tom from Reliant Energy would go away. And he's not even from Reliant Energy; I saw him on a Progresso Soup commercial.
Just one point- does it really appeal to children? I find the jokes to be ESPN-style jokes, offbeat and ironic. They appear on the outside to be kids' commercials but the humor is for adults also. I like them, even though they are obviously low budget. And how about the double entente's? Remember Moochie and Cuttino coming out of the spaceship? They had swapped jerseys and Cuttino looked sore. What WERE they doing in there?
To me the cheap seats suck. I would rather go to a sports bar with friends and watch the game on a big screen and pay $2.00 a beer, than go sit in the nose bleeds for 20-40 dollars, not be able to see the game, and pay 5.50 a beer. Obviously I am not the only one who feels this way, look at the upperdeck, it is a ghost town. Now if tickets were 5-10 bucks maybe, but NBA (not just the rockets) has reached my breaking point. NFL was there a long time ago, and MLB is slowly getting there. But I can still go to Astros games for 5 or 10 dollars and see the action fine. Unless it is a playoff game or some special matchup, the price of being at the game vs watching on TV just doesn’t seem worth it. With Players salaries going up and up doesn’t appear there isnt anything you can do about it other than be held up by the teams demands or watch at home.
Actually, the majority of them could care less about "good" basketball. People only care about one thing: winning. The Rockets were, consistently, one of the most boring ass teams to watch in the mid-90's. Remember Uglyball? But, fans loved them because they won. Period. If you win, they will show up. You could score 50 points a night and win and the place would be jammed. You could shoot 20 percent every night and win and fans would pack the place. That's the way it is.
Ah yes I digressed from the topic really. I actually think the commercials with the Rockets visiting the childrens museum, space center, riding the bus etc. are good. I especially like the one where Cat and Steve go back to school. Thats just because I think they are funny and clever...but thats just my opinion. I do agree that they should be shown outside of the games though to have more of an impact. I like them, but as a fan of the game who is already watching a game in progress...they have zero impact on how many games I attend.
