You have exposed yourself to this board in a number of ways, intelligent being the most notible until now. I never thought I'd say this to you because I never believed it before this post, but Trader_Jorge you are ignorant. The only difference between you and I is that people actually like me.
Perfomance on the court?? The team is 19-15. (66 point nights not withstanding). It has league marque players in Francis and Yao. There was lots of excitement over the team thoughout the NBA (which meant more national TV coverage ---THANK YOU!!). Attendance is a league wide problem. Not every team can win every game. Make the people want to attend the game for the games sake (think Texans). Then make it affordable so that they can.
I said in my first post in this thread that part of the reason I don't attend the games is that I hate the new arena. Part of this is due to the fact that I can't afford the nice seats for me, my 2 kids and wife. The cheap seats I got last year were better than the cheap seats I can get this year. But the thing that really gets me is that there are empty boxes for the big wigs where there should be seats for real fans. Then NBA wants me to buy the shirts, hats, jerseys, etc. but puts the corporate cheering section (which is mostly empty every time I attend) before the real fans. Every seat in the place should be $20 and it should be first come first served. Corporate fans come late and leave early. That and corporate greed have ruined the game. Oh yeah and poor team play.
I think race might be a small factor in the decreased popularity of the NBA among young people. Kids want to make it big when they they see a league mostly filled with blacks it might put some doubt in their mind in terms of 'is this something I can be'. Extreme sports are very popular I took my cousin to a skating park a few weeks ago. I was amazed on how crowded it was, just 10 years ago when I was still growing up Id say most of these kids would be playing basketball or baseball now theyre on their skateboard or trying some other adventerous activity. I just think theres more options out there for young people to entertain themselves with than just the basic sports we had growing up. (baseball, basketball, football) For the older crowd, Race is only a factor in the "racist crowd" but I believe thats a small group. But it exsist. For the the older generation I'd say the main problem is style of play.
Pretty much all of the statements I said are related. It seemed like the old school basketball players were more down to earth. Someone we could identify with. Old school players have been saying for years that the new blood coming into the league is unprofessional, no work ethic, not team players, and arrogant. Charles Barkley preached it constantly before he left. SF and CM being the ones he preached about the most. The thug comment comes from these guys acting like they still live on the street. None of these players live in the ghetto. They are going to go shoot anyone or slang. So why act like you are. You are prominent members of our society, so act like it. No matter if Charles Barkley thinks it or not, they are role models. I'm not asking them to raise my kids because thats my job but kids think it is cool to be like them. Dress like a pro. Act like a pro. Treat other people like a pro. Stop trying to talk **** and rap. You can shoot a basketball, that doesnt mean you can sing. You can be cool and classy at the same time. The on the court problem has to do with everyone wanting to get theirs. You dont have to shoot the ball a hundred times. I dont care what numbers you get if our team wins. I love watching good team sports. Someone said earlier that the athletes are better but the product is poorer. That was exactly true. These guys are amazing atheletes. They can jump out of the building and are chisled muscle. They are bigger and stronger but because they are so worried about the spinner rims they are gonna get on their new H2 and what retro jersey they will wear after the game, they forget to learn how to make a good pick, play defense, and pass the ball. Learning to shoot a jump shot wouldnt hurt either. The NBA is just boring. Hopefully this helps you understand a little more. If not, I will expand further.
I couldn't care less that people are turned off by the so-called "urban culture" in the NBA. Let marketing worry about that. All I care about is what I see on the floor. Good basketball is good basketball.
I'm headed out on a plane to Tulsa, whether I agree or disagree I have learned a few things today about attitudes towards the NBA and why they exist. Thank each and every one of you for your intelligent contribution and for keeping this above board (Master Baiter especially). If I have given any impression other than one of open-mindedness I apologize, it was not my intent. For those of you that try to incite negative reaction through mindless conjecture, go back to the D&D where you are most comfortable because we don't want you here. Have a nice day fellers and keep a cool booty.
Believe it or not, I stopped watching the Rockets game last night not because they were losing, but because I was tired of listening to the Pistons PA announcer yell into the mic like a moron. If this is the "urban culture" that you're talking about, the NBA can take it and shove it.
The tendency to have ridiculously low scoring games cannot be ignored. I've heard personally from many friends & fans that the Rox style of play has directly influenced their level of interest in the team, despite the W-L record. AB - Yes, the 'Stros have performed better for the past few years, and very well could again this season.
If you disagree with my stance, then why are you unable to respond to my argument? My last post *perfectly* summarized why so many on this board disagree with you on racial issues, and in many cases feel insulted by your positions. You were unable to muster anything more than another tired personal insult. A very poor performance on your part, AB. Your failure to defend yourself only confirms my opinions of you.
Being from Detroit I can tell you that the PA guy at the Pistons game is complete Jack Ass by the name of Ken Kalvert. He's been a local(Detroit) DJ since before I was born and is so full of himself that I don't know how he fits through most doorways. If it wern't for him player intros at the beginning of the game would be 10 minutes shorter. Man I hate that guy.
Does the lack of pitching and baserunning in today's game deter from fans going to the game. I mean its no way you can say a) the Astros have performed better than the Rockets or b) that the game is currently played the way it is supposed to be played.
So even though the Astros have one won divisional title in the past 3 years and been in competition in September the other two years, you say that they have not outperformed the Rockets the past 3 years? In baseball (as in basketball) most fans prefer to see offense (I may be one of the exceptions as I would prefer to see a 2-1 game instead of 10-9). In that respect, baseball has significantly outperformed basketball over the past few years as offense has flourished.
