[Dan]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/attendance

Portland IS 28th of 30 teams, but over half the teams are playing to lower than capacity crowds..and the bottom team in the league?

Minnesota.

 

[NBAGOD]

Minnesota, interesting.....kind of like Portland in that a fan base that got used to 50 win seasons and loses interest when the W's plummett.

 

[mook]

but I don't understand. we got rid of all the really nasty apples like Sheed and Bonzi! everything was going to be ticky-boo from here on out.

anybody remember this thread from early October?
Blazer ticket sales soaring!

Just to refresh your memory, I'll start with the opening post:

So much for all the doubters who said the youth movement would hurt attendance. The Blazers report that ticket sales are booming--in fact, they are better than they were while Wallace, Wells, Davis, Anderson, Rahim, Van Exel, and Stoudamire were still here!

Quote:
A funny thing is happening. The Blazers say they are finding that people are buying into this new wave of change, which is predicated on youth, character and the upside that each quality brings. The Blazers say their ticket sales -- from season tickets to group sales to mini-packages -- have all surpassed the previous four seasons.

http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/o...5600.xml&coll=7

This is confirmation that Portland fans wanted a change--and that Nash, Patterson, and Allen did the right thing by gutting the team and starting over. It's a new era, and the fans are on for the ride.

Go Blazers!

 

[Dan]

but I don't understand. we got rid of all the really nasty apples like Sheed and Bonzi! everything was going to be ticky-boo from here on out.

and does anyone remember people saying the drop in interest among fans didn't happen over night, so why would the return?

The # of tickets might be up, in the sense that the # of those who are buying packages are up. but those buying tickest the day of the game are down. Thats my best guess.

Seriously tho, the psychie of the fan base is wounded. Despite what a small minority of the fans think, fans want to at least feel as though the team is putting forth effort, and not being a group of dipwads. And they want to feel "proud" of the team in the sense that when they say "I'm a Trail Blazer fan" fans don't think instantly of a team that's full of pot heads or idiots. That was our biggest problem among league fans. not the losing, but the fact that we had a bunch of numbskulls on the team.

It takes time for fans to trust the team again, so I'm not surprised by the attendance #'s being down. I' more surprised by the really low attendance #'s of other teams.

 

[BlazerFanFoLife]

the rose garden is smaller then most other arenas. Stupid ESpn should do like either % full or atleast say what compacity is.

 

[furball]

Back in the Glass Palace days, the reason that you could not find a ticket was that most of them were bought up by corporations and businesses. Remember, the tax code also changed where you can only write off 50% of the tickets where back then it was 85%. Nowadays, because of the Blazer image issues, corporations do not really want to be associated with the Blazers. Before, taking a client to a game was great marketing and smoozing. Now, older professional people want nothing to do with this team and there is not a player in the league who generates excitement to fringe fans.

 

[Dan]

the rose garden is smaller then most other arenas. Stupid ESpn should do like either % full or atleast say what compacity is.

they will later in the year, but actually the Garden isn't smaller than most arenas. It's about average.

 

[sa1177]

the rose garden is smaller then most other arenas. Stupid ESpn should do like either % full or atleast say what compacity is.

they will later in the year, but actually the Garden isn't smaller than most arenas. It's about average

Actually the RG is one of the larger Arena's in the NBA. Number 7 to be exact. This table shows, team, arena name, year built and max capacity for Basketball. The RG has actually added seats since this so the capacity is now even bigger, well over 20,000.



Detroit Pistons. . . . .Palace Of Auburn Hills. . . 1988. . 22,076
02 Chicago Bulls. . . . . .United Center. . . . . . . .1994. . 21,711
03 Washington Wizards. . . MCI Center. . . . . . . . . 1997. . 20,674
04 Cleveland Cavaliers. . .Gund Arena. . . . . . . . . 1994. . 20,562
05 Philadelphia 76ers. . . First Union Center. . . . . 1996. . 20,444
06 New Jersey Nets. . . . .Continental Airlines Arena. 1981. . 20,049
07 Portland Trailblazers. .Rose Garden. . . . . . . . .1995. . 19,980
08 Utah Jazz. . . . . . . .Delta Center. . . . . . . . 1991. . 19,911
09 Toronto Raptors. . . . .Air Canada Centre . . . . . 1999 . .19,800
10 New York Knicks. . . . .Madison Square Garden . . . 1968 . .19,763
11 Golden State Warriors. .Arena in Oakland . . . . . .1997 . .19,596
12 Atlanta Hawks. . . . . .Philips Arena . . . . . . . 1999 . .19,445
13 Memphis Grizzlies. . . .Pyramid . . . . . . . . . . 1991 . .19,342
14 Dallas Mavericks. . . . American Airlines Center . .2001 . .19,200
15 Denver Nuggets. . . . . Pepsi center . . . . . . . .1999 . .19,099
16 Phoenix Suns. . . . . . America West Arena . . . . .1992 . .19,023
17 Minnesota Timberwolves. Target Center . . . . . . . 1999 . .19,006
18 Los Angeles Lakers. . . Staples Center . . . . . . .1999 . .18,997
19 Milwaukee Bucks. . . . .Bradley Center . . . . . . .1988 . .18,717
20 Los Angeles Clippers. . Staples Center . . . . . . .1999 . .18,694
21 Boston Celtics. . . . . Fleetcenter . . . . . . . . 1995 . .18,624
22 San-Antonio Spurs. . . .SBC Center . . . . . . . . .2002 . .18,500
23 New Orleans Hornets. . .New Orleans Arena . . . . . ???? . .18,500
24 Indiana Pacers. . . . . Conseco Fieldhouse . . . . .1999 . .18,345
25 Houston Rockets. . . . .Toyota Center . . . . . . . 2003 . .18,300
26 Sacramento Kings. . . . Arco Arena . . . . . . . . .1988 . .17,317
27 Orlando Magic. . . . . .TD Waterhouse Centre . . . .1989 . .17,248
28 Seattle Supersonics. . .Key Arena . . . . . . . . . 1995 . .17,072
29 Miami Heat. . . . . . . American Airlines Arena . . 2000 . .16,500

?? Charlotte Bobcats. . . .Charlotte Arena Set to open in November 2005,
capacity will be around 18,500

http://www.hoopscorner.com/links/team_arenas.html

 

[tlong]

I don't care how good of people the Blazers have on their roster. The attendance at the Rose Garden will not significantly improve until we have a winning team.

 

[sa1177]

I don't care how good of people the Blazers have on their roster. The attendance at the Rose Garden will not significantly improve until we have a winning team.

And it will only continue to decline if we keep non-character players who continually get in to trouble.

 

[tlong]

And it will only continue to decline if we keep non-character players who continually get in to trouble.

Not if they win.

 

[sa1177]

Not if they win.

Yes if they win..see years 2003, 2004.

 

[myELFboy]

Miami's arena is smallest? I always though the Key was the smallest arena, then Arco. Interesting.

 

[tlong]

Yes if they win..see years 2003, 2004.

See 1999.

 

[NBAGOD]

The Blazers say their ticket sales -- from season tickets to group sales to mini-packages -- have all surpassed the previous four seasons

You can make numbers say whatever you want.....there were probably more NEW ticket sales this year than in those years, but obviously nowhere enough to make up for all the non-renewals. You don't expect Patterson to say that sales stink. It's like Bush's people saying that "Iraq is going great"....propaganda...consider the source.

Miami's arena is smallest?

That is incorrect.....their capacity is 16,500 with parts of their upper decks curtained off....it's close to 20,000 with all sections opened (whech they obviously are since getting Shaq).

The RG has actually added seats since this so the capacity is now even bigger, well over 20,000.

The arena capacity was reduced in the late 1990's due to an ADA lawsuit and the construction of the "Blazer Boxes (it was over 21,000 when it opened). It is 19,980 and can get over 20,000 with standing room.

Back in the Glass Palace days, the reason that you could not find a ticket was that most of them were bought up by corporations and businesses.

The reason you could not find a ticket was that the team was a consistent winner and the arena was so small. The sellout streak ended less than a month after the RG opened.

The Blazers are facing problems in all areas of ticket sales....corporate, season, groups, individuals, etc....as any losing team would. The bandwagon will fill up again when they start winning again.

 

[Dan]

The reason you could not find a ticket was that the team was a consistent winner and the arena was so small. The sellout streak ended less than a month after the RG opened.

The Blazers are facing problems in all areas of ticket sales....corporate, season, groups, individuals, etc....as any losing team would. The bandwagon will fill up again when they start winning again.

I don't disagree with anything you said. I'll add that since we fans aren't used to an arena not packed, we're still adjusting. Also, the MC was hard to get tickets for more for the fact there was only 13K (rounding up) "available" per game.

 

[QRICH]

Anyone else notice this...

18 Los Angeles Lakers. . . Staples Center . . . . . . .1999 . .18,997

20 Los Angeles Clippers. . Staples Center . . . . . . .1999 . .18,694

 

[RipCity9]

Miami's arena is smallest? I always though the Key was the smallest arena, then Arco. Interesting.

That would make sense as their fanbase is not exactly rabid. The only Miami team that regularly fills the stands is the Dolphins.

 

[dkap]

How weird is it to think that there are only 9 stadiums around the league older than the Rose Garden, which seems like it was built just yesterday?

Dan

 

[Dan]

How weird is it to think that there are only 9 stadiums around the league older than the Rose Garden, which seems like it was built just yesterday?

Dan

It does seem odd that it's over 10 years old, and now one of the older ones there is..


and we're still sans All Star Game..