Explain the Pain: Just Why Isn't There Fan Support for the Nets?

[Bob-Section104]

I started as a Nets fan when I moved to Jersey. Jason Williams...Sam Cassell time. Despite my continued ticket buying and undying loyalty, I remain embarrassed, as a New Jersey resident, that we cannot support a basketball franchise in our state. Even during the finals runs, there were playoff games that were not sold out. And last night really cooked it for me, having had to suffer the humiliation of a louder crowd for the Knicks.

Sure, I've seen this happen before with Nets/Knicks games, but the lack of noise and cheering from Nets fans last night made my want to pick a fight with a few really roudy Knicks fans (the one insulting each and every one of our players and coaches as they headed into the tunnel at half time was my first choice).

I've pondered this question and debated with many friends and relatives: So I ask all of you: Why can't the Nets draw enough fans...in good times or bad, winning or losing, good economy or terrible?

 

[StateZFinest]

I started as a Nets fan when I moved to Jersey. Jason Williams...Sam Cassell time. Despite my continued ticket buying and undying loyalty, I remain embarrassed, as a New Jersey resident, that we cannot support a basketball franchise in our state. Even during the finals runs, there were playoff games that were not sold out. And last night really cooked it for me, having had to suffer the humiliation of a louder crowd for the Knicks.

Sure, I've seen this happen before with Nets/Knicks games, but the lack of noise and cheering from Nets fans last night made my want to pick a fight with a few really roudy Knicks fans (the one insulting each and every one of our players and coaches as they headed into the tunnel at half time was my first choice).

I've pondered this question and debated with many friends and relatives: So I ask all of you: Why can't the Nets draw enough fans...in good times or bad, winning or losing, good economy or terrible?

new jersey is just not a big basketball market.

it's sad really.

i really opposed the move to brooklyn, because i wanted them to stay in jersey, MY state.

but now, i feel the team deservers better, as long as they don't move away too far. and looks like they're out of the lebron sweepstakes since no more brooklyn

 

[Bob-Section104]

I wanted to make this poll a multiple choice poll, but I must not have checked the box...anyone know how to modify a poll already started (or to delete a thread/poll and start over)?

 

[PsychoNetsFan34]

That was a pretty sickening feeling yesterday. I was in the courtside suite in section 125 and as I waiting in the tunnel for the players to come out I heard the fan you were talking yelling at all the players. Stromile Swift told him to shut it. Me and the guy sitting behind me were extremely loud during the game, and im pretty sure we made up about 75 percent of the fan support last nite at the Zod.

Funny Random Moments of the Night: At halftime seeing Mo Ager in the courtside club getting some grub, and me and my buddy chanting DARRRRYLLLLL....DARRRYLLLLL...as Daryl Strawberry walked to and from the courtside club. Lol.

 

[Bob-Section104]

new jersey is just not a big basketball market.

it's sad really.

i really opposed the move to brooklyn, because i wanted them to stay in jersey, MY state.

but now, i feel the team deservers better, as long as they don't move away too far. and looks like they're out of the lebron sweepstakes since no more brooklyn

I feel that way too...the team deserves more support, but it just doesn't seem possible. I'm not so sure that a move to Newark would change things enough...and I'm even a bit skeptical that, long term, Brooklyn will be as successful as everyone is thinking.

 

[marla07860]

I was at the game last night and I wanted to hit the fans in front of me, stupid Knick fans that stand up and cheer every time the Nets miss. At least the loud lady behind me was a Nets fan, I mean I was loud and yelling, but this lady made my ears ring like after a concert lol, good thing she was a Nets fan

 

[rory]

Heh, I stopped caring. I like rooting for a team with a small but hardcore fanbase. It's like being a fan of an independent music artist. Brooklyn may be their selling out point, and the hardcore fans will be pushed out by the fairweather fans, ticket prices will go up and we'll be muttering "I liked their early work better..."

 

[soul driver]

Heh, I stopped caring. I like rooting for a team with a small but hardcore fanbase. It's like being a fan of an independent music artist. Brooklyn may be their selling out point, and the hardcore fans will be pushed out by the fairweather fans, ticket prices will go up and we'll be muttering "I liked their early work better..."

word by word, my exact same thoughts man.

 

[Chutney]

Heh, I stopped caring. I like rooting for a team with a small but hardcore fanbase. It's like being a fan of an independent music artist. Brooklyn may be their selling out point, and the hardcore fans will be pushed out by the fairweather fans, ticket prices will go up and we'll be muttering "I liked their early work better..."

Nets fans are to New Jersey Nets basketball, as whiny emo kids are to indie music. Sounds about right.

 

[soul driver]

I was thinking along the lines of independent hip hop or rather obscure genres of music

 

[Bob-Section104]

That was a pretty sickening feeling yesterday. I was in the courtside suite in section 125 and as I waiting in the tunnel for the players to come out I heard the fan you were talking yelling at all the players. Stromile Swift told him to shut it. Me and the guy sitting behind me were extremely loud during the game, and im pretty sure we made up about 75 percent of the fan support last nite at the Zod.

Funny Random Moments of the Night: At halftime seeing Mo Ager in the courtside club getting some grub, and me and my buddy chanting DARRRRYLLLLL....DARRRYLLLLL...as Daryl Strawberry walked to and from the courtside club. Lol.

So you saw that jerky guy too? Really pissed me off. Our home court no less. Though I do remember a Nets/Knicks game a few years ago when we were sitting in section 128 when Kurt Thomas got thrown out of the game and a bunch of us let him know exactly how we felt about him as he exited (and then one fan actually threw a beer on him). Ahh, there was a time when the Nets fans showed some real passion. Thank god there are still a few of us left...

 

[GMJ]

It's a totally different experience here in Phoenix. The stadium is in the middle of a metropolitan sprawl, so it only takes 30 minutes from any area to get to the stadium: plus local folks can just walk there.

The arena is state of the art too: bright lights, high class interior and furnishings. Still, I've got to believe that proximity takes the cake. The arena only really fills up when people find it worth while to navigate the highway to E. Rutherford when a Kobe Bryant is in town. When it's not a special occasion, only the hardcore fans show up.

 

[PsychoNetsFan34]

So you saw that jerky guy too? Really pissed me off. Our home court no less. Though I do remember a Nets/Knicks game a few years ago when we were sitting in section 128 when Kurt Thomas got thrown out of the game and a bunch of us let him know exactly how we felt about him as he exited (and then one fan actually threw a beer on him). Ahh, there was a time when the Nets fans showed some real passion. Thank god there are still a few of us left...

Yeah I saw him. Even Knicks announcer Mike Green looked at him and thought he was nuts. At halftime Mike got up and walked to the club and he passed me and my friend as well as that Knicks fan yelling from the stands he just looked up and shook his head.

 

[GMJ]

There's a season ticket holder who sits near me (section 107) who always wears a grey Kenyon jersey. He's never afraid to voice his displeasure

 

[AGGiE]

Can you find the difference?

 

[SportsTicker]

New Jersey has never supported the Nets. In 2002-03, as the team went from one NBA Finals to another, attendance actually dropped. The argument that it's because they're moving to Brooklyn falls flat when you consider that factoid.

The IZOD center is a horrible venue, annually voted the worst in the NBA. I have seats way up in the corner. I counted the number of steps I have to climb to get to the seat. It's 15 from the main concourse to the first level, then SIXTY to the seats...the equivalent to climbing six flights of stairs. There isn't another venue in the NBA like that. In other arenas, there are multiple concourses, connected by escalators. The main concourse is jammed as a result.

 

[Richard Jefferson]

If we were in Newark or Jersey City or anywhere like that, things could be different.

 

[NJ savior]

Bring the Nets to Newark and I will assure you that the support they need will be there.

 

[drexlersdad]

maybe because they have been planning to move for 5 years or so? i know attendance has always been below amazing, but seriously.

 

[PsychoNetsFan34]

New Jersey has never supported the Nets. In 2002-03, as the team went from one NBA Finals to another, attendance actually dropped. The argument that it's because they're moving to Brooklyn falls flat when you consider that factoid.

The IZOD center is a horrible venue, annually voted the worst in the NBA. I have seats way up in the corner. I counted the number of steps I have to climb to get to the seat. It's 15 from the main concourse to the first level, then SIXTY to the seats...the equivalent to climbing six flights of stairs. There isn't another venue in the NBA like that. In other arenas, there are multiple concourses, connected by escalators. The main concourse is jammed as a result.

I never felt the seats in the upper level at the Izod were all that high up or bad at all. Ive sat everywhere in the arena and the upper level is not horrible. In fact if you have ever been in the very upper corner of the Prudential Center you would see the difference. I felt like I was working the lights. And the seats/stairs were so steep I felt like I was 7 years old again when I would be afraid to climb them at the Devils game at the Izod.

I do agree with you on the traffic jam of people on the main concourse. I have season tickets in 225 row 5 this year, but I have only sat in those seats for 4 games this season because I got a connection where I get 2 courtside suite tickets for an avg of about 80 bucks. And one of the best things about those seats is you don't have to go through that concourse at all since theirs a private escalator that heads straight to the courtside club. I've been spoiled by sitting their for 5 games this year. I shudder at having to push my way through people on the concourse at the end of games when I sit back in my season ticket seats.

 

[BrooklynBound]

New Jersey has never supported the Nets. In 2002-03, as the team went from one NBA Finals to another, attendance actually dropped. The argument that it's because they're moving to Brooklyn falls flat when you consider that factoid.

The IZOD center is a horrible venue, annually voted the worst in the NBA. I have seats way up in the corner. I counted the number of steps I have to climb to get to the seat. It's 15 from the main concourse to the first level, then SIXTY to the seats...the equivalent to climbing six flights of stairs. There isn't another venue in the NBA like that. In other arenas, there are multiple concourses, connected by escalators. The main concourse is jammed as a result.

Why are Knicks fans going to root for the Nets in Brooklyn? The Lakers could move to my town and I still would root for the Nets.

 

[#1_War_Poet_ForLife]

Why are Knicks fans going to root for the Nets in Brooklyn? The Lakers could move to my town and I still would root for the Nets.

Because you, like most people here, care more than the average fan.

 

[Bob-Section104]

Yeah I saw him. Even Knicks announcer Mike Green looked at him and thought he was nuts. At halftime Mike got up and walked to the club and he passed me and my friend as well as that Knicks fan yelling from the stands he just looked up and shook his head.

I watched that guy yelling at Mike Breen and Mike looking up at him (I think Breen said something to him). It was weird...one guy with Knicks jersey cursing out the Nets, standing next to a guy with a Nets jersey.

 

[Bob-Section104]

New Jersey has never supported the Nets. In 2002-03, as the team went from one NBA Finals to another, attendance actually dropped. The argument that it's because they're moving to Brooklyn falls flat when you consider that factoid.

The IZOD center is a horrible venue, annually voted the worst in the NBA. I have seats way up in the corner. I counted the number of steps I have to climb to get to the seat. It's 15 from the main concourse to the first level, then SIXTY to the seats...the equivalent to climbing six flights of stairs. There isn't another venue in the NBA like that. In other arenas, there are multiple concourses, connected by escalators. The main concourse is jammed as a result.

And the concourse is crowded even when the arena isn't. I will say this: The ushers have gotten a ton nicer this year at IZOD. We have family in Cleveland and have gone to some Cavs games...and all the ushers smile, say hello...and thank you at the end of the game. I have had a number of bad experiences with surly ushers in the past at our arena, but now...many of them actually say thank you now when you are leaving. Yormark is doing a thankless, but awesome job trying to con and bribe people to come to games.

 

[PsychoNetsFan34]

And the concourse is crowded even when the arena isn't. I will say this: The ushers have gotten a ton nicer this year at IZOD. We have family in Cleveland and have gone to some Cavs games...and all the ushers smile, say hello...and thank you at the end of the game. I have had a number of bad experiences with surly ushers in the past at our arena, but now...many of them actually say thank you now when you are leaving. Yormark is doing a thankless, but awesome job trying to con and bribe people to come to games.

The ushers have gotten a lot better this year. Although, I've notice that the lower level ushers are a lot better than upper level sometimes. In fact in my season tickets seats in 225, we sometimes don't even get an usher. Which is a riot when you have kids that come on field trips and such jumping all over the place taking any seat they want. But anyways, Yormark is doing a great job getting people in the seats this year I think considering I think we could be avg numbers like the Bobcats. I did the numbers the other day (I was bored) and we avg about 16,400 I think it was. He's also a hell of a nice guy. If you ever see him walking around the arena don't be shy to go up to him. In fact all I said to him was hey Mr.Yormark and he ended up talking to me for a good 10 minutes.

 

[DevinNets34]

Madison square is just located at the city, and izod center isn't, that's the huge difference.

 

[PhilNYC]

I just really can't stand driving to/from the Meadowlands. It's an unpleasant trip all around...I hate the highways around it, driving around the roads to get to the parking lot sucks, there's nothing to do nearby, etc. And it takes me 45 minutes to get there from my house (even though I'm only about 20 miles away), so adding together the total time spent going to the game and getting home, it's almost a 5 hour deal...

 

[Netted]

Can you find the difference?

Too funny.

 

[beetlesoda]

Location, location, location. And I know the fan support affects the players sometimes but you know there are still those little fans who do show up every game just play your heart out for them and for the good percentage of Nets fan who are bitter about the Brooklyn move, or can't get to the Izod center and chose to watch on TV.

Even if they do move to Brooklyn I think there will be just as many Knick fans in that arena as it always is.

 

[razel231]

Can those who are fans of the Devils as well post if their move to the Rock has been positive in terms of attendance in contrast to the Meadowlands? Thanks