Is Evans a Goner?

[jemagee]

What city in the NBA shows up when the team isn't winning?? We can't really judge Utah since they make the playoffs every year but we know that "Rip City" wasn't buzzing with excitement or a filled arena when John Nash was running the team. Boston was certainly empty 2 seasons ago.

Problem is not only were they losing but they had utter douchebags on the roster, a lot of the reason the fans said they weren't showing up wasn't the losing, but the 'jailblazer' attitude that permeated the team...

This town will always love every sport, and just because they don't always show up, doesn't tell the whole story to me.

Not sure they are a big polo town...

[johnny broad-street]

1.  Showing up when a team is winning has been referred to earlier in my post
2.  Dear god I'm tired of Philadelphia being referred to as blue collar...PITTSBURGH is blue collar, Philadelphia as much as it wants to be just isn't a blue collar city folks...it's a myth as far as i'm concerned, and it's as irritating as rocky being considered a sports icon for philadelphia.

We'll just have to agree to disagree on the knowledge base, one like you said your small group of friends, it's a small group, it's not reflective as the majority of basketball 'fans' any more than this board or realgm is a larger representation of the overall fanbase, the devoted 'fanatical' fan is a small percentage of any fan base, and those are the ones posting on the internet and calling sports radio...a city is defined by its overall fan base in my opinion not just the samll rabid portion

I didn't say Philly was "blue collar", and I agree with you on that point, so I'm not sure where that comes from. There is a VERY blue collar element to the crowd was all I said. Believe it or not there are plenty of blue collar folks in the Philly are (especially S. Philly, Delaware County, NE Philly, N. Philly and South Jersey) while it isn't necessarily a blue collar town on the whole. It's status as a union hotbed encourages that reputation.

I used myself and my friends as an example...that's all. If we're judging a city by full seats, then that would mean that an arena full of people who are at a game, but have no prior knowledge of the  would lend credibility and earn you the reputation of being a "basketball town".....I'm not comfortable with that criteria. Cirque du Soleil sells out EVERY time it comes....but as a theatre artist I can tell you Philly is definitely not an avant garde arts town.

[TheGuiltyParty]

I don't believe that saying people can't go to a game because they can't afford it is racist.

Again... look at ANY market when they are losing...

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

.... and tell me who fills an arena when the team sucks? The Sixers were brutal for the first half of the season which is why it took forever for that building to even come close to looking full.

Here's our rank in attendance
2008: 23rd (No marquee player; playoffs)
2007: 29th (no Iverson and no playoffs)
2006: 21st (Iverson, Webber, and the return of Mo)
2005: 10th (Iverson, Webber, and playoffs)
2004: 4th (Iverson and Randy Ayers, Chad Ford; no playoffs)
2003: 4th (Iverson, LB, and playoffs)

Point being... when there's a buzz in the air, people show up. I also find it interesting that we ended up finishing 23rd in attendance when we were 29th for most of the year.

[johnny broad-street]

Additionally, there is a feeling of ownership and pride in Philadelphia basketball circles, and the attitude is "Why would I go see the terrible Sixers when I can go see St. Joe/Nova at the Palestra or a pick-up game down the street with 3 NBA players in it?" (Not really a  quote...hahaha...bad punctuation)

Sixers fans make you earn their attendance. I think that's really cool

[TheGuiltyParty]

Sixers fans make you earn their attendance. I think that's really cool

This goes both ways... that rule seems to apply to all teams in all markets. The NFL is different because there are only 8 home games per season. Flyer fans are downright fanatical and god bless them. NBA fans in general do NOT show up if the product is perceived to be bad no matter if you're in Manhattan, Philly, Chicago, LA, or Sacramento.

[johnny broad-street]

Agreed, but in my experience Flyer fans are fanatical, but the building being full doesn't really impress me. It's such a corporate environment down there. Every time I go I get more jaded about that. The fans are out there...I just wish they could afford to go to the games instead of the rest of what I see in that lower bowl

[jemagee]

I don't believe that saying people can't go to a game because they can't afford it is racist.

Well, it kind of is, it has nothing to do with race as much as it has to do with socio-economic status, poor white people can't afford to go to sixers games either.

If you can find it, check out the 'sounds black' research released recently in regards to pay scales.

The NFL is different because there are only 8 home games per season.

Telle that to jacksonville or phoenix...

[TheGuiltyParty]

Agreed, but in my experience Flyer fans are fanatical, but the building being full doesn't really impress me. It's such a corporate environment down there. Every time I go I get more jaded about that. The fans are out there...I just wish they could afford to go to the games instead of the rest of what I see in that lower bowl

Luckily (well, not so much these days) I'm in the mortgage biz and have been given numerous tickets in the lower bowl from banks and and Flyers' players over the years. You're absolutely right that the building is VERY corporate and that's because a lot of those seats are owned by big business who use them as handouts.

By the way, I don't know if you guys have the chance to party in the club boxes for the Sixers or Flyers but it's HEAVEN! Decent food, solid view, and free drinks. By free drinks, I mean that they have an open bar where you make your own.  Finish off a bottle of vodka and bam... they bring you another one. Ahhh, that is the life.

[jemagee]

You're absolutely right that the building is VERY corporate and that's because a lot of those seats are owned by big business who use them as handouts.

The sixers are no different in the lower level seats...a lot of corporate ignorance going on down there...it's the way professional sports works, it's not unique to the flyers.

Damn, now i miss kevin

[TheGuiltyParty]

You're absolutely right that the building is VERY corporate and that's because a lot of those seats are owned by big business who use them as handouts.

The sixers are no different in the lower level seats...a lot of corporate ignorance going on down there...it's the way professional sports works, it's not unique to the flyers.

Damn, now i miss kevin

I agree. For just as many handouts I've gotten for the Flyers, I've gotten even more for the Sixers. When the Spectrum was open though... I remember going to Flyers' games with my old man and the lower bowl being INSANE. The Sixers were never really like that. Corporations have greatly changed the vibe of a Flyers games but not as much at a Sixers because Flyer fans are fanatical.

[Derek Bodner]

You can get tickets to a sixers game for $14 in the upper bowl.  I tried to get tickets to a flyers playoff game, and unless I wanted back row behind the net, it was over $100.  The prices are ridiculous at flyers game :/

[jemagee]

The prices are ridiculous at a flyers game because people are willing to pay higher prices to see the playoff games.
The prices are low at sixers gams because, well, i would guess they are having trouble filling those seats, and the playoffs on tv were evident about that.

Simple supply and demand folks...

[Derek Bodner]

Simple supply and demand folks...

Wasn't asking why, just saying it sucks.

[jemagee]

Simple supply and demand folks...

Wasn't asking why, just saying it sucks.

Try getting laker tickets ANYWHERE when the sixers are coming to town...hell clippers/sixers might be harder to get this year as well with brand hatred

[Skates]

The other big difference between hockey and b-ball is that basketball is a much friendlier TV sport, while I find hockey is a significantly better sport to watch live.  I have been to total of two Sixers games since the current arena opened.  I find the ticket prices for the decent seats to be too expensive for their value and I really didn't enjoy watching the games in person from the upper level.  Amenities aside, I liked the closeness of the Spectrum a lot more.  I enjoy watching b-ball on TV and other than my monthly cable bill, which I am paying to the company that owns the team anyway, it's free.  I have never been to a Flyers game as I am more of a casual hockey fan, but their prices are truly ridiculous.  I live about 2 miles from the Hershey Bears (AHL) new arena and love going there to watch hockey.  It is definitely a more exciting sport to watch live and is very affordable at the minor league level. 

Although baseball is definitely my second favorite sport behind basketball, I go to several Phillies games a year.  Even when the team sucks the stadium experience is enjoyable, especially for my kids, and it is more affordable for better seats.  None of the indoor sports can match the ambiance and family friendliness of baseball.

Maybe I am a bad fan by some standards because I don't fork over obscene bucks to watch the team in person very much (admittedly having a new kid come along every four years or so since the arena opened has also affected my ability to get down to games), but I live and breathe Sixers basketball.  I am just not as into actively subsidizing their huge salaries/owner profits in person.  My kids are getting older so I will probably make a game or two this year, but mostly I'll be watching on TV like usual.