Home Court Advantage Let's face facts, the number 4 seed is a long shot. That's not the home court advantage I'm talking about right now. I'm talking about a HUGE three-game homestand and how we, the fans, can do our part to lift this team up. It hasn't happened often this season, but with games against Atlanta, Milwaukee and Detroit coinciding with a three-game road trip for Miami, this team needs any edge it can get. So how about this, how about the guys on this blog do everything we can tomorrow night against Atlanta. So far, I count 6 of us who will be in attendance. Here's the great news, Dean has two more tickets, so if you want to join us, it won't cost you a dime. If you were on the fence before, take the plunge now. All you have to be able to do is meet us outside the Wach at 6:30pm. Two free tickets, leave work early, come down to the Wach and go crazy for a couple of hours. First come, first served. Shoot me an e-mail at [email protected] if you're interested and I'll email you the details. Obviously, this means I won't be around for the in-game discussion, but I have found a widget that'll put my Twitter updates in the post, so I'll be updating as often as I can from the Wach. We're also going to meet up with everyone from the blog at the half, outside of section 105-106 at Finnegan's. So let's do everything we can. Dean has completely hooked us up here, so let's get as many people out there to see if we can't swing some of these horrible calls in the Sixers' favor. It's the least we can do after watching these guys lay it all on the line (for the most part) throughout the season. Again, e-mail me ASAP to claim one, or both, of the tickets. Latest Posts• A Costly, Important Win • Sixers vs. Hawks • Home Court Advantage • Miami Keeps The Door Wide Open • Let's Relive It • Happy With 6th, I Guess • Sixers Return To The Palace • Sixers Lose Ground • My Thoughts On Reggie • Predictably Disappointing • Sixers Must Overcome Ugly Play • DF At The WachSearchBlogs in The NetworkSixers BlogsPassion and Pride Sixers 4 Guidos Liberty Ballers Recliner GM PhillyArena Heard In The Cheap Seats | ||||||||||||||||
I should warn you that I make absolutely no noise at sporting events.
No problem. I spend most of the game driving myself nuts then usually get loud at the end if it's close.
Fans? Show up? To Sixers games? Surely you jest sir. For as much as we want Philly to be a basketball town, it's not a Sixers town. Most fans need pizazz like Dr J or Iverson to come to games.
Any prayer Thad could be that type of guy?
Brian,
Do you think we should replace Tray?
Nah, Tray's a good guy. He's been commenting here for a long time. Looking forward to meeting all you guys.
Just to make sure you and Tray know, I was teasing. Did you not know?
Had a feeling. :)
Damn I've never even been to the Wach. Seeing this is a pain.
I second the above, like rubbing salt in a wound. I will be there in spirit though guys.
Btw, on ebay there are tickets extremely cheap for the game tonite. No excuses not to be there unless you live in Italy or farther away than Brian! Good night and let's help the sixers win tonite!
at the end of his time here, everyone bitched about the sixers being a 1 man team and iverson's tendency to dominate the ball. people longed for the days of team basketball. so they get what they asked for and no one is paying attention. the city's failure to embrace this team is my only gripe with philly fans. i love them to death but goddamn, support your team.
oh and i look forward to seeing everyone tomorrow night :)
Brian,
As I mentioned to you before the last 2 games at home were really quiet crowds. I asked my service rep why they started only doing the piped in music and chants during the breaks. He said they change it up from game to game.They need to do more to get the crowd into it. There was no DEFENSE chants or Lets Go Sixers until the last 2 minutes of the game. Our PA announcer needs to do more to get the crowd into. Maybe this is a small thing but could be part of the reason we don't have a really strong home court advantage.
i don't know. i think they do plenty during the game to try to involve the crowd. there's no substitute for people actually being in the seats, which is the real problem.
Mike, the thing is though there was a good crowd on Friday. I know the first half play was bad but the problem is half or more of the crowd are not there for the game itself.
ah i skipped the game friday night. guess i was just assuming it was as empty as it's been mostly all year. but yea when you're losing to the freaking bobcats it's easy to understand why fans would be apathetic.
ah i skipped the game friday night. guess i was just assuming it was as empty as it's been mostly all year. but yea when you're losing to the freaking bobcats it's easy to understand why fans would be apathetic.
If the team plays good basketball, the crowd has no problem being in the game. THe sixers have so often just not played good basketball and therefore the crowd is not in it. I have been there this year when the crowd was sparse but loud because of their play on the court. That is the bottom line.
I say it every time it comes up... expectations sell seats. A guy with pizzaz gets old if the team isn't winning. In Iverson's last season, there were no expectations and he was playing in front of one of the worst 5 crowds every night at home. Look it up. On the road? Iverson sold out every single game. Makes sense if you think about it...
I'd love to go to the game. I'll be relocating back to Philly in a little over a week, so I'll probably manage to go to a game or 2 before the playoffs.
Sixers had pretty high expectations coming into this season and the attendance has been piss poor since day one of the season.
Playoff run last year - second year of thad - addition of Elton Brand
And yet attendance was bad - from day one
Philadlephia is not a 'pro' basketball town - it comes in fourth of the pro sports and it probably falls behind the Philadephia Soul (if they were playing) and college basketball if you ranked all the sports.
They didn't have high expectations from Philadelphia fans.
What makes this less of a "basketball town" than other cities? Other than Market size... obviously New York, LA, and Chicago are basketball cities... they are everything cities.
Market size, expectations sell tickets. And then gimmicks like the Lebrons coming to town or a new team like in OK City in their honeymoon phase. Gimmicks get old though. This is how I see it and this is what the data says on the only research I have seen on this subject.
philly is pretty obviously a football town first & foremost. when the eagles sucked people were angry and frustrated. when the sixers suck people just don't care.
Early season is always going to be a problem for the Sixers. You've got the Eagles in full swing, this year they had the Phils marching to a ring as well.