Christie Had "Casual" Talks With NBA About New Team in Newark
by Net Income on Jan 25, 2011 8:02 PM EST
in Brooklyn
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If any NBA teams are ready to split their current surroundings for better deals elsewhere, Gov. Chris Christie would welcome them to New Jersey. Chris said he's spoken to David Stern about having a team in Newark once the Nets depart for Brooklyn. Stern has said the state had its chance with the Nets.
Describing his talks with Stern as "casual conversations", Christie said he is aware of Stern's position, but added, with a smile, "sometimes people don’t say things to me that are going to make me unhappy — you know how that works."
The Nets are last in home attendance but 17th in road attendance, a disparity that won't help state officials convince Stern to bring a team to "The Rock". The Nets control NBA territorial rights to New Jersey but under their agreement with the NJSEA, will relinquish those rights once they move to Brooklyn and won't oppose a new team in New Jersey.
- Christie says he's had 'casual' talks with NBA on a new team for N.J. - John Brennan - The Record
- D'Alessandro: Newark's hoops renaissance should be pro-rated - Dave D'Alessandro - Star-Ledger
- Governor Christie Does Not Understand Economics Of NHL And NBA - Mike Ozanian - Forbes
- Gov. Christie should seek a disgruntled NBA owner - Evan Weiner - New Jersey Newsroom
- Newark set for first NCAA regional - Tom Canavan - AP
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This Christie guy obviosly is a "casual" sports fan then
because he has’nt seen the disaster the Nets have here in New Jersey with attendence and overall surrounding area/market.
Damn where last in attendance
To be honest watching some of these other games around the league seems a based off reputation, see no difference with many other teams.
"We're not there yet, but we're going somewhere," Johnson said. "And we're going to Brooklyn. We're not going to contract. We're going to Brooklyn."
8,000 fewer per game than the Bulls
200 fewer than the Kings.
Devils are 26th in NHL, by the way. Nice arena, but doesn’t draw.
Hey they have like 13 of their last 14 points. They are on fire.
"I don’t think we want to be like the Knicks. I think we’d more like to resemble the Lakers." - Mikhail Prokhorov
Want to know when you can see draft lottery prospects on TV? Go to this post: http://www.netsdaily.com/2011/1/21/1948224/top-2011-draft-lottery-prospects-in-nationally-televised-ncaa-games
lately yea
but they’re still last in the league, that’s how bad they were before.
by sheepareevil on Jan 25, 2011 10:02 PM EST up reply actions
Even last year, when they finished in 1st place...
The Devils were 20th in home attendance, even though they were SIXTH in road attendance.
NJ just doesn’ t support its teams, period. No more blaming transportation and whatnot.
but even within their league
the devils don’t draw compared to other teams. nothing to do with basketball.
Take a look at the Devils ticket pricing
Compare it to the Nets or most other NHL teams.
You will notice that ticket pricing for the Devils is VERY high, they make more $$ with 14,500 fans than some teams make with 18,000 fans.
Plus the Devils have only been in NJ since 1982, but the Devils fanbase is a zillion times larger than the Nets fanbase in NJ.
by Jersey Sports Fan on Jan 25, 2011 11:13 PM EST up reply actions
I agree
I stuck up for Jersey for years, but attendance figures don’t lie, most Jersey residents are either relocated New Yorkers or self-hating Jersyians with an inferiority complex that would rather root for the New York teams.
by sheepareevil on Jan 25, 2011 10:04 PM EST up reply actions
You have to look at the attendance stats
A little harder, the capacity of the Rock is only 17,625 for hockey, so even if they sold out every game they would finish in about 14 place.
Plus, you seem to only look at attendance and not revenues generated. owners only care about revenues generated, not attendance.
The Devils ticket prices are much higher than most of the NHL.
The Devils generate more revenues at The Rock than about 20 other teams in the NHL.
Check out this Frobes team valuations link, I think the Devils are valued at 11th overall out of 30 teams-hence they are having MUCH success at The Rock and getting tremendous fan support.
Look at the bump in revenues generated in 2008 when they moved to Newark from the Swamp.
http://www.forbes.com/lists/2010/31/hockey-valuations-10_New-Jersey-Devils_313149.html#
by Jersey Sports Fan on Jan 25, 2011 11:06 PM EST up reply actions
20th in attendance
for a team with insane ticket prices, are labeled a “boring” franchise with no stars before Kovalchuk, and dealt with a few snowstorms that screwed up their avg attendance. And look who was above them: either Canadian teams or others who had long sellout streaks going back several years.
This is EVEN MORE INSANE than moving a team back to Seattle.
Official Member of the 'Devin Must Go!' Fan Club
but Seattle should get another team before Jersey does
The Nets will still be in our cable package, and if anything our fanbase in Jersey will increase once they’re a New York team.
by sheepareevil on Jan 25, 2011 10:06 PM EST up reply actions
How funny would it be
If we got a new team and they beat up on the Nets for years to come.
Irony.
by Jersey Sports Fan on Jan 25, 2011 11:02 PM EST up reply actions
I guess Philly should not have a team either?
They draw about the same as the Nets, maybe the Sixers should move out of Philly?
by Jersey Sports Fan on Jan 25, 2011 11:14 PM EST up reply actions
Agreed
I can remember when the 76ers made the playoffs and ranked lower than the Nets did despite the fact that the Nets didn’t make the playoffs that same season. As a matter of fact, the 76ers hold the record for the biggest drop in attendance from the previous season. Also, the Hornets have just as much of an attendance that the Nets do, yet I find it an irony that David Stern, who has no problem with the Nets moving to Brooklyn, is fighting tooth and nail to keep them New Orleans. BTW, the Nets also once ranked above the Hornets in attendance the year the Hornets did make the playoffs when the Nets didn’t either. Even more recently, I can remember that two years ago the Nets despite doing worse than the Bobcats and Pacers, but still had higher attendance than both of them. Can someone please answer why those teams shouldn’t move? One other thing, if the Nets actually had so more winning seasons, more would come, because most wouldn’t want to waste their money to see a losing team, though I would still come no matter what like I did last season and still rooted for them when just about everyone else here just gave up.
by Tal Barzilai on Jan 26, 2011 9:56 PM EST up reply actions
Know your audience
The brain trust obviously didn’t. As bad as Izod Center attendence was, Prudential Center attendance is now worse.
Issue #1 is that they overestimated the benefit of mass transportation. NYers aren’t being drawn (partially because the team stinks), & those that work & live in NJ are drivers, not train riders. Falling into the latter category, I assure you the Prudential Center is more difficult for me to get to than the Izod was, even though it is closer. Additionally, rail prices are cost prohibitive versus driving.
Issue #2 is the 7pm starts this year. It was hard enough to get home after work, round up the family/friends & head to the arena in time for a 7:30 start. 7pm is virtually impossible.
Issue #3: We’re awful…AGAIN
Issue #4
Nets are a lame duck team in NJ. Nets have alienated many NJ fans because of the future move to Brooklyn.
I don’t think you can get a good read of how well NJ can support an NBA team by simply looking at the current Nets attendance.
by NetsNewark on Jan 25, 2011 8:48 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
@ TheNetsFan. Here, here! All right on with your points. How can you start games at 7, when it was hard enough to get to 7:30 games during the week nights after working all day? It is as if they wanted Newark to look bad in attendance.
In addition, we are a bad team again, although getting better, the record shows we still have a ways to go. People come to watch winners! That is the bottom line.
As for the arena itself, I still drive there even though the Izod is easier to get to by car. I must say, I do like the Rock, especially, the lower level seating and the ability to have a hangout place with the bar area.
LETS GO NETS!
I strongly disagree with all of your points except #3
And think you are factually incorrect in Issue#1.
by Jersey Sports Fan on Jan 25, 2011 11:02 PM EST up reply actions
Issues 1 and 2
are fallacies. The state of NJ doesn’t revolve around Bergen County. And depending where you are, train is cheaper than driving.
A bunch of teams start at 7pm on a weeknight and those fans don’t have a problem with it. Why should NJ?
And how is attendance worse? Did you read the article?
Nobody said it Revolves around Bergen County
The train is only a cheaper option if you live very close to the arena. Go even relatively small distance away & it jumps. Roundtrip prices from some random towns: Morristown: $16.50 per person, New Brunswick: $18 per person, Princeton: $25 per person, Hazlet: $20 per person. Unless you’re going to he game alone, it’s significantly more expensive to ride he train. Not every Nets fan lives in Essex county.
As for not being able to make a 7pm start, situations are atypical in NJ. Jobs are much more widespread, with a lot of residents having at least a 30 minute commute each way. You’re talking about a state full of suburbs, not a mid-sized city. Most would have to leave their houses no later than 6pm to get to the game. I wish I could consistently & reliably get home by 6pm each night after work. If there’s traffic or you want to take the train, you’d have to leave even earlier. If I wanted to take our lovely rail system, I’d have to take a 5:09 train to make it in time for a 7pm tip, and unless it’s a very quick game & I could catch the 9:25 out of Newark, I’m not getting home until after 11pm.
How is attendance worse? According to the article we’re averaging only 20 more fans per game than last year. Having been to games, I can assure you that attendance is trending downward. There was a solid crowd during some of the early season games, but that crowd has decreased over time. Barring a blockbuster trade, we’ll average fewer fans than last year, despite the marginally improved record.
How is the IZOD center easier to get to if you live in any of those towns you just mentioned? Driving or by car…
Driving to & parking at the Izod is much easier
…even if it is further. The Turnpike from southern towns, & Routes 3/46/80 from western towns. The one redeeming quality of the Izod Center is that it is easily accessible off of major highways. 21 & Broad Street are not major highways. 280 & 78 get you close, but not close enough.
Driving up on the NJT to 16W during rush hour
is no better than 21. And it’s further up. And because of construction most folks parked next to the stadium and had to walk over a cattle bridge to the arena for almost 10 minutes.
excellent points Marv
Driving to The Rock is much easier for me than to the swamp.
by Jersey Sports Fan on Jan 26, 2011 4:01 PM EST up reply actions
I've done that drive for years
NJT to 16W is a cakewalk during the evening commute. It’s opposite traffic & never any issue.
10 minute walk over the bridge? My 91 year old grandfather could make it over quicker.
You can drive to a station closer to Newark
and save on train fare and can sometimes park for free(Woodbridge, South Orange, Lyndhurst, etc.). Utah, Indiana, Oklahoma are chock full of suburbs and start at 7pm. They want to start at 7:30 fine, but it won’t make a difference.
Football season is over. It’ll pick up a bit. Don’t be surprised if they go on a run they finished above the Kings and Sixers once the year ends even if they miss the playoffs.
And like Robo5 said, how is it EASIER to get to Izod if you live in one of those towns? Forget mass transit, driving would be a PITA.
Since I have been to both
Both the Izod and Prudential Centers have their advantages and disadvantaes. We can’t say that one is more perfect than the other. Although the Izod Center was very easy to get to, it doesn’t have anything really surrounding, so even if you go there very early just to get a good parking space to avoid using the pedestrian bridge and be closer to the arena, there really is nothing to do there to pass the time. I know that because I have been doing that a lot. Again, I like to park closer, not further. It was sort of a lose-lose no matter when you get there, because you would either have to be bored for a while or walk a long distance. Menawhile, the Prudential Center does have its advantage for havin the option of using mass transit since it’s only two miles from Newark-Penn Station, and just about half the lines stop there, while Newark-Broad Street has the others. The good part is that if you are very early, there are places nearby to hang out to help pass the time unlike at the Meadowlands. However, if you drive, it might be a good idea to get there earlier, because some of the immidiate streets near the arena is closed off in a few hours before the game starts, so you will have to be creative to get around there. Also, unless you are able to find a parking spot on the street like I can, you will have to pay for parking in one of the nearby lots or garages, because like MSG, they don’t have their own official parking. Suprisingly, I always seem to find parking very close to the arena no matter when I come for some reason, but I guess I am just lucky. Nevertheless, it is a nice place for the Nets, though attendance would be higher if they were not going to Brooklyn.
by Tal Barzilai on Jan 26, 2011 10:13 PM EST up reply actions
will never happen.
nets never sold well, even when they were going to the finals.
Nets fans were spoiled by J-Kidd and hate on Devo for being less than legendary. Haters gonna hate. Spread the Harris Love!
I'm pretty sure
Every playoff game was sold out or close to being sold out
you are correct
Aside from maybe the 1st round games, the rest of the home playoff games were either sold out or very close, and had loud and passionate support, I was at every Nets home playoff game in the Kidd era so I know.
by Jersey Sports Fan on Jan 25, 2011 11:08 PM EST up reply actions
Was there myself
I can remember when I saw the Nets especially durring the 2003 NBA Finals and throughout the playoffs that season, and the place was literally packed. I don’t know where people are saying that they couldn’t sellout a playoff games, because according to my eyes, that was false. BTW, the years the Nets made the NBA Finals, they also had a high number of wins, which was another reason why their postseason games were impossible to get unless you were part of some ticket plan like I was. I can still remember when I shouted after a game against the Raptors after they missed a shot in the closing seconds saying, “They won the game!” Many people sitting near me gave me a high five for saying that. Of course, one time I thought I was seeing things, but I noticed a sparrow on the rafters and one time it actually flew down towards the seats. Although the Nets couldn’t sellout durring the regular season, they sure did durring the postseason and this was when they were still in the Meadowlands.
by Tal Barzilai on Jan 26, 2011 10:21 PM EST up reply actions
In the Swamp
Now they are in a great arena with mass transit in a city.
Remember though, the Nets were HORRIBLE for many seasons and they never developed a fan base with the clueless Secaucus 7 ownership and the worst GM in the NBA-Willis Reed.
by Jersey Sports Fan on Jan 25, 2011 11:00 PM EST up reply actions
Agreed.
It takes time to develop fanbases. We were finally doing that with the late nineties success and especially, the start of the Jason Kidd era in the early 2000s. It had been down right awful for the first three decades of this franchise, so, it is no wonder our fanbase did not grow.
LETS GO NETS!
pacers, kings, hornets?
i would like to see a team back in seattle so the west divisions can be re-aligned(hornets become sonics and move okc to the southwest…yes) but unless new jersey wins a title with some big name players then the attendance will always be shot. too many people flood to philly and new york before new jersey. and its bad having a team right off an interstate(cough atlanta, cough phoenix)
The realist keepin it real amongst the surrealists
by starbury_to_s-jaxci2000 on Jan 25, 2011 8:55 PM EST reply actions
also wouldn't mind the Newark Hornets
but I love the city of New Orleans and even though business is business, I’d be heartbroken if an NBA team isn’t in that city.
Even though I'm a Kings fan...
…I think the Newark Royals sound better.
EvilCowtownInc: Screwin Suckaz over since 1985...... On Twitter
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If Omri has 12 games with 85+ TS% (20+ mins only) on the season, I will send RikSmits a slice of Cherry Pie with real Californian cheese pasteurized locally in Washington state.
Newark has to get in line
The NBA is trying to reduce teams, not add them. In terms of relocation, I think that Newark would have to get in line behind Seattle, Kansas City and even Anaheim (where the Sac Kings may end up).
That won't happen
I don’t think that the NBA will have some teams fold. That was tried not too long ago with MLB, but that idea failed, and the teams that were said to fold wound up staying. I doubt that the NBA will actually do this. Professional sports leagues should be about expansion, not contraction. On a side note, the WNBA is looking to add more teams in the near future, not get rid of any, though they have already lost the Houston Comets, Sacramento Monarchs, Cleveland Rockers, Portland Fire, Charlotte Sting, and Miami Sol. Meanwhile, some teams have relocated such as the Orlando Miracle now being the Connecticut Sun and the Utah Starz now being the San Antonio Silver Stars.
by Tal Barzilai on Jan 26, 2011 10:26 PM EST up reply actions
Vancouver deserves a team before Newark too.
Not sure why Stern (an advocate of internationalizing the game) would give up half of Canada for friggin Memphis.
Opulence, I has it.
I have always said it would be a good idea to play a couple of games per year in Jersey
Maybe one homestand.
Keep some more of the pre-existing fans and the history.
Nets fans were spoiled by J-Kidd and hate on Devo for being less than legendary. Haters gonna hate. Spread the Harris Love!
Doesn't Seattle need a new arena or something? Vancouver failed with the Grizzlies..
aside from the best years of the jason kidd era new jersey has never had the benefit of following a solid nba franchise. It is really unfair to judge the attendence this year when the team has pretty much said we do not care about you we just have our eyes on brooklyn. newark and the rock should get a real shot at having an nba team.
Would NEVER Happen
There is a reason why the Nets are leaving. And Christie obviously does not see it.
THey're leaving
because of Ratner’s real estate.
Brooklyn won't do much better IMO
Nets fans are Nets fans no matter where the team is. I don’t see us getting many more fans by just moving to Brooklyn buy that’s just my opinion
I agree. The majority of the fanbase still lives in New Jersey and unless they give the tickets away, I can’t see there being a huge following of new fans to support our team, especially during the down years of the franchise. In addition, if all these “new” fans are going to support this team, where are they now? If it is known that the Nets are moving to Brooklyn, why are they not supporting the team now? It is just a matter of a couple of years before the move is official, so, if it so easy to commute to Brooklyn (like we have been told), why not make the trip to a brand new arena in Newark to support the team?
LETS GO NETS!
I’m a Nets diehard and a lifelong NYer and really, this team (and the rare Jets game I go to) are the only reason I’m ever in New Jersey outside of just driving through it on my way to another state. That’s just how New Yorkers are.
by shane gayle on Jan 26, 2011 12:55 AM EST up reply actions
no problem Shane
I rarely go into New York, mostly to pass through it on my way to Cape Cod or when I am forced to visit family.. There is no reason for me to go into New York, we have it all here in Jersey, including two NFL football teams.
by Jersey Sports Fan on Jan 26, 2011 9:58 AM EST up reply actions
I'm not trying to insult New Jersey
I’m just telling you why a basketball fan in Brooklyn isn’t going to go to a game there. How many people in LA go to Angels and Ducks games? I’m betting the number is pretty damn low.
Same here
I have already stated countless times how a bunch of long time Knicks fans would never convert to the Nets no matter what, and that is even after the move. Seriously, does anyone really think that fans convert that easily? I ask the same question on where their support for the team has been. If it’s only going to be after the arena is built, then they are not true fans. I doubt that they were rooting for the Nets when the made the NBA Finals back in 2002 and 2003, so what makes us think that they will be rooting for them now? When the Devils won a Stanley Cup not that long ago, they had a tickertape parade in NJ rather than in NYC, because they view themselves as a NJ team and not a NY team. As a matter of fact, the only NFL team to actually play in the state of NY is the Buffalo Bills, but I don’t hear anyone around here rooting for them, though I don’t myself, but that’s because I am not a football fan to begin with. If the Nets continue to play the same that they are now, then attendance will stay the same, and they will continue to play in front of half-empty crowds even in Brooklyn. The only people I can picture in the stands while in Brooklyn will be bandwagoners, Ratner and his cronies, paid supporters, and all the politicians who supported this.
by Tal Barzilai on Jan 26, 2011 10:36 PM EST up reply actions
does anyone know why hornets left charlotte and the sonics left seattle
and the grizzlies left vancouver
those moves...
If I remember right, Vancouver (originally owned by the NHL Canucks) was drawing pretty good for a horrific team. After a few down years they sold to Michael Heisley, an American who promised to keep the team in Canada. Heisley lied and a year later moved them to Memphis. Not sure why Stern approved that b/c attendance went DOWN after the move.
Seattle had been looking for a brand new arena for years. Owner Howard Schultz (of Starbucks fame) wanted something after new football and baseball stadiums were built but the public (who had already refurbished KeyArena) was not about to pay for another brand new building. Unable to get a new arena and losing money Schultz gutted his own team and then sold them to OKC businessman, Clay Bennett. Bennet, having seen what a success the Hornets where when they played there in the post-Katrina period was hungry to move them down there. Schultz, like the Vancouver Canucks, claims that he was duped and that Bennett agreed to not immediately relocate the club. Whatever the case, law suits were filed, the NBA stepped in and the team was moved. But, Seattle did get to keep the team’s name, history and promise of a new team once a new arena gets built.
George Shinn is the one I remember best. He had a great arena (think it was the largest in the world) and a great fan base. But he was a cheap chit who was always alienating the public and openly courting other cities (like Memphis) to move the Hornets there. Again, this was despite incredibly good attendance numbers. Things got really dicey later when he was accused of raping a woman in his car!
As that rape trial was going on he had the balls to threaten the city to build him a new arena (w/many more luxury boxes) or have the team move to Memphis. Heisley beat him to it so instead Shinn turned to New Orleans. By this point he was so hated by the Charlotte locals that they vowed to only build a new arena if Shinn sold the team. Eventually he moved (like the others, to a smaller market w/smaller crowds) while the NBA promised a new team for Charlotte. The new arena and all of its luxury boxes was built and the Bobcats were born but things haven’t been the same. Whatever “magic” was going on down there in the late 80s/early 90s, before all of the Shinn shenanigans, is long gone. Guess adding other pro teams (like the NHL Hurricanes and NFL Panthers) to the state didn’t help but for a while Charlotte was once a great pro-hoops town.
By the way, none of those 3 teams had the loooong history of poor draws that the Nets have experienced. It’s why Seattle, and to a lesser extent Vancouver, should get teams before Newark.
Opulence, I has it.
The Nets are a lame duck team in NJ
Of course they are not going to draw a lot of fans to games here.
They have drawn much better than I would have thought.
The Nets, with the exception of a few good seasons, have been a joke of a franchise for the vast majority of their NBA history.
I am only a fan of them because they have been the home NJ team.
Once they cross the river I will casually root for them from afar, but if another team calls NJ home I will change my alleigences to that new team.
And if they are run by smart basketball people and have a strong committment to winning and to New Jersey, you can bet they will get strong fan support.
by Jersey Sports Fan on Jan 25, 2011 10:58 PM EST reply actions
BRUCE RATNER
ruined any shot this franchise had at a legitimate fanbase. He comes in, knows nothing about basketball, declares he’s moving the team, gets rid of fan favorite and team-essential players. On top of that marketing got rid of everything NJ. Just as the team was coming into prominence. That my friends, is how you turn an up-and-comer into a lame duck.
And I wholeheartedly agree with JSF^. If a team comes into Newark, there’s a good chance I sticking with the home squad ESPECIALLY if the Nets change their name.
But if the Nets had
Got to Brooklyn in 2006 or 2007 all would have been different. Economy and litigation killed the Nets
-Say man when I was growing up we wanted a Jacuzzi, we had to fart in the tub.
by NetLogic on Jan 25, 2011 11:55 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
As much as I HATE the rat and all he put us through
I hafta give the guy credit he DID finally make the move to Brooklyn happen, and he DID make the franchise attractive enough for Proky to want to buy it. 2 huge plusses in my opinion..
I am always going to hate the RAT...
especially since he purchased the team for the wrong reason. For his real estate dream in NY. Nets were merely used as pawn to get what he wanted from NY.
Nets were finally building something special in NJ and the RAT blew it all up.
Yes, we won the division about 4 seasons in a row
Two Finals appearences, the Nets were finally relevent and poised to stay there until The Rat ruined everything.
by Jersey Sports Fan on Jan 26, 2011 10:00 AM EST up reply actions
So relevant
that when Ratner bought the team (AFTER the 2 trips to the finals but BEFORE those last 2 division crowns) they were 2nd to last in attendance. SECOND TO LAST!
Opulence, I has it.
What seasons are you referencing?
In Kidd’s first season attendance started off real low because most fans had given up on the losing nature of the franchise, with the whole Marbury fiasco and Jason Williams leg injury. When we saw what Kidd could do, attendance increased towards the end of the season. Do you remember that, did you attend games that season?
by Jersey Sports Fan on Jan 26, 2011 10:08 AM EST up reply actions
Ratner bought the team in 2004, after their trips to the Finals in 2002 and 2003.
Read the link below. SECOND TO LAST!
Opulence, I has it.
Try this link
Which has actual numbers, not a quote in an article.
Check 2004, not 2nd to last and you put in all caps above and an exclamation point.
What is your agenda J-Sal? You certianly are not providing facts, just opinion and quotes from articles.
by Jersey Sports Fan on Jan 26, 2011 10:12 AM EST up reply actions
We should petition the Nets FO about NOT changing the team name.
Brooklyn Nets sounds FINE to begin with. This is just useless tinkering. Focus on who the players are going to be, and not what the name is. Unfortunately they are entitled to change it if they so choose. So, if they absolutely do have to change the name, it better be something classy and historical to Brooklyn, and not just a buzz word or something tacky or overly extravagant..
attendance went up AFTER Ratner bought the team.
Ratner had NOTHNG to do w/the ridiculously low draws of the late 80s, 90s and early 2000s. Draws got better after he brought in Vince Carter and he never would have been brought in to begin with had NJ supported the team when they had the chance.
Opulence, I has it.
Draws got better when
people in NJ realized the team was good for once, it had nothing to do with Vince Carter-maybe a little. But the crowds came after the Finals appearences which Vince was not on.
Attrendance the past few years has been low because of The Rat, he dismanlted a great teams and made it a laughing stock 12 win team.
by Jersey Sports Fan on Jan 26, 2011 10:02 AM EST up reply actions
It's better to know what you're talking about BEFORE posting.
(again, SECOND TO LAST in attendance when Ratner bought the team and coming off back-to-back trips to the NBA Finals)
Opulence, I has it.
That article is in January
By the end of the season they drew 14,962 per game and not 2nd to last.
What is your point or better, what is your agenda?
by Jersey Sports Fan on Jan 26, 2011 10:10 AM EST up reply actions
EXACTLY!
Attendance went up AFTER Ratner bought the team. Attendance continued to go up during the first 4 seasons of Ratner’s tenure.
My agenda is truth, not the lies that revisionists try spewing.
Opulence, I has it.
You must be related to Ratner
Because no real Nets fan that had been following the team for a long time like myself, would have anything good to say about a man who dismantled a great team for the sole purpose of saving money so he can build a construction project in Brooklyn.
What is your agenda?
by Jersey Sports Fan on Jan 26, 2011 10:15 AM EST up reply actions
Right, I'm a relative.
Great comeback by the way….
Here’s a link for you:
http://espn.go.com/nba/attendance/_/year/2007
Well, look at that! Attendance under Ratner went up from the moment he bought them in 2004. Up again in 2005. Up again in 2006. And then up one final time in 2007! Ain’t facts cool?
(Oh and apologies for ruining your lie that NJ was supporting the team before Ratner came along!)
Opulence, I has it.
Loyal fans hated Ratner
The moment Ratner mentioned he had the intentions to move the team, many who loved the Nets so much started disappearing. I remember signing a petition that I googled and found that a good number of the signers were loyal Nets fans such as myself. At the last game I attended, the moment I heard them mention the Barclays Center and showed it on the scoreboard, I was booing that. I even wrote on the program I had how much he lies about his promises. If Ratner really thinks that those in Brooklyn will make up for the loss of the fan base in NJ, he is clearly mistaken.
by Tal Barzilai on Jan 26, 2011 10:44 PM EST up reply actions
Ratner screwed it up
Declares he’s moving the team for no good reason(other than real estate), forces out a fan favorite, involved with horrible, retarded marketing, etc. When you completely alienate your fanbase it’s not too hard to have poor attendance. Oh, and they still suck. Their roster is actually worse than last year’s.
And I keep hearing that moving another team into Jersey is insane. Well there are several NBA mid-markets who are currently worse off than an NJ market would be.
Attendance is only a portion of revenues generated
The Nets generate more money than many NBA franchises due to the YES Network and being in the NJ/NY area they get higher sponsership dollars.
I know they rent this season, but they are generating better ticket sales and concession sales in the Prudential Center than they did in SwampZod and certianly better than what the Kings, Hornets, Pacers, Grizzlies, Bucks and a few other franchises are generating this season.
by Jersey Sports Fan on Jan 26, 2011 10:05 AM EST reply actions
YES pays the Nets about $10M/year
That’s about 40% what the Islanders get from MSG. Anything else?
Opulence, I has it.
Link with facts please
Your opiions have been slightly off already.
What is your agenda?
by Jersey Sports Fan on Jan 26, 2011 10:13 AM EST up reply actions
so if im gathering this correctly..
while attendence went “up” with ratner the nets were still in the bottom half of the league in attendence.. thats not really a great improvement.. it was also under his guidance to totally dismantle a team that had gone to back to back finals n ultimately turn it into a 12 win squad that was the joke of the nba.. also cost cutting moves like saying good bye to kenyon and rj and hello yi.. the man was an embarrassing owner who knew nothing about basketball
by jerseynets4456 on Jan 26, 2011 11:09 AM EST up reply actions
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