Phillips in-game experience

[Gangstur]

I just wanted to get a feel for other people's feelings towards the game experience at Phillips.

I am a long time Hawks fan and a bit of a traditionalist, but am only 25, so I can't be that traditional. In my recent visits to Phillips (I don't live in atlanta anymore, so they aren't too frequent), I have been completely appalled and turned off by the in-game experience. There's a "drumline," a 3-piece band in a corner, thundersticks all up in my face, speakers constantly blaring noise pollution, a guy screaming JAY-SMOOOOOOOOOVVEEE!!!!! (no matter what the score is), and basically just all kinds of loud crap going on all the time. I've been to other NBA arenas, and it never seems quite as bad as it does in Atlanta. I understand there are no fans in the stands, and they have to pump up the volume somewhat, but it really makes me not want to attend a Hawks game, despite the beautiful arena and my love for the team. It has gotten to the point where if I am home for a few days, I don't even want to go because the experience is horrible (nevermind the product on the floor, that's another discussion for another day).

I was just curious if other true basketball and Hawks fans felt the same, or if I'm just a bitter old man who's time has past because I actually want to discuss the game with the person seated next to me.

[Popeye]

Hmmm.. I usually have a good time.

[DJ_Money]

I'm a Season Ticket holder, but I still enjoy the experience each time.

I think you'll find in all professional sports that the game experience has tried to become more of an entertainment event, to attempt to appeal to a wider audience.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

If you go to other arenas around the league, I think the Philips in-game experience is one of the better in the league. I know it's better than the Grizzlies, Bobcats, Magic and Pacers. Those are the 4 arenas I've been to in the past 2 years.

[ATLJA316]

I love lots of noise, and crazy fans -- it's a big part of sports. It's also one of the reasons every team used to FEAR playing @ Arco Arena (besides the Kings themselves)

USA today (i believe it was them at least) rated the Atlanta Hawks 3rd in the country when it comes to in-game experience.

[Johnnybravo4]

You could always go to Georgia State games. We have no atmosphere inside the Lefty Dome.

[Lascar78]

I think it's great that they've done that. Did you go to games a couple of years ago? Empty arena and stone cold silence that embarasses the team, the crowd and the city. That's why they added a bunch of entertainment to help fill everything out. If we had a packed house of loud fans I would like to see a lot of the noise gone, but until then we need it.

Also I think Ryan Cameron is the best PA guy in the league.

[TexasPete]

I think the experience is good but it is the same every game. I think it would be nice to have a lot of different things going on. I think most would admit it is the mostly the same almost every game.

I'm not complaining but I think it would be great to have some other good stuff during breaks in play.

Overall, I give it a B+.

[Lrenfro]

Yeah I like it also. But I go to a lot of games and I get kinda tired of seeing the same thing over and over again. I like the people walking around giving out free stuff and getting a section loud. I think they need more of them just keeping noise in the arena. To make it at least sound like we have a packed crowd. What I do think we need in conjunction with or instead of the thundersticks is the wavy ballons they used to have. Some more time out shows and halftime showes. Like I said I go to alot of games I can almost predict what is going to happen. But I think the entertainment is for the occasional fan not the full fledge fans. Cause we are there for the game experience anyway.

[Lascar78]

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I think the experience is good but it is the same every game.

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Agreed. And sometimes they have horrible half time shows. If you can't get a really good act, just let kids play ball. Those are the best halftime shows anyhow.

[drzachary]

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I think the experience is good but it is the same every game.

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Agreed. And sometimes they have horrible half time shows. If you can't get a really good act, just let kids play ball. Those are the best halftime shows anyhow.

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The peewee hockey halftime entertainment is the best stuff I've seen to date. I don't think I've seen kids playing basketball at an NBA game yet!

[gsuteke]

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I think the experience is good but it is the same every game.

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Agreed. And sometimes they have horrible half time shows. If you can't get a really good act, just let kids play ball. Those are the best halftime shows anyhow.

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the chinese woman on a 20 foot unicycle flipping rice bowls from her feet to her head at the Cavs game was great, whachu talkin bout Willis?

i was impressed with the Arena. it was clean . i had a great experience at Phillips.... until tipoff.

[drzachary]

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I think the experience is good but it is the same every game.

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Agreed. And sometimes they have horrible half time shows. If you can't get a really good act, just let kids play ball. Those are the best halftime shows anyhow.

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the chinese woman on a 20 foot unicycle flipping rice bowls from her feet to her head at the Cavs game was great, whachu talkin bout Willis?

i was impressed with the Arena. it was clean . i had a great experience at Phillips.... until tipoff.

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Also.. the corndogs there really aren't that good.

[gsuteke]

we ate at a crappy mexican restaurant in Conyers on the way.

the only thing i bought there was coke. i brought the airplane bottles from home.

[gsuteke]

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we ate at a crappy mexican restaurant in Conyers on the way.

the only thing i bought there was coke. i brought the airplane bottles from home.

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I just want to help out my fellow Squawkers. if you've eaten at that Mexican restaurant in Conyers that's on the opposite side of the interstate as the Outback... the one on the left side of the road in a shopping center with a large black gated veranda in front.... if you like that place then you haven't eaten good Mexican. that place didn't even hit the decent mark.

I've eaten there 3 times so that's a large enough sample size for me to form an opinion.

[drzachary]

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we ate at a crappy mexican restaurant in Conyers on the way.

the only thing i bought there was coke. i brought the airplane bottles from home.

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I just want to help out my fellow Squawkers. if you've eaten at that Mexican restaurant in Conyers that's on the opposite side of the interstate as the Outback... the one on the left side of the road in a shopping center with a large black gated veranda in front.... if you like that place then you haven't eaten good Mexican. that place didn't even hit the decent mark.

I've eaten there 3 times so that's a large enough sample size for me to form an opinion.

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I know where to get the best Mexican food in the city.

[macdaddy]

I'm with you. I'm much older than 25 though. I can't stand the constant barage of sound effects. I do like the annoucer though. Of course, I'm the only person in the world who seems to hate Philips.

[drzachary]

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I just wanted to get a feel for other people's feelings towards the game experience at Phillips.

I am a long time Hawks fan and a bit of a traditionalist, but am only 25, so I can't be that traditional. In my recent visits to Phillips (I don't live in atlanta anymore, so they aren't too frequent), I have been completely appalled and turned off by the in-game experience. There's a "drumline," a 3-piece band in a corner, thundersticks all up in my face, speakers constantly blaring noise pollution, a guy screaming JAY-SMOOOOOOOOOVVEEE!!!!! (no matter what the score is), and basically just all kinds of loud crap going on all the time. I've been to other NBA arenas, and it never seems quite as bad as it does in Atlanta. I understand there are no fans in the stands, and they have to pump up the volume somewhat, but it really makes me not want to attend a Hawks game, despite the beautiful arena and my love for the team. It has gotten to the point where if I am home for a few days, I don't even want to go because the experience is horrible (nevermind the product on the floor, that's another discussion for another day).

I was just curious if other true basketball and Hawks fans felt the same, or if I'm just a bitter old man who's time has past because I actually want to discuss the game with the person seated next to me.

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The worst seats in the world have to be the ones in front of the band in the upper deck. Talk about splitting eardrums!

[gsuteke]

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we ate at a crappy mexican restaurant in Conyers on the way.

the only thing i bought there was coke. i brought the airplane bottles from home.

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I just want to help out my fellow Squawkers. if you've eaten at that Mexican restaurant in Conyers that's on the opposite side of the interstate as the Outback... the one on the left side of the road in a shopping center with a large black gated veranda in front.... if you like that place then you haven't eaten good Mexican. that place didn't even hit the decent mark.

I've eaten there 3 times so that's a large enough sample size for me to form an opinion.

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I know where to get the best Mexican food in the city.

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where's that? use interstates as reference points. I am familiar with 2 places in Atlanta. the Indian Creek Marta station and Dunwoody. other than that I'm lost.

[drzachary]

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we ate at a crappy mexican restaurant in Conyers on the way.

the only thing i bought there was coke. i brought the airplane bottles from home.

---

I just want to help out my fellow Squawkers. if you've eaten at that Mexican restaurant in Conyers that's on the opposite side of the interstate as the Outback... the one on the left side of the road in a shopping center with a large black gated veranda in front.... if you like that place then you haven't eaten good Mexican. that place didn't even hit the decent mark.

I've eaten there 3 times so that's a large enough sample size for me to form an opinion.

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I know where to get the best Mexican food in the city.

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where's that? use interstates as reference points. I am familiar with 2 places in Atlanta. the Indian Creek Marta station and Dunwoody. other than that I'm lost.

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Virtually any tacqueria or carniceria on Buford Highway will be great. It's like Mexican street food, and we all know that the best food in the world in any country is purchased from street stalls of ill repute. (This is very true of my experiences in southeast Asia.) If you want a cheese enchilada, you can go to a fairly standard place like El Potro, but if you want the Good Stuff™ like tongue, brains and cheek, you need to hit the carnicerias/tacquerias.

I go up there fairly frequently (Buford Hwy) and I try a different restaurant nearly every time, with a few old familiar standbys for korean BBQ, malaysian food, vietnamese soup, etc.