Frustration with fans

[bruincoach]

I know all the hoop la some of you will say about "years of frustration" But I was/am there too. I don't understand why hawks fans don't fill up the stadium. I understand people can't go to every game ( I live 1 and half hours from Phillips arena and I have attended about 40% of the games in my 7 years of being a season ticket holder). Why can't people just fill the place up? I also don't feel price is "too much of a hinderance" e because upper level seats are 20 for big games and 5 or 10 for lesser games. Gas sucks but we drive every where elseThe crowd tonight was awful. Like they were only excited when deandre and griffin were dunking early then the hawks started running away and I swear it was like a very disappointed feeling across the building. I have a question. How many games do YOU attend each year? Especially the very critical hawks fans. Diesel? Others?

[EazyRoc]

About 3 or 4.

[Peoriabird]

I live in Peoria IL

[buckeye242424]

I live in Columbus, Ohio. I get your point, our crowds should be better. Kinda funny though, you have season tickets, but get to less than half the games. Isn't that the problem?

[ag82]

I drive to the game in Portland every year. That's a long pricey trek to a game. Definitely makes me frustrated that locals don't go.

[macdaddy]

The crowds for these games drive me nuts. I only attend a handful but you forget for those of us who have a family its $20 (although i usually purchase better tix) times 3 or 4, plus $15 to park, plus about $30 for dinner and what not. Before its done you've dropped anywhere from $120-$250. That's a lot.My son and i went to the magic game and managed to do it for about $80 for the two of us. But monday night against the magic gives you some cheap scalper options.

[yardbird]

I've attended 75% of games over the past 4 years as a season ticket holder. Crowd support actually wasn't bad last night, though there were the usual star-chasers (to see CP3 and Blake) on hand. Who'd of thought the Clippers could instantly develop a national following? Only in the ATL. It is an expensive outing, both in money and time. I'm sure many fans end up watching from the comfort of home, as I do when I can't make it due to scheduling or when I'd rather be with the family since my 9-year old can't go on school nights (he was there last night, though!).

[coachx]

I normally go to 5 - 7 Hawks games a year. Now that I have a little girl it will probably be 3 or 4. Who wants to pay $20 to sit in the upperdeck. They would have to pay me to sit there. When I do go I want good deats. I'd rather go to 3 or 4 games a year and have good seats then 20 games while sitting in the upperdeck.You know basketball plays 2nd or 3rd fiddle to football in Georgia and in most parts of the country except for maybe Indiana, Kentucky, Kansas, and North Carolina.............and in those states they are college fans more then NBA fans. Even the Celtcs play 2nd fiddle to the Patriots. LA is the only town I know of where basketball is king.Other then the Hawks game..........there was this thing called the UGA / GT game yesterdsay. Its been gong on for over 115 years now. 93,000 sports fans were in attendance in Athens, Ga. Last night most sports fans cared more for the Carolina / Clemson and Notre Dame / USC football games then an early season NBA game. Not to mention the 3:30 FL/FSU game. I the South college football is king.That is the reality of the situation.This is UGA's first chance of controlling their own destiny to a national title since 1980 - 82. That takes precedent over the Hawks early seasnon games my friends. I'm a die hard Hawks fan but I'm a Dawg first.SECCG next week in Atlanta baby ! Of course the Hawks will play 2nd fiddle to that too.

Edited November 25, 2012 by coachx

[AnthonyI11]

I probably go to about 10 a year, but when we make the playoffs I have been to every home game in every series since 2008. I make time for my hawks :)

[cam1218]

I agree, attendance is an issue for ALL Atlanta teams. I think traffic and transportation to the stadium/arenas have a lot to do with it. Marta only goes to certain spots, and people in the suburbs don't feel like making the trip down to Atlanta to fight traffic and pay for parking. As for me, I used to go to 5-10 a year, but I don't live in Atlanta anymore.Does anybody here use Stubhub to get their tickets? Last week they had tickets for the weekday games starting around 1.50. If you get the tickets that have electronic delivery you make out very nicely. They even had seats in the 200s for around 5 dollars. I always got my tickets there, much cheaper and they make the game very affordable. You can also stop in the CNN Center for food or beer before the game and save some more money.

[PSSSHHHRRR87]

As with everyone else, I don't live in Atlanta, but I do try to catch a game in Memphis and a game in Atlanta every year. I actually live about 4 1/2 hours away in Mississippi... I go to a few Griz games though... Love my Hawks though!

[phoostal]

I go to both of the games here in Orlando every year and drop money on the league pass each year as well

[Wretch]

The reason people don't come out to see the Hawks is simple - there is no draw. There is nothing to pull the people to the arena. This isn't anything new or unique to Atlanta. It's everywhere. Look at Sacramento's attendance numbers since their title contention...they're at the bottom of the stack. Look at the numbers during the height of their reign. You can take just about any team (New York and Los Angeles excluded) and you will see the same thing. You have to put a winner on the court.

Reason being...casual fans. People like you and I will always go to the games. I live 100+ miles south of Atlanta and I go to a couple every year. I pick the lamest teams to go see (usually Milwaukee and Toronto) on weekdays (Mon-Thur). I come out to see my team, not who they play and that won't change regardless of how much they win or who they put on the court. I gather that's the same for most of you too. The thing is, casual fans have no reason to come see this team...even if it's winning. Why?

Well, when you put out a team...year after year that cannot get past the 2nd round, you condition your fan base to accept that the team is mediocre. People expect that no matter what our record is, we are still going to lose. Ask around what people think of the club (I have. Many times.) The reaction is the same, "The Hawks? Pffff...they ain't gonna do nothing. They never do."

Another issue is star power. I know that rubs some of you like sandpaper, but the truth is the truth. Casual fans don't follow Ashton Kutcher...er...I mean Kyle Korver. They don't care about Jeff Teague or Al Horford. They don't care about Kyrie Irving, OJ Mayo, or Al Jefferson. They're not coming to see those guys play. Not here. They come to see a dominant personality. The kind that other teams fear and the kind that people TALK about. Hell, I know people who have no interest in basketball that will pile up on buses and travel 100 miles up to Atlanta to see certain teams when they show up. Put that sort of team in a Hawks uniform and you will change the culture.

People want to see the best take on the best. It builds up anticipation and excitement. The Hawks have failed to put a dominant team on the court and they have failed to put a personality on the court. They have done this for about 20 years now. Sadly, this franchise has conditioned it's potential fanbase not to care. This history of mediocrity is unique here in one aspect though...

Other teams when they fall...Boston, Utah, Chicago, Portland...it's different. Because the minute that a young and promising team makes the playoffs for them, their fans expect to see something. They've been there. We put a young and promising team on the court? What do our fans expect?

[EazyRoc]

You can get 100 level seats for $5 for those you who might want to take their family to see the Hawks play the Bobcats

[lethalweapon3]

I do 8 per season (just 6 last season because of the shortened lockout season), and always try to catch one SE Division opponent per year. Would love to do more but I'd rather save up for the playoffs!

~lw3

Edited November 25, 2012 by lethalweapon3

[macdaddy]

You can get 100 level seats for $5 for those you who might want to take their family to see the Hawks play the Bobcats

Where can you get those? I looked for those deals for the Magic game and couldn't find them. FYI i ended up haggling with scalpers for so long that one of them produced club side tix with $20 cash value on each ticket. I got them for $35 each. All our concessions and one hawks cap paid for. It was the best deal i've gotten by far.

[EazyRoc]

Stubhub.com

[MQDnATL01]

I go to more then Half the home games and I plan my time off from my job to go to Orlando to see them play since i have family in Jacksonville. Tix are very cheap if you dont have season Tix. If you think last night was bad then go to a game on a weekday. I dont know many Hawks fans but 1 other person and I would love to meet some of you guys in person at Philips sometime, maybe have a beer at RED inside the arena and talk hawks. I'll be in Philips all through this homestand. We can show em there are real hawks fans in ATL. Go Hawks!

[warcore]

I was at the game last night as well and I agree, the crowd was pathetic. It made the game boring. I guess it's partly due to the fact that it wasn't a close game for the majority of the time.

[coachx]

I agree, attendance is an issue for ALL Atlanta teams. I think traffic and transportation to the stadium/arenas have a lot to do with it. Marta only goes to certain spots, and people in the suburbs don't feel like making the trip down to Atlanta to fight traffic and pay for parking. As for me, I used to go to 5-10 a year, but I don't live in Atlanta anymore. Does anybody here use Stubhub to get their tickets? Last week they had tickets for the weekday games starting around 1.50. If you get the tickets that have electronic delivery you make out very nicely. They even had seats in the 200s for around 5 dollars. I always got my tickets there, much cheaper and they make the game very affordable. You can also stop in the CNN Center for food or beer before the game and save some more money.

Yes................I only pay face value for playoff tix.