Why don't our fans care like Toronto's?

[NBASupes]

We had a better season last year.

They vote their players into the All Star game to start. Zaza had more votes than our entire team.

Can anyone tell me why?

[Lurker]

People just aren't as interested in pro sports in the southeast as they are in other areas of the United States and as it is, basketball is the third most popular sport in the southeast.

People in the southeast get passionate about sports, but you have to check a college football game to see the constant passion in games that are close enough that Raptors fans give for their team.

Edited May 28, 2016 by Lurker

[benhillboy]

They have an entire country behind them, I would guess 85-90% of their crowd are Canadian.  Maybe 15% of Hawk crowds are Atlantans, just my  crude estimate.  They're 10 years less removed from their franchise's best player, too.

Georgia sports fans look around and just feel like "f$&k it."  Can you imagine if this already rapidly-growing region won half as many major college or pro championships as Florida has in my lifetime?  I count about 13 to 1.  Pitiful.

[NBASupes]

4 hours ago, benhillboy said:

They have an entire country behind them, I would guess 85-90% of their crowd are Canadian.  Maybe 15% of Hawk crowds are Atlantans, just my  crude estimate.  They're 10 years less removed from their franchise's best player, too.

Georgia sports fans look around and just feel like "f$&k it."  Can you imagine if this already rapidly-growing region won half as many major college or pro championships as Florida has in my lifetime?  I count about 13 to 1.  Pitiful.

The country could be behind them but most of the fans live in Toronto or greater Toronto. 

[RedDawg#8]

The hype train for the Raptors is fairly new and didn't just happen overnight. Back when they were winning with Bosh as their franchise player it wasn't as en vogue to be a Raptors fan despite being relatively competitive but now the city and country are a cultural hotbed putting out some of the most popular artists who in turn back the teams success which creates a huge emotional connection and energy to a team that was an after thought after Vincsanity left town. Not to mention this is the best era of basketball that franchise has played since their biggest superstar left town. They are like the 90s post Dominique Hawks in that regard. Their fans can see them going in the right direction with a legit identity , feel the energy of the players playing with heart and competing hard in the postseason and playing with a edge that personifies the countries hunger for a champion. There is a buzz around the city and the Raptors are jist the it team in their country. If they have 2 more years of not reaching the finals watch the excitement start to fade away as they are ultimately as fickle towards the NBA as our fans are.  They just have 20 years of disappointment compared to our 50

[volman]

Our fan base is growing, but still pitiful.  We are 15 years of consistent winning from being there.

Unless, somehow, we get a superstar.  

[NBASupes]

37 minutes ago, volman said:

Our fan base is growing, but still pitiful.  We are 15 years of consistent winning from being there.

Unless, somehow, we get a superstar.  

Last year was great, it seem like a lot of fans brought in but year, it's almost back to normal which isn't a lot.

[skimaskway23]

Personality. Something only Dennis really brings. We need guys with a certain attitude the city can embrace, like Roddy white's personal.  I wish Teague had Lowry's intensity because he's more talented. We just got a bunch of chill even keel players and this city has a short attention span for those kinds of players. 

[gonzo]

atlanta really doesnt deserve a team. I am sorry to say so, since all the people on this board are very nice, but a 5th league german soccer team has way better support. Maybe Atlanta is too pretty and people got too much other stuff to spend their time on. Most guys claim this implant theory, but i really cant believe this. I think ferry was right with what he said, if he had only not specified blacks, but ALL southerners. I mean seriously I remember when the heat were shit noone cared. noone cares for the magic, bobcats or any of these teams(pelicans). The american fan seems to have adhs (dunno if thats the correct short form for attention deficite...) People seem to only hang their flag outside if the wind is blowing in the right direction. This team actually is packed not only with good players but also good guys, but somehow noone can embrace them. I would let al horford handle my child for an afternoon rather than lebron. Just saying winning seems to be everything here... Its the wrong mentality IMO but its just the way it is.  @skimaskway23 ye dennis has a lot of personality but the others do too. I really have to say whenever horford or millsap step infront of a mic, i know i am hearing pretty humble reflecting guys and not this ghetto cool boy stuff that most of the others throw up.

But dont get mad if it will be the berlin hawks, the london magic or the madrid bobcats one day. Those teams are franchises that life from money of the rhichest of the rhich and sooner or later teams will expand in markets that are appretiating (especially financially) the entertainment.

 

[benhillboy]

2 hours ago, NBASupes said:

Last year was great, it seem like a lot of fans brought in but year, it's almost back to normal which isn't a lot.

A lot of those bandwagoners were looking for a sexy roster addition between last year's deadline and this one.  There weren't even rumors of it happening.  Combined with the team's (Kyle's) poor start, they just lost interest.  

After back-to-back playoff sweeps to the same damn team and most likely a maintenance of the current core, expect the attendance to plummet a little more.

Edited May 28, 2016 by benhillboy

[Trout7]

It is amazing how much louder the other playoff teams home courts get than the Hawks.

[gonzo]

vor 10 Minuten, Trout7 sagte:

It is amazing how much louder the other playoff teams home courts get than the Hawks.

i wonder if players recognize this. I mean i would prefer playing on euro team with good fans and make a million less a year than being the entertainment for retirement home people

 

[Thomas]

1 hour ago, gonzo said:

i wonder if players recognize this. I mean i would prefer playing on euro team with good fans and make a million less a year than being the entertainment for retirement home people

 

Yeah Gonzo, I think players have realized this for over a decade or more. Major free agents just don't mark us down as a first option for them. Ferry gave us a nice positive shift with the signing of  Sap and DMC but other FAs are still probably very aware that there is not a consistent boom from the crowd in our arena. 

[benhillboy]

I usually yell during most of the game when I go.  Juxtaposed with the 200 people in the same section who are mute until the fourth quarter.  The same fans who routinely and fashionably showed up 5-10 minutes late for the start of Falcons games  in the midst of a crazy home winning record.  Atlanta fans are awful.

Edited May 28, 2016 by benhillboy

[gonzo]

please tell me if i am wrong, but i dont think sap or dmc were highly recruted (sap more, dmc less). It all speaks for atlanta being a terrible place for a nba franchise.  I have to admit i didnt like my time in the south either, but ffs it cant be that bad can it? I feel for all the die hard fans especially on this board, but somehow the feeling hardens for me that basketball shouldnt be played here. I mean I love nba basketball, but even in some euro leagues that i dont even know the atmosphere is better, and basketball is problably a tier 3 sport there. If given an close to equal talent lvl in players any euro team would whipe out nba teams just bc of the atmosphere.

My high school coach played a couple of years in france and other places in europe and told me he never got over the fans for being so terrible and loud. I have another thing i am actually trying to proof right now about american fans, and people all together but i need to proove it a little more before i present it to you and let you shred me to pieces:D I have to say the folks i met here are awesome fans and i really enjoy my contact with them, but i know 90% of them would cry if they ever entered a german soccer stadium once. Its just no comparison.

[gonzo]

vor 3 Minuten, benhillboy sagte:

I usually yell during most of the game when I go.  Juxtaposed with the 200 people in the same section who are mute until the fourth quarter.  The same fans who routinely and fashionably showed up 5-10 minutes late for the start of Falcons games  in the midst of a crazy home winning record.  Atlanta fans are awful.

I really doubt its altanta fans. I think its mostly americans. Have the usa ever won anything that they havent created? all the sports that matter that they are good in are selfcreated. Basketball american sport rest, of the world is starting to get out of its child boots. football: there are no national teams bc the sport is nonsense. If you let your child play it your desperate for money or a retard. no other reason. If you want though sport its rugby. But the usa are not elite in that yet. Baseball? Noone in europe cares and ever will. Play cricket: its problably just as bad but you got competition. (we germans dont care for cricket)

I think americans only want winners. We appreciate losers aswell.  But americans are not shy of setting double standard if it comes to foreigners, all of a sudden winning doesnt count as much. Its really weird. For example the discussion of the best pf of all time: tim duncan is nr1. whoever nr.2 is i dont care but karl malone can never ever be ahead of dirk. dirk f***ing won his title he never grouped up like a w****e. Dirk did it with grace and honour. But all of a sudden rings dont count. Those are the things were americans lose us europeans, that try to discuss on a normal lvl with you. And this is not meant against any of you guys, its just in general.

My soccer team got relegated this year to the 2nd division and the atmosphere is still better than in cleveland....

[NBASupes]

Gonzo, Atlanta is a great city, especially for African Americans and Blacks in general which most NBA players are. But like most Blacks, the loyalty to local teams is low unless they have a player they really like. White ppl in this area are bigger fans or college Football and the Baseball team.  So for the Hawks, they have to generate interest with cool promotion, rappers which always generate sell outs and good entertainment when the game is on break. 

But the passion needs to improve. It's that simple. Toronto fans have just as much as us but we are literally half as excited and half the locals be rocking their local teams Jersey at the games like the Bulls or Lakers or a superstar team like OKC or Lebron. 

[Hawkmoor]

Maybe getting swept back to back playoffs got something to do with it.  You think they dont care now, wait till the Hawks try and sell them Horford and Baze as their big off season acquisitions..........lmao

 

 

Edited May 29, 2016 by Hawkmoor

[gonzo]

vor 30 Minuten, NBASupes sagte:

Gonzo, Atlanta is a great city, especially for African Americans and Blacks in general which most NBA players are. But like most Blacks, the loyalty to local teams is low unless they have a player they really like. White ppl in this area are bigger fans or college Football and the Baseball team.  So for the Hawks, they have to generate interest with cool promotion, rappers which always generate sell outs and good entertainment when the game is on break. 

But the passion needs to improve. It's that simple. Toronto fans have just as much as us but we are literally half as excited and half the locals be rocking their local teams Jersey at the games like the Bulls or Lakers or a superstar team like OKC or Lebron. 

thanks for explaining this to me nbasupes. Its really hard for euros to understand differences. When i came to south carlina i was a national rugby player and i went to high school in the usa bc i knew i wont blow a carrer bc we germans suck in rugby anyways. I was the only white folk on the hs basketball team and i only got picked bc my teammates thought it was funny to have a white guy that talks funny on the team. But i had even as a player that almost never played more heart than all the americans. (i take great pride in this) I was not allowed to ride with a bycicle to practise, so i got dropped off at 6a.m. in the morning, slept in front of the gym and got picked up at around 4 p.m. This basketball team really was my life (for that one year) and i still got cussed out for being terrible. (which i was)

Although i personaly hated the south as i saw it, i loved the people. But i dont really understand how a city can be better for blacks than for whites. I mean yeah, blacks need more barber shops and white folks need more boring places (dunno just tried to be funny:D) But its totally wrong to create interest with these hip hop folks. I think it was home opener last season and that tier 3 rapper used words like motherf...... I was so blown away how that can happen in a professional enviroment. In europe those words are okay, but only bc we dont understand them. In america especially the south (as faar as i learned) that is not only a no go, that is the worst sin you pretty much can do. (my host family were baptist)

That tinder stuff was hilarious and smart, but these rappers using bad words really cant be in a basketball arena. I mean people like to take their kids to the games and your kids will understand strong language... I feel that its sad, but basketball appears to be a tier 3 sport in the south. I feel (without knowing anything) dennis and all the internationals will feel that, too and will always leave the teams. Dirk renounced on sooo much money, almost no american will ever do that, but why did he do so? not because dallas is great, but he felt appreciated in dallas. American players will hardly ever get as attached to a new home as euros will. The easist way to build a team is with euros cuz if they get accustomed to a place, they are way more reluctant to leave. (this is not meant as bashing for american players, its more showing how much euros appreciate a home from home)

[NBASupes]

1 hour ago, gonzo said:

thanks for explaining this to me nbasupes. Its really hard for euros to understand differences. When i came to south carlina i was a national rugby player and i went to high school in the usa bc i knew i wont blow a carrer bc we germans suck in rugby anyways. I was the only white folk on the hs basketball team and i only got picked bc my teammates thought it was funny to have a white guy that talks funny on the team. But i had even as a player that almost never played more heart than all the americans. (i take great pride in this) I was not allowed to ride with a bycicle to practise, so i got dropped off at 6a.m. in the morning, slept in front of the gym and got picked up at around 4 p.m. This basketball team really was my life (for that one year) and i still got cussed out for being terrible. (which i was)

Although i personaly hated the south as i saw it, i loved the people. But i dont really understand how a city can be better for blacks than for whites. I mean yeah, blacks need more barber shops and white folks need more boring places (dunno just tried to be funny:D) But its totally wrong to create interest with these hip hop folks. I think it was home opener last season and that tier 3 rapper used words like motherf...... I was so blown away how that can happen in a professional enviroment. In europe those words are okay, but only bc we dont understand them. In america especially the south (as faar as i learned) that is not only a no go, that is the worst sin you pretty much can do. (my host family were baptist)

That tinder stuff was hilarious and smart, but these rappers using bad words really cant be in a basketball arena. I mean people like to take their kids to the games and your kids will understand strong language... I feel that its sad, but basketball appears to be a tier 3 sport in the south. I feel (without knowing anything) dennis and all the internationals will feel that, too and will always leave the teams. Dirk renounced on sooo much money, almost no american will ever do that, but why did he do so? not because dallas is great, but he felt appreciated in dallas. American players will hardly ever get as attached to a new home as euros will. The easist way to build a team is with euros cuz if they get accustomed to a place, they are way more reluctant to leave. (this is not meant as bashing for american players, its more showing how much euros appreciate a home from home)

I didn't say better for Blacks than whites, that's no American city ever or at least since Moors lost v. The Portuguese and the Catholics  in the 1400s.

Edited May 29, 2016 by NBASupes