NBA Players Think OKC is Boring...boo hoo

[king183]

I have heard from "a very reliable source" that a few of our NBA players have been bad-mouthing OKC as "boring" and "too quiet." Now, I'm not too offended by this because, let's face it, each person has a different taste for what they like and NBA players are just the same as everyone else. Some players will love the quiet and laid-back lifestyle, while some won't, so it's inevitable we're going to have some players bored while others enjoy the change of pace from the bigger cities. There are two issues, though:

1) I don't think OKC is really that boring. If you're expecting a 24 hour club scene like NYC, then sure it is. But I also don't like our players talking crap about the city to other people, thereby feeding the false generalizations and stereotypes about the state.

2) What improvements can we make to OKC to make this a more entertaining for people of the "celebrity" type? Of course, we shouldn't ever try to change an entire city based on a single, narrow demographic. But we can make smaller improvements in certain sections of the city that provide the type of entertainment these people are looking for. We can improve Bricktown, open more clubs (not enough people to go to them, though?), open more restaurants, etc. This, however, seems like it's something that will naturally occur over time and it's not a problem we can "fix."

[Steve]

You know what - they're getting paid millions of dollars and I'll bet you they get over it. I just wonder at what point do we quit worrying about what others think of us, and instead focus on what we want in a city.

[SoonerDave]

If the worst thing that can be said about OKC is that some NBA players think its boring, I'm not too worried.

[circled9]

I have lived in NYC, LA, SF, New Orleans and DC but picked OKC to retire in.

I also dont find OKC to be that boring. We have a great library, art museum, golf courses, activities on the river, access to who knows how many Indian Casinos, and we are a short drive to two major NCAA Sporting Venues.

We also have several service organizations (rotary, lions, kiwanis), many Churches, and many neighborhood organizations.

If it takes a fast and loose lifestyle to make these celebrities happy, maybe we should concentrate a little more on character issues in our future drafts or other player acquisitions. However, when I did live in larger cities, it seemed as if the "celebrities" always wanted their privacy. Not sure how they can have privacy and nonstop entertainment venues at the same time.

It sure would be nice to know who is complaining. Hope it was not any of our top four (durant, green, westbrook, hardin) draft choices.

[Midtowner]

I actually might be worried if some of those guys thought this place was exciting.

[betts]

On the other hand, if you look at the demographic here, what's the message? Oklahoma City is boring for young adults between 20 and 30? I think some people would tell you "yes". I actually think that's a significant issue. That's an age group which is deciding where to seek jobs after graduation, and ultimately where to settle and raise a family. Ironically, having an NBA team is one of the things that will appeal to people in this age group who don't happen to be doing the entertaining. My older children all left, pretty much for that reason. What would they like to see? More clubs, not just in Bricktown, but around the city center. Better shopping. They're both girls, and this is a key issue. We cannot compete with other cities for non-department store shopping options at this point in time. I remember Russell Westbrook, on one of his radio spots, said that in his free time he goes to the mall. We don't really have a lot of the middle to high end chains in our malls. More professional sports....hard to change that one.

Again, growing the city itself, making our downtown a vibrant, exciting place in which to live and/or recreate, is a key factor to reversing the post college brain drain we've been experiencing as long as I've lived here. It's definitely getting better, and I do know a fair number of young people who are now deciding to stay, but not enough to generate as many clubs, restaurants, retail and leisure time activities to appeal to this age group across the board.

[Pete]

Pro athletes have been saying things like that about virtually every city other than L.A. and New York... It's been going on for decades.

Basketball is a little different, though, in that it is mainly an urban game and lots of the players come from big cities.

Regardless, the reality is that most these guys only spend a few years on any one team and I doubt few of them get connected to any town.

[Pete]

making our downtown a vibrant, exciting place in which to live and/or recreate, is a key factor to reversing the post college brain drain we've been experiencing as long as I've lived here.

This is very true... Although a lot of attention is given attracting the 'creative class' the bottom line is that lots (if not most) that graduate from the bigger local colleges leave; if not immediately, not long after graduation.

I graduated from OU in 1982 and stay in touch with a bunch of my college friends, and very few still live in Oklahoma. A few have returned now that things are a bit better but I think the large majority would never left if there was a more dynamic job market and just a more exciting environment for the 20- and 30-somethings.

[soonerguru]

I have lived in NYC, LA, SF, New Orleans and DC but picked OKC to retire in.

I also dont find OKC to be that boring. We have a great library, art museum, golf courses, activities on the river, access to who knows how many Indian Casinos, and we are a short drive to two major NCAA Sporting Venues.

We also have several service organizations (rotary, lions, kiwanis), many Churches, and many neighborhood organizations.

If it takes a fast and loose lifestyle to make these celebrities happy, maybe we should concentrate a little more on character issues in our future drafts or other player acquisitions. However, when I did live in larger cities, it seemed as if the "celebrities" always wanted their privacy. Not sure how they can have privacy and nonstop entertainment venues at the same time.

It sure would be nice to know who is complaining. Hope it was not any of our top four (durant, green, westbrook, hardin) draft choices.

News flash: having an abundance of chuches is not considered an asset to many people. And NBA coaches draft to win, not to recruit for the local church choir.

Instead of being defensive about it, let's acknowledge the fact that this city has a ways to go in the dining and entertainment area to join the big league city list.

Steve, we're not shooting to be Omaha. A little criticism is fair and warranted.

We lose a lot of our citizens and natives to more exciting cities. That is why we are trying to pass things like MAPS.

We don't even have an upscale grocery in our city. Think about that!

OKC is cool but we have a ways to go.

[BDP]

I just wonder at what point do we quit worrying about what others think of us, and instead focus on what we want in a city.

Ummm, what if what we want is precisely for it to be more exciting?

I actually might be worried if some of those guys thought this place was exciting.

Ha. So true.

[metro]

2) What improvements can we make to OKC to make this a more entertaining for people of the "celebrity" type? Of course, we shouldn't ever try to change an entire city based on a single, narrow demographic. But we can make smaller improvements in certain sections of the city that provide the type of entertainment these people are looking for. We can improve Bricktown, open more clubs (not enough people to go to them, though?), open more restaurants, etc. This, however, seems like it's something that will naturally occur over time and it's not a problem we can "fix."

Pass things like MAPS 3 that drastically and exponentially improve the quality of life in our City, so we can halfway compare to other major cities that have more amenities.

[Pete]

What is often lost in these types of discussions is that having a lively, hip and somewhat dense urban core is not mutually exclusive to what so many love about OKC right now: The low cost of living, nice suburbs, churches and community, etc.

We have plenty of all the stuff just listed... But we don't have ONE truly urban area -- at least not one that has been fully developed.

Until we do, these criticisms will resonate with a lot more than just pro athletes.

[Hawk405359]

It is something we should be take seriously for precisely the reasons stated before, these men are part of the young crowd that have left this state. Being dismissive or defensive about it doesnt' help, we need to look at why they are saying it and see if there's something we can do about it.

Pete is right, people have been saying that about every city that's not LA and NY for decades, but I don't think it does any good to be dismissing of it all.

[metro]

On the other hand, if you look at the demographic here, what's the message? Oklahoma City is boring for young adults between 20 and 30? I think some people would tell you "yes". I actually think that's a significant issue. That's an age group which is deciding where to seek jobs after graduation, and ultimately where to settle and raise a family. Ironically, having an NBA team is one of the things that will appeal to people in this age group who don't happen to be doing the entertaining. My older children all left, pretty much for that reason. What would they like to see? More clubs, not just in Bricktown, but around the city center. Better shopping. They're both girls, and this is a key issue. We cannot compete with other cities for non-department store shopping options at this point in time. I remember Russell Westbrook, on one of his radio spots, said that in his free time he goes to the mall. We don't really have a lot of the middle to high end chains in our malls. More professional sports....hard to change that one.

Again, growing the city itself, making our downtown a vibrant, exciting place in which to live and/or recreate, is a key factor to reversing the post college brain drain we've been experiencing as long as I've lived here. It's definitely getting better, and I do know a fair number of young people who are now deciding to stay, but not enough to generate as many clubs, restaurants, retail and leisure time activities to appeal to this age group across the board.

Exactly. As much as I'm a big cheerleader for our City, and it's an exciting TIME to live in our City, we are NOT an exciting CITY. The quality of life issue still has leaps and bounds improved, but we are still light years behind other cities, let alone to be on the same level as cities the same size, or sadly even smaller, then there's the fact that we're trying to shoot ahead of peer markets. As a now 30 yr old, formerly twentysomething until this last month, there is a LOT lacking in our City that I would like to see, and frankly if I was single, I would move. As betts said, we need wayyy more shopping options, more vibrant and active downtown, public transit, several corridors of hustle and bustle with lots of activity, more large employers, an upscale grocery, etc. We can't even compete with a suburb of Dallas, or even cities like Wichita or Omaha on some levels. We still have a longggggg way to go. Despite all this, I still call the place home and will be raising my family here for the indefinite future, but sure am proud of our progress and our forward thinking. For us future generations and our future kids and grandkids, please don't iron wall things like MAPS 3, as we may see the brain drain increase again, and make people like myself think twice about living here. Believe it or not, but if MAPS3 fails, I guarantee you we will have lots of the younger generation packing bags for greener pastures again. Let's continue the momentum and make our own green pasture!

[PennyQuilts]

2) What improvements can we make to OKC to make this a more entertaining for people of the "celebrity" type?

I'm thinking truck in some hookers and blow.

[OKCMallen]

OKC is boring by their standards. Who cares?

[Richard at Remax]

Its not like they live here full time. 4-5 months off in summer to go whereever. 6-7 months here, half of which is spent on the road. I don't know about a lot of people but when I go visit bigger cities where it's more exciting and not quiet, I welcome the quietness and laidbackneed (if that's even a word) when I come back home.

[mugofbeer]

So OKC is boring? Hopefully, then, we won't be the host city to a Plaxico Burris incident or a Darrent Williams murder or a Jasper Howard murder (UCONN player). I hope there are enough places for athletes to blow off some steam so the Jeff Reed's (Steelers kicker) don't go around vandalizing property. The only thing we will have to worry about is someone starts to make their own "excitement" and we have another Michael Vick dogfighting case or something.

[Kerry]

I have heard from "a very reliable source" that a few of our NBA players have been bad-mouthing OKC as "boring" and "too quiet."

That is an improvement because 5 years ago most NBA players were saying, "Where is OKC?"

[okcpulse]

Okay, here is my take. A lot of people that come to Oklahoma City say it’s boring compared to other cities. Very well. I can’t argue with them. But here is my problem. There are no suggestions for improvements, no suggestions for amenities we are missing, and absolutely no insight from the person complaining about what other cities offer to meet their needs that we do not have.

What amenities do you want to see in OKC? What stores? What types of clubs? I mean, we can hammer on OKC all day for a lack of amenities, but I can tell you it is not altogether Oklahoma City’s fault. There are stores than can compete in OKC but just flat out won’t for some reason or another that I don’t buy, such as Whole Foods and Costco Warehouse.

But seriously, lay out the details. What is it you want to see in OKC?

[jc4455]

Pass things like MAPS 3 that drastically and exponentially improve the quality of life in our City, so we can halfway compare to other major cities that have more amenities.

Believe it or not, but if MAPS3 fails, I guarantee you we will have lots of the younger generation packing bags for greener pastures again. Let's continue the momentum and make our own green pasture!

Really?

Frankly, I'm getting a little sick of all this doom-and-gloom associated with MAPS3 not passing.

About an hour ago I emailed the 28 20-somethings I work with with one question: "If MAPS3 doesn't pass, will you move or consider moving out of OKC"

All but 3 of them replied back with "what the [blank] is MAPS3?"

The 3 who did reply all basically said they were voting No because they don't live in the Downtown area.

Is there something in MAPS3 that is specifically geared towards keeping or drawing 20-30 year olds to OKC?

Personally, I don't see a Trolley system as drawing them here as the people I work with couldn't give a crap about it, it has zero impact on their lives. Same with a Senior Citizen Aquatic center.

I've looked at the list of projects and quite frankly don't see anything of interest on it for my age demographic. I think the Trolley idea is neat, but if it is going to consume a lane of traffic it will be yet another reason for me to not go DT. If I want to go whitewater kayaking, I'll go to Alaska, Penn or CA and not risk catching e coli in a "pretend" whitewater facility.

And while a park is always nice, this is OKLAHOMA. If I or anyone else my age really wants to enjoy the outdoors and beauty of Oklahoma, we'll go see Oklahoma in its natural glory. I know the guys in my group who hunt or fish have almost no complaints about Oklahoma, why doesn't the tourism board promote that aspect of the State?

I know one thing that could be done that would probably keep the 20-30 age crowd in OKC, or atleast keep them here on the weekends a little more. Plus it wouldn't cost $700 million to implement: repeal the antiquated liquor laws.

[mugofbeer]

Really?

Frankly, I'm getting a little sick of all this doom-and-gloom associated with MAPS3 not passing.

About an hour ago I emailed the 28 20-somethings I work with with one question: "If MAPS3 doesn't pass, will you move or consider moving out of OKC"

All but 3 of them replied back with "what the [blank] is MAPS3?"

The 3 who did reply all basically said they were voting No because they don't live in the Downtown area.

Is there something in MAPS3 that is specifically geared towards keeping or drawing 20-30 year olds to OKC?

Personally, I don't see a Trolley system as drawing them here as the people I work with couldn't give a crap about it, it has zero impact on their lives. Same with a Senior Citizen Aquatic center.

I've looked at the list of projects and quite frankly don't see anything of interest on it for my age demographic. I think the Trolley idea is neat, but if it is going to consume a lane of traffic it will be yet another reason for me to not go DT. If I want to go whitewater kayaking, I'll go to Alaska, Penn or CA and not risk catching e coli in a "pretend" whitewater facility.

And while a park is always nice, this is OKLAHOMA. If I or anyone else my age really wants to enjoy the outdoors and beauty of Oklahoma, we'll go see Oklahoma in its natural glory. I know the guys in my group who hunt or fish have almost no complaints about Oklahoma, why doesn't the tourism board promote that aspect of the State?

I know one thing that could be done that would probably keep the 20-30 age crowd in OKC, or atleast keep them here on the weekends a little more. Plus it wouldn't cost $700 million to implement: repeal the antiquated liquor laws.

jc, I understand some of what you are saying however, you aren't looking past your nose. I would imagine you and your 20-something co-workers probably spend a decent amount of time partying in Bricktown. If MAPS hadn't passed, do you think there would be a Bricktown of any consequence?

MAPS3 may not contain anything you directly might use today, but MAPS3 is an investment today for something you (or certainly some of your co-workers)WILL use some day.

If MAPS3 passed today, few of the projects would be completed in 3 years. By that time, some of you 20-somethings will be 30-somethings and getting married and having kids. A large central park, if done right, would be a wonderful focal point to go to on nice weekends. That nice new convention center would be a great place for you to get all domestic and go see the spring home improvement and gardening shows or the Great American Beer festival.

I am not trying to insult you or your age group but some things in life don't give you immediate gratification. As you age, you will see that some investments won't pay off for 25 or even 50 years. This is one of those types of things. OKC wasn't lucky to be built next to the ocean, a large river, a large lake, mountains or a great forest. OKC has to create out of nothing virtually everything we have. The city wasn't laid out for beautification, either, so there are times money needs to be spent to take an area such as the Core-to-Shore area and re-create it.

Few cities have had even fewer opportunities to transform such a large area of the central city in the way OKC is proposing. It won't happen overnight, but, like with MAPS, there is a point where private developers take over from the foundation laid by a public plan (such as MAPS3) and will create things you will be glad you had the foresight to envision 10,20 or 30 years prior.

[metro]

Some people just don't get it, and that's ok. But for those of us who do, or who want these amenities in Oklahoma, (some on this site don't live here and moved to greener pastures but would like to return), this is our only and best shot!!

[okclee]

Have them (Thunder Players) get back to us after they win more than 20 games.

I think their win / loss record is boring. And judging by pre-season play this years win / loss record won't be much better.

Seriously who cares, we are talking about a team of 12 to 15 players.

[metro]

okclee, I think we've established the point we shouldn't be too worried what the players think, but that age demographic in general, the "creative class" age 18-35 or so IS what we should focus on. I don't think anyone is strictly debating we care solely on what the players think.

I'm a HUGE OKC cheerleader/supporter, and as I mentioned above, I can't argue with the alleged points of these NBA players. There are still plenty of our young folks leaving state, not as many as 10 years ago, but if MAPS 3, I can all but guarantee that the number will increase some because of it. Many are waiting around because we have the BEST OPPORTUNITY to bring desired amenities to this City, and are waiting to see if we will take this OPPORTUNITY, or leave it behind and settle for mediocrity. Most people don't want to spend their entire life staying here waiting what might become, they want some certainty that things will get better. Things like MAPS 3 can solidify a LOT of faith in the forward momentum of this City.