Losing interest in OKC

[Patrick]

Attendance last night was around 15K, a far cry from attendances last season. Is the newness wearing off? Will we continue to be able to support an NBA team long term? Why the low attendance?

[floater]

I sensed it from attending the preseason games and the home opener. Even the sold out crowd was a lot quieter than last season. I hope it picks up real fast. We don't know want to look like novelty fans.

And if I hear it's because of OU football, I'll croak.

[metro]

Yeah OU Football!!!!!!!!! Anyhow, yeah I hope the novelty hasn't worn off already although the Raptors aren't necessarily a high demand team and neither was opening night. Either way 15k was higher than New Orleans was getting before Katrina.

[Easy180]

15K isn't too bad for a Tuesday night with a team coming in w/o any stars...I think also some people are starting to realize the Hornets are definitely gone and solid attendance won't save them

[SoonerDave]

I think there's been so much hype about them going back to New Orleans that it's created an "eh, why bother" attitude.

And a sad fact is that the NBA is not a "new" thing this year. Has to play at least a small part in it.

-SoonerDave

[writerranger]

They're going to back to NOLA! I think that's the simple answer. If they were "our" team (or there was still a possibility), I have no doubt you would see the same excitement and crowds as last year. But it looks like a done deal and I think it's now more like the New Orleans Hornets playing at a neutral site as opposed to it being a true "home team." That's my guess anyway.

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[Keith]

They're going to back to NOLA! I think that's the simple answer. If they were "our" team (or there was still a possibility), I have no doubt you would see the same excitement and crowds as last year. But it looks like a done deal and I think it's now more like the New Orleans Hornets playing at a neutral site as opposed to it being a true "home team." That's my guess anyway.

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I agree. Plus, the fans here in the city were real excited that we finally had an NBA team......and by the preliminary look of it, the Hornets were going to stay.

Now that we know that they are going back to NO, many fans are dissappointed and not willing to show as much support.

[okcpulse]

Exactly. The Hornets are going back. We enjoyed having them as a team, but there is no real need to keep attending on the false hope that they might stay.

But I'm sure attendance won't continue to dwindle. And, wheh we get a team permanently, our support will be constantly strong. Oklahoma City is a hard core sports town. Anything big will always get support long term. OU football is a shining example. There is no doubt the NBA will be facing the same fate here.

The newness wore off for the OKC Blazers for one reason... they are a minor league team. Same with the Yard Dawgz, same with the RedHawks. The minor league teams here continue to survive because of a loyal fan base. But still, it isn't the majors. Every corporate name here wants a professional franchise, like it or not. I no longer buy the excuse that we are too close to Dallas. My friends and family know I don't buy it, so they don't bother mentioning Dallas when this topic arises. I continue to use the Utah Jazz and Salt Lake City as an example of an NBA team surviving long term in a mid-size metropolitan area. The Jazz has been there for 26 years. Yet everytime I bring it up, everyone shrugs it off. Salt Lake City wasn't very big in 1980 when the Jazz showed up, and that city isn't much bigger now. It's grown, yes, but not by leaps and bounds. Yet the Jazz is still supported there.

[windowphobe]

The Hornets sold out Friday night against the Bulls, despite questionable travel conditions.

[jbrown84]

The Hornets sold out Friday night against the Bulls, despite questionable travel conditions.

Wow. It was still pretty nasty out there Friday night.

[BailJumper]

Before they were the prized adopted child and now they are just the bastard stepchild.

We've been once. It was okay, but we are not a crowd type family that does a lot of events that cost so much when you add in tickets, parking, food, etc. For a family of four that's alot of money.

I hope we can support a permanent NBA team. I probably won't go, but I see the benefits to OKC.

[Laramie]

The Hornets 15,000 plus on that day was better than most NBA teams!

ESPN.com - NBA - NBA Attendance

That was the most up to date NBA attendance by ESPN!

Oklahoma City is looking Good!

[Jack Wonder]

Attendance last night was around 15K, a far cry from attendances last season. Is the newness wearing off? Will we continue to be able to support an NBA team long term? Why the low attendance?

There's a number of variables, but the leadoff is the future of this team?? A lot of people have been scorned by Shinn and the front office brass of the Hornets.

Plus, I kind of see the NBA going into a slight "down year". ESPN hasn't done much of anything to build momentum for this season, and the press just isn't there.

Even WWLS hasn't spent as much time hyping The Hornets this season, what with OU hitting the streak they did at the end of the season.

But it all goes back to the jaded feeling people have with the hint of another team heading to town, it's easy to suffer backlash from spectators.