Thunder Alley Watch Parties Not Dead Yet?

[ljbab728]

No plans for Thunder Alley watch parties have been made yet in Oklahoma City | NewsOK.com

But city officials have said the decision to end the watch parties last spring doesn't necessarily mean they can't happen again, so long as a good plan is in place.

[Laramie]

They should bring back the watch parties in Thunder Alley, put the game on the big screen and charge a $1.00 admission or use game ticket for people to come in and allow beverage vendors to stay open until 10pm or two hours after tip off; when they leave the area, they will need to pay again to re-enter. Hopefully, this will keep your drifters out and insure that people in Thunder Alley will stay put and not be venturing in and out. Hire appropriate security personnel to secure the area.

[SoonerBoy18]

They should bring back the watch parties in Thunder Alley, put the game on the big screen and charge a $1.00 admission or use game ticket for people to come in and allow beverage vendors to stay open until 10pm or two hours after tip off; when they leave the area, they will need to pay again to re-enter. Hopefully, this will keep your drifters out and insure that people in Thunder Alley will stay put and not be venturing in and out. Hire appropriate security personnel to secure the area.

And how/where would they charge people? People came in from all corners to attend Thunder alley..

[SoonerBoy18]

They should bring back the watch parties in Thunder Alley, put the game on the big screen and charge a $1.00 admission or use game ticket for people to come in and allow beverage vendors to stay open until 10pm or two hours after tip off; when they leave the area, they will need to pay again to re-enter. Hopefully, this will keep your drifters out and insure that people in Thunder Alley will stay put and not be venturing in and out. Hire appropriate security personnel to secure the area.

And how/where would they charge people? People came in from all corners to attend Thunder alley..

[Bellaboo]

As you make your plans for this holiday weekend, please remember that Wednesday's Thunder game against the Los Angeles Clippers tips off at 6:30 p.m. Doors to Chesapeake Energy Arena will open at 5, and the last Thunder Alley of 2012 will start on Reno Ave. at 3:30 p.m.


Got this email reminder for tomorrow's game. Says this is the last Thunder Alley for this year.

[Plutonic Panda]

http://www.news9.com/story/32027554/...-thunder-alley

[BlackmoreRulz]

I wish they would bring it back, seems like a lot of fervor for the team went away after they killed it.

[Laramie]

It's all about 'Thunder NBA Game Day Atmosphere.'

I wish they would bring it back, seems like a lot of fervor for the team went away after they killed it.

The total atmosphere of NBA game day went away with the shut down of Thunder alley. IIRC: The shooting incident that occurred that led to the demise of Thunder Alley was some 4-5 blocks away.

There's a good chance that Thunder Alley will return a lot sooner than we think.

[OKCretro]

the problem with thunder alley is the security involved. with a crowd that big i think people need to be at least wanded or go through a metal detector for knives guns weapons etc. There was also problem with drinking at it as well. It was basically a BYOB event with everyone bringing their own coolers.

I think the best way to do it would be to do it at the myriad or the ballpark. That way everyone can go through a metal detector and the alcohol consumption can be managed.

[Urbanized]

...IIRC: The shooting incident that occurred that led to the demise of Thunder Alley was some 4-5 blocks away...

The people involved in the shooting were there specifically for Thunder Alley festivities, their initial argument and altercation occurred within the Thunder Alley boundaries and continued as they walked down the street post game to the place where they had parked, which was in Lower Bricktown. It was a Monday night, and if there hadn't been a game and more specifically a free entertainment draw in Thunder Alley they wouldn't have been within miles of the area. This all came out during the investigation and trial.

The Thunder moved quickly to distance themselves and tried to lay the blame on Bicktown, but it just as easily could have happened in Myriad Botanical Gardens or any other direction where there was closeby free parking. Laying the blame was disingenuous, but understandable and effective, and people lapped up the narrative, and still repeat it, for instance in this post.

The fact of the matter is that the environment was completely uncontrolled and quickly went from family-friendly to tinderbox in just a few games.

Regarding the excitement and community feel, I don't think ending Thunder Alley is to blame in the decline. That was a different time. Hoop was still new to a lot of people here, many of whom really only started paying attention during that run. The team was fresh-faced and eager, it seemed like the sky was the limit, and... ...holy crap... ...WE'RE IN THE FINALS?!?

Since then we've seen the business end of things and discouraging times. The Harden trade, injuries to KD and Russ, the Brooks firing, missing the playoffs, all of these things have conspired to steal joy from us. Not to mention that things don't stay new forever, and human nature is to take things for granted after a while.

I think it's a major overstatement to blame losing Thunder Alley for the past few years' malaise. Remember, there was no Thunder Alley for the WCF (Spurs) or NBA Finals that year (2012) after punks ruined it during the Lakers series, and yet I sure don't recall lukewarm community pride and lack of excitement during those series, at least until LeBron killed our title dreams.

[Laramie]

So, do we do away with events based on where the problem or concern may have initially sparked...

[Urbanized]

Just saying that while there may be a place for the event it needs to be drastically different from the mayhem of the 2012 Lakers series. That became a street party run amok - and got worse as the series progressed - and it deserved/needed to be done away with at the time. Any revisit would require far more care and planning be exercised.

[Plutonic Panda]

So every time something bad happens with anything let's just scared and shut it down and throw blame around lol

I remember one time there was a shooting in the parking lot at Six Flags in Dallas. Hard to believe that place is still open.

[Urbanized]

It wasn't just that game PluPan. It got worse and worse each game and was essentially out of control by the night of the shootings. It would have been irresponsible to continue as-is. It's fine to resume it, but with new emphasis on public safety. I'm sure Six Flags implemented changes to policy and procedure when the shooting you referenced happened. And I also doubt that 8 people were injured in the Six Flags shooting.

[Plutonic Panda]

What was happening? I fully support new safety rules and regulations. I had no idea it was already getting bad among other things before this shooting.

I honestly don't remember anything what happened with the Six Flags thing I just know we went one time and couldn't go because it was closed that day due a shooting in the parking lot.

[Rover]

Toronto does it. We should be able to do it to. We need to find out how they control things

[Urbanized]

I talked at length with Craig Sager the day after the shooting and he told me he had never seen anything so scary and out of control outside an arena in all of his years of covering the NBA and that trouble was inevitable. Whatever Toronto does is NOT what Thunder Alley was when that happened.

[dankrutka]

Toronto does it. We should be able to do it to. We need to find out how they control things

Toronto has a closed area (with buildings and structures making the boundaries) that's really not that large. It looks like they have entry points that could allow for a security check (not sure if they actually have one though). The question is, who wants to run security and claim responsibility for such an event? I suspect no one wants to do it and that's the problem. But it certainly could be done. Just requires some planning and effort.

[PhiAlpha]

Toronto has a closed area (with buildings and structures making the boundaries) that's really not that large. It looks like they have entry points that could allow for a security check (not sure if they actually have one though). The question is, who wants to run security and claim responsibility for such an event? I suspect no one wants to do it and that's the problem. But it certainly could be done. Just requires some planning and effort.

Easy fix for Thunder Alley. Set up a perimeter, add security, charge $10 per person, have concessions set up and don't allow outside food or drink. It would be safer and the team would easily make enough money to cover costs between ticket, concessions and alcohol sales.

[OkieHornet]

i'm not freaked out too easily by the thuggish type, but there were a few games leaving the arena towards the end days of thunder alley that i didn't feel too comfortable. definitely some folks there that weren't just there to enjoy the festivities...

[Jake]

Just setting up a defined perimeter and charging people admission would help a lot.

More security and a better understanding of what to expect would help too. It just kinda exploded so quickly last time and I don't think people knew how to contain it.

[Urbanized]

^^^^^^
The problem with that idea is that it is illegal to close a public street and then charge admission for the closed area. Like Dan says, the Toronto event is not on a street.

[stile99]

^^^^^^
The problem with that idea is that it is illegal to close a public street and then charge admission for the closed area.

Don't we already do that for Opening Night? My problem isn't the closing of the street and charging admission, my problem is the banning 'outside' food and drink. #1: It's a street, all of it is 'outside', but I know the usage of the word in this sense means you have to pay $11 for a bottle of water, and #2: It's a PUBLIC STREET. If you want to say I can't walk down it with an open beer, no problem. That's already a law. If you want to say I can't walk down it with a drink and burger I bought at Sonic, problem.

[ChaseDweller]

I wouldn't charge admission, but I would cordon off the area and ban outside alcohol. You could make everyone enter through the cox center (for security, etc.) and use the restrooms in that building. Set up beer and food concessions (although outside food and non-alcoholic beverages would be allowed) and cut off beer sales at the end of the 3Q just like in the arena. I think it would work that way.

[OKCretro]

interesting article about watch parties

http://deadspin.com/the-nhl-threaten...ium=socialflow