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The key passage in this article, as far as I am concerned, is at the beginning of page 3:
[LEFT]“I came from Philadelphia, where the fans roared on every basket,” Dawkins said. “In New Jersey, you could jump in the air, drink a cup of coffee, dunk over three guys, have a parachute open on your butt for a safe landing, and the fans would go, ‘Clap, clap, good chap.’[/LEFT]
Tepid fan interest translates into an environment, a reputation around the league, where players don't want to play, and top flight free agents do not want to sign up for. There were never enough Nets fans in Northern NJ to support an NBA franchise. Hopefully more fans attend games with such interest in Brooklyn, and reputation of the franchise gels accordingly.
When the Nets could not sell out the building after 2 consecutive NBA Eastern Conference championships, the handwriting was on the wall.
[LEFT]
I remember over 10 years ago when I worked in North Jersey, we were collecting items to raffloe to generate money for one of the charities the company supported. The Giants and Jets were sending signed footballs and jerseys. So we contacted the Nets and they said "sure, come on over." So we drive to the Ghetto-lands in the middle of the day, go to the offices and they gave us a few posters and boxes of pencils! Even minor league baseball teams were giving free tickets to raffle.
I agree the franchise was run poorly, however, they could have been run by Mark Cuban, and the fans still wouldn't have come. NYC area is just not supportive of more than one franchise, as far as I can see currently. Perhaps this changes in Brooklyn.
I remember in 2004, Eastern Conference semis, the Nets won game 5 against the Pistons in 3 overtimes, the "Scalabrine" game, probably the single greatest NBA game I've ever seen. Remember, then Nets had been to the NBA finals the two previous years. That game gives the Nets a decisive 3-2 lead, headed back to Continental Airlines Arena. I was working in South Jersey at the time, and went onto TicketMaster's website the following day. Amazingly, there were still tickets left to purchase, for the following game 6. Earlier, the Nets swept the Knicks out of the first round. I thought the Nets had, in effect, "taken over the NYC area" for basketball.
It was not to be. Fans did not care enough to even sell the game out against the Pistons until a walk up crowd prior to the game snatched up the remaining tickets. When the Nets beat the Celtics in Eastern Conference finals 2 years prior, to earn their first trip to the finals, a grand total of 20 fans were assembled at the Newark Airport to greet them.
There is more passion at most high school arenas for a basketball game than there is for a NJ Nets game. And I say this as one of the greatest backers of the team during their tenure in New Jersey.
Are any Nets fans from NJ continuing their fandom across the 2 rivers to Brooklyn?
That's a tough voyage for a suburbanite from New Jersey. That said, trips to the Bronx and Queens are probably made with frequency to baseball games, which goes back to my original summation: when it comes to the NYC area, baseball is the game. Basketball in the NY area can only support one NBA team. I wish the Nets success in Brooklyn and they will still be the team I root for, but I think you are going to witness games that are not sold out, almost immediately after their arrival.
That's a tough voyage for a suburbanite from New Jersey. That said, trips to the Bronx and Queens are probably made with frequency to baseball games, which goes back to my original summation: when it comes to the NYC area, baseball is the game. Basketball in the NY area can only support one NBA team. I wish the Nets success in Brooklyn and they will still be the team I root for, but I think you are going to witness games that are not sold out, almost immediately after their arrival.
from a time perspective for many in Central and even N Jerey the sixers may be closer time wise (though that part of Jersy is definately NYC sports country)
As an outsider the BK perception just feels more correct; like somehow the Nets already have more credibility. This coming from someone who would defend Jersey on the whole to great lengths (well not the devils of course)
As an outsider the BK perception just feels more correct; like somehow the Nets already have more credibility. This coming from someone who would defend Jersey on the whole to great lengths (well not the devils of course)
The NY media jabs at NJ are really annoying. "At that moment, the N.B.A. landscape forever changed. The Nets were no longer a punch line, but a destination, their sad-sack existence in the New Jersey swamp no longer a burden, but a quaint chapter for the history books." It's these types of subtle jabs that really bother me the most.
@soug - You hit the nail right on the head. I was a Nets fan but I will not be next season when they move. Not to switch up the subject but this is a perfect example of why Devils fans feel the need to use terms like "traitor" in reference to native New Jerseyans who root for the Rangers or the Flyers. Now, I think that term is far to extreme. At the end of the day it is just sports and people are free to root for whoever they want. But this is why the Devils are clearly a New Jersey team as opposed to a New York team.
New York media has a very clear narrative when it comes to New Jersey. If something negative happens in this state they make sure they tell you that it happened in New Jersey. On the other hand when something positive happens here, all of the sudden it is something positive happening in the "New York Metropolitan Area". Look at Hoboken and Jersey City for example. Now that these cities are gaining national attention for being "hip" places, they are known as the "6th and 7th boroughs of New York". Maybe because Philly centric news is less biased toward New Jersey, and because everything in the northern half of the state is covered by New York media, people tend to lump the Devils in as a New York team, but they are clearly not for this very reason. Despite being a respectably successful and talented team they choose to reject the New York-New Jersey trend and identify with this side of the Hudson River.
I was a Nets fan for the same reason that I am a Devils fan. Now that they are moving however I am no longer a fan.
Last edited by montycench; 07-09-2012 at 11:25 PM..
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