Fans are more important than I realized...

[StrongLurk]

...When it comes to delivering a compelling basketball product. Seeing some of these NBA scrimmages yesterday felt pretty cringy. Yes they were scrimmages but having real games without a real fan "atmosphere" almost makes me question how important sports are in the first place. It's like lifting up the "curtain" of sports and truly seeing things for what they are, which is guys just really good at putting a ball in the hoop. Presentation of sports is more important than I thought because I've always had a "full" product to watch until this year.

Idk, perhaps my lack of interest in this year is also because I think this basketball season is so screwed up and asterisked that it doesn't even matter to me personally. Playing games at this point just feels really dumb. Also I guess the fact that we are having the worse economic crisis worldwide since WW2 makes caring about sports seem very unimportant when my job and health is on the line everyday.

Perhaps the young people on this board can't really relate, but I assume other actual adults on ISH with real things to lose in their lives can maybe relate?

[Bronbron23]

Yeah no dought having fans makes the atmosphere much better. Not just for the fans but for players too. Im assuming you played the game on some kind of level. Just think of the extra adrenaline you'd get from fans going crazy from something you or your team did. I rarely got that in pick up games. Only once in a blue if its a super competitive run and guys are arguing and really getting into it.

Im fine with it for a change and something different but they need to bring fans back asap

[Shogon]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xeCBPRmF4Y


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQ_gLof5ifM

[StrongLurk]

Yeah no dought having fans makes the atmosphere much better. Not just for the fans but for players too. Im assuming you played the game on some kind of level. Just think of the extra adrenaline you'd get from fans going crazy from something you or your team did. I rarely got that in pick up games. Only once in a blue if its a super competitive run and guys are arguing and really getting into it.

Im fine with it for a change and something different but they need to bring fans back asap

I played varsity ball in high school, that's as far as I went. But I had a few games, especially a triple overtime game against our main rival school, that were extremely intense. I could basically feel the crowds vibrations from the yelling and bleacher stomping, yet was so focused on the actual game that I also wouldn't "hear" them, you know?

I mean, if you are playing a non-pick up ball game but there is no crowd there, it feels way less "important" and "meaningful". Sure knowing people are watching on TV helps a little...but having people in the same environment truly cheering for one of the teams to win is what MAKES sports. Competition and the feeling that something is at stake.

[Hey Yo]

I thought it was awesome w/o the crowd noise. No organ player, no blaring dance music for cheerleaders during timeouts, no hearing the chant "defense" 15x in a row over the speaker, could hear the commentators better. I'm sure coaches won't mind if they don't have to be interviewed by a sideline reporter 3x throughout the game.

Still noticed players showing reactions (good and bad) after certain plays or made/missed buckets. Showed more enthusiasm than expected.

[Bronbron23]

I played varsity ball in high school, that's as far as I went. But I had a few games, especially a triple overtime game against our main rival school, that were extremely intense. I could basically feel the crowds vibrations from the yelling and bleacher stomping, yet was so focused on the actual game that I also wouldn't "hear" them, you know?

I mean, if you are playing a non-pick up ball game but there is no crowd there, it feels way less "important" and "meaningful". Sure knowing people are watching on TV helps a little...but having people in the same environment truly cheering for one of the teams to win is what MAKES sports. Competition and the feeling that something is at stake.

yeah the crowd can definitely energize a player or team. The warriors and more specifically steph seem to feed off each other at times. Some of those 2015 and 2016 warrior home game had some of the best atmospheres ever. Raptor fans last year were pretty awesome too.

[ArbitraryWater]

Yeah no dought having fans makes the atmosphere much better. Not just for the fans but for players too. Im assuming you played the game on some kind of level. Just think of the extra adrenaline you'd get from fans going crazy from something you or your team did. I rarely got that in pick up games. Only once in a blue if its a super competitive run and guys are arguing and really getting into it.

Im fine with it for a change and something different but they need to bring fans back asap

no dought?

Are you ****ing serious?

Whats wrong with you?

[fsvr54]

I like it. But I'm actually passionate about the sport of basketball. It's a purity of basketball.

[Axe]

I thought this was another Walk on Water thread

[SATAN]

Yes they were scrimmages but having real games without a real fan "atmosphere" almost makes me question how important sports are in the first place.


Also I guess the fact that we are having the worse economic crisis worldwide since WW2 makes caring about sports seem very unimportant when my job and health is on the line everyday.

Why would crowds make a different to the importance of sport? Lets face it, sport is not important in the grand scheme of things. It's a distraction. You can always stop watching it instead of bitching about it? There's literally millions of constructive things to do instead.

[SATAN]

I thought this was another Walk on Water thread

I had suspicions too :coleman:

[Bronbron23]

no dought?

Are you ****ing serious?

Whats wrong with you?

Just a spelling error dude. Sorry professor i dont spell check my forum posts.

[Shooter]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xeCBPRmF4Y


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQ_gLof5ifM

Good vids, rewatched them both again thanks for posting.

[Axe]

Just a spelling error dude. Sorry professor i dont spell check my forum posts.
:oldlol:

[oldtimer28]

...When it comes to delivering a compelling basketball product. Seeing some of these NBA scrimmages yesterday felt pretty cringy. Yes they were scrimmages but having real games without a real fan "atmosphere" almost makes me question how important sports are in the first place. It's like lifting up the "curtain" of sports and truly seeing things for what they are, which is guys just really good at putting a ball in the hoop. Presentation of sports is more important than I thought because I've always had a "full" product to watch until this year.

Idk, perhaps my lack of interest in this year is also because I think this basketball season is so screwed up and asterisked that it doesn't even matter to me personally. Playing games at this point just feels really dumb. Also I guess the fact that we are having the worse economic crisis worldwide since WW2 makes caring about sports seem very unimportant when my job and health is on the line everyday.

Perhaps the young people on this board can't really relate, but I assume other actual adults on ISH with real things to lose in their lives can maybe relate?

Crowd is important but your post sounds depressed. I get it. Tough times but that's life.

Happy to have NBA back and the option to watch/follow.

[999Guy]

I thought it was awesome w/o the crowd noise. No organ player, no blaring dance music for cheerleaders during timeouts, no hearing the chant "defense" 15x in a row over the speaker, could hear the commentators better. I'm sure coaches won't mind if they don't have to be interviewed by a sideline reporter 3x throughout the game.

Still noticed players showing reactions (good and bad) after certain plays or made/missed buckets. Showed more enthusiasm than expected.

Basketball is fun af. So guys are still gonna be emotive. But a crowds reaction really does add to it as well.


I don’t really care. I think it’s fine. And I do like hearing the raw game too so it starts to balance it out some.

[iamgine]

Without fans, some guys are going to thrive. Guys will shoot better. Maybe Dwight's FT% would get a bump up.

[StrongLurk]

Bump.

Yeah, these games suck when it comes to tension and excitement. Watched replays of the end of the LA/Clips game (went to bed at start of 4th) and it felt flat as hell even though it was a close back and forth. Hearing the announcers try to hype things up feels so forced.

What a shit way to end what was shaping up to be a great basketball year.

[FKAri]

...When it comes to delivering a compelling basketball product. Seeing some of these NBA scrimmages yesterday felt pretty cringy. Yes they were scrimmages but having real games without a real fan "atmosphere" almost makes me question how important sports are in the first place. It's like lifting up the "curtain" of sports and truly seeing things for what they are, which is guys just really good at putting a ball in the hoop. Presentation of sports is more important than I thought because I've always had a "full" product to watch until this year.

Idk, perhaps my lack of interest in this year is also because I think this basketball season is so screwed up and asterisked that it doesn't even matter to me personally. Playing games at this point just feels really dumb. Also I guess the fact that we are having the worse economic crisis worldwide since WW2 makes caring about sports seem very unimportant when my job and health is on the line everyday.

Perhaps the young people on this board can't really relate, but I assume other actual adults on ISH with real things to lose in their lives can maybe relate?
I find there's 4 ingredients to sports fandom:

The nostalgic connection (sports we grow up with take a deeper root in our psyche).
The drama of the characters (we become vested in the athletes/teams story).
The communal/tribal experience (being part of something bigger than us and coming together to overcome a common goal).
The celebration of physical prowess and skill.

The last one is what we pretend to tell ourselves is the most important but it's really the other 3 that keep us hooked. Those 3 together provide us with not just the immersion but also the gravitas. I suspect what you're feeling is a decline of both because the communal ingredient has gone stale. I also don't think the hardships of life hurt sport fandom much.

[ImKobe]

Disagree. Fans add to the game but they've done an amazing job with camera angles to counter that, the arena doesn't feel empty. I hope they get rid of the virtual fan thing though, it just doesn't look good.

[tpols]

Last nights games were fine... there was plenty of "tension" and competitive energy between the teams especially the laker clipper game. they were hustling hard.

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

The LA matchup in particular was a solid game. Both teams were definitely competitive and showed great skill. They went at one another while Lebron took on the defensive challenge. For it only being their first game game back, that was high energy. Weird bump. You sound like an emotional quack.

[StrongLurk]

I find there's 4 ingredients to sports fandom:

The nostalgic connection (sports we grow up with take a deeper root in our psyche).
The drama of the characters (we become vested in the athletes/teams story).
The communal/tribal experience (being part of something bigger than us and coming together to overcome a common goal).
The celebration of physical prowess and skill.

The last one is what we pretend to tell ourselves is the most important but it's really the other 3 that keep us hooked. Those 3 together provide us with not just the immersion but also the gravitas. I suspect what you're feeling is a decline of both because the communal ingredient has gone stale. I also don't think the hardships of life hurt sport fandom much.

Wow great response, especially the bold. The NBA is putting out the most barren, lifeless product I've seen in my lifetime (30 years) and also seeing some of the complaints and ignorance from the NBA players during this economic and health crisis has been really offputting. Like, these are the guys were are giving 10s or 100s of millions of dollars to? Entertainment in important in life, don't get me wrong, but damn this "product" we are getting isn't entertaining to me at all given the context.

And to the posters above me, seeing PG hit the game tying 3 and then Lebron scoring off his miss to put the Lakers back up felt flat as hell and low energy. I just heard a couple "yeaahhhs" from the teams benches and that was...that. I'd rather watch a low-level, college game with 30,000 fans at the game cheering passionately than this current, stale NBA.