hsmith19 Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 St Louis is too much of a front running sports town to sustain most sports franchises. The Cards seem to be the exception but they haven't had any extended losing streaks recently. The Cardinals hit a major dry spell after Gussie died, not to mention the entire decade of the 1970s. I agree the Cardinals are a special case in terms of public support, but they have absolutely had to weather some tough storms. Look at attendance numbers between Gussie's death in 1989 and the new ownership's takeover in '96, or even the Yankees' attendance numbers during their dry spell in the late '80s and early '90s compared to when they're winning. Even the franchises with the best and most loyal fan bases take hits when they don't compete for extended periods. The football Cardinals left because Bidwill didn't get his stadium, and given the way the Rams' organization has been run lately it's hard to blame football fans in the area for staying away. The Hawks left before my time, but I don't think it's fair to call St. Louis a "fair weather city" in terms of sports fans just on the basis of the Big Red and Rams. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianstl Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 I have always thought the NBA would do better than most people think. There is a large African-American middle class/professional class in this area. They really don't really turn out for the sports offerings this city presently has. I think they would buy NBA tickets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thetorch Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 I have always thought the NBA would do better than most people think. There is a large African-American middle class/professional class in this area. They really don't really turn out for the sports offerings this city presently has. I think they would buy NBA tickets. This I still think there is a cap on St. Louis sports teams of 3. But if the Rams left the NBA would thrive here. I go to several Cards games a year but never buy tickets, same for Blues and rams please I never go. I'd buy season tickets for the NBA. I may have to take out another mortgage to do it but I would. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidnark Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 Considering the products and the awful dome, the Rams' support here has actually been very good. It is also very unlikely they move anywhere. It is even less likely that the NBA moves here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slufan13 Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 NBA would do well here. That's why I think it would hurt SLU. If you're going to pay to watch basketball, why not watch professional? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bills By 40 Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 Considering the products and the awful dome, the Rams' support here has actually been very good. It is also very unlikely they move anywhere. It is even less likely that the NBA moves here. Why do you say it's so unlikely that an NBA team moves here? There's too much talk about it for it to be so unlikely. NBA would do well here. That's why I think it would hurt SLU. If you're going to pay to watch basketball, why not watch professional? Because it's a brand of basketball. I'd much rather watch SLU than a professional team. Don't forget the difference in atmosphere, involvement, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slufan13 Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 Because it's a ###### brand of basketball. I'd much rather watch SLU than a professional team. Don't forget the difference in atmosphere, involvement, etc. So would I. That's why we go to the games and that's why we're on this board. But SLU needs to appeal to the casual basketball fan. SLU doesn't need anything else that could take fans out of the seats at Chaifetz. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Box and Won Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 In terms of number of games/tickets, it's similar to the NHL, which St. Louis has proven it can support well. I don't know how well St. Louis would support an NBA team, but it's been an awful long time since we've had the chance, and my guess is that it would fare better than the Rams have. Bluesiers are a powerful force. And it would be very difficult for an NBA franchise to generate more support than the Rams currently enjoy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianstl Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 Why do you say it's so unlikely that an NBA team moves here? There's too much talk about it for it to be so unlikely. Because it's a ###### brand of basketball. I'd much rather watch SLU than a professional team. Don't forget the difference in atmosphere, involvement, etc. I prefer the college game over the NBA, but if you are just talking about the basketball being played the NBA is far superior in every way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bills By 40 Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 I prefer the college game over the NBA, but if you are just talking about the basketball being played the NBA is far superior in every way. I think anyone that has a better than average understanding of the game of basketball would prefer the NCAA over the NBA. I'd be interested to see how others feel about that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slufan13 Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 I think anyone that has a better than average understanding of the game of basketball would prefer the NCAA over the NBA. I'd be interested to see how others feel about that. I hate the NBA. I love basketball so I'll watch the NBA Finals every year, but I can't stand the way the NBA game is played. But the NBA is the more popular. Even if having an NBA team in St. Louis would hurt Mizzou more than SLU, I don't think that SLU can afford to lose more fans. "Pro football is the most popular sport in America for at least the 30th straight year. That's according to a survey taken this month by the Harris Poll, which has been asking adult fans, ages 18 and over, about their favorite sport since 1985. In 2014, 35 percent of fans call the NFL their favorite sport, followed by Major League Baseball (14 percent), college football (11 percent), auto racing (7 percent), the NBA (6 percent), the NHL (5 percent) and college basketball (3 percent). In 1985, the first year the poll was taken, the NFL bested MLB by just one percentage point (24 to 23 percent), but since then interest in baseball has fallen while the NFL has experienced a huge rise in popularity. Nine percent fewer fans call baseball their favorite sport over the 30-year span, the biggest drop of any sport. The polling numbers suggest that the sport hasn't been able to recover from a popularity standpoint from 1994, when a strike forced the cancellation of the World Series. One other significant drop was in professional golf. Throughout Tiger Woods' pro career, which began in 1996, no less four percent of the U.S. adult population called golf their favorite sport. But since 2010, the first year after Woods' extramarital affair scandal, only two percent of Americans have called it their favorite sport. A sport's popularity varies greatly based on demographics. More people who live in rural areas on the East coast say they're fans of the NFL than the general U.S. population. Those with an annual household income of more than $100,000 are more likely to be baseball fans, while African Americans are less likely to enjoy the sport, the poll reveals. More southerners call college football their favorite sport, while those with a high school education or less tend to gravitate to auto racing." http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/10354114/harris-poll-nfl-most-popular-mlb-2nd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianstl Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 I think anyone that has a better than average understanding of the game of basketball would prefer the NCAA over the NBA. I'd be interested to see how others feel about that. Anyone that has a better than average understanding of basketball wouldn't call the NBA a brand of basketball. It may not be for everybody. I understand why some people don't like it, but it isn't basketball. The NBA features the best players, the best shooters, the best defenders, best rebounders, etc.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billiken Rich Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 I think anyone that has a better than average understanding of the game of basketball would prefer the NCAA over the NBA. I'd be interested to see how others feel about that. NBA Baskatball < Professional Wrestling Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bills By 40 Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 NBA Baskatball < Professional Wrestling Well yeah because professional wrestling has some pretty darn attractive female wrestlers. Much easier to look at than Lebron's forward or Chris Bosh's face... Anyone that has a better than average understanding of basketball wouldn't call the NBA a ###### brand of basketball. It may not be for everybody. I understand why some people don't like it, but it isn't ###### basketball. The NBA features the best players, the best shooters, the best defenders, best rebounders, etc.. I disagree. The NBA does not play the way that basketball was meant to be played, and the only real exception to that rule would be the San Antonio Spurs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianstl Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 Well yeah because professional wrestling has some pretty darn attractive female wrestlers. Much easier to look at than Lebron's forward or Chris Bosh's face... I disagree. The NBA does not play the way that basketball was meant to be played, and the only real exception to that rule would be the San Antonio Spurs. Nobody plays the game they way it was meant to be played anymore. Nobody. It hasn't been played as it was meant to be played for over 75 years. Why is that? Because playing it that way would suck. You really want no shot clock, no dunking, a jump ball after every made basket, no three point shot, narrow lanes, players fouling out after two fouls, no coaching allowed during the game, players not allowed back in the game after substitutions, etc? That is the way the game was meant to be played. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMM28 Posted April 8, 2014 Author Share Posted April 8, 2014 I disagree. The NBA does not play the way that basketball was meant to be played, and the only real exception to that rule would be the San Antonio Spurs. I hate this argument. How is basketball supposed to be played exactly? Well? The NBA is the highest quality of basketball in the world. The worst NBA team would beat the NCAA tournament champion every single year. Hell, they would beat an all star team of the Final 4 participants. Queue the fundamentals argument.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianstl Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 I hate this argument. How is basketball supposed to be played exactly? Well? The NBA is the highest quality of basketball in the world. The worst NBA team would beat the NCAA tournament champion every single year. Hell, they would beat an all star team of the Final 4 participants. Queue the fundamentals argument.. And the NBA on a whole has far better fundamentals than college ball or any other pro league in the world. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slufan13 Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 I hate the way the NBA game is played but I can definitely see its appeal and it's absolutely the most advanced and highest quality of basketball out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billiken Rich Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 Imagine how much fun and how much scoring there would be if the NFL mandated that you could only play man to man and had to put every defender on the line. Wow! Wouldn't that be something! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlumniFan Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 Anyone that has a better than average understanding of basketball wouldn't call the NBA a ###### brand of basketball. It may not be for everybody. I understand why some people don't like it, but it isn't ###### basketball. The NBA features the best players, the best shooters, the best defenders, best rebounders, etc.. I have tried to watch NBA basketball on TV, but it just has no passion, no real intensity. It just sems like a bunch of guys waiting for their opportunity to do something to put themselves on Sport Center's top ten. I don't understand why this is, but it is just such uninspired play relative to college. Maybe the playoffs are different but I'm not even sure that is true. You mention all the stuff about "the best" but it rarely seems like they are playing their best. More just going through the motions. Maybe it's the rules...? I really don't understand it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianstl Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 I have tried to watch NBA basketball on TV, but it just has no passion, no real intensity. It just sems like a bunch of guys waiting for their opportunity to do something to put themselves on Sport Center's top ten. I don't understand why this is, but it is just such uninspired play relative to college. Maybe the playoffs are different but I'm not even sure that is true. You mention all the stuff about "the best" but it rarely seems like they are playing their best. More just going through the motions. Maybe it's the rules...? I really don't understand it. I understand those opinions and think this criticism has some validity. I think some of it has to do with how long a NBA season is and the number of teams that make the playoffs. I am sticking up for the NBA in this thread, but I enjoy watching the college game more because some of the points you raised. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slufan13 Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 The NBA playoffs and the NBA regular season almost seem to be 2 different leagues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deutschkind Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 I enjoy college over the NBA, but then again, I actually enjoy watching Wisconsin (even more typical years) and SLU. I'm the weird fan who loves defense. My issue with the NBA is that a) the season is way too long b ) too many teams make the playoffs c) the playoffs have very little drama. Of course, the NBA's way is very good at getting the best team to win the championship, but what's the fun in that? The players might be the best in the world, but they give about 75% all season long (and need to in order to make it through). Give me the emotion of college, the joy and the tears. Give me the atmosphere of a college arena. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bills By 40 Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 The players seem to me to consider themselves as entertainers first, athletes second. It's annoying. They try to be too flashy as opposed to playing sound, fundamental basketball. I don't mind flashy dunks, fancy dribbling, sly passes, or extreme feats of athleticism; what I mind is the immense prevalence of previously mentioned factors and the subtle appearances and under -appreciation of true basketball plays. In addition, I am absolutely disgusted by the egos and personalities that the players assume throughout the season. Too often they seem more like actors than athletes. That's what ruins the game for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deutschkind Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 Here's some articles from the SB Nation Bucks blog. One's on the good doctor. http://www.brewhoop.com/2014/3/19/5528036/milwaukee-bucks-sale-herb-kohl-investor-seattle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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