Which ABA team averages the most amount of fans?

[johnnydr87]

Hi, I've been wondering which ABA team averages the most amount of fans.

I've followed the Arkansas RimRockers in the NBDL closely, and they really have been waning in their fan support.

Their latest game against the Fort Worth Flyers only had 4,915 attendees (http://www.nba.com/dleague/games/20051230/FTWARK/boxscore.html) --- a few hundred lower than their average last year.

The most startling part is that they had Mark Martin, the NASCAR guy, at the game. Last year, while in the ABA, he drew in over 10,000 fans! This year, he only managed to boost the attendance some 2,500 from the usual ~2,500 fans.

And the RimRockers are doing the best in the NBDL with attendance.

I was reading an article about the Albuquerqe Thunderbirds, and it said they need an average of 4000 fans per game to break even. They have averaged less than half that!

Arkansas is averaging less than 4000 fans, plus they've brought in three celebrities: Jermain Taylor (boxing champion), some Desperate Housewives guy, and Mark Martin.

My guess is if the NBDL wants to maintain stability, they need to pull in more teams from the ABA that have a decent fan base already (1000+).

I would not be surprised if the NBDL broke up altogether. I would not be surprised if the NBA marketing gurus figured out a way to make minor hoops profitable.

So, that's why I want to know which ABA teams are doing the best....because I wouldn't be surprised if the the NBDL pulled them in, even if they're not as successful as Arkansas was. The NBDL will pull them in because they have at least some record of stability.

[ABARedWhiteBlue]

I'd say Rochester has, by far, the best attendance figures in the league. They draw 3K plus easily at home. Most of the rest of the teams seem to struggle to draw an average of 1000 per game; many are in the low hundreds.

But, Rochester is more likely a CBA addition than the NBADL; it would add another team to Albany's region.

[skippy]

The key to why the attendance of the NBDL teams is bad is the ticket prices.
Huge mark up in prices from the Rimrockers of the ABA.
It cost 40 bucks to sit courtside!

[meyes]

People who have been to ABA games are going to be less likely to find any other pro league game (including the NBA) worth their time or money. ABA basketball is, game for game, much more intertaining than any other pro basketball. The pace is faster, the scores are higher, the defense is better, and both teams play full court.
Ant that RWB ball does add to the game.
Any team moving from the ABA to any other league is going to find it even harder to draw fans because other pro leagues are just lesser versions of the NBA which is, generally, boring basketball.

[mikeyratt]

People who have been to ABA games are going to be less likely to find any other pro league game (including the NBA) worth their time or money. ABA basketball is, game for game, much more intertaining than any other pro basketball. The pace is faster, the scores are higher, the defense is better, and both teams play full court.
Ant that RWB ball does add to the game.
Any team moving from the ABA to any other league is going to find it even harder to draw fans because other pro leagues are just lesser versions of the NBA which is, generally, boring basketball.


to be honest I find the bastardized rules confusing and impossible to follow, the "inconsistant" scheduling is annoying at best, and sitting in bleachers at a high school gym is ridiculous. Either grow up and become a real league or go home.

[nksports]

People who have been to ABA games are going to be less likely to find any other pro league game (including the NBA) worth their time or money. ABA basketball is, game for game, much more intertaining than any other pro basketball. The pace is faster, the scores are higher, the defense is better, and both teams play full court.
Ant that RWB ball does add to the game.
Any team moving from the ABA to any other league is going to find it even harder to draw fans because other pro leagues are just lesser versions of the NBA which is, generally, boring basketball.
From what I've seen of the ABA, you don't know what team is going to show up or if a team is going to show up (sometimes, just part of a team shows up). ABA ticket prices are just as overpriced as many of the other minor leagues (which is a problem across the board).
There isn't much parity in the ABA.
With minor league baseball, you can get into most parks for under $10. Some, you can even get in for as little as $5. You can afford to bring the family. That's the price structure you need to bring in the fans.
A court-side ticket shouldn't cost more than $20 for any minor-league team. (With many mid-major and smaller D-I teams, you can get a decent seat for around $15).
I've been to several USBL games and they have all been pretty high level of competition and pretty decent games.
I'm too far from a D-League market, but I like the concept of a Class AAA feeder league. There aren't too many ABA players a step away (there aren't too many a ladder away) from the NBA.

[Ken, Steelheads fan]

People who have been to ABA games are going to be less likely to find any other pro league game (including the NBA) worth their time or money. ABA basketball is, game for game, much more intertaining than any other pro basketball. The pace is faster, the scores are higher, the defense is better, and both teams play full court.
Ant that RWB ball does add to the game.
Any team moving from the ABA to any other league is going to find it even harder to draw fans because other pro leagues are just lesser versions of the NBA which is, generally, boring basketball.

meyes,
That was pure "homer" nonsense...but I think you know that already.

IMO, D-League basketball is poor quality hoops and that may affect attendance. However, I don't think it is bad basketball because the ABA outshines the rest of the basketball kingdom (as YOU implied). The quality of play in the D-league seems to suffer because there are so many young players in that league.

[meyes]

I expressed my opinion. Others are entitled to theirs. Anyone interested in spending time and money to see a basketball game, should go to whichever game/league works for them geographically, financially, time wise, see what they see then decide whether is is worth doing again.
The ABA does make that first choice particularly difficult in many markets and that does need to be corrected yesterday. I have serious concerns about selling tickets to a game between two specific teams then having who-knows-who as the opponent.
The ABA does have, as does any other league in any sort, some games that are not competitive, but the ABA also has its share of games that are very competitive and exciting. Check out reports of some of the recent games.
It is your money and your time. Use both wisely.

[Rocky]

I don't think there is anything wrong with the on-court ABA product. In my opinion, fans haven't flocked to the ABA style of basketball, but I attribute that to the low-ball way things off the court are run.

Its the league leadership and direction that are bush-league.

In

[Ken, Steelheads fan]

meyes,
Thanks for cleaning-up your first post with your second post.

I've witnessed a few CBA games and watched a few D-League games. The CBA has more veteran players (and annually more NBA call-ups), thus play seems to be "crisper" and less ragged than D-League ball. I haven't seen an ABA game though.

Raggedty play during the Gary Steelheads' initial season has plagued attendance to this day. A few people in 2005/2006 still cite sloppy ball handling dating back to that first Steelheads season (when the team was populated with younger players from the expansion draft) as reasons never to buy a ticket again.

If the ABA style of play is "ragged", then expect crowds to always hover around the level of friends and family of players. Is it "raggedty"?

[Pounder]

I wouldn't attribute the Arkansas decline to the league change... necessarily.

Curiosity factor always works in year 1. RARELY does attendance increase in year 2.

Now, if there's a dropoff factor due to change in leagues, it may be because some fans were right about the number of U of Arkansas players participating on the team last year. Maybe.

Maybe that's the thing to look at. Most European teams run youth programs for their LOCAL players and do their darndest to develop the local talent... this approach might have some merit for the league willing to take that chance (not to mention bending a few current rules and customs that exist here).

Well, it is speculation.

In any event, I take it that the same issues apply this year as in the past towards any faint hope of actually finding attendance data for the ABA. Correct?

[Houston Caldwell]

The ABA Rimrockers of last year came very close to being a post-grad team for former Arkansas Razorback stars, which was a good thing for their fan appeal. I think that there are still a couple of Hogs on this year's team.
The sad thing is that the ABA has part of the formula right (although it will never succeed with Newman and Richardson in charge). The NBA already has a minor league feeder system (but it's not the NBDL, it's the NCAA). If you're going to popularize minor league pro basketball, IT NEEDS TO BE DIFFERENT FROM THE MAJOR LEAGUE VERSION. The most successful example of a minor league in a sport that is a revenue sport at the college level is Arena Football, which is a speeded-up indoor version of the outdoor game.

[meyes]

I attended the Detroit at Indiana game Tuesday night. It was close, with Detroit leading most of the way, much of the first half by double digits. There were people there because they had seenan article in the Anderson newspaper. They were enjoying them game and said they would be back with friends.
The Indianapolis Star had a photographer at the game getting photos to go with a planned story about the team and the ABA set for publication Jan. 17.
A regular at the games says many fans show up during the first half. At tip off I counted 88 people in the spectator areas. More did arrive later and I estimate peak attendance at about 130.
The Alley Cats are doing it right (you can't fault 18-0) and are developing fans, although slowly. The players are happy to be on the team.
Detroit is still a bit of a mystery but did look good and could be a post-season threat. The Wheels dressed 11 (I thought the league limit on the road is 10) so they were not short-handed. They weren't wearing real uniforms--generic basketball pants with matching tops with "Detroit" on the front and numbers front and back.
When i first saw that there was going to be another ABA team in central Indiana I didn't think there was any chance of success. The Cats still need a lot more fans, but if they keep winning, the fans will come. It is good to see a strong ABA team in Indiana again.

[NBAGod]

A team that draws 130 is your definition of a "strong ABA team in Indiana"??

[meyes]

The team is strong. Attendance is not. The economy in central Indiana is terrible and betting worse. The team is doing much better than I expected it would.

[meyes]

Chandler Thompson topped all scorers with 36, along with some big rebounds and great defense as the Alley Cats clinched a winning season with a 122-116 win at Mellon Arena. The Alley Cats took the lead with only two minutes played and never trailed again, although the Xplosion did manage a tie late in the fourth quarter.