NBDL's Fayetteville Patriots drawing flies

[toad455]

Fayetteville's last 3 home games drew almost no one. It's so bad, the NBDL is refusing to report the actual numbers. It's been reported that the team drew less then 200 people for each of those three games.

[Pounder]

I've seen some TV games, especially from Charleston.

Put it this way... I've never believed ANY NBDL numbers.

(Waiting for the ABA to actually post numbers... in order that I may die laughing, I suppose.)

[#1 Guard Fan]

Ok the numbers are low but no where near 200. I live in Fayetteville and the team is just not sold to the public very well if you ask me. Ok we have the worst record in the league you have to do something to get people out. Our hockey is doing a $2 night they don't have issues with people coming out but things like that should be an idea for the team. Heck the way I see it $2 is better than an empty seat. When will the minor people wake up.

[skippy]

Anyone else think there is a "conspiracy" by the NBA to send the lesser quality players to the old teams like Roanake, Fayetteville, and Florida?

A really bad team is almost an assurance of bad crowds in minor league hoops.

It doesn't take much speculation to look at those markets and guess which teams don't belong in the new, big city, NBDL.

On another note, they don't draw flies in the other cities either other than Arkansas.

[#1 Guard Fan]

I was shocked when the Fayetteville team came back this year but for sure it will be gone next year. I think that is the plan to move all the org teams out west like they have been doing. It really sucks because basketball is such a big sport here in North Carolina but just poorly ran teams will never make it anywhere. Does anyone know the other teams attendance reocrds this year. I know in the past even our crappy crowds were top in the league.

[COHoops]

I've been following the D-League on NBAtv. Man, that is some of the slowest basketball I've ever seen. Hardly entertaining. Looks like a bunch of power forwards playing together. The arenas also look really empty. NBA better do something quick if they want to see their experiment work.

[Pounder]

The arenas also look really empty. NBA better do something quick if they want to see their experiment work.

They've looked that way since this league's inception. It should have died years ago under your standards.

All this proves is that the NBA is flush with money and can afford to throw away a few million. Remember that the next time an NBA team claims poverty and wants a city to pay for a new arena.

[#1 Guard Fan]

I am not sure how the league has made it either but I am sure this off season the last 2 original teams will be moved out west too. Can really say that I will miss it and that is sad to say. League could be so much better but it is more of a tax right off than anything

[nksports]

Remember that the next time an NBA team claims poverty and wants a city to pay for a new arena.

We had two NBA owners fold WNBA teams because they couldn't "afford them." The Cleveland owner shortly thereafter signed LaBron James to an obscenely high contract. The supposedly brilliant business mind who owned Portland, said the WNBA team was losing $1 million a year while the Trail Blazers were losing $10 million a year (he might have folded the wrong team).

[oldfatguy]

Has there ever been a financially successful minor league team in Fayetteville? They had the old Tigers affiliate in baseball, but it's a little easier to run a franchise when someone else is paying all your player and equipment costs. I don't even know if they made money.

I haven't worked there, but I'm fairly familiar with the market, and it seems like the mentality is exactly what '#1' said a few posts back when he asked 'when will the owners wake up' and let everyone in for two bucks.

Why should an owner tell everyone 'my product is such garbage that I have to let you in for free to get you to come here'?

If they don't do that, they are a 'badly run' franchise. Come on.

I don't blame the sports fans there for that - it's the mentality they've been trained to operate under over the years. I blame anyone who puts yet another team in Fayetteville without even bothering to do a little research to see why the other 329034374 teams that have been through there haven't made it.

'Owners wake up' indeed.

[skippy]

While agreeing mostly with what Old FAt Guy said, I would like to add that minor league hoops tickets should not be more that D1, minor league hockey, minor league baseball, the symphony etc....go to NBDL.com and tell me those ticket prices in the new markets aren't completely out of line with reality. And I know the leases at the arenas aren't so bad that they have to charge those prices. With the phony "urban" slant that the marketing is taking, show me someone who connects with that culture who can afford those prices!

[johnnydr87]

50% of the teams are tied with 9-6 records! Four teams! This is ridiculous....it is so unpredictable....

Well, Arkansas just moved up to 10-6 today...........but their play is still very unpredictable.