This is a unique perspective on the Warriors. Please read these comments thoroughly.
Going to some Warriors games this year have been fun. I go for different reasons:
a special promotion or for the opponent. At least, this year there has been a
significant effort to improve the team with many acquisitions done in the off-season
and mid-season.
It is a “great time out” but what Bay Area fans want and need is
a product that can back up the great entertainment factor behind going to a Warriors
game. The team plays great on some nights, but just can’t seem to get the
win when it’s all said and done.
A big issue: Is NBA basketball affordable? It’s very expensive going to
a typical NBA game. Personally, I always try to get the big discount seats…It’s
ridiculous.
There seems to be a target audience for certain sections…the A’s
fan in the second deck and the Giants’ fan in the lower deck. I am from
San Francisco, but I am a partial season ticket holder for the Oakland Athletics.
SBC Park is just way too expensive…$17.00 for a bleacher seat while the
most I spent all year for an A’s game was $14.00 for one seat (I went
to 27 games and sat near the front row by paying only that amount).
During one game, I sat in the “Smirnoff” Sideline Club. Sitting there
reminded me of a Giants’ game at SBC Park. It’s a great experience,
but it reminds me of a Giants game…Too expensive and all the extra stuff
done to wherein the game itself becomes second nature.
Back to the A’s and Giants’ fan reference, the bottom deck seats
Giants fans. Most of them will remain loyal to the product as long as if it’s
somewhat decent. The 2nd deck is for A’s fans. An A’s fan is a middle-class
die-hard fan that goes to many games with a low income. There’s not enough
done to attract this big demographic. The majority of the giveaways go to the
people in the first deck, and rightly so as they pay a lot of money. Since I
sit in the second deck most of the time, the probability of me winning anything
given at a game is slim to none. For example: I haven’t eaten anything
in 5 hrs. before coming to a game and then I see some people in the first deck
eating some pizza that can easily afford it while I starve & have to muster
out $8.00 (a ridiculous price) for some nachos. I don’t see any real
incentive other than paying for cheap ticket prices for a game and/or going
for a special
promotion.
I have many friends who don’t like the NBA, and just watch college and
high school basketball. I can see why. Until there’s a better product (meaning
the Warriors win and finally make the playoffs), and more stuff done to attract
the “A’s fan,” I will wait for baseball season to start.