IS Atlanta the Worst Sportstown in the nation?

[Diesel]

Drive Time. Listening to talkradio.

Worst Sports town in nation = Subject.

I heard:

Miami.

Jacksonville

Tampa Bay

Carolinas

Houston

Then there was a huge outpouring for Atlanta??

R We that bad??

Then they said best:

New England

Cleveland

Dallas

Denver

LA

Are we that bad?

Now I'm not a strong follower of baseball.

I do love basketball and football though.

So from the perspective of Just the hawks...

Are we the worst Fanbase in tne NBA?

[capstone21]

I don't know if we are worst but we are def have one of the worst NBA fanbases.

The regular season usually only brings out fans when a superstar comes to town. It is always a running joke from commentators how the arena is always empty and it feels like the Hawks are always playing a road game.

A lot of times the fans at the games who do show up cheer for the opposing superstar.

The playoffs we do better but there were a lot of people cheering for DRose this year (last year it was for Howard).

[TheNorthCydeRises]

From the outside looking in, the people of Atlanta just don't see it. But from a talk radio standpoint, yeah, Atlanta is horrible. Even worse than Nashville.

From a crowd standpoint in the playoffs, I attended Game 3 in Atlanta, followed by Game 3 in Memphis the next day. The atmosphere wasn't even close. It wasn't even close to the atmosphere 3 years ago, when the Hawks were going toe to toe with Boston. Memphis was rocking. But that's a college basketball town that transformed their energy to the Grizzlies.

For Falcons games, the atmosphere is live, but not even close to what it is at Titans games.

I would say that Miami is worse though. That's a true bandwagon town right there. But yeah, Atlanta is bad.

[hawkman]

I don't know if we are worst but we are def have one of the worst NBA fanbases.

The regular season usually only brings out fans when a superstar comes to town. It is always a running joke from commentators how the arena is always empty and it feels like the Hawks are always playing a road game.

A lot of times the fans at the games who do show up cheer for the opposing superstar.

The playoffs we do better but there were a lot of people cheering for DRose this year (last year it was for Howard).

ATL has to be in the top five as far as the NBA is concerned. The commentators always joke about the home crowd cheering for the opposing teams superstar. I don't find it funny at all. As a fan, I actually find it embarassing to see it happen over and over again on national TV.

[niremetal]

Not directly on-topic, but I've lived in Philly the better part of the past decade. I really don't know how to categorize the fans here. A good number of people pay to go to the games even when the team isn't doing that well...only to boo all the team's mistakes. How do you categorize fans on a scale of "good" to "bad" when they actually pay to show up (like in Boston) but then give their team hell for their mistakes (unlike in Boston)? "Mean" is the only adjective I've come up with.

The funny thing is, it seems to work. I was at a Sixers-Blazers game a few years ago with my then-girlfriend (as of last week, my fiancee). The Blazers were up by 20+ sometime in the third quarter, and the crowd started letting the Sixers have it. It's a crazy thing to see 15,000 fans booing their own team. The team woke up and ended up coming back to win. The fans loved it, and my lady looked like she'd just relived the Memorial Day Miracle. In any case, the boos had their desired effect.

Edited June 10, 2011 by niremetal

[capstone21]

ATL has to be in the top five as far as the NBA is concerned. The commentators always joke about the home crowd cheering for the opposing teams superstar. I don't find it funny at all. As a fan, I actually find it embarassing to see it happen over and over again on national TV.

I don't find it funny either. It fustrates me.

I live in Oklahoma so I only get to see the Hawks when they play in OKC. I wish the Atlanta fan base was more like them. The Thunder games are fun to attend. The building is so loud and the fans are so excited about the team. It feels like attending a college game....and this is during the regular season.

[TRUEINTELLECTPLAYA]

Atlanta isnt that bad but it does have the LA feel, you know people just want to be in the place to be, thats why all these people move here. It's the place to be in several ways and its more affordable than LA and New York. I agree with those that say a superstar would make the Hawks games like the place the be and all the people that just want to be seen will come out for that reason alone

[Dejay]

Okay, I'll bite (AGAIN)...

I'm looking at the other cities you have listed D; Jax, Miami, Tampa, Houston, the Carolinas, along with ours. What do they all have in common?

Good 'ol fashioned geography. In those places, let alone ours, there is 10 1/2 months of good/great weather as opposed to cities in the north. That means there are more opportunities to be out on the golf course, catch a concert at the local amphitheater, go clubbing with the boys, et al, instead of couped up in the house with nothing better to do other than, you guessed it, go to the game.

None of them had pro teams until the 60's (Atlanta, Miami, and Houston) or later so they don't have generations of fans to build upon as opposed to the Clevelands, Bostons, and Phillys of the world.

A massive influx of transients, who bring their hometown allegiances with them and pass them on to their kids. How many Boston fans you know of moved down to Atlanta and got rid of their Larry Bird jerseys for a Josh Smith one?

An SEC mentality, which really bares mentioning. As Ricky Bobbie's dad once said, 'if you're not first, you're last'. Losing does not fly down here. This is one of, if not the only region in the country where high school football coaches get run for making the state playoffs and not bringing home championship trophies. Down here, no one cares about your bowl record if you're not winning league titles and beating your rivals on a consistent basis (just ask Jim Donnan, Bill Curry, Phil Fulmer, and Mike Shula; they'll testify). Simply put, few things repel fans in the part of the country more than the aura of being satisfied with 'good enough' and 'decent' without being a perennial threat to carry the big belt home. After awhile, it gets old and fans tune out, especially after management thumbs its nose and continue with the same 'core' that got them to the playoffs; Chipper Jones will verify. But as opposed to the towns up north who'll keep showing up to the ballpark no matter how cheap the team's owner is or how many games in a row they lost, the fans down here show their displeasure with their wallets by finding something else to do (remember the 10+months of good weather?). You can tell if an SEC football coach is on his way out by the empty seats in the stands at season's end. The archenemy of being great is the satisfaction of being 'good'. That 'good enough' mentality the Braves and Hawks hold onto with grips of iron is the primary reason why they have such a hard time selling out ballgames, especially after the postseason starts; Hulk Hogan matches from 1986 have less predictability than they do in the playoffs. And so far, the fans who decided to stay away have been right, bullseye on the mark. They say that you can't win 'em all; yeah, right. Tell that to a Vol, Bama, UGA, or Gator fan and see what the response is.

So no, Atlanta isn't the worst fanbase in the NBA but it is by far and away the most discerning. We know the difference between a playoff phony and the Real McCoy. Anyone who runs a pro team here should know that going in....

[AHF]

with my then-girlfriend (as of last week, my fiancee).

Congrats!

[Dejay]

Congrats!

Yeah, I caught that, too. Congrats, Nire...

[Randy]

http://aol.sportingnews.com/nba/story/2011-06-09/charles-barkley-miami-has-the-worst-fans

No less of an expert than Sir Charles says Miami has the worst fans.

[capstone21]

http://aol.sportingn...-the-worst-fans

No less of an expert than Sir Charles says Miami has the worst fans.

Stuff like that just makes me appreciate Barkley so much more. He never sucks up but instead just tells it like it is.

I cracked up when I read:

"They’re just a whiny bunch and I can't root for them.”

[Diesel]

ATL has to be in the top five as far as the NBA is concerned. The commentators always joke about the home crowd cheering for the opposing teams superstar. I don't find it funny at all. As a fan, I actually find it embarassing to see it happen over and over again on national TV.

This reminds me of the MVP chants for Rose in Atlanta.

This also makes me think... IS this why we can never quite get that White out?

I'm mad watching games in Dallas. Everybody has on Blue. When we tried the white out for the last few years, there was always abou 200 people with other colors on? It looks raggedy on TV. I say we just pick the other teams color and wear that. That way, if there fans come adorned in that color, they'll just blend right in.

Okay, I'll bite (AGAIN)...

I'm looking at the other cities you have listed D; Jax, Miami, Tampa, Houston, the Carolinas, along with ours. What do they all have in common?

Good 'ol fashioned geography. In those places, let alone ours, there is 10 1/2 months of good/great weather as opposed to cities in the north. That means there are more opportunities to be out on the golf course, catch a concert at the local amphitheater, go clubbing with the boys, et al, instead of couped up in the house with nothing better to do other than, you guessed it, go to the game.

None of them had pro teams until the 60's (Atlanta, Miami, and Houston) or later so they don't have generations of fans to build upon as opposed to the Clevelands, Bostons, and Phillys of the world.

A massive influx of transients, who bring their hometown allegiances with them and pass them on to their kids. How many Boston fans you know of moved down to Atlanta and got rid of their Larry Bird jerseys for a Josh Smith one?

An SEC mentality, which really bares mentioning. As Ricky Bobbie's dad once said, 'if you're not first, you're last'. Losing does not fly down here. This is one of, if not the only region in the country where high school football coaches get run for making the state playoffs and not bringing home championship trophies. Down here, no one cares about your bowl record if you're not winning league titles and beating your rivals on a consistent basis (just ask Jim Donnan, Bill Curry, Phil Fulmer, and Mike Shula; they'll testify). Simply put, few things repel fans in the part of the country more than the aura of being satisfied with 'good enough' and 'decent' without being a perennial threat to carry the big belt home. After awhile, it gets old and fans tune out, especially after management thumbs its nose and continue with the same 'core' that got them to the playoffs; Chipper Jones will verify. But as opposed to the towns up north who'll keep showing up to the ballpark no matter how cheap the team's owner is or how many games in a row they lost, the fans down here show their displeasure with their wallets by finding something else to do (remember the 10+months of good weather?). You can tell if an SEC football coach is on his way out by the empty seats in the stands at season's end. The archenemy of being great is the satisfaction of being 'good'. That 'good enough' mentality the Braves and Hawks hold onto with grips of iron is the primary reason why they have such a hard time selling out ballgames, especially after the postseason starts; Hulk Hogan matches from 1986 have less predictability than they do in the playoffs. And so far, the fans who decided to stay away have been right, bullseye on the mark. They say that you can't win 'em all; yeah, right. Tell that to a Vol, Bama, UGA, or Gator fan and see what the response is.

So no, Atlanta isn't the worst fanbase in the NBA but it is by far and away the most discerning. We know the difference between a playoff phony and the Real McCoy. Anyone who runs a pro team here should know that going in....

Now that's an interesting take. However, there are no great Golf courses in Atlanta. It's not Hilton Head... or Pebble Beach or nothing.. and I do understand that there are other things to do.. I just think our ownership has to make the team a must see. Even if it means bringing more celebs in or havnig more fan appreciation.

[Guest]

Yeah, I caught that, too. Congrats, Nire...

I fourth that motion. Congrats Nire!

[Seano]

I don't know what metric they're using to judge best sports towns by, but I'd have to question Dallas being included in that group, at least when it comes to the Cowboys. I'm a lifelong Cowboys fan, and Cowboys fans are very well-known for their passive natures and for sitting on their hands during games, whereas other stadiums will get so freaking loud it's truly deafening. A lot of the Dallas fans are rich older people who have been attending games for decades, and that might partially explain their reserved behavior and the sedate atmosphere at the games. Still though, it's highly disturbing to see Shittsburgh fans taking over the stadium whenever the Squeelers come to town, and you see all that godawful black and yellow all over the place and despite them being in the minority, they're still much louder than the Cowboys fans in the Cowboys own stadium!

I've noticed Cowboys fans have been much louder and seemed much more into it at the new stadium though thankfully, so maybe the shabbiness of old Texas Stadium was lulling the fans to sleep or something.

But speaking of the Steelers, I absolutely despise that team, but I do have to admit their fans are amongst the best and most devoted in the entire league, and they will travel en masse to wherever their boys are playing and just take over opponents stadiums and are just louder than hell and TOTALLY behind their team.

[niremetal]

Congrats!

Yeah, I caught that, too. Congrats, Nire...

I fourth that motion. Congrats Nire!

Thanks, y'all! I can already see her redecorating my room in Rip City colors, but I'll deal...

[Diesel]

Thanks, y'all! I can already see her redecorating my room in Rip City colors, but I'll deal...

Cheers and Blessings on your future!!

[bird_dirt]

I don't know what metric they're using to judge best sports towns by, but I'd have to question Dallas being included in that group,

i'd also question la and cleveland being on there. 75% of cleveland's fanbase left when the cavs took their talents to south beach, and they already lost the browns once because of the great support from the city.

la has the legendary lakers, but it also has the clippers. do the ducks or kings (nhl) draw much? how about their non-existent nfl team (for one of the largest cities in the nation)? do ucla/usc count for the poll? if so, tech and uga should count for atl.

i would have to trade out those two teams for ny, philly and/or chicago personally.