The NBA Has a Fan Problem

by Atma Brother ONE on May 28, 2007 10:04 PM PDT in NBA

I'm sick of hearing nonsense like the NBA is filled with players who dress like thugs and act like thugs. I'm sick of hearing about how the NBA is "too black" (whatever that means) for its white fanbase. I'm sick of this innocent and accusatory consumerist attitude that unnecessarily criminalizes the players and deflects any blame from loser fans like those in Salt Lake City tonight. A few classless Utah fans took being a sore loser to its absolute low point and started hurdling objects onto the court in the closing minutes of the Jazz loss. It was so bad that in the interest of their safety, Spurs coach Greg Popovich had to stop his players from doing postgame TV and radio interviews and rush them off the court. Props to ESPN's Michele Tafoya for handling that awkward situation so well at the end of the game.

Let's not forget that the Jazz fans haven't exactly been classy this postseason. During their second round battle with the Golden State Warriors (now those are some REAL fans) a few Warrior players reported that the Utah crowd was hurling racial slurs at them. Instead of the sports media and fans criticizing those classless Jazz fans, they instead focused their disdain on continuing demonize Stephen Jackson (who else could get a tech for clapping?), Baron Davis (Fisher flopped), and Jason Richardson (Okur even admitted that he was overreacting) [see Will Utah Be Booming Tomorrow?] and blew their on court play out of proportion.

What will happen to these few barbarian Jazz fans? Just like the majority of those loser Pistons fans that night of the Motorcity Melee- probably nothing. Instead the thug myth laced with thinly veiled racism about NBA players will continue to get perpetuated by the mostly sensationalist and negative sports media and ignorant sports fans, while the real thugs get off with no punishment. The NBA's front office is ridiculously tough when handing out punishments to the players for minor infractions like criticizing the refs, walking a few hundred feet from the bench (Suns fans really deserved better), or wearing the "wrong" kind of clothes. It's time for them to be tough on these loser fans who ruin everyone's experience at NBA festivities. For the next home game in Utah (looks like it'll be next season- Spurs in an easy 5) ban everyone from coming and play in an empty arena. Send a strong message. I doubt anyone in Utah or any other barbarian fan in the league will ever try to throw stuff at the players like that again.

Memo to the Jazz fans: Um, I don't think you guys want to try that when Ron Artest or Stephen Jackson are in town. The results might be a little different.

Final memo to the Jazz and Pistons fans: This ain't a zoo. Do not throw stuff at the players. They aren't animals unlike some of you.

The NBA doesn't have an image problem. The NBA has a fan problem.

UPDATE: Also check out-

Oh, Those Crazy Utah Fans [LTD Hoops Blog]
Beer, popcorn shower doesn't bother Spurs [MySA.com]
Debris thrown at referees, Spurs: Things got so bad that ESPN couldn't interview Duncan [desertnews.com]
Whining about whistles crosses line [The Salt Lake Tribune]
Is There Such A Thing As Fan Misconduct? by Etan Thomas [Slam]

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Comments

You stay classy, Salt Lake City

Well put.

You could tell things were going to get ugly when Breen noted that all of the fans were staying in their seats even after the outcome had been decided. Too bad it wasn't to give their overachieving team one last ovation on what was probably their last home game.

by jgurney on May 28, 2007 10:26 PM PDT 0 recs

Seriously

Even if the Jazz lose their next game in San Antonio and are gone fishing, they deserve nothing but props. They had an amazing run. I didn't think they'd beat the Rockets nor the red hot Warriors, but they came out on top.

It's really too bad their fans didn't have a little more class tonight.

by Atma Brother ONE on May 28, 2007 10:32 PM PDT up 0 recs

warrior fans

never have class, thats why i love us.

by stevenro59 on May 29, 2007 4:49 PM PDT up 0 recs

geez

showed their disgust by hurling things toward the court, appearing to hit San Antonio's Bruce Bowen with something small.

"They threw Carmex at me," Bowen said. "I like Carmex, but not getting it thrown at me."

With all the flopping (from both teams), I can see why the Jazz fans got mad. But really, there is no excuse for throwing things on the court at players. The Jazz organization needs to do something about those fans. Ban them. Hopefully it doesn't have to get to the point where teams have to play behind closed doors, like what happened in some soccer matches in Europe.

by Caught Backcourt on May 28, 2007 10:28 PM PDT 0 recs

Dirty

Snores R dirty Spazz R dirty n their so called fans are dirty,racist,fake,wannabee GSW fans.This series is not fun to watch thats why i haven't bother to tune in.Good stuff on those We beleive err tru blue shirts for $10 I guess a classless fanbase deserves a classless organization up yours Putah Spazz n you're sucky ass hillbilly quote unquote fans.

by Dopey on May 28, 2007 10:41 PM PDT 0 recs

no excuses

for ever throwing anything onto the playing field/court. that's rediculous.

by AJC3317 on May 28, 2007 10:50 PM PDT 0 recs

Utah's signs suck

Honestly, I really hate Utah's signs. During the playoffs, I remember going 2 our Arena seeing signs of joy and just bein' happy to be in the post season- that and a ton of Barkley Signs! I was notorious for creating signs for the Fans and our team... something that showed our appreciation. Because that's how a lot of us felt. I didn't wanna waste my time knocking on Dallas or Utah, I wanted to show GSW the appreciation out fans had towards the team... The Dallas series didn't bother me... but when I saw lame drawings of Jackson in a Jail suit or Baron crying in Utah... that was heartless. The Yellow We believe shirts utah fans also wore were low and classless. Oakland doesn't have much, you can see the poverty and pain just outside the arena. But when the Warriors started rallying and winning, you could see hope in the city. People all over the city were happy. That's why me and so many others believed. Our city was happy, and it gave us reason to believe. If you go 2 Yahoo sports or any other sites, all the Fan designs are corny, they all take shots at Tony's wife Eva and bash on San Antonio using sharpie markers for their 2 seconds of fame... Maybe Utah fans should give something back to their team instead of taking shots at the opposing teams.

GSW's finest sign designs... (because we do it for our team)

by Tony.psd on May 28, 2007 11:25 PM PDT 0 recs

Well Said

If anything we Warrior fans are about positivity: that's what the fanbase is built on, that's what this site is built on.

Can't wait to see the signs for next season! (for new Warriors maybe...?)

"The Dunk"

by orangino on May 29, 2007 2:19 AM PDT up 0 recs

Keep that signage coming!

Nice thoughts man. Very well put.

And your signs are straight golden man-- no, actually they're UNSTOPPABLE BABY!

I can't wait to see what you got in store for next season!

by Atma Brother ONE on May 29, 2007 7:48 PM PDT up 0 recs

I was wondering

what was being thrown on the court when Fisher got the first T (and it turned out to be a mini-basketball thing). I mean, being a Warriors fan, I totally understand the frustration of losing during the closing minutes or the bad calls towards your team (though everyone was flopping except Duncan), but throwing stuff on the basketball court was just plain classless. If you're throwing stuff because you think the Spurs are getting away with the floppings, then grow up, watch more NBA before you go to a game because, it's part of the game (also Jazz isn't exactly a "clean" team with Sloan on the bench).
Their organization deserve better fans, throwing things onto the court is ridiculous and a joke.

by semarubaka on May 29, 2007 12:42 AM PDT 0 recs

Warriors fans

We have more class than any other fans in the world. Even if our beloved Warriors lost a game, we won't resort to idiotically throwing objects on the court injuring the visiting team. The worse we can ever do is use politically incorrect heckling or even racial slurring-type of jargon towards certain opposing players and referees. I wasn't able to watch the game and wasn't interested either.

by Phil T28 on May 29, 2007 1:06 AM PDT 0 recs

I feel bad for the players

If I'm an NBA player and I'm playing in a very high strung game, adrenaline pumping, emotions raging, frustrations setting in; and some dumb ass in the stands starts yelling racial slurs at me or throwing his garbage at me, it would take ALOT to keep your cool in that situation.

I guess some NBA fans feel that by buying a ticket they have the right to feel superior to the people on the court and do whatever they want to. I'm actually happy about what happened in the Pacers brawl, those fans got what they deserved.

by jlagace on May 29, 2007 2:12 AM PDT 0 recs

the Utah environment

breeds the most homer of homer-fans. The self-centered attitude that Jazz fans have--->that they think everyone is out to get them (with every foul call) i.e. Deron Williams flops when Tony Parker spins to the right while driving down the lane and sinks a floater, and the crowd erupts because they believed they were cheated out of that no-call.

The Jazz team committed the most fouls of any NBA team this season because of their rough style, yet their fans complain about them having more foul calls than SA. No sh*t!!! The SA Spurs are a well-oiled machine and commit very few intentional fouls.

I love seeing passionate fans, this is one of the reasons why I follow soccer in England as my 2nd fav sport. But throwing objects onto the court because they felt like their team got robbed?? (when infact it was just Derek Fisher losing his cool and Jerry Sloan as well... although I didn't think Sloan should've been ejected) Uh... did those stupid fans learn nothing from the Detroit Brawl?

My god, I have never seen so much flopping in my life!!! Between Ginobili and Derek Fisher, I thought the two were having a flopping contest of some sort.

I guess I can understand why the Jazz fans are so passionate about their team.... it's because it's all they have there in SLC. But that does not excuse the stupidity of those fans that threw stuff onto the court.

Marv Albert: "I ain't trippin'!"

by ZombieWarrior on May 29, 2007 3:01 AM PDT 0 recs

Atma Brother watched the game!?!

Atma Brother, what a surprise, you going after the Jazz and their fans! Of course, it's hard to believe since you didn't watch the game. I'm sure worried about our fans' sportsmanship when we don't have deal with your team, which seems to have too much class to rub off...

I don't think harassing the Spurs was the correct idea, as the Spurs didn't beat us so much as the Jazz fell apart and the refs called an extremely lopsided fourth-quarter.

by la287 on May 29, 2007 6:17 AM PDT 0 recs

refusing to jump off the jocks of the Utah Jazz...

...just yet, the ESPN play-by-play continued to stress that what he was seeing "was totally uncharacteristic of the EnergySolutions Center crowd" and cooed that "these fans have been great throughout the playoffs."

hmmmmmmmmmmmmm, what's the variable? oh yeah, they'd won every home game in the playoffs up to that point. must be hard to refrain from such conspicuous acts of your poor sportsmanship when you're winning.

stay classy Utah.

and i do seem to have developed a small, dry, white patch on the back of my arm, so perhaps you have rubbed off on us la287.

by 321 IN n OUT on May 29, 2007 8:09 AM PDT 0 recs

yup

i posted a diary about the same thing last night. Throwing things on the court is just plain wrong. Throw in the mix racial slurs and pulling players down, and you've got a classless Utah Jazz arena.

Nellie's Schmoes

by tadams1080 on May 29, 2007 8:15 AM PDT 0 recs

In Italy...

This season in Italy they played a quarter of the season in empty stadiums when fans started a riot. They also heavily fine teams when stuff like that occurs. The NBA should take a few lessons from them

by BDiddyDaGeneral on May 29, 2007 10:32 AM PDT 0 recs

Agree to an extent

I agree 100% that the NBA doesn't have an image problem. If the typical NBA has an issue with the appearance of the players being too black, the NBA shouldn't be catering to this type of fan no matter how much money they bring. I also absolutely hate all of the negative criticism Stephen Jackson gets for pretty much no reason. As a Pistons fan, I've never liked how he went into the Palace crowd swinging, but since that time I think a lot of criticism of his has been unwarranted.

I don't think Detroit fans got off free after the brawl, however. Detroit has been getting killed by the media and from fans around the league ever since that happened. And, as I wrote in my article, I don't think this would happen in all NBA cities, certainly not Salt Lake City.

by hikwelity on May 29, 2007 12:20 PM PDT 0 recs

No see

It's okay to be barbaric if you spend more on good seats and extra food for your strangely chunky 7 year old for whom you've just bought a new jersey (his fifth). The NBA would rather villainize its players than subject you, casual wealthy NBA fan, to any criticism.

by jonathan on May 29, 2007 1:43 PM PDT 0 recs

Props to you atma

Great post.

by Dubs4Life on May 29, 2007 2:17 PM PDT 0 recs

Racial baiting

a few Warrior players reported that the Utah crowd was hurling racial slurs at them.

Was this matter ever resolved in any way? I recall reading that only the two Warriors guys (JRich and someone else, Jackson maybe?) heard it, and nobody else heard the epithets, so it's far from conclusive evidence for which to damn Utah for that sort of behavior.

Otherwise, completely stupid of their fans to throw stuff onto the court.

by leee on May 29, 2007 2:47 PM PDT 0 recs

Karma

All the things the Warriors players were accused of just happened to Utah with not nearly as much criticism. Ejections and frustrations including the coach too. When the refs predetermine the winner, which the players can see happening, but a lot of fans cannot, this is what happens. Utah is seeing that now against (refs) favored Spurs.

Great job Nellie and team to get the HISTORIC win over Dallas. Nellie had to ride the guys hard to get the wins and most were less than 70% healthy going into the Utah series. But the refs dealt most of the death blows in that series.

by soem on May 29, 2007 3:33 PM PDT 0 recs

Agree

Utah had it coming to them when they got to play the Spurs. They now know how it feels when the refs start blowing whistles the opponents' way. The Utah fans seemed a little like the New York Yankee fans, hella spoiled about their team. Going 8-1 at home is pretty good for Utah. It had to end some time. Just remember the Tim Duncan rule: If you're on Tim Duncan's team, you will get enough calls in your favor 84% of the time. The other 16% accounts for Joey Crawford's marvelous unbiased refereeing...LOL. Like our beloved SJax and B-Diddy, both D-Fish and Sloan lost their cool. You really can't blame D-Fish for doing so, because of horrendous calls made by the refs. Boring Ball will end pretty soon.

by Phil T28 on May 29, 2007 4:42 PM PDT up 0 recs

post a video

please smart guy!

by stevenro59 on May 29, 2007 4:48 PM PDT 0 recs

Too Bad

Dubz isn't here to comment on this.

by Zorgon on May 29, 2007 5:25 PM PDT 0 recs

Blame it on the refs--the NBA's real image problem

Generally I don't feel like coming out of my seat and slapping the crap out of someone. It is something I've never done but I must admit the lack of consistency and what seems to me to be blatent prejudice (at least towards the Warriors independent of race)makes me that angry. Of course thsee feelings don't excuse anything that happened in Utah when people, at least partially, acted on those feelings.

My header about blaming it on the refs was in jest, but just sort of. At least in me, the arrogance and prejudice of the refs incite this level of intense feeling. I contend until the refs officiate more consistently, passionate fans will be more inclined to go over "that edge".

A perfect example is how Jax is treated. For years the Warriors have needed an emotional leader on the floor. Of course he broods, pouts, argues, acts out, but it is because he cares so deeply. He is our "wounded child" and we feel his pain. Until the refs stop expecting every player to be Tim Duncan we do have a problem. Probably no one is going to totally agree with my point of view, but the image problem in the NBA is the way refs are allowed to play god game in and game out.

There should be standards across the board and those standards should apply to the players and the refs.

by commish on May 29, 2007 7:43 PM PDT 0 recs

I just saw a "We Believe" sign

at the Cavs/Det game 4. Seriously, what's with this NBA and the unoriginal fans.

Marv Albert: "I ain't trippin'!"

by ZombieWarrior on May 29, 2007 8:15 PM PDT 0 recs

spurs blog pounding the rock

the only real commentary about the jazz fans from the blog was their game recap title; but it was a funny one so extra points for that...

"Frustrated Jazz Fan Throws Spare Wife Onto Court"
http://www.poundingtherock.com/story/2007/5/29/13916/0381

by stedanko on May 29, 2007 10:24 PM PDT 0 recs

The league gets what it deserves

There is no excuse for throwing stuff on the court, but fans are getting sick of the flopping. It's ridiculous. This isn't Europe. This isn't the World Cup. This is North America where we play the game, not the rules. More and more Stern and co are desiging a game where acting and flopping is more important than tough play and people are getting sick of it. It makes for a poor spectator sport.

Props to drawlz600 for those sweet signs. They got nothing in Utah.

by walkerp on May 30, 2007 9:34 AM PDT 0 recs

the art of flopping

well, it never did Dunleavy any good even with his loud grunting like a pig at the trough. But that was my point in my earlier posting: he was wearing a Warrior uniform. I agree, the league gets what it deserves with its current lack of consistent standards for what constitutes a foul and the refs acting like little Stern-like demi-gods.

by commish on May 30, 2007 11:20 AM PDT 0 recs

Playoff Foul

Just having a phrase like -playoff foul- in common use tells you without doubt that the refs have a LOT of flexibility in how they call fouls.
And they can use that flexibility any way THEY choose. MJ got his, and so on ...

by soem on May 30, 2007 6:17 PM PDT 0 recs