The Oracle promo nights that Oakland deserves

The Golden State Warriors are entering their final year playing in Oakland’s Oracle Arena—the East Bay’s beloved concrete canyon.

Long before the Warriors rose to their current annual world-beater status, Oracle played host to decades of mediocre memories that will last lifetimes. That said, decades of losing forges a nostalgia that will be difficult to replace in the Chase Center. So, it’s only appropriate that the Warriors, the best team in the NBA, honor their loyal East Bay fans with the best trifecta of promotional nights in the history of humankind.

Something I didn’t cover earlier: With winning, comes great responsibility. Rather than get more creative, teams, like the Warriors often use winning as a crutch. Teams should get more creative and less sterile. There’s nothing to lose!

“Let’s do an Iguodala bobblehead night.”

“How about a Boogie bobblehead night?”

Blah, blah, blah.

Boogie is still just learning the difference between Oakland and San Francisco. Think about the fans!

It’s not all bad news. The Warriors’ marketing team got a few things right. February 12, 2019 is Baron Davis Night (bobbleheads!) and February 21, 2019 is We Believe Night. There are also Throwback Thursday Nights dispersed throughout the season to celebrate entire decades: the 70s, 80s, 90s and 2000s will all be honored.

But I’m looking for more and it’s not too late. The Warriors have an opportunity to think outside the promotional box to give the East Bay faithful a year to remember on their home turf.

1) Monta Ellis Night— Ellis’ absence arguably catalyzed a dynasty. Without Ellis leaving, there’s no Stephen Curry (as we know him), no Harrison Barnes draft pick, and in turn, no Kevin Durant. The least the Warriors could do is celebrate the guy. Honor Ellis before the game and give out a bobblehead. At halftime, blindfold kids, place them anywhere on the court and tell them to heave it. Monta Ellis deserves it, and fans deserve to remember the past.

2) Yay Area Night—Imagine Oracle stereos bumping E-40 jams, celebratory ghost riding videos after threes, and fans thizzing like it’s the end of the world. Once the Dubs move to the Chase Center, tech bros Carter, Jacob and Tim will be too burnt out from their jobs at failing startups to appreciate a night like this. Menu: $3 beers and $1.50 for bacon-wrapped hot dogs. That’s it. No other food and drink available.

3) Nellie Night— An evening for Don Nelson. The man who hosts poker nights with Owen Wilson, Willie Nelson and Woody Harrelson (three names that sound the same) also coached the Warriors for two stints that added up to 11 seasons. If you look hard enough, his signature “Nellie Ball” was the foreground for the current brand of hoops the team plays today. He’s also a hilarious, pot-smoking old dude. Nellie bobbleheads of him wearing a Hawaiian shirt, holding a deck of cards with a fat joint hanging out of his mouth would go for thousands on eBay.

Those are just some ideas. Post your own ideas for Oracle promotional schedule.