Just a couple thoughts from the game tonight... 1) The Blazers really dropped the ball with the way they handled the tickets. There were groups of empty seats all over the arena. There were four seats right by where I was sitting. You fucked up guys. 2) The fans sucked tonight. I've been to a number of playoff games in my day. I saw the Blazers play the Jazz. I saw the Blazers play the Lakers (numerous times). The Garden was very quiet tonight. I've been there when it was so loud you couldn't even hear yourself speak during the introductions. That wasn't the case tonight. I don't know if it's because there's a lot of new fans there, or if this city has lost some of its passion, but I was severely disappointed. Some of the regular season games had more intensity than this. I realize the team was terrible, and that sucked some of the energy, but I felt the fans were flat from the get go. 3) Joel can't guard Yao. 4) Brandon was the only guy who showed up tongiht. 5) The refs were fucking terrible. They didn't call it both ways. Brandon got contact on multiple occassions at the beginning of the game, but they didn't call it. Yet, every time Houston had the ball, there was the refs making the call. 6) I hope all you Duck fans are happy. There is no reason to cheer for Aaron Brooks before the game. He is the fucking enemy. Your Duck drove a dagger through the Blazers' heart tonight. Bravo. Maybe he won't get quite so many cheers next game, eh? I'm sure I'll think of some other things, but man...... what a shitty game. Really deflating. The guys came out flat, and never recovered. Some of that was the officials, but mostly we just didn't show up. Oden did some good though. I think we should start him next game. Fuck it. Give the big guy some burn.
Rizzle, serious question... When we play in Round Two, what are the chances I can get a single seat inside Staples? And make it out alive? Is there a Ticket marketplace like for the Blazers?
At least they aren't as bad as the Cleveland ones. Jesus Christ those fans were helping me fall asleep earlier.
At what point should have the crowd been going crazy? I thought there was great energy in the building leading up to the game and even in a couple points during the first half. However, we got our ass handed to us for 90% of the night, so it's tough to expect much more than the encouraging cheer the received over and over. Cheering Aaron Brooks and Rick Adleman before the game had nothing to do with the outcome, so I don't see what the issue is. Both of those people brought great memories to the state and I thought it was very classy the crowd acknowledged it. Back when Brent Barry and AC Green would start, they got the same treatment. I agree Joel sucked, but when coaches start making knee-jerk reactions, they often strip the team of its confidence in each other. Greg was better tonight, but he didn't really defend Yao, so it's tough to know how he would handle him. The best part of tonight is that it only counts as 1 loss.
Not coincidentally, I have always blamed the gradual 30 year decline in Blazers fan loudness with the gradual 30 year influx of transplanted Californians who moved here. Also accounts for the fans who arrive late, talk on cell phones, then leave early.
Hizz you ever been to a playoff game? I'm serious when I say that I've been to games where it was so loud before the opening tip that you can't hear yourself. The fans got loud in spurts tonight, but NOTHING like what we used to have. I can't blame anyone for being letdown during the game though. That shit was reallly disheartening.
I've been to every home playoff game since 1990 and the crowd was just fine. At no point, none, did they have anything to be excited about.
Guys, the fans in the 100 level, centercourt, were fucking terrible. They barely clapped. All the real fans were in the 300 level (big surprise), and that's where most of the chants came from. I'm just saying, it's been louder in the Garden. I was not impressed.
The point from when they entered the building to the point where they exited the building. That's their job. If it's too tough they should pass their tickets on to someone who's more qualified like me for instance.
i did when i was younger, but i dont remember. so i dont know a lot about past playoff atomosphere, but the crowd tonight did all they could IMO...go blazer chants repeately when down by 20+...defense chants when down by 25...i know i did my part
They sounded immense on the tube.... Perhaps they were just as shell socked as the team as the game went on.... The fans were the least of the troubles tonight.
The calls were bad for the Rockets as well. Yao was clearly set outside the paint and drew a CHARGE, but they called a blocking fall.
I'm just saying the atmosphere during the opening introductions was NOT what it used to be. People cheered, but it felt like any regular season game to me. Maybe that's partially because the team didn't do anything to distinguish this as a playoff game. Pretty much just the same introductions. Kinda boring.
maybe this is where i disagree. i was in the 300 level and it was usually pretty loud, i didnt pay attention to what the 100 level fans were doing.
How many times did Brandon Roy drive into Yao and not get a call? You guys shot five times as many free throws as us, yet we had more points in the paint for most of the game. Explain that?
I remember a playoff game back in the Days of the Duck (sorry we didn't win this for you big guy) when the refs held the ball and waited for the crowd to quiet down a bit because the players couldn't hear their whistle. And the games in the Glass Palace, OMG. Louder than standing a foot in front of the Marshall stacks at a Johnny Winter concert.
