EX-Hippie what's up with the Nets situation?

wiff · Post #1 » by **wiff** » Mon Jan 5, 2009 3:15 pm

So I was over at the Nets board trying to figure out what happened with Sean Williams and I saw that the Nets move to Brooklyn was all but dead.

One of the posters wrote that basically they simply can't draw at the swamp (even when Kidd was taking them to the finals) and the owner might be thinking about selling the team.

Any insight to that?

Ex-hippie · Post #2 » by **Ex-hippie** » Mon Jan 5, 2009 8:52 pm

Sorry, I'm no help. I'm really, truly laying off the NBA this year. I didn't know the move was considered "all but dead." (I will say from experience that loyal fans might underestimate the chances of their teams being moved....) I do think their venue is one of the colder, less exciting venues I've ever been in, and their crowd (or what there is of one) has always been lame. You don't feel close to the action unless you're in the best seats, and they always have to max out the jumbotron/flying T-shirt/etc gimmicks just to prove that the crowd has a pulse. Part of it might also lie in the fact that most of the committed sports fans in the area follow a team across the river with a much better history, fan base and arena. But all of this is just some guesswork.

wiff · Post #3 » by **wiff** » Tue Jan 6, 2009 2:31 am

Thanks for your insight Ex-Hippie.

I actually use to follow the Nets a bit when they had Kenny Anderson and Drazen Petrovic.

And also kind of through the Kerry Kittle's non era.

Man they had some bad teams but Drazen was the man until the car crash.

Dick Tate · Post #4 » by **Dick Tate** » Tue Jan 6, 2009 3:57 am

More importantly, what did you you find out about Sean Williams?

Dick Tate · Post #5 » by **Dick Tate** » Tue Jan 6, 2009 7:32 am

It's worse than I thought... Wiffler has gone over to the dark side. He's now posting on the OKC site as well as posting trade ideas for the Blunder on other team boards. Sad.

Ex-H, is this grounds for a Refugee revocation?
I need a shower now.

jenn_gp · Post #6 » by **jenn_gp** » Tue Jan 6, 2009 1:47 pm

The Nets as a franchise have always bored me, even when they went to the Finals with Kidd.

It was kind of amusing watching them purposely lose game after game a few years back so their coach (who I can't name at this moment) would get fired. Then they started winning once Lawrence Frank came in. But that's about it.

wiff · Post #7 » by **wiff** » Tue Jan 6, 2009 11:01 pm

Dick Tate wrote:It's worse than I thought... Wiffler has gone over to the dark side. He's now posting on the OKC site as well as posting trade ideas for the Blunder on other team boards. Sad.

Ex-H, is this grounds for a Refugee revocation?
I need a shower now.

I just can't help it I'm a Basketball Jones!

I'm following the Blunder. Mostly to see if they end up with the worst record in the league. And to see how Presti ends up shaping the team.

I'm not a fan of the Blunder, but yes I'm following them.

Dick Tate · Post #8 » by **Dick Tate** » Thu Jan 8, 2009 10:04 pm

If you're still interested in seeing Presti be successful, then you're a fan of the Blunder. Deal with it. That would also mean you don't really hope KD leaves OKC like your profile says.

Da big3 · Post #9 » by **Da big3** » Fri Jan 9, 2009 12:19 am

Hello, Nets fan, here, and i can tell you about situation, Sean Williams in the D-league and strugling mightly, as for the Nets, part of it is mentioned that the media gives the knicks, all the attention(most of it thanx to controversy) despite the Nets having more sucess recently, as for the arena, its really in a bad place(next to Giants stadium), but its isolated area, not in a city, not in a suburban area either its in litterally in the middle of nowhere and the move to Brooklyn hasnt been dead(mostly probles with finance and residents) in case u were wondering y brooklyn its cause of Jay-z, anyway it has been delayed until the 2011 season,which is bad since the nets wont attract TOP FAs, as for the fans its really a large arena, with so few, we average about 10,000-15,500 fans, the arena looks dead, and the team has trouble selling tickets, alot of deals with 2-for-1, tickets as low as .75 cents, so thats all, but a young and excitng team with haris and Lopez, and veterans like Carter glad to be of assistance

P.S, i LOVE westbrook(Fantsay)...

wiff · Post #10 » by **wiff** » Fri Jan 9, 2009 3:40 am

Dick Tate wrote:If you're still interested in seeing Presti be successful, then you're a fan of the Blunder. Deal with it. That would also mean you don't really hope KD leaves OKC like your profile says.

Dick, Dick, Dick, Dick, Dick.... :nonono:

I'm not wanting Presti to be successful, but I am curious to see what kind of job the guy does.

Hard to call the guy successful with only 5 wins and a recent 42 point beat down by the T-Wolves.

But we all know this crappy team was meant to lose fan interest in Seattle. But they just managed to move a couple years too early. So Clay gave his hometown a steaming pile of crap called the Blunder.

I am a fan of the players though. I would like to see individual success for Durant and Green (developing as players, better numbers, etc....) but I hope as a team they post the all time worst record. In fact I hope the Blunder are cellar dwellars for the length of that franchise.

But yes I am curious to see if Presti is the draft day genius he has been made out to be and I am interested to see if he can lure a free agent who is a player worth having.

Dick Tate · Post #11 » by **Dick Tate** » Fri Jan 9, 2009 6:40 pm

Suggesting trades to get your man Sean Williams to the Blunder...
Putting half the OKC roster on you fantasy teams...
Cheering for them to finish last so they land Blake Griffin (kinda like how you wanted the Sonics to finish last last year)...
Just sayin'... doesn't seem like much has changed since they left.

wiff · Post #12 » by **wiff** » Sat Jan 10, 2009 2:00 am

Dick Tate wrote:Suggesting trades to get your man Sean Williams to the Blunder...
Putting half the OKC roster on you fantasy teams...
Cheering for them to finish last so they land Blake Griffin (kinda like how you wanted the Sonics to finish last last year)...
Just sayin'... doesn't seem like much has changed since they left.

My trade idea for Sean Williams was more about finding out how Jersey fan was feeling toward Williams than actually wanting him on the Blunder. Last year Jersey fan wanted the Sonics number 4 pick for him now they would be happy with a second rounder.

And where exactly was I cheering for the Blunder to land Griffin? I did say I thought it would be PR suicide if the Blunder passes on the kid because I don't think Greg Monroe is going to put butts in the seats next year after this horrible season. That's simply an observation. I also think Presti will trade just about any asset he has not named Durant, Westbrook or Green in order to move up to get Griffin if they don't get the #1 pick in the draft.

Since you're wondering Dick I have only watched the season opener with the Blunder, if I'm not mistaken so did you. Yes I have been following Durant and Green through the box scores. Heck it took me over two weeks to finally remember their new coach's name.

jenn_gp · Post #13 » by **jenn_gp** » Sat Jan 10, 2009 7:53 pm

I don't keep track of Durant and Green in the box scores, but the Thunder do get my attention every now and then. And I don't blame anyone for feeling this way because this time last year, this team was still ours.

I'm not rooting for them to get a good draft pick, but I do hope they finish out the season winless. I check to see how they're doing...and while I don't post in the OKC forum (I'd rather die a slow and horrible death to be honest,) I do visit only to gauge the fan interest, which is still a joke. I can tell you the name of their new coach off the top of my head. Scott Brooks. Also, I've watched 3 Thunder games so far this year (1 preseason, 2 regular). Will I be shunned now? I hope not.

We've known Wiff long enough to know that he's not jumping over to the "dark side" guys. Give him a break. He's bored. There's absolutely nothing going on right now to root for in WA state with the Seahawks now being done for the year.

Ex-hippie · Post #14 » by **Ex-hippie** » Sun Jan 11, 2009 12:41 am

jenn_gp wrote:We've known Wiff long enough to know that he's not jumping over to the "dark side" guys. Give him a break. He's bored. There's absolutely nothing going on right now to root for in WA state with the Seahawks now being done for the year.

The Mariners have hired Tom Tango as a consultant. This is the best news for sports in WA since the Seahawks made the Super Bowl. No exaggeration.

jenn_gp · Post #15 » by **jenn_gp** » Sun Jan 11, 2009 4:44 am

^How sad is it that I've never heard of Tom Tango?

Ex-hippie · Post #16 » by **Ex-hippie** » Sun Jan 11, 2009 4:30 pm

jenn_gp wrote:^How sad is it that I've never heard of Tom Tango?

Not sad at all -- it means you're not as much of a pathetic stat-geek as I am. But Tom Tango -- not a pseudonym as far as I know -- is a big deal in the world of serious statistical baseball analysis. He wrote a book simply titled "The Book," all about playing percentages in baseball. As someone recently said on one of the M's blogs (I forget which), if you want to know what's the state of the art right now in baseball stats, you don't go to Bill James or Nate Silver; you go to Tom Tango.

Dick Tate · Post #17 » by **Dick Tate** » Mon Jan 12, 2009 8:37 pm

jenn_gp wrote:Also, I've watched 3 Thunder games so far this year (1 preseason, 2 regular). Will I be shunned now? I hope not..

That's pushing it. I'd say three strikes but I suppose a preseason game only counts as half a strike.

We've known Wiff long enough to know that he's not jumping over to the "dark side" guys. Give him a break. He's bored. There's absolutely nothing going on right now to root for in WA state with the Seahawks now being done for the year.

Well, at least he still has his Zags.

Nah, I wouldn't shun you or my ol' buddy Wiffler. I'd rather just flip y'all crap instead. I do shun any talk of the Blunder though. I'm not interested in discussing them period, in any sort of positive or negative way. Personally, my interest in watching any NBA has faded fast. I'll read box scores for fantasy purposes but that still keeps me mostly detached from the game itself. I have a no Blunder rule for my teams so I won't have to pay any attention to who's doing what on that roster.

wiff · Post #18 » by **wiff** » Sun Jan 18, 2009 6:40 am

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/story/11268371

Looks like my hunch was right.

Well it's time to write your politicians again and lean on them to pass whatever needs to happen to spruce up the Key.

Dick Tate · Post #19 » by **Dick Tate** » Tue Jan 20, 2009 4:54 am

wiff wrote:http://www.cbssports.com/nba/story/11268371

Looks like my hunch was right.

How was it right? That article was nothing but writer speculation. Here's the only worthwhile quote in the entire article:

"Make no mistake -- the Barclays Center will be built, the Nets will be playing in Brooklyn, and Brooklyn will have a world-class arena after more than 50 years of waiting to get back to the big leagues," Markowitz said in a statement.

"But frankly, as we all know, the economic realities have changed since the inception of this project. ... To that end, I am asking Forest City Ratner and the Empire State Development Corporation to give Barclays' design a second look, and conceptualize a sports and entertainment venue that is more economically feasible."

Oh, there was one more quote when the writer mentioned his thought to the Nets org:

"I think you've lost your mind," said a Nets source who is about five years late on that news.