Can you guys feel it?

[WaywardFan]

<Kronk> Oh....I can feel it....


I too wish I could be back in the valley for the hype. I remember the finals season as well. I even took my little brother to watch one of the Chicago games on the AWA screen.

The Suns have always been my favorite team. I have never been one to wear team clothing or hats, but I do remember seeing a game or two as a little kid at the Madhouse. I remember Truck Robinson. I remember when Walter Davis was my favorite player. I am no bandwaggoner.

 

[Mike Olbinski]

<Kronk> Oh....I can feel it....


I too wish I could be back in the valley for the hype. I remember the finals season as well. I even took my little brother to watch one of the Chicago games on the AWA screen.

The Suns have always been my favorite team. I have never been one to wear team clothing or hats, but I do remember seeing a game or two as a little kid at the Madhouse. I remember Truck Robinson. I remember when Walter Davis was my favorite player. I am no bandwaggoner.

Madhouse on McDowell!!!!

Loved that place....I watched the Suns beat the Lakers on the Colliseums big screens when we were in L.A. one time, and the fans were throwing tortilla's around because "LA was going to fold like a tortilla"....was such a great time.

Mike

 

[boisesuns]

I find it hard to believe too many people have ripped you just for liking the Suns. They've had good teams over the years and the only knock on them could be that they've never won it all. C'mon - It's not like you're Clippers' fans.

You live in mesa and are a lakers fan right? I've lived in boise which is a big bandwaggon town or,they like the jazz, sonics, or jail blazers. And in the early 90's, it was all about the bulls. Anyone who liked anything else was very rare, thus the minority.

Then i move to memphis, and i all i hear is how the grizzlies are so great and they are really talented. Now that suns suns are doing so well, i get accused of bandwagoning. go figure.

I'm sure you can relate to getting some flak for liking the lakers especially in Phoenix. I've been a fan of the suns, and have never lived in phoenix, so there's plenty of other teams fans waiting around where i live to boost thier egos

Yes, i'm definatly not a clippers fan

 

[Chaz]

I the hype is not like it was before as Brian said.

That season the hype started the previous June when the Suns aquired Barkley. It built up all season. This year the expectations were much lower and I think everyone is still in shock about how well the Suns are doing.

It may be until after the first round before the city starts getting really pumped up.

 

[green machine]

I'm stoked, but I think it's a matter of we don't really know how good this team is. I mean, I'm excited, but still unsure. I feel the team has enough talent to win the championship, but it's so hard for me to imagine that right now.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I the hype is not like it was before as Brian said.

That season the hype started the previous June when the Suns aquired Barkley. It built up all season. This year the expectations were much lower and I think everyone is still in shock about how well the Suns are doing.

It may be until after the first round before the city starts getting really pumped up.

agreed - I think people are STILL waiting for the other shoe to drop. An exciting first round series win will get those flags, paint and all that other stuff out there.

Do you guys remember when back in the day they draped a HUGE Barkley jersey over that 15 foot high Phoenix bird at thew corner of 24th and Camelback? And when we played Houston -, Houston's would put up a sign next to their's that said BEAT and then blocked off the " 's "? The town used to go absolutely bonkers for that team, but it's easy to see why - the personalities and characters on that team were just awesome - Bark, Ainge, Thunder, Ollie - to go along with long time favs like KJ and TC- this team doesn't have that connection with people yet. There's not a whole lot of personality... it's more like the 88 team that exploded out of nowhere - they drew people in with their style and then over the course of the years people really fell in love(spiking when we beat the Lakers).

 

[lancelet's cousin]

short memories - the Jordan versus Barkley Finals were amongst the highest rated of all time and without a doubt the most Hyped since Bird v. Magic.

I don't have NBA package and have watched every game available, in other words, around five. Compare the ratings for those few games vs the rest of the league games-there is promise for hype. America hasn't even seen this team yet.

No way this Finals - if we get into it - comes close to the media hype surrounding the Best Player of All time going for #3, against his best friend in the game and the MVP of the League and the talk of the entire year after the show he put on in the Olympics... BUT - it would be the most exciting Finals since 1993 - without a doubt. Suns v. Heat or Suns v. Pistons would probably start with modest numbers, but SPIKE hugely as the series started.

No way this finals-if we get to it-won't come close to the total media hype [internet+neilson ratings] of the '93 Finals. Shaq the Human Soap Opera leaving the Lakers and taking his team to the Final while Kobe flounders in LA-against the future of the NBA (as it would be hyped were it to happen, i.e. passing the torch). The playoff's will start modestly and spike once all of America finally gets to see PHX's product I think. With Americans embarrassed by faster smaller teams whipping our new, slower, "Dream Team", even the Olympic aspects parallel favorably. The "friend vs. friend" just shows you what marketing can do.

Say what you want about Stern (I do regularly ), he doesn't pass up the chances to market anything. And Miami Vs Suns is too easy to market. We may not compare in Nielson Ratings (I think we'll be suprised by them though), but that old matchup simply can't compare with the internet chatter. IOW, I think more people would be talking about this matchup than the '93 one. If they don't, Stern isn't the marketeer I thought he was. But I'm not betting against him.

But your right, the total number of people who watch will be lower-but I think people will be amazed at how close in ratings it draws.

 

[JPlay]

A lot of it has to do with the media's view that this team will lose in the first round and will be exposed in the playoffs. I saw Barkley last night saying that the Suns don't play any D and it's going to cost them in the playoffs. He said his only regret was not making a commitment to defense in order to win a championship. He said rebounding, defense and lack of turnovers win in the playoffs.

 

[Chaplin]

He said his only regret was not making a commitment to defense in order to win a championship. He said rebounding, defense and lack of turnovers win in the playoffs.

He has a bad memory. We didn't lose in 93 because we didn't have rebounding, defense and lack of turnovers. We lost because of a bad rotation and a great shot. It's funny how he justifies his opinion with no real experience to back it up.

 

[Cheesebeef]

But your right, the total number of people who watch will be lower-but I think people will be amazed at how close in ratings it draws.

i think you tend to way overestimate the ratings game here - Shaq has really never been that big of a draw, the Lakers series in the Finals were always modest at best.

If it gets that far, it doesn't matter what kind of marketing the NBA will put forward - it just won't be able to match Barkley versus Jordan - the best two players and the best two personalities and the most exciting teams - one of which going for a 3 peat against a relatively unknown team and Shaq.

 

[Gee!]

I totally forgot about the Suns this week, with the DBacks Opening Day game, then the 1st series of the year against the Cubs.

So were going to the playoffs? j/k

Thats great! Cant wait!

 

[Chaplin]

i think you tend to way overestimate the ratings game here - Shaq has really never been that big of a draw, the Lakers series in the Finals were always modest at best.

If it gets that far, it doesn't matter what kind of marketing the NBA will put forward - it just won't be able to match Barkley versus Jordan - the best two players and the best two personalities and the most exciting teams - one of which going for a 3 peat against a relatively unknown team and Shaq.

The NBA got better ratings as a whole back then anyway, it was the very beginning of the whole "gangsta" movement that has turned so many off (i.e., their biggest demographic, white America).

 

[Cheesebeef]

The NBA got better ratings as a whole back then anyway, it was the very beginning of the whole "gangsta" movement that has turned so many off (i.e., their biggest demographic, white America).

agree - one more reason the ratings won't be as high. Bottom line - Jordan, Jordan, Jordan. The second he left the game, the game went on strike and became more thuggish and unwatchable the ratings slipped and not even the almighty combo of Shaq and Kobe could even come CLOSE to raising the bar.

thus - with all that taken into account, I don't believe if we got there our ratings would be anything clsoe to Bark v. Jordan, nor would the hype.

 

[Joe Mama]

The NBA got better ratings as a whole back then anyway, it was the very beginning of the whole "gangsta" movement that has turned so many off (i.e., their biggest demographic, white America).

Yep. Here in Phoenix the Phoenix Suns were basically the only show in town also. I mean the Cardinals were here, but clearly the Suns were the center of the sports world here in Phoenix. That season and especially the playoffs were nuts. I remember I was working at nights, and our boss would let us bring in a small TV and watch the games. We just had to stay late enough to cover all of the work that had to be done. I also remember driving over to my parents house quickly to grab some food just as one of the finals games was getting ready to start. 3 miles, and I only saw a handful of cars on the road... at 6 p.m. on a weekday. It was amazing. Everybody had Go Suns signs hanging in their car windows.

Joe Mama

 

[lancelet's cousin]

I'm sure my homerism is overestimating the ratings of this potential match-up.

But I think others are underestimating the marketability of such a series. The Shaq story is obvious-its been played out for well over a year now, to the point that him taking another team to the finals will not be lost on the general public. Shaq-Kobe vs. Eastern conference=Booooring, same goes for the Spurs vs. the Eastern Conference.

Ratings were up when scoring was up. This is not lost on David Stern. They will pump this game feverishly. After each possible series victory, the NBA will market them more and more. We haven't seen how the ramp-up in market will take place. But from reading some posts I get the feeling people assume they willl use the same approach as last year.

But if you were David Stern, and you new that this up-tempo game sell tickets and bring ratings (and it does), would you not pull out all the stops to promote the NBA's "New Look"? Isn't this why the hand checking rule was instituted, to spur a team like the Suns to appear?

And I've never really bought into the thug thing as the reason for the ratings decline. It's scoring and excitement and nothing else. We old fogies may complain. And sportswriters certainly have people convinced of this; but the NBA will take tattoos and cornrows all day long if scoring and excitement return.

This would be one heavily-hyped matchup because its the first "easy sell" their marketing gurus have had since Jordan. Madison Avenue will tell the public how they fell about this series just like they tell them shoes are worth $180.

I can understand underestimating Jordan's impact on ratings. What I can't understand are peoples willingness to underestimate to power of marketing.
They finally have a product to sell. They won't sit on their hands and hope people embrace it. They will tell them to.

I'm a car salesman and can tell you that 80% of my customers have no idea what they paid for their car. But 100% think they do. The customer is easy and simple, sorry if that sounds crass, but we all know its true.

Don't ever overlook Madison Avenue when they have a genuine product to sell. If we make it to the playoffs the NBA will have more than enough ammo to market this game for the first time since MJ. I just can't stress that last sentence enough.

If we go to the Finals there will be no limit on marketing expense. I say Miami-Phoenix has an excellent chance of being a ratings bonanza.

 

[AZZenny]

The NBA got better ratings as a whole back then anyway, it was the very beginning of the whole "gangsta" movement that has turned so many off (i.e., their biggest demographic, white America).

That was my thought, too - can't tell you how many people I mention the Suns to, who say dismissively that they are totally turned off the NBA and don't follow it at all anymore - usually citing the character issue and the 'boring game,' sometimes just saying they now follow the DBacks.

When I assure them these Suns have good character, they sort of shrug, unimpressed. When I tell them how much fun and how exciting the Suns are ('like 50's Celtics or Showtime Lakers') they vaguely say they'll have to see about watching a game. I have no idea what the Suns can do to reverse that generic stereotype - other than get past the first round and plaster the players' smiling faces and good deeds all over the place.


Oh - can I feel it? You betcha! I'll be in Italy during the whole first round, but hoping because of Mike D'Antoni there'll be some coverage.

Speaking of which - anyone know what D'A's jersey number was when he played in Italy??

 

[lancelet's cousin]

8

 

[elindholm]

usually citing the character issue and the 'boring game,' sometimes just saying they now follow the DBacks.

I know the NBA game has its weaknesses, but for someone to say that it's "boring" and then watch baseball instead is just too funny.

 

[Gee!]

usually citing the character issue and the 'boring game,' sometimes just saying they now follow the DBacks.

I know the NBA game has its weaknesses, but for someone to say that it's "boring" and then watch baseball instead is just too funny.

There is nothing boring about baseball.

 

[JPlay]

He has a bad memory. We didn't lose in 93 because we didn't have rebounding, defense and lack of turnovers. We lost because of a bad rotation and a great shot. It's funny how he justifies his opinion with no real experience to back it up.

Sorry dude, but I think Charles Barkley, the star player of the 92-93 team and MVP of that year who actually played in the finals has more insight than you. Bad rotation and great shot is what you are blaming the loss of that series on? How about Michael Jordan at the peak of his powers.

 

[Chaz]

Sorry dude, but I think Charles Barkley, the star player of the 92-93 team and MVP of that year who actually played in the finals has more insight than you. Bad rotation and great shot is what you are blaming the loss of that series on? How about Michael Jordan at the peak of his powers.

I hate to say it but choking the first two games of that series was the difference.

I worked out ok against the Lakers but that is a tougher hill to climb against the Bulls.

 

[JPlay]

Yeah we had no answer for Jordan. The guy didn't miss. We put Majerle, KJ and Dumas on him and they all got ate up.