More from Suns Correspondant to the Every Man...Paul Shirley!
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By Bill Simmons
Page 2
Here's another reason to root for the Phoenix Suns in the playoffs: Backup forward Paul Shirley has graciously agreed to answer questions from Sports Guy readers throughout the playoffs (I sent him a big batch two weeks ago). Today's question ...
How do you feel about the dance club atmosphere that is the NBA arena? The constant music playing during each possession must do one of two things for the players: 1) Get them energized for the upcoming possession (god forbid they do this without Snoop Dogg's help); 2) distract coaches trying to shout out sets and plays (due to the fact they are trying to hold themselves back from breaking out in a dance routine). Your thoughts. Thumbs up or thumbs down?
– Brad S. Denver
Paul's answer: I just finished watching Local H put on a very decent show here in Phoenix, so answering a music question seems appropriate. By the way, anyone who read that first sentence and actually knows the band Local H has a much better music collection than anyone around him (or her).
I grew up in a small town in Kansas. We (kind of) had an NBA team – the Kansas City Kings – nearby until I was about 8 years old. As I had two younger brothers at the time, and as my parents did not want to hasten their departure from this earth via the child-rearing-induced stroke that would result from taking three boys to a basketball game, I never saw the Kings before they made their exodus to Sacramento. (Incidentally, I do not know the whole story behind that move, but who chose Sacramento? Had they not been there before? It's like the Topeka of California, which is by no means a term of endearment.) At any rate, because I had little access to nearby professional basketball outlets, my only exposure to the NBA was via television.
As I mentioned in my online journal on NBA.com, this consisted mainly of the Celtics because: 1) Larry Bird was God, and 2) Kareem was so strange looking, I was actually somewhat scared of him. I did not see an NBA game in person until I was in college, when my fellow Cyclones and I were taken to a Nuggets game because we had an extra day in Denver after a game in Boulder. Of course, that did not really count because it was the 1997 Nuggets. And they were playing the 1997 Mavericks. Not exactly a barn burner. I do remember that Chris Gatling was prominently involved, which could not have been a good sign. The first real NBA games I saw were ones in which I was participating (or, more accurately, was eligible to participate in). I was unprepared for what I saw.
Now that I have been in and out of the NBA for the last three years, I have introduced a fair number of NBA virgins to the game. (Most of my fellow Midwesterners are not generally too keen on the NBA. In fact, I have had people back home actually ask whether there are still games on television. The league really did itself some favors with those mid- to late-'90s crackdowns on offense.) When these people first see a game in person, they are amazed, just like I was at first. An NBA basketball game is an absolute circus – and I mean that almost literally. The moments when there's nothing going on are rare, at best. Coaches routinely run out of things to say during timeouts, simply because they have been made so long, both by the demands of TV and by the intricacy of some of the in-game entertainment. It was not enough to have someone make a free-throw in 30 seconds. Now the poor guy has to roll down the court in an American Gladiators hamster ball, put on a uniform, and make 12 shots while the dance team participates in a full striptease. (OK, perhaps the last couple of aspects were slightly exaggerated – but we can all imagine.)
Needless to say, I am not a huge fan of the constant barrage of really, really bad music that plays a big part in the whole spectacle. I was floored when, prior to a recent game in Sacramento, I found myself listening to Beck, Queens of the Stone Age, and Kings of Leon, back-to-back-to-back. Granted, it was long before tip-off, but I had not heard that many white people allowed to sing recorded music in an arena, under any circumstance, in a long time. Kudos to the DJ at Arco Arena for restoring my faith in humanity.
The disappointing thing about the music perpetrated on the rest of us is that someone must like it, or it would not get played. Everything in the carnival that is an NBA game is a reaction to fan preference. When I played in Spain, I was fortunate enough to get to watch a Champions League semifinal match between FC Barcelona and Juventus of Italy. (That would be soccer, people.) I was amazed at the lack of extraneous activity. No cheerleaders, no awful hip-hop, no T-shirt throws. It was a beautiful thing, not so much because of the lack of extra crap, but more because people were actually paying attention to the game. The entire crowd was locked in on the action. Because of it, I think they enjoyed the match more.
It could be that the powers that be do not give enough credit to NBA fans. Then again, maybe I give the average American too much credit. These are people, after all, who will actually cheer louder because an in-arena television screen displays: "NOISE!" I cannot believe everyone's vote counts the same every four years. It boils down to this: Until the fans reject it, the music played before, during and after the game will remain the same. I find it all absolutely cringe worthy. But I do my cringing on the inside. I don't want to ruin the aura in the big top.
– Posted: April 22, 2005, at 2:58 p.m. ET
Page 2
Here's another reason to root for the Phoenix Suns in the playoffs: Backup forward Paul Shirley has graciously agreed to answer questions from Sports Guy readers throughout the playoffs (I sent him a big batch two weeks ago). Today's question ...
How do you feel about the dance club atmosphere that is the NBA arena? The constant music playing during each possession must do one of two things for the players: 1) Get them energized for the upcoming possession (god forbid they do this without Snoop Dogg's help); 2) distract coaches trying to shout out sets and plays (due to the fact they are trying to hold themselves back from breaking out in a dance routine). Your thoughts. Thumbs up or thumbs down?
– Brad S. Denver
Paul's answer: I just finished watching Local H put on a very decent show here in Phoenix, so answering a music question seems appropriate. By the way, anyone who read that first sentence and actually knows the band Local H has a much better music collection than anyone around him (or her).
I grew up in a small town in Kansas. We (kind of) had an NBA team – the Kansas City Kings – nearby until I was about 8 years old. As I had two younger brothers at the time, and as my parents did not want to hasten their departure from this earth via the child-rearing-induced stroke that would result from taking three boys to a basketball game, I never saw the Kings before they made their exodus to Sacramento. (Incidentally, I do not know the whole story behind that move, but who chose Sacramento? Had they not been there before? It's like the Topeka of California, which is by no means a term of endearment.) At any rate, because I had little access to nearby professional basketball outlets, my only exposure to the NBA was via television.
As I mentioned in my online journal on NBA.com, this consisted mainly of the Celtics because: 1) Larry Bird was God, and 2) Kareem was so strange looking, I was actually somewhat scared of him. I did not see an NBA game in person until I was in college, when my fellow Cyclones and I were taken to a Nuggets game because we had an extra day in Denver after a game in Boulder. Of course, that did not really count because it was the 1997 Nuggets. And they were playing the 1997 Mavericks. Not exactly a barn burner. I do remember that Chris Gatling was prominently involved, which could not have been a good sign. The first real NBA games I saw were ones in which I was participating (or, more accurately, was eligible to participate in). I was unprepared for what I saw.
Now that I have been in and out of the NBA for the last three years, I have introduced a fair number of NBA virgins to the game. (Most of my fellow Midwesterners are not generally too keen on the NBA. In fact, I have had people back home actually ask whether there are still games on television. The league really did itself some favors with those mid- to late-'90s crackdowns on offense.) When these people first see a game in person, they are amazed, just like I was at first. An NBA basketball game is an absolute circus – and I mean that almost literally. The moments when there's nothing going on are rare, at best. Coaches routinely run out of things to say during timeouts, simply because they have been made so long, both by the demands of TV and by the intricacy of some of the in-game entertainment. It was not enough to have someone make a free-throw in 30 seconds. Now the poor guy has to roll down the court in an American Gladiators hamster ball, put on a uniform, and make 12 shots while the dance team participates in a full striptease. (OK, perhaps the last couple of aspects were slightly exaggerated – but we can all imagine.)
Needless to say, I am not a huge fan of the constant barrage of really, really bad music that plays a big part in the whole spectacle. I was floored when, prior to a recent game in Sacramento, I found myself listening to Beck, Queens of the Stone Age, and Kings of Leon, back-to-back-to-back. Granted, it was long before tip-off, but I had not heard that many white people allowed to sing recorded music in an arena, under any circumstance, in a long time. Kudos to the DJ at Arco Arena for restoring my faith in humanity.
The disappointing thing about the music perpetrated on the rest of us is that someone must like it, or it would not get played. Everything in the carnival that is an NBA game is a reaction to fan preference. When I played in Spain, I was fortunate enough to get to watch a Champions League semifinal match between FC Barcelona and Juventus of Italy. (That would be soccer, people.) I was amazed at the lack of extraneous activity. No cheerleaders, no awful hip-hop, no T-shirt throws. It was a beautiful thing, not so much because of the lack of extra crap, but more because people were actually paying attention to the game. The entire crowd was locked in on the action. Because of it, I think they enjoyed the match more.
It could be that the powers that be do not give enough credit to NBA fans. Then again, maybe I give the average American too much credit. These are people, after all, who will actually cheer louder because an in-arena television screen displays: "NOISE!" I cannot believe everyone's vote counts the same every four years. It boils down to this: Until the fans reject it, the music played before, during and after the game will remain the same. I find it all absolutely cringe worthy. But I do my cringing on the inside. I don't want to ruin the aura in the big top.
– Posted: April 22, 2005, at 2:58 p.m. ET
Yuma
Suns are my Kryptonite!
I remember going to a Chargers game in San Diego about 5 years ago, and Black Sabbath blared out over the loud speakers during a time out. I was shocked! 
My wife asked why I was stunned they would play an Ozzie song at a football game. I told her I grew up when it was banned from the local radio stations. Black Sabbath was actually banned from some cities from giving concerts. How times change when suddenly Black Sabbath is main stream, OK to listen to music for an NFL crowd. I suppose a few years from now I will be hearing the Killer Clown Posse playing at a football game. 
My wife asked why I was stunned they would play an Ozzie song at a football game. I told her I grew up when it was banned from the local radio stations. Black Sabbath was actually banned from some cities from giving concerts. How times change when suddenly Black Sabbath is main stream, OK to listen to music for an NFL crowd. I suppose a few years from now I will be hearing the Killer Clown Posse playing at a football game. 
arthurracoon
The Cardinal Smiles
goldseraph
Irrelevance Sucks :(
I totally agree about the blaring music, gimmicks, and nutty hijinks during timeouts. LAME. I prefer to just watch basketball and enjoy the game without having constant hubbub. Without the music and crap, people might actually talk about the game more during timeouts instead of banging their ThunderStix and hollering to the noise meter.
Then again, the NBA markets to families and a family atmosphere. Little kids and middle schoolers have to stay entertained too and I guess they are pandering to them.
Then again, the NBA markets to families and a family atmosphere. Little kids and middle schoolers have to stay entertained too and I guess they are pandering to them.
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