Elie Seckbach always cracks me up, especially when he's talking to the Pistons. I'm guessing that's from the Pistons' recent trek through Elie's neck of the woods at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Other random links:
- My latest from HOOPSWORLD, taking stock of Detroit's first dozen games.
- Jason Maxiell getting his Soulja Boy on.
- Tayshaun Prince getting his generosity on.
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Chris McCosky isn't very happy about how quiet the Palace is at the start of each half, correctly noting that many of the fans are enjoying the huge concourses (which include numerous food vendors and shops as well as several bar areas) instead of sitting in their seats making noise:
It just seems more and more is being done to divert fans' attention away from the game.
I understand that the lords are trying to provide a total entertainment package. I understand that not everybody who comes to a basketball game is a hard-core basketball fan. Give them something else to do. Fine. I get that.
But when the ancillary entertainment choices are threatening to detract from the experience of the game, when they deaden the atmosphere and kill the energy in your own building, then maybe there's too much ancillary entertainment.
He makes a valid point -- even I've fallen into the trap of lingering at the Red Bull Lounge during halftime and watching the first several minutes of the third on one of the mounted televisions above the bar. That said, I don't completely resent the new concourses: one of the benefits is that if you're sitting close to them, it greatly reduces the wait time if you're looking to grab a drink or a bite to eat. I remember the old days when you'd have to leave with a minute or so left before halftime just so you could get in line and be back before the game started again. Now, there are rarely more than a few people in front of you no matter when (or where) you go.
- Another reason why the Palace is so quiet early: there just aren't as many people in the building. Yes, the sellout streak is alive, but the fact that tickets can be had for five bucks on the after-market makes me think many of them end up going unused, even if they were technically paid for once.
- Last week, Flip Murray was quoted as saying that the Knicks looked like "they didn't want to compete." Jeff Van Gundy took exception to the criticism of his former (and future?) team, basically saying that Murray wasn't qualified to talk about the Knicks, despite the fact that, you know, he was actually on the floor against them.