Monday, June 4 And the survey says ... By David Aldridge Special to ESPN.com This all began with an argument. I wrote a column early in the season maintaining that part of the reason the NBA was suffering a ratings and attendance downturn was that the cost of its tickets was too high. That everyday working folks could no longer afford to come to games, and as a result, those folks weren't watching games on television as much, and that the league was perilously close to losing touch with the very people it needed most. In good times and bad, Kings fans make it tough for visitors to win in Arco Arena. Ridiculous, said Mark Cuban. Basically, Cuban said, I didn't know what I was talking about. Tickets weren't high at all. There were hundreds, thousands of tickets that were $10 or less, he said -- less than the cost of a movie in most cities. The problem was that the league didn't market those seats aggressively or successfully enough. And regular fans loved being in the arena, had a great time, didn't feel gouged at all, and happily came back for more. I argued my side, Cuban argued his. This went on for a couple of weeks, via e-mail. I forwarded Cuban article after article that made my point. Pre-teen fans who were up into the nosebleed seats and weren't allowed to move down to closer seats-in a half-empty arena. Story after story about $8 beers and $5 hot dogs and families who could no longer afford them. Don't give up your day job, Cuban said. You know nothing about marketing and business. So I decided to find out for myself. All season long, I've been talking to fans. Real fans, from Boston to Charlotte, from Minneapolis to Seattle, from Sacramento to San Antonio. It was not scientific. I picked fans at random, though I did try to talk to more than one person at a time. I looked for couples and families, and I looked for people of different races. I looked for young women and old men, and found both. I talked to a truck driver and a forklift operator and a painting contractor; bank tellers and hospital workers; retired couples and teenage kids. I only interviewed people sitting in the upper bowls of arenas, figuring those sitting courtside could afford to, or obviously knew someone who could. I didn't want to talk to people for whom NBA games were a tax writeoff; I wanted to hear from people who had to get up and work in the morning. I wanted to know if the vendors worked the tops of arenas as much as the bottom. I wanted to know if the t-shirt cannons I see fired at the rich folks reach to the upper deck. I wanted to know if nosebleed seats caused nosebleeds. In short, was going to an NBA game still worth it for these folks? I am surprised to say in most cases, the answer was still yes. One very important caveat here: There is no way of telling how many people have given up their seats over the years. Renewal and retention rates are a closely guarded secret in just about every NBA city, and I didn't have access to those numbers. The people I interviewed were people that still loved pro hoops. How many disillusioned fans (like me) have given up their ducats for whatever reason? There is no way of knowing for sure. All I know is most of the people with whom I spoke had season tickets, and had had their tickets for at least a couple of years. The tickets ranged in price from $10 to $55. What follows is the voice of the NBA Fan. In Seattle: Prices are good, but getting up there The NBA Fan is named John Arnsman, who paid $25 to see the Sonics play the Pistons on Dec. 6. He brought his father, Fritz -- it was Fritz's first NBA game -- and his wife, Johanna, who had just moved to Seattle to take a new job as a nurse. They sat in section 227, row 15, seats 1-3 at Key Arena. "It seems like a good price for the tickets and all," John Arnsman said. "I'm used to the Pistons' games, but yeah, it seems, it's an experience. It's something that, uh, I've always wanted to go to a West Coast game, and I never have." He said he went to "three or four" Pistons games in Detroit. Fritz Arnsman has had season tickets for Western Michigan University games for 30 years. But they came to see Mateen Cleaves, the Pistons' rookie guard-and, of course, a Michigan State man. I asked John if he would spend $25 to see other games in the same seats. "Well, we're like four levels from the top," he said. "I think these are probably worth more like $20 or so. We are kinda up high. And judging from all the empty seats and all, you have to give that some consideration. But all in all, we're enjoying the game." The NBA Fan is named Richard Rivers, who has season tickets in Seattle at $28 a game. This night, he was in his regular seats in section 219 with his wife, Liddian. "She comes to see how Iverson's got his hair braided, or who's wearing the bling-bling tonight," he said. Rivers has had his tickets for years. Also from Michigan (Detroit), he comes to see his former hometown teams when they go through Seattle. And he likes the big games, like the Lakers and Blazers. He was in the lower bowl for many years, but was moved upstairs when Key Arena was renovated a few years ago. I expected him to be upset about having to give up his lower bowl seats. "I prefer up here," he said, "because I like to be on top of the action. I don't care about what they're saying ... I can see how both coaches are reacting to the game, I can see how the players on the bench are reacting to the players that are coming in and out of the game, so you know, for a fan of the game, this is the best seats. Because you get a whole perspective of what's going on." Still, when I asked him if ticket prices were too high, too low, or just right, he said, "eventually, they will price themselves out. Because right now, we've got, in this town, major corporations. They buy up all the tickets. Like, for instance, you look at (a) box. You see how many boxes there are. You've got one empty box here, one empty box there, two empty boxes over here. One over there. If this was the Laker game, they'd be full. So what are they doing? As far as Mr. Ackerley (owner Barry Ackerley, who had not yet sold the Sonics to a group led by Starbucks executive Howard Schultz) is concerned, the place is sold out...but for a fan, I'm looking at all these empty seats, and I'm saying there are people that would love to go to the games, but they're priced out." Rivers figured that if "you come to the games with people, you have a beer or whatever, you have something before the game, you're looking at maybe a $60, $70 night, easy. And for a man that's got a family, by the time you do baby sitters, it just don't work." In Portland: Seats (and beer) are priced right The NBA Fan is named Kent Richards, a painting contractor from Portland, who brought his wife, Nancy, and 5-year-old daugher Anne Marie to see the Blazers play the Sixers on Dec. 7. He sat in section 329 of the Rose Garden, in the first row of the upper bowl. He's had season tickets to the Blazers for years, but this is the first year he and his family have been in these seats. "This ticket is $14," he said. "This is the best value in the house. Right across the aisle is $27. And the seats right below us are like $100. So you tell me." There are families throughout Section 329, Richards said. "One of the pitches that Paul Allen made when he built this building was he wanted a low enough ticket price that someone from a lower economic status ... close by, could walk over to the building, hand 'em a $10 bill and come see their idol," Richards said. "And you can. Somebody walks in from 20 blocks away and pays 10 bucks and sees an Iverson. And that's what he wanted. He must have the price just about right, because we're at, what, 95 percent capacity? And if you're at 100 (percent), that means you're not charging enough, and if you're below 95, you're charging too much." Richards says he gives 80 percent of his season tickets away to clients, and that they like them. "It's an escape from reality for three hours," he said. "I'm on vacation for three hours. But I'm only 15 minutes away from home. That's probably it more than anything. Plus, you get to see talent." He doesn't get the service in the upper bowl that he did downstairs -- "they're not gonna run hot ribs up here," he said -- but he's happy upstairs. "I wouldn't choose to spend $200 a game, $400, to have good seats down below," he said. "No way. At that point it becomes non-discretionary. At this point, it's discretionary." The Richards also go to movies and plays. Anne Marie likes "when they do the fire things" during the opening introductions. I do, too. The NBA Fan is named Cal Hamreus, an architect in Beaverton, Oregon, who goes in with three others on $14 per game Blazers season tickets, and his buddy, Mike Soprych, a computer tech. "I spend more on this than concerts or anything else," Hamreus said. "For this seat, if I could have that seat right below me here on the rail for 25 bucks, I'd take that in a second." "I'd still be sitting here," Soprych said. "This is my budget right here. Six hundred bucks (a year) is it for me." Last year, the group had $85 tickets in the lower bowl. "Awesome view," Hamreus said. "But I couldn't justify that price for the game. I get just as much excitement up here as they do down there." Hamreus brings his 8-year-old and 5-year-old to as many games as possible. "They love it," he said. "Cotton candy doesn't come by often enough." "Lower the price of beer," Soprych suggests. "They did!," Hamreus says. "It's only $4.50 for a beer now." "I better find the beer man," Soprych says. "We can't afford any more than two beers," Hamreus says. In Boston: Some unrest among the faithful The NBA Fan is named Mike Jackson, a carpenter from Boston, who spent $10 to see the Celtics play the Nets on Dec. 20. He's sitting in section 305 of the Fleet Center "to watch my man Stephon Marbury do work." He goes to five games a year. "I would like to go to more," he says, "But I'm saying honestly, I go to see the opposing teams ... the home team ain't really doing that good. I don't come out like that. If we had a team that was really doing good, I'd come out more ... if they lose, I'm gonna be mad because the home team's losing. But the majority of the times I come out, I enjoy myself just because of the atmosphere. I come for the love of the game." The NBA Fan is named George Blaisdell, who is sitting on the other side of the Fleet Center from Jackson, in section 317, where he spent $110 for two tickets that he saw available on the Internet. He is with his wife, Marilyn. They are retired and now live in Bridgewater, N.H., after moving from Boston, where they had season tickets for 10 years. This is Blaisdell's second game this season -- and, he says, his last. "I don't think there's a question that I'm not enjoying the play, the league, the salaries, the tickets," he says. I asked him if any one of those factors was bigger than the others. "I guess it's a combination of the price and the play," he said. "It seems amazing in a way that a coach like Pitino (Mr. Ricky hadn't bolted yet) that could motivate college players here in this fourth year (is) pleading with people to play defense. Defense is what got all those banners. So I would say the play primarily, but also the price ... I think I'm too old. We were spoiled by the old Celtics, spoiled by the Garden." He had season tickets in the old Garden with his old business partner. He gave them up when he moved to New Hampshire following his retirement. "Unless something changes, we won't come again," he said. "We were coming down for a different reason. We were coming down to take a couple of our grandchildren to the Christmas Revels ... I teach in a graduate school at a college, part-time, 'cause I'm retired. And it's a better brand of basketball for my taste, watching college ball." But Blaisdell allows that the Celtics' record has something to do with his feelings. "To me, it's kind of like, if Russell and if Cousy were still down there, I wouldn't be bitching about the $55 a ticket," he says. I ask him if the NBA markets to him now. "To me?" he asks. "Not at all. And I'm not sure that they could. But they sure don't." In Charlotte: No traffic if you watch on TV The NBA Fan is named Crystal Lindley, a student at Kannapolis Middle School in Kannapolis, N.C., who won tickets to see the Hornets play the Blazers on Jan. 12 because she was among the students with the highest grades. She came with her father, John, a truck driver who was more into football and hockey. "I hate the crowd after the event is over," John said. "I'm a homebody. I'd just as soon stay home and watch the game on TV." Crystal says she'd like to come to more games in the future. "Hopefully, it'll be entertaining," she says. In Sacramento: Likes it upstairs The NBA Fan is named Josh Newfield, who pays $29.50 a game to sit in the upper bowl of Arco Arena in Sacramento for his season tickets, as he did on Jan. 25th to see the Kings play the Spurs. "Hey, what else is there around here to do but watch the Kings?" he asks. "I got a car when I was 16, so I just decided, well, I got nothing better to do but go to watch Kings games anyway. I might as well get season tickets." Newfield, a bank teller from Lodi, Calif., says he's on the waiting list to move downstairs, but both he and his girlfriend, Alicia Ruiz, decided they don't want to move to the lower bowl: "We want to move down in the upper level. We think the better, the more (real) Kings fans are up here. I don't know why. We're just stuck up, I guess." In Chicago: Still showing up, despite the team The NBA Fan is named Judy Kafka, a nurse from Hoffman Estates, Ill., who brought her friend Alfonso Bartolo, a machine operator, to see the Bulls play the Sixers in the United Center on March 14. They paid $28 apiece for two seats in section 334. Kafka says she goes to about five Bulls games a year, and despite the team's abysmal record, she's still a fan. "The difference between the winning score and the losing score is getting smaller," she says. "It's not, like, 100 to 10 anymore." Kafka says the ushers and vendors make regular appearances in the upper bowl, although she wouldn't mind sitting down on the floor next to Bulls color man John Paxson from time to time. "It's not that bad" upstairs, she says. "Except I have a fear of heights...I can scream sitting here. So in that respect, yeah, I'd like those seats down there much, much better." The NBA Fan is named Henry Martin, who works at the Chicago Board of Trade. He walked up to the ticket booth at the United Center and paid $22 to buy his Bulls-Sixers ticket, in row 317. He goes to around 25 games a year, and does so reluctantly. "It used to be sold out," Martin said, "and you couldn't get a ticket when you would just walk up. Now anybody can come up off the street at the last minute, like five minutes before the game, and get a ticket...but still overall, you're getting a lesser show all the time. I'd rather try to sneak in and see Michael and Scottie than pay $22." His friend, Ted Ellis, is a state executive. "At least now you can come to a game," he says. "But overall, you're seeing a horrible performance. It used to be an hour, two hours before, the traffic would be backed up when Michael was playing...I'll spend it if Philly's in town." Ellis's ticket is really $38, but he's sitting with his friends. "Ain't nobody gonna kick me out," he says. They leave early. Often. In Minnesota: Satisfied, but not totally committed The NBA Fan is named Chris Escheu, an insurance adjuster from Northfield, Minn., and his wife Laura Escheu, who works in customer relations at Northwest Airlines. They paid $29 apiece to see the Timberwolves play the Cavaliers March 18. They see a couple of Wolves games each season. This time, they were in section 231. They paid $75 apiece for playoff tickets in the lower bowl of the Target Center last season. "You're a little closer, and you're a little closer to the action," Chris Escheu said, and he might buy tickets down there again someday. But for now, the Escheus are happy with their limited NBA action. They used to have season tickets, but they moved an hour or so away from Minneapolis, so they're not as close as they used to be. "It's a big commitment," she said. "When you buy a full 41 games, when you pay for all of them you feel like you need to go." In San Antonio: Way up, but happy The NBA Fan is named Tony Herrera, a map maker who came to the Spurs-Kings game at the Alamodome on April 12 with his wife, Diana, and children Robert and Danielle. The Herreras were way up, in section 348. In the cavernous Alamodome, the players looked even smaller than they normally do from the upper bowl, which is saying something. But Herrera was happy. He got four tickets for four bucks. "We came in January when they played Toronto," Herrera said. "It was totally different. They have other packages and we got four tickets for $69. They were club seats and we got four drinks and four hot dogs. Two years ago, when they were in the Finals, we purchased tickets. We got three tickets for $100. Not bad. Not bad for the Finals." His daughter Danielle is a big Tim Duncan and David Robinson fan. She plays CYO ball where the Herreras live, about 10 minutes from downtown. And going to Spurs games is a bonding experience for father and daughter that they can't get in much other places. One time, he took his son to a game with tickets his wife bought him. When he got home, she said, "when are we gonna do that?" The Spurs will move into their new arena in a couple of years, and Tony Herrera has to see what the tickets prices will be in the new digs before committing to anything. He's pretty sure he won't be able to get four tickets for four bucks anymore. "I'd spend $200 if the Spurs win and go to the Finals," he said. "I like being part of it." Over the last seven months, most of the people I talked to expressed the same thoughts. They still enjoyed the NBA game, whether their team was winning, or losing; whether a contender or pretender; whether the building was SRO or half empty. I draw no major conclusions from this. Again, we don't know if these people will come back, willing to pay again. This is purely anectodal evidence. But it did surprise me. Regular folks still get into NBA arenas, and still like a lot of what they see. Not as close as they'd like, of course. But from where they sit, it's not so bad. Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories

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