Oklahoma City, Big League City . . .

[Laramie]

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Oklahoma City will survive...



We are a well-established 'breakthrough' market since becoming a big league city in 2008-09. OKC had a two year trial run hosting the displaced New Orleans Hornets (post Katrina) and seven years with our Thunder. Nine years of NBA success as a big league city.

Oklahoma City's attendance figures since hosting the NBA:

2005-06 New Orleans-Oklahoma City Hornets 18,168
2006-07 New Orleans-Oklahoma City Hornets 17,833
2007-08 One year Hiatus
2008-09 Oklahoma City Thunder 18,693 - Ford Center seating capacity: 19,135
2009-10 Oklahoma City Thunder 18,003 - Ford Center seating capacity: 18,203

2010-16 Oklahoma City Thunder 18,203 (255 consecutive sellouts) 5.25 seasons of consecutive sellouts. OKC is an established NBA city.

Chesapeake Energy Arena upgrades: Seating configuration to accommodate national TV & address the cup holder issue with seats on court side floor level; new southwest exterior entrance as part of the $90 million arena upgrades.


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[FighttheGoodFight]

2018 will be the interesting season. Everyone have locked in tickets for 2017 but if Russ leaves or is traded I could see people not renewing. We will see!

[Anonymous.]

2018 will be the interesting season. Everyone have locked in tickets for 2017 but if Russ leaves or is traded I could see people not renewing. We will see!

No chance. Even if Russ left, the arena will still sell tickets. If anything, perhaps a price decrease in the future if the team gets really bad.

[Bellaboo]

No chance. Even if Russ left, the arena will still sell tickets. If anything, perhaps a price decrease in the future if the team gets really bad.

I've had club level for years and currently not considering renewal. We spent 10,000 this past season and have decided we could go to a few great games for way less and enjoy it more with better seating (even though our seats are good). It's hard to go to 5 game home stands in a row, even selling some of the mid week games.

We will make that decision in March, but we've been thinking about it for a while now. Even considering splitting the season with someone else.

[AP]

Even considering splitting the season with someone else.

My wife's parents have done this for the last few years in the lower level at a 75/25 split, but have been considering the full tickets recently. (They bought into the other person's tickets and now want their own.) Haven't talked to them about their thoughts now that KD and potentially Russ will be gone.

[betts]

I'm going to keep buying my season tickets. I feel like the team needs support now more than ever. If we have a chance of Russ staying it won't happen without "the best [fairweather?] fans in the NBA." And it's fun watching a team learn together. I get a lot of satisfaction out of player growth.

[PhiAlpha]

2018 will be the interesting season. Everyone have locked in tickets for 2017 but if Russ leaves or is traded I could see people not renewing. We will see!

My only silver lining if KD left was that I would finally be able to get season tickets.

Having said that, I would obviously rather the team stay together and continue overpaying on stubhub.

[Patrick]

2018 will be the interesting season. Everyone have locked in tickets for 2017 but if Russ leaves or is traded I could see people not renewing. We will see!

People keep saying that ticket sales are going to drop off with KD leaving. One thing you have to remember is that when the Hornets were here, we sold out a lot of games, and they were barely a playoff team at that. I think people will continue to support the Thunder through the good times and bad. Afterall, it's a major league team....what else is going on in town?

[catch22]

A lot of people will hold on to them for a few years if a slump forms. You lose your seats if you don't renew--so if you have some good lower level seats and decline to renew, someone else will probably come in and buy them. No guarantee you will get them back after a couple years if the team recovers.

Loud city season tickets may suffer but the lower level ticket holders will hold on to them.

[FighttheGoodFight]

People keep saying that ticket sales are going to drop off with KD leaving. One thing you have to remember is that when the Hornets were here, we sold out a lot of games, and they were barely a playoff team at that. I think people will continue to support the Thunder through the good times and bad. Afterall, it's a major league team....what else is going on in town?

I think there is a difference there. People went because it was new and exciting. Also ticket prices were dirt cheap as well.

There is a lot to do in town and with Oklahoma being in an oil recession game tickets might be the thing they cut.

I have a few friends who are season ticket holders who have wanted out for a while as the price keeps going up so this might be the nail in the coffin for those on the fence.

I hope people will continue to go but if they don't then I'll enjoy the lower ticket prices!

[jn1780]

People keep saying that ticket sales are going to drop off with KD leaving. One thing you have to remember is that when the Hornets were here, we sold out a lot of games, and they were barely a playoff team at that. I think people will continue to support the Thunder through the good times and bad. Afterall, it's a major league team....what else is going on in town?

The Hornet ticket sales is not really a good comparison. Everyone knew they were going to leave eventually so you had to enjoy every moment they were here.

A lot will depend on how Oklahoma's economy does over the next few years also. People won't pay the same price to see a team struggling if the economy is doing poorly.

[king183]

I'm going to keep buying my season tickets. I feel like the team needs support now more than ever. If we have a chance of Russ staying it won't happen without "the best [fairweather?] fans in the NBA." And it's fun watching a team learn together. I get a lot of satisfaction out of player growth.

Absolutely. I've been a season ticket holder since season 3, and I plan to keep renewing. I know watching a dominant, winning team is really fun, but often watching a team develop from young upstarts is even more fun. Heck, just think back to when the Thunder first started. We sucked, but we developed rapidly into one of the most powerful forces in the NBA. Who knows if we will do that again? Yet, with a really good coach and a really good GM, you can be guaranteed it will be fun watching this team grow for years to come.

Bellaboo--I used to have season tickets in club level and I decided it wasn't worth the price to have access to "exclusive" bars and restaurants. I would suggest either moving seats to baseline lower level or front row Loud City or splitting tickets with a friend or family member. I think you're right that attending every single game can be difficult (and sometimes tiring), so splitting tickets would be a really good option, in my opinion.

[Bellaboo]

Bellaboo--I used to have season tickets in club level and I decided it wasn't worth the price to have access to "exclusive" bars and restaurants. I would suggest either moving seats to baseline lower level or front row Loud City or splitting tickets with a friend or family member. I think you're right that attending every single game can be difficult (and sometimes tiring), so splitting tickets would be a really good option, in my opinion.

I would like to split them down the middle, every other game, with someone if possible. Section 220, 4th row in the center of the row. Any takers ? (And the wide seats to boot)

[AP]

I'm interested.

[Bullbear]

Oh I am sure a few fairweather fans will dump their tickets. .and I will bet people on the waiting list will snatch em up. I don't see it making a huge difference at the box office. but I could be wrong.

[dankrutka]

I share 1/3rd of my season tickets... even though I haven't lived in OKC since 2011. Not giving them up now. I'm a Thunder fan, not a KD fan.

[OKCisOK4me]

I would never be able to afford full season tickets but if they offered a day time ticket package, I'd be all over that (since I go to bed by 8pm Sun-Thu)!

[Tundra]

I've had 4 club level seats from day one, I don't plan on giving mine up.... I think it sucks that KD is gone, but it's just entertainment, even the Bucks score 100 points a night, course you wanna win and go to the playoffs , but life goes on.

[OKCretro]

I would like to split them down the middle, every other game, with someone if possible. Section 220, 4th row in the center of the row. Any takers ? (And the wide seats to boot)

Honestly the best way to split season tickets is to have a draft for the games. That is the most fair. What if Cleveland is on Sunday, bucks on Tuesday and golden state Thursday? One person gets the caves and golden state while the other gets the bucks.

Family has 4 together in the lower level opposite of the visiting team bench. If we gave them up not sure we would ever get 4 together in the same section again.
Have had our seats since year 1

[TU 'cane]

Here's something worth reading related to all this.
And much to Seattle's chagrin, we've out lasted the honeymoon period, which they said we wouldn't support the team passed. I don't know if there is an exact length of time for a sports related "honeymoon period" but my general knowledge and understanding being a sports fan my whole life says that a typical honeymoon period in sports is 3-5 seasons.

Anyway, will the Thunder still have support in Oklahoma after all this?

http://deadspin.com/now-we-find-out-...etb-1783298227

[Pete]

I said this long before I moved back to OKC, but I was absolutely stunned on my annual visits back to see that virtually everyone around town loved the Thunder.

I have four sisters that don't care that much about sports, but they love the Thunder and talked about them all the time. Same with tons of other friends and acquaintances who had never really been big sports fans in the past. And then my sports-loving friends were all-in, most with at least a share of season tickets and a near obsession with the team.

The only comparison I've ever seen is Packers in Wisconsin. I have family there as well and that team is a huge part of their culture there, and I think the same could be said for the Thunder in Oklahoma.

They say the best revenge is to live well. I really think that's how most Thunder fans feel now... That we've been jilted but we are going to show the world we still have a very good team and we'll support them no matter what.

Now, if the team ends up out of playoff contention for several years in a row, some fans will jump ship. I personally think the franchise and management is strong enough where that won't happen.

[Zuplar]

I said this long before I moved back to OKC, but I was absolutely stunned on my annual visits back to see that virtually everyone around town loved the Thunder.

I have four sisters that don't care that much about sports, but they love the Thunder and talked about them all the time. Same with tons of other friends and acquaintances who had never really been big sports fans in the past. And then my sports-loving friends were all-in, most with at least a share of season tickets and a near obsession with the team.

The only comparison I've ever seen is Packers in Wisconsin. I have family there as well and that team is a huge part of their culture there, and I think the same could be said for the Thunder in Oklahoma.

They say the best revenge is to live well. I really think that's how most Thunder fans feel now... That we've been jilted but we are going to show the world we still have a very good team and we'll support them no matter what.

Now, if the team ends up out of playoff contention for several years in a row, some fans will jump ship. I personally think the franchise and management is strong enough where that won't happen.

I've noticed this too. I'm hoping this is enough to keep them relevant and keep them from leaving.

[AP]

I don't know. This is what Forbes wrote in it's Jan 2016 valuation: "The Thunder went 45-37 during the 2014-15 season, but missed the playoffs, ending its five-year consecutive postseason run. The team slipped from first to third place in local television ratings. The Thunder averaged a 7.04 rating on FS Oklahoma, 20% lower than the previous season."

That is only one season of poor performance and our star player still here and hurt. It would seem we have a lot of fair weather fans just like other markets.

[soonermike81]

I don't know. This is what Forbes wrote in it's Jan 2016 valuation: "The Thunder went 45-37 during the 2014-15 season, but missed the playoffs, ending its five-year consecutive postseason run. The team slipped from first to third place in local television ratings. The Thunder averaged a 7.04 rating on FS Oklahoma, 20% lower than the previous season."

That is only one season of poor performance and our star player still here and hurt. It would seem we have a lot of fair weather fans just like other markets.

We absolutely have fair weather fans. That's one of the reasons why I think Russell is on his way out. Our fans ripped him for years, until he showed us what he could do a couple years ago with KD out. We showed him no loyalty; why would he be loyal to us? All these pathetic fans begging him to stay and be our leader now, LOL. I hope I'm wrong, but I think the Thunder will be experiencing many years of mediocrity. Fans will disappear as sub .500 seasons mount up.

[Pete]

I don't know why people assume this team will just slide into mediocrity.

Remember, the front office is responsible for recognizing the talent of KD and Westbrook, drafting and signing them, and then keeping them here much longer than the average NBA tenure.

They are both great players but we only made the finals once and performed badly when we did.

It's not like we had the greatest team ever assembled and we'll never be able to approach that success again. It will be hard to win at the same pace but taking a huge dive isn't nearly as likely as many seem to assume.