Who Sells Tickets in Houston?
YaoI just flipped to Rockets/Mavs to see about 27 people sitting in the camera-side stands at Houston’s Toyota Center. With T-Mac and Ron Artest on the court and a natural rival in the building featuring Dirk, it’s surprisingly empty. Unless there’s some awful weather going in in H-Town that I don’t know about, are the empty seats a result of Yao (ankle) sitting this one out?
It reminded me of what Gilbert Arenas‘ told me in his Dime #44 cover story: “A franchise player, he sells tickets if he’s sitting on the bench or if he’s in the game. I know how to sell tickets. I haven’t played basketball in a whole year, and I went from No. 10 to No. 8 in jersey sales. I went up. It ain’t all about on the court. It’s if you sell your team’s product. I’m a product-seller. One reason they signed me back is I know how to sell.” Is that part of Yao’s role in Houston?
Who’s the guy on your team that fans pay to see?
November 19th, 2008 at 8:27 pm
E$ says:
4th largest city, I can take you to a highschool game that has a crowd 5x bigger than the Rockets/Dallas game
November 19th, 2008 at 8:35 pm
rodnets says:
I miss the Gilbert Arenas supporting article from today, thanx Dime to have it in our minds!!
November 19th, 2008 at 8:38 pm
J 694 says:
Samuel Dalembert.
November 19th, 2008 at 8:50 pm
JC says:
This Rockets Mavs game looks like the D-League Championship game at times, save for Jason Terry going nucking futs. Brent Barry looks AWFUL btw.
But to answer the question, I’m sure the Chi buys tix to see Derrick Rose these days.
November 19th, 2008 at 8:54 pm
florida_evans says:
Us Nix fans fans pay to see which arrangement of leather patches will appear on Stephon marbury’s sport coats as he sits courtside…
November 19th, 2008 at 8:57 pm
rodnets says:
I believe T-macs new beard will sell a lot
November 19th, 2008 at 9:51 pm
qUeSt??? says:
shane battier
November 19th, 2008 at 10:27 pm
rangerjohn says:
the problem here in houston is their STUPID new “marketing” idea
GET RED!!!!!!!!!!!! i mean it is EVERYWHERE here in town.
i sold my season tickets this year, of course right about 2 weeks after they where sold they went and got artest
November 19th, 2008 at 11:43 pm
kowtz says:
How many people again in China watch the NBA because of Yao Ming?
And still you ask if he sells tickets? hahahaha…
November 20th, 2008 at 3:12 am
David Brandon says:
in sac, ppl pay to watch slamson the mascot. but thats about it…
November 20th, 2008 at 8:14 am
rangerjohn says:
kowtz
i rarely see “asians” at the games, although there was a pretty hot one that sat a few seats away from my seats. shw looked a bit right out of a rub and a tug joint though. so in this case it doesnt mater how many “chinamen” watch the nba in china they are not buying tickets.
November 20th, 2008 at 9:55 am
isotope says:
I was at the game last night too. It wasnt as empty as u would think. I didnt get there till the end of the 1st quarter because of traffic and there was still a crowd trying to get in. Plus the ESPN was outside having all kinds of stuff, they also drew a crwod. By the time the game was in full swing, the place was pretty packed.
On a sidenote: i got some killer seats. 7 rows behind the goal, in front of the rowdies. And i was on TV.
November 20th, 2008 at 10:27 am
JR says:
@ranger john:”…it doesnt mater how many “chinamen” watch the nba in china they are not buying tickets.”
that’s one jacked up statement, both for using racist language and showing some obvious ignorance on the issue. The ad revenues and purchasing power from China are what the NBA is after. I wouldn’t be surprised if the league shifts even more focus to China with the economic situation especially at home and in Europe. In case you haven’t realized, China holds an insane amount of US debt already and practically owns us.
November 20th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
Austin Burton says:
@JR — Not defending ranger’s choice of words, but the original point was about buying actual tickets, not merchandising or TV ratings or anything like that.