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Leagues and Governing Bodies

FAR FROM CROWDED HOUSES: IS THE NBA FACING A "RECESSION"?

          Early in the NBA season, "there's evidence that people
     are wondering whether this game is still mah-velous" with
     the number of empty seats at NBA arenas, according to Sam
     Smith of the CHICAGO TRIBUNE.  While teams "have been
     playing to about" 80% of arena capacity on average, "which
     isn't bad ... the NBA suffers when measured against its own
     phenomenal success."  Smith, on whether there has been an
     attendance "crash": "There has certainly been a recession,
     with empty seats providing the backdrop for many of the
     nightly highlights shows."  Smith added that NBA officials
     "are watching the trends with concern because they sense
     there may be bigger problems ahead," including the cost of
     game tickets, the Michael Jordan "hangover" and the lack of
     "stars"; parity; "sunset of the legends" like Rockets F
     Charles Barkley, C Hakeem Olajuwon and Knicks C Patrick
     Ewing, and the "laziness" on the part of some teams'
     marketing departments (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 12/12).
          MARKET WATCH: In Orlando, Tim Povtak noted the Magic's
     average attendance this season of 13,587, down from 17,113
     in '97-98, includes five of the seven smallest crowds in
     franchise history.  Magic GM John Gabriel: "Attendance is
     always a concern. ... But it's just a byproduct of what
     we've been doing [rebuilding the team].  I think we'll
     recover, and we'll bounce back quickly."  Povtak reported
     that the team "for the first time" has "developed a group
     sales plan" and has "moved into the tourist market" to sell
     tickets (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 12/11)....In Seattle, Angelo
     Bruscas writes that "it's been a buyer's market" for Sonics
     tickets at KeyArena, as the team's attendance has gone "into
     a tailspin."  Paid attendance "bottomed out" at 12,233 for
     the December 5 game against the Hornets, but about 8,500
     were "actually reported" in the arena (SEATTLE P-I, 12/13).
          WHAT'S THE ANSWER? In San Diego, Nick Canepa wrote that
     the NBA "has to reinvent itself, and that doesn't happen
     overnight."  More Canepa: "Even with these rules changes, it
     still isn't a good game" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 12/11).

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