Nets Home Attendance Drops; Pacers Face Their Own Challenges

Nets Draw One Of Its Smallest Crowds Of Season Despite $10 Ticket Special

The Nets drew just 13,433 fans for last night’s game against the Clippers, “one of the smallest [crowds] of the season,” despite offering a $10 ticket special, according to Dave Caldwell of the N.Y. TIMES. Through 13 games at the Izod Center, the 9-13 Nets rank 22nd in the league in home attendance and are down 1,636 fans from this point last season. However, with stars like Gs Jason Kidd and Vince Carter and F Richard Jefferson, the club ranks second in road attendance, behind only the Celtics.  Nets Sports & Entertainment President & CEO Brett Yormark indicated that he was “confident more fans would come to the Izod Center after the holidays.” Yormark: “When it’s all said and done at the end of the year, we’ll show an increase in attendance.” Yormark added that the team’s planned move to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn for  2010-11 season “has not been a factor” (N.Y. TIMES, 12/12).

PACERS: The Pacers did not discipline G Jamaal Tinsley after his involvement in a shooting in a nightclub parking lot early Sunday morning, and Dallas Morning News columnist Tim Cowlishaw said, “This franchise was a beloved franchise in that city. They’re drawing 12,000 fans a night. They got 7,000 empty seats. The fans have given up on this team. They’re sick of the (negative) attention.” Chicago Sun-Times columnist Jay Mariotti added, “Guns? That’s been right on top of (NBA Commissioner) David Stern’s mandate for years. Where is he?” (“Around The Horn,” ESPN, 12/11). ESPN NBA analyst Tim Legler said when he spoke to some Pacers fans in Indianapolis recently, "I felt such a sense of apathy about the Indiana Pacers. Their fan base has always been traditionally so strong, but I think they’re just a little fed up and tired with all of these instances talking place” (“NBA Coast To Coast,” ESPN, 12/11).