Liberty Outdoor Game Draws Sparse Crowd Despite Atmosphere
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Arthur Ashe Stadium Hosts First Outdoor
Regular-Season Game In Pro Basketball History |
The Liberty Outdoor Classic Saturday night became the first outdoor game in pro basketball history, but the "emphasis would have to be on 'outdoor' after the Liberty gave new meaning to the term 'air ball' in its 71-55 loss" to the Fever, according to John Jeansonne of NEWSDAY. While the Liberty announced a crowd of 19,393, the 23,000-capacity Arthur Ashe Stadium at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center was "barely half full for most of the first half and plenty of good seats still were available after the late-arriving crowd settled in." But the Liberty through its first 10 home games this season had averaged only 7,123 fans per game. The "guts" of the Liberty's MSG operation were relocated to Ashe Stadium for the event, including the "floor, floor-level advertising boards, baskets, dance-and-acrobat teams, the familiar action-stopping horn, mascot, shot clock, the public address and stats' crew, and incessantly loud music (usually leaning toward rap)" (NEWSDAY, 7/20). In N.Y., Liz Robbins wrote the setting was a "bit incongruous, part sporting event inside the stadium, part family carnival outside." The game marked the first time Ashe Stadium has "hosted a sporting event other than tennis, and the USTA was pleased to provide the facility for the night." The basketball court, which belongs to the Knicks, "seemed to fit just right" (N.Y. TIMES, 7/20). The night included a marching band and fireworks (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 7/20). In Westchester, Brian Heyman wrote the game plan was to "turn this into more than just a game," as bands Menudo and V Factory were "booked for a postgame concert" and a Fan Festival was held outside before the game. There also were current and former Knicks and Liberty players signing autographs (Westchester JOURNAL NEWS, 7/20).
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Lee (r) Gives Away Tickets To
Outdoor Classic To Disadvantaged Children |
GETTING INVOLVED: Knicks F David Lee donated $5,000 and "got corporate sponsors to kick in another $10,000 to purchase 1,000 tickets" for the game. The tickets were "bought for disadvantaged kids under the Garden of Dreams Foundation" (N.Y. POST, 7/20). BRANDWEEK's Barry Janoff reported American Express and The Hallmark Channel, marketing partners of the Liberty, sponsored the game, and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) served as the "beneficiary of the event, with a portion of the proceeds from ticket sales, as well as various fundraising activities throughout the evening, going to BCRF." Breast Health Awareness T-shirts courtesy of The Hallmark Channel were given to the first 5,000 fans (BRANDWEEK.com, 7/18). The Liberty’s dance team, the Liberty Torch Patrol, Saturday morning appeared on CBS’ “Early Show” along with former Liberty F Kym Hampton, who hyped the event (“Early Show,” CBS, 7/19).
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