Heard that they had just 3,000 show up for their elimination game against the Crocs. Very poor turn-out.

I think the 36ers get fairly decent support in the media here from Boti, radio and TV. Can the same be said of the Kings in Sydney?

Is the answer becuase we have culture and class?

I would say years of the Kings being beat up and also rans did damage in the important years of the NBL getting a foot hold in the Australian sporting landscape.

Changes of ownership, no real home town hero to get behind, constant squad turnover and import turnover would not help

Plus no doubt the Kings do get a bit lost in the other entertainment options that are available to the public in Sydney.

This is the link

I too live in sydney and have attended matches. There is really no marketing done for there matches. The beach lifestyle has a big impact, with many enjoying the harbour activites and social activites the beach has to offer.

That's ok, doesn't anyone outside of NSW care about Sydney anyway?

I noted the following was quoted by Goorjian in the article:

It did not help the Kings' cause that the NBL did not spent a single cent on marketing Friday's match. Privately, club officials were fuming at the lack of promotion.

Maybe I'm missing something. The last time I checked all clubs are privately owned including the Kings.
Why is it up to the NBL to promote the game - did they promote games in Adelaide or the game in Perth. If the Kings can't attract crowds maybe it is more to do with their style of play (or the stale coaching). Basketball Australia and the NBL believe Sydney is the home/focal point for basketball in Australia. Well guess what - the lack of fans should tell them they are betting on the wrong horse. Maybe the NBL Owners/Commission need to re-evaluate the promtional package for the NBL. In the NBA if a team is failing in a market area they are relocated. Is it possible that three teams in the same geographical area is too many. The Razorbacks are lucky to still be there (draw small crowds), the Kings draw small crowds, and the Hawks crowds are nothing to write home about. Should a team move to Darwin? Would there be a supporter base? Who knows? Should the NBL be looking at the Kings problem or does the problem belong with the Kings?

DA VOICE, other leagues promote themselves and don't just leave it up to clubs. The NBL, for example, takes a cut from every play-off ticket sold ($2.50 or so). 11-15 games make up the playoffs.

There needs to be more from the league and not just the clubs.

Take a look at the hype the A-League generated with their superb TV ads in their first year. The NBL has nothing like that at all.

Isaac,
Accept you point about the NBL promoting games and the fact that they get the majority of their operating revenue from the finals.
However, the Kings bleating about the NBL and the non promotion of the game still does not address the problem of the Kings attracting crowds to games. Are there still too many teams in the Sydney area?
Agree with your comments about the A-League (although rather forget the final result) - but it helps when their game has a strong supporter base and you get an almost record sporting crowd at the Telstra stadium (who got the money from the game)?

The Breakers are an interesting case too. They get decent coverage in NZ, good promos in various publications, but the mindset of the people there is to only support a winning team and with them missing the playoffs again, that hasn't helped at all.

In Adelaide, it is quite different - decent crowds despite poor results.

Some of it rests with the Kings, some of it with the league.

Sydney crowds are a big problem. I just don't see why they are renting out a 10,000 seat stadium if they only get crowds of 3000-4000. Makes me proud to be from Adelaide! Our crowds shit all over everyone elses.

Guys honestly its not just basketball, NRL and other sports . Sydney siders just do not want to go and watch sport. NRL is the biggest joke, with crappy crowds. If it wasnt for my career i would never live in this place. When i go to any sporting event the locals have no idea at all. I could believe it when i went to an AFL match and saw a lady with hamper, bottle of wine and was reading the newspaper! they just really do not have a clue about sport, except for water related sports, surfing, life saving etc .

oh and we know the generally jump on the bandwagon. Sydneysiders love a winner!

yeah but the kings are winners, and have been for 5 years, and they still don't give a shit.

Goorj has worked out what the rest of Australia has known for years, no cares about Sydney. Sh*thole of a place.

Nice call anon... yeah your sooooo right....

Should I actually state my work career, plus travel history for you???

I left Adelaide in 1997, but thanks for the tip and I've worked in Sydney, Brisbane a little in Melbourne and bit in Canberra doing many an interesting thing or three.

Never said Adelaide is better, a yep, I think Sydney is a shithole of a place to live.

Where I work and what I do is irrelevant and I refuse to discuss it here. People will understand if they did some research.

Ok, let's look. Absolutely stupid cost of living, rental market out of control, purchasing a house within 60 minutes drive of the city is unrealistic for the normal person and you can expect to hand down your debt to your children.

Traffic is shocking, have a look at the Daily Telegraph (I think it was) on the weekend and find the article. I really want to travel 2 hours to visit friends on the otherside of Sydney.

A government that is incompetent, but saying that, most Governments are incompetent.

Pollution is just great in Sydney. Have a look at the health issues in relation to that population. Yes it looks very nice on a post card, but head up to the Blue Mountains and have a look back towards the city, you can keep it.

Dare I mention the public transport in Sydney??? One of the highest crime rates in any Australian city.

Good luck getting an Ambulance in a rush when you need it. Oh, and if you can get an Ambulance, good luck getting a bed in a hospital.

Tolls on roads, please.... why should I pay some pr*ck $4+ a toll just so I can watch the football at the SGC. If I don't pay the toll then the trip takes 4 times longer.

Okay, some good things about Sydney, firstly the Harbour, then I'll chuck in Coogee Beach Hotel, thirdly nightlife, now I'm struggling....

Name me some good reasons as to why someone should move to Sydney.

To play for the Boomers.

DrB

You keep going on about the Sydney lifestyle by the beach being why noone cares about the kings or sport, every major city in Australia is on the coast. Its the Aussie lifestyle, yet it doesnt affect any other city's sporting events. Adelaide doesnt have any great surf beaches close by, but we do have some of the most family friendly coastline in Australia.

The socalled Sydney lifestyle is not to blame at all, maybe its just the fact that your so congested noone can be bother driving for 2hrs through traffic to go out.

Anon #120349,

you're entitled to your opinion about Sydney, but if you read TR's post the dude's actually lived there (along with a bunch of other places), so your closing argument of

" and im sorry you live such a sheltered life to not know that.
enjoy adelaide if u know nothing more of life"


is ridiculous.

Anon, the last time you were in Adelaide was when???? As I said I left in 1997 and have made visits every two years or so, both for work and holidays and every time I've returned I've been impressed by how much it has developed.

I'm still waiting for the reasons as to why someone should move to Sydney.

Ok, I'll add time spent in the Pacific, Asia and the UK as time spent travelling. My reasons for the travel I won't get into. Potentially heading back to the Pacific mid year and on return maybe the opportunity to relocate to Perth. Now Perth, that's a nice city.

I'll add Manly as good thing about Sydney.

(#120243) Kent, I think you are right re: stuffing it up in the NBL's early years.

Does anyone remember the great push by NBL management to have Sydney as everyones 2nd favorite team back in the late 80's, early 90's?

Back in the days when NBL was on TV every weekend on Ch 10, nearly every game shown was a Kings V someone else. They really stunk back in the late 80's early 90's yet the national media wanted to keep ramming them down Australias collective throats.

I think the damage was done way back then; however as has been pointed out, travell cannot be discounted when it comes to poor crowds in the Harbour town.

I can understand travel as a deterrent, but you are talking about a city with about 4.5 million people. Only being able to attract 3,000 to any sporting fixture at its highest domestic level is appalling.

Sydneysiders just don't have the sporting culture that Melbourne and to a lesser extent Adelaide has. With the Kings, it is also partly because the brand was so badly damaged - the Kings pre-Goorj were a laughing stock, one of the worst teams in any sporting code in Australia.

Granted, a large city does have a pulse of his own, my preference is a quality of life. I've always stated that Sydney is great for a night or weekend, but one place in the world I'd never want to live.

My employment offered to move me to Sydney, my reply was double my wage, find me an apartment within 20 mins walk of work (with two car parks), pay 1/2 my rent and I'll think about it.

Every city has something to do on weekends, but because it isn't obvious doesn't mean it's not there.

Oh, maybe except Hobart.... OMG..... but that's another topic.

Sydney and Melbourne are consistantly rate 1 and or 2 in the WORLD as most livable. Based on a more objective assesment.

TK, do they factor in commuting and knowledge of the city by taxi drivers? Doubt it!

Isaac,
Study is based on questions to international travellers (business men and women) who probably get hire cars.