Also perhaps the people standing behind the backboard where the blazers are shooting should sit during freethrows, since a bunch of standing people can add a little more distraction which could throw off the shot.

Anyone who doesn't can suck it.

If I know I want to stand I usually get seats near the back of a section if I can...less trouble that way.  If I'm in front of someone I don't feel comfortable blocking I just remember that what I do with my voice carries way farther than whether I'm standing or sitting.

--Dave

And, yeah, the fact that I stand up for 40 plus hours a week makes me happy to not stand on concrete for any further amounts of time.

Thus, I have found it mildly irritating when people remain standing.  Not that I'm going to yell at you, but I may wish you'd sit down so that I may resume my seat and still see the play.

While I understand the surge to the feet in honor of a fine play--my home viewing tends to include this behavior, together with spastically waving arms and a hearty "[expletive] yeah!"--I thought it was reasonable to then sit back down.

I stand, so to speak, corrected.

That said, standers should try as best as they can to accommodate people behind them who complain. Scooching a little one way or the other, cheating into the aisle, taking the 1st and 2nd quarters off, are all reasonable things the rowdy fan can do to limit the damage he does to his neighbors. But on the flip side, if you're view is blocked, try to be a little proactive yourself: strain your neck a bit, offer to switch seats with a stander, do what you gotta do to see the game.

If both sides can put in a little effort, show some respect, and never assume that your "rule" is the right rule everybody can have a good time at the game. I think there are only too true "jerk" situations: the guy who stands the whole game and acts intimidatingly toward people who complain. And the guy who sits the whole game and does nothing but complain and act pissy about people standing. If everybody can just moderate their positions from those two extremes, I think we can all have a good time.

If you are in a someone who has a hard time standing, or don't want to stand I am empathetic to the situation, but know that it's not realistic to be able to see the entire game without using the JumboTron as a crutch almost no matter where you are.  You might also look into if you could purchase seats in one of the areas that was set up for disabled fans, there are usually open seats in some of these areas, they have a lot of space, and  you are in a pretty protected section.  I know this may not help someone who just doesn't want to be on your feet all day, but I'm pretty sure if you are or are bringing someone who really has a hard time getting up or down, etc... that they would consider these seats appropriate options for you, this is the area that we target when we bring my mother-in-law.  

I read above that standing is especially common and accepted on the 300 level, I find it to be especially common in the end-zones on the 100 level, perhaps it's especially common everywhere when we are competing?  

Finally, I think this will be all the more important as we continue to climb in the coming years:  Make sure you have the right expectations when going to games... people will stand, that's part of the live experience, people will probably stand a lot in the fourth quarter, especially during the most exciting (aka close) games.  There are times I don't feel like getting up and down, but if I'm in the general seating populous I expect it whether I'm tired or not, whether my back and knees are up for it or not.  If you expect this coming into the arena then those people standing in front of you don't have to ruin your experience, and if they would I'd highly recommend trying to get in the sections I described above or watching from home (as much as we want the seats filled with true fans).

I don't object to people standing to cheer (and I was up & down all throughout the game and up for most of the last few of minutes.  But what I find much more annoying is the parade of young men in the row below me - usually 3 at a time to go get a beer, and then 3 at a time to go to the bathroom (I guess), and then another beer, and then another potty stop ...  Trying to see around the standing people in front of me as the parade squeezes by them is nearly impossible (and I can't see the Jumbotron because I'm up too high for it to be above them.)  I wish they'd time their depatures for timeouts and maybe wait to return to their seats until the next one.  (Talk about women having to go to the bathroom in a group..!)  

Six pages on the philosophy and etiquette of standing during games.  Priceless.

--Dave