Turmoil in 209

the arena is definitely more hostile this year than last year. the boxes are often very rowdy. i would contact the team, ask to speak to the correct person and explain the situation in full. my guess is they would comp you tickets.

But it was lame. Some dudes just pushed each other then threw up gang signs for five minutes. They were both escorted out though.

The friend(s) of those two Warriors fans probably are ashamed that the people they took to a game in the Garden couldn’t watch it in peace. And some Blazers fans got away with bad first impressions about the atmosphere as well. Hope the arena staff gets some more training to keep attention to things like that and stop such behavior early on.

for coming up short in other areas. I understand that residing in the Pacific Northwest and being ingorned by larger meida markets is an annoying situation; however, that doesn’t award y’all the right to be jerks toward opposing fan bases. In all honestly, some of y’all may want to sit back, relax, and take a moment to put things in perspective.

Oh yeah, 2009 is closer to 1979 than 1977.

At the B-Roy 50 pt. game against Phoenix, the 300-level section next to us had a contingent of Canadians, probably 15-20 of them, and mostly women. They were there to cheer for Steve Nash, and every single time the Suns scored, even on free throws, a high-pitched chorus of screams went up that sounded like Beatles fans in 1964. Granted, it was a little annoying, but they were so good-natured about it that everyone was pretty much amused. When the Blazers came back and won, the Canadians took their medicine graciously. I would’ve been very upset had some drunken yahoos messed with these people.

That really bites when you go to a game to have fun and something like that really ruins it. What I picked up on in your diatribe was utter lackiness on the part of the paid PTB usher and security personel to respond to a potential fracas. Seems like by now a system would be in place that understands the inherent liabilities of crowd control, especially when they’re allowed to quaff brewskis at an unrestrained rate.

Theres a point you made I took note of as common in most such situations. The “security” and “ushers” are ill-trained and un-professional for the most part. You get either the little Napoleans who front as tough guys or the part-time Walmart employee who turns the corner for fear he’s gonna be asked where something in hardware is located. Now, not everyone who works there fits into these two molds. Some bring credentials to the game such as a law enforcement back-ground, education, and physical restraint training and managing aggressive behavior skills. However, from the guys I know who do that, they are the ones who gravitate to the floor level mainly to flirt with the Blazer dancers and have their egos stroked with the palm of self-importance.

In a way, its too bad that girl didnt have the allegic reaction to the popcorn that would have brought about the lawsuit that might have opened the eyes of PTB officials to deal with crowd problems when they get reported instead of turning the blind eye to it.

Its too bad that guy didn’t have a brick in his pocket. People pay good money to go to the games, they shouldn’t have to worry about some jerk who probably paid nothing to be in that suite, throwing stuff and yelling insults at them.

I have been to events in the luxury suites… Half the people in them, have no interest in the game itself.

She’s good at smoothing over situations. But she’s also on the petite side and I have a hard time picturing her standing up to big (usually) drunk men. Next time I see her I’m going to ask more about her training and how they’re supposed to handle cases like this.

Unfortunate that a few idiots can ruin what should have been a fun night. I swear, some people go to the games and think all rules of normally acceptable behavior disappear because they’re at a sporting event.

The box dwellers can be some of the worst offenders. My firm has one (it’s basically a client development tool, so I’ll go if an account I’m on is being treated) and usually it’s a lot of fun, but there have been a couple times when I literally can’t believe what I’m seeing/hearing. Honestly, the best behaved fans in my experience are in the 300 level (a buddy has season tickets so i go with him often) – it gets rowdy, but I’ve never had a problem up there, my guess is the fact that people actually use the seats as fans/go to most of the games breeds some accountability. The 100s (get some work tics there from time to time as well) and the boxes are where I’ve heard the most offensive comments/seen people behave like clowns. Of course, the vast majority are there to enjoy the game, so I’m not trying to stereotype, just my observations.

Portland Police has officers at every game. They are both inside and outside the arena. If the ushers won’t help out, I would go grab one of them. They won’t put up with that crap.

realization for me that were I to have a four-year-old, I wouldn’t want to bring him or her to a Blazers game. Some of my earliest and fondest memories of Blazerdom involve tagging along with my dad to games at the Coliseum in the early 90’s…I don’t doubt that it’s a large reason I’m such a diehard fan today, and I’d love to have my own kid(s) experience that.

But at every game I’ve been to this year, half a dozen or so, I’ve had at least a couple of drunken louts within earshot yelling things that I wouldn’t want my or any kid to hear. The Blazers bill their games as family entertainment — if they mean it, perhaps they should step in when they have fans screaming profanity at the players, telling them to go kill themselves, and other charming epithets…when they aren’t brawling amongst themselves in the stands.

That about sums it up.

this year as well. I actually had my son with me. That’s the only game he will go to this season b/c I honestly want to watch a game and enjoy the atmosphere rather than fight with rowdy fans and try to keep thrown beer off of me. And when I say “fight” i mean, inquire politely if you could kindly not say the F word soo loud b/c my 4 year old can hear you. And then defending myself against that drunk fan’s drunk indignant response. . .

Sorry about this. I would happily sign a petition to get you money back or something.

Sophia

I was at the game, my first since my dad took me to see MJ play, with some of my friends from the Bay. We were sitting in the tippy top of the Garden and had a great time. Everyone around us was nice allowed everyone to cheer for which ever team they support. Overall a great return to the Rose Garden and I would not want smatterings of drunken idiots to ruin Blazer games. Thanks nice people in 325.