Some impressions from MSG

[JS School]

I was pretty optimistic about the Davidson game until I got to the Garden. Looking around the arena, Davidson fans seemed to outnumber Pitt fans by about 3 to 1. Not sure how accurate that is because bright red is much more noticeable than dark blue, but they also seemed much more energetic. The Wildcat mascot made a shot from half court, while Roc wasn't even there. My wife noticed that the pep band wasn't the pep band but seemed to be local HS students dressed in Pitt t shirts. The game started, Davidson jumped out to a lead, and Artis picked up his second foul. I started to mentally prepare myself for a big disappointment. Then something started to happen. And that something was named Mike Young.

It wasn't so much that Mike put the team on his back and carried them. It was more like he led the way and everyone followed. I've always thought Young was a very good player, but I now feel like he may be a potential ACC player of the year. As for the team as a whole, I'm usually a little cynical when a team is described as deep because it usually means that there is a boatload of mediocre players. But this game made me feel that maybe Pitt does have a bunch of above average to very good players.

There have been a lot of discussions on this board in the past about playing in NYC. I loved the Big East tournament at MSG, but I have to admit this game and the Cincinnati game there have felt a little bit like the WPIAL championship games at Heinz Field. The venue just seemed too big for the event. I still think that going to NYC is a great idea, however. What has changed for me is that I'm losing the feeling that the Barclays is a lesser alternative to MSG. I have two daughters in their 20s, and they are always telling us that we need to go to Brooklyn. Not for the basketball, but for the restaurants, shopping, etc. As an old guy, I always identified Manhattan and MSG with NYC. I'm starting to realize to what an extent Brooklyn is now a vibrant part of the city and not just some kind of overflow adjacent neighborhood. I had thought of taking the ACC tournament there as kind of settling for not getting MSG, but it's not. Brooklyn is going to be a big deal.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Those Pitt games in Brooklyn against TT and Stanford were some of the lowest attended games I've seen from TV. I wasnt there but from TV, it didnt look like there were 1000 people. That made me 2nd guess Brooklyn.

But, I was watching a game in Brooklyn on TV recently between 2 good but non-distinct, non-local programs about equal to Pitt and the lower bowl was packed. I couldnt believe it.

 

[Chescat]

Well, Brooklyn is undergoing a massive change. Gentrification is the term that's used.
In fact of the five boroughs, Brooklyn was always the afterthought even though over 2 million people
live there.. However, despite this recent resurgence, it still has its extremely poor, and crime filled areas. As far as the Barclay in Bball, it is not, and probably won't ever be MSG, but as the two posters have
pointed out, it is getting better. Let's face it, an NBA team has its home floor there.

 

[levance2]

I was pretty optimistic about the Davidson game until I got to the Garden. Looking around the arena, Davidson fans seemed to outnumber Pitt fans by about 3 to 1.

I thought it ended up pretty balanced. I thought Davidson was more visible in their red, and they were more tightly clustered behind their bench. Pitt was a majority just about everywhere else in the arena. I think Pitt fans also tended to arrive later since we've probably seen games there before, while Davidson had more of a novelty in the experience.

I think the attendance issue is just going to be a given these days with this kind of event. Unless you're talking the Champions Classic or have some draw like Duke, you are only going to get a few thousand travelers and locals. Neither team in this game was even ranked.

I think Barclays is going to be a great venue for the ACC if only because MSG holds about a billion events per year, while Barclays is trying to make a name for themselves. I think Barclays is much more likely to work with the ACC to make things a big deal. I actually stayed in Brooklyn for this trip and enjoyed it. I think Joe Average Fan is going to not like it as much because it isn't quite as easy to get around as Manhattan, but otherwise it is fun.

 

[levance2]

However, despite this recent resurgence, it still has its extremely poor, and crime filled areas.

Manhattan has Harlem. Brooklyn has East New York. Bronx has... most of the Bronx. Just don't go there, problem solved.