A Wave of Apathy
by Bent on Mar 16, 2010 6:00 PM EDT
in Humor
Email
PrintHey, the Celtics won by 26 last night! It may only have been against a team that - even before Tayshaun Prince went down injured in the second quarter - was already having one of those years - (we call it a "2006/07" around here), but you can't criticize the Celtics for taking care of business. A 26 point win is a 26 point win, so...no complaints?
Not quite.
Another development that Red Auerbach would have never allowed: Fans did the wave in the second quarter. Longtime observers said they could not remember that happening at a Celtics home game, ever.
No, no, no, no, no, no, NO!
After having won a championship (less than two years ago, believe it or not), you expect the dynamic within the arena to shift - more corporate hospitality, more families, more bandwagon fans - but this is a step too far. There's a reason why Red would never have allowed it.
This isn't the first time the wave has been seen at a Celtics game. Here's what I ranted about following the Celtics' trip to London in 2007:
What annoyed me most of all was the wave - or as we Brits call it, the Mexican wave (because we only found out about it after the Mexico World Cup in 1986) - "I am trying to watch the game!" - to me, this just says that the crowd was bored with the game, which is not a great sign for basketball in this country, as the wave started halfway through the third and continued in the fourth
I'd been critical of the in-arena experience for a long time, not just at the Garden, but throughout the NBA. The "entertainment" that teams had been increasingly forcing upon us was killing the momentum of the crowd, or so I thought. However, once there was a competitive product on the floor, I had to admit that these bells and whistles, rather than causing a distraction, actually enhanced the atmosphere - especially during the playoffs.
The wave, though? That's the last straw. Is the Garden filling up with people who are more interested in shouting "Sheeeeed!" or sarcastically chanting for Scalabrine than who wins the game? If I follow the instructions on the Jumbotron to "Make Some Noise!" is the person sitting behind me going to tell me to sit down? Is the unspeakably irritating wave going to become a permanent fixture at Celtics games?
As I sat in the crowd at that game in London, trying to watch what I considered to be an important game - the second game ever played together by what was potentially the best roster the Celtics had put together since I was a child - the wave made its way round the arena and the palpable buzz of anticipation grew as it came nearer to where we were sitting. I sat motionless and steely-eyed as the wave washed over me like twenty thousand Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm-Flailing Tubemen, just hoping that it wouldn't prevent me from seeing anything important. After a while, the wave stopped and the crowd booed. The players on the court were noticeably wondering what was going on and eventually, of course, it started up again.
That was almost understandable though. That was London, where half (if not more) of the crowd were there purely for the novelty factor, which had long since worn off, leaving them watching a preseason basketball game between two sets of players they knew little about. At the Boston Garden though, in the middle of one of the team's most impressive on-court runs since the all-star break, as the team struggles to get back on track and consolidate its position before heading into the "business end of the season"? Unacceptable.
Somewhere towards the end of the 2008 season, Celtics home games became the place to be, especially on a Friday night (and I don't think it's a coincidence that these have been the games in which the Celtics have underperformed most of the year). As often happens with successful teams, the influx of non-diehards tends to lead to a situation where the fans sit on their hands waiting to be entertained, rather than getting behind the team from the start and firing them up to perform well. This taking-for-granted approach permeates the whole building and can affect the atmosphere of the crowd. That's my concern, anyway, and the manifestation of the wave in last night's game has me more concerned than ever that this is where we're headed.
Why did the Celtics win that title in 2008? Yes, they had the best team, but there were struggles, self-doubt and tough tests along the way. They couldn't have done it without their rabid fanbase behind them every step of the way. Similarly, they almost reached the Eastern Conference Finals last year for the same reason, despite being decimated by injuries and completely overmatched against the eventual Eastern Conference Champion Orlando Magic team. This year, the Celtics have had their struggles and the fans have not been "behind them every step of the way". The question is, come playoff time, will they be? If not, I fear an early exit could be on the cards.
Of course, the main question all this raises is this: Out of all the things I could have picked to be concerned about, why did I choose this? It's a good question - and not easy to answer - but somehow, it's just easier. This is one problem that can be easily fixed. Everything else? Maybe I don't want to think about that...
44 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Not really fussed about waves or no waves
But just wanted to comment that, after we smashed the Pistons yesterday, they’ve come out and really given Cleveland a tough game today. So, while I’m not getting all excited that we’ve turned the corner, we should remember that its not just the Celtics who have tough nights against inferior teams. The Lakers have had their problems lately as well.
by Celticsbloke on Mar 16, 2010 10:16 PM EDT up reply actions
What an excellent post.
Having been to games over the last 3 seasons (and before), I can attest to the difference in “vibe” and lack of energy in the building. I think that’s definitely been a factor (of many) in this team’s malaise. Think about it: at a lot of those road games, the crowds are pumped to have the Celtics there — even if they’re rooting against the Cs, it’s still energy, which KG for one certainly feeds off of.
Here’s hoping that this proves to be "rock botoml for the crowd, and we start hearing more of those rogue chants of “Let’s go Celtics” rippling around the building instead.
by Hal Jordan on Mar 16, 2010 6:31 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
The Wave is appropriate in College.
Not in the NBA. There’s a different atmosphere in professional sports.
USG
And I know all-too-much what you mean about the "place to be", sit-on-your-hands attitude.
I was invited to a Celtics game by a friend who had tickets in ’08 with 3 other people. Dare I say I almost stood out amongst the Loge crowd for getting on my feet after a big play?
Perhaps the balcony is the place to be, but man, it’s so far away…
USG
by Ben Buchanan on Mar 16, 2010 6:38 PM EDT up reply actions
Why do people hate the wave so much?
I’m not a fan of it or anything, but I’m usually just pleasantly surprised that the crowd managed to do something without needing the scoreboard/PA guy to lead them around by the nose. It’d be one thing if it was at a crucial moment, but in a blowout who cares?
by thatmarvelousape on Mar 16, 2010 6:42 PM EDT reply actions
Complaining about the wave?
That’s great that there was a wave at the game. Fans should get giddy during blowouts. That is part of the fun.
One of the big problems in sports is know-it-all curmudgeon holier-than-thou fans who have problems with people being enjoying the game. It so happens that even many legit fans know how to have fun in games, unlike the bitter haters out there.
I have had run-ins with people behind my loge seats for my standing on big plays and those people are very annoying. People who get into the game though are great. If some fan all of a sudden decides to start a wave, I would rather have 20k people who are up for it than an arena filled with uptight “purists” who think they Zeus’s gift to basketball.
re: uptight "purists" who think they Zeus’s gift to basketball
I’d like to think I am not one of these and hope that was apparent from the article. I have a bunch of fun and make tons of noise at the games.
The wave’s just a pet peeve of mine because it usually happens when people are bored and is distracting.
Maybe that wasn’t the case last night. If not, great!
Mexican Wave!
I never heard it called this til I was in Beijing for the Olympics. My American friends and I were all confused when the jumbotrons called for the “Mexican Wave” but the Aussies and Brits I was working with thought we were wierd for NOT calling it that!
I dont see how the wave is a sign of bad fans...
I dont have a problem with doing the wave. I dont see how standing up for a second is any worse than looking up at a monitor to watch Gino dance. When I go to Res Sox games and do the wave I never think wow I am really bored with this game so I will do the wave. Its just a fun thing that fans do to show support.At least this is a far cry from the boo’s we were hearing in the first half of the Grizzlies game. Imagine if the Celtics fans had left and were booing during the 2002 playoff game against the Nets. Im just glad that Celtics fans tend to be much more enthusiastic than the Lakers fans you see in front row seats talking and texting on their phone’s clearly not interested in the actual game.
I don’t have a problem with the wave… The real issue is mediocre journalism? Really, the wave… come on, you searching.
Mediocre journalism?
This is a blog post, not the Boston Herald. Bent gave his opinion on an issue, nothing more, nothing less. I thought it was an interesting take.
All the negativity in this town sucks. It sucks, and it stinks, and it sucks. - Rick Pitino
Thanks for the defense.
Yeah, it was mediocre blogging, not mediocre journalism!
I guess stevenfuzz didn’t make it to the last paragraph, where I explained why I chose such a non-issue to write about…
THIS JUST MADE ME LOL
The self depreciating humor that leads into the Explanation WIN is EPIC!
Thanks for the laugh!
"Morning yall up early w/ the babies watchn Dora. Seems Lamar can't keep my name out his mouth maby I need 2 put my sons shitty diaper n it"~Matt Barnes
Thanks for the feedback. Good points all…
I never for a moment wanted to portray Celtics fans as bad fans. They have the best fans around – and the Lakers fans frizzle mentioned are a great example of why.
Maybe I’m just Captain Buzzkill, but I’ve always hated the wave because I feel it distracts from the atmosphere of the game because fans are paying more attention to that than the action on court. If it’s just a one-off and something that actually added to the occasion because it was a blowout (although it was still only second quarter), I just hope that’s the case because my immediate reaction was concern that this might become a permanent fixture and worsen the atmosphere in the long run (which, as we know, might affect the team).
I hope I’m worrying about nothing and that the fans get behind the team in the postseason as loudly and proudly as ever.
It was banned
Because at cricket games (in particular the test matches that go on for 3-4 days) you would have a lot of very bored (and very drunk) people there and every time the wave came by people would throw their trash (empty beer cans / cups, hats, shirts, watermelon skins) in the air too. Quite a spectacle but too much of the trash landed on the pitch and other spectators heads. Quite dangerous.
by Scal4theallstargame on Mar 16, 2010 8:22 PM EDT up reply actions
You're British?
That pretty much explains it.
mexican wave sign of "boredome"?
i dont know i think it depends, at the garden they did that when we already have a big lead. so it could be also interpreted as celebrating/cheering for our team. and celts fans know we can sustain that lead and beat that injured pistons.
i dont think its a sign of boredome.
I have absolutely no opinion about the wave b ut love this blog post because it proves
Celtics fans love to argue and will argue about ANYTHING, and because it gave a few Celtics fans something to argue about on an “off” day. Nice work!
You are way overreacting about the wave
If you are going to be upset about the wave, you should be equally as upset about Gino, the state-of-art jumbotron, t-shirt cannons, Lucky the mascot, Celtic dancers, half-time shows, pyrotechnics, in-game music, and prompts from the arena reminding fans when to chant DE-FENSE, chant “Let’s Go Celtics” and when to get “Garden Level” loud, and everybodyclapyourhands!
All of the above can be, at times, both annoying and endearing – including the wave.
None of them have anything to do with basketball.
The wave does indicate boredom
It is alright at baseball games because there is a lot of downtime and there are some very boring games. But at basketball, there’s a lot more to focus on than just waiting for your turn to stand up. I am against the wave in all non-baseball events mostly because I am very much against the drunken “look at me while i attempt to start the wave every 10 seconds. Doesn’t that make me cool” guy.
never got it myself
Not crazy about the wave at basketball games but, I can deal with…..on the other hand…it is incredibly annoying at baseball games…
damn! who cares if the fans do the wave? they pay for the tickets and its a chance of a lifetime for some people so who cares? let them do it!
by farias on Mar 16, 2010 8:34 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
i care
if you want to do the wave go to the frickin beach
"antoine, for three. GOT IT!"
by bustthewiggle on Mar 16, 2010 9:50 PM EDT up reply actions
Thank you!
I dont care much for the wave to be honest, it has no place what so ever in basketball. The Celtics put together a bunch of annoying things in the past few years my list:
1. The male cheerleaders- please GET RID OF THEM!!! I do not need to see this while watching the game
2. The giant Celtics flag the male cheerleaders run out on the court with after a win- Read #1
3. The know it all that sits behind you- You guys know who I’m talking about, the guy that sits behind you and goes to the game with a work buddy or wife/girlfriend and talks about how great Gary Payton was as a Celtic or acts like he knows whos good and who isnt on the opposing team just because they are rated an 85 in NBA Live 2010
4. The New Lucky- this new guy is just a male cheerleader in costume…I miss the old Lucky coke addiction and all
I have no problem with Gino, the on board prompts, most of the in game mini games and all that because you know what, any of us that say it should be a pure experience well guess what thats a load of crap. I get more enjoyment out of seeing a 8 year old kid ‘s eyes light up after seeing the court for the first time in their life than seeing the 22 year old girlfriend drunk and oblivious to anyone else around her. The game should be suited to kids and the true fans. I was at the Pacers game Friday and I’ve never seen so many obnoxious and oblivious fans in the balcony in all the years I’ve been going to the games. It was essentially a group of people who stood in the tunnel with their 2 beers in hand, watched 2 minutes and then went back into the atrium to socialize while the game was being played. That is a joke and it irks me more than anything else. So please…PLEASE Celts get rid of the Ra Ra male dancers and above all else if your going to go to the game…go to the game to get behind our team not use it as a socializing drinking party….go back to your dorms for that crap
by Nick Sannicandro on Mar 16, 2010 8:46 PM EDT reply actions
A bit off topic
A bit off topic but I will tell you about the demise of the NBL (National basketball league) in Australia. I live in Adelaide, South Australia and some time between 1999 and 2002 the owner of the 36ers (Adelaide basketball club, lame, yes I know) decided that it would be a fantastic idea to play more music, have more PA and generally make the arena louder to make basketball games a more festive atmosphere. And initially it worked however I saw a dark side to all this. Fans been told to cheer and not choosing to.
They started not just playing short clips from songs, they would literally play about 4 top 20 songs every game in there entirety not just time outs, but during the game. Then at one game in about 2005 when we were being blown out I saw a guy loose his cool when for the second time during the game two girls (about 18ish) started screaming when a song came on. They stood up and started dancing where they stood, in front of their seat. He said something along the lines of (Farscape fans will understand) "Sit the frel down! This is a frellen basketball game! If you want to frellen dance go to a frellen club!
What happened after that was even more surprising. While some people cheered the vast majority gave him the stink eye as if to say "their just having fun man, chill out."
Shortly after you could see attendance dwindling as the music got louder, the regular fans stopped attending and were replaced by people who had nothing better to do that go to a basketball game not for the sport but for the atmosphere.
What does this post have to do with anything. The fans that booed the C’s for the crappy effort against the Grizzlies should be on their feet cheering them when their blowing out the Pistons and not getting sidetracked by a wave. A wave is a sign of being boredom at a sporting event.
by Scal4theallstargame on Mar 16, 2010 9:15 PM EDT reply actions
small world
I’m from Adelaide too! Also known as ‘Beantown’ :-D
by Celticsbloke on Mar 16, 2010 10:05 PM EDT up reply actions
garden fans are lame? is this something new?
don’t get me wrong, celtics fans are legit. but if you’ve sat in good seats at a celtics game you know the real fans are few and far between and the people around you are mostly comp’d in by their rich business partners. i got kicked out of a game in 06/07 for verbally bludgeoning a stiff on the opposing team and as i was escorted from my seat scolded a section of loge side liners for their ineptitude. maybe the reason the celts have such a bad home record this year is cause the fans in the good seats are such stiffs.
"antoine, for three. GOT IT!"
11/27/2009 - Celtics v. Raptors
For the record, the first wave I ever saw in the Garden was November 27, 2009 against the Raptors. It is very, very strange to someone who attends many games. So strange I made a note of the exact date I first saw the very awkward occurrence. (Not so sure who the “longtime observers” were in the above quote, but they are unfortunately mistaken.)
And in case anyone is tallying this informal poll, I am decidedly in the against column. I attend games to watch basketball and experience live basketball. The more I am surrounded by date nights and girls’ night outs and people having loud conversations trying to talk over the din of the arena about last night’s date/break-up/Twilight movie is ridiculous. There are plenty of bars in the area. On the other hand, I super enjoy forced eavesdropping on conversations about basketball, neighbors quizzing basketball trivia, kids (or not kids) learning about basketball, and the general excitement and fervor that goes with being at a live game.
And now, both hands together, I am glad we have enough people wanting to buy tickets that the Celtics don’t ever have to move to the middle of nowhere. I just wish everyone that bought tickets bought them for the same reason as me. But wouldn’t that make life boring?
love your 2nd paragraph jeloalfl I’m on the same exact boat
by Nick Sannicandro on Mar 16, 2010 11:54 PM EDT reply actions
You've got to be kidding me
We have that many fans in Australia! That Nicolle Kidman is a pretty good looking girl (sheila). Nice work there, boys. I don’t care for the wave and I don’t care for the Celtics dancers. Much better being the only team without dancers. I love the Heroes Among Us and the superb choices for the national anthem.
But…who cares what I think. I pay my money and the knuckleheads pay theirs and we all go home forgetting that stuff if the Celtics win. I also love those L’il Phunk kids. Those kids are cute.
I just had dinner with a Brit tonight who has a good sense of humor even though he knows nothing of Premier Divison soccer. I’m sure the Brits doing the wave were all out of rhythm. wouldn’t be a Brit wave without.
meh
Complaining about the wave?
Considering where the team is at and what it’s dealing with?
Slow news day.
On topic – ‘been to two games. Crowd was freakin’ loud and totally in to it each game. One was a tight OT win (Blazers) the other was a route (Pacers). No shortage of energy and engagement by the fans in either game.
I don’t recall the wave happening at either. I’ve been to NBA games in the past where they’ve done the wave. No big deal.
I don’t like the wave in baseball, because baseball is a game of concentration and it seems counterproductive to have a wave going by while either your pitcher is trying to bear down or (conversely) your batter is trying to focus on what is coming. Same reason you don’t do the wave in football when your team has the ball – you only do it on defense.
For basketball? Anything that pumps the crowd up is good. Home teams feed off the noise. I got no problem with the wave.
it's not the "garden".. it's the fleet centah
there was only one Boston Garden..
I don’t mean to be a nitpicker, Bent, and “TD Garden” is acceptable, I suppose,
but not “Boston Garden”.. after all renaming the Fleet Center into the TD Garden is nothing more than a marketing ploy by Toronto Dominion Bank, a.k.a. TD Ameritrade a.k.a. TD Waterhouse in Canada a.k.a. TD Banknorth.
but I am from Rhode Island
where the Civic Centah is now the “Dunk” for Dunkin’ Donuts, so whatevah
do you guys call it the Garden or what ??
mmm fans shouldnt need an obnoxious 80s tradition to pump them up when they have a good product on the floor that should pump them up enough by just seeing them
by Nick Sannicandro on Mar 17, 2010 7:19 AM EDT reply actions
personally could take it or leave it
but it doesn’t bother me. As much of a wonk as I might be about basketball, the game, I also know that to most folks who paid good money to come, its all about having an entertaining experience. And if doing the wave makes them feel somehow ‘involved’ with the experience I have no problem with it.
That said, I would be pissed if they did it, say, while someone on the home team is taking free throws.
Some trivia – I was at the UW around the time (very early 80s) when Rob Weller, one of the Yell Captains for the Husky football team (and later a co-host for Entertainment Tonight) invented the wave by having student fan sections in Husky Stadium take turns cheering. It was a huge hit in football and spread immediately to the Seahawks where, in the old echo chamber that was the KingDome, it was unbelievable.
‘Love it in football when my team is on defense. ’Hate it in baseball. ’Don’t mind it in basketball.
can't stand the wave
can’t stand “everybody clap your hands”
can’t stand the “make some noise” meter
can’t stand cheerleaders
I’m there to watch basketball.
and no I’m not a bitter 60 yr old man, I’m 25, and I can’t stand all that crap. they don’t need it at college and high school games because people who are there are there to watch the game. they create their own energy and excitement based on “GOSH!!!!” what’s happening in the game.
the only saving grace is that at least the Celtics don’t play music during the game like they do in places like New Orleans.
"Take it to the hoop, there's a dance involved." - DJ Tommy
but when the game is boring like hell
then I am there to have fun, I paid money for a reason.
I am not just talking about when we are up by 50 points like against the knicks few years back, but also when we are playing iso in the final minutes of the game and giving the ball to our coldest player.
you don’t want to do a wave, don’t do a wave, but let others entertain themselves.
You pay, you can do what you please, but for me, the NEW NBA experience sucks.
So much BS takes you away from the game. Not sure if the wave was done during a TO or not, but still its wack.
I live in California and have seen the Celtics play LA twice at the Staples. Their NBA experience is light years superior to the Cs. Its all about the games, with a band playing cool jams during TOs. Of course you have the Laker girls, but the only jumbo tron BS is once a game the do the celeb cam. Thats about it. None of the fake noise, jumbo prompted chants. Shooting Ts in to the crowd. Its about the game and the fans avidly discuss the game during TOs. I hate to say it, but the Faker fans are better.
I’ll be staying home.
Mehhh...
If you pay and want to do the wave…then have at it.
My opinion…
by Kobe Won Kenobi on Mar 17, 2010 3:27 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
oh wait..
But if you bust out the Humpty Dance..then no amount of money is enough
by Kobe Won Kenobi on Mar 17, 2010 3:30 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
speaking of all this in game stuff….ive been to about a dozen games this season and has anyone else noticed that pretty much the only “halftime shows” we have anymore are middle schoolers who we dont care about playing on the court? I seem to remember there being soem really impressive acrobatic acts and musical acts in the past…
by Nick Sannicandro on Mar 17, 2010 8:20 PM EDT reply actions
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recent FanPosts
In Association With
Ball Don't Lie - NBA - Yahoo! Sport
- Chris Paul is recruiting J.R. Smith to the Clippers
- Video: ‘Where in the World is Nikola Pekovic?’
- Jeremy Lin’s teammate snaps a picture of his famous couch
- Dwight Howard picks a strange time to ask for more fourth-quarter shots
- Spike Lee texts to thank the coach that cut Jeremy Lin before seeing him play
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
