12/21/24
January 26, 2002
we have clearance, clarence.: kareem abdul-jabbar lands head-coaching postition for the oklahoma storm. flyover country gets a rare opportunity to see a living legend.
posted by lescour to basketball at 10:09 PM - 5 comments
I know the Arena league has done pretty well in flyover land, how well are these non-coast basketball games attended?
posted by owillis at 05:22 AM on January 27, 2002
it looks like attendence for the usbl is not that terrific (1-2 thousand) and i was unable to ascertain whether that is a break even point or not. the cba didn't last, and the franchise nearest me was very poorly attended. college basketball draws very well, but all of the major teams (ou/osu/tu) in oklahoma are outstanding. oddly enough, the oklahoma city blazers (chl hockey) average over 8300 per game, which is more than respectable.
posted by lescour at 02:00 PM on January 29, 2002
As a one-time Enid resident and full-time Enid lover, I'm delighted! I hate sports, just in general, but when/if I move back to Enid I promised myself that I would support the Storm by attending a game or two. Seeing Abdul-Jabbar will simply be a bonus. I'm glad that it will give Enid some more "visibility." Good on ya, Kareem! (BTW, I didn't always hate sports -- I enjoyed watching NBA games during the early 80s, with Kareem, Magic, and Larry Bird...once Jordan, Rodman, etc, came on board, I lost all interest.)
posted by davidmsc at 07:30 PM on January 29, 2002
I always thought that Kareem was a good guy, but my opinion of him really shot up when he took his first coaching job at a high school on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation.
posted by eckeric at 11:05 AM on February 01, 2002
I saw him once at an airport. He wasn't the nicest guy I've ever met. Of course, he had just flown in from europe, so his arms may have been tired. =)