Tulsa Shock

[SoonerNorm]

Is moving to Dallas.

 

[got mulk??]

Excited for O to come back to Texas!! Now 2 of my all-time favorite former LadyBears are in the same state. If only Odyssey could get traded to Stars.....

 

[womenssports]

It's really sad for the fans that have stuck with them through all the bad years.
The fact is that Tulsa was a small market PLUS management did a terrible job of marketing, of customer service, of announcing the games, of hiring qualified color commentators, of webcasting. In Dallas, they will have a much better market but if Swehota (sp?) or whoever has the authority does not improve on the above, they will still have problems. I know that other teams have had problems with some of the above but none seem to have had the problems the Shock have had. It really has been disgusting.

Oh, one of the minority owners is challenging this in court. I don't know what type of legal structure is the basis for the ownership nor what type of contract(s) were signed but I kind of doubt that the challenge will prevail.

Also, doesn't look like they chose the best venue in Dallas. Don't know if that was best available that they could afford or not. "Hoopfeed claims from a source that the WNBA Board of Governors has already talked about this and plans are to play in UT-Arlington's College Park Center."

 

[tycat947]

It's really sad for the fans that have stuck with them through all the bad years.
The fact is that Tulsa was a small market PLUS management did a terrible job of marketing, of customer service, of announcing the games, of hiring qualified color commentators, of webcasting. In Dallas, they will have a much better market but if Swehota (sp?) or whoever has the authority does not improve on the above, they will still have problems. I know that other teams have had problems with some of the above but none seem to have had the problems the Shock have had. It really has been disgusting.

Oh, one of the minority owners is challenging this in court. I don't know what type of legal structure is the basis for the ownership nor what type of contract(s) were signed but I kind of doubt that the challenge will prevail.

Also, doesn't look like they chose the best venue in Dallas. Don't know if that was best available that they could afford or not. "Hoopfeed claims from a source that the WNBA Board of Governors has already talked about this and plans are to play in UT-Arlington's College Park Center."

+1

 

[MsProudSooner]

I thought this was an odd time to announce this. Why not wait until after the season is over. How far will people drive in the DFW area traffic to see a WNBA game?

It's just another example of why I will never be more than a very casual fan of any pro sport.

 

[tycat947]

I thought this was an odd time to announce this. Why not wait until after the season is over. How far will people drive in the DFW area traffic to see a WNBA game?

It's just another example of why I will never be more than a very casual fan of any pro sport.

+1

 

[womenssports]

I thought this was an odd time to announce this. Why not wait until after the season is over. How far will people drive in the DFW area traffic to see a WNBA game?

Something about it came out in the Tulsa paper about a week ago. Don't think they could get a response from the owners. Then a group of fans hired a PR firm to keep the Shock in Tulsa. Had a campaign with SOS...Save Our Shock. I think this forced them to announce it maybe a little earlier than they intended. I do wonder if it is not an ethical thing to do. Give notice as early as possible so businesses can make plans and people too. STH, players, staff, etal.

I know nothing about Dallas but is UT-Arlington's College Park Center a good location as far as ease of access to Dallas and surrounding area? That is the facility that the owners are rumored to be planning on using.

Oh and I don't know anywhere in Dallas that I would be willing to drive. Maybe I just need to check the online maps but the very few times I have gone that way in the last 30 years, I have hated it.

 

[sybarite]

UT Arlington is on one of the main streets of Arlington, Cooper, which stretches from north of I30 past I20 to HWY 67 as it goes to Midlothian. At rush hour, travel on I20 and I30 are difficult. But, it is pretty clear by 6:00 or 6:30. Coming from the NE, the Bush turnpike is probably the best way to get south to I20 and I30. From the NW, it's pretty easy to loop around FW on 820 to get to the Arlington area. From the south, it's pretty easy to get to Arlington via I20.

There are restaurants, hotels, and shopping centers all over the area, especially in the more southern parts near the primary residential areas which are more newly-built. Major shopping centers at Cooper/I20 and Matlock/I20 have enough to keep people interested. The baseball stadium and Jerry Jones stadium, as well as Six Flags, are about a mile or two north of the campus and about a mile or two east.

I don't know what they will find for a fan base. When I have been to HS girls basketball games in the area, as few as fifty people may be in attendance. There just doesn't seem to be a lot of interest. Of course, I've seen about the same number at HS boys games. Most of the gyms in the DFW area only have seating for maybe three or four hundred people. With that kind of background, I don't know if I would expect them to support a team.

 

[MsProudSooner]

It's interesting that they appear to be choosing to play in a college arena. I always thought that the Reynolds Center in Tulsa would have been a better choice than the BOK.

 

[badger]

Hey hoop chicks. Sorry I haven't checked in in awhile... usually live over at SF.com whereI started the same discussion.

I just wanted to say that I'm sad to see them go, but I admit that I've only attended one game since they arrived. It was the most awful arena experience ever and it had nothing to do with the team losing.

San Antonio, Minnesota, Connecticut, Indiana, Phoenix and Seattle were the league’s six profitable teams last year.

I spotted that stat on a sports biz site. I don't think that WNBA teams can make money in big markets with higher operating costs.

If the WNBA is truly out of Tulsa, I'll just cross my fingers for OU to take road trips to Tulsa every so often... and of course, wish CP3 and D-Rob the best in the league (while secretly hoping they get the no-play big-money deals other pros have gotten, hehe)

 

[got mulk??]

I thought this was an odd time to announce this. Why not wait until after the season is over. How far will people drive in the DFW area traffic to see a WNBA game?

It's just another example of why I will never be more than a very casual fan of any pro sport.

You don't drive in Dallas traffic. I take TRE tram to Mavs games and if the games are at UTA then traffic is not a problem. There are trams and shuttles to almost every game in every sport in DFW area and it saves you money and stress as an added bonus

 

[womenssports]

It's interesting that they appear to be choosing to play in a college arena. I always thought that the Reynolds Center in Tulsa would have been a better choice than the BOK.

I think they built the BOK as part of a long term strategy to bring more interest to Tulsa, more investors, events, etc. When the Thunder came to OKC, if the women's team (Seattle Storm) had come, it was rumored that it would be in Tulsa....I take it at the BOK center. Kind of a Bricktown type effort for Tulsa.

 

[womenssports]

UT Arlington is on one of the main streets of Arlington, Cooper, which stretches from north of I30 past I20 to HWY 67 as it goes to Midlothian. At rush hour, travel on I20 and I30 are difficult. But, it is pretty clear by 6:00 or 6:30. Coming from the NE, the Bush turnpike is probably the best way to get south to I20 and I30. From the NW, it's pretty easy to loop around FW on 820 to get to the Arlington area. From the south, it's pretty easy to get to Arlington via I20.

There are restaurants, hotels, and shopping centers all over the area, especially in the more southern parts near the primary residential areas which are more newly-built. Major shopping centers at Cooper/I20 and Matlock/I20 have enough to keep people interested. The baseball stadium and Jerry Jones stadium, as well as Six Flags, are about a mile or two north of the campus and about a mile or two east.

I don't know what they will find for a fan base. When I have been to HS girls basketball games in the area, as few as fifty people may be in attendance. There just doesn't seem to be a lot of interest. Of course, I've seen about the same number at HS boys games. Most of the gyms in the DFW area only have seating for maybe three or four hundred people. With that kind of background, I don't know if I would expect them to support a team.

Well, the information about the ease of driving to the arena and what is around it is good to know.

If they don't show up for hs girls or boys games, but show up for the Mavericks then maybe there is hope. I do think oftentimes the audience for high school and college is different and I would say the same is true for pro. From what I can discern from reading on boards, many people follow college but not the WNBA and vice-versa. I just really hope the management does this well and that the team does attract a fan base. I have followed the Shock from the beginning and will continue to follow them. I believe he WNBA is important. What disillusions me is the college wbb players want people to follow them but they don't follow other wbb teams, they follow the college mbb. The same is true for the WNBA. They follow the NBA more than the WNBA...this is college wbb players and players in the WNBA, and forget about players who try to make the WNBA and don't, they never mention players or wnba teams on twitter while they talk about the men. I find it very discouraging.

 

[badger]

You have to remember that the WNBA is a very young league compared to the NBA. It started when I was in grade school. While the ESPN TV deal helps (as do college WBB TV deals with ESPN, Fox, etc) people grew up watching NBA on NBC, March Madness on CBS, etc.

The WNBA could really use some marketing help. Unlike MLS, who gets to enjoy extended fan interest after the World Cup every four years, the WNBA never seems to capitolize off the Olympics, nor the womens NCAA tournament, nor other womens' sports events (i.e. the FIFA womens world cup)

 

[MsProudSooner]

I think they built the BOK as part of a long term strategy to bring more interest to Tulsa, more investors, events, etc. When the Thunder came to OKC, if the women's team (Seattle Storm) had come, it was rumored that it would be in Tulsa....I take it at the BOK center. Kind of a Bricktown type effort for Tulsa.

Don't get me wrong, I love the BOK and I think it's great for Tulsa. I just think that the Shock would have been better suited to a arena devoted to basketball, like the Reynolds Center. The woman I go to games with is in a wheel chair and we sit in the top row near the end of the arena. Not a great viewpoint for a basketball game. I've never been a fan of the scoreboard and video board at the BOK, though.

 

[womenssports]

Don't get me wrong, I love the BOK and I think it's great for Tulsa. I just think that the Shock would have been better suited to a arena devoted to basketball, like the Reynolds Center. The woman I go to games with is in a wheel chair and we sit in the top row near the end of the arena. Not a great viewpoint for a basketball game. I've never been a fan of the scoreboard and video board at the BOK, though.

I am not saying you were wrong just that I think they had a plan for the BOK and that was where they were going to play. I did not have a problem with the BOK but where my friend had tickets was pretty convenient. Understand your friend's situation.

The Reynold's Center certainly might have brought in more fans.

 

[Leroy]

TU did not want the Shock.

 

[GoWarriors]

I think they built the BOK as part of a long term strategy to bring more interest to Tulsa, more investors, events, etc. When the Thunder came to OKC, if the women's team (Seattle Storm) had come, it was rumored that it would be in Tulsa....I take it at the BOK center. Kind of a Bricktown type effort for Tulsa.

Plubic transportation is hardly used in DFW because everybody has their own cars. It's not like up north in New York ect... Very few people use the public transportation DFW has. UTA is in the middle of Dallas and Fort Worth. It's a great new facility that would make the crowd look like it was packed. As for High School games, many gyms in the area hold between 1500 to over 4,000 fans. Boys games can draw a packed house for district games and girls usually avg. 200 or so. Playoff games can be different. It's going to be interesting to see what the WNBA brings. There is so much to do and DFW is a high school and Pro town. SMU and TCU do not draw well for basketball. Everybody loves their high school team and the rivals. DFW is a pro town first---Cowboys, Mavericks, Rangers, Stars, FC Dallas Soccer and minor league baseball. So it's going to be a huge struggle to put the WNBA on the map in the DFW area. They will have to spend a lot of marketing money to have a chance. Select basketball is huge in Texas and that will be another problem to get those type people to come when they are busy with select season from March to July.