Last night I got to go to the Wizards-Spurs game with my buddy, a Wiz season ticket holder -- and it was a lot of fun. I think there's a few good ideas that GW could take up for the fan experience: getting them involved and interested, some benefits for season ticket holders, and more.
I hadn't been to an NBA game in years, maybe since Jordan played for the Wiz, and have many of the complaints you probably do -- they just play one-on-one, there's no defense, they don't call fouls or run plays, etc. But I have to say, it's a different style of basketball, and a different fan experience, but still a good time.
Basketball-wise, the game had a lot more midrange shots, and they knocked down many of them. There also didn't seem to be formal players, but maybe they were just more fluid and subtle than in college. I couldn't recognize defenses, either. It was also really-fast paced, with the home team winning 101-93. And I had no idea that Kris Humphries, most famous for marrying a Kardashian, was good at basketball. They also play music, mostly hip hop (and not all of it new) during play, mostly when the Wiz are on offense, something which is not allowed in college ball. I had forgotten about that.
As for the fan experience, there's a few things I think GW could pick up. For one, they give special (cool) Adidas warmup jackets just to season ticket holders. I saw them everywhere, first because they looked awesome, and then even more when my friend told me what they were. Considering how inexpensive GW tickets are (which is awesome) giving away a jacket wouldn't be feasible, but I'd definitely buy an awesome one that was just for season ticket holders. It could be a good way to build up interest and awareness of season tickets: "Hey, where'd you get that jacket?" It's also a great bonus for season ticket holders.
They also had a lot of little games and promotions during breaks in play -- one was completely random: Jeff Gordon, the NASCAR star, crushed a guy in a tricycle race. There was also a promotion where if the opposing team missed two free throws towards the end of the game, everybody gets a free chicken sandwich -- and people go nuts for it. It really increases the volume when the opposing team is shooting free throws.
This isn't to say I don't enjoy GW games -- I always do. But the more promotions, games and fun things for fans, the better.
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