Palace of Auburn Hills to get video/digital makeover that 'blows fans away,'

[I <3 DET]

While this article is one month old, I didn't see anything about this posted here. Good to hear about more developments being made in Metro-Detroit.

With new seats, screens, free wi-fi, new restaurants and hopefully a good pick in this years draft, attending Pistons games at The Palace will be amazing.

DETROIT, MI -- Expect more money to be pumped into the Detroit Pistons' home at the Place of Auburn Hills to make it a fan-friendly destination.

Dennis Mannion, Palace Sports & Entertainment's CEO, told Detroit radio station WDET [[101.9 FM) that the venue is expected to get an video/digital makeover.

Mannion mentioned a comprehensive look at "everything from the marquee boards on the highways to the center-hung scoreboard in the seating bowl."

And Mannion said in the interview, one that aired Monday, that visitors of Pistons games, concerts and other events won't be disappointed once the work is done.

"“We’ve put that off [[in the past) because technology is moving so rapidly, and we also wanted to make sure with [[the NBA) that we weren’t bound by any sort of creative challenges or rules," Mannion told WDET. "So we’ve done our homework and will just judiciously look at different types of systems we can put in.
"If we do it, we’re going to do it in a way that blows fans away."

A timetable for the work wasn't mentioned in the interview. There are also plans to eventually replace more than 22,000 seats in the venue with sleeker looking black colored ones.

To date, Pistons and Palace Sports & Entertainment owner Tom Gores, a Beverly Hills, Calif. billionaire, has invested more than $40 million into the Palace since he purchased the franchise and overall business in 2011.

Reporters toured last week the third and final phase of The Palace's multi-million dollar internal renovations that include a "new" Palace Grille restaurant, luxury suites and Presidents Club ViP area.

http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/d...of_aubu_1.html

[French777]

More and more I agree with the notion that "people want to hangout in a city environment before and after the game". I live in Rochester Hills part of the week, and Midtown the other part of the week, but even living mere minutes away from The Palace, I still have no reason to go there, since its a sea of parking lots..

[Hypestyles]

Kudos, I suppose. What would really blow me away would be if the team were to move to downtown Detroit. [["stop being urban, Hype...")

On another level-- I'd find it cool if they were to renovate the restooms. The men's stalls are sardine-tin tight! Arggh...

I wonder will they be hiring any more people to be part of the video production crew..

[EastsideAl]

What they really need is a complete makeover of the basketball team.

When the Pistons were competitive it really made no difference at all how 'cool' the video boards and blaring music was. They sold out every game.

[innercitydoc]

Gores would be hard pressed to top this display at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsZrywjPIb0

Unless of course that's what he's going to do and Dan Gilbert beat him to it

[SMRJim]

I'm with Al. I couldn't care less about the scoreboard and the 'sideshows'. I want to see a good, competitive team that has a chance to win a championship.

[313WX]

I agree with Hyperstyles and EastsideAl.

This is good and all for the Palace, its patrons, the folks that will be hired to do the work and its management, but as an eastsider who lives in Detroit and works in an inner ring suburb of Wayne County, this still isn't enough to convince me to attend any type of event out there.

[Cliffy]

The NBA has created a league where the players only want to play in a few major markets and the rest of the teams suck. The whole league has major attendance issues.

[KJ5]

The NBA has created a league where the players only want to play in a few major markets and the rest of the teams suck. The whole league has major attendance issues.

So how do you explain the San Antonio Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder? Or that somehow the Knicks still aren't worth a damn? There is some truth to what you say but still I think you're painting with too broad a brush. The Pistons can't blame the league for their suckitude. That's for sure.

[mikeg19]

This is great news for the 50 people who actually go to the games. The product they put on the floor is horrendous and the mismanagement of the team is a glaring problem. Overall, the NBA is a whole has been on a major decline for awhile, backed by dwindling attendance numbers and an overall disdain of the product.

[DetroitPlanner]

This is great news for the 50 people who actually go to the games. The product they put on the floor is horrendous and the mismanagement of the team is a glaring problem. Overall, the NBA is a whole has been on a major decline for awhile, backed by dwindling attendance numbers and an overall disdain of the product.

I agree with all of your points but one. It is disdain of the greedy players and owners, not of basketball in and of itself. The dwindling attendance has a lot to do with the cost of the product. For now you can see the Pistons on the cheap if you get a good package when they play a second tier team. This is because they know for every person they get to walk in the door they will get between $5-$10 extra profit at the concession stands. On days when they know tickets will be a premium you're paying for the huge salaries.

[sirrealone]

The seats need to be re-upholstered. That ugly pink/purple color has looked awful since the day the place opened.

[Bham1982]

Overall, the NBA is a whole has been on a major decline for awhile, backed by dwindling attendance numbers and an overall disdain of the product.

The NBA has never been more popular, more profitable, or more well-attended.

The issue is with declining attendance and popularity is a Pistons issue, not an NBA issue.

[mikeg19]

The NBA has never been more popular, more profitable, or more well-attended.

The issue is with declining attendance and popularity is a Pistons issue, not an NBA issue.

I don't know about profitability, but I completely disagree with your remarks about popularity and attendance. I think it's pretty obvious that the NBA has had a serious decline is attendance over the past 5 years, as reported by multiple outlets that track attendance figures and trends. Except for the few cities that will attract a crowd no matter what [[New York, LA, Miami, Chicago), it can't be denied that people are not going to games like they used to and the popularity of the league has diminished. People seem to be getting tired of the product [[see: NBA All Star Game dunk contest), as well as numerous reports citing the MLS and NHL now rating higher in fan attendance/enthusiasm.

Of all the sports, I've always believed that NBA fans are the most driven by a winning team. If you aren't a winner and have superstars, it's difficult to attract a large audience night after night. The NBA is essentially the only major pro sports league where one person [[Lebron James, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant) can have such a profound impact on the game night in and night out.


http://nhlinseattle.files.wordpress....attendance.png

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puc...urn=nhl,123904

[Scottathew]

I'm very disappointed that the Pistons didn't come downtown. But as a Rochester Hills resident, it's probably a good thing for that area that we don't have two empty giant stadiums.

I do agree that there is very, very little to do in the area. In order to do anything after the game you have to wait in the gridlock.

When you're downtown you just walk to a bar and have yourself a good time while you wait for the crowds to die down.

[Spartan]

Cool that they're doing improvements, but I don't think it will convince me to drive a half hour, sit in line for another, watch an awful basketball team for two hours, then sit in line for another two, and drive a half hour home.

[Bham1982]

as well as numerous reports citing the MLS and NHL now rating higher in fan attendance/enthusiasm.

You're seriously comparing the NHL to the NBA in terms of popularity?

Let me guess, you're a hockey fan, and don't like basketball.

The NHL is a niche sport with tiny national viewership. NHL broadcasts get much lower ratings than even regular foreign soccer matches [[like the weekend Mexican and Euroepan matches).

[Bham1982]

Cool that they're doing improvements, but I don't think it will convince me to drive a half hour, sit in line for another, watch an awful basketball team for two hours, then sit in line for another two, and drive a half hour home.

And how is that different from watching the Wings? The only difference is the team is mediocre, not awful.

[EastsideAl]

And how is that different from watching the Wings? The only difference is the team is mediocre, not awful.

I'm much more a basketball fan than a hockey fan, but I think part of the point people are making here is that there is actually something to do and someplace to go in the area before and after a Wings game. And, since the Wings play downtown, there is more than one road in and out of the area and fans are traveling in several different directions. Out in the boonies at the Palace though, most of the crowd will be trying to get out of the parking lot immediately after the game and onto I-75 south, which is pretty much the only way out of the place.

The main traffic problem impacting Wings attendance has been the increasingly difficult crossing at the border. I know of a couple of families of longtime fans who gave up their season tickets because of this time-consuming hassle.

[rb336]

You're seriously comparing the NHL to the NBA in terms of popularity?

NHL average attendance per game [[2012): 17,721
NBA average attendance per game [[2012):17,274

then there is this: http://www.forbes.com/sites/jesselawrence/2013/06/20/stanley-cuptickets-higher-than-nba-finals-tickets/

The ONLY place the NBA beats the NHL is in TV ratings.

Basketball is a simple game, simple to understand, simple to watch. Hockey is much more difficult. It is harder to follow a tiny puck traveling 50 mph than a big orange ball moving at a trot. Hockey is literally faster in slo-mo than basketball is at a regular speed. NBC and Bettman have utterly botched NHL broadcasts Crappy on-air talent, crappy promotion. The NHL could do much better if they would just hire ME.

I've never understood why people watch basketball. i've seen games where the last five minutes took over 30 to play. If 5 minutes seems like 30, that is the very definition of boring. I used to play basketball until 10th grade [[I was a decent shot, but a very good shot blocker, rebounder and ball thief. I still enjoy a good defensive game, but those are few and far between since the Bad Boys). Never played hockey

[Spartan]

And how is that different from watching the Wings? The only difference is the team is mediocre, not awful.

Well one, I prefer watching hockey than basketball.

But more importantly, 2-3 hours of driving/parking time and frustration. The Palace just doesn't provide an enjoyable experience, outside of the game itself [[when they're good). You can put all kinds of bells and whistles inside, but if the whole rest of the experience is miserable, it's going to be tough to draw people in. And of course, I get to pay a bunch of money for the "privilege" of sitting in the parking lot for an hour trying to get in and out.

[wolverine]

You're seriously comparing the NHL to the NBA in terms of popularity?

Let me guess, you're a hockey fan, and don't like basketball.

The NHL is a niche sport with tiny national viewership. NHL broadcasts get much lower ratings than even regular foreign soccer matches [[like the weekend Mexican and Euroepan matches).

Yeah NHL is pretty low but viewings are on the rise

Around where I am in Blackhawksland you'd think that's the only thing people watch and viewings seem to beat out the bulls if there's an overlap. But again, big market and the performance of the teams.

As far as the stadium goes, don't prioritize technology upgrades with team investment. Separate issues. People love their phones and it's hard to step up cellular networks in a crowded place. I've had to connect to stadium wireless to let friends know where to meet because all the concrete and phone use by others was crowding networks. It would be also cool to see the lights display like the Cavs have. Even if it doesn't impress the adults, it will certainly impress the kids.

[Gannon]

Even if it doesn't impress the adults, it will certainly impress the kids.

Although it will set them up with unreasonable expectations of what a floor should be used for...

[mikeg19]

You're seriously comparing the NHL to the NBA in terms of popularity?

Let me guess, you're a hockey fan, and don't like basketball.

The NHL is a niche sport with tiny national viewership. NHL broadcasts get much lower ratings than even regular foreign soccer matches [[like the weekend Mexican and Euroepan matches).

I'm actually a fan of both sports. I was just trying to give some insight. Here's more. There's no denying that the NHL is a niche sport in this country. But to sit here and say the NBA hasn't declined in popularity in the past 10 years is just ignorant. The NBA and NHL/MLS are currently on different trajectories in popularity, and it seems they are at the crossroads of where the NBA has declined to the point where the NHL/MLS are on the same playing field and could very well establish themselves as the 3rd/4th most popular sports in this country. There's no denying the NFL and MLB are king, but it wasn't too long ago that the NBA was a close third.

There are so many angles you could use to examine the NBA's decline we could sit here all day debating. Is it poor product on the court? Not enough players that people can identify with? Poor entertainment value? Bad league management? Realistically it's probably a combination of many factors. The NHL was in the same predicament prior to the lockout in 04'. It took a massive effort and overhaul of the leagues practices/advertising/approach to fan entertainment. The NBA needs to be proactive and get it's stuff together before it finds itself in a really bad place.



http://www.thewire.com/national/2013...han-mls/63684/

[wolverine]

Although it will set them up with unreasonable expectations of what a floor should be used for...

Sure...if it's a Pistons game.