A few observations from the home opener:

1. The crowd was not impressive. Could be a combination of a bland team [[as mentioned earlier, no relatable stars), high prices [[especially for lower bowl tickets) and a Wednesday night matchup against the Hornets, but there were a ton of empty seats.

2. The upper deck design is a MESS. It is WAY too steep, meaning there is almost no leg room, and you are craning your neck to look down on the floor. Why they put the cupholders on the floor is beyond me. And sliding by people to leave your row is a great way to get to know everyone in the row, if you know what I mean. If you sit on the sideline sections in the upper deck, you either have that pointless gondola blocking almost your entire view, or you have the giant gondola looming over your head. What good is the biggest scoreboard if you have to watch replays on a 42-inch flatscreen? It's an odd feeling. I'd rather stay home than sit in those seats.

3. The arena is 98% a Wings arena. There are almost zero Pistons items in there, besides a few posters and projections. I hope they have plans to move some more stuff in there soon.

4. It was by far the most diverse crowd I've ever seen at a Pistons game, and possibly any Detroit sporting event for that matter. Really cool, and I hope the organization recognizes this.

5. The Pistons marketing and in-game presentation needs some work. It just feels cheap and inauthentic, especially now that they are actually in the city. Seems like they are more focused on all the dance teams, drumlines, trampoline guys, and performances, as opposed to getting the crowd hyped for the game. Feels more like a circus at times. Sorry, but Mason has got to go.

6. The concourse, food options, bathrooms, and entrances are all amazing. Clean, wide open, and really fan-friendly. Staff is super helpful as well.

The location is far better, but there are some flaws with the design of the arena. I think a lot of the other stuff can and will be fixed.