Tulsans are embracing Thunder fever

[sappstuf]

Never too late to jump on the bandwagon....

WHEN THE NBA considered placing a franchise in Oklahoma City, the league trumpeted the possibility of Tulsa embracing the new team.

Three years later, as the Oklahoma City Thunder heads into Saturday's Game 3 against the Denver Nuggets, it's finally happening.

TV ratings are up in Tulsa. So are ticket sales, website visits and merchandise sold.

"We're clearly making some inroads," said Brian Byrnes, the Thunder's senior vice president of sales and marketing.

For many Tulsans like Dean Majors, Thunder fever took over during last year's playoff duel with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Majors went to Game 6 of the series and got hooked on the atmosphere. Soon after, he bought season tickets to guarantee his seat for the Thunder's postseason.

"The Lakers series really woke people up to the potential the team had and how good this was sitting two hours down the turnpike," said Majors, 40.

Sales for season tickets or multi-game packages increased 30 percent among Tulsa residents this year, Byrnes said.

Single-game ticket sales are also up 5 percent in the area from last year.

The number of northeastern Oklahomans who have signed up for the team's insider emails has spiked 63 percent from this time last year, Byrnes said.

The Thunder also reports a "significant increase" in Web visitors from northeastern Oklahomans to its official website (tulsaworld.com/thunder) and profiles on Twitter and Facebook.

TV ratings reflect a greater interest here, too.

Ratings in Tulsa for the Thunder's games on Fox Sports Oklahoma have doubled this season. USA Today reported that TV ratings for ESPN's NBA games are up 127 percent in the area.

The Thunder game dominated the big screens at Tulsa Hills' Buffalo Wild Wings on Wednesday.

Connor Struttmann watched Oklahoma City's 106-89 win over Denver with a few friends in the restaurant. The 18-year-old said he's followed the team since it moved from Seattle, but last year's Lakers series increased his excitement.

"It's been more fun this year, that's for sure," Struttmann said.

Excitement around the Thunder is helping out area stores' sales.

The Sports Authority on 71st Street started carrying more Thunder gear around the start of last year's playoffs.

Now a display of Durant jerseys and blue shirts hangs across the aisle from Kendall Hunter and Ryan Broyles jerseys.

"Right now, Thunder merchandise is probably our biggest seller," store manager Amber Payne said.

Lids Locker Room in Woodland Hills Mall has also seen a spike in sales.

"Nobody ever used to request it at all," store manager Tante Walters said.

Now the Thunder's sales are behind only Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, thanks in part to All-Star guard Russell Westbrook.

"Everybody's after Westbrook (jerseys)," Walters said.

The NBA schedules the regular season, and the Thunder can only list one home site - Oklahoma City Arena. That's why the team can't play more games in Tulsa, Byrnes said. But the BOK Center has hosted Thunder preseason games in each of the team's three years in the state, and attendance has risen every time.

The Thunder's first game in Oklahoma drew 10,007 fans to the BOK Center in 2008. Last October, the Thunder-Grizzlies game attracted an announced crowd of 11,297 - an increase of 13 percent from the first year.

"Every time we come to this arena and play," star swingman Kevin Durant said after this season's exhibition game, "we feel like we're playing in Oklahoma City."

Byrnes said some of the rising interest comes from the franchise's steps to become more visible in Tulsa. It has a sales team devoted to Tulsa and met with area businesses in the fall to promote sales. The Thunder also has booked player appearances in town.

"There's clearly been an increase in our resourcing and our effort throughout Tulsa," Byrnes said. "And in partnership with all that is the fact that the team's playing well.

"When the team continues to play well and continues to develop an identity as the state's professional basketball team, there's no question their on-court success tries to mirror what we're doing off the court."

Read more from this Tulsa World article at http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextr...21872&allcom=1

[Peach Fuzz]

So they decided to suck it up and stop bitchin

Good to see support from back east

[XingTheRubicon]

I remember the Tulsa Animal bitchin' about the name "Oklahoma City" instead of just "Oklahoma."

"If they want Tulsa to be a part of this....blah blah blah."


Yeah, if you want to be a part of this, drive west on I-44.

[olevetonahill]

Im proud they doing good But i still dont care for round ball

[SoonerNate]

I remember the Tulsa Animal bitchin' about the name "Oklahoma City" instead of just "Oklahoma."

"If they want Tulsa to be a part of this....blah blah blah."


Yeah, if you want to be a part of this, drive west on I-44.

Didn't this have more to do with the citizens of OKC ponying up for the team/ stadium? I think that's similar to the Marlins changing their name next year to Miami from Florida. If Tulsa wanted it to be Oklahoma then they should pony up some dough.

[Shakadoodoo]

I always cheer for Oklahoma against other states. So of course we are going to embrace the thunder!

[DIB]

Didn't this have more to do with the citizens of OKC ponying up for the team/ stadium? I think that's similar to the Marlins changing their name next year to Miami from Florida. If Tulsa wanted it to be Oklahoma then they should pony up some dough.

Tulsa was included as part of the marketing package submitted to the NBA to get the move approved. Stern even said that the inclusion of Tulsa was instrumental in getting approval. Taxes from the entire state, a large amount coming from the Tulsa area, have been used to subsidize the team. It would have been a nice gesture to name the team after the entire state, since tax dollars from the whole state helped bring them here. I don't really care about the name. One of the ways that the ownership group got the Tulsa city leadership to support the move in their marketing plan to the NBA was by insinuating that they would have a few games at the BOK. After the move was approved, they turned around and said no regular season games would be at the BOK.

The ownership group was happy to use Tulsa's population and tax dollars to get the team to Oklahoma, but did very little to actually bring in the fans from Tulsa.

[Turd_Ferguson]

Tulsa was included as part of the marketing package submitted to the NBA to get the move approved. Stern even said that the inclusion of Tulsa was instrumental in getting approval. Taxes from the entire state, a large amount coming from the Tulsa area, have been used to subsidize the team. It would have been a nice gesture to name the team after the entire state, since tax dollars from the whole state helped bring them here. I don't really care about the name. One of the ways that the ownership group got the Tulsa city leadership to support the move in their marketing plan to the NBA was by insinuating that they would have a few games at the BOK. After the move was approved, they turned around and said no regular season games would be at the BOK.

The ownership group was happy to use Tulsa's population and tax dollars to get the team to Oklahoma, but did very little to actually bring in the fans from Tulsa.

Yeah, so what's your point?

[DIB]

Yeah, so what's your point?

Just pointing out that Tulsa did help bring the team to OKC and they aren't just bitching about the name. OKC did more, which is why the Thunder are in OKC and not Tulsa. And frankly, most Tulsans don't care about the name. If the team wanted more Tulsa fans, it would be easy. Just have a couple early season games at the BOK.

I have been a Thunder fan since day one, I am just explaining the apparent misconception that many OKCers seem to have.

[XingTheRubicon]

Tulsa was included as part of the marketing package submitted to the NBA to get the move approved. Stern even said that the inclusion of Tulsa was instrumental in getting approval. Taxes from the entire state, a large amount coming from the Tulsa area, have been used to subsidize the team. It would have been a nice gesture to name the team after the entire state, since tax dollars from the whole state helped bring them here. I don't really care about the name. One of the ways that the ownership group got the Tulsa city leadership to support the move in their marketing plan to the NBA was by insinuating that they would have a few games at the BOK. After the move was approved, they turned around and said no regular season games would be at the BOK.

The ownership group was happy to use Tulsa's population and tax dollars to get the team to Oklahoma, but did very little to actually bring in the fans from Tulsa.

MAPS was OKC.

Tulsa is important to the state and important to the Thunder, but don't kid yourself, OKC and MAPS was 90% of the reason Oklahoma has an NBA franchise.

The other 10% being a hurricane.

[DIB]

MAPS was OKC.

Tulsa is important to the state and important to the Thunder, but don't kid yourself, OKC and MAPS was 90% of the reason Oklahoma has an NBA franchise.

The other 10% being a hurricane.

This is the attitude that bothers many Tulsans. You won't find a single Tulsan that thinks they are THE reason that the Thunder came to OKC, but the simple fact is that Tulsa was part of the justification for moving the Thunder to OKC. Tax dollars from Tulsa went to subsidizing the team, when they moved. Saying that Tulsa had zero to do with bringing the Thunder to the state is false.

I never understood why people in OKC need to diminish Tulsa to feel better about their city.

[sappstuf]

Tulsa was included as part of the marketing package submitted to the NBA to get the move approved. Stern even said that the inclusion of Tulsa was instrumental in getting approval. Taxes from the entire state, a large amount coming from the Tulsa area, have been used to subsidize the team. It would have been a nice gesture to name the team after the entire state, since tax dollars from the whole state helped bring them here. I don't really care about the name. One of the ways that the ownership group got the Tulsa city leadership to support the move in their marketing plan to the NBA was by insinuating that they would have a few games at the BOK. After the move was approved, they turned around and said no regular season games would be at the BOK.

The ownership group was happy to use Tulsa's population and tax dollars to get the team to Oklahoma, but did very little to actually bring in the fans from Tulsa.

Winning seems to be doing it nicely...

[StoopTroup]

Thunder Fever=Bieber Fever

[C&CDean]

Thunder Fever=Bieber Fever

You shut your whore mouth.

[StoopTroup]

You shut your whore mouth.

+10

[sooner ngintunr]

I never understood why people in OKC need to diminish Tulsa to feel better about their city.

Give it time.

[texaspokieokie]

i don't like it when a pro team is named for the whole state.

[KuppiKunta]

I'll let ya know when I make my first trip up the 'pike to see the Thunder play.

[Okieflyer]

If the team wanted more Tulsa fans, it would be easy. Just have a couple early season games at the BOK.

I think your right, but the way understand it they couldn't. Something to do with leagues rules about only having one home. Which is the Okc Arena.

[Condescending Sooner]

What Tulsa tax dollars are being used to support the Thunder?