Pretty interesting. I was at the first Rockets game at Toyota Center (Box Score) and I remember walking around outside and along the concourse inside the stadium constantly thinking to myself: surely I am not in Houston anymore... This place is too nice. I must be in LA or something. I know I'm a homer, but I think ranking Toyota Center at #5 is correct. The stadium itself is awesome, and if the team were better, then the atmosphere would be better, and it would move into the top 3 with AT&T.

Also, out of the stadiums I've been to, I would rank them:

Toyota Center (HOU)
Chesapeake Energy (OKC)
American Airlines (DAL) (not much difference btw this and OKC)
New Orleans Arena (NOR)

So my experience is consistent with their rankings.

AAC is a very nice arena but the gameday experience is pretty subpar. most of the fans would rather watch the game for a quarter or two, then go hang out in one of the bars like the Jack Daniels Old No. 7 Club. pretty ****ing dumb to pay money for tickets only to go watch half the game from a bar inside the arena.

besides that, one of the quietest arenas i have ever been to.

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America's destiny is not of our own choosing. We did not seek nor did we provoke an assault on our freedom and our way of life. We did not expect nor did we invite a confrontation with evil. Yet the true measure of a people's strength is how they rise to master that moment when it does arrive.

I've been there for a playoff game (Rox v Mavs in 2005) and it was rockin'. But, you could probably say that about any arena; it's always going to be a much better atmosphere in the playoffs.

I've been to all the stadiums in the Southwest division, and I've enjoyed them all, but I would but New Orleans as easily the lowest.

The FedEx Forum (Memphis) got a lower score because of fa lower score on fan interest during the game the reviewer visited. Beyond this though, there was precious little cheering or emotion on display. The lack of intensity on the floor spread out into the half-filled stands and I often felt I was watching a pre-season game

This is probably true, but it was against the Sacramento Kings...in February....on a Tuesday night.

No complaints with Chesapeake's review

barclays center is the nicest arena i've ever been to for a basketball game. bar none. The amenities, the 40/40 club, etc blow any other arena away

the crowd is a different story

Just from watching TV, OKC & GSW appear to have the best/most intense fan bases. Their atmospheres seem electric.

Yea they definitely seem to have the best fans.

I'd like to check out a GS game, that place does sound pretty nuts.

I've been surprised the Houston fans haven't been more intense. From what I have seen on TV, they don't look like they are really into it.

For example, I think it was in game 4, it was a close game with 3-4 minutes left and everyone was sitting down. WTF? I would expect a fan base that hadn't seen the playoffs in years to be a little more excited.

Maybe the upper section has been rockin, but it looks like the lower section is pretty tame (at least on TV it looks that way).

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I've been surprised the Houston fans haven't been more intense. From what I have seen on TV, they don't look like they are really into it.

For example, I think it was in game 4, it was a close game with 3-4 minutes left and everyone was sitting down. WTF? I would expect a fan base that hadn't seen the playoffs in years to be a little more excited.

Maybe the upper section has been rockin, but it looks like the lower section is pretty tame (at least on TV it looks that way).

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No bias in mavs4ever's post - how could there be?

he is just balancing out the houston bias, no worries.

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AAC is a very nice arena but the gameday experience is pretty subpar.

besides that, one of the quietest arenas i have ever been to.

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NBA players would disagree with you.

The experience matters on the opponent and the importance of the game.



People love to talk smack about Lakers fans.....but Ive been to Laker playoff games and I promise you that Staples Center gets very hyped for huge playoff games.


I haven't been to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn or the Amway Center in Orlando (both are supposed to be excellent facilities)....but Ive been to a lot of NBA arenas and I have yet to see an arena that is superior to the American Airlines Center.

Out of the Arenas Ive been too, Only the Staples Center and Pepsi Center in Denver are on the level of the AAC.

I would actually completely disagree with the author.
I think the AAC is rather ugly on the outside and doesn't fit in with its surround neighborhood at all.

The arena itself? Top Flight. For $420 million it better be an excellent facility.

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most of the fans would rather watch the game for a quarter or two, then go hang out in one of the bars like the Jack Daniels Old No. 7 Club. pretty ****ing dumb to pay money for tickets only to go watch half the game from a bar inside the arena.

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You should replace the word "most" with "Some"

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No bias in mavs4ever's post - how could there be?

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I'm not really sure what I said that could be construed as me being biased. I basically stated facts, i.e., what I saw on television. I didn't just throw out random nonsense about Houston fans being bad. I said they seemed like they weren't into it because of what I saw (3 minutes left in a tie game and noone even standing up). I also said that maybe the upper section was really into the game (couldn't see them on TV), but the lower section was definitely not. I would state the exact same thing if I saw the fans reacting that way for a playoff game in any arena in the league, including the AAC.

I also have not said anything about the mavs fans being great in this thread. Although now that you bring it up they would at least be standing up making noise with 3 minutes left in a playoff game. Hell, they do this for regular season games.

But the only fans I have complemented in the thread are GS and OKC. It's clear that they have great fans. I could see how you could consider my comments as biased if I was stating how great Mavs fans were. But I didn't do that before making my comments. I only gave props to OKC and GS.

AT&T Center needs to update their music selections. Good god

What is wrong with their music?

The new GS stadium looks RIDICULOUS