22 replies to this topic

[95Crash]

TONIGHT, AN ERA OF NETS BASKETBALL ENDS IN NEW JERSEY

The labored birth of a franchise -- New Jersey's first pro basketball team almost wasn't

Nets' middling-if-not-colorful history

The best and worst of Nets basketball in New Jersey

Game over for N.J. Nets, but who'll miss them?

Nets are leaving a place that never really felt like home

Who knows what Nets could have been if Dr. J stayed?

For Nets, a long identity crisis starts with Buck Williams

[95Crash]

I know very few Devils fans care about this, but I went to a bunch of New Jersey Nets games over the years. From the days of Buck Williams and Michael Ray Richardson, to the Derrick Coleman/Kenny Anderson era, to right before the successes of the Jason Kidd-led teams. All along, I always hoped the Nets would do well. I truly believe that the team could've succeeded here in N.J. just like the Devils, if only they had better ownership. In some ways, us Devils fans are simply lucky that our favorite hockey team didn't turn out like the Nets.

[nyrsuck26]

I agree that the Nets were never given a chance to succeed because of their ownership, especially under the most recent owner before Prokhorov: Bruce Ratner. The team was only a means to get his Brooklyn redevelopment project to pass, so he never spent money on the team, and in my opinion is the reason for the fall of the Nets after the Kidd teams.

It will be very sad for me tonight, as I have always been a Nets fan and would support them until I die if they had decided to stay in Jersey. I don't know if I can be a fan of the new Brooklyn team yet. I'm essentially going to treat them as a new team and see if I can see myself cheering for them next year. My heart will always be open if by some miracle the NBA decides to give NJ a second shot down the road.

[thefiestygoat]

I'm a Nets fan but I follow them casually since I devote most of my time to the Devils and Yankees. I'm sad to see them leave NJ and I'm still hoping that one day we get a team back in Newark. Normally I wouldn't follow a team that was moving out of state, especially to New York, but I decided I might as well keep following them in Brooklyn since my family has roots there and some still live there.

Obviously the Jason Kidd era was the high point. Those teams were exciting to watch and actually had success. I'll always remember guys like Kerry Kittles, Keith van Horn, Kenyon Martin, Richard Jefferson, Kendall Gill, Brian Scalabrine, and Jayson Williams.

[Daniel]

Funny how a draft lottery can really change a team's fortunes. The Nets would still be in NJ and probably an arena in Brooklyn doesn't get built if the Nets draft Tim Duncan with the number 1 pick instead of Keith Van Horn with the second pick. Who knows, maybe the Prudential Center would be all decked out in Nets stuff instead of Devils if things turned out that way.

[hockey3893498]

"And several Nets players have complained about the Prudential Center, which opened in 2007 as home to the Devils. Deron Williams — the Nets’ star player who will be a free agent this summer — said early this season, “I don’t like this arena one bit” and “It just doesn’t feel like a basketball arena.”


That's becuase it's not. goodbye, good riddance and don't let the door hit you on the way out you lame duck, carpetbagging losers.

[NJDevs4978]

EDIT: Nevermind, I saw the Yankee pregame on 6:30 and figured the Nets were on another channel, didn't realize they started at 7:30.

Edited by NJDevs4978, 23 April 2012 - 06:04 PM.

[Devilsfan118]

Riddance you sorry excuse for a basketball team!

Taking the NJ off their away jersey's really sealed the deal for me.

[NJDevs4978]

I do hope they clear the Net banners out after tonight's game, it'd be a shame to have to wait five months to see the arena with just the Devils banners up top in addition to a few other scattered ones for Seton Hall, etc.

Edited by NJDevs4978, 23 April 2012 - 06:54 PM.

[devilsrule33]

It's pretty sad. I was a Nets fan for a number of years, and it sucks to see them go. This was just an atrocious franchise sadly say for a few good years when Jason Kidd came. Even when they got Kidd, they could never surround him with much talent and their draft record was piss-poor eventually leading to the demise of those good teams. Even when they got the 1st pick overall, it was in the worst draft class of all-time. Poorly managed all the way through. This could have easily been the Devils if Lou Lamoriello never came to town.

Photos like this always make me sad when these things happen.

[thefiestygoat]

I am rethinking my position to follow the Nets to Brooklyn since a Yormark brother is a part of the Nets organization.

[DevsMan84]

Jesus fvckin Christ what the hell is with all of the overreaction here with them moving?!

This is not Winnipeg to Phoenix or Quebec to Denver move people, it is from Newark NJ across a couple of bridges/tunnels to Brooklyn. If you want to see the Nets just pay a few extra bucks for the tolls and see the same team you always cheered for years, just with a slightly different name and colors.

Hell this team even used to play at the Colisseum and the Armory, so outside of the Meadowlands and Newark this is the closest they have played to NJ.

Edited by DevsMan84, 24 April 2012 - 12:22 PM.

[devlman]

Jesus fvckin Christ what the hell is with all of the overreaction here with them moving?!

This is not Winnipeg to Phoenix or Quebec to Denver move people, it is from Newark NJ across a couple of bridges/tunnels to Brooklyn. If you want to see the Nets just pay a few extra bucks for the tolls and see the same team you always cheered for years, just with a slightly different name and colors.

Hell this team even used to play at the Colisseum and the Armory, so outside of the Meadowlands and Newark this is the closest they have played to NJ.

Its not that easy to travel across to Brooklyn. But, either way, I think its moreso the complete disregard for the state of NJ and the fans here for the past five years. Once they decided upon BK, they couldnt give two sh!ts about Jersey and the hardcore fans here. They are no longer a NJ team, and I think thats what people are reflecting upon. I say good riddance. If you dont wana be here and have shunned NJ for years, then gtfo and go to Ratner/Jay-Z and the sh!thole that is Brooklyn. You will fail there, too.

Edited by devlman, 24 April 2012 - 12:59 PM.

[DevsMan84]

Its not that easy to travel across to Brooklyn. But, either way, I think its moreso the complete disregard for the state of NJ and the fans here for the past five years. Once they decided upon BK, they couldnt give two sh!ts about Jersey and the hardcore fans here. They are no longer a NJ team, and I think thats what people are reflecting upon. I say good riddance. If you dont wana be here and have shunned NJ for years, then gtfo and go to Ratner/Jay-Z and the sh!thole that is Brooklyn. You will fail there, too.

It's not that easy to go to Yankee Stadium, Citifield, and MSG, but many of their fans who live in NJ make that trek quite often.

And for the many years before Kidd and the few years after Kidd, NJ couldn't give two sh!ts about the team either. Even their average crowds would make the Devils worst of the early-season weekday game against Columbus look intimdating and loud.

Quite honestly I am surprised they survived as long as they did.

Edited by DevsMan84, 24 April 2012 - 01:05 PM.

[95Crash]

I guess some people really took pride in the team playing in New Jersey and using the Jersey name.

If the Devils ever moved to Brooklyn, they, too, wouldn't be the same for me anymore. I really love that the Devils are Jersey's Team.

[thefiestygoat]

It's not that easy to go to Yankee Stadium, Citifield, and MSG, but many of their fans who live in NJ make that trek quite often.

And for the many years before Kidd and the few years after Kidd, NJ couldn't give two sh!ts about the team either. Even their average crowds would make the Devils worst of the early-season weekday game against Columbus look intimdating and loud.

Quite honestly I am surprised they survived as long as they did.

I think the Yankees and Mets situation is a bit different. Without a doubt baseball is the second most popular sport here and it really goes generation to generation in families. People in NJ will always follow the NY teams and in the case of the Yankees (and Mets mainly in the 80's) they at least know they are going to see a quality product. Most of the Rangers fans I know in NJ are either older people who were around before the Devils or had parents/grandparents who were Rangers fans. Plus MSG is the easiest sports venue in NY to get to from NJ. Brooklyn is doable but I can understand how the increase in tolls/train fares/time would turn some people off. I just don't think the team ever had enough of a fanbase here to really get people from NJ to follow the team.

Like I said before, I went back and forth on whether to support the Brooklyn Nets. I was leaning towards it, even last night, but after the whole Yormark fiasco and the way owners like Ratner and Jay-Z didn't give a sh!t about NJ fans or even trying to field a competitive team, I don't think I can keep following them.

I guess some people really took pride in the team playing in New Jersey and using the Jersey name.

If the Devils ever moved to Brooklyn, they, too, wouldn't be the same for me anymore. I really love that the Devils are Jersey's Team.

If the Devils ever moved out of state, even if its close by to a place like Brooklyn, there is no way I would support them. Thats just me though, I'm not sure how many others feel the same way.

Edited by thefiestygoat, 24 April 2012 - 04:18 PM.

[devilsfan26]

I do hope they clear the Net banners out after tonight's game

Looks like they wasted no time in doing so, I didn't see them up there tonight.

Honestly I am upset that New Jersey is losing a team but for the past few years they made it obvious that NJ meant diddly-poo to them so good riddance. If the Devils moved out of New Jersey I don't know if I would continue to support them, it would probably depend on the specifics of why they moved. I am a Yankees fan but if New Jersey ever got a baseball team I would be the first to switch sides.

[ghdi]

This is apparently the new logo black/white color scheme...

[nyrsuck26]

I'm not a huge fan of the purely black and white color scheme, but I've seen much worse. Nice and simple.

[Daniel]

Like I said before, I went back and forth on whether to support the Brooklyn Nets. I was leaning towards it, even last night, but after the whole Yormark fiasco and the way owners like Ratner and Jay-Z didn't give a sh!t about NJ fans or even trying to field a competitive team, I don't think I can keep following them.

Don't know how you can say they weren't doing anything to try and field a competitive team. Nets went all in for Deron Williams, tried to get Lebron, which was an uphill battle to begin with, and tried desperately to get Dwight Howard to the point of tampering. Also went out and hired a respected coach in Avery Johnson. Unfortunately they were unlucky in not landing John Wall. Maybe they get Anthony Johnson. If that happens, look out.

About not giving a sh!t about NJ fans. Frankly, can you blame them? Nets attendance, even when they were good, makes Devils attendance look like a Canadians home game.

Me, I've never been a much of a basketball fan. I would watch when the Nets were good, or otherwise root for the Knicks to lose, more because I'm fascinated about how much of a train wreck that organization has been. I live in Manhattan, so it's easy for enough for me to get to the Barclay's Center, so I might go check out a game or two if the tix are cheap.