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Pistons attendance issues at Little Caesars Arena are unmistakable

By Duncan Smith

DETROIT, MI - OCTOBER 23: A general view of Little Caesars Arena during the NBA basketball game between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Detroit Pistons on October 23, 2017 in Detroit, Michigan. Philadelphia 76ers defeated Detroit Pistons 97-86. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images)
DETROIT, MI - OCTOBER 23: A general view of Little Caesars Arena during the NBA basketball game between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Detroit Pistons on October 23, 2017 in Detroit, Michigan. Philadelphia 76ers defeated Detroit Pistons 97-86. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images) /
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The anticipated excitement around the Detroit Pistons return downtown to Little Caesars Arena was greatly overestimated after the proof of two home games.

The hope was that the Detroit Pistons return home would be welcomed with open arms to a city longing to see the team bearing its name within its confines once again. Needless to say, after two games, that hope was deeply flawed.

My own assumption was that attendance in the early stages of the season would be buoyed by excitement about a sparkling Little Caesars Arena, if not so much about a team that many of its own fans really don’t like that much. The Pistons don’t resonate with Detroit fans, and it’s understandable. A fanbase who associates their basketball with hard work and grit over everything got very little evidence of that last year, and they’re clearly still out on this team.

Attendance has been a national curiousity at Little Caesars Arena. The season opener drew a near sellout at 20,491, but actual filled seats would have been closer to the three-quarter mark, according to a multitude of eyewitnesses on hand. Attendance at the Pistons’ second game of the season against the Philadelphia 76ers was even more remarkable with just 13,709 tickets sold, and there were significantly fewer people than that on hand.

Darren Rovell’s pictures were not cherry picked or well-timed to prove a point, this is what Little Caesars Arena looked like for the entire game from start to finish.

The reasons for this are all good reasons. The Pistons aren’t a particularly enjoyable team to watch unless you have that masochistic streak that afflicts many of us who do watch. If you do enjoy watching the Pistons, many people prefer the viewing experience from home. While you can get in the door for $15, if you try to take a family of four to a game, that’s still going to end up costing well over $100 to park and eat.

Next: Pistons comeback falls short against the Sixers

I don’t fault the fans for this largely empty building. It’s on the Pistons to prove to the people of Detroit that they deserve their money and time.

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