watching the game on ESPN tonight...

Pappyman · Post #1 » by **Pappyman** » Thu Oct 30, 2008 5:45 am

the Clippers have got to get out of L.A. They need to move to Anaheim. This was NOT a road game for the Lakers. Fans were cheering more when the LAKERS scored than the CLIPPERS. The Clippers were supposedly the "home" team. No they weren't. The Clippers will never be a succesful franchise in the NBA until they move to their OWN city and into their OWN arena. They need to move to the Honda Center permanently. The Clippers and Lakers could develop a rivalry similar to the Dodgers and Angels if the Clips were willing to move to Orange County. They (Clips) would have their own group of fans who would actually want to go to their games because they are part of the community and not just because L.A. fans couldn't get Lakers tickets. It seems really disturbing to me that Donald Sterling will not make this move. It needs to happen. Today. No NBA team loses at home by 40 points.

GuyverX · Post #2 » by **GuyverX** » Thu Oct 30, 2008 7:10 am

Well, I for one am one of the few who would welcome a move to Anaheim as I live 15-20 minutes away...but the Clippers' lease at Staples isn't up until 2012.

The MVP chants for Kobe do get really annoying and somewhat depressing to hear when you look at the red hardwood.

I'd love for them to move into the Honda Center just so I can go to games more often but that's just me.

JJ LoDuca · Post #3 » by **JJ LoDuca** » Thu Oct 30, 2008 7:18 am

Hell no. I live literally a bike ride away from the Honda Center, and I am not down for a move. Hell naw. We are the Los Angeles Clippers, and I don't agree with fleeing our ground for anybody. You think there'd be less laker fans a a Clips/Lakes game in Anahiem? How would that make a difference? It wouldn't. Staples Center is the premier arena in the NBA and I want my team playing there.

DerickG · Post #4 » by **DerickG** » Thu Oct 30, 2008 7:35 am

Wow. We have gone through ONE game in the 08-09 season and your already talking about a move. I hate the Lakers but they are good and have been in LA for 36 years more than we have. We deserve to be able to play at Staples. I was at the game. Were you? If you are such a loyal fan why aren't you at the game? We are going to be fine. We lost 1 game to a great team. We need to get healthy and acclimated with each other. I will NOT lose faith in this team. We showed signs of brilliance tonight as we will on Friday when we destroy Melo less Denver. Camby will be there and ready to play. Clipper Nation was not there tonight, probably due to unfaithful so called Clipper fans wanting to make an extra buck selling them to Laker fans. Shame on you. We will back in full force Friday!

Go Clippers!

Post #5 » by **loflin3hree5ive** » Thu Oct 30, 2008 8:26 am

Clippers play the Lakers two times a year on their home floor when they have to deal with Laker fans infiltrating their home game. It's not a big deal and hardly justifies moving out of Staples where the Clippers have several years on from what I understand is a very reasonable lease in a big market city that will help lure free agents in the near future with a brand new $50 million training center near by. The Clippers have very steady attendance throughout each season and like I said, this problem only occurs twice a year when the Clips play the Lakers. As long as people show up and spend money it really doesn't matter if they're there for the Clippers or not since it's not like fans in Los Angeles (or any other big city for that matter possibly excluding New York) generally present much of a home court advantage anyway. That's a nice rant and all, but the Clippers logically are one of the last teams in the NBA that would change cities. Enjoy our 25th anniversary in L.A. this year!

Forte IV · Post #6 » by **Forte IV** » Thu Oct 30, 2008 2:26 pm

dude didnt the SUNS get blown out by 30-40 at HOME against the pistons last seaosn? Stop complaining. It was one game.

GermanFan120 · Post #7 » by **GermanFan120** » Thu Oct 30, 2008 4:59 pm

I watched the game last night, i felt bad for Clippers having more Lakers fans in the stadium. It was like their home court even though it had been always like this...

I don't understand why they let LA have 2 teams, and no team in Seattle.

It should not be Supersonics, but Oklahoma Clippers...

Wish you guys luck this season and kick Lakers fans out of the stadium next time... please!

GuyverX · Post #8 » by **GuyverX** » Thu Oct 30, 2008 6:08 pm

Oklahoma Clippers? :lol:

I've wanted them to move to Anaheim since before they renewed their lease at Staples in 2004...but Oklahoma? That's hilarious!

Post #9 » by **thanumba2clippersfan** » Thu Oct 30, 2008 7:13 pm

I'd rather they stay in LA. Anaheim is too far from me when I'm in California.

Post #10 » by **mkwest** » Thu Oct 30, 2008 8:15 pm

LA all the way.

Although if they ever were to move for whatever reason, I'd accept Anaheim or the IE and that's where it stops. If the CB Bank Arena were standard size and the Clips moved there, that would have been a beautiful thing for me as far as distance goes. The fact of the matter is even in Anaheim, you would get a Laker fan presence rearing its ugly head (no offense Laker fans :wink:

). The Clips have been in LA for the past 25 years and that's where they need to be. Sterling is making a profit despite it all, so I doubt he has any motivation to leave.

JJ LoDuca · Post #11 » by **JJ LoDuca** » Thu Oct 30, 2008 8:40 pm

mkwest wrote:Although if they ever were to move for whatever reason, I'd accept Anaheim or the IE and that's where it stops.

For the love of god MK, whyyy?! I'm from the IE and I would never, never wish such a fate on my team. That new arena they built in Ontario for the LA King's minor league hockey team is alright, but it aint no NBA-caliber facility. I won't settle for less than Staples Center.

Post #12 » by **mkwest** » Thu Oct 30, 2008 9:14 pm

JJ LoDuca wrote:
mkwest wrote:Although if they ever were to move for whatever reason, I'd accept Anaheim or the IE and that's where it stops.

For the love of god MK, whyyy?! I'm from the IE and I would never, never wish such a fate on my team. That new arena they built in Ontario for the LA King's minor league hockey team is alright, but it aint no NBA-caliber facility. I won't settle for less than Staples Center.

If the team moved and Los Angeles was not an option, I'd be willing to accept those two places. If the Clippers ended up in Seattle or Kansas City or something like that, I'd be done. Ontario's arena is obviously not up to NBA/NHL standards, but that wasn't the purpose when they built it. If it were, It would have been a very convenient location for me.

Tucker74 · Post #13 » by **Tucker74** » Thu Oct 30, 2008 9:33 pm

Easy solution is to win! During our "magical" run in 2005-06 all the bandwagoners were wearing Clippers jerseys. It's natural for the average fan to root for the better team. Plus, Sterling has a sweet deal at Staples.

Post #14 » by **thanumba2clippersfan** » Thu Oct 30, 2008 10:08 pm

I think if, and IF being the key word. If our team were to move somewhere in Southern California the same thing would happen during Clipper/Laker games. It's no secret that Southern California's team is the Lakers. With that said let's just stay put.

JJ LoDuca · Post #15 » by **JJ LoDuca** » Fri Oct 31, 2008 12:19 am

^ I completely agree with you #2.

mj_shoefanatic · Post #16 » by **mj_shoefanatic** » Fri Oct 31, 2008 10:08 am

eFF Anaheim! GTFOH with that propaganda!

We started in South Central LA(Sport's Arena) and just moved down the street to Staples Ctr. :starwars

realfung · Post #17 » by **realfung** » Fri Oct 31, 2008 7:41 pm

There are only a fews games they will have to turn the home/away games around.

I am sure when Clippers play against other teams, the LA fans will cheer crazy for the Clips.

jgustav1 · Post #18 » by **jgustav1** » Sat Nov 1, 2008 4:39 pm

The Clippers played some of their games in the mid-late 90's at the Honda Center (Arrowhead Pond) at the time. They drew much better than they did at the Sports Arena in those games so it was a much better alternative than following the Lakers to Staples. They were negotiating a lease with Anaheim but couldn't agree on the terms so they decided to stay in LA.

I've only been to Staples once in the initial 99-00 season but wouldn't consider returning, too many Laker retired jerseys to look at, the whole atmosphere sucked, gift shops were filled with Laker jerseys and merchandise. The Clippers needed their own identity and fan base and don't have enough of that at Staples, they now draw better than they did at the Sports Arena but as before, there are a lot of fans rooting for the visiting team, and not just for Laker games. Teams like the Celtics always have a large number of their fans at Clipper/Celtic games. I don't see any of this changing unfortunately as long as Donald Sterling is the owner.