Mavs fans ejected for “Fire Nico” signs

[Bob8]

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[RRFB]

The Mavs’ handling of all this will be a case study for sports administration MBA students someday.

The basketball/on-court aspect is one thing, but the complete contempt for their own fanbase is pretty shocking. They’re in the midst of a PR crisis and they somehow keep making it worse. From a business management standpoint, this is a masterclass of malpractice.

[schnakenpopanz]

This is the new normal in the USA I guess. If you don't share the opinion of your authorities you will get punished. So much for free speech.

[Bob8]

The Mavs’ handling of all this will be a case study for sports administration MBA students someday.

The basketball/on-court aspect is one thing, but the complete contempt for their own fanbase is pretty shocking. They’re in the midst of a PR crisis and they somehow keep making it worse. From a business management standpoint, this is a masterclass of malpractice.

They imploded as a franchise in 1 week. Nico did something impossible.

[Archx]

This is the new normal in the USA I guess. If you don't share the opinion of your authorities you will get punished. So much for free speech.

Imagine this happening in EU somewhere, or specially in the Balkans. No army would be able to protect the owner from the fans. And they also wouldn't dare to kick out fans like this. US fans are are like a bunch of puppies compared to that.

[Jellybeans]

This is some good old Dolan crap from like 6-8 years ago

[TheShow2021]

SAWFT AF. Kyrie should give them signed jerseys if ownership refuses to apologize/ repair. Let the fans vent.

[NZB2323]

I wonder if Mavs fans could form a protest for a Mavs-Rockets or Mavs-Spurs game in San Antonio or Houston where they chant “Fi-re Ni-co!”

Does it make sense for fans of other teams to do the chant against the Lakers? I’m going to a Bulls-Lakers game in Chicago later this year and wouldn’t mind doing the chant.

I guess fans in other cities can do the chant against the Mavs when the Mavs come to town, but I’m not going to any Mavs games this year.

[NZB2323]

Pistons had "sell the team" chants last year during the 28 game losing streak. They probably would have had to kick out all 700 of the fans in the building if they were getting rid of people chanting something negative about the owner/manager.

The Bears had “sell the team” chants this year and they fired their coach and hired Ben Johnson.

[theFireBlanket]

Wow absolutely disgusting. This is Soviet Russia behaviour.
The media needs to go after the Mavs over this. Get a crowd chant screaming 'FIRE NICO, F,#* NICO' and see if they can boot the whole crowd out.
Complete scum.

Running rampant in the US atm... Putin (co-conspirator) Russia for that matter. Billionaires vs the 1%.

[Mamba81p]

James Dolan behavior

[bstein14]

As a private business on private property an NBA team can enforce its own rules and can ask anyone to leave at any time (as long as its not due to race, religion, etc).... so that guy in the video was wrong his "rights" weren't being violated at all. That said, its a really bad look to be kicking out your fans for being disgruntled about a trade.

[chrbal]

I feel like we’re watching a franchise sabotage their standing with the fan base just to force a move to Las Vegas. This feels like the plot to the movie Major League.

[Quattro]

Has there ever been a unanimous poll on this website? Way to go Mavs! Uniting an previously ununitable place.

[Clav]

Private company can set the line of what is acceptable or not in the stadium they are leasing, for the event they are putting on, so yeah, they basically set and enforce their rules -- which by the way can be a different line than what is accepted by Free-Speech in the USA.

That being said, this decision of kicking fans out, it's a poor decision, they should stop yesterday. NoLa didn't kick fans out for the "New Orleans 'Aints" era - where fans literally wore paper bags on their heads because they couldn't watch the product on the field respectably....

Owners really need to understand that this is transaction from the get-go. People work to make money and they CHOOSE to spend a lot at NBA games. As long as spectators adhere to the line of decent, non-aggravated, or non-vulgar discourse, chanting, etc, they should be valued for their willful patronage.

Bottom line here is that... There is a small group rich people owning and operating the Mavericks who are entirely out-of-touch with reality. When the franchise signed off on one of the most amazing recent trades in NBA history they opened the can of worms for negative public discourse to follow. If they cannot accept that criticism from what seems to be peaceful yet unhappy fans, and they suppress their own fans voices, then it's a quick way to lose support.

[kobe_vs_jordan]

Private company can set the line of what is acceptable or not in the stadium they are leasing, for the event they are putting on, so yeah, they basically set and enforce their rules -- which by the way can be a different line than what is accepted by Free-Speech in the USA.

That being said, this decision of kicking fans out, it's a poor decision, they should stop yesterday. NoLa didn't kick fans out for the "New Orleans 'Aints" era - where fans literally wore paper bags on their heads because they couldn't watch the product on the field respectably....

Owners really need to understand that this is transaction from the get-go. People work to make money and they CHOOSE to spend a lot at NBA games. As long as spectators adhere to the line of decent, non-aggravated, or non-vulgar discourse, chanting, etc, they should be valued for their willful patronage.

Bottom line here is that... There is a small group rich people owning and operating the Mavericks who are entirely out-of-touch with reality. When the franchise signed off on one of the most amazing recent trades in NBA history they opened the can of worms for negative public discourse to follow. If they cannot accept that criticism from what seems to be peaceful yet unhappy fans, and they suppress their own fans voices, then it's a quick way to lose support.

They can set rules but they can't arbitrary enforce them. They have to be consistent. NBA posting their fan conduct rules online probably made this fan some easy lawsuit money. Which makes this even worse for the Mavs lol

Getting bad PR, potential law suit and they indirectly encouraging more fans to bring signs.

[Tatumfor2]

Mavs front office right now.

[ChumboChappati]

Mavs security ejected multiple fans for “Fire Nico” signs, which security said was “derogatory”.
Another was ejected for wearing a shirt depicting owner Miriam Adelson with a clown nose on.
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/43790513/fans-break-nba-code-conduct-ejected-mavericks-loss

Seems incredibly soft to me, and not likely to bring upset fans back in.
Feels like the wealthy and powerful feel more entitled to be shielded from any criticism these days. Fans pay for their tickets, let them express their pleasure or displeasure as long as it’s not obscene or threatening.
There were 1,000 fans protesting outside the game against Houston on Saturday btw. You’d think the team would be more worried about getting fans back on board than protecting their own feelings.

Respect to Kyrie and Klay however, who both said they completely understood the fans frustration.
From Klay:
“It's not our job to get deflated because people are upset. Our job is to convince them that there's really great days ahead, not just for this year but for the next few years.
I mean, people are going to say stuff, and that's understandable. I was a fan, still a fan. If I didn't agree with a trade, I'd probably voice my opinion too. That's the beauty of sports. You go there to yell and be rambunctious sometimes."

FO and owners should not get too much blame. The biggest fault lies on the Texas Legislature for not allowing casino gambling yet. Owners just want to practice their craft. If Texas is so much against gambling then they should have spoken up when these owners were buying the team.

[WolfAddict]

FO and owners should not get too much blame. The biggest fault lies on the Texas Legislature for not allowing casino gambling yet. Owners just want to practice their craft. If Texas is so much against gambling then they should have spoken up when these owners were buying the team.

That's certainly a... take, I suppose...

[kobe_vs_jordan]

Mavs security ejected multiple fans for “Fire Nico” signs, which security said was “derogatory”.
Another was ejected for wearing a shirt depicting owner Miriam Adelson with a clown nose on.
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/43790513/fans-break-nba-code-conduct-ejected-mavericks-loss

Seems incredibly soft to me, and not likely to bring upset fans back in.
Feels like the wealthy and powerful feel more entitled to be shielded from any criticism these days. Fans pay for their tickets, let them express their pleasure or displeasure as long as it’s not obscene or threatening.
There were 1,000 fans protesting outside the game against Houston on Saturday btw. You’d think the team would be more worried about getting fans back on board than protecting their own feelings.

Respect to Kyrie and Klay however, who both said they completely understood the fans frustration.
From Klay:
“It's not our job to get deflated because people are upset. Our job is to convince them that there's really great days ahead, not just for this year but for the next few years.
I mean, people are going to say stuff, and that's understandable. I was a fan, still a fan. If I didn't agree with a trade, I'd probably voice my opinion too. That's the beauty of sports. You go there to yell and be rambunctious sometimes."

FO and owners should not get too much blame. The biggest fault lies on the Texas Legislature for not allowing casino gambling yet. Owners just want to practice their craft. If Texas is so much against gambling then they should have spoken up when these owners were buying the team.

Or the owner could brought a sports team in a state that already has casinos ??

This just a billionaire trying to exert their influence.