Attending the last game of the season is a tradition of mine, but in honor of the ethnography and the Knicks playing against Detroit Pistons I decided to splurge on where I will be sitting this game.
I walked into the Garden early this game, knowing from previous experience that the final game of the season can get messy and packed with Knicks fans quickly. I waited about 40 minutes on the security line to get through into the lobby of Madison Square Garden. The blue and orange decorations filled the large room and the pride of Knicks fans from all over the state and the country are all together in one room sharing their support and love for the team and the sport.
As I make my way towards my seat it felt nice knowing I didn't have to go up so many escalator rides like I had before for this project. I was sitting in so close to the floor that I felt like if I walked a few more feet I could touch it. I could see both teams practicing on the court before the game officially started. During this time I noticed the amount of families sat near me, families wearing Knicks related merchandise just like me and my family.
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| Picture from The New Yorker (newyorker.com) this is a perfect representation of what the fans were like in my sections throughout the entire game. |
Unlike the other seat I sat in, this section felt extremely family oriented. Children between the ages of 7-12 jumped up in down in their seats and screamed the names of the their favorite players. I brought back many memories for me of the times I would go to basketball games with my parents. I felt like I was on cloud 9, like I was on top of the world when I went to basketball games. I had so much passion and admiration when I was young. I can tell by watching how the children acted when they saw their favorite player that they felt similar to how I felt when I was their age.
The atmosphere felt vibrant and alive. The booming sounds of the ball hitting the court as a player is dribbling it can be heard, the squeaking sound of the players sneakers as they pound the court with force can be heard as well. I was able to hear the players communicate to each other during the game. It was little things that made my experience in this section worth ever penny. It is a different experience than someone who is seated far away from the court would get.
After attending this game, I came to the conclusion that although you can see the court from every seat in the large arena, sitting closer to the court will be one of the best experiences. The atmosphere and vibe that radiates the section is lively, unlike the tiring and dark vibe that radiates the sections that are high above the court.
One of the biggest observations I made this time was that in my section and nearby sections many people were standing during the game. The people who sat farther away would stay seated even when there were big moves and jaw dropping moment throughout the game. For example when a player dunks the ball in the basket, people stood up and cheered if they sat close to the court. At the same time, people who sat far away cheered while staying seated.
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| Picture from lancity.us In this picture you can see the arena is full of fans wearing orange and blue in honor of the Knicks. It is a way they show their support and love for the team. |






