Check out these wild innovations at Clippers' under-constuction arena
In a news conference earlier this week, Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Baller and NBA commissioner Adam Silver unveiled more details of the Intuit Dome, the $2 billion state-of-the-art arena for the team set to open at the start of next season.
The Intuit Dome will include innovations and unique perks that will set it apart from any other NBA venue, including an area called "The Wall" exclusively for Clippers fans.
"I wanted an area that works for the true basketball fan," Balmer said earlier this season on Paul George's podcast "Podcast P." "I wanted more noise. I wanted people closer to the action. I want people to be comfortable."
The Wall
Ballmer is pulling out all the stops to ensure an overwhelming home-court advantage for the Clippers, and it all begins with "The Wall." This unique feature in the Intuit Dome is an unobstructed fan section of 51 consecutive rows dedicated solely to Clippers fans.
The rules for "The Wall" are attendees are not allowed to cheer for the opposing team or wear any merchandise representing them. Tickets for this section can only be resold within the Clippers' marketplace, ensuring (in theory) that the tickets remain in the hands of Clippers fans.
Here is the steep view from the top of "The Wall":
To become a member of "The Wall," fans must subscribe to ClipperVision (the easiest way to watch Clippers games at home), have attended a game within the past three years and correctly answer trivia questions about the team's mascot, Chuck the Condor. The specifics on how Los Angeles plans to enforce these "rules" are unclear. Per Front Office Sports, season tickets on "The Wall" range from $5,000-$25,000, offering a range of options for devoted fans with money to burn.
Massive scoreboard
Whether seated courtside or in row 51 of "The Wall," every fan in the Intuit Dome will have an unobstructed view of the revolutionary, double-sided scoreboard that is the equivalent of 3,592 60-inch TVs put together. Like Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium's scoreboard, it is a halo-style scoreboard that allows a view from every angle.
"We saw an early option to do a crazy thing for our scoreboard," Ballmer said.
Fan perks
Ballmer is intensely committed to creating the ultimate home-court advantage, and he's taking an innovative approach to achieve it. In a bold move, he's offering discounts at the team store to fans who cheer the loudest.
"We'll know that you get up. We know that you cheer. We know how loudly you were cheering," said Ballmer, a multi-billionaire who made his fortune in the technology industry. "If you're good on those things, we can give you a little discount around the shop. Just to reinforce that excellent [fan] behavior."
Whether fans will embrace this Big Brother-like "innovation" remains to be seen.
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