about us      contact     
search
 

Related Links:

Felisa Israel: 5 Questions on Gameops.com
New York Rangers
Portland Trailblazers
Columbus Blue Jackets
Around the Horn
Hoop Heads 
The Hot List
Sign up for our Monthly Content Alert


Punch List

Slinky Notepad 
Slinky Notepad 

More Punch List Items

Detroit Shock

Six from Six: Gameops.com Team Reviews

In 2006 Gameops.com will feature six game reviews from six teams around sports. We have selected teams across different sports, leagues, levels and markets to hopefully give readers a good variety of subjects.

For these game reviews, we visited each team for a game with one goal: Find six things each team is doing well and discuss how other teams can find similar success by following their lead.

The entire Six from Six Series is now available in a printable document on the Gameops.com Store.

Six from Six: Detroit Shock (WNBA)

Game Notes

The Shock played their final home game against the Sun in the WNBA Eastern Conference Semifinals. They lost the game 62-73.

This review is different than the previous two Six From Six game reviews (Portland and Columbus) since it was done before we refined the format. The same information was culled from the visit, but unlike Portland and Columbus, we did not connect with the Detroit staff prior to the game, nor were they aware they were being reviewed that night.

The game was reviewed by Gameops.com Editor, Jon Cudo, Sunday August 31st 2005.

The Lessons from Detroit

  • Lesson 1: Careful placement of elements
  • Lesson 2: Be creative with your premium Items
  • Lesson 3: Setting up powerful moments
  • Lesson 4: Cultivate your staff into your best fans
  • Lesson 5: Stand until you score, bonding your fans
  • Lesson 6: Using Different Voices When Talking to Your Fans

Lesson 1: Careful placement of elements



Lesson 2: Be creative with your Premium Items

Premium items can be distributed in many ways, and Detroit used a method that I hadn't seen before. Many teams hand out premiums as fans enter the building (ingress), have ushers or interactive staff hand then out to select areas in-game, or go through the painstaking process of draping the giveaway over every seat in the bowl so fans pick them up when they get to their seats.

The Shock did something a little different: They draped pairs of Thunderstix over random seats all around the bowl. While some fans may feel slighted that they didn't get them, I thought it was an interesting way of getting a more limited number of noisemakers around the arena. It also added some energy to the bowl as fans entered, since kids could be seen running around collecting "unclaimed" noisemakers.

  • See the Gameops.com Comparison of the two primary brands of inflatable noisemakers
  • Bam Bams on Gameops.com
  • Thunderstix® on Gameops.com

It was an interesting way to hand out a limited number of premiums. While some teams may decide not to hand out premiums if they can only afford a smaller number, this allows the team to add a premium element with the costs of giving it to everyone. I would estimate that 500-1,000 pairs were used that game and they had a clear energizing effect.

Lesson: Consider alternate ways to distribute smaller quantities of premiums.

 

 

Lesson 3: Setting up powerful moments



Lesson 4: Cultivate your staff into your best fans



Lesson 5: Stand until you score, bonding your fans



Lesson 6: Using Different Voices When Talking to Your Fans

The entire Six from Six Series is now available in a printable document on the Gameops.com Store.



The Shock do a very good job with their loyal and passionate WNBA fans. I have been to several games at the Palace, and their attendance tends to vary a lot but I have never felt they put less into their show if the crowd is smaller.

More than most teams, I thought they had great variety in their production. As noted they speak to their fans with prompts from a lot of different people. They also played a really unique mix of music, featuring a few songs that were covers of the more popular versions.

I liked how they clearly made the event feel big time, yet I didn't get the feeling they were spending huge resources to do so.

Finally, I thought the Detroit franchise uses the WNBA team as a testing ground for their NBA team, which is exactly how it should be done. Taking chances with the smaller more accommodating fans is a smart route.

  • Lesson 1: Build around a Theme (Blue Jackets)
  • Lesson 2: Great Script Writing Makes a Great Show (Blue Jackets)
  • Lesson 3: Listen to the fans (Blue Jackets)
  • Lesson 4: Use Pre-Game to enhance your show (Blue Jackets)
  • Lesson 5: Use time wisely (Blue Jackets)
  • Lesson 6: Honor fan participation (Blue Jackets)
  • Lesson 7: Music ties the show together (Blazers)
  • Lesson 8: Multiple openings keep the games fresh (Blazers)
  • Lesson 9: Allow flexibility in your game script (Blazers)
  • Lesson 10: Connect with the sport and league (Blazers)
  • Lesson 11: Use simple effects for bright results with lighting effects (Blazers)
  • Lesson 12: Position Yourself for Success (Blazers)
  • Lesson 13: Careful placement of elements (Shock)
  • Lesson 14: Be creative with your premium Items (Shock)
  • Lesson 15: Setting up powerful moments (Shock)
  • Lesson 16: Cultivate your staff into your best fans (Shock)
  • Lesson 17: Stand until you score, bonding your fans (Shock)
  • Lesson 18: Using Different Voices When Talking to Your Fans (Shock)
  • Lesson 19: Know your fans and connect with them (Rangers)
  • Lesson 20: Tell your fans about your players (Rangers)
  • Lesson 21: Shock your fans (Rangers)
  • Lesson 22: Customize the music you use the most (Rangers)
  • Lesson 23: Play off your competition (Rangers)
  • Lesson 24: Have a back-up plan for EVERY contest (Rangers)
  • Lesson 25: Spice up your most reoccuring elements (Pirates)
  • Lesson 26: Use different combinations of technology, performers and sponsorship (Pirates)
  • Lesson 27: Have fun with your contestants (Pirates)
  • Lesson 28: Sell yourboard first, then sell everything else (Pirates)
  • Lesson 29: Buidling on your success (Pirates)
  • Lesson 30: Profit from your elements (Pirates)
  • Lesson 31: Premiums that make a difference (Devil Rays)
  • Lesson 32: Make your building as interesting as possible (Devil Rays)
  • Lesson 33: REAL fans get the good stuff (Devil Rays)
  • Lesson 34: The pre-game matters (Devil Rays)
  • Lesson 35: Introduce your teams (Devil Rays)
  • Lesson 36: Keep an eye on the future (Devil Rays)

Six From Six Series from Gameops.com

Bonus Promotion

Lay-up Tic-Tac-Toe Time Out Promotion

The Shock run a fun contest in game, called Lay-up Tic-Tac-Toe. The game could be adapted to other sports as well.

Simple concept. Two fans play Tic-Tac-Toe at center court using a large grid and cards with "X"'s and "O"'s. Instead of alternating turns, the contestants get to play a spot after they run to the basket from the grid at center court and make a lay-up. If one player misses a lay-up, the other can gain a significant advantage by playing a couple spots in a row.

The crowd gets into it, since everyone knows how to play tic-tac-toe and they can see the board in a way the frantic contestants can not.

The entire Six from Six Series is now available in a printable document on the Gameops.com Store.

Related Links:

Tampa Bay Devil Rays
New York Rangers
Felisa Israel: 5 Questions on Gameops.com
Around the Horn
Columbus Blue Jackets
Scramble Puzzle