The Warriors: There's a Party Goin' on Right Here
This Wednesday at the Oakland Coliseum, the Golden State Warriors are holding a party for anybody interested in gathering en masse to witness the mysterious fan dance that is the Warriors on draft day.
Despite the unpleasantness of the last 12 years, Warriors fans seem jacked up about the draft, if not the Warriors Draft Party.
At least, that's how the Warriors Marketing Department sees it. Leveraging the momentum of setting the franchise single-season attendance record even while enduring another trip back to the drawing board, the team has decided to pull up their grass roots and upgrade the party venue to the mighty Coliseum. In years past, the party has been held in local watering holes such as the Hyatt Regency in Burlingame, site of last year's throwdown. The Warriors have hit the big time now though, or expect to, or want to create the impression that they have, so it's a promotion to the Big Leagues for the W's other annual endeavor in futility.
Given the attendance statistics, front office optimism about fan interest in the draft seems somewhat justified. Many think the draft is weak this year, but, ironically, it is possible that this could actually be the draft that finally turns this franchise around. Or not.
One thing the Warriors seem to have already gotten right with the 2006 draft is the Draft Party. Parking and admission are free, and the move to the Coliseum allows for much more fanfare and hoopla -- the Warrior Girls and Thunder will be workin' it for the fans. As always, grossly overpriced refreshments and merchandise will be available for purchase. To build out their database of names for season ticket direct-mail marketing pieces and telemarketing, advance registration is required.
The draft kicks off at 4:00 p.m. when the Toronto Raptors will shock and awe their fans by taking some guy from Italy with the first pick. Thank God for the Raptors. Doors at the Coliseum will open just prior to the start of the draft. The Warriors have the ninth pick, so they'll probably be making their first round selection around 5:00 p.m, if they don't trade the pick up, down, or away. The Draft Party covers both rounds of the draft (The W's also have the 38th pick) and should be pumping until about 8:00 p.m.
In addition to showing video of the draft from New York, the Draft Party will feature a question-and-answer session with the team's newly selected first-round draft choice as well as various contests, raffle prizes, and more -- should be at least as exciting as that 100-93 loss to Houston in April.