Atlantic City, NJ – 76ers Territory

This Saturday’s Atlantic City game against the 76ers is going to be discussed quite a bit over the next few days. Sure, it’s an otherwise meaningless preseason game, but there’s a very interesting situation that the Brooklyn Nets are going to walk into when they take on the 76ers in Atlantic City…

Let’s connect the dots. Atlantic City is in New Jersey and the Nets used to play in New Jersey. Technically, New Jersey was its home-state for 35 years. But Newark (and most of Northern New Jersey) is about 120 miles from Atlantic City, while Philadelphia is only about 60.

A fair amount of Nets fans are taking the trip down to Atlantic City to watch the game, though. How likely is it that they take out their frustrations on the Nets and boo the living daylights out of them?

We’ll be in the house, so we’ll give you a first hand reaction.

Via Lori Hoffman of the Atlantic City Weekly…

“Atlantic City, like most of the Delaware Valley, calls the Philadelphia professional franchises their hometown teams. Sure there are a few holdouts who might follow the New York Giants, the Yankees and the Mets, but for the most part our region is home to diehard Philly fans who follow the Eagles, Phillies, Flyers and Sixers.


This loyalty is reflected in the fact that a pre-season game between the Sixers and the Brooklyn Nets is taking place this Saturday, Oct. 13, at Boardwalk Hall.


The president of the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority, Jeffrey Vasser, is happy to be bringing this game to town. “We are excited to bring a Sixers pre-season game to Boardwalk Hall,” explains Vasser.”

Moke Hamilton, SNYNets.com

The NBA officially lists the 76ers as the home team, and as such, they are responsible for making arrangements for media credentials and such. This is an interesting situation, though. The Nets will be playing in the state that they just left. I personally know of a few former Nets season ticket holders making the trip… But it never dawned on me to ask whether they would be cheering for the Nets or against them.

Although the decision to move wasn’t made by the players and the coaches, recent comments made by Avery Johnson and Deron Williams probably didn’t do much to ingratiate either to New Jersey residents who supported the team over the years.