Is Menora Mivtachim Arena the Hardest Place to Play in All of EuroLeague?
The Stadium Atmosphere
Menora Mivtachim Arena has developed the reputation of having one of the most electric atmosphere's in all of EuroLeague. Whats impressive is that the arena only holds 10,728, putting it at 11th largest in EuroLeague, which really goes to show the intensity of the Maccabi fan base. During last year's season, Pablo Laso, the coach of Real Madrid B.C., commended the arena's atmosphere and fan base and how it contributes to the difficulties of playing there. The difficulties Laso is referring to are evident given Maccabi's home record throughout the years.
Menora Mivtachim Arena This Season: A Nightmare for Opponents
So far this season, Menora Mivtachim Arena has been especially difficult to play at. Just looking at Macabbi's disappointing away record of 3-10, one would think it is safe to assume that Maccabi is having a nightmare of a season. However, their home record of 9-2 puts them right at .500, or about middle of the pack in EuroLeague. This impressive home record would be scary to any opponent who must travel to Tel Aviv. It really goes to show the difference fan bases and arena atmosphere makes in a teams success.
Across EuroLeague, the difference in home vs. away team performance is much larger than in leagues around the world—specifically leagues in the United States. Why do you think this is? What does it say about EuroLeague?
Sources:
https://basketnews.com/news-185034-what-makes-maccabi-the-most-unpredictable-euroleague-team.html
https://www.ostadium.com/stadium/811/menora-mivtachim-arena
https://basketnews.com/news-170922-maccabi-might-have-lost-but-basketball-won-electric-menora-mivtachim-atmosphere-from-inside.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_EuroLeague_arenas
Hello! I really enjoyed this quick and short blog you posted here. Coming from a background of playing sports throughout my entire life I am firm believe in home court, field, and ice advantage. I am just curious as to why you think that home performance in the Euro league is different than any other league in the United States. From my view I would think that home advantage in the United States is just as eye opening as it is in the Euro league.
ReplyDeleteHey Charlie! I am glad you enjoyed the post. I also come from a background of playing sports and I definitely agree home court is an advantage everywhere. To answer your question, I suggested that home advantage is stronger in Euro league due to the larger difference between home and away records, regardless of the teams overall standing. For instance, in the NBA there are some teams whose home and away record is almost the same or even have a better away record. In recent years, this has been extremely rare to find in Euro league which I think suggests that it is potentially harder to play away games in Euro league than in the NBA.
DeleteThis is interesting... the NBA doesn't tend to have a similar correlation of having a great home record and a poor away. Stadiums in Europe are smaller than that of the NBA , yet they are able conceal in the noise better and reach louder decibels. Fans seem to be able to bring in more props than that of the NBA like large flags, smoke screen, etc. The Euroleague having less games also emphasizes the importance of every home. The Euroleague reminds me of college ball where fans seem to be more rowdy and into the games. Tel Aviv has a +/- of -12 meaning most of their games are coming down to the wire and the fans play an important role in distracting and empowering their team to give their maximum effort.
ReplyDeleteHi Collin. Thank you for your comment! I was also thinking that the smaller stadiums could play a role due to the concealment of the noise. I also like your point about the fans being allowed to bring in props. Playing in an environment where a whole section could be covered by a waving colorful flag would definitely be a distraction. Your statistic on the +/- was also very interesting and I did not even think about that. Being the home team in a close game is a huge advantage as the crowd becomes extremely involved when the game is on the line.
DeleteI think there is a large difference between EuroLeague regular season games at home versus the NBA. Due to the EuroLeague having such few games per season I believe that home games have more of an impact. The fans impact is clearly seen in this case for Tel Aviv, but the comparision between NBA and EuroLeague I don't think can be made as at most a EuroLeague team can only play 17 home games.
ReplyDeleteHi Max. I agree that fewer games would make home games more valuable, so the fans try to make every game at home count when it comes to their cheering in order to make it difficult for the away team. Thank you for comment!
DeleteHome versus away performance has always been really interesting to me. It crazy that the sound and sights around the court can have such a positive or negative influence on team's play. This reminds me of something that happened recently in the NBA. There was a huge online uproar about fraudulent scorekeeping for Jaren Jackson. His steels and blocks were so much higher at home than on the road that people seemed absolutely certain the Grizzlies were inflating his numbers. Once people started looking at the tape it turned out he was just playing much better at home. Even though it wasn't true, when this started taking off online, sportsbooks took bets regarding Jalen Jackson and DPOY down. I think this all shows how crazy the influence of fans can be both on and ff the court.
ReplyDeleteHey Aidan. I thought your comment was super interesting. I think it's crazy how fans at games can affect each individual players performances. Especially in basketball, it is cool how a player who start to play well will feed off the home crowd cheering for them and play better and with even more effort. Thank you for your comment!
DeleteBased off of the Barcelona Basketball game we went to, against Maccabi Tel Aviv, I think the difference in home versus away team performance is likely due to the passion of the Euroleague fans. Their teams tend to have a more dedicated fan base (with fans with drums, screaming the entire time chants etc). This gives the away team a disadvantage as they are being booed when they are taking free throw shots, etc. Even at the Barcelona game, Maccabi had a large fan base there all the way from Israel, at an away game. This is different to USA NBA games in my opinion. -Lilly
ReplyDeleteHey Lilly! Thank you for your comment. Going to the Barcelona vs. Maccabi game was definitely an eye opening experience. The fans really get involved and are very prideful. As Collin mentioned above, I also think that the smaller stadiums allow for the fan noise to be more concealed and noticeable to the players. I also think the Maccabi turnout at the game was impressive. I think away fan turnout at NBA games can be impressive as well but the fact that some fans travel to another country to support their team is super cool.
DeleteI really enjoyed this post! In reference to your question, I think it primarily has to do with the amount of regular season games in the NBA season. Having 82 regular season games in the NBA makes it a lot less important to win those games, whereas having home court advantage in the NBA playoffs can feel like a big advantage due to how important playoff games are. One outlier I'd like to point out, however, are the Golden State Warriors this season (2022 champions) who are 24-7 at home, and 7-23 on the road. Typically this sort of thing does not happen in the NBA so I just found it interesting to point out.
ReplyDeleteHey Xander. That is funny you bring that up because when I was looking into the home vs. away records in the NBA, the Warriors record stuck out to me as well. Their home vs. away looks more like the records seen in Euro league. I wonder why this is. I have never been to a Warriors game so I do not know what the atmosphere is like at their stadium but considering their recent success, I bet they have a lively fan base with high expectations.
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ReplyDeleteI love this post! Maccabi deserves more recognition and their home record is wildly impressive, especially because their away record is so low. Sports atmospheres are a fascinating thing to study and lots of teams across Europe (not just in basketball) have arenas that opposing teams like to stay away from. I'd say that home advantage is also a large factor in sports performance in the United States as well, however I believe that in Europe, and in places like Maccabi, it is hard to compare the levels of passion. Maccabi's 9-2 record is impressive, and a portion of that is thanks to the passion of the fans. You can see the streamers and stripes in the photo, and it goes to show just how passionate sports fans in the Euroleague are...you don't see that much in the US, and the chants just don't compare. My question to you is hat given these comparisons, do you think that the fan experience as a whole is different in the EuroLeague than in leagues like the NBA?
ReplyDelete- Fenerbache (Alec Riggle)
Hi Alec. I am glad you enjoyed the post! To answer your question, I think there is a big difference in the fan experience at the EuroLeague games vs the NBA. For one, NBA stadiums are much larger and there is also a lot to do besides actually sitting and watching the game. NBA stadiums have a lot more shops, restaurants, and lounge areas that fans can access throughout the game. Another thing I noticed is the amount of props fans use at EuroLeague games which is way less prevalent at NBA games.
DeleteI really enjoyed getting to read this post! I completely agree that Menora Mivtachim Arena has one of the most electric atmospheres in all of EuroLeague, and the Maccabi fan base plays a significant role in making it a difficult place for opponents to play. Their home record is certainly impressive, and it's clear that the fan support and atmosphere is a big factor in that success. In contrast to the NBA, European basketball teams often have a more localized fan base that is highly dedicated and passionate about their team. This can create a much more intense atmosphere in home games, which can be difficult for opponents to overcome. Do you find it better to have a smaller group of fans that are extremely passionate or a much larger group that might not be as interested?
ReplyDeleteHey Evan! To answer your question, for the organization, I think there are benefits to both. Obviously, having passionate fans is always great for the home teams morale and is a distraction to the other team. It is also always good to have a loyal fanbase. However, stadiums that hold larger amounts of people can generate more game-day revenue and more money is always beneficial for the organization.
DeleteMatthew Andelsman
ReplyDeleteThis is a really great post and I believe that Maccabi Tel Aviv does have a very loyal and rabid fanbase. I think this is because of the pride that Israelis have for their country. Last year I visited Israel and the people there have an extreme amount of pride for their country especially because they all have to serve in the army. Israeli's are proud to represent their country whenever they get the chance and I think that translates to the basketball court. Their fans have a lot of pride in their team and we even saw that when going to the game that they played in Barcelona. At certain points of the game the Tel Aviv fans drowned out the sound of the cheering Barcelona fans. Also around the league the games are more meaningful because their are less regular seasons games so fans are more inclined to come out and support their teams.
Hi Matthew! I am glad you liked the post. I agree that Maccabi has a very prideful fanbase and that stems from having extreme pride in their country. I also remember the Maccabi crowed at the game being very lively and matching the Barcelona cheers. Thank you for your comment!
DeleteIt's interesting to hear about the reputation of Menora Mivtachim Arena and the impact of the Maccabi fan base on the team's home record. The atmosphere and energy of a home crowd can certainly play a role in a team's success, as seen in many sports leagues around the world. Regarding the difference in home vs. away team performance in EuroLeague compared to leagues in the United States, there could be several factors at play. One possibility is the amount of travel involved in EuroLeague, as teams have to play games in different countries and deal with the associated time changes and jet lag. Another factor could be the differences in court dimensions or rules in different countries, which could favor the home team. It would be interesting to further explore these factors and what they say about EuroLeague compared to other leagues.
ReplyDeleteHi Gregory. You bring up a good point with the amount of travel in EuroLeague. Going to a new country for games is a process that teams in the NBA do not have to deal with. I also like your point about the different court dimensions and rules. I would be interested to look into the specific aspects of the game that could favor the home team. Thank you for your comment!
DeleteGreat post! I especially love the title, it definitely pulled me to choosing this blog post out of all the others. Compared to the stadium of my researched team, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan, this atmosphere looks much more visibly rowdy. Additionally, after seeing how the Maccabi fans traveled to Barcelona, I can only imagine what a game in Tel Aviv must be like. European sports fans seem to chant constantly throughout the game, which is why Euroleague home records are so much better than away records, more so than in American sport, where fans only seem to chant when something "worth cheering for" occurs.
ReplyDeleteReally interesting post! It is so important to have a crazy home stadium for not only wins and losses, but a team's revenue. With as electric of a home stadium as this one is, I am sure Macabi has a bunch of people who want to enjoy a nice day or night at their stadium. In comparison to basketball in America, I see similarities and differences. In Milwaukee, WI, there is the Fiserv Forum, home of the Bucks. The Bucks are known for rowdy atmospheres, but they don't have props such as streamers going along the crowd. I guess this sums up how fans are attracted more to the atmosphere than the props that come with the atmosphere.
ReplyDeleteI found this post to be very interesting, as it is crazy that Tel Aviv's Euroleague team would have one of the craziest atmospheres within their stadium, as other teams have a significantly greater fanbase (geographically). I believe a huge factor in why this occurs is because of the rapid growth with passion for basketball from Tel Aviv. In addition to this, there have been some basketball stars from Tel Aviv, such as Omri Casspi and Deni Avdija, which significantly sparks peoples passion for the sport.
ReplyDeleteI thought this post was very interesting and found the difference between away and home performances fascinating. Thinking about it now I feel as though there is a reasonable explanation as to why this phenomenon occurs only in Europe and not in the United States. I believe that this could be do to the diversity between cultures within Europe and how each diverse community supports their local team. Many of the clubs in Europe seem to have communities built around them as many of them have been around for over a hundred years. However, within the United States it seems as though many teams were built as a way to entertain the community creating a sharp contrast between the roles that the teams play in the communities.
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ReplyDeleteThis was a very interesting post that brought to light the difficulties of playing in an away game in Europe. It seems as though this stadium along with many others in Europe are a lot more enthusiastic and into their cheers and flags that they wave in support. Also their chants and dedication to screaming the entire game is why I believe the difference in Europe for home and away games is greater than in the US.
ReplyDelete-Zack Korbin
In response to Eli, Joe, Blake, Santi, and Zack's comments, I agree with you all that it is clear that there is something special about the experience at a EuroLeague game. The passionate fan bases with all of their props at the games definitely make for a unique experience as a fan, and for a difficult experience for the away teams. I also liked Santi's point that the more lively and involved fans can be a result of the diversity of cultures at these games. Everyone who is there is truly passionate and prideful of their culture and want to see their team succeed not just for EuroLeague but for their country/city as well. I am glad you all enjoyed the post! Thank you all for your comments!
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