Reprint from Inglewood Today by Charles Jackson
There are three areas to sports news, and none of it is news. There’s the prognosticators, sitting in front of a desk explaining what might happen 
in a game, in much the same way that a mooch handicaps the ponies at the track. Then there’s the play-by play jockeys, sitting above the action, reaching into their sharp witted mental thesaurus to develop storylines to fill the airtime in between time outs and flags. Then there’s the sports writers. The game is over. There is nothing left to describe in print, except the final scores and how all of this might affect the play-off picture and perhaps the next game. Unless there was a
concussive injury or two that might jerk a tear worthy of further discussion, a sports writer is stuck telling the readers what they already know.
So last week-end I ventured over to the Inglewood Intuit Dome and 
watched the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Atlanta Hawks like a drum. I won’t even mention the score, because that other sports writer left a written record on that other paper. But, there is a bunch of stuff about the Intuit that you might not have heard about or experienced.
There are rules related to viewing events at the Dome. I have been in there several times along the way as it became suitable for public and media consumption. In the last days, before opening day. owner Steve Ballmer invited us in for a sit-down. While he explained all aspects of his vision of the Dome. He talked about some of the tech that went into making the stadium a showplace and the envy of venues everywhere. Ballmer went on and on pointing out the largest full UHD double sided LED board ever
built. Because the screen, known as the halo, is double sided, any fan seated in any of the 18,000 seats, from floor to ceiling will experience an amazing view of the 233 million pixels projecting the images throughout the house. I had witnessed Mr. Ballmer when he spoke at a Microsoft convention over twenty years ago and he is a master salesman, so while he was selling his crown jewel, I was marveling at the plush, roomy leathery seats, each one legended to have an individual power plug for mobile devices.
I have had season tickets since the beginning of the season, but was otherwise engaged, and no, I wasn’t in jail. I finally set up my account and rolled over there. Because I had 
missed so many games, I reset my commitment and agreed to take advantage of the ultimate Clippers fan experience – The Wall.
You have probably already heard about the tech failures that slowed down the opening of the stadium, featuring superstar Bruno Mars. There were problems reported, but they were apparently well resolved by the time I arrived there, last week.
My tickets allowed me free parking. Since I RSVP my intentions to be there and use my ticket, I was granted first come first served seating on The Wall. When I walked up to the gate, the gate attendant greeted me with a cheerful “Welcome Charles,” and he motioned me in. Of course there was still a metal detector hoop that we all had to walk through, but the system and the attendant knew my name, and they were expecting me. I didn’t have to show a ticket, a bar code, or even a QR Code. None of this was magic. It was all pre-planned and I had to pre-register my FACE-ID on the APP, so that the facial recognition could work as designed. Had I been wearing a hoodie, they might have had me take it off or show ID. I did not press the issue. I did happen to know my seat assignment, and headed right for it.
Earlier, I alluded to “The Wall”. The Wall is not a new idea. Although it went by a different name before. Apparently soccer teams had a similar concept for its games, and the Clippers had the same name and concept when they played in the Staple Center/Crypto.
As they were designing the new home of the Clippers, owner Steve Ballmer wanted to create an atmosphere similar to that found at major soccer stadiums and some college basketball student sections, where fans can chant, snd jeer opposing players, generating additional excitement.
In the Intuit Dome, the Wall is a continuous line of nearly vertical rows of seats behind the basket where Clippers opponents generally shoot during the second half of home games. Only hard core, passionate Clippers supporters are allowed to be a part of the Clippers’ Wall of fans. Showing up wearing any other team’s swag, gear or logos will likely get you booted from the section.
The first 13 of the 51 rows are dedicated to the most fervent fans, who have to be vetted by the team beforehand. They’re expected to stand
during the entire game, although its only a game, not a religion, and the first order of business is to have a blast, and tickets in that section can’t even be listed on resale websites.
I personally like to call it the “Hallelujah Chorus” because we stand behind the hoop and stand behind the team, from start to finish, dancing, screaming, hooting and, hollering, booing, waving distracting flags, signage, and sweaty rags at the opposing teams.
I strongly suggest that you consider the Wall, if you can finagle seats. Sure, you can get seats anywhere in the dome, and you can loudly suppoort any team that strikes your fancy, but, if youre a Los Angeles Clippers Fan and you have 48 minutes that you want to act a plum fool, eat and drink up some stuff, and just have an ever loving good time. – consider joining me and the fellas, upside The Wall, in the Hallelujah Chorus at game time.
Come on, man!
Let’s have a ball!
Research Maliah Jackson
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