Ever since plans to build the Intuit Dome were first revealed, team owner Steve Ballmer has passionately discussed toilets. Now that the Los Angeles Clippers ' home court is finally ready to open its doors to fans, and Ballmer is still talking about toilets.
The former Microsoft boss was recently interviewed by 60 Minutes. During a tour of the $2 billion state-of-the-art facility, he was most excited to show host Jon Wertheim the toilets. And while Wertheim—in his words—spared the viewers from the 'porcelain tour,' Steve explained to him why he is obsessive about toilets.
"I really hate it when people wait in line for toilets," said Ballmer. "I think it stops people from getting back into the game. People get frustrated."
Putting fans in their seats
As an NBA team owner for the past decade, Ballmer knows how vital the fanbase is to the success of a franchise. Steve has worked hard and spent a fortune to bring them to Clippers games, and now that they are there, he wants to keep them engaged.
One of the most common issues for paying stadium fans is the long toilet queues. Because of this, they miss more game time than they should if they didn't have to fall in line. In reality, that's just a few minutes, but in a game, a couple of seconds could be the difference between a win and a loss. And because a fan influences the game more than you think, Ballmer wants the average supporter back on his seat as fast as possible.
During a tour of the facility in March 2023, Ballmer boasted that the Intuit Dome would have 1,160 toilets and urinals, which, according to him, would be three times more than the NBA average. In his 60 Minutes interview, Ballmer said the finished product has 1,400 toilets. That should be more than good enough to prevent such delays.
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An energetic crowd helps put points on the scoreboard
But that's not it for Ballmer's vision. Putting the fans on their stadium seats is one thing. Keeping them as engaged as possible is another. Because Steve is as energetic, noisy, and boisterous as any die-hard out there, he wants every Clippers fan inside the Intuit Dome to have his energy. And so he boasted of another innovative feature of his brand-new arena.
"We have sensors around the building that can tell down to the individual seat level how loud you are," he added. "Now, we're not listening to your conversation. But let's say we say, 'Okay, for this game, the person who produces the most decibels the most consistently will get a free hamburger the next game.'"
Ballmer has said many times before that an energetic crowd helps put points on the scoreboard. With what he's done to improve fan experience, it won't be a surprise if the Clippers have an inspired season. However, whether that finally wins them a championship remains to be seen. Still, you can't blame Steve for not trying.
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