A noticeable scent inside the Barclays Center in Brooklyn (where the Nets play, among many other events) may not just be in fans' imagination. According to a report by DNAinfo.com, it comes from a company called ScentAir, which makes aromas to be pumped into every place from hotel chains to football stadiums.
While officials at the Barclays Center were mum about the scent, other sports marketing executives have been eager to brag about their investment in fragrances. The St. Louis Rams marketing team, for example, was proud to tell ESPN about their signature ScentAir aroma, which was described as "Warm, softly spun sugar notes with hints of raspberry."
“One of the first things we wanted to do here was to look at all the ways we can improve the game-day experience for families,” Brian Killingsworth, vice president of marketing and brand strategy for the Rams, told ESPN. “We wanted to create a positive first impression for fans when they first walk into the stadium and we trigger their senses.”
Rams fans haven't complained much about their scent, but in Brooklyn, according to DNAinfo, the reaction is much less positive.
"It was a weird, musky, cologne-y smell," one fan told DNAinfo. "I don't really know if I liked it or didn't like it, it just seemed odd. I guess it's nicer than smelling fried food."
And unless you're nostalgic about this, it's also probably nicer than the the signature Madison Square Garden scent of flat beer and stale popcorn.
Also no word on whether the arena cranked out more of the scent when it was hosting the circus.
