Why do people say all the time that this town or that town doesn't deserve to have a hockey team. Who says. I wasn't aware that we had to ask for the nations permission. I am just sick and tired of people saying that. If I am a fan of the NSH, CBJ, or who ever, so what. The businesses may not be helping out as much as they should, but these so called small towns that don't deserve a team has a huge fan base. The fans buy tickets, not all businesses. I don't want to hear how they should be sold out, when all I see in Detroit are empty seats that businesses have purchased and there employees, clients, etc. don't even have the curtousy to show up. If I were a business and I saw that my tickets weren't being used, I would stop that real quick. I will put my money to better use. So if any town wants to have a hockey team, GO FOR IT! It just ticks me off.
2007-03-24 20:56:17 · 8 answers · asked by 7th man 3 in Sports ➔ Hockey
As a fan of the Blue Jackets, and the Cincinnati teams (Reds and Bengals), I know all about the plight of the small-market fan. I have friends who are Cubs fans that endlessly rag on the Reds for not selling out their games, and how that makes Cincinnatians "fair weather" fans.
The only thing any of this proves is that smaller towns have fewer casual fans. The level of conviction amongst the fans is just as strong, or often stronger. In Chicago, the metro area is so big, you will have enough people to sell out a sporting event just from the ones looking for something to do on a Friday night, without even considering the actual fans (of course, the Blackhawks still don't sell out).
If a franchise can make money in a town and the people support the team by producing quality fans (not necessarily quantity of fans), then what's the problem?
So, I'm in complete agreement with you. I've always wondered if the big-market teams felt threatened by us or something.
2007-03-24 21:06:21 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
I agree with you 100%.
Too bad they can't take the title Hockey Town away from Detroit. They don't deserve it. An empty arena is embarrassing. Every time I watch a game I just shake my head when I see the empty seats and then the announcers will give the attendance and always say 17,000 or so--baloney!
Neat1325--it's not because Chicago can't sell out a game that they don't show tv coverage at home games. The owner Bill Wirtz won't allow it regardless of what attendance is.
puffman--how much you willing to pay me on that bet? I live in Florida and if you pass my car from the back you will see my license plate frame and it says "My other car is a zamboni". If you see my car from the front you will see my Detroit Red Wings plate.
2007-03-25 11:05:42 · answer #2 · answered by lidstromnumber1fan 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think a lot of cities will become hockey towns if their team is properly marketed and stays long enough.
For example- Pittsburgh and Columbus have similar populations in their Metropolitan areas (the actual city of Columbus is far larger). But half of Pennsylvania was turned upsidedown when it looked like the Pens might move. My guess is the uproar would have been far less in Columbus.
the reason is that the Blue Jackets are only 7 years old, while the Penguins have been around for 40 years now. There are people around that have been watching the Penguins since their founding, and I personally grew up watching them win 2 Stanley Cups. Which gives them one of the strongest fan bases (at least in the US).
If the Blue Jackets stick around for another 30 years and win a Cup in their somewhere, my guess is they will have a very strong fan base. Changing their name probably wouldn't hurt either... seriously... 'Blue Jackets'?
Also it wouldn't hurt if someone blew up the Buckeyes Stadium (sorry, I go to Penn State).
2007-03-25 14:15:43 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I'm not saying their isn't any real hockey fans in Nashville or Columbus but the game is not selling at all in this places and its hurting this game cause the owners are losing their money and are trying to find ways to make their money back and that's why were seeing so many rule changes. you can't just put a NHL team anywhere you'd like that will hurt the game. i just want the fans of this teams in Anaheim, Columbus, San Jose, Florida, Phoenix to realize there not a hockey town, we need to get rid of several teams and bring the league back down to 24 and then you will see more 300 goals per season per teams, the talent wouldn't be as thine as it is today. you have an average of 1 or 2 super stars per team in today's NHL with a 24 team league you would have close to over 5 super stars per team and that would bring the scoring back up like it was back in the 80's. and please don't say this goalies in the 80's sucked cause they didn't there just as good if not better just you had several super stars per team and the goalies where wearing almost nothing for pads to what they wear now. all this rule changes to make the scoring high and the scoring is still low to back when. its something in today's NHL for a team to score 300 goals in a season and back in the day teams where averaging over 300 goals and some where getting 400.
GO HABS GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
2007-03-25 10:41:14 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
The fact that many teams do not even have television packages where all games are aired also does not help. Chicago one of the biggest cities in the US does not sell out their games. Because of that they have no home TV coverage.
Chicago would be the first City I would take a team from.
I think that teams have to grow their fan base. NHL marketing does not help them with that. Until the NHL can find a way to grow the fan based and increase interest league wide you will have team that continually do not sell out.
2007-03-25 08:08:20 · answer #5 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
In Columbus, the Blue Jackets have to plan their schedules around COLLEGE football, despite having some great talent, both young and old. And everybody I know from Ohio doesn't give a damn about them.
In Nashville, they have one of the best teams in the league and still can't sell out the arena.
2007-03-25 04:10:54 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
yeah , but think of living in florida , the average person does`nt even know they have a hockey team. they`re at the beach with no shirts on and thinking HOCKEY ?
EVERYBODY in ''hockey towns" may not be big fans but are aware of whats going on and support the team somehow.
jerseys , hats , t-shirts , sweatshirts . etc. are everywhere in toronto-buffalo-montreal-detroit /etc.
i would bet money in south florida you would not see 1 hockey reminder all day.
2007-03-25 10:40:16 · answer #7 · answered by doghouse 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
AMEN! I'm glad to hear you say that. I am an LONG time hockey fan and I, for one, am glad to see hockey grow in to more areas of the country and get more exposure. I just hope you guys can manage to hold on to your teams and allow them to develop.
2007-03-25 08:57:22 · answer #8 · answered by MajorTom © 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋