This is just something that caught my notice - a recent thread mentions Indians fans being there through "thick and thin."
Granted, the attendance at the new park has been great, but what about when the team wasn't very good? From 1979-1992, the club never drew more than 1.4m fans, and only Seattle had worse numbers for the 1980s as a whole.
How is that sticking with your team through thick and thin? Couldn't they have used those fans when they were truly struggling?
2007-10-17 08:07:07 · 13 answers · asked by Craig S 7 in Sports ➔ Baseball
Britt - Hard to argue with that excuse. And thanks for making me feel old...
2007-10-17 08:17:42 · update #1
John-Mark - You do realize how stupid you sound in talking like that, right? Playa? Seriously? Anyway, the sellouts in the new park are nice, but I'm talking about the 1980s when nobody went - how is that "thick and thin"? Maybe you should try reading, "playa".
2007-10-17 09:11:14 · update #2
The Bandwagon had a flat tire back then Craig, it's rolling on all wheels now though.
.
2007-10-17 08:20:41 · answer #1 · answered by Kris 6 · 2⤊ 4⤋
I sat through many games at the Old Municipal Stadium in the late 70's through the early 90's. It was a horrible place to see a baseball game and the teams were lousy. The economy in the 70's and 80's was not good either. Cleveland is a blue collar town and people were hurting. It was a matter of putting food on the table or going to a game. I think people are a lot better off now and can afford an occasional outing to the ballpark. Plus Jacobs Field is an Enormous Improvement over the old ballpark.
2007-10-17 15:45:50 · answer #2 · answered by ddot2882 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If Indians fans believe they are with the Indians through "thick and thin" you would never know it from their actual support of the team. The Indians could very likely have a championship team this year and they rank 21st out of 30 teams in fan support. Their average attendance per game is around 28k which is a little more than half of what the Yankees put up. With a beautiful new stadium that seats more than 43k and an average of around 15k empty seats every game this puts them among the leagues worst. The attendance was great during the first few years of the new stadium and reality has now set in. I wish some Indians fan would respond to your question and explain exactly what through "thick and thin" really means to them.
2007-10-17 15:18:39 · answer #3 · answered by Frizzer 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Anyone from the Cleveland Area can tell you that our economy is not that great, and people are foreclosing all the time. Going to a game is the last thing on their minds. Look how upset everyone got when games went to Cable, I mean WUAB 43 had the tribe on every night in the 90's, and now if you can't afford cable, you are out of luck. I am a die hard Indian fan, I even have season tickets, and I live in HAWAII!! I am in the military, but I don't have to be at the games to scream at the top of my lungs for the Tribe!!!
2007-10-17 23:22:47 · answer #4 · answered by Bryan M 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
From 1979-1992, I was zero to twelve years old.
The thin times I'm talking about is after they broke our hearts in 95 and 97. And after they totally dismantled our team after John Hart left.
Walk around Cleveland during those years, and you'd still see the pride. Most of my adult life, we haven't even made it to the playoffs... but we've been watching our team grow into what it is today.
Cleveland fans, in general, are die-hard. The Browns fans, for instance... same deal there.
2007-10-17 15:15:51 · answer #5 · answered by Ann 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Only the 2003 Pittsburgh Penguins had fewer fans than the Indians did before the bandwagon pulled up.
2007-10-17 15:38:19 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
They drew many fans in the mid 1990s and sold out and then suddenly when they weren't good they sellouts stop. I think that happens in many places besides Cleveland. People hop on the bandwagon when they are winning.
2007-10-17 15:32:10 · answer #7 · answered by Sharon S 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Those who claim to be true fans will tell you they were there during those years. They were the ones you saw on tv sitting alone out in right field, if you ever accidentally came across the game while surfing channels.
2007-10-17 15:09:48 · answer #8 · answered by Diane 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i wasn't alive until 1989. i have been going to their games ever since i was a wee one...i probably started going when i was about 5! i have been a true fan no matter what their record has been and i go to lots of games every single year. i'm just really excited that they've gone so far this year and i am really proud of them :) now if we could just get the browns to win...
it's all right, craig. if you ever need me to make you feel bad about yourself, well, you know where to find me ;)
2007-10-17 15:15:49 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
and does meaning that being a Tribe fan through thick and thin only means at the ballpark?? What about watching them on tv or listening on the radio if you can't get to the ballpark for whatever reason?
2007-10-17 15:14:37 · answer #10 · answered by dinny's engaged!! 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Wasn't alive so I wouldn't know.
455 Consecutive Sellouts. No other franchise has ever sold out that many.
2007-10-17 15:10:33 · answer #11 · answered by red4tribe 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋