Your city's most-loved team

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

There's no Memphis but there's Nashville, which is just as bad as if there was a Memphis team.

[bob_barron 0]

I thought the Predators did well fanbase wise. I'm hoping they move though, Canada needs another franchise

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

I thought the Predators did well fanbase wise. I'm hoping they move though, Canada needs another franchise

 

Well I was referring to Kinetic's comment about cold weather cities=hockey ok, anywhere else=no. If he listed Memphis, then you'd assume he meant Nashville, in terms of real teams.

[Red Baron 0]

While it seems that Nashville has decent attendence, its one of the cheapest places, if not the cheapest NHL team to get tickets.

[Dobbs 3K 0]

You know what city could actually use an NHL team, and would make some sense? Milwaukee. Problem is they would probably start clamoring for a new stadium immediately, since the Bradley Center is fairly outdated. Also, the Blackhawks claim it's part of their territory, which is BS.

[Guest C*Z*E*C*H]

Milwaukee had a window for the NHL, and it closed, just like it closed for Seattle, Hamilton, maybe even Halifax; just like it has now been closed for Q.C., Winnipeg, and Hartford. The Bradley Center has been incorrectly deemed outdated (I think it's lovely), and they're having a hard enough time convincing the worthless Bucks that it's a suitable venue. The Blackhawks haven't done anything to claim southeastern Wisconsin as their own other than a few preseason games in the 1980s, not to mention how improbable it is for Milwaukeeans to support the Blackhawks. Milwaukee is a 0.6 on the geographic inferiority complex scale (1.0 is Canada). These are the same people who have hated the Bears for generations, contrived themselves into a fake rivalry with the Cubs because they resent middle-class sloppy drunks from Vernon Hills as much as everyone else surely does, and make outlandish claims like "our art museum with the fancy roof is better than the Art Institute" or "our city really doesn't reek of beer and urine at every turn." And they're going to support the Blackhawks? Bullshit is right! Since the Blackhawks haven't brought much NHL hockey to S.E.Wi., there's no real hunger for it. Might as well be Premiership soccer.

 

Further compounding the problem is the Milw/Wisc sports landscape. Hockey runs from October to April, then till June for the Stanley Cup. PACKERS dominates till at least the end of the calendar year, so forget about any exposure for the first half of the season. Wisconsin football is going on too. Then right before the new year, you have Marquette basketball, Wisconsin basketball, and UWM basketball. The Bucks are somewhere in there too. Don't forget Wisconsin hockey, which has to be top 5 in NCAA hockey programs and had a commensurate broadcasting footprint to go with it: the Big Ten network may have changed things, but they were on all the PBS stations in the state, if I'm not mistaken. And even when the Packers AREN'T playing, they're still the #1 topic in the sports media. An NHL Admirals team would have to fight and scrap for the tiniest sliver of coverage. Furthermore, the Milwaukee market just isn't that big. It's mid-30s. There's a finite amount of money to go around, and I don't think there's enough to provide long-term support for a hockey team that's new to the scene in addition to all the well-established pro and college teams.

 

The time for Milwaukee to jump in was in the late '80s, when the Bradley Center opened. That way, they'd be entering with a state-of-the-art arena at the arguable peak of hockey's popularity, before the advent of the 24-hour sports cycle that cemented All Packers All The Time as the base of Milwaukee sports media. And it's too bad: a Norris Division of Chicago, Detroit, Toronto, Minnesota, St. Louis, Milwaukee, and Winnipeg would have been intensity in ten cities...minus three.

 

Bottom line, won't work. There's nothing really there that shows me Milwaukee in 2008 is clamoring for the NHL. Luckily, Badger hockey is great stuff (and produced a few Blackhawks, interestingly enough. Jack Skille!), and has a dedicated campus and Madison-area fanbase. I guess it'll just have to be that and a dozen tape-delayed Minnesota Wild games.

[Dobbs 3K 0]

You are right that Badger hockey is incredibly popular. Also, the Admirals don't do too bad in the Bradley Center. Like I said, I don't think Milwaukee will be getting an NHL team, it would just make sense from a geography standpoint.

[MFer 0]

I heard from a friend that lives in Milwaukee that the city voted against having an NHL team and that's how the Wild ended up in Minnesota. Any truth to that?

[Steviekick 0]

Why does Atlanta have a hockey team? I subscribe to the notion that hockey should only be played in parts of the world where it's actually possible to play ice hockey outdoors at any point in the year. Would the NHL be lessened somehow if there were no Atlanta Thrashers, Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Dallas Stars, LA Kings, or Memphis whateverthefucks?

 

Atlanta has and will probably have the Thrashers for a while, because the ownership group bought the Thrashers, Hawks and the operational rights to the Phillips center for under $100 million. Where the Thrashers doesn't make them money, having Thrashers games in their building does.

[lomasmoney 0]

I guess the Red Wings would be Detroit's most loved team right now, with all those Stanley Cups and the whole "Hockeytown" thing going on (although I wonder how much Detroit's high-black population really cares). People are more obsessed with the Lions but it's more of a love-hate thing with them. The Tigers have a lot of tradition, but their fanbase had pretty much been dead in the water for awhile until a couple years ago. The Pistons have a nice buzz going on, but I don't think it's to the level of the Wings.

 

If you want to throw in college teams, Michigan football goes right to the top. Michigan State basketball would be #6.

 

Oh trust me, some of us darkies fucking love the Red Wings in Detroit. You see a decent number of black and latino fans and supporters of the Wings around. While Detroit is Hockeytown, I have never seen a city go more insane for a team than when the Tigers made their World Series run. I will say this, if the Lions could ever put together a winner I think Detroit would explode with joy. They really are like the prodigal son of Detroit sports.

 

[Celtic Guardian 0]

Where I'm living now is right smack in the middle between Baltimore and Washington, but the THE team here is the Redskins. #2 would be Navy Football, and #3 would be the Ravens. However, the Raven fans tend to disappear if the team loses more than one game in a row while you'll see Redskin and Navy fans all over the place even when the teams win 3 games (or less) in a season. Maryland Basketball would be #4, with Maryland Football being a distant #5. The Orioles still have some fan support, but have been so bad for so long that it's starting to fade. The Nationals (I hate the "Nats" nickname) had a real chance to gain a foothold but screwed it up royally. This was not a surprise.

 

EDIT: Actually, I'd say Navy Football might actually be #1, or at the very least #1A.

 

In the Washington, D.C. area proper, the Redskins would obviously be #1 and it's not even close.

 

The battle is for #2 where the Capitals may be jumping ahead of everyone else. I'd probably put the Wizards at #3, Maryland basketball at #4 and the Nationals as #5, that's being generous.

[Perfxion 0]

Top 5 teams in Greater Houston metro area.

1a: Texas football

1b: Texas A&M football.

 

The entire state is this way. Except for the Dallas metro area, these two football schools rule the land. Plus there is a state holiday for when their game is so nobody has to miss the game.

 

2: Astros, they are the biggest Houston professional sports team but they are painfully average.

3: Texans, even though they haven't done anything to warrant a fan base.

4: Dallas Cowboys, the entire state either loves them, or hates them. No middle ground. Just like the Yankees in baseball except with less wins.

5: Rockets, they are average, but they at least make the playoffs every year.

[Guest C*Z*E*C*H]

I heard from a friend that lives in Milwaukee that the city voted against having an NHL team and that's how the Wild ended up in Minnesota. Any truth to that?

No. A Twin Cities expansion team was in the pipeline for quite some time; it wasn't a runner-up to a market with all the problems I noted. There was no serious talk about the NHL coming to Milwaukee in the mid/late 1990s, none that I recall. I don't think the city can really vote on that, anyway. The state owns the arena, not the city, so the state would have to approve a new tenant, I suppose.

 

I don't think Milwaukee will be getting an NHL team, it would just make sense from a geography standpoint.

Oh, duly noted. It's a shame they couldn't get in when the time was right, and it's a shame that Bill Wirtz was such an obstacle to that. He wouldn't even let Chicago appreciate the Hawks, let alone Milwaukee. The best move with the current situation would be to affiliate the Admirals with the Wild, since Milwaukee gets a handful of Wild games. Wild owner Craig Leipold is from Racine, incidentally, the poor bastard. If you want to dive into Blackhawk hockey, you can listen to them on 720. John Wiedeman is a really good play-by-play man, and you can follow former Badgers (and native Madisonians to boot!) Jack Skille (high-potential scorer) and Adam Burish (adequate mucker, inadequate enforcer).

[Boon 0]

Red Sox.

Patriots.

Celtics.

Boston College.

Bruins.

Revolution.

[garfieldsnose 0]

I always wondered, in cities that love college teams more than pro teams, why is that? Tradition of a winning college team vs. tradition of a losing pro team? Like on Ohio for instance. Why like OSU over the Bengals or Browns? Because they've won National Championships? I can't really imagine having a college team as my legit #1 team.

[Lt. Al Giardello 0]

Well of course the Calgary Flames for my city...

 

Even though the fanbase was dead from 1998-2003. It wasn't until 2004 our fans started loving the Flames again.

[Guest Vitamin X]

I always wondered, in cities that love college teams more than pro teams, why is that? Tradition of a winning college team vs. tradition of a losing pro team? Like on Ohio for instance. Why like OSU over the Bengals or Browns? Because they've won National Championships? I can't really imagine having a college team as my legit #1 team.

 

In some places, it may be because the college teams have more of a local flavor than whatever their media market is supposed to be. Like, there's a lot of folks who feel that because Seattle is the Pacific NW, that we're supposed to cheer for their teams, and now since the Sonics moved, that Seattleites should be cheering for the Blazers. Screw that. Portland's Portland, Seattle's Seattle, and while the Seahawks have something of a fanbase here, Oregon and Oregon State get way more football love than the Seahawks, especially since they're not too bad. It's kind of the same thing with the Mariners and the AAA Beavers, although I bet there are just more out of town fans in general when it comes to baseball until we get a team of our own.

 

Although I have to say I don't get the OSU love over the Bengals or Browns; between the three of team, they've only won 1 championship in the past 30 years, that being Ohio State's 2002 title. The state of Ohio, despite its sports fanaticism, has had a pretty dismal history unfortunately.

[dh86 0]

1.Michigan football

2.Lions

3.Tigers

4.Red Wings

5.Pistons

6.Michigan State basketball

[Smartly Pretty 0]

For Jacksonville, #1 is easily University of Florida Football, and #2 is unquestionably University of Florida Basketball, #3 though is tougher. I suppose it's the Jags by default, but in my high school in particular, there are so many transplanted Bostonians and bandwagoners in general, we somehow have almost as many Pats fans. I suppose there are also a lot of transplanted New Yorkers, but it feels like there's not quite as many.

[Nightwing 0]

1.Michigan football

2.Lions

3.Tigers

4.Red Wings

5.Pistons

6.Michigan State basketball

 

Seriously? People might follow the Lions, but I don't think there nearly enough fans to have the #2 spot, especially with how the franchise is killing its support. And the Tigers had the one year honeymoon, but I don't see them as the #3 team in this town.

 

In all honesty, it's a fight for Michigan football at the top, because I know way, way too many State supporters and other people who hate U of M; maybe across the country you get more supporters, but I think it's much more divided than people are thinking. I think the Red Wings are at least tied for it, because there simply isn't the competition. And the Pistons should at least be 3rd.

[Youth N Asia 0]

I guess the Red Wings would be Detroit's most loved team right now, with all those Stanley Cups and the whole "Hockeytown" thing going on (although I wonder how much Detroit's high-black population really cares). People are more obsessed with the Lions but it's more of a love-hate thing with them. The Tigers have a lot of tradition, but their fanbase had pretty much been dead in the water for awhile until a couple years ago. The Pistons have a nice buzz going on, but I don't think it's to the level of the Wings.

 

If you want to throw in college teams, Michigan football goes right to the top. Michigan State basketball would be #6.

 

Oh trust me, some of us darkies fucking love the Red Wings in Detroit. You see a decent number of black and latino fans and supporters of the Wings around. While Detroit is Hockeytown, I have never seen a city go more insane for a team than when the Tigers made their World Series run. I will say this, if the Lions could ever put together a winner I think Detroit would explode with joy. They really are like the prodigal son of Detroit sports.

 

Gotta say it's the Red Wings, Hocketown after all. Tigers come in second.

 

Michigan football has taken a big hit the last couple seasons, with the fire Lloyd Carr era and this new team...it's going to be a while before most people care again

 

The Lions are getting serious hate these days, and until they can pull of 8-8 I don't see it getting much better. Every year fans get up thinking this season will be different, and it never is.

 

I'll root for the Shock over the Lions right now...and I hate the WNBA. Things need to change on that team

[Youth N Asia 0]

1.Michigan football

2.Lions

3.Tigers

4.Red Wings

5.Pistons

6.Michigan State basketball

 

You're on crack

[Guest C*Z*E*C*H]

I always wondered, in cities that love college teams more than pro teams, why is that?

idiots

[bob_barron 0]

That's a pretty idiotic statement from Czech. A lot of people feel more of a connection to a college team than a pro team for a multitude of reasons.

[Guest C*Z*E*C*H]

"Lemme tell you somethin' 'bout why I like that there college game more than that there NBA game. You knows, with those there pros, alls they says is 'daaaaayum, I be bein' wantsin' mo money, dawg' and they don't really care bout no purity of the game. They don't know nothin' bout practice, like that one Alan Eisenson guy who says he doesn't care about practice. You gots to work hard at the game. The fundamentals. Coach never would've let his players say that crap. By Coach, I'm referring to Coach Knight, of course. And they don't got no character! They're always makin' it rain in their fancy strip clubs, or shooting up night clubs. They don't have any character! Steve Alford could teach them a thing er two. And the atmosphere! They ain't got no atmosphere at the NBA games! It's all about the atmosphere. Like I remember when Oden made a big shot to win the game and then the pep band started playing The Hey Song and they'd go DA DAAAAAAA DA-DA and then they'd yell "HEEEEEY!" and we'd yell "HEEEEEY!" with them, and the bonding was just great. There's nothing like it. It's better than when they just play that stupid rap song that goes "YEAH-UH!" It's about the integirty of the game."

[Timmy8271 0]

In Orlando it's the Magic. Even when they weren't very good, This town still loved them. UCF would be a close second. Especially after last year when they opened the new stadium. After that it would be the Orlando Preds of the AFL, Tampa Bay Bucs and now the town is a buzz about the Devil Rays.

[bob_barron 0]

stuff

 

I hope this isn't part of your three posts a day.

 

In many places, the university has been there longer and there's a greater sense of community involved with a university team. There's also more a sense of tradition and pride.

[Guest C*Z*E*C*H]

OH FOR CHRIST'S SAKE IT'S AN INFERIOR PRODUCT

 

The mechanism of the NCAA tournament is fun. The play is bad. The mechanism of the BCS is patently retarded and the play is bad. The NCAA is a racket. There's no excuse for putting developmental-level sports before professional sports. It's indefensible if you consider yourself a sports fan. A fan of sports. If you care more about the Fighting Illini than the Chicago Bears, then you're a fan of drinking beer in a parking lot and yelling like an idiot. You're not a fan of football. You can be part of it when you're there, but caring deeply about college sports is the sort of thing you're supposed to leave behind as you grow up. If you binge-drink, wear sweatshirts daily, and subsist on macaroni well into your 30s, you're a failure. Let's apply the same standard to giving a shit about Notre Dame.

[bob_barron 0]

What if the pro team is really bad, while the college team is really good? Why would you root for the Grizzlies over the Tigers, or the Bobcats over any of the ACC teams?

[Guest C*Z*E*C*H]

The Grizzlies are better than the Tigers. They play better teams than the Tigers, and those games yield a higher level of basketball than NCAA games do. If you take away the vaunted ATMOSPHERE, and the sentimental attachment to the myth of try-hard white guys, what is college basketball? Little more than bad basketball. Watch an NBA game directly after a college game and it's never more evident.