PENS

[Coach]

The Pirates did almost move...

[theoneandonly]

Of course the fan base is going to grow with the addition of Crosby, Malkin, and Fleury... is the addition of "new" fans a bad thing? Is there some sort of cutoff date I wasn't aware of? Quick question.... are you going to make a huge deal out of all the "bandwagon" fans Edmonton is about to have or do you have zero idea what I'm talking about?

This debate is pretty funny.... you keep jumping from one point to the next as soon as someone shoots down your silly and somewhat coherent ideas.

[WALTER4]

Sam Gagner for Heisman! Er, uh, wait....

[konjo78]

Yes their is a cut off date. When a new team has hyped up talent wins the Stanley cup. It could be Edmonton it could be flyers with giroux. It could be the wild. A true fan base doesn't go from non existent to 'hockey town". Hockeytowns sell large quantities of tickets whether winning or losing season because of the love of the game. They don't just show up because they now have 3 elite players.

[theoneandonly]

[urlhttp://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/31/sports/hocke ... .html?_r=0][/url]

I guess the NY Times doesn't agree with you.

I'm not sure what your argument is here... It's pretty well known that a successful product leads to interest and interest leads to new fans. Just because people weren't coming out in droves to support a lackluster product doesn't mean there weren't fans. If the only way you are judging a fan is based on how many games people go to... how many Flyers games did you attend last year?

[konjo78]

0 because I live in Idaho with no car for school. Tried going to a game against Vancouver or Colorado last year but travel just was impossible. Me and my dad would go to every flyers pens game in Pittsburgh when we lived back in Indiana and try to make a philly home game once a year. If you truly care for a team you would support it if it were 82-0 or 0-82 because thats how love works. Stating that people don't come out for a losing team but should for winning team is just my point. It shouldn't matter what the team does just support them because they are your team no matter what. Look at the blues. Not a very great team before last year but their fans were always there to support them no matter what. Same with blackhawks before their stars.

[theoneandonly]

"true fans" would go to a game no matter what the circumstances...using your logic.

Since you brought up the Blackhawks I'll share a little info with you... This is from ESPN and based on total attendance for the year. So it doesn't factor in capacity of arena, just total people there. Starting with the 2000-2001 season the Blackhawks ranked 24, 23, 24, 27, 29 (out of 30!), 19... then in 2008/09 they jumped to first in total attendance and have remained there since. Total attendance isn't the best thing to judge... obviously the United Center that holds 20,500 people is going to have more total fans than the Mellon that held just under 17k. In those same years the Pens came in at 16th, 22, 25, 30, 18 and 16th in total attendance. Seems pretty similar to the trend the Blackhawks went on. You bringing up the Blackhawks just proves my point... in a majority of cases fans don't want to see a lackluster product.

[konjo78]

Fine blackhawks are in same category as pens. Should of done my research on them. And your first statement is exactly what I believe. True fans are there no matter what. This is coming from a kid who attends every school event here at Isu and treats like the Superbowl for one of the worse athletic d1 colleges out there.

[theoneandonly]

Round of applause and a pat on the back... coming your way.

[say_oww]

The only reason the Penguins "almost left town" is because they wanted a new arena in order to make more $$$$$. So the fans and media, many of whom vehemently oppose welfare in the form of handouts to the poor, lobby hard for corporate welfare to build stadiums for teams like the Penguins. Now, with new arena in hand, the Pens are doing just fine.