Also known as "The list where if we keep saying the truth and only 1-2 cities top the list every year, then we'd never sucker any other markets into reading our tripe".
After years of doing well the Sox have unfortunately picked up hordes of bandwagon fans. That does have a negative effect on the quality of the overall fan base. Sad but true.
Without even reading the SN article, I'll just point out that the Sox average about 17K more fans per game than the Pirates, and the last time the Sox averaged as few fans as last year's Pirates was 1981, and even so, that year the Sox' attendance was higher than the AL average.
The Pirates' 2008 total attendance was more than a million under the NL average.
I don't think we need to look any deeper than that.
You correctly point out baseball (Pirates) as being worse than Boston (Sox).
Evidently hockey (Penguins) and football (Steelers) are also important. So are colleges (Pitt football). But the combination of college and hockey (BU/BC/Northeastern)...is not. Not even having an NBA team (Pittsburgh), let alone one of the best out there right now (Celtics), is not a problem either.
Of course, we probably shouldn't even mention that soccer (Revolution) won the 2008 SuperLiga and was in the 2009 Semifinals in July. Does Pittsburgh even know what a soccer ball is?
There's also the Boston Lobsters in World TeamTennis, the Boston Cannons are currently in the playoffs in Major League Lacrosse season from this summer. Pittsburgh is in neither league.
I think that one of two things boost fans tremendously (1) teams winning their first championships in a while (see 09 Penguins, 08 Phillies, or going back 04 Red Sox, etc) or (2) cities who were on the brink of winning but just fell short (see 03 Sox, etc). So I think that unfortunately we have a fan bass who has seen 6 major titles in 5 years. Obviously the tickets are sold out for most games, the shirts have been bought, so it is a natural result that the attendence is fixed and the sales of merch is down. Not sure I think these cities top Boston but I do sense a slight drop off in interest particularly with the Sox.
What? Chicago couldn't stand on it's own, so SN had to add the power of Evanston to them in order to get them higher on the list? I say we get to add the Worcester Ice Cats and maybe the Lowell Spinners, too.
is home to Northwestern University, a Big Ten school (and its only private one).'
This would be sort of like saying Boston + Cambridge ... except that's unnecessary since Harvard's athletic facilities are all on the Boston side of the river. (But then I wonder, why doesn't it say Boston + Foxboro ?)
At least not last year...the Patriots were the one team (even with its good record) out of the four major local pro teams that didn't make the playoffs.
Comments
AKA
Also known as "The list where if we keep saying the truth and only 1-2 cities top the list every year, then we'd never sucker any other markets into reading our tripe".
Right?
When was the last time that the "bible of baseball" was relevant?
After years of doing well
After years of doing well the Sox have unfortunately picked up hordes of bandwagon fans. That does have a negative effect on the quality of the overall fan base. Sad but true.
so am I doing a service to
so am I doing a service to red sox nation by staying true to the cardinals?
Well if you are really a
Well if you are really a Cardinals fan, despite living living here and facing massive peer pressure, then yes.
Without even reading the SN
Without even reading the SN article, I'll just point out that the Sox average about 17K more fans per game than the Pirates, and the last time the Sox averaged as few fans as last year's Pirates was 1981, and even so, that year the Sox' attendance was higher than the AL average.
The Pirates' 2008 total attendance was more than a million under the NL average.
I don't think we need to look any deeper than that.
17 consecutive losing seasons
How can you be a 'sports town' and have a record like that?
All sports
You correctly point out baseball (Pirates) as being worse than Boston (Sox).
Evidently hockey (Penguins) and football (Steelers) are also important. So are colleges (Pitt football). But the combination of college and hockey (BU/BC/Northeastern)...is not. Not even having an NBA team (Pittsburgh), let alone one of the best out there right now (Celtics), is not a problem either.
Of course, we probably shouldn't even mention that soccer (Revolution) won the 2008 SuperLiga and was in the 2009 Semifinals in July. Does Pittsburgh even know what a soccer ball is?
There's also the Boston Lobsters in World TeamTennis, the Boston Cannons are currently in the playoffs in Major League Lacrosse season from this summer. Pittsburgh is in neither league.
First Time Champs Boost Fans
I think that one of two things boost fans tremendously (1) teams winning their first championships in a while (see 09 Penguins, 08 Phillies, or going back 04 Red Sox, etc) or (2) cities who were on the brink of winning but just fell short (see 03 Sox, etc). So I think that unfortunately we have a fan bass who has seen 6 major titles in 5 years. Obviously the tickets are sold out for most games, the shirts have been bought, so it is a natural result that the attendence is fixed and the sales of merch is down. Not sure I think these cities top Boston but I do sense a slight drop off in interest particularly with the Sox.
Bah!
Bah!
Um, No
That should be "Pittsburgh is a much worse NON sports town than Boston".
In Pittsburgh, sports are pretty close to the ONLY game in town. Boston has the sports and the cultural amenities and and and and and ...
See City Number 4
Chicago + Evanston.
Chicago PLUS Evanston?!?
What? Chicago couldn't stand on it's own, so SN had to add the power of Evanston to them in order to get them higher on the list? I say we get to add the Worcester Ice Cats and maybe the Lowell Spinners, too.
Suldog
http://jimsuldog.blogspot.com
Evanston
is home to Northwestern University, a Big Ten school (and its only private one).'
This would be sort of like saying Boston + Cambridge ... except that's unnecessary since Harvard's athletic facilities are all on the Boston side of the river. (But then I wonder, why doesn't it say Boston + Foxboro ?)
Foxboro not needed
At least not last year...the Patriots were the one team (even with its good record) out of the four major local pro teams that didn't make the playoffs.