Buffalo Baseball Loyalty Question

[JustinH]

Where is the column for "buffalo is not a baseball city"..

Because I would pick that one. Most people I meet here have no interest in baseball at all.

I enjoy a Bisons game, my favorite part of it is eating ice cream cones, and a couple jumbo hot dogs. I follow that act up with sitting in sunshine, reading my book.

[Dockwalliper]

Originally Posted by JustinH

Where is the column for "buffalo is not a baseball city"..

I couldn't agree less. I wear my Mets cap all the time and it seems everyone has to comment on your team, their team, this player or that player or what happened in a game the night before. Buffalo is very much a baseball city.

[Checkered24]

I would agree that Buffalo is a big baseball city. Remember back to the late 80's when Bob Rich was considering trying to attract a baseball team. The new downtown stadium was built with expansion to 40K+ seats in the design to try and help attract the expansion team. The Bisons sold a million tickets a year, for years in a row, in supportt of the team and in hope of attracting a big league franchise. At the time, they set numerous minor league attendance records.

Obviously, support for big league baseball isn't as big as it would be in a city with a big league team, but I think there are a lot of baseball fans around.

[jblake78728]

I think Buffalo has a decent baseball following considering there is no major league team. From what I've seen I'd have to say that the Yankees & Mets are the most popular with the Indians not too far behind. The Pirates seem to have a smaller following as well.

I believe the Blue Jays could do well if they were ever able to have their games broadcast in the area because they are the team that someone from the area is most likely to attend a game of. If people were also able to following that team on TV they might be able to start to build a nice fan base in WNY. Because they can not have their games broadcast in the Buffalo area it kind of kills any chance they have to build any significant following.

On cable I believe you only have a Mets or Yankees option. DirecTV subscribers have Mets, Yankees, Indians & Pirates games available as their "home team".

[Orwelleaut]

Originally Posted by gonetoelpaso

I am a Tigers fan, not too many of them in Buffalo

Kind of odd, though, wouldn't you say?? Buffalo is only 250 miles from Detroit by way of Canada. I'd think WNY folks who like to see live major league games would tend more towards following the Tigers, Indians, or Pirates, as these are the three major league baseball stadiums closest to Buffalo in the U.S. The Toronto Blue Jays are closer than these three, but I'd figure folks would prefer to follow an American team. I'd think the Indians would be especially popular, though, with the 190 mile drive to the stadium, and the BIsons being their AAA affiliate.

[Dockwalliper]

Originally Posted by Orwelleaut

I'd think the Indians would be especially popular, though, with the 190 mile drive to the stadium, and the BIsons being their AAA affiliate.

The Indians did pick up many fans in Buffalo over the years but the Bisons are now affiliated with the Mets and as I said above Mets gear is by far the most worn at Bisons games today. I think its Mets fans in the area going to see the Bisons more than Bison fans becoming Mets fans.

[Checkered24]

Originally Posted by Orwelleaut

Kind of odd, though, wouldn't you say?? Buffalo is only 250 miles from Detroit by way of Canada. I'd think WNY folks who like to see live major league games would tend more towards following the Tigers, Indians, or Pirates, as these are the three major league baseball stadiums closest to Buffalo in the U.S. The Toronto Blue Jays are closer than these three, but I'd figure folks would prefer to follow an American team. I'd think the Indians would be especially popular, though, with the 190 mile drive to the stadium, and the BIsons being their AAA affiliate.

I think having TV exposure trumps the distance, since you can easily follow on TV every day, but any of those cities really requires a day trip to catch just one game due to travel times.

Detroit just isn't on, neither is Pittsburgh. Cleveland can be seen on Sports Time Ohio on Dish (and maybe DirecTV) which makes it easier to follow. Mets and Yanks are on all the time of course.

Go Cubbies!

[jblake78728]

Originally Posted by Checkered24

I think having TV exposure trumps the distance, since you can easily follow on TV every day, but any of those cities really requires a day trip to catch just one game due to travel times.

Detroit just isn't on, neither is Pittsburgh. Cleveland can be seen on Sports Time Ohio on Dish (and maybe DirecTV) which makes it easier to follow. Mets and Yanks are on all the time of course.

Go Cubbies!

Pittsburgh & Cleveland are both available as "local teams" on DirecTV.

[Checkered24]

Originally Posted by jblake78728

Pittsburgh & Cleveland are both available as "local teams" on DirecTV.

Pittsburgh might be an option on dish too. I know there were a couple choices, but it was a chose 1 option sort of thing.

Either way, they would probably have to get onto cable to really get a better following.

[7 Wishes]

I think because of the shared state with the Yankees/Mets (even if several major league teams are geographically closer) combined with being near so many other major league cities, Buffalo is really a "hodgepodge" of fan bases; kind of reminds me of Hartford, which is literally a Yankees/Red Sox fault line (not really Mets though). In Hartford, if you didn't know any better based on what you see on TV and in sporting goods stores, you'd think it is a 2 team major league city, but the two teams being the Yankees and Red Sox (rather schizophrenic, don't you think? Though geographically it makes perfect sense).