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For me, I gauge a city as "major" by having at least one pro sports team in NHL, NBA, NFL, or MLB.
The only exception is Green Bay. But otherwise, every other city with a pro team is large or major to me.
There are a bunch of other podunk minor league cities, like Oklahoma City, that have major league sports.
OKC has been an elite NBA franchise over the last few years, yet are in the bottom 5 in TV viewers because they play in such a pathetically small market. The team should be moved back to Seattle.
There are a bunch of other podunk minor league cities, like Oklahoma City, that have major league sports.
OKC has been an elite NBA franchise over the last few years, yet are in the bottom 5 in TV viewers because they play in such a pathetically small market. The team should be moved back to Seattle.
Seattle has had its own trouble supporting franchises, which is why many have moved over the years. Green Bay is by far the smallest market in all of professional sports, but it has one of the top fanbases in the country's biggest sport. Milwaukee is the smallest market in MLB, but it is consistently top 10 in attendance. LA doesn't even have an NFL team, and it's the second biggest city in the country. There are so many other factors, including team/local tradition, regional preferences/differences (hockey is going to be HUGE in Minneapolis, and far less so in the much bigger Houston market), other area attractions, racial/social make-up, etc., etc., etc., that have absolutely zero to do with one market's population vs. another's.
Seattle has had its own trouble supporting franchises, which is why many have moved over the years.\
You could not be more wrong. Great fan support, two teams stolen away. Pilots were stolen away by some declining rust belt city after one season in Seattle. Seattle sued baseball and won, forcing the '77 expansion (you're welcome Toronto). The other theft was the lying Okies stealing away the beloved Sonics.
The Sonics led the NBA in total attendance multiple times. They were the first NBA franchise to average over 20,000 fans a game for an entire season and they set numerous NBA attendance records. The Sonics only fell below 90% tickets sold twice while at Key Arena: the lockout year & the final season when it was a forgone conclusion the team was moving. The Sonics had the NBA's 2nd highest ticket price in the late 90's, yet had one of the longest sellout streaks in the NBA.
The Mariners have led MLB in total attendance multiple times.
The Seahawks have sold out most of the games in their history & are the loudest fans in sports per Guinness Book of World Records
The Sounders have led MLS in total attendance every year they have been in the league
The Huskies have led the Pac-10/12 in attendance 10+ seasons over the last 25 seasons
You could not be more wrong. Great fan support, two teams stolen away. Pilots were stolen away by some declining rust belt city after one season in Seattle. Seattle sued baseball and won, forcing the '77 expansion (you're welcome Toronto). The other theft was the lying Okies stealing away the beloved Sonics.
The Sonics led the NBA in total attendance multiple times. They were the first NBA franchise to average over 20,000 fans a game for an entire season and they set numerous NBA attendance records. The Sonics only fell below 90% tickets sold twice while at Key Arena: the lockout year & the final season when it was a forgone conclusion the team was moving. The Sonics had the NBA's 2nd highest ticket price in the late 90's, yet had one of the longest sellout streaks in the NBA.
The Mariners have led MLB in total attendance multiple times.
The Seahawks have sold out most of the games in their history & are the loudest fans in sports per Guinness Book of World Records
The Sounders have led MLS in total attendance every year they have been in the league
The Huskies have led the Pac-10/12 in attendance 10+ seasons over the last 25 seasons
I have a very hard time believing the last one: the Huskies holding the attendence record in the Pac-10/12 over USC, UCLA, Stanford, Cal, Oregon/St, and other better teams. I'll try to look it up.
You're right - Seattle is the A1, peerless sports town in America, nay the entire world. It is a tragedy of truly epic proportions that the town doesn't have an NBA franchise and the insignificant speck known as "Oklahoma City" does. Your argument is absolutely flawless. Why even address the meat of my response when you already know the truth? If I could give you a million reputation points, I would, but unfortunately they limit those...but if you want to pass along your address, I'll send you a gift box or something. It's small consolation in comparison with having your own NBA team to root for, but everyone likes granola bars, right?
I have a very hard time believing the last one: the Huskies holding the attendence record in the Pac-10/12 over USC, UCLA, Stanford, Cal, Oregon/St, and other better teams. I'll try to look it up.
Washington has had the largest season ticket holder base in college football west of the Rockies for over a quarter century. Washington has one of the best settings in college football and an elite program, so it is no wonder why they have such a large, loyal following. With the new renovation, it may have the best stadium in college football.
USC and UCLA, with larger stadiums, beat Washington's attendance from time to time, but never have the consistency of Washington.
Stanford (post-renovation), Oregon, and Oregon State have smaller stadiums. Stanford, a private school with its alumni dispersed all over the country, have trouble getting larger crowds so it shrank its stadium. Cal has been traditionally a mediocre program with mediocre fan support. The Tedford years were the only bright spot sans the 1991 team over the last quarter of a century. Oregon State and Oregon are traditionally bad programs too, but both turned things around over the last 15 to 20 years.
Why even address the meat of my response when you already know the truth?
Meat in an ignorance sandwich. Seattle is an elite sports city. The NBA shouldn't have let the team get stolen away. Also, the NHL needs a team in Seattle. A league can not ignore an entire corner of the country. Ditto NASCAR. Thankfully NHL and NASCAR have been taking proactive steps in and around the Seattle market recently. The NBA still has the linger effects of Stern arrogance and stupidity working against it.
Tip for Milwaukee: Better build the Bucks a palace or the team is Seattle bound....
Meat in an ignorance sandwich. Seattle is an elite sports city. The NBA shouldn't have let the team get stolen away. Also, the NHL needs a team in Seattle. A league can not ignore an entire corner of the country. Ditto NASCAR. Thankfully NHL and NASCAR have been taking proactive steps in and around the Seattle market recently. The NBA still has the linger effects of Stern arrogance and stupidity working against it.
Tip for Milwaukee: Better build the Bucks a palace or the team is Seattle bound....
Portland will get an NHL team before Seattle as there is already a team a few miles up north (Vancouver)
Washington has had the largest season ticket holder base in college football west of the Rockies for over a quarter century. Washington has one of the best settings in college football and an elite program, so it is no wonder why they have such a large, loyal following. With the new renovation, it may have the best stadium in college football.
USC and UCLA, with larger stadiums, beat Washington's attendance from time to time, but never have the consistency of Washington.
Stanford (post-renovation), Oregon, and Oregon State have smaller stadiums. Stanford, a private school with its alumni dispersed all over the country, have trouble getting larger crowds so it shrank its stadium. Cal has been traditionally a mediocre program with mediocre fan support. The Tedford years were the only bright spot sans the 1991 team over the last quarter of a century. Oregon State and Oregon are traditionally bad programs too, but both turned things around over the last 15 to 20 years.
I took the last 3 years and in every case Washington was NOT #1, so you were wrong, period. That being said, I did give credit to Washington for being as high up as it was, considering the team's performance especially.
Meat in an ignorance sandwich. Seattle is an elite sports city. The NBA shouldn't have let the team get stolen away. Also, the NHL needs a team in Seattle. A league can not ignore an entire corner of the country. Ditto NASCAR. Thankfully NHL and NASCAR have been taking proactive steps in and around the Seattle market recently. The NBA still has the linger effects of Stern arrogance and stupidity working against it.
Tip for Milwaukee: Better build the Bucks a palace or the team is Seattle bound....
So you endorse the very thing that took your beloved Sonics away from Seattle: stealing a team away from a market whose had one for decades?
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