Is the NYC Metro Area More Of An NBA or NHL Town? (New York: 2010, garden)

[bluecountry]

On the totem pole of New York sports, where do the Rangers and NHL rank, all things being equal?
The way I see, all things being equal, New York sports goes this way:

1) MLB (Yanks.....Mets/baseball biggest sport)
2) NFL (Giants.........Jets/nfl most popular US sport)
3) NBA (NBA General/Knicks)
4) NHL (NHL/Rangers...close to NBA)
Nets/Isles/Devils.....way down

Some people have argued with me that the Knicks and NBA are way more popular than the Rangers...and that hockey in general in New York is nothing more than afterthought.

I do agree that print media and some people on WFAN do ignore hockey...but the Rangers appear to have a rabid, loyal following.
They filled the Garden even when they were terrible in the late 90s.
I also remember 1994 when they won the cup and their run appeared to generate more buzz in the city than the Knicks who made the NBA finals, game 7, that year.
So I think all things even...a championship Ranger team v a championship Knick team, all things equal, would be quite close.

NBA and basketball has a lot of players from New York, but so does the NHL from the area.
I see as overall basketball has more broad appeal...but the Rangers are by no means the red headed step child afterthought...or hockey in general.

Do you agree...are the Rangers and NHL a big deal....or has their sucess thus far not generated much local buzz?

Specifically I'd like to know

1) Do you agree...are the Rangers and NHL a big deal....or has their sucess thus far not generated much local buzz?
-All things equal where do they rank compared to the NBA and the Knicks?

2) Was there ever a stretch in time where the Rangers ruled the city/area for popularity?

3) Are there any areas in the NYC metro region where the Rangers hold the majority over NBA/Knicks?

4) If you have spent time in Boston what would you say the comparison is between the two towns in terms of NHL/hockey popularity on the whole and on the overall sports totem poll?
-I see it as being similar...both overshadowed somewhat by the other sports..but both produce lots of good talent...with the Rangers having a bigger fanbase.

Thanks.

[Moderate Guy]

Originally Posted by bluecountry

On the totem pole of New York sports, where do the Rangers and NHL rank, all things being equal?
The way I see, all things being equal, New York sports goes this way:

1) MLB (Yanks.....Mets/baseball biggest sport)
2) NFL (Giants.........Jets/nfl most popular US sport)
3) NBA (NBA General/Knicks)
4) NHL (NHL/Rangers...close to NBA)
Nets/Isles/Devils.....way down

Some people have argued with me that the Knicks and NBA are way more popular than the Rangers...and that hockey in general in New York is nothing more than afterthought.

I do agree that print media and some people on WFAN do ignore hockey...but the Rangers appear to have a rabid, loyal following.
They filled the Garden even when they were terrible in the late 90s.
I also remember 1994 when they won the cup and their run appeared to generate more buzz in the city than the Knicks who made the NBA finals, game 7, that year.
So I think all things even...a championship Ranger team v a championship Knick team, all things equal, would be quite close.

NBA and basketball has a lot of players from New York, but so does the NHL from the area.
I see as overall basketball has more broad appeal...but the Rangers are by no means the red headed step child afterthought...or hockey in general.

Do you agree...are the Rangers and NHL a big deal....or has their sucess thus far not generated much local buzz?

Specifically I'd like to know

1) Do you agree...are the Rangers and NHL a big deal....or has their sucess thus far not generated much local buzz?
-All things equal where do they rank compared to the NBA and the Knicks?

2) Was there ever a stretch in time where the Rangers ruled the city/area for popularity?

3) Are there any areas in the NYC metro region where the Rangers hold the majority over NBA/Knicks?

4) If you have spent time in Boston what would you say the comparison is between the two towns in terms of NHL/hockey popularity on the whole and on the overall sports totem poll?
-I see it as being similar...both overshadowed somewhat by the other sports..but both produce lots of good talent...with the Rangers having a bigger fanbase.

Thanks.

My non-scientific opinion is that your rankings are accurate for NYC.

[lhf1979]

The Rangers have by far the most loyal and passionate fanbase. They sellout every night and even did so during seven straight non-playoff seasons.

Baseball will always reign here, followed by football. The Knicks still generate buzz, although for the wrong reasons over the last few seasons. But if they ever made a deep playoff run, the city would definitely be into it.

I would love to see another spring like 1994 with the Rangers and Knicks.

[NJ Chutzpah]

well youth basketball around here is much larger than youth hockey

so most people grew up playing basketball more than hockey, and therefore have more passion for bball than hock

bball is bigger but right now the knicks are going through some tough times

[Moderate Guy]

Originally Posted by NJ Chutzpah

well youth basketball around here is much larger than youth hockey

so most people grew up playing basketball more than hockey, and therefore have more passion for bball than hock

bball is bigger but right now the knicks are going through some tough times

I agree. I think that the reason it appears that hockey is more popular is as previously mentioned hockey fans are very passionate. That traditionally has also been the case with basketball fans but with a larger fan base. However the demise of the Knicks on and off court has hurt the sport presently.

[bluecountry]

Originally Posted by NJ Chutzpah

well youth basketball around here is much larger than youth hockey

so most people grew up playing basketball more than hockey, and therefore have more passion for bball than hock

bball is bigger but right now the knicks are going through some tough times

Maybe..but on the whole...the NYC area produces one of the highest amount of NHL players for any US town.

Is the NHL and NBA pretty even/close...how is it ALL THINGS being equal?

[Moderate Guy]

Originally Posted by bluecountry

Maybe..but on the whole...the NYC area produces one of the highest amount of NHL players for any US town.

NYC is such a huge sports town that one can't rate a particular sport's ranking among all sports here via the fact that it may have the highest amount of players of any US town.

[john_starks]

NBA! freakin Kinicks

[nyctc7]

I'm not much of a basketball fan, I like the Rangers, but I will easily concede that the Knicks are more popular, though the Larry Brown & Isiah Thomas "eras" did a lot to reverse that equation. And the reason so much ink was spilled over the Rangers in 1994 was because they hadn't won the Cup in 54 years. But I do think that the cities that host the "Original Six" (Toronto, Montreal, Boston, New York, Detroit, and Chicago) have a special relationship with, and a special fondness for, hockey.

Considering the long-standing popularity of the Yankees (I like the Mets), I don't think you could say that there was ever a period when the Rangers ruled the area for popularity.

[SilkCity0416]

The number one sport is baseball. The Mets and Yankees continue to dominate the news and back pages of the newspapers, even during the off season.

As for hockey and basketball. The Rangers has a large and loyal fanbase like most people are saying, however; I will say that the Knicks is still held to a higher esteem than the Rangers. Simply put, this is New York City- a basketball town.

The Knicks had some hard times for at least 7 years, but there is starting to be a buzz with the trades this team made, and the fact that there is probably an 70% chance that LeBron will be a Knick in 2010.